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36th Annual Daytona Beach Turkey Run - Web ExclusiveAnother Great Thanksgiving Weekend of Fun and Sun in Daytona Beach From the December, 2009 issue of Street Rodder By Carrol Hamilton Photography by Carrol Hamilton
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Turkey Run painting by artist Wayne Mauro Henry only produced twenty-nine... Henry only produced twenty-nine hundred 1942 Ford Convertibles and Ron and Sylvia Brookshire drove this one down from Mt. Airy, NC. Flawless red paint, chopped top, tan leather, and a late model Ford small block highlight this fabulous ride. There was no sign of an economic downturn at the 36th Annual Turkey Run. Record crowds, record number of cars, record swap meet sales, record car corral sales, and a very successful auction all added up to a great weekend of motorhead mayhem. A few years back the host club, the Daytona Beach Street Rods, elected to remove the word "Rod" from the Turkey Rod Run slogan. The reason was custom cars, classic cars, trucks, etc...were also a big part of the biggest car show in the Southeast. This year the cutoff year was removed and any classic, custom, street rod, antique or specialty car or truck was welcome. This made a really big event even bigger and better. Held in the massive infield of the Daytona International Speedway, in addition to the biggest car show in the Southeast, the Turkey Run features the biggest swap meet and vendor area in the Southeast. If you could not find it here you probably didn't need it. Parts movers are available to carry your purchases to your vehicle and they were very busy shuttling parts all four days. Randy and Chris Nelson raced... Randy and Chris Nelson raced in from Umatilla, Fl in their oval track inspired Track T. Multiple side draft Weber carbs hang off the Slant Six Mopar powerplant, while a wild exhaust system gets rid of spent gases. Dan Kruse Classics in conjunction with Vicari Motorsports produced a classic car auction that ran from mid morning to late afternoon Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A host of rods, customs, and classics rolled across the auction block all day long. The call of the auctioneer, along with the calls of the bidders just added to the atmosphere. Throw in 1,500 car corral spots, a craft sales area, and a giant food court and you had a full four-day weekend of fun. If spending the day perusing the swap meet, checking out the car corral or eyeing the nearly 5,000 show entrants wasn't enough, nighttime activities were everywhere. The sanctioned activities were held each evening just outside of turn four of the speedway. Music, food, slow drags, tricycle races, a car teeter-totter, and more made up those activities. We caught Bob Fisher parking... We caught Bob Fisher parking his flamed '32 three window to get ready for a big day of food, fun, and cars. Bob tooled over from Port Orange, FL. Other evening activities are located throughout the area, including the highly popular Bel Air Plaza "Outlaw" Cruise. So named because it is not planned, it is not sanctioned, and it is not advertised, yet every year hundreds of rods and customs invade the Bel Air Plaza Shopping Center parking lot for the nightly cruise. Throw in the tourist attractions and the miles of drivable, wide, flat, sandy, beaches, and there was something for everyone. This explains why the four-day event is beginning to become a week long or even longer for many participants. As we walked the show grounds we noticed an increase in the number of fat fendered rods, especially '39 and '40 Fords, plus a good number of drop tops from the same years. Rubber running boards, cowl lights, door handles, and bumpers appear to be continuing to make a comeback, as are full fendered, unmolested Fords, Chevys, and few Mopars of all years. There are cruisers and then... There are cruisers and then there are cruisers. Tracy and Kim Wood cruise their hometown of Jacksonville, FL, and all around the Southeast in their 1960 Olds Dynamic 88. If you are curious about the fender skirts - they are one piece from the side trim down and from the rear to the door, and they are easily removable. As in the past, all profits generated from swap meet spaces, car corral spaces and spectator ticket sales are handled by the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District and are used for parks and recreation in the Daytona Beach area. The profits from the car show entry fees and the raffle car are handled by the Daytona Beach Street Rods and are donated to various area charities with an emphasis on the Volusia County Special Olympics. If you are looking for a really exciting Thanksgiving weekend check out the 37th Annual Turkey Run. For information contact www.turkeyrun.com  How about a recreation of...  