2013 Buick Verano Turbo test drive review. The youthful Buick. BUICK WEEK

When some people hear the name “Buick,” they think of retirees and grandparents.  And while it is hard to argue that point, I am not one of those people.

You see, my first car was a Buick—a 1974 Century 350 Colonnade coupe.  And while that car will never be considered a big-time muscle car or highly sought-after collectable, it sat pretty high on the pedestal to me.  As far as I was concerned, when I got that car in 1987, it was in the same category as a new Regal Grand National, or a ’70 GNX, or a ’65 Riviera Grand Sport. 

Cool dusty classics hidden in a warehouse at Koury Investments

The Kansas City area is full of cool secret car stuff, if you know where to look.  This week I had the opportunity to visit one of those hidden gems, when we made a stop at Rich’s Classic Cars in Grain Valley, Mo.  When you look at this place on the outside, you’d never guess you’d find all the great cars inside.

Owner Rich Koury has been buying and selling cars for 40 years, and when you visit with him, you realize that he really enjoys the hobby.  As we toured his inventory, he was ready with a story on each and every car.  He’d tell you how long the guy owned it before him, where it came from, and sometimes even the dealership at which it was originally sold.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is upon us. We've had a great season of car shows, events, and more, but now it's time to spend some time with family and friends, and do something a little less car-related.

Or is it?

I know when I was a kid, I always looked forward to getting some kind of model car, toy car, slot car, Matchbox car ... well, you get the idea. I really never could get enough of this stuff. 

Hard to be sad at Happy Days Dream Cars in Warrensburg

Even though there aren’t many car shows scheduled around Kansas City right now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t go check out some nice cars once in a while. Take Happy Days Dream Cars in nearby Warrensburg, Mo. Owner John Meyer had a whole showroom full of very nice things to see. It was definitely worth the short trip out of town.

60 years of Corvette! 1953-2013

Did you know that 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the Chevrolet Corvette?  Since the Corvette is admittedly my favorite car, I couldn't let this momentous occasion pass by without a little recognition.

What other car elicits such widespread admiration as the Corvette? And I'm talking about every single year, from the first production car in 1953, right up until the latest Corvettes that are rolling off the line in Bowling Green, Ken. To prove that point, I'm including a slideshow at the end of this article with pictures of every single year the Corvette was produced. I took every one of these pictures myself, mostly at car shows around Kansas City.

Fantastic cars fill Bartle Hall at the Mecum Grand Finale Auction

Just as the weather turns cold in Kansas City, and you think there is no more car stuff to do, Mecum Auctions comes to town and saves the weekend. More than 750 cars were packed into Bartle Hall for the Mecum Grand Finale event, and whether you were looking to buy or not, it was as good as any car show you’d ever want to attend.

The important role of American car companies during World War II

Since today is December 7, the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, I thought we could revisit a World War II car-themed story today.  Actually, it's more of a non-car-themed story, because as you will see, there really weren't even any cars being produced.

People often have a hard time differentiating American vehicles from foreign vehicles these days. The complex equation of assembly plant locations, company headquarters, content origin, and marketing message can throw off even those who want to support the home team. General Motors builds Impalas in Canada. Chrysler has an Italian owner. Toyota and Honda build a few of their vehicles in the U.S. What does it all mean?

Mattel Pixar Cars die-casts - a hit with kids and collectors alike

Six years after the release of the movie, Pixar Cars 1:55-scale die-casts are still hot.  It’s a product line that refuses to die, and the folks at Disney know how to keep it going.  With a second feature film last year, the popular Mater’s Tall Tales shorts, and several new books and special events, they just keep coming up with reasons to introduce new die-cast models.

2013 Lincoln MKZ test drive review. Is this car worthy of Lincoln's heritage?

Lincoln is an automotive icon that has experienced some ups and downs throughout its history. During the peaks, their cars are the choice of presidents, athletes, and celebrities. During the valleys, they have been considered old ladies cars, airport shuttles, and tarted-up Fords. But right now, the folks at Lincoln are definitely climbing back up the mountain, as evidenced by the beautiful new 2013 MKZ sedan.

Walter P. Chrysler Museum to close at the end of 2012

In a sad bit of news, it has been announced that the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich., will be closing at the end of the year. The Chrysler Foundation, which is the not-for-profit group that owns the content of the museum, was unable to raise enough money each year to maintain their status.

The content will be purchased by Chrysler Group LLC, and the museum will become a private display, used only for special events and Chrysler employee functions. That means the days of walking in off the street and appreciating this significant display of Chrysler vehicles, will come to an end.

The 2014 Chevrolet SS recalls the full-sized, rear-wheel-drive Super Sports of the past

Thursday, Chevrolet took the wraps off of the much-anticipated, 2013 SS NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The car will be based on the upcoming, Australian-built, 2014 Chevrolet SS. This is pretty big news for bowtie loyalists, because it marks the return of full-sized, rear-wheel-drive performance to the Chevrolet lineup. But it certainly isn’t their first foray into this market segment. When people think of the SS badge, images of ’69 Camaro 396s and ’70 Chevelles with 454s might come to mind. But the SS badge was born on Chevy’s full-sized offerings.

