Flint car-show
(That’s nearby Flint, NY)
(And wherever you are, “Camerabanger,” gimme a snail-mail address, and I’ll send a calendar. —I don’t think I ever had it.)
My friend Jim LePore, and his Camaro-SS. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
About a year ago I met a guy named Jim LePore (“luh-POOR”) at a church-sponsored grief-share we were attending at that time.
Like me, Jim lost his long-time wife, Jim 51 years, me 44.
Jim’s wife died a month-or-two before I met him; my wife died a little over a year before.
Jim was distraught; I thought I could help him — after all, I too was distraught right after my wife died.
“Help” is a relative term. About all I could do was understand.
Jim and I are both car-guys; that is, we’re very much into cars. I dragged out some of my old car-pictures and car-books.
Jim had been eating dinner at a restaurant near Canandaigua before going to the grief-share, so his daughters suggested I join him.
I began eating out with Jim every Wednesday afternoon before the grief-share.
Jim and I both stopped attending the grief-share, but we still do dinner at that restaurant every Wednesday.
Eating-out is also a meal I don’t have to prepare, plus we shoot the breeze. Another lady, who lost her husband, also attends.
Car-guy Jim had apparently been considering buying a new car, a hotrod, since his wife died.
He finally did. He was planning to buy a new red Camaro, but then this white one showed up as a trade.
It’s used, but only 9,000 miles. The guy who owned it before stored it during Winter, and never drove it in rain.
So now Jim has his shiny new Camaro, an SS (“Super-Sport”) with the Corvette motor.
It’s fun to drive, but Jim would also show it.
He noted his first car-show was coming.
He said it would be May 10th, but later discovered it was Sunday, May 18th.
The car-show was more a “krooze,” a chance for car-guys to get out their iron and display it at the show.
And Jim would display his Camaro.
It’s also a chance for car-guys to shoot the breeze.
The show would be at a technical-school in nearby Flint, NY, perhaps 50 minutes from my house.
The restaurant is a half-hour away. I live in a very rural setting.
When I arrived, I had no idea where Jim was, and there were 89 bazilyun cars.
So I called his cellphone.
Jim is hard-of-hearing, so our cellphone conversation was marginal.
I also was hobbling; my left knee is hurting.
Jim said something about “second driveway,” so I hobbled into what looked like a second driveway.
I started down a long line of hotrods and customs, some decrepit-looking.
A gorgeous red ’32-Ford three-window coupe with Chevy motor drove in and parked.
Some of the car-shows I’ve been to allow me to vote “Best-in-Show.” The red coupe, depicted below, was “Best-in-Show” for me.
As I continued, I noticed a white Camaro, but wasn’t sure it was Jim.
But I noticed Jim’s wife’s name, “Shirley,” painted on the rear bumper. That’s Jim’s car.
I ambled over, found Jim, and took a seat.
There is at least one thing to say about this show: engines were on display.
If the engine wasn’t already out in the open in a hotrod, everything else had their hoods open.
Even the stockers, and there weren’t many.
That gorgeous baby-blue led-sled depicted below was one of the few cars with its hood not open. But soon its owner appeared, and yawned open the entire front-end, fenders and all, hinged at the front.
Inside was a beautifully detailed SmallBlock.
There were other standouts. One was a ’54 Ford two-door with a whooping 427 cubic-inch side-oiler, the engine Ford once raced with.
It was frightening!
And then there was the ratty ’64 Plymouth with a 426 cubic-inch Hemi (“hem-eee;” not “he-me”).
And then there were the various cars with the old Chevy Stovebolt six.
That yellow “Advance-Design” pickup depicted below had a Stovebolt.
I also came across a puke-green ’51 Chevy Fleetline fastback. Its Stovebolt was hot-rodded with two carburetors.
Jim’s Camaro was one of the newest cars there. But there were others.
I noticed a black Camaro-SS similar to Jim’s, and also came across a new “Boss-302” Mustang.
I also saw something with the new Hemi, 392 cubic-inches.
Sorry Chrysler, but the new Hemi ain’t the old Hemi.
I also saw something with an original Hemi wedged in, 1957 or 1958.
For me, the most memorable Hemis were middle and late ‘60s: Chrysler’s B-block with hemispherical heads.
The elephant-motor.
Recent Hemis are really just a souped-up motor with hemispherical heads.
It’s pretty good, but it’s Chrysler cashing-in on the old Hemi’s reputation.
But at least the heads are aluminum, not heavy cast-iron like the earlier Hemis, which weighed a ton.
Jim and I sat together in the blazing sun; Jim had forgot his hat.
We ambled around some, me hobbling slowly.
Referring to the T-bucket hotrod: “It ain’t bad, but I have to watch it; it can get squirrely.”
