Tuesday morning we were up and rolling early. We had a 1 PM appointment in York, Pa at the Harley-Davidson assembly plant. From Charlottesville, Va. where we had stayed the previous night it was a four hour drive. The morning trip took us through the beautiful Virginia countryside then into Pennsylvania through the Gettysburg area. We arrived at the Harley-Davidson Assembly facility at 12:30 and at 1PM we took the one hour tour. Assembly had already begun on the 2009 models and they were going to debut in one week at the Harley dealers convention in Las Vegas. We were not able to see the 2009 models up close but did get a detailed look at the stamping area for fenders and the new 6 gallon tanks. It was a very interesting tour and nice to see that there really are still things that are "Made in America"

Tuesday evening was spent cleaning the cars and relaxing. Wednesday morning we made the short trip to Hummelstown, Pa. to visit POSIES. The drive up the river took us right past the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. The vision still brings back memories of that tense time 20 years ago. Ken Fenical the man behind POSIES started building cars when he was a teenager. Over the years he has produced some of the most innovative and creative vehicles in the industry. His Super Slide springs are used in many of the street rods that are being built today. With Dutch (as he is known to his friends) on his way to the Syracuse Nationals to help choose the Designer Dozen Awards, Team Leader Tim Leiphart gave us a tour of POSIES' facilities and projects that were in progress. We checked out a woodie build that will debut in a few weeks at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville. By 10:30 we headed north past nearby Hershey Park and on toward Binghamton, New York for an evening party at Southern Tier Harley-Davidson. Local rodder Johnny Butchko had helped make arraignments with Larry Brooks and Jeff Coughlan, owners of Southern Tier Harley to throw a Hot Rods and Harleys get-together at the dealership. By 5 PM local rodders and Harley riders began arriving. We all enjoyed some great food including a local treat known as "speidies" that is marinated chicken grilled and served in a pita bread. It was a fun evening and the folks at Southern Tier Harley went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We enjoyed the Harleys as much as they enjoyed our street rods. Assistant service manager Gaye Sautro's early 70's style chopper Ruby Slipper fit right in among our rods. Thanks folks. It was a fun evening in Binghamton.

Thursday morning we got to see the collection of vehicles and parts that has been accumulated by local street rodder and Chevrolet dealer Mike Stolarcyk. Mike's tastes range from classic Packards and Lincolns to the 1932 Ford full-fendered roadster that his father gave him when he was 11 years old. Mike has turned the deuce into a very cool street rod. It was fun to see so many different vehicles in Mike's collection. By 10AM it was time to head to Syracuse. Mike's daughter Michelle got in Dad's 32 and joined us for the 1 1/2 hour drive through the rolling hills of New York to the huge Syracuse Nationals.

Bob O'Conner and the folks at the Right Coast Association do an incredible job of making sure that their events include fun that lasts the entire weekend. The New York State Fairgrounds was covered with over 6,500 pre 1980 special interest vehicles and 10s of thousands of spectators turned out to see all the cool rides. Each evening the was a grandstands show that ranged from burn-out contests to tractors pulls with garden tractors equipped with V-8 power plants. The Coker Tire Tour participants made the Street Rodder hospitality tent their headquarters all weekend. We even had some former Road Tourians stop by to say hello. One of our own, Ron who traveled with his brother-in-law Kris on the Coker Tour was honored with a Deigner Dozen pick and a Turtle Wax Top Ten Award. We were all very happy for our fellow Road Tourian and his beautiful red and black 32 coupe.

It was a great week on the Coker Tire Tour. We covered a lot of ground during the week and saw some very interesting sights. We were able to raise enough money to cover the expenses of a child for a week at the Victory Junction Gang. We made new friends and renewed acquaintances with old friends. Watch for complete coverage of the Coker Tire Tour in an upcoming issue of Street Rodder. Check back here soon. Next week we head to Louisville and the NSRA Street Rod Nationals. Then it is on to the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit and then on to Speedweek at Bonneville. If you want to join in the fun see the Road Tour page in Street Rodder or call the Road Tour Hotline at 1-800-664-1362 for all the latest information.

See you on the Road,
Jerry Dixey

After our great day on Saturday with the car show and silent auction raising over $2300 we were pumped up and ready to roll toward New York and the Syracuse Nationals. Sunday morning we gathered at the daily driver's meeting and discussed among other things the threat of some morning showers on our way to Knoxville. Boy were we wrong. The threat of showers quickly turned into a very major downpour that we stayed under for the entire 3 hour drive to Knoxville. The planned route was I-75 but rather than do battle with the semis on the interstate I checked my trusty atlas and found that Route 11 ran parallel with I-75 so I jumped off and ran up the four lane to Knoxville. Street Rodder Associate Publisher John Barkley and Senior Editor Ron Ceridono battled the elements in the Roadster Ute bodied all steel 1934 Ford Phaeton that Ron has been driving around the country all summer long. Equipped with high tech foul weather gear, John and Ron arrived in Knoxville just slightly damp.

As we arrived at Barillaro Speed Emporium the rain began to subside. Many local folks had turned out to greet us and the smell of chickens on the grill filled the air. Things were definitely looking better. Jim Barillaro and his sons Mike and Jim have just recently opened the shop but none of them are strangers to the car hobby and performance industry. Father Jim was a very successful drag racer in the New England area in the 1970's and is now one of the nation's authorities on building SOHC Ford racing engines. Sons Mike and Jim have both spent time working at Lokar Performance Products after the family's move from Connecticut. Jim Sr owns two of Jack Christman's famous Comet funny cars from the 70's and they are also in the middle of a restoration project of historical significance. They are working on the 1932 roadster that Edsel Ford had specially fabricated in 1932 as his personal showpiece. It was a very cool stop at Barillaro Speed Emporium and we were sent on our way to the sound of a nitro burning 1970's funny car filling the air. The skies turned blue and life was good again on the Tour.

We arrived in Mooresville NC about 6:30. More Road Tourians joined the group in North Carolina Sunday evening. I had been able to speak to Alex Beam, the owner of the Memory Lane Antique Auto Museum in Mooresville and his graciously volunteered to have a special opening of the museum just for us on Sunday evening. What an incredible place! The front of the museum is a large gift shop filled with all sorts of car related and historic racing related items. As you walk into the museum area itself you are overwhelmed with the amount of cars and collectibles that fill the rooms. Row after row of vintage race cars, antique cars, racing collectibles, soap box derby items and toys are mind boggling. I have seen quit a few auto museums in my travels and Memory Lane ranks right up there for it's size and range of items on display.

Monday morning the skies had cleared and we had a big day ahead. Our first sop in the morning was at Detroit Speed and Engineering in Mooresville. Stacy and Kyle Tucker had relocated to Mooresville from their home in Detroit a few years ago. They have become known in the industry for their high quality suspension components for Camaros. They recently completed an early Camaro for Dale Earnhart Jr and have begun work on another Camaro for Kyle Busch. While we were visiting they were completing a brake upgrade on a Camaro for Rick Hendricks. They just introduced a line of components for Chevelles. The quality of their products and production techniques was evident as we toured their facility. They even took time out of their busy schedule to help one of the Road Tourians replace a starter in their ride so that they could continue on the Tour. Thanks Stacy and Kyle, for a great visit to your shop.

After our stop at Detroit Speed and Engineering we headed northeast toward Randleman NC and our scheduled visit to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. We were all very excited to see the camp and give them the money we had raised on Saturday. We made the drive to Randleman in a few hours and it was a beautiful trip with perfect weather. We were early for our scheduled 1:30 visit at the camp so we stopped at the Richard Petty Museum in Randleman and also had a great lunch at a local diner. The museum had many of Richard Petty's cars on display. It was amazing to see his seven NASCAR Championship rings and realize how incredible that feat was to accomplish.

By 1:30 it was time to head to the Victory Junction Gang Camp facilities. I had been working with Melanie Spencer at the camp to arrange our visit. There are no public tours of the facilities while campers are on site but special provisions had been set up for us to visit during a rest period for the campers. We were actually able to drive our cars into the main camp area and it is a truly amazing facility. I had seen pictures but until you are standing in the middle of it all you do not realize the incredible accomplishment that has been achieved through the work and generosity of so many people. We were joined at the camp by two more street rodders and they added to our donation and the total came to $2520. When I handed Melanie the money she looked at me and said that $2500 represented the amount needed to have a child visit the camp for a week. We had not realized the significance of our efforts until that moment. Because of the generosity of the companies and folks involved in our car show and auction at Coker Tire one more child can enjoy a week at this beautiful facility. It was quite a feeling.

It has been a great week so far on the Coker Tire Tour. We will visit the Harley - Davidson production facility in York on Tuesday and spend Weds morning at Posies shop and Wednesday evening in Binghamton, NY at a Harley and Hot Rod get together at Southern Tier Harley-Davidson. We are getting close to Syracuse but still have plenty to do and see before we arrive at the Syracuse Nationals this weekend. Stay tuned, I will keep you posted.

Jerry Dixey

Saturday July 12 street rods, customs, street machines and special interest vehicles of all types gathered at the headquarters of Coker Tire in Chattanooga, Tennessee. One of the reasons for the get-together was to give the participants on the Coker Tire Tour a great send-off as they hit the highway with the Syracuse Nationals as their final destination. A more important reason for the gathering was to raise money for The Victory Junction Gang Camp for kids in Randleman, North Carolina. Started by Pattie and Kyle Petty to honor their son Adam, the Victory Junction Gang Camp is a year round facility for children with physical disabilities. The Camp operates solely on donations from corporations and private individuals.

