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Salt Lake City in '03The 29th Annual Parts Plus Salt Lake City Autorama From the February, 2009 issue of Street Rodder By Chris Shelton
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We're sure you don't need us to remind you of events, but to fully appreciate the circumstances surrounding the 29th Parts Plus Salt Lake City Autorama, note that on March 19 2003, President George W. Bush announced war with Iraq. The Autorama opened its doors on March 20, 2003. It isn't a big leap to assume that one event would change the course of world events, much less a car show. The following isn't opinion pro or con regarding the conflict. That isn't our responsibility, nor is it warranted. If anything, our jobs are to provide a form of entertainment--or better yet, a form of escape. We intend the following story to serve as a narrative on the events that unfolded that weekend and forged the tone for the show. Understandably, Middle East events took precedence over just about every facet of life over the weekend. Local papers brimmed with feature articles acknowledging Utah's men and women serving overseas and the families they left behind. Public radio chronicled step-by-step tactical military actions and interviewed military advisors on those actions' ramifications. Television broadcast, among other things, the now famous (or is that infamous) orange mushroom clouds bellowing from Baghdad's skyline. That's pretty big news, to say the least. Then again, car shows aren't strangers to newsworthy events; 1991's Desert Storm preempted the 42nd annual Grand National Roadster Show (both events started the same day). Technical Editor Ron Ceridono happened to be selling books at that particular show. To paraphrase his commentary, one could "fire a cannon down the aisles." Interesting analogy to say the least. Admittedly, the opening actions didn't cripple the Autorama, but Friday's limited turnout led an Autorama greenhorn to wonder if events overseas firmly glued potential Autorama attendees to their television sets. True, Friday is still a workday, but to hear Bob Larivee and his Championship Auto Shows crew talk about it, you'd think preemptive events were par were for the course. Considering the 2002 Olympics packed up and left days before the 28th SLC Autorama set up shop, taking with it the locals' car-show allotments, energy, and initiative, we'd say Larivee and his crew are probably used to this kind of thing. These show promoters have nerves of steel. Luckily, things bounced back into place Saturday morning and we fought the usual show-going crowds. First off, there's a certain intimacy regarding indoor shows, and that's a real plus for regional shows. Instead of umpteen thousands sprawling across acres, it's a few hundred shoulder-to-shoulder in a cozy space. Imagine if you will a music venue in a club versus an outdoor arena. The close proximity makes it easy to spot characters. And characters we spotted. First off, Kustom King George Barris held court all weekend long signing and mingling in his display area. It's pretty neat to rub elbows with someone who not only played a part in our industry's formative years, but still contributes to Hollywood's pageantry with his latest creations, like the '60s Goat that starred in last summer's film, "XXX." Speaking of stars, Verne Troyer, evil sidekick in the Austin Powers series, graciously signed autographs and mugged for the cameras. Utah also has its fair share of local celebrities, too. Lest you envision the Beehive State as some sort of buttoned-down bastion of conservatism, let us present Caesar Boswell. Caesar runs Caesar's Motorcycle Empire and Museum a few miles up State Street from the venue. The self-proclaimed ruler of the decidedly offbeat emporium forged a style borne of unconventional Harley Davidsons. Referencing a Custom Chrome catalog in the presence of Caesar is tantamount to referencing Anton LaVey to a man of the cloth: it's sheer blasphemy. Caesar's bikes' trademarks include antique soap trays, faucet handles, automotive parts, and whatever happens to pop up and match the owner's personality. One of his creations perches a Pierce-Arrow headlight atop a cycle fender. As outlandish his stuff seems, it really works and is a breath of fresh air from the catalog-part-laden shopping carts some people call show