I got down to photograph that red ’55 Chevy two-door sedan, but could hardly get up.
Jim and I got cheeseburgers from a stand manned by school-students. It took a while because others were getting our cheeseburgers.
It was car-guy Heaven. The racket was glorious, and ‘50s rock-and-roll was blaring on the P.A.; including Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry.
Engines were making heavy induction-noise; extreme air-intake even at idle; loud sucking.
Jim noted the plethora of gigantic engines; 427 cubic-inches or larger.
You don’t see displacements like that nowadays. That’s maybe five miles-per-gallon polluting the air we breathe.
“Well,” I thought to myself; “fast cars have been replaced by fast gaming. Hot-rodding is about done. —Fast cars are no longer appealing, with traffic so clogged you can no longer drive fast.
Auto-travel is being replaced by computerized commuting, with little input from the driver. —It’s called ‘accident-avoidance.’
What matters any more is not how much horsepower you can generate, but how fast and powerful your computer is: gigs and RAM.
And the average dude can do that; all it takes is money, what fueled the hot-rod craze.
Springsteen’s ‘Hemi-powered drones’ were replaced by the iPhone.”
As I walked out, I watched a pretty red Model-A four-door sedan, erect as a phone-booth (remember phone-booths?), late and redirected to the display-area entrance, back up, turn around, and then roar out onto the highway.
Probably a Chevy SmallBlock motor.
The baby-blue Led-Sled — chopped and lowered. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
A T-bucket. Look at the tires! No wonder it can get squirrely.(Photo by BobbaLew.)
No manure in this baby. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
A ’41 Chevy, the most popular used-car of all time. This one was a coupe, our family had a four-door sedan. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
I can see patrolling in a Buick RoadMaster (four-holer), but a four-door hardtop? (Photo by BobbaLew.)
’34 Ford custom. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
The purple Led-Sled (more a Jimmy Dean Merc). (Photo by BobbaLew.)
A stock Model-A Ford two-door sedan — Henry’s lady. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
Chevrolet’s “Advance-Design” pickup. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
Bone-stock ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door sedan; how often do you see an unmodified ’55 Chevy? (Although I don’t see the front fender-trim that starts at the headlight, which makes me wonder if this is actually a Two-Ten with Bel Air rear-fender trim.) (Photo by BobbaLew.)
Best-in-Show (a ’32 Ford three-window hotrod). —If it were “For Sale,” I’d offer. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
(Jim’s Camaro won an award [a plaque]: “outstanding vehicle.”)
“Outstanding vehicle.”
• RE: “Led-sled......” —Used to be auto bodywork was done with melted lead filler, molded and shaped. Now it’s “Bondo” plasticized fiberglass. The “Led-Sleds” pictured may have been done the old way, but if not, they’re still called “Led-Sleds.” —Heavily customized ’49-’51 Mercuries are called “Led-Sleds.”
• The Chevrolet “SmallBlock” V8 was introduced at 265 cubic-inches displacement in the 1955 model-year. It continued production for years, first to 283 cubic inches, then 327, then 350. Other displacements were also manufactured. The Chevrolet “Big-Block” V8 was introduced in the 1965 model-year at 396 cubic-inches, and was unrelated to the SmallBlock. It was made in various larger displacements: 402, 427 and 454 cubic inches. It’s still made as a truck-motor, but not installed in cars any more; although you can get it as a crate-motor, for self-installation. The “Big-Block” could be immensely powerful, and the “SmallBlock” was revolutionary in its time.
• The Chevrolet overhead-valve inline “Stovebolt-six” was introduced in the 1929 model-year at 194+ cubic inches. It continued production for years, upgraded to four main bearings (from three) for the 1937 model-year. In 1950 the Stovebolt was upsized to 235.5 cubic inches (from 216), and later upgrades included full-pressure lubrication and hydraulic (as opposed to mechanical) valve-tappets. The Stovebolt was produced clear through the 1963 model-year, but replaced with a new seven-main bearing (as opposed to less — like four) inline-six engine in the 1964 model-year. The Stovebolt was also known as “the cast-iron wonder;” called the “Stovebolt” because various bolts could be replaced by stuff from the corner hardware.
• RE: “Advance-Design.....” —Chevrolet’s trucks from 1947 through 1953 were called “Advance-Design.”
• RE: “Puke-green.....” — A family expression, referring to a grayish-green color tinged slightly yellow that looked the color of vomit.
• RE: “Fleetline fastback......” —General Motors marketed fastback sedans from 1949 through 1952. The car’s roof flows uninterrupted into the trunk. GM also marketed fastback sedans among its early postwar offerings, cars based on pre-war designs. Chevrolet called ‘em “Fleetlines.”