Over 100 cars were at Coker Tire for the send off and to participate in the silent auction. Items were donated by companies in the street rod industry including Holley, AMSOIL, Weiand, Grant Steering Wheels, The Right Coast Association, Edlebrock, Street Rodder Magazine, Classic Automobilia, Hooker Headers, Honest Charlies, California Car Cover and Hot Rod Magazine. From pedal cars to metal signs, carburetors to jackets all of the items were bid on vigorously throughout the afternoon. When the dust cleared at 4:30 $2300 had been raised to help the folks at The Victory Junction Camp. We will be delivering the proceeds from the auction to the Camp in Randleman on Monday afternoon.

A highlight of the day's activities at Coker Tire was a look at the newly renovated museum and restoration facility. The collection of classic vehicles on display was incredible and included an entire wall covered with fantastic motorcycles both restored and original. Corky Coker was on hand all afternoon to greet everyone in attendance and give us some background on both the vehicles on display and some history of the company that is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. Also open on Saturday was Honest Charley's Speed Shop which is celebrating its 60th year in business. Now operated by Mike Goodwin Honest Charley's continues its tradition of carrying a huge parts selection and a friendly and courteous staff that knows all about the products that they sell.

It was a great day in Chattanooga for everyone in attendance. The participants got a chance to show off their vehicles to an appreciative crowd and the Victory Junction Gang Camp benefited from the generosity of the companies who donated products and the many folks who bid on them.

The Coker Tire Tour has just begun. We have some great stops planned on our way to the Syracuse Nationals including our stop at the Victory Junction Gang Camp on Monday. Check back here all week and I will report on our progress as we travel to New York.

We gathered at 7:30AM on Wednesday for our daily driver's meeting. Everyone was still buzzing about our visit at Speedway Motors and the incredible Smith Collection of American Racing Museum. We had all also enjoyed the previous evening's cruise and poker run in Hays. There are so many similar evenings spent around the country each summer and it really gave us all a little feeling of home. Thanks again to everyone in Hays who made us feel so welcome.

On tap for Wednesday morning was something that almost every car guy and gal loves to do. We were headed for an old wrecking yard. Wagner and Son's Colby wrecking yard was started in 1939 by Chuck, Dave and Paul Wagoner's father. My wife Mary Ann and I had spotted it in 1997 when we were traveling to Pueblo in he McMullen Roadster clone. It had been closed when we stopped but I had always remembered the rolling hillsides covered with cars. When the Golden RODtronics Tour route route was laid out and I realized that we would be near Colby, Kansas I decided to check into getting a look at the yard. Harold Bettis our new Roadtourian friend from Hays had seen Chuck Wagoner at a rod run earlier in May. Harold spoke to Chuck about the possibility of a Road Tour stop in Colby. Chuck, who owns among many other vehicles, two very sharp Cadillac street rods, said sure we could visit the yard and the plan was set in motion. The short 90 minute run from Hays to Colby was a perfect morning drive. The road was smooth, the temps were still bearable and the sun was rising to our back. Combine all that with the anticipation of a 60 acre wrecking yard and we were all smiling ear to ear.

We arrived at the Colby Wrecking yard and were greeted by Chuck and Paul Wagoner. They appreciated our street rods and had made some special provisions for our visit. Waiting for us were four pick-up trucks and we all climbed into the beds and began a one hour tour that was unbelievable. As we drove through the yard we looked like tourists on an African safari, pointing and calling out the names of the cars as we passed by row after row of cars from the 30's 40' 50's and 60's. These cars and bodies were very solid. Not the rusted hulks that we find back in the Midwest but vehicles that had traveled on salt free Kansas roads before finding their resting place in Colby. It was truly amazing. The folks at Wagoner's and Sons were great. Before you jump in your flatbed truck and head to Colby please keep a few things in mind. Yes, the cars are for sale. Yes, the brothers are fully aware of the treasures they have and the current market values. They do not sell pieces and parts off these vehicles. They sell only complete cars. The yard is open for business but not as a tourist attraction. Because of insurance regulations they do not permit folks to wander around the hillsides. If you are looking for a specific year and make they have an incredible knowledge of what is in the yard. By the way, the majority of the cars were from the 40's and no there are not any '32 '33 and '34 Ford bodies laying around. Thanks so very much to the folks at Wagoner and Sons for sharing their part of heaven with all of us on the Road Tour.

After some lunch in Coby were set out for our evening's destination of Golden, Colorado and the facilities of our Tour sponsor Golden RODtronics. Owner Dave Kopser had traveling with us earlier in the week and had gone ahead to prepare for an evening of food and fun at Golden RODtronics. It was a great time with excellent BBQ and a look at the products that GoldenRODtronics provides our hobby including their famous W.I.D.E. contacts and remote systems. While rain threatened us a little, besides a very brief sprinkle and some major claps of thunder it was a great evening at Golden RODtronics. Thank to Dave for supporting the Road Tour and being such a gracious host.

Thursday morning we stopped in Colorado Springs for some shopping in the Old Colorado City area and a group lunch at Meadow Muffins restaurant . Many folks spent some time at the beautiful Garden of the Gods park and view the beautiful rock formations.

By mid-afternoon we had arrived at our final destination of the NSA Rocky Mountain Nationals in Pueblo. While the weather was warm the skies were clear. The Street Rodder Road Tour hospitality tent was the center of activity all weekend at the fairgrounds. We recounted the adventures of the previous week with each other and shared our stories with all who stopped by to chat. It was a great week on the Golden RODtronics Tour from Back to the 50's in St Paul to the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Colorado. All of us have some great stories and memories of our trip, besides the fellow Roadtourins we have come to know.

For me it is a solo trip back to Ohio. Next up is the Coker Tour to the Syracuse Nationals. I am looking forward to about ten days at home with Mary Ann and some time at my favorite spot on the planet: my own backyard.

Check back, the 2008 edition is only half over. There is lots more Road Tour adventures to cover.

Jerry Dixey

It was a wild weekend in St Paul. The Back to the 50's Weekend was fantastic with over 11,700 registered vehicles cruising the Minnesota State Fairgrounds all weekend. Sunday over 600 vendor spaces were filled with all sorts of treasures. By 1 PM it was time to head on down the road. The Classic Automobilia Tour from the Hot Rod Reunion to Back to the 50's had been a huge success but it was time to begin the third leg of what we had called the Rod Tour Triple Crown. The Golden RODtronics Tour was heading to the NSRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in Pueblo Colorado.

We decided to get a little jump on our trip to Pueblo and made the 100 mile drive to Mankato, Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. This got us out of the Twin cities traffic and gave us a little time to rest and relax before our long trek west. Some folks washed their rides and did some minor repairs. The Road Tour convertible was running fine and the American Speed33 body with it's easy up and down top was perfect for the great weather we have been experiencing.

Monday morning the participants on the Golden RODtronics Tour gathered in the hotel parking lot in Mankato to begin the trip to Colorado. We were joined by Dave Kopser the owner of Golden RODtronics. He had been set up all weekend at Back to the 50's and was going to travel along with us in his vintage company truck at least for the first few days. We rolled out at 8AM and began our journey. Our first stop was in Sioux Falls South Dakota and the facilities of Dakota Digital. Ross Ortman, the owner of Dakota Digital had invited us for lunch on Monday and the burgers were cooking when we pulled in the parking lot. Already famous for their instruments and remotes, Dakota Digital had grown tremendously over the past few years and has expanded their line to included LED taillight assemblies. We got a look at their production facilities and their building expansion which is just being completed. By 1 PM it was time to journey onward. Our destination for Monday evening was Lincoln, Nebraska and we rolled into town a about 5 PM.

We had been very lucky with the weather so far on the Tours. That was about to change. About 4AM on Tuesday morning were we awakened with thunder and lightening as a major Nebraska storm blew through Lincoln. While it woke many of us up a bit too early, the timing was perfect because Tuesday morning we were scheduled to get a tour of one of the coolest places on earth; The Smith Collection Museum of American Speed at Speedway Motors. Joyce and Bill Smith have been in the speed equipment mail order business for well over 50 years and in that time have managed to collect an incredible number of historic vehicles, vintage accessories, collectable pedal cars, toys and all those things that make any hot rodder's heart beat faster. About 6 years ago they moved their collection into a huge three story facility on the grounds of Speedway Motors. It is hard to relate how massive the collection is and how incredibly all the items are displayed. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy morning in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was the first visit to the museum for many folks on the Golden RODtronics Tour and it was fun to watch their faces as we walked from room to room and saw all the items on display. The highlight of the Tour was when Bill Smith himself dropped by to personally greet our group. Everyone came away with a real feel for how great the Smith Collection was and how much time and effort went in to the undertaking. Many thanks to Damon Lee of Speedway Motors for helping to put our tour of the museum together.

After our visit at Speedway we headed west on Interstate 80 across Nebraska. We drove through a few more brief showers before the skies cleared and the weather got back to Road Tour beautiful. Many of us stopped in Kearny, Nebraska and visited the Great Platte River Road Archway that is actually built over the interstate. It documents the early settler's route to the west as it passed through Nebraska and on to all that laid ahead the hearty souls that set out in the mid 1800s. It was very well done and worth a stop if you are traveling across I-80 in Nebraska. It was time to continue on our own journey as we were going to be guest of honor at a car cruise in Hays, Kansas that evening. Hays Kansas resident Harold Bettis and his pals in the Hays Outlaws but together a special poker run for us and it was lots of fun. Harold and his wife Margret had been traveling with us all week and were great hosts for the evening of fun and food. Many thanks to the folks in Hays who made it a cool evening.

The Golden RODtronics Tour is not over yet. There is much more on tap, including a visit to a wrecking yard that has been operating since 1939. Check back, I will keep you updated.