bikes. We also spent time with Kustom-guru Bo Huff and his candied, pearled, tucked-'n'-rolled, and whitewalled '50 Mercury. With his cuffed Levi's, starched shirt, engineer boots, and pompadoured coif, Bo looks for all intents and purposes like he drove a Schlitz truck straight from 1958 to now. He also builds his cars like the last 45 years didn't happen. Bo's conversations usually start with, "You'd dig it..." and end with "Crazy, man!" He's also a real hands-on guy whose interests have pushed him beyond sculpting tin; ask him how he helped change Utah's suspension laws. He also introduced me to Utah's traditional hot rod and custom scene--a pretty together scene not many hear about. So to use production language, the show must go on. More importantly, however, we all must wish for a safe, speedy return for those serving in our armed forces. As we go to press with this issue, news reports indicate a punctual close to events overseas. Hopefully, those who missed this year's event can make it next year. There's always 2004, let's see everybody there. SRM  '33 Willys are small cars....  '33 Willys are small cars. Dale Smith is a big guy. Funnily enough, Dale never sat in his Willys until he finished it. Imagine his surprise. That's his and his wife Nancy's car in the foreground. It's a hot number with a dual-quad Chevy and Halibrand lookalikes topped with Boyd knockoffs.  Ferris Dubach's '27 roadster...  Ferris Dubach's '27 roadster is just the nuts! The little Ford runs a Model A or B engine backed against an open-drive transmission. The whole deal sits on A rails and wears recapped slicks on a Culver City Halibrand quickchange out back. For the cynics: yes, it's tin.  We'll admit we're seldom gushy...  We'll admit we're seldom gushy about theme paints, but we'll admit when one grabs us. The stars and bars by Air Syndicate's Craig Fraser on Bill Williams' Willys really got our attention. The photos simply don't do them justice. Incidentally, the car runs a 540-inch Chevy that spins an 8-71 blower.  Speaking of photos that don't...  Speaking of photos that don't do cars justice, check out Bo Huff's '50 Mercury. The Sunnyside, Utahn custom wears a '54 Ford grille bar below the hood, '54 Chevy teeth, and some cool coach lines/scoops. Bo Frenched the headlights so deep, they're not even visible from this vantage.  We can describe Shannon Baldes'...  We can describe Shannon Baldes' '53 Chevy pickup only one way: sweet! Below that clean flame job and perched atop that 15-inch steelie-shod Mustang II front suspension sits a crisp and clean 235-inch stovebolt. The five-window pickup is mostly a home-built deal, and it's a real cruiser.  Proximity-wise, Lenard Miller's...  Proximity-wise, Lenard Miller's '49 Chevy pickup sat close to Shannon's, but style-wise, it couldn't be so further away. The 454-inch rat motor sits over a Heidt's front with Billet Specialty wheels. Instead of tubbing for the big meats, builder Shane Miller opted to widen the fenders a smidge and actually make the wheels fit.  It's not too common we see...  It's not too common we see a nicely done T-coupe, but Doug Taylor's T easily made up for things. Instead of hacking precious interior room for a V-8, Doug nestled an injected 4.3-liter Chevy into the bay. Among other things, Doug filled the roof with metal, extended the grille, and mounted a rack and pinion steering unit on the front axle.  Parts Plus doesn't just sponsor...  Parts Plus doesn't just sponsor the event, they also display at the event. Among the vendors present were Raybestos, WIX, Gates, and Borg Warner. It was a great opportunity to get the lowdown on not only parts for the grocery getter, but parts for the cruiser, too.  South Salt Lake City's Rust...  South Salt Lake City's Rust to Rods built Chris Hatch's '58 sedan delivery in a mere 45 days, but the details are so good, you couldn't tell. The bagged cruiser rolls on big-inch Americans and wears a very vogue copper.  The chop withstanding, Marv...  The chop withstanding, Marv Slater took the mild road with his '50 Ford, which makes a statement in itself. The pickup runs a Volare IFS, lakes pipes, tons of small mods, and a clean gold ghost flame job.  This guy Caesar Boswell must...  This guy Caesar Boswell must have clout; his display held no less than 25 modes of conveyance of one sort or another. An unrestored '28 Indian Scout (our heart skips a beat) sits in the foreground, but a bevy of choppers, stockers, unicycles, and even a VW-powered trike fill the rest of the space.  