(And wherever you are, “Camerabanger,” gimme a snail-mail address, and I’ll send a calendar. —I don’t think I ever had it.)
My friend Jim LePore, and his Camaro-SS. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
About a year ago I met a guy named Jim LePore (“luh-POOR”) at a church-sponsored grief-share we were attending at that time.
Like me, Jim lost his long-time wife, Jim 51 years, me 44.
Jim’s wife died a month-or-two before I met him; my wife died a little over a year before.
Jim was distraught; I thought I could help him — after all, I too was distraught right after my wife died.
“Help” is a relative term. About all I could do was understand.
Jim and I are both car-guys; that is, we’re very much into cars. I dragged out some of my old car-pictures and car-books.
Jim had been eating dinner at a restaurant near Canandaigua before going to the grief-share, so his daughters suggested I join him.
I began eating out with Jim every Wednesday afternoon before the grief-share.
Jim and I both stopped attending the grief-share, but we still do dinner at that restaurant every Wednesday.
Eating-out is also a meal I don’t have to prepare, plus we shoot the breeze. Another lady, who lost her husband, also attends.
Car-guy Jim had apparently been considering buying a new car, a hotrod, since his wife died.
He finally did. He was planning to buy a new red Camaro, but then this white one showed up as a trade.
It’s used, but only 9,000 miles. The guy who owned it before stored it during Winter, and never drove it in rain.
So now Jim has his shiny new Camaro, an SS (“Super-Sport”) with the Corvette motor.
It’s fun to drive, but Jim would also show it.
He noted his first car-show was coming.
He said it would be May 10th, but later discovered it was Sunday, May 18th.
The car-show was more a “krooze,” a chance for car-guys to get out their iron and display it at the show.
And Jim would display his Camaro.
It’s also a chance for car-guys to shoot the breeze.
The show would be at a technical-school in nearby Flint, NY, perhaps 50 minutes from my house.
The restaurant is a half-hour away. I live in a very rural setting.
When I arrived, I had no idea where Jim was, and there were 89 bazilyun cars.
So I called his cellphone.
Jim is hard-of-hearing, so our cellphone conversation was marginal.
I also was hobbling; my left knee is hurting.
Jim said something about “second driveway,” so I hobbled into what looked like a second driveway.
I started down a long line of hotrods and customs, some decrepit-looking.
A gorgeous red ’32-Ford three-window coupe with Chevy motor drove in and parked.
Some of the car-shows I’ve been to allow me to vote “Best-in-Show.” The red coupe, depicted below, was “Best-in-Show” for me.
As I continued, I noticed a white Camaro, but wasn’t sure it was Jim.
But I noticed Jim’s wife’s name, “Shirley,” painted on the rear bumper. That’s Jim’s car.
I ambled over, found Jim, and took a seat.
There is at least one thing to say about this show: engines were on display.
If the engine wasn’t already out in the open in a hotrod, everything else had their hoods open.
Even the stockers, and there weren’t many.
That gorgeous baby-blue led-sled depicted below was one of the few cars with its hood not open. But soon its owner appeared, and yawned open the entire front-end, fenders and all, hinged at the front.
Inside was a beautifully detailed SmallBlock.
There were other standouts. One was a ’54 Ford two-door with a whooping 427 cubic-inch side-oiler, the engine Ford once raced with.
It was frightening!
And then there was the ratty ’64 Plymouth with a 426 cubic-inch Hemi (“hem-eee;” not “he-me”).
And then there were the various cars with the old Chevy Stovebolt six.
That yellow “Advance-Design” pickup depicted below had a Stovebolt.
I also came across a puke-green ’51 Chevy Fleetline fastback. Its Stovebolt was hot-rodded with two carburetors.
Jim’s Camaro was one of the newest cars there. But there were others.
I noticed a black Camaro-SS similar to Jim’s, and also came across a new “Boss-302” Mustang.
I also saw something with the new Hemi, 392 cubic-inches.
Sorry Chrysler, but the new Hemi ain’t the old Hemi.
I also saw something with an original Hemi wedged in, 1957 or 1958.
For me, the most memorable Hemis were middle and late ‘60s: Chrysler’s B-block with hemispherical heads.
The elephant-motor.
Recent Hemis are really just a souped-up motor with hemispherical heads.
It’s pretty good, but it’s Chrysler cashing-in on the old Hemi’s reputation.
But at least the heads are aluminum, not heavy cast-iron like the earlier Hemis, which weighed a ton.
Jim and I sat together in the blazing sun; Jim had forgot his hat.
We ambled around some, me hobbling slowly.
Referring to the T-bucket hotrod: “It ain’t bad, but I have to watch it; it can get squirrely.”
I got down to photograph that red ’55 Chevy two-door sedan, but could hardly get up.