Jerry

Wednesday morning the Classic Automobilia Tour rolled on towards its destination of St Paul and the Back to the 50's Weekend. After the daily driver's meeting in the parking of the hotel, we heading north into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In my 13 years of traveling on the Road Tour this is one of the only areas of the United States that I have not spent much time in. It was a great drive with smooth roads and beautiful scenery. The traffic was light and many of us were able to stay together as we made the 425 mile trip to AMSOIL's headquarters in Superior, Wisconsin. We wanted to be on time for our special get together at the new AMSOIL Center. We were to be guests of honor at a special dinner and tour of the plant.

When we got to the AMSOIL Center some of the local street rodders had already arrived. We had sent out postcards to all of the Street Rodder Magazine subscribers in a 100 mile radius of Superior. We were not sure of the turnout to expect but we did want to let folks know that the Road Tour was in town. Our tour of the incredible production facilities was very interesting when huge buildings that housed giant tanks for mixing their specialized lubricants. After the brief tour we were seated for dinner. As we enjoyed the great food we were greeted by Ed Newman, AMSOIL'S Director of Advertising at and we were honored to get a very special greeting from Al Amatuzio, the Founder and CEO of AMSOIL. Jo Coddington, the wife of the late Hot Rod Hero Boyd Coddington, and co-star of the TV show American Hot Rod spoke briefly and said how excited she was to be traveling with us to St Paul and Back to the 50's the next day.

We finished our meal and made our way out of the building to see the street rods and special interest vehicles that had turned out to greet us. What we saw as we walked into the parking area was incredible. Over 400 vehicles from the Superior area had filled the parking lot. It was an amazing sight to see so many folks turning out to say hi and let us see their cars. We spent the next few hours talking to folks about their vehicles and letting them know about our Road Tour adventures. It was another great evening on the Classic Automobilia Tour and many many thanks to all of the great team at AMSOIL who made it happen.

Thursday morning the time had come to get to our final destination of St Paul. We gathered back at the AMSOIL Center for coffee and donuts and some pictures. Jo Coddington rode with me in the Road Tour convertible and the 2 1/2 drive was extremely pleasant with more great roads and beautiful scenery. Our plan was to have lunch in a St Paul suburb and get some event info from Pete Emeott, a member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Street Rod Association. Pete had undertaken the task of being our liaison with the MSRA to help make our visit as enjoyable and trouble free as possible. Pete had prepared well and handed out maps and instructions for the best route to registration and the easiest way to enter the fairgrounds each morning. We were show on a map the location of our Street Rodder Road Tour hospitality tent and with all of this knowledge we felt much more confident about our weekend adventure at Back to the 50's. Thanks Pete for a job well done.

Friday morning things were off and running at the fairgrounds. Manned with Pete's maps and info the entry was fairly painless and soon we had set up camp in our area of the grounds. The weekend was spent enjoying the incredible spectacle that is the Back to the 50's Weekend. The fairgrounds are beautiful with tree lined streets and traffic flow that permitted non- stop cruising. Over 11,700 registered vehicles covered the grounds. The food was fantastic with choices ranging from the popular pork chop on a stick to cheese curds and great fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. I am assuming that Doctor Paul back in Youngstown is not reading this since after my last routine checkup he suggested I watch my diet and cholesterol. I promise I will start tomorrow. On Saturday afternoon it was time to take a group picture of the Classic Automobilia participants. It had been a fun week on the road and once again friendships were forged that will last a lifetime. We also got a chance to meet the new folks who are traveling on the Golden RodTronics Tour to the NSRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in Pueblo Colorado. After the photo shoot the Classic Automoblia Tour participants loaded on to a very cool bus provided by the Detour Street Rod Club and we were treated to a tour of the beautiful fairgrounds.

It was a wonderful week on the Tour. Monday morning the Golden RodTronics Tour leaves from nearby Mankato, Minnesota and heads to Pueblo. We have 20 cars registered and many adventures planned including a tour of the Speedway Motors Museum. Check back here for all the updates as the PPG/Street Rodder Road Tour heads west.

Jerry Dixey

The Vintage Air Tour wrapped up it's week on the road with drag racing excitement in Bowling Green Kentucky at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. After the weekend it was back home for most of the Vintage Air participants. The there was still some fun ahead as the Classic Automobilia Tour was heading from The Hot Rod Reunion to the huge Back to the 50's Weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Classic Automobilia Tour was scheduled to make stops in Youngstown, Ohio Dearborn, Michigan St. Ignace, Michigan and Superior, Wisconsin. Since my wife Mary Ann and I own Classic Automobilia I will be wearing a few different hats during this Tour. I headed from Bowling Green towards my home of Youngstown, Ohio on Saturday afternoon. When 40 people are stopping by your house for a visit it is usually a good idea to get home early and help straighten up a bit.

Some of the Classic Automobilia participants headed out from Bowling Green on Saturday and other waited until early Sunday morning to make the 490 mile trip to Youngstown. Sunday evening we were all welcomed at the Quaker Steak and Lube in Austintown, Ohio. The Lube is known for their hot wings and cold beverages. They have 35 restaurants all are decked out in automotive decor. Thanks to Jason and Ken at the Lube we were set up with special parking and seating when we arrived. Sunday night is cruise night at the Austintown Lube and the about 400 local cruisers were there to greet us. After we had some great wings and talked to folks about the Tour we headed just around the corner to Mary Ann and my home where I was to be able to show folks our collection of cars and collectibles. Besides Mary Ann, I even got to introduce the Roadtourians to my Mom and brother Jack . It was a special evening for me to share a bit of my homelife with my Road Tour friends.

Monday morning we met at the hotel at 8 AM and made the short trip to the Classic Automobilia showroom in Austintown. Mary Ann and I started Classic in 1989 and carry pedal cars, Coke coolers, gas pumps and neon clocks. It is appropriate that the Classic Automobilia Tour was heading to Back to the 50's. That's the era of the products we sell. Special goodie bags were assembled by Mary Ann and friend Dawn Damron and handed out to the participants. After around look the Classic showroom we traveled about 20 minutes north to see the incredible collection of street rods owned by Patti and Fred Warren. It was fantastic to see the Smoothster, Shockwave, After Shock, The Aero Coupe and others in Patti and Fred's collection all in one room. It was even better to have Fred walk from car to car explaining in detail how each show winner was built.

From Fred's shop we headed to the Cleveland area and some folks made a quick stop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for lunch. From downtown Cleveland we headed west to Berea. Ohio and the Flaming River facilities. The folks at Flaming River have been great supporters of the Road Tour program for many years. We were able to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into there steering components and products. We were also treated to some great homemade cookies. By mid afternoon it was time to head towards our evening stop of Dearborn, Michigan. We arrived in about supper time in Michigan and it felt real good to relax after a long day on the trail.

Tuesday morning we were greeted in the hotel parking lot by Hot Rod Magazine's Publisher Bruce Miller. Bruce arrived in a very cool early 60's Ford station wagon driven by Don Hardy Jr. Bruce and Don had just finished the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour and gave us a full report. Also on Tuesday morning the Road Tour Convertible received it's official VIN sticker from Officer Ray Robinson of the Michigan Secretary of States office. We had gone through the registration process and the car was now officially registered by the State of Michigan as an assembled vehicle.

We then made the short trip to Plymouth, Michigan to visit the offices of American Speed Company. American Speed are the folks that produce the Speed33 body that is on this year's Road Tour car. We were treated to a behind the scenes look at what goes into one of these steel bodies. From American Speed we headed to Fenton, Michigan and the home of Kathy and Dick Confer. They have assembled and incredible collection of pedal cars, gas pumps and collectibles and it was fun to get a look at their collection. We also enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared by Kathy Dick and some of their friends and family. Thanks folks, it was a great afternoon stop.

From Fenton it was a 4 hour drive to our evening stop in St Ignace. We had been blessed with great weather the last few days but as we neared St Ignace our luck ran out and we drove about an hour in the rain. We were greeted in St Ignace by Ed Reivie. Ed is the fellow who puts together the great St Ignace car show the end of June each year. Ed had arranged for us to have a great meal at the Kewaden Shores Casino just down the road from our hotel. We even met the Mayor and head of the St Ignace Chamber of Commerce. They really enjoy street rods and classics in this northern Michigan town and we may be making a stop at the St Ignace show next year on a Road Tour.

There is still lots more coming up on the Classic Automobilia Tour. Wednesday we head to Superior Wisconsin for a tour and big party at the AMSOIL Center where we will be joined by Jo Coddington of the TV show American Hot Rod. Jo will be traveling with us from Superior to St Paul and the Back to the 50's Weekend. Chcek back here for all the details and updates.

Jerry Dixey

After our history lessons in Vicksburg it was time on Tuesday morning to continue our journey to Bowling Green, Kentucky and the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. The showers of the previous afternoon were forgotten and Tuesday morning the weather was beautiful. Rick Love had laid out a perfect route for us. Our path took us along a two lane route that paralleled the mighty Mississippi River. It was smooth and flat and the traffic was light as we made our way through Mississippi toward our lunch time destination of Comp Cams in Memphis, Tennessee.

We were greeted at Comp Cams by Chris Douglas. It was lunch time and we were in Memphis. Of course it was time for some barbeque. We all enjoyed our fill and then broke into smaller groups for a tour of the Comp Cams facilities. It was an interesting hour as we were shown the research and development that goes into all the Comp Cam products. We had a detailed look at the actual manufacturing process that is involved in the making of their famous cams. Our tour ended with goodie bags and T-Shirts for all of us. It was a both fun and education visit at the Comp Cam facilities.