How about a recreation of a Moxie soft drink parade car? A 1923 Buick roadster works as the foundation/drivetrain. Moxie was a soft drink to cure locomotor ataxia, imbecility, loss of manhood, and more...it outsold Coca-Cola - that's what the sign said!  Three deuces on a Blown small-block...  Three deuces on a Blown small-block Chevy, powered Bruce and Linda Becato up the Florida coast from Key West in their beautiful T-Bucket.  Bumpers, boards, cowl lights,...  Bumpers, boards, cowl lights, and more all combine to make Don and JoAnne Tillery's metallic silver, A sedan look good in the Florida sun.  It was top down weather on...  It was top down weather on Thanksgiving weekend in Daytona and this smooth, orange, '41 Ford convertible was taking full advantage. No info was displayed, but the car was running Ohio tags.  Early Mopar sedans make great...  Early Mopar sedans make great rods, and this maroon and silver rodded '34 Plymouth four door is a fine example.  This '55 Chevy Bel Air hardtop...  This '55 Chevy Bel Air hardtop with Purple and lavender paint, lavender and white rolls and pleats, wide whites, and five spokes took everyone back to the '60s.  These young men are checking...  These young men are checking everything out from the bed of a cruising pickup truck. Huge crowds of spectators and a record number of cars made cruising nearly impossible later in the day.  On Friday and Saturday afternoon...  On Friday and Saturday afternoon the host club, Daytona Beach Street Rods, hands out door prizes to hundreds of lucky entrants. They also raffle off an engine and a car. This year's raffle car was a 1965 Chevy II Nova SS won by Mary Anne Kennedy of Ormond Beach, FL.  You just can't top a good-looking...  You just can't top a good-looking woody. Spring Hill's Jack and Geri Klingel added spots, mags, visor, and a luggage rack with a surfboard, to a really straight '53 Chevy wagon and created this fun machine.  This "over the top" Willys...  This "over the top" Willys stopped everyone in their tracks, with Candy Pearl Tangerine paint, cream leather, injected big-block, and a trunk full of big flat screen TV it is just flat gorgeous.  Imagine loading up the picnic...  Imagine loading up the picnic basket on a bright sunny day and heading to the beach in this beautiful, cream, '48 Ford woody wagon. That would be a perfect day. Victor and Carol Nelson can do just that with just a short trip to the beach from their Deltona, FL home.  We spotted this '26 T coupe...  We spotted this '26 T coupe in the swap meet for 16K O.B.O. Wide whites, SBC, limefire style headers, black and white rolls and pleats, and paint - seemed reasonable. Fork over a little cash and you are ready to roll.  We found this traditional...  We found this traditional Deuce roadster and traditional Deuce five window sitting all alone in the early morning sun. A little later in the morning they would have a lot of company.  Tube frame, tubbed rear, injected...  Tube frame, tubbed rear, injected Hemi with big, and we mean big, injector stacks, slammed to the ground Model A sedan was seen heading for the speedway infield show area. The vintage cooler shoved in the back probably made for a very nice day in the sun.  This two-tone blue, pretty...  This two-tone blue, pretty much unmolested, '32 Ford sedan rides on independent suspension and gets its power from three deuces on a small-block Chevrolet.  Howie Kittelstad rolled in...  Howie Kittelstad rolled in from Crystal River, FL in his 348 Chevy powered '47 Chevrolet convertible. Honduras maroon over a smoothed body, wide white walls and a tan rag top all go together to create this fine ride.  Some assembly required, but...  Some assembly required, but two grand would have put you in either one of these A sedans.  Howard and Wanda Turnoff came...  