I took new pictures, made them look old, and wrote fake stories to go with them

 

In 1944, Ezra Sutton took his ’37 Chevy pickup to the Midville General Store to pick up some supplies for his chicken farm.  Ezra had been trying to keep the old truck running for the last two years, but between the broken exhaust manifold and the massive oil leak out of the main seal, plus the ever-increasing valve clatter that refused to adjust out, it was getting harder.  There were no parts available because of the war, and he had to do it all himself because his son was stationed in Japan.  The truck simply refused to start when this photo was taken in front of the general store, and no one there could figure out how to make it run.  Ezra’s neighbor ended up towing the truck back to the farm, where it sat until the scrap metal dealer hauled it away two weeks later.

Hearse pictures for Black Friday

Black Friday. Depending on your perspective, that term either makes you excited or scared to death. Do you like fighting the crowds to get the best deals of the year, or do you hate taking your car into door ding and shopping cart hell to save a few bucks?

Personally, I do not enjoy the feeding frenzy that is Black Friday, although there are occasionally some good deals online that I can get behind.

Not much, but not bad at Wagner's Classic Car Sales

If you read the big car magazines or watch the Speed Channel, you are probably familiar with the otherworldly classic and muscle cars bringing the six-figure money. And maybe you said to yourself, “Sheesh, I’d like to see those kinds of cars in person.”

It turns out there is a place in Bonner Springs, Kan., that specializes in those very types of cars. On any given day, Wagner’s Classic Cars will have a fresh supply of Hemi Cudas, 409 Chevys, and magazine-worthy customs.

A rare look inside the Evans Garage private auto museum

This week, the good folks at Lincoln gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a really spectacular car collection. Evans Garage, located in San Diego, is a private museum and meeting space that contains some very rare and interesting cars. But not everyone can go there. Only companies that have people staying in the luxurious Torrey Pines Resort can hold a meeting there. Why? Because William Evans, Jr. owns the hotel, and William Evans, Jr. owns Evans Garage. Those are the rules!

1960 to 1966 Chevrolet and GMC truck mega photo slideshow

As someone who attends a lot of car shows, and also as the owner of an ugly old ’63 Chevy C-10, I tend to notice trucks like mine when I’m out and about. This generation of trucks was around from 1960-1966, and they sold a bunch of them.

I think they kind of went off the radar for awhile. I know I used to think they were pretty ugly old trucks, and not many people seemed to be focusing on them as restoration candidates.

Longbranch Cruise rides off into the sunset

What do old car guys do when the place that their favorite car cruise is normally held closes down?  Well, in the case of the Longbranch Cruise in Overland Park, they keep going to it.

For many years, this was the destination for old cars on Friday nights.  It wasn’t unusual to see 150 or more cars packed into the Longbranch and adjoining closed-up Chili’s parking lots.  People would file into the Longbranch, and sit out on the patio listening to the D.J. and keeping an eye on their rides.

A look at the Kansas City Military Vehicle Preservation Society in honor of Veterans Day

In honor of Veterans Day, I thought it would be nice to look back at one of the more significant and poignant vehicle displays I have ever been to.

The Military Vehicle Preservation Society has all kinds of interesting old war machines that they display at various functions, and a couple of years ago they brought out several fascinating, battle-tested vehicles to Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial.  And the enthusiastic group of owners was available and willing to answer any questions that people may have had.

Thumbing our noses at danger during the 24th-Annual Toys for Tots Run at Rawhide Harley Davidson

Bikers and hot-rodders have always had a bit of a rough reputation. Poster children for dangerous miscreants, their presence in your neighborhood is likely to result in someone getting beat to death with a chain, or maybe an out of control jalopy mowing down a toddler's birthday party.

And yet, when they're not burning a swath of terror fueled by the blood of the innocent, events like the 24th-Annual Toys for Tots Run prove that they might not be that bad after all.

Kansas City car shows and cruises for November 7, 9, 10, 11, 2012

 

Of course, the car show season is just about over in Kansas City, but there are still a few holdouts.

If you want to stay close to home, be sure to go to the Basehor Boys Cruise Night on Friday, or the Gibson’s General Store Cruise on Saturday.  Of course, you can also head west for a car show in Wichita, or east for a swap meet near St. Louis.  Whatever you decide to do, you better do it now.  Old Man Winter is coming.

I put everything I could find on the very short list below.  You can also see the NASCAR television schedule from Phoenix this weekend.

Don Dougan estate auction marks the end of an era

Don Dougan was livin’ every car guy’s dream. Just one look around the large, fenced-in yard of the World War II veteran’s estate, and you can see that he was completely submerged in the things he loved.

The large, grungy, three-bay shop was stocked with every tool, engine hoist, and welding rig anyone could ever need. The land around the shop was crammed full of old cars and parts. And whether they were waiting for the day they would find their way into the garage, or halfway through the process, every car and truck had a story to tell.