From Comp Cams we made the one hour trip south to the small town of Holly Springs, Mississippi. Anyone that has been a part of the street rodding scene for even a short period of time will recognize the name of George Poteet. For many years George has come up with some great concepts for vehicles and then sought out the best builders in the country to put his ideas into reality. Folks like Troy Trepanier, Roy Brizio, Bobby Alloway and Dave Lane are just a few of the many talented craftsmen that have worked with George on project vehicles. In the past few years George's interests have taken him to the Bonneville Salt Flats where he has driven vehicles over 300 miles per hour and this year has his sights set on the 400 MPH mark. Besides his cars and his Salt Flat adventures, George is one of the nicest folks in our hobby and loves to share his collection of incredible vehicles with all who are interested. On Tuesday evening the participants on the Vintage Air Tour were very privileged to to get a very up close and personal look at a part of George Poteet's collection on his beautiful farm in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Our food for the evening was some more great barbeque served to us by George's two granddaughter's and fellow cheerleaders from their school. It was an incredible evening of food and fun surrounded by unbelievable vehicles and a very very gracious host in George Poteet.On Wednesday morning George wanted to make sure we were well nourished before we left Holly Springs so we were all invited to breakfast at Ellie Mays Caf complements of George.

We were getting close to our final destination of Bowling Green, Kentucky and the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. We stopped for lunch in Jackson, Tennessee and visited the Casey Jones Museum. By 5 PM we rolled into the Hilton Garden Inn directly across from the headquarters hotel of the Hot Rod Reunion. On Thursday we were given a special tour of the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green. We made a brief stop at the Corvette Museum and then traveled to Holley and got a look at their facilities.

Friday the action started at Beech Bend Dragstrip and our weekend was filled with vintage race cars and some vary cool hot rods and hot rodders that came to see the action. The folks from NHRA and the Wally Park's Museum treated us like royalty and we had a special parking area to enjoy the weekend's activities.

It was a great week on the road for all of us on the Vintage Air Tour. Many thanks to Rick Love, Jack Chisenhall and George Packard from Vintage Air for spending so much time to make it a memorable week. It is not official yet but there it looks like there may be a return visit by the Road Tour to the Hot Rod Reunion next year.

Next up is the Back to the 50's Weekend in St Paul. Check back here as we head north to the 50's and them way out west to the NSRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in Pueblo, Colorado.

I hope to see you on a Road Tour soon - Jerry Dixey

For the last three years the PPG/Street Rodder Road Tour Series has taken on a whole new meaning as we have invited our readers to join us on the road to events around America. For all three of these years, the largest Tour of the season has been the Vintage Air Tour. Vintage Air's owner Jack Chistenhall is a long time hot rodder and enjoys nothing more than jumping in one of his cars and setting out to attend a car show. His main man at Vintage Air, Rick Love has developed a knack for planning and organizing some great Tours and has a huge following of folks from the Lone Star State who will pack up their street rods and set out with Rick and Jack to wherever they decide might be a fun place to go. In 2006 and 2007 it was the LA Roadster's Father's Day Show that was the destination of the Vintage Air Tour. This year it was decided that we should mix it up a bit and the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Kentucky was the place we wanted to be in June.

The first order of business on a Vintage Air Tour is the Saturday evening weenie roast and get together at the Vintage Air facility in San Antonio. It gives everyone a chance to get to know each other and gives Rick a chance to go over the route and itinerary for the week. This year Vintage Air's National Sales Manager George Packard served as roast master and put the heat to the hot dogs and then served double duty as he gave folks a Tour of the very impressive Vintage Air facility. By dusk all in attendance had been fed and informed. It was time to get some sleep and wait till dawn to head on out.

Our destination for Sunday lunch was Hatfield Restoration in Canton, Texas. For almost 20 years Gary Hatfield has been restoring classic cars and building some fantastic street rods and muscle cars. His facility and crew are all very impressive. Projects of all types filled the buildings on the well manicured grounds at Hatfield's. We were joined at Hatfield's by a large contingent of Tour participants from Dallas-Fort Worth, Plano and surrounding areas. After a Mexican feast supplied by Hatfield Restorations it was time to move on down the road and continue our trek to the Hot Rod Reunion. The Vintage Air Tour was at full strength and rolling east. Our stop for Sunday evening was the Boomtown Casino in Boosier City the sister city to Shreveport, Louisiana. We rolled in by supper time and folks enjoyed the food, the spirits and for some the action of the games of chance. Of few of the Roadtourians even had some luck.

Monday morning we had our usual driver's meeting in the lobby. Goodie bags, maps, hats and T-shirts that are always an important part of any Road Tour were distributed. By 9am we were rolling down I-20 toward our first stop of Gibsland, Louisina the site of the ambush of the famed Bonnie and Clyde and the home of the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush museum. We were greeted at the museum by its director "Boots" Hinton a colorful man who's father was one of the lawmen that were involved in the May 1934 ambush of the notorious outlaws. The museum is very interesting and filled with memorabilia pertaining to the incident and countless newspaper accounts and clipping that have propelled the notoriety of infamous couple. Everyone enjoyed the hour we spent at the Ambush Museum.

Our journey continued on as we had our sights set on the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vicksburg is the location of one of the pivotal battles of the Civil War as Northern and Southern armies waged a struggle for control of the Mississippi River that raged for over 30 days. The battlefield and Memorial cover hundreds of acres and tell the story of the men that fought so gallantly for their respective causes. It was an afternoon of solemn history as we spent hours on the grounds and learned about the fight that eventually turned the tide in the war between the states. Monday evening was a time to clean the cars, kick back ,relax and recount the days activities. It also gave some folks a chance to do some work on their rides. As is the case on all the Road Tours, things happen to vehicles and everyone pitches in to help get things fixed. Some repairs are minor and some are a bit more extensive but everybody lends a hand to help keep the cars and fellow Roadtourians rolling.

Next up is a lunch stop at Comp Cams in Memphis and then a special evening with George Poteet at his farm in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Besides being an all-around great guy, George has an incredible collection of street rods and muscle cars. He has invited us to a barbeque and we are looking forward to it. Check back, I will give you all the details as the Vintage Air Road Tour rolls to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion.

With memories of our Mexican feast and great evening at Troy Trepanier's shop still fresh in our minds, we gathered at 7:30 AM for our morning driver's meeting. Tuesday's itinerary included lunch at the Indianapolis Speedway Museum and then on to Woody's Hot Rodz in Bright, Indiana near Cincinnati. The weather was getting better and we hardly remembered the snow of the previous day. Well, almost hardly.

While I had been to the Indy Museum a number of times, some in the group had not and we spent about two hours at the track. A ticket into the museum is very reasonably priced at $3.50 for an adult and has some great displays of early cars and significant items dealing with the history of the most famous race track in the world. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.

From Indy the trip to Bright is just a short 2 hour drive down I-74 toward Cincinnati. Chris Sondles opened Woody's a few years ago and the Woody's crew has produced a number have high quality, high profile street rods and muscle cars. The PPG/Street Rodder Road Tour Team has been so impressed with their quality that we have chosen Woody's to build the 2009 Road Tour car. Shown to the public for the first time Tuesday evening at Woody's, work has already begun on our 1952 Chevrolet 2 door hardtop. The car and the concept will have everyone in our hobby talking. We also enjoyed some great pulled pork sandwiches with all the fixings. It was another fun evening at a very high quality build shop.

The Lokar Tour kept on rolling Wednesday morning with a stop at SoffSeal in Harrison, Ohio. Owner Gary Anderson greeted us and gave us a tour of their manufacturing facilities where where hundreds of seals and rubber gaskets are manufactured. We also got a peak at Gary's "Toy Box" which includes some great cars, toys and collectibles.

Wednesday mid morning we headed south to our evening stop in Kentucky at The Cumberland Falls State Park. As is the case with all of our Tours, we suggest a route or two to the day's destination, provide maps for the options and let each participant decide which direction they would like to travel. By this point in the week friendships had been forged and we broke into some smaller groups with some folks taking the winding route through the hills of Kentucky and others choosing the more direct Interstate route. We all ended up at the beautiful Cumberland Falls State Park and Resort by 5PM. We had booked rooms at the lodge for the evening and it was fantastic. The view from the lodge was beautiful and we enjoyed some time together to discuss the day's travels before dinner at the Lodge. After dinner we took the short drive to the Falls itself and everyone enjoyed the beauty and solitude and the area. I even got used to being out of cell phone service for an evening. The day and evening was a nice change of pace from our hectic schedule of earlier in the week.

Thursday morning we had our driver's meeting on the front steps of the Lodge. We were met by Chuck Losey owner of LeCarra Steering Wheels who had made the short trip up from their facilities in Oneida, Tennessee. Chuck led the pack as we made the one hour cruise to Oneida and the LeCarra facility. It was another beautiful drive. Chuck gave us a tour of the wheel manufacturing facility nestled in the rolling hills of Tennessee.

After our tour at LeCarra it was time to go. We were guests of honor at the Lokar 20th Anniversary party and the open house held every year at their facilities just west of Knoxville. We were greeted by owners Debbi and Skip Walls and Lokar President Rick Craze. Special parking had been set up for the Lokar Tour participants and we spent the day enjoying the food and hospitality of the Lokar Team. Over two thousand folks enjoyed the catered meal and the hundreds of door prizes that Debbi handed out during the afternoon. Cars lined the streets in all directions and by about 8 in the evening things wound down.