Howard and Wanda Turnoff came down from Medway, MA in their '49 Plymouth Special Deluxe custom that was recently featured in SRM (August 09). A fully dressed Flathead six, perfect blue paint and a custom interior turned this ugly duckling into an excellent example of a, well done, mild custom.  A number of smooth, clean,...  A number of smooth, clean, simple woody wagons were on hand. This 1956 Ford, with a visor, wooden roof rack, wide whites and mags shows just how cool this look can be.  The crew from Blast from the...  The crew from Blast from the Past, the East Coast distributor for Shadow Rods, was on hand showing off the Shadow Rods XL27 roadster pickup. The pitch was to get tall guys, six-foot plus, to sit in the car and see how much room the design of this car allows. Jerry Dixie will be all cool and comfy in the 2010 XL27 AMSOIL / STREET RODDER Road Tour car.  Shoebox Fords have always...  Shoebox Fords have always been a favorite of ours, and Jim and Brenda Preston's beautiful sea foam green, business coupe had all the bells and whistles - frenched headlights and tail lights, nosed and decked, shaved door handles, skirts, and rolls and pleats. The Preston's hail from Englewood, FL.  Walt and Mary Anne McMullen...  Walt and Mary Anne McMullen rode in from nearby Ponce Inlet, FL in their appliance white and dark blue '37 Ford roadster. The removable Carson style top allows roll up windows and a top in fair weather and an open top car when the sun is shining. The best of both worlds.  Kenny Matlock operates a fab...  Kenny Matlock operates a fab shop in the Florida Keys. To show off his skills Kenny started with an aluminum boat trailer and built a frame for his hot rod. He then hand formed the entire body, used a PSC hydraulic ram system for steering, scrounged up a '79 Firebird drivetrain, and put the whole thing on air bags.  John and Pat Mills drove their...  John and Pat Mills drove their cool '52 Ford Woody down from Earleville, MD. Smoothed body, ribbed bumpers, '54 Chevy grille, and a 5.0 Ford make this one slick wagon.  Whitey and Tammy Shoemaker...  Whitey and Tammy Shoemaker can be seen driving this head turner '52 Ford pick up around their hometown of Wildwood. FL. Nothing wild, but what is done is done right.  The guys at Performance Center...  The guys at Performance Center Hot Rod Shop in Jupiter, FL put together this mean looking, laid back, '33 Ford coupe. Independent front suspension, rack and pinion, polished five spokes, and black suede grab your attention.  We found this gem in the auction...  We found this gem in the auction pre-stage lot. The rare 1953 Ford Courier looks like it stepped right out of Happy Days.  Brian and Linda Flanagan sat...  Brian and Linda Flanagan sat their '52 Ford pick up on a 2000 Ford pickup frame, dropped in a 302 Ford, ditched the door handles and other chrome trim, and applied the copper and black paint. The Flanagan's hail from Blacklick, OH.  Oxford, PA's Jeff Jones shows...  Oxford, PA's Jeff Jones shows his sense of humor with the butterflies on his air scoop. In small, barely noticeable, around one of the bloodshot eyes it says "It was 5 o'clock somewhere." The scoop is attached to a small-block Chevy that powers Jeff's bright orange '32 Ford three-window coupe.  Don't you just love early...  Don't you just love early Ford big window trucks? This smoothed, blue, version got our attention.  Ray Gillotte raises the dummy...  Ray Gillotte raises the dummy water tank on his '39 Dodge farm truck to show off the chromed and highly detailed big-block 502 Chevy. The slammed front is courtesy of air bags. Ray tooled over from the farm in Crystal River, FL.  We never up with this beautiful...  We never up with this beautiful '52 Chevy wagon as it was always on the move. The 1952 license plates were from North Carolina.  Ted and Natalie Buss dropped...  Ted and Natalie Buss dropped down from Allenwood, PA in their Vintage Farms '50 Ford half-ton. Far from a farm truck, disc brakes, 350/350, power steering, and other creature comforts make this one nice ride.  We be cruising! It doesn't...  We be cruising! It doesn't take big bucks to enjoy the Turkey Run fun.  Brookie Carter can be proud...  Brookie Carter can be proud of his beautiful white and yellow '55 Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck. Brookie drives this baby around his hometown of Brunswick, GA.
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