When we heard about a hot...
When we heard about a hot rodder in the Charlotte area who had a collection of Pontiacs, we weren't sure what to expect-we weren't disappointed. Zeb Morris has amassed one of the finest collections of high-performance Ponchos in the country.
Cecil Profitt has been a car guy and a collector his entire life. For many years he was the promoter of indoor car shows in the Virginia Beach area. Over the years he has collected an incredible amount of automotive memorabilia. While everyone enjoyed hot dogs and popcorn, we also got a tour of Cecil's collection. As is the case with collections of this size, every piece has a story and it was a very entertaining two hours at Cecil Profitt's Garage and Museum. From Windsor we took a drive through historic Smithfield, Virginia, and then dodged most of the Norfolk traffic to arrive at Jesse's Rod Shop in Chesapeake, Virginia, by 4 p.m. At Jesse's we were greeted by the members of the Tidewater Street Rod Association. It was time to eat again and club members served up pulled-pork sandwiches for everyone to enjoy. It was a nice evening at Jesse's Rod Shop and it was great to meet the Tidewater Street Rod folks.
On Wednesday evening we checked into our rooms at the Oceanfront Inn right on Virginia Beach, and we would have front row seats for the Beach Music Festival which was scheduled to kick off Thursday evening. Thursday on the Coker Tire Tour would prove to be one of the most incredible days in the entire history of the Road Tour, and that is saying a lot.
Thursday started with breakfast on Lynnhaven Pier hosted by fellow Road Tourians Bobby Lou and Hoyt Duff, owners of the Pier and Route 60 Garage. Bobbie Lou and Hoyt have traveled on many Tours and this is the second time we have stopped at their Lynnhaven Pier. It was a great way to kick off a great day. From the pier we headed south through Virginia Beach to the new Military Aviation Museum. This privately owned collection of military aircraft includes planes from both World Wars and all of the country's recent conflicts. It was incredible to be able to park the Road Tour Chevy in a hanger next to a P-51 fighter. It is a beautiful facility and is growing by leaps and bounds.
Our next stop on Thursday would prove to be an amazing and awe-inspiring visit to the Naval Air Station Oceana. The very special arrangements for our visit were made by the City of Virginia Beach in conjunction with Kelley Stirling, the Public Affairs Officer for the Base. NAS Oceana is one of the largest and most advanced air stations in the world. Its mission is to train and deploy the Navy's fighter/attack squadrons of F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets. We were met by a Military Police escort at the front gate and lead through very tight security on to the actual flight line where the Tomcats and Hornets were taking off and landing during our entire visit.
We were divided into three groups and were able to park our cars in front of three hangers where squadron members enjoyed our vehicles. We stood in awe of the incredible men, women, and equipment that stood before us in those hangers. The two hours that we spent at NAS Oceana were amazing to say the least. The base commander greeted us personally and thanked us for visiting. He arranged for a very special photo shoot with our cars parked between the fighters on the flight line. We were then invited to be guests at a special awards ceremony where the squadrons were presented with a very prestigious award by a visiting Admiral of the Navy. Thanks to everyone at NAS Oceana for an incredible visit.
Thursday evening we were special guests at the Beach Music Festival and were invited to park our cars on the grass between the hotel and the beach. It had been quite a two-day visit in Virginia Beach. Thanks to everyone who helped make it possible. There is talk of a large car show in Virginia Beach next spring and it would be great to bring the Road Tour back for the inaugural event. We will keep you posted.
Dewey Cassler from Pittsburgh...
Dewey Cassler from Pittsburgh decided it was time to take a long distance trip in his '32 highboy roadster. The Coker Tire Tour was the perfect way to get a feel for the long haul. It looked as though Dewey was having a great time all week.
One of the high points of...
One of the high points of the week was our visit to the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC, where we delivered $2,500 raised by silent auction the previous Saturday. The money will fund a camp week for a deserving child.
Owner Jim Barber and his crew...
Owner Jim Barber and his crew at Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists of Greensboro, NC fired up the grille for the Road Tourians.
Our Wednesday lunch stop was...
Our Wednesday lunch stop was in Windsor, VA, at Cecil Profitt's Garage and Museum. There were almost 50 vehicles waiting for us when we arrived, as his collection of nostalgic items ranged from a vintage grocery store filled with items from days gone by to a great collection of custom and classic cars and motorcycles.
Wednesday afternoon we were...
Wednesday afternoon we were greeted at Jessie's Rod Shop in Chesapeake, VA. On hand were members of the Tidewater Street Rod Association who treated everyone pulled-pork sandwiches and beverages.
The C.A.R.S. complex covers...
The C.A.R.S. complex covers 35,000 sq. ft. and filled with projects in various build stages. The builds range from restoration of a vintage Duesenberg, the construction of several potent Camaro's, and a recently completed full-custom '50 Chevy pickup truck.