The weekend was spent at the NSRA Nationals South at the Chilhowie Fairgrounds in Knoxville. The PPG/ Street Rodder Road Tour tent was the center of activity for both the participants on the Lokar Tour and also everyone at the event who was anxious to get a look at the new Road Tour Speed33 Roadster and hear about our weeks travels on the road. The Lokar Tour was another great week of street rod fun on the highway. We saw some very cool shops, enjoyed some fantastic food and met many new friends. At the group photo shoot on Saturday I was surprised when I was presented with a big "Thank You" card signed by everyone on the Lokar Tour. I was also given the Indy Hi-Winders award for their club pick at the show. I truly appreciated both of these gestures.

The 2008 PPG/ Road Tour season is off to a great start. One tour is in the books and seven more are on tap. Be sure to see the details of all the Tours here at the website or in the pages of Street Rodder Magazine. Call the Road Tour hotline at 1-800-664-1362 with any question. Join us and come along for the drive. You will have the time of your life.

Jerry Dixey

Each year, as a new PPG/Street Rodder Road Tour begins we have come to expect that for the first Tour there will be a few minor problems. The car is a freshly finished vehicle and usually has very few or zero miles on it. The maiden voyage is a shake down cruise that normally has a few surprises that we work through. This year the crew at The Roadster Shop did an excellent job of assembling the Speed33 steel bodied, Ford Racing powered 1933 Roadster. When I arrived at The Roadster Shop for the open house and Lokar Tour kick-off party the new Tour car actually had over 200 test miles on the Auto Meter odometer. I felt confident and comfortable. The Roadster was gorgeous and it felt good to drive. What I hadn't anticipated was a twist that was a little beyond our control. You can't control the weather.

After the huge kick-off party at The Roadster Shop on Saturday and the NSRA Appreciation Day at Heidt's on Sunday, Monday found our wandering band in Sycamore, Illinois. We had a fun day ahead of us with a morning visit to Auto Meter and then a get together to see the latest incredible projects in the works at Troy Trepanier's shop in Manteno, Illinois. We made the very short trip from our hotel to the Auto Meter facilities in Sycamore. As we walked in the door we were greeted by Auto Meter CEO Jeff King. Auto Meter gauges have been helping me monitor the vital signs of the last two Road Tour cars. Over the last few years some major changes have occurred at Auto Meter that have streamlined production and helped them to continue the high quality standards of their products. These changes have also allowed them to keep their products "Made in America". It was a very interesting morning as we got a real behind the scenes look at what goes into the Auto Meter line of products. After the Tour we pulled our cars up in front of the facility and the employees at Auto Meter had fun seeing their products being used in many of the cars that we were driving.

As usual on the Tour, I had been watching the weather reports both nationally and locally. It was a cold morning with the temps in the mid 30's. There was a forcast for rain and the skies were overcast. The folks in roadsters were bundled up and I was smiling ear to ear since my American Speed Company Speed33 body had some very nice electric windows and the Vintage Air heater was cranked up. As were pulled away from Auto Meter it started to sprinkle. No problem. Then it started to flurry very lightly. OK, that's a Road Tour first but still no problem. By the time we made it five miles down the road we were in the middle of a full blown white out blizzard with snow flakes as big as silver dollars. BIG PROBLEM. The snow was coming down very fast and heavy. We pulled over at the freeway entrance. Most of the others sedans had windshield wipers. The Road Tour Roadster was not equipped with a wiper. I had always relied on Rain-X for windshield water management. Well not this time. This time I needed Snow-X, a product that I quickly developed in my mind as I tried to see through the inch of snow that covered the windshield of the Roadster. After a brief discussion, most of the folks in the sedans decided to soldier on in hopes of driving out of the spring snow blizzard. I could not see out the windshield and was going nowhere. As luck would have it, Super Chevy Magazine's Associate Publisher Joe Rode was following the group in a rental car. I safely parked the Roadster off to the side of the road at the freeway entrance. Joe, myself and Heidt's new owner Marc Prince, who had been traveling with me in the Roadster all loaded up in the rental and headed to the store for provisions. The snow was not letting up at all. We went to the local Target and bought towels and window squeegee. I looked for a hooded parka and found instead a nice selection of the latest swim wear. It was the end of April. Spring is supposed to have sprung. After a quick lunch we made it back to the Roadster. The snow had lightened up and the temps were rising a little. The crisis had passed and gone from major problem to "this is going to be a great story" We rolled on with our sights set on Rad Rides by Troy about two hour away in Manteno, Illinois.

We were greeted at Troy's shop by Troy and his family and crew who all have a major part in creating the rolling works of art that folks have been enjoying for almost twenty years. The projects in the works were incredible. Troy and the crew took time to talk to us about each car under construction. As I introduced had Troy to the crowd upon our arrival I realized that looming over us, up on a lift was the breathtaking 2007 Detroit AutoRama Ridler Winner that Rad Rides by Troy had created and set a new standard for show car quality. Standing in Troy's newly remolded showroom we all realized how lucky we were to be able to meet the folks who create these wonderful works of art. We stayed at the shop and enjoyed some fantastic Mexican food brought it by a local favorite restaurant.

It had been a good day on the Tour. Some excitement, some very educational tours and an evening of food and camaraderie shared with some of the best craftsmen in our hobby. Yeah, I know, I have the best job in the world.

Be sure to check back here. We are headed for the Indy Museum, A stop at the shop that has already started on the 2009 Road Tour car and then on to Knoxville, the huge Lokar Open House and the NSRA Nationals South. You can get the complete story on this and all the Tours in the pages of Street Rodder Magazine. Talk to you soon.

Jerry

The time had come and on Saturday April 26 the 2008 PPG/Street Rodder Road Tour season and the Lokar Tour to the NSRA Nationals South began in a very big way. Our American Speed Company Speed '33 bodied 1933 steel high boy roadster was completed at The Roadster Shop at their incredible new facilities in Mundelein, Illinois. The debut of the Road Tour Roadster was coupled with the grand open of The Roadster Shop and it was a party that saw 400 vehicles and almost 1,000 people show up at the celebration. Roadster Shop owners Neal and Candy Gerber and sons Phil and Jeremy along with their staff greeted the party guests with hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. Besides the refreshments, the visitors were treated to a look at one of the finest hot rod, muscle car and special interest build shops in the nation. The Gerber family took over the reins at The Roadster Shop a few years ago and just completed the move from the former location in Elgin, Illinois.

The Road Tour Roadster looks fantastic and drives just as well. Powered by a Ford Racing new Boss 302 the high boy has 450 horsepower to get it down the road. The Heidt's front end smoothes things out on the bumpy Midwest highways. Wrapped in PPG paint, the salt flats graphics are going to have people talking wherever we go this summer. The Coker dirt track tires add to the look and the Wheel Vintiques steel wheels are period perfect. AMSOIL products keep everything lubricated and filtered. The top drops inside the body on the sunny days and electric windows seal things up when the weather gets nasty. The roadster was ready and so were the twenty vehicles and occupants that had signed up for the Lokar Tour to Knoxville.

On Sunday morning we gathered and made the short drive to Heidt's Hot Rod Shop for their annual NSRA Appreciation Day and Safety Team inspection. Almost 100 vehicles arrived at Heidt's and a record 35 cars went through the safety inspection process. It was an emotional day for Gary Heidt who has decided to step down as owner of Heidt's and new owner Marc Price was also on hand to greet the crowd. Gary will stay on with Heidt's in a consulting capacity for some time and will be present in the Heidt's booth at all of the major events this season.

With Heidt's new owner Marc Price in the passenger seat of the Road Tour Roadster we headed to the huge Volo Auto Museum in nearby Volo, Illinois. Multiple buildings filled with collector vehicles and consignment cars share the beautiful grounds with a number of antique and collector mall shopping areas. It is definitely with a stop if you are in the area.

Sycamore, Illinois was our destination for Sunday evening. We are scheduled to get a behind the scenes tour of Auto Meter Monday morning and then head to Manteno, Illinois for a visit to the Rad Rides by Troy shop of Troy Trepanier for an evening get together. Check back here and get all the details of our Lokar Tour to the Nationals South. Watch the pages of Street Rodder Magazine for the whole story of our trip and think about signing up for one of the other seven week long trips we have planned this summer. All the details can be found here on the web site or call our Road Tour Hotline at 1-800-664-1362. We hope to see you on a Road Tour soon!

It is only appropriate that Classic Automobilia, a company that sells pedal cars and 50's and 60's nostalgia items, would sponsor the Road Tour that heads to Minnesota and the Back to the 50's event. The 35th edition of the famed Minnesota Street Rod Association's Back to the 50's weekend will probably break last year's attendance record of 11,532 registered vehicles. The Street Rodder / PPG Road Tour will be a part of that group in 2008.

While you can join the Tour at any point along the route, for many the Classic Automobilia Tour will begin in Bowling Green, Kentucky as the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion wraps up its weekend of fun. We will rise early on Sunday morning in Bowling Green and make the trip across Ohio to Youngstown. The Road Tourians will be guests of honor at the weekly Sunday evening cruise at the Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant in Austintown.

On Monday morning we will gather at the Classic Automobilia 50's diner showroom in Youngstown and then head to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On Monday evening we will stay next to the famous Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village as our evening get-together is hosted by Ford Racing.

On Tuesday morning we will visit the headquarters of American Speed Company in Plymouth, Michigan. American Speed is the supplier of this year's steel 1933 roadster body. From Plymouth it is due north to the home of fellow Road Tourians Kathy and Dick Confer for lunch. We will also get a look at their vast collection of vintage riding vehicles and gas station nostalgia items. Our destination for Tuesday evening is the famous car town of St. Ignace, Michigan. Ed Reavie, the man behind the famous St. Ignace Straits Area car show weekend has promised us a "mini" St. Ignace get-together on the evening of our stay.

