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Cache Valley Cruise-In - Expanded for WebThese Utah Hot Rodders Know How To Put On A Car Show From the March, 2011 issue of Street Rodder By Tim Bernsau
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Logan, UT, has a beautiful... Logan, UT, has a beautiful tree-lined hometown Main Street, made even more beautiful by the after-event cruise that is a traditional part of the Cache Valley Cruise-In every year. That copper-colored '29 Model A tudor leading this group belongs to Ernie and Sherry Barnett from Eagle, ID. The city of Logan is located in the northeast corner of Utah, 80 miles north of Salt Lake City and not very far south of the Idaho border in a beautiful area called Cache Valley, which lends its name to the Cache Valley Cruising Association (CVCA) and to their fantastic annual car show, the Cache Valley Cruise-In. The Cache Valley Cruise-In has been a local tradition in Logan for almost 30 years. A lot of hot rodders consider it the best car show in the whole state of Utah. If you were a STREET RODDER reader in the late '90s, you probably remember reading Jim Rizzo's Cruise-In coverage. Riz always came home from Logan charged up with stories about wonderful people, amazing cars, and an overall terrific event-so we were excited about heading back up to Cache Valley after all these years to help the CVCA celebrate the 28th annual Cruise-In. What goes better with hot... What goes better with hot rods than a genuine retro-style pinup girl? Jade, from Innocent Era Pinups, looks just like Betty Grable and could've stepped right out of a World War II-era magazine. You may have noticed CVCA President John Rutledge's Plymouth in the background. The CVCA club members are not professional event promoters, but they are experts at organizing a flat-out, foot-to-the-floor, hang-on-tight car show. The activities started on Thursday with a poker run through the mountains followed by a chicken lunch picnic. Back in town that evening we noticed the Cache County Fairgrounds and hotel and motel parking lots starting to fill up with vehicles. On Friday morning the parking lots were empty and the Fairgrounds were packed. The Cruise-In welcomes rods, customs, restorations, trucks, muscle cars, street machines, you name it, and close to 1,000 enthusiasts answered the call, joined by more than 60 commercial vendors and approximately 30,000 spectators. The show ended for the day by late afternoon-but not the action; it just moved a few blocks over to the host hotel and kept going with an outdoor '50s-style sock hop. The heartiest partiers were back at the fairgrounds early on Saturday morning for the chuck-wagon breakfast, followed by another full day of show 'n' shine. The awards ceremony later that day featured a past-the-stage parade of Cruise-In favorites. There were plenty of awards to win in Cache Valley, but the really big prize of the weekend was the annual giveaway car. Everyone had been drooling over the built-up, beautiful '67 GTO convertible all weekend, and anyone in attendance was eligible to participate in the drawing to win it, but only one was lucky enough to drive it away. Casy and Heather Crockett... Casy and Heather Crockett and family, from right there in Logan, cruised Main Street in their '51 Mercury convertible custom, which has been chopped, dropped, shaved, and frenched. Those lake pipes are fully functional. By dinner time, the fairgrounds were empty and it was time to go home. Just kidding! The fun wasn't over yet, and crowds jammed the sidewalks of Main Street in Logan to cheer the cruising parade that rolled on for hours. For the participants, spectators, vendors, and me, the Cache Valley Cruise-In weekend did eventually end, but for the members of the Cache Valley Cruising Association it never really does. On Sunday morning, as club members hiked Main Street to clean up litter, conversations were taking place about the 29th Cache Valley Cruise-In, scheduled for June 30-July 2, 2011. They've got it all up there in Cache Valley and they love showing it off. But don't take our word for it. Make the trip and find out for yourself. Information on the '11 Cache Valley Cruise-In is already available at www.cachevalleycruisein.net  You need the right sunlight...  You need the right sunlight to see the subtle flames in the candy paint on Erwin and Jan Bartlett's chopped '41 Plymouth coupe. Molded fenders, frenched headlights, and white upholstery are just part of what makes the ZZ4-powered Plymouth an award winner.  The sign on the bumper announces...  The sign on the bumper announces that this '37 Chevy was restored by the late Ray Brown back in 1978. Rich and Norene Brown from Nibley, UT, now drive the mildly modified, attention-getting coupe. The interior is brown mohair.  