Jim and I got cheeseburgers from a stand manned by school-students. It took a while because others were getting our cheeseburgers.
It was car-guy Heaven. The racket was glorious, and ‘50s rock-and-roll was blaring on the P.A.; including Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry.
Engines were making heavy induction-noise; extreme air-intake even at idle; loud sucking.
Jim noted the plethora of gigantic engines; 427 cubic-inches or larger.
You don’t see displacements like that nowadays. That’s maybe five miles-per-gallon polluting the air we breathe.
“Well,” I thought to myself; “fast cars have been replaced by fast gaming. Hot-rodding is about done. —Fast cars are no longer appealing, with traffic so clogged you can no longer drive fast.
Auto-travel is being replaced by computerized commuting, with little input from the driver. —It’s called ‘accident-avoidance.’
What matters any more is not how much horsepower you can generate, but how fast and powerful your computer is: gigs and RAM.
And the average dude can do that; all it takes is money, what fueled the hot-rod craze.
Springsteen’s ‘Hemi-powered drones’ were replaced by the iPhone.”
As I walked out, I watched a pretty red Model-A four-door sedan, erect as a phone-booth (remember phone-booths?), late and redirected to the display-area entrance, back up, turn around, and then roar out onto the highway.
Probably a Chevy SmallBlock motor.
The baby-blue Led-Sled — chopped and lowered. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
A T-bucket. Look at the tires! No wonder it can get squirrely.(Photo by BobbaLew.)
No manure in this baby. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
A ’41 Chevy, the most popular used-car of all time. This one was a coupe, our family had a four-door sedan. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
I can see patrolling in a Buick RoadMaster (four-holer), but a four-door hardtop? (Photo by BobbaLew.)
’34 Ford custom. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
The purple Led-Sled (more a Jimmy Dean Merc). (Photo by BobbaLew.)
A stock Model-A Ford two-door sedan — Henry’s lady. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
Chevrolet’s “Advance-Design” pickup. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
Bone-stock ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door sedan; how often do you see an unmodified ’55 Chevy? (Although I don’t see the front fender-trim that starts at the headlight, which makes me wonder if this is actually a Two-Ten with Bel Air rear-fender trim.) (Photo by BobbaLew.)
Best-in-Show (a ’32 Ford three-window hotrod). —If it were “For Sale,” I’d offer. (Photo by BobbaLew.)
(Jim’s Camaro won an award [a plaque]: “outstanding vehicle.”)
“Outstanding vehicle.”
• RE: “Led-sled......” —Used to be auto bodywork was done with melted lead filler, molded and shaped. Now it’s “Bondo” plasticized fiberglass. The “Led-Sleds” pictured may have been done the old way, but if not, they’re still called “Led-Sleds.” —Heavily customized ’49-’51 Mercuries are called “Led-Sleds.”
• The Chevrolet “SmallBlock” V8 was introduced at 265 cubic-inches displacement in the 1955 model-year. It continued production for years, first to 283 cubic inches, then 327, then 350. Other displacements were also manufactured. The Chevrolet “Big-Block” V8 was introduced in the 1965 model-year at 396 cubic-inches, and was unrelated to the SmallBlock. It was made in various larger displacements: 402, 427 and 454 cubic inches. It’s still made as a truck-motor, but not installed in cars any more; although you can get it as a crate-motor, for self-installation. The “Big-Block” could be immensely powerful, and the “SmallBlock” was revolutionary in its time.
• The Chevrolet overhead-valve inline “Stovebolt-six” was introduced in the 1929 model-year at 194+ cubic inches. It continued production for years, upgraded to four main bearings (from three) for the 1937 model-year. In 1950 the Stovebolt was upsized to 235.5 cubic inches (from 216), and later upgrades included full-pressure lubrication and hydraulic (as opposed to mechanical) valve-tappets. The Stovebolt was produced clear through the 1963 model-year, but replaced with a new seven-main bearing (as opposed to less — like four) inline-six engine in the 1964 model-year. The Stovebolt was also known as “the cast-iron wonder;” called the “Stovebolt” because various bolts could be replaced by stuff from the corner hardware.
• RE: “Advance-Design.....” —Chevrolet’s trucks from 1947 through 1953 were called “Advance-Design.”
• RE: “Puke-green.....” — A family expression, referring to a grayish-green color tinged slightly yellow that looked the color of vomit.
• RE: “Fleetline fastback......” —General Motors marketed fastback sedans from 1949 through 1952. The car’s roof flows uninterrupted into the trunk. GM also marketed fastback sedans among its early postwar offerings, cars based on pre-war designs. Chevrolet called ‘em “Fleetlines.”
Labels: auto wisdom
posted by BobbaLew at 2:54 PM
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