On Wednesday we will travel into the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan and the beautiful area of upper Wisconsin. The folks at AMSOIL are planning a huge get-together at the AMSOIL Center as local car enthusiasts from the Superior, Wisconsin area gather to greet the Classic Automobilia Road Tour.

On Thursday morning we will gather back at the AMSOIL Center in Superior where our Tour and any other area folks will travel as a group to St. Paul for our weekend destination of the huge Back to the 50's weekend at the Minnesota State fairgrounds.

It is going to be a fun week on the Classic Automobilia Tour. Check your schedule and make your plans. Spend the entire week or join us somewhere along the way. Check our website at www.streetrodderweb.com, watch the pages of Street Rodder and Street Scene Magazines, or call the Road Tour hotline at 1-800-664-1362 for all the latest updates.

I hope to see you on a Road Tour this summer!

Over the past two years of organizing the new "Come Along for the Ride" version of Street Rodder's Road Tour I realized that many of the same questions pop up as people think about joining the Tours. I thought maybe going over some of the FAQs might help folks decide whether they would like to participate.

What does the registration fee include?

The registration fee gets you officially registered for one of the weeklong vacation Tours. It includes a Tour T-shirt for each registered vehicle, ID badges for both driver and passenger, and a window sticker for each vehicle. This year's goodie bag was an embroidered canvas tote that was filled with catalogs, literature and a metal license plate of each Tour sponsor's logo. Also included is the entire week's schedule and maps for each day's travels.

How are rooms along the way handled?

A reduced rate is negotiated at hotels along the Tour route. Although we block a specific number of rooms at each evening's headquarters, each participant is responsible for booking their own rooms directly with the hotels. We try to use national chains and rooms generally range from $85 to $110 per night. You are not required to stay where we have blocked rooms but if you do, you need to make reservations 30 days prior to the Tour to get the reduced rate. You will receive a hotel list when you register for the Tour.

How fast do you go and does everyone stay together?

We realize that everyone has a different comfort level and driving style when they travel. We get together at a driver's meeting each morning before we leave. Since each day's route is mapped out, we encourage people to go at their own pace. Most folks quickly find others within the group who travel at their pace.

How far do you travel each day and how often do you stop for gas?

A typical Road Tour day is between 250 to 400 miles depending on whether we have a specific lunch stop or not. Folks stop for gas when they need gas.

What about meals along the way?

We have been able to enjoy some great complimentary meals along our Tours. If we have an evening shop tour it usually includes some food, but not every day includes a free meal.

Who can register and generally how big are the groups?

We do not require a specific year or style of vehicle to join us on the Tours. Be aware of the event that we are leaving from and going to and check for specific year limitations at those events. Sorry, but trailered cars and motor homes are not permitted. Pop-up campers pulled behind a registered vehicle are OK but you will need to find your own campground facilities.

We have had as many as 65 vehicles and as few as 10. Most Tours are between 20 to 35 vehicles. About 75% of the participants are couples.

What about the events at the beginning and ending of each week's Tours?

Our Tours cover the week BETWEEN the events. You will be responsible for registering for the events on your own. You will also need to make room accommodation at the location of the events.

Can I participate on only a portion of the Tour?

You are welcome to join us at any point along the route, but you do need to register and pay the total Tour fee. While we do ask people to register in advance, you can register at any time along the route.

Will I have fun on the Tour?

Judging by the happy faces, great comments and repeat participants, I can almost guarantee that you will have the time of your life on one of the Road Tours.

How can I get more information about the Tours?

Log onto our website at www.streetrodderweb.com and check out the Road Tour section. Watch the pages of Street Rodder and Street Scene or give us a call the Road Tour hotline at 1-800-664-1362. I hope you can join us in 2008!

It's that time again already. The Street Rodder / PPG Road Tour routes have been laid out and the plans have been made. With eight week long Tours planned it is time to begin our summer long travels. The Lokar Tour is the first trip of the 2008 season and our destination is an event that has been a spring kick-off tradition for many years: the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Lokar Tour begins on Saturday, April 26th at the new Roadster Shop facilities in Mundelein, Illinois. It will be the debut of the 2008 Street Rodder / PPG Road Tour Roadster. Assembled by the team at the Roadster Shop, the American Speed Company's Speed '33 all steel body will rest on a Roadster Shop chassis and be powered by the new Ford Racing Boss 302 450 HP motor.

On Sunday, April 27th the festivities move down the road to Heidt's Hot Rod Shop in Wauconda, Illinois. Gary Heidt has planned his annual NSRA Appreciation Day and safety inspection for that day and it will be great to get together with all the area rodders. Monday morning the Lokar Tour will visit the Auto Meter facilities in Sycamore, Illinois, west of Chicago. We will make a wide loop around the Chicago area and end up Monday evening in Manteno, Illinois where Troy Trepanier has invited us to visit his famous Rad Rides by Troy build shop.

Tuesday we head south and stop at the Indianapolis Speedway Museum at noon and then on to Cincinnati for the evening. Tuesday evening we will be guests at a big party and shop tour at Woody's Hot Rodz in Bright, Indiana near Cincinnati. Wednesday we will stop at SoffSeal and then continue our southbound journey as we travel the back roads of Kentucky and then on to our evening stop in the beautiful Cumberland Falls State Park area of southern Kentucky. Thursday morning we will pay a visit at Lecarra Steering Wheels in Oneida, Tennessee.

By early Thursday afternoon we will arrive in Knoxville and be special guests at the huge open house at Lokar Inc. We will help them celebrate their 20th Anniversary. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be filled with street rod fun as we attend the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South. It is sure to be a full week of fun on the Lokar Tour and a great way to kick-off the 2008 season. See all the latest details and updates at www.streetrodderweb.com or call the Road Tour Hotline at 1-800-664-1362. Also check the pages of Street Rodder Magazine for the full 2008 schedule. I hope to see all of you this summer on a Road Tour!

AEROMOTIVE	FUEL SYSTEM
AMERICAN SPEED COMPANY	BODY
AMSOIL INC.	Lubricants & Filtration
AUTO METER PRODUCTS	GAUGES
CLASSIC AUTOMOBILIA	TOUR #3: COLUMBUS, OH TO ST. PAUL, MN
CLASSIC MOTORSPORTS GROUP (CLASSIC CHEVY 5 SPEED)	TRANSMISSION
COKER TIRE	TIRES
COKER TIRE	TOUR #5
CUSTOM AUTOSOUND	AUDIO ELECTRONICS
DYNAMAT	INSULATION & NOISE CONTROL
EDELBROCK	TOUR #6
FLAMING RIVER	STEERING COMPONENTS
FORD RACING	PRESENTING SPONSOR
FORD RACING	ENGINE
GOLDEN RODTRONICS	TOUR #4: ST. PAUL, MN TO PUEBLO, CO
HEIDT'S HOT ROD SHOP	SUSPENSION / FRONT
HUSHPOWER (FLOWMASTER)	EXHAUST SYSTEM W/MUFFLERS
LOKAR	SHIFTER & CABLES
LOKAR	TOUR #1: ELGIN, IL TO KNOXVILLE, TN
NHRA MOTORSPORTS MUSEUM	TOUR #8: SACRAMENTO TO BAKERSFIELD
NSRA	EVENT
PPG INDUSTRIES	TITLE
PPG INDUSTRIES	PAINT
RIGHT COAST ASSOCIATION	EVENT
ROADSTER SHOP	CHASSIS
ROADSTER SHOP	OFFICIAL BUILDER
RON FRANCIS WIRING	WIRING
SACRAMENTO VINTAGE FORD	TOUR #7: LA TO SACRAMENTO
SANDERSON HEADERS	HEADERS
STRANGE ENGINEERING	SHOCKS
STRANGE ENGINEERING	COMPLETE REAR END
VINTAGE AIR, INC.	AIR CONDITIONING
VINTAGE AIR, INC.	TOUR #2: SAN ANTONIO, TX TO COLUMBUS, OH
WHEEL VINTIQUES	PRESENTING SPONSOR
WHEEL VINTIQUES	WHEEL
WILWOOD BRAKES	OFFICIAL BRAKES
WISE GUYS SEATING & INTERIOR	SEATING & INTERIOR
YOGI'S	RETAIL STORE

Mark your calendars and join in on the fun of the PPG Street Rodder Road Tour. This year we have eight tours with scenic drives and fun stops. Bring the family and come along for the ride...

Click Here to Download the Schedule for the 2008 PPG Street Rodder Road Tour

Click Here to Download the Registration Form for the 2008 PPG Street Rodder Road Tour

Click here to view all the Frequently Asked Questions about the 2008 Road Tour

If your idea of a good time is rolling up miles on your street rod, seeing the country through a bug-covered windshield, and generally having a great time hanging out with the best like-minded folks on the planet, at least one of the legs of the STREET RODDER / PPG Road Tour should be on your summertime schedule. I was lucky enough again this year to draw the Vintage Air leg from San Antonio to the L.A. Roadsters Show & Swap Meet in Pomona, California. And while the beginning and end of this year's Vintage Air leg were the same as last, trail boss Rick Love made the middle substantially different this time around by leading us through New Mexico and Arizona on miles of fun-to-drive and scenic two-lanes. To make things even better, this year I got the chance to travel with the one and only Tom "Stroker McGurk" Medley in his '40 Ford coupe.