The Cache Valley Cruise-In's...  The Cache Valley Cruise-In's opening day Poker Run involves an 80-mile round trip through the mountains to Bear Lake. The reward was the view from the final checkpoint, elevation: 6,500 feet. Here, five-and-a-half members of the CVCA eagerly await the arrival of the next participant. Dave and Lori Viternas are wearing their distinctive yellow club shirts.  Brad and Lee Ann Ott said...  Brad and Lee Ann Ott said they built this '37 Ford woodie "to join the wooden car world." The steel is original and the lumber is white ash. The Chevy small-block-powered, slant-back phantom was finished the year before the show.  Chad Norman from Sandy, UT,...  Chad Norman from Sandy, UT, calls this a Kookie T, taking inspiration from another Norman with another T: Norm Grabowski's Kookie car. Look closely, and you'll see Chad's pinstriping all over his '23. The inside door panels are covered with vintage photographs and race decals.  Sports coupes are one of our...  Sports coupes are one of our favorite early Ford body styles, so we had to show you this '28, owned by Daniel Dorman, from Idaho Falls, ID. Notice the Chevy 383 that powers this Model A.  We saw a lot of nice custom...  We saw a lot of nice custom trucks in Cache Valley, including this bright orange '56 Ford F-100 owned by Gary and Diana Conn. It rides on a Plymouth Gran Fury front suspension, with a Lincoln 302 underhood and ghost flames in the paint.  We had to wait for the crowd...  We had to wait for the crowd to move away to get a photo of this hand-built twin-engined roadster. Del Friedli from Providence, UT, packed the '36 Wildcat with a pair of early '60s era Buick 215 V-8s. He says the car is built with "some parts off the shelf and some from UPS."  The Coca-Cola trailer is the...  The Coca-Cola trailer is the second-best finishing touch to Max Kempton's chopped two-tone '35 Ford, out of Tucson, AZ. The best was the miniature paint gun shifter knob. Third best is the Ford in a Ford 302 engine.  Justin Linares from Grantsville,...  Justin Linares from Grantsville, UT, hit Main Street in his '32 three-window, built with a Downs body on a SO-CAL frame, with a Ford 392 motor. He says he doesn't see many early style hot rods like his in Northern Utah, except when he goes racing with his other Deuce. They've got this big salt flat out there, ya see ...  This '37 Chevy coupe, hand-built...  This '37 Chevy coupe, hand-built by Dave Kindig at Kindig-It Designs, has been on the indoor and outdoor show circuit for a couple of years. Hilborn injection feeds the 496 Chevy big-block and the interior is loaded with leather. Virtually no part has been left untouched.  There were a few great-looking...  There were a few great-looking Tri-Five Chevys at the Cruise-In, including Becky Taylor's nostalgic '56 210 from Whitehall, Montana. The Chevy tows a matching '63 Scotty trailer. How many of you remember family vacations with a similar setup?  Meet the Sledsel, a '58 Edsel...  Meet the Sledsel, a '58 Edsel transformed into a hauler by the Ranchero bed in back. We've seen Edsel wagons used to build pickups, but it looks like Ron and Brenda Russell used a sedan.  Paul Searcy gave us a glimpse...  Paul Searcy gave us a glimpse 87 years into the past with his restored '23 Buick roadster 44-6. "The six-cylinder engine makes 27.3 hp," he states. Even in original form that body has the look of a hot rod, doesn't it?  The CVCA gave STREET RODDER...  The CVCA gave STREET RODDER the privilege of selecting an award winner. We chose Glen and Tammy Schumacher's '37 Chevrolet coupe, from Fruita, Colorado. We liked the one-piece windshield, Foose five-spokes and overall blend of old and new-not to mention, it's a driver.  There's more than one way...  There's more than one way to build a '29 Ford tudor sedan. Mike Corbett of Hollady, UT, went the restoration route, right down to the original colors and a four-banger underhood. Don Dorman from Idaho Falls, ID, took the street rod approach, adding a small-block, orange solid rims with rings and caps, louvers on the visor and rear fenders, and some nice graphics along the hood, body beltline, and fenders.  Previous Cache Valley giveaway...  Previous Cache Valley giveaway vehicles have a way of reappearing at the show, including this flamed '56 Ford pickup, which was the 25th anniversary prize in 2007. It's owned by J.J. and Russ Poulsen, and features a Ford 302 powerplant.  This Kirkham Motorsports reflective...  This Kirkham Motorsports reflective aluminum bodied '65 Shelby Cobra is owned by Len Bayless from Sandy, UT. He said there is 300 hours in the polishing. It's like looking in a mirror. The 527 engine was dyno'd at 700 horses.  