Our hands cramp right around...  Our hands cramp right around five signatures (provided someone ever asked for one), so Verne Troyer (a.k.a. Mini Me) simply amazes us how he dispenses thousands. Verne satisfied a line half a block long with the stroke of a Sharpie marker.  Anybody can build a racer,...  Anybody can build a racer, however, factory racers are a pretty rare commodity. Dick Ericson's '16 Harley-Davidson 8-valve board track racer is believed to be one of six made for H-D's factory race effort. As rare and valuable as it is, Dick still races it. Now that shows character!  There's cool in unconventional,...  There's cool in unconventional, and Mike and Joan Tuttle's Studebaker pickup embodies the definition. The 2R5 truck features a Camaro clip, an '82 Pontiac Positraction rearend, and a 454/400 combo. The Adriatic-blue cruiser runs bucket seats and American Racing daisy wheels.  If someone disputes car building...  If someone disputes car building as therapy, show 'em Bob Boyle's Total Performance T bucket. Bob built the car as part of a rehabilitation program after suffering a stroke, and it looks to us like he really bounced back well. The T runs a 350/350 combo and a requisite set of leg burner pipes.  Tina Keyes must have one big...  Tina Keyes must have one big family! Her Chevy panel seats more than the average SUV, and could hold enough supplies for several weekend trips. It's a real driver with a GM crate and overdrive, GM buckets, a Mustang II frontend.  Word has it Jay Sisson graduated...  Word has it Jay Sisson graduated from an English Ford into this very cool '51 Merc. Among other things, it sports a very nice chop with angled posts and '49/50 rear glass. Although not visible, the grille wears DeSoto teeth.  Tony Price has owned the black...  Tony Price has owned the black three-window for a year now, and that's a record according to those who know him. The other cars include Mike Greaves' red Deuce roadster, Jerry Kerrick's '32 three-window, and Lewis Wardley's '37 Ford sedan delivery.  It's not too often to see...  It's not too often to see all 50 years of Corvette in one place, much less owned by the same club. The Bonneville chapter of the National Corvette Restorer's Society can actually boast one of each year, and they dragged 'em all out for the big event.  Flip Payne's Deuce coupe is...  Flip Payne's Deuce coupe is all about numbers: 632 inches as in big-block Chevy and 1,200 as in horsepower and 968 as in lb-ft torque! To keep it remotely safe, the coupe runs a full cage. To supplant the stock door handles (and possibly to appease racing sanctions), Flip devised a very ingenious external finger pull that mounts in the door window opening.  Other than wheels, tires,...  Other than wheels, tires, and an incredible amount of detail, W.H. Ehrstrom's pickup sits much the way it did stock. The Pocatello, Idaho cruiser still runs the stock three-speed against a very nicely prepped 292 Y-block Ford. The Y-block sports Sanderson headers and early T-bird finned valve covers.  Salt Lake's Butch Redmond...  Salt Lake's Butch Redmond has a rather updated '48 Ford. Other than the metallic teal, the coupe wears flush door handles and what we would guess as contemporary Lincoln lights and markers. A 289/AOD should get those big-inch Budniks spinning nicely.  As close as Wendover, Utah...  As close as Wendover, Utah is, it's a foregone conclusion a few salt racers would show up. Terry Nish displayed his ex-Vesco streamliner. At 27-feet long and 34-inches high, the 'liner looks impressive. Considering this beast gets it on in the 300mph range and the Nish team is pursuing 425mph with a small-block Chevy, you soon realize it is impressive.  We'll finish this even with...  We'll finish this even with what we believe to be one of the cleanest, simplest, most stylish cruisers in the building: John Sweeney's '40 Ford standard sedan. John's heater runs an old-school dropped axle, steelies, and a sunny coat of flat black to promote its sleeper attitude. Under the hood, however, lives a GM Performance ZZ4 against a four-speed. We'd take a chance to boil the tread off those radial whitewalls any day of the week.
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