As usual, before we departed on Sunday, June 10, a few of the cars were attacked by gremlins, and Tom's '40 was one of them-the alternator decided to quit charging on the way to our motel Saturday night. That wouldn't normally be a big deal, but it was 10 p.m. and all the parts stores were closed, and we were planning to leave at 7 a.m., before any of them would be open. So, in true STREET RODDER style, we came up with an alternate alternator plan. George Packard fired up his Deuce coupe, and then his battery was swapped for Medley's so we could get to Rick's garage on the battery power. There, stashed under his workbench, was a slightly grimy-but-serviceable GM alternator; of course the wiring harness had to be modified, and the mounting ear had to be tapped to work the mounting bracket, but then if this street rod stuff was easy, everyone would do it. Slightly blurry-eyed from our repair session that lasted until the wee hours, we met the gang at Vintage Air on the appointed hour, hit Highway 90, and headed west.

At our first gas stop in Uvalde, Texas, the gremlins returned, this time attacking Jimmie Vaughan's gorgeous Flathead-powered '32 Ford five-window. The alternator's mounting stud had pulled the threads in the intake manifold, and, as a result, the belt that runs the alternator and water pumps couldn't be tightened. But, like every other time we've seen a street rod have problems on the road, help came from everywhere. Fellow travelers, locals just driving by, and even the town policeman on patrol stopped to see what they could do to help. A trip to the local farm supply produced a bolt to replace the stud and we were on the road again.

For reasons I've never been able to figure out, there's always at least one street rod version of a Chinese fire drill on our segment of the tour, and this year was no different. After a lunch stop in Del Rio, Texas, Tom and I were among the last to leave, so of course we looked at this as a chance to turn the wick up on the '40 to catch the others. As we rounded a bend at speed, a gust of wind blew Tom's cap out the window, so of course we pulled over, turned around, and went back to look for a $9 hat. Over the years, Vintage Air's Jack Chisenhall and son Landis have followed the group to make sure no one with problems gets left behind, so they pulled over when they saw us turning around. By the time we found Tom's hat, reversed direction again, and were making tracks to catch up, the Chisenhalls had turned around and were coming back to check on us. Even as we passed at speed, we could all see the smiles on each other's faces; it doesn't take much to entertain street rodders.

A short detour off Highway 90 took us to the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center. Remarkably, the original building that was Bean's home of law west of the Pecos-as well as a bar and pool hall, among other things-still stands in the town he named after English actress Lillie Langtry, nicknamed the Jersey Lily. After checking out what was the Jersey Lily saloon, we opted for the offerings of the town's post office/store-soft drinks and ice cream push-ups-then it was on to our first night's stop in Fort Davis at the historic Hotel Limpia. That evening there was a car show and barbecue in the town square.

Monday morning we stopped just out of town to tour Fort Davis, said to be the best surviving 19th century military post. Active from 1854 to 1891, the fort was brought back from near ruin thanks to an ongoing national park service preservation and restoration program. The authentically restored barracks had everyone speculating what life must have been like back then.

As if to go from one extreme to another, our next stop was in Roswell, New Mexico. On the way into town, a number of sharp-eyed street rodders spotted a salvage yard full of vintage tin from the '40s, '50s, and '60s. Unfortunately a few herd of sheep were the only living things on the premises, so we had to be content looking at it all through a chain-link fence. A few more miles down the road we found the center of town and the International UFO Museum and Research Center. Evidently the last spaceship that landed in town was full to the brim with T-shirts and bumper stickers, and they're still trying to get rid of them. Somewhere there's a street rod plastered with a "My Other Car is a UFO" sticker, but don't blame us.

Tuesday we continued west through the rolling hills of New Mexico. After a lunch stop at K-Bob's in Socorro, we wound through the hills of "Billy the Kid" country, stopping in Capitan, the birthplace of none other than Smokey Bear. This was an interesting stop for those of us who could remember the "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!" campaigns from the '50s. When the Smokey Bear fire prevention program began in the '40s, an illustration of Smokey, wearing jeans and a campaign hat, pouring a bucket of water on a campfire was used. Then, in 1950, a tiny, badly singed bear cub was found clinging to a tree during a blaze in the Capitan area. The little black bear was nursed back to health and became the living symbol of Smokey. He lived in the National Zoo until his death in 1975.

At our lunch stop earlier in the day, we were tipped off that Pie Town on the continental divide was a great place to check out; as you might guess, we packed the place. After this stop, Medley and I were among the last to get on the road, and as we crested a hill not far down the road we found the Road Tour coupe parked on the side of the road with our very own pavement pounder, Jerry Dixey, and STREET RODDER Publisher Tim Foss discussing the finer points of fuel management. After all the wisecracks like, "These guys know less about street rods together than they do individually," and, "Who was the genius that swapped the 16-gallon tank for a 12?" were over, we turned our attention to solving the problem at hand. By this time, the Chisenhalls were on the scene, but between all of us there wasn't a siphon hose or a can to put gas in. Around the time we were deciding who was going to get fuel, Seth Bradley and his father, John, pulled up in Seth's Deuce roadster. And, although the Bradleys couldn't help, they knew someone who could-Bob and Kathleen Jackson were just ahead of us in their '41 Dodge coupe and they had a full fuel can onboard.

As the Bradleys took off in hot pursuit of fuel, the roadside discussion returned to why the coupe hadn't made it to the next gas stop. About the time the verdict was reached that the Deuce wasn't level last time it was filled-so even though the gauge read full, the tank was down just enough to make a difference-our rescuer showed up. But it wasn't any of our tour mates, rather the driver of a tool-and-welder-laden carnival repair truck pulling a caramel apple, candy, and cold drink trailer who stopped to help us out. The congenial carny drained a couple gallons of gas from the truck's tank into a container and we were soon on our way. Good thing, too, because what we didn't know was that the Jacksons had used their extra fuel, as they had run out as well. Needless to say, every gas tank was filled to the brim when we all met at the next station-particularly those who opted to take the 35-mile side trip through the Petrified Forest National Park.

Our evening stop was just off Route 66 at the historic Las Posada, the last great railroad hotel, in Winslow, Arizona. As it had played host to the likes of Bob Hope, John Wayne, "Hopalong" Cassidy, and others, the rooms were each named after a particular guest. Regrettably, unlike some hotel chains' advertising campaigns, I can tell you that staying in the Albert Einstein room has no noticeable effect.

At about this point in the trip, Medley and I began talking about how well things had gone for us up to that point-we both should have known better. After stopping to take photos of some of the cars passing by, I slipped behind the wheel of the coupe and hit the starter. When the small-block Chevy roared to life, it did just that ... it roared. The flange of the driver-side exhaust manifold had broken off and the engine was belching fire and fumes from what was left of a ram horn. While the rest of the group headed off to take the scenic Grand Canyon loop, we limped into Flagstaff, Arizona, in search of a sympathetic muffler shop. As luck would have it, we found Junior Sandoval's Muffler Magic. With Junior's street rod parked out front, and a customer's on the rack, we knew we were in the right spot.

As Travis Devening brazed the manifold together, we made another discovery: The vibration damper had just about worn a hole in the lower radiator hose. Of course none of the local parts houses had a hose that even resembled what we needed, so we improvised once more. Junior bent up a piece of tubing and we used two short sections of hose to connect to the water pump and radiator. With the coupe as good as new, and Medley's favorite tape of Louie Prima and Keely Smith cranked up, we caught up with the rest of the group as they were pulling into the night stop in Laughlin, Nevada, at the Aquarius Hotel. Along with everything else the casino had to offer, they provided us with roped-off covered parking.

On day five, we rolled through the desert across the border into California. As he had during most of the trip, Medley signed posters, T-shirts, old copies of Hot Rod magazine, and just about anything put before him at the lunch stop. A true legend in the hobby, at 87 years young, Medley is tough to keep up with. His enthusiasm has never waned, he has more energy than most people half his age, and everyone pays attention when he talks about hot rod history because he knows how it all came to be; after all, he experienced most of it firsthand.

After lunch we pulled off in Monrovia to check out Steve Metz's Staging Lane Productions; among other things, Steve is the maker of those cool desktop Muscle Machines. Virtually across the street is Mosher's Performance, a shop that specializes in Mopar wedge and Hemi cars. The place was packed with mind-blowing musclecars.

Although we had made it, the West Coast tour wasn't over yet. Friday morning the gang stopped at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, then that afternoon we were off to the SO-CAL Speed Shop open house in Pomona. As if we hadn't had enough, the rest of the weekend was spent at the L.A. Roadsters Show & Swap Meet, where the club provided a special parking area for Road Tour participants.

As in years past, Jack Chisenhall, Rick Love, and the entire Vintage Air crew went out of their way to make their leg of the tour memorable for all the participants and we're looking forward to next year already. At this point, about all we can say is that the destination will be different in 2008, but we can guarantee getting there will be loads of fun, as always.

You Could Win This Car
or 1 of 5 other classics at the Timber Wolf Speed Shop. Go to www.twspeedshop.com for details.No Purchase Necessary to enter or win in the Timber Wolf Speed Shop Promotion. For official rules and how to obtain a free code, visit www.twspeedshop.com. Starts 12:01 a.m. CT 5/15/07 ends 11:59 p.m. CT 11/1/07, or while supplies last. Open to legal residents of the contiguous 48 U.S. & D.C. (excluding VA & MA), 21 or older, tobacco users and who have a valid U.S. driver's license. Void in VA, MA & where prohibited. Sponsor: Pinkerton Tobacco Co. LP. See pg. 24 for more information.

The Advanced Plating leg was the second in the 2007 STREET RODDER / PPG Road Tour series, beginning with a weekend of rodding fun at the NSRA Mid-America Nationals in Springfield, Missouri. The Springfield event has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and this year's registered participants totaled more than 2,100. The beautiful weather on Saturday brought spectators out in record numbers.