Austin Ford, age 11, will...  Austin Ford, age 11, will have to be content riding shotgun for a while. His '50 Dodge pickup used to be his great-grandfather's truck. Ford, from Kaysville, UT, mowed lawns to pay for the new tires and wheels, and to cover the entry fee for the Cruise-In.  Here's another great-looking...  Here's another great-looking two-door '31 sedan, but not a Model A. This one's a steel-bodied '31 Pontiac, updated with a 350 Chevy, Heidts front end, A/C, and disc brakes. The purple Poncho is owned by Ray and Dona Butler from Green Valley, AZ.  Seth Hansen's '41 Chevy pickup...  Seth Hansen's '41 Chevy pickup looks channeled but actually sits on the 'rails. It is Z'd 14 inches to lower it. The engine is a 500ci Cadillac. Seth from Lehi, UT, started the project with a cab and hood.  This unchopped, full-fendered...  This unchopped, full-fendered '31 Model A five-window looks fairly mild with the exception of the blown, dual-carbed small-block filling the engine compartment. The all-steel coupe sits on a TCI Engineering chassis, and is owned by Lyle and Karen Warner from Sandy, UT.  When Jim and Jackie Councilman...  When Jim and Jackie Councilman started on their '49 Chevy Suburban, it was just a shell. Now it's a long-distance driver, with a Chevy small-block and airbag suspension. The PPG beige Suburban from Desert Hills, AZ, was selected by Kindig-It Design for an award.  Kipp Winward's '34 pickup...  Kipp Winward's '34 pickup would look more at home in the staging lanes at a dragstrip than in the tree-lined fairgrounds. The 331 Hemi with four Strombergs, American five-spokes, cheater slicks, Moon gauges, and skull shifter knob evoke the '60s.  This was the Cruise-In giveaway...  This was the Cruise-In giveaway car in 1997. The '41 Ford woodie with a 429 Ford engine was originally a coupe. Owner John Feustel added ghost flames and a surfboard, not to mention 80,000 miles driving it all over the West.  Where do you find parts to...  Where do you find parts to build a Hudson resto rod as nice as this green '34? The rumble seat coupe was restored in full regalia and is owned by Jerry Prout from West Valley, UT.  Eighteen-year-old Jim Crozier...  Eighteen-year-old Jim Crozier paid $25 for this '37 Chevy sedan delivery. That was in 1965. Jim and Jeanne started this buildup, which included Cadillac Eldorado seats and a small-block in 1993 and finished in 2008.  The interior of Guillermo...  The interior of Guillermo Rizo's two-tone '46 Chevy, from Kearns, UT, is as nice as the outside, with a white upholstered bench seat, polish wheel, and Classic Instruments gauges.  The ammo box serves as an...  The ammo box serves as an old-timey accessory to this nostalgic channeled T-bucket. A pair of Stromberg carburetors top the small-block mill. Bomber buckets, suede black finish, and a suicide front end keep the theme going.  After retiring as a delivery...  After retiring as a delivery truck for the owner of a local trout farm (who added a tank to carry the fish), this '50 Ford woodie went into storage for 30 years. Sam Weston of Weston Restorations bought it in 1997, got rid of the fish smell, and did a full-body restoration.  It's nice to read good news...  It's nice to read good news for a change. The Cache Valley Cruise-In was highlighted in the local newspaper. The event got a story in STREET RODDER too!  The hand-painted interior...  The hand-painted interior was only one of the reasons Sandra Krahn from Boise, Idaho, got to cruise this two-tone '55 Buick through the rodeo arena during the awards ceremony.  The name of Conrad and Michelle...  The name of Conrad and Michelle Monroe's town is Show Low, Arizona, so showing their sits-just-right cool blue '39 Ford tudor sedan is practically required. We love those Cragars and all that tire. And like many participants here, they're proud that this one is driven.  Sedan deliveries are perfect...  Sedan deliveries are perfect road trip street rods. When Mike Jorgensen was in high school, this clean (inside and out) '39 was his daily ride. It's not his primary vehicle anymore, but he and his wife Elaine, still drive it.  It was probably the outstanding...  It was probably the outstanding paint job and the immaculate detailing on Dick Webb's '37 Ford coupe that caused Reflections Detailing to select the car for an award at Cache Valley. The fat-fendered beauty is from Salt Lake City.  That paint job guarantees...  That paint job guarantees there's no missing this knockout '39 Ford coupe, which a small-block and transmission out of an '89 Corvette. Paul and Judy Nolte brought the coupe all the way from Scottsdale, Arizona.
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