Sunday afternoon, after the awards, it was time for the Advanced Plating Tour to head out on the five-day journey to the NSRA Nationals East in York, Pennsylvania. Our trip was mapped out to take us through Nashville, Knoxville, Charlotte, and Virginia before completing our tour on Thursday in York. Stops would include Lokar Products in Knoxville, Dennis Carpenter's Reproductions and Hendrick's Motorsports in Charlotte, a visit to the home of author Ken Gross, and a stop at the Gettysburg Memorial in Virginia. We were to arrive in York on Thursday in time for the famous Nationals East kick-off party.

Our Sunday afternoon trip was a short one, as planned, and we spent the evening in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Dinner was at a local steakhouse and the tour participants got a chance to get to know new friends and in some cases renew old friendships. A number of the Road Tourians on the Advanced Plating Tour were veterans of some of the 2006 tours. They already knew the fun involved in a week on the road with fellow rodders. This tour included folks from California, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

It was beautiful on the morning of Memorial Day Monday as we made the trip across Missouri, through Kentucky, and then on to Nashville-our destination for the day and evening. Some folks headed to the huge Opryland Hotel while others paid a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It was sunny and hot, and, after a day of seeing the sights, we got together for dinner and discussed plans for Tuesday.

The tour continued on Tuesday morning bright and early. First on the schedule was a visit to the shop of our tour sponsor Advanced Plating in Nashville, where we were given a full tour of the facility. The first thing you notice at the company's plant is that it is not your normal chrome-plating facility, in that it is incredibly clean and organized. Owner Steve Tracy's philosophy is that you cannot do quality plating in a dirty environment. Those who has seen any of the company's work realizes that Advanced does very high-quality plating, so it makes sense. Also on display in the company showroom is Advanced Plating's line of chrome-plated products, including grilles, manifolds, and valve covers. All items include a full dose of Advanced's high-quality chrome.

We had no time to rest after our tour at Advanced, as we had an invitation for lunch at Lokar Performance Products in Knoxville, about three hours east on I-40. As usual, owners Debbie and Skip Wall and Lokar President Rick Craze really rolled out the Road Tour red carpet for us. A catered barbecue lunch was just what the road-weary Road Tourians needed. On top of great food, Debbie put together goodie bags for all of us, which included a Lokar hat and umbrella. Lokar is the only company whose products have been used on every Road Tour car built since the program began in 1996. After a tour of the company's manufacturing facility, it was again time to keep moving. Our next destination was Charlotte, North Carolina

Our tour guide for the evening in Charlotte was good friend Brent VanDervort, founder and president of Fatman Fabrications. We stopped at the Fatman facility last year on the Road Tour, and this year Brent volunteered to get us a behind-the-scenes look at two of the coolest car-related places in the Charlotte area. The Tuesday evening stop is not generally open to the public, but Brent made the visit possible. Dennis Carpenter Reproductions is a well-known name in the restoration and street rod hobby. Famous for its high-quality Ford reproduction parts, the company has expanded into Cushman scooter parts and also tractor parts. We were able to get a tour of a museum-style collection of cars, trucks, Cushman scooters, motorcycles, and automobilia that has been accumulated by the company over the years. It is an unbelievable collection. Longtime Dennis Carpenter employee and museum curator Roy Howard guided us through the displays.

Wednesday morning Brent was again our guide as we visited the Hendrick Motorsports racing complex just around the corner from Lowe's Motor Speedway. Bob Hice gave us a personal guided tour through the amazing Hendrick facility, and we spent some time in the museum area where Daytona 500 winning cars of past years are on display. We then visited the chassis shop where fabrication begins on all of the race cars. From there it was on to the building where the work is done on Jeff Gordon's and Jimmy Johnson's race cars. It was fantastic to get such an up-close-and-personal tour of the Hendrick facility. Many thanks to Brent VanDervort from Fatman for putting together such a great evening and morning in Charlotte.

Wednesday evening was spent in Charlottesville, Virginia. We enjoyed a group dinner at Cheeseburgers in Paradise, which was great fun for all of us. Thursday morning arrived and we still had two more stops before we got to York and the NSRA Nationals East. Our first one was at the home of author Ken Gross. Ken has written for all the major automotive magazines, including STREET RODDER. His subject matter is wide-ranging, but, by his own admission, his love is with hot rods. His collection of early Flathead manifolds has to be one of the largest anywhere, and his '32 Ford roadster was chosen as one of the 75 honored at the Grand National Roadster Show this past January. Ken is also a former director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, so, needless to say, it was a very enjoyable morning with one of the most interesting people in our hobby.

The Gettysburg Memorial was our final stop on the Advanced Plating leg. It was a fitting end to our week. What began on Memorial Day wrapped up at the site of an event that decided the destiny of our nation. It was a very solemn afternoon at the memorial and cemetery.

We rolled into the headquarters hotel in York at about 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. We definitely had a full week on the Road Tour, and the huge NSRA Nationals East was a fitting finale to our fun-filled week. With more than 3,000 street rods registered, there was plenty to see and do all weekend, and the Advanced Plating Road Tourians had plenty of stories to relay to their friends back home.

You Could Win This Car
or 1 of 5 other classics at the Timber Wolf Speed Shop. Go to www.twspeedshop.com for details.No Purchase Necessary to enter or win in the Timber Wolf Speed Shop Promotion. For official rules and how to obtain a free code, visit www.twspeedshop.com. Starts 12:01 a.m. CT 5/15/07 ends 11:59 p.m. CT 11/1/07, or while supplies last. Open to legal residents of the contiguous 48 U.S. & D.C. (excluding VA & MA), 21 or older, tobacco users and who have a valid U.S. driver's license. Void in VA, MA & where prohibited. Sponsor: Pinkerton Tobacco Co. LP. See pg. 24 for more information.

It was a great day and evening in the Toronto and Oshawa area with our hosts The Motor City Car Club. Tuesday found us headed to the 1,000 Island area for a day of sight seeing. After the two hour drive to the Gananaqua area on the St Lawrence Seaway everyone made their own decision as to how to spend the afternoon. Many of us chose to take the three hour boat trip up and down the river to explore the 1,000 Island area. It was a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon as our boat trip navigated us around the area and we got a close look at the incredible Boldt Castle on one of the islands.

After our afternoon on the river it was time to cross over the border and back into the United States. The lines at the border checkpoint were not too long and we all had our photo IDs ready. I pulled up when it was my turn. I handed the young American border guard my ID and he paused and smiled. "My Dad has a chopped '32 Chevy Coupe. Your Deuce looks great! Have a great trip." We had a wonderful time in Canada but it was great to be back in America!

After our border crossing we made the short trip to Alexandria Bay to spend the evening. Wednesday morning we made a stop at the Antique Boat Museum in nearby Clayton, New York. The museum was very, very cool. We saw some amazing classic wooden boats that ranged from canoes to world record Gold Cup racing boats. I am not necessarily a boating fan but after seeing the quality and craftsmanship in these beautiful rigs, I could see how someone could become involved in the hobby.

From Clayton we took a beautiful three hour drive through the Adirondack Mountains to Lake Placid, New York. The winding drive through the mountains was fantastic. We arrived in Lake Placid, freshened up and all headed into town for dinner. It had been another great day on the Road Tour and now we were enjoying it with good folks that had become great friends.

Thursday it was time to head to Burlington and the NSRA Northeast Nationals. We did have a few more stops to make. About an hour east of Lake Placid we stopped at the Ausable Chasm, known as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks. It was a spectacular view into the river far below. From the Ausable Chasm it was a very short trip to Port Kent to load onto the ferry for the one hour boat ride across Lake Champlain to the waterfront in downtown Burlington. It was quite a sight to see all twenty Road Tour rides loaded onto the ferry. The captain even invited me up in the pilot area to sit behind the wheel.

We landed in Burlington and headed to the headquarters hotel for registration. It has been a fantastic week on the Performance World Road Tour. We were part of the first Road Tour to travel beyond the borders of the United States. We found great folks north of the border and saw some of the most picturesque parts of the United States and Canada. It is going to be a fun weekend at the NSRA Nationals and all of the Road Tourians have memories and have forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

Watch for the upcoming announcement of the 2008 Road Tour schedule. We have eight Tours planned and we are heading to some very cool events and locations. How about a run to Bonneville for Speedweek, a cruise to Back to the 50's in St Paul, the NHRA Hot Rod Reunions in both Ohio and California, the Syracuse Nationals and three or four of the best NSRA events on their schedule? It is going to be a great 2008!

Jerry Dixey

Sponsored by the folks who put on the largest indoor car show in Canada, the Performance World Custom Car and Truck Show Road Tour marked the first time that the Road Tour has traveled out of the United States. Starting in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the NSRA Nationals North and then traveling on to the NSRA Northeast Nationals in Burlington I knew we would see some beautiful scenery in Canada. What I had not realized was that the beauty and warmth of the folks who greeted us on our trip though Canada was just as spectacular as the scenery.

.The Road Tour participants all gathered at the Street Rodder tent at Kalamazoo over the weekend. It gave everyone a chance to get to know each other. As has been the case all summer there were a number of folks who were participating in their second or third Road Tour. It is good to know that people have a great time on the Tours and want to sign up for another fun week on the road.
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After the awards ceremonies on Sunday we rolled out of the Kalamazoo Fairgrounds and started on the three hour trip to the border crossing into Canada at Port Huron, Michigan. There were 21 cars that were registered for the Performance World Tour with 16 leaving from the Nationals North and five more cars joining us along the route. The afternoon trip to Port Huron went smoothly and we reached the border check point by 6:30. Crossing the border into Canada went fine and we were asked just a f