Cars trickle in at the Fritz's Car Cruise

When BHo and I showed up for the Fritz’s Shawnee cruise Sunday afternoon, I wasn’t surprised that we were one of only three cars in the lot. It was a little cool out. The Chiefs were sort of playing football. The NASCAR race was underway. It just wasn’t the idea situation to have a huge turnout.

So after we parked, we went in and enjoyed a little ice cream while people had their burgers delivered via model train. Fritz’s is a good place to go for a car show, because even if there aren’t any cars to look at, you are still entertained.

Preserving Kansas City's rich racing history with the CARB Hall of Fame Swap Meet and Auction

You never hear about it on the news, and the people at your office aren’t aware of it, but there is a very strong auto racing underworld here in Kansas City. The fact is, there are people that live and die by local, short track racing, and there have been for the better part of the last century.

Of course, that means there is a rich racing history here too. And for some people, preserving that history is a privilege and a duty. It would be a shame to wake up one day and have no recollection of the people, the cars, and the tracks that played such an important part in so many peoples’ lives. It would also be unfortunate if no one realized the role Kansas City played in the careers of some of the greatest racing personalities in the history of the sport.

Kansas City racing bonanza; Sprint Cup, Nationwide, ARCA at Kansas Speedway, Late Models at Lakeside

For car folks, this is a depressing time of year in Kansas City.  Yes, there are some really cool season-ending events, but it also reminds you that soon there will be nothing left until next spring.  And there is no better example of that than the huge racing weekend that just came to an end in Kansas City, Kan., which was punctuated by the Hollywood Casino 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Let’s review some of the action that took place in Wyandotte County.

If you click on the headlines, they’ll take you to the complete race results.

Mighty white. Looking at the most popular car color of 2012

As I sat quietly, battling a severe case of writer’s block, I called upon my wife to give me an idea on something to write about. “They just announced that white is the most popular car color for 2012,” she said. “You should write something about that.”

And you know, she was definitely on to something. PPG Industries, the folks who manufacture the paint that goes on most of the new cars out there, announced that for the second year in-a-row, white was the most popular choice. That’s not a big surprise. For a daily driver, white is a pretty good pick. It’s easy to take care of, doesn’t show many scratches, and looks pretty clean, even when it’s not. I’ve had a few white cars along the way, and they were always a pleasure to maintain.

Kansas City car races, car shows, and car cruises for October 17 18, 19, 20, 21, 2012

Well, one of the biggest events in Kansas City, car event or not, is the two-day NASCAR show at Kansas Speedway. You’ll see Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart—all the big names of the sport (except Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who is still recovering from a concussion). And as usual, there will also be a dirt late model show at nearby Lakeside Speedway, which usually turns out to be the best race of the weekend.

Oh, and there are still a few car shows and cruises hanging on until the end of the month. Hit them while you still can, because winter seems like an eternity once the car stuff is over.

The entire Kansas City car show, car cruise, and car racing schedule, including local and television information for Kansas Speedway, is listed below.

Time travel to the 1980s at the Olathe Bass Pro Shop PINK cruise

The PINK Cruise, sponsored by the Mustang Club of Greater Kansas City, got off to a rough start. It was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but rain forced them to reschedule it for Sunday. And of course, when you have to change the date at the last second, it usually doesn’t help your turnout. The fact that the Chiefs were sort of playing on Sunday didn’t help either.

The beginning of the end at the Turner Days Car Show

The annual Turner Days Car Show in the Turner High School parking lot is always sort of a bittersweet event.  It’s great, of course, because there are always lots of nice cars in attendance.  But it is one of the last significant car shows in the Kansas City area each year, so it always makes me a little bit sad.

AACA Antique Car Show at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence is a nice change from the typical car show

For four decades, the Lawrence chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America has been hosting one of the better car shows in the area at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence. No, it might not get the most cars. But it gets some very good cars. I really enjoy it because it has sort of a flavor that you can’t get at the typical hot rod/muscle car-packed extravaganza.

This is more of an original old car show. Heck, this is an original old car guy’s show. It represents one of the best facets of the old car hobby, and a group of people that unfortunately seems to be fading away as time goes on.

Nice little gathering at the Cars in the Park Show at Shawnee Mission Park

The Cars in the Park show at Shawnee Mission Park is a pretty nice place to go if you want to spend a relaxing day with a few nice cars. This is a fund raiser for Special Olympics, and the parking area near the boat docks is a nice place to spend some time.

This is the fourth year for this show, and it has the potential to be relatively big. But the Basehor High School show is held at the same time 15 miles away, and that’s where most of the old cars seem to want to go. If they were to schedule this a little differently, I think it could really take off.

15th Annual Basehor-Linwood High School Project Grad Car Show packed 'em in again

I don’t know how they do it, but this Basehor-Linwood High School Project Grad Car Show packs ‘em in every year.  This was the 15^th edition of this event, and although the car count may have been a little bit down from last year, there was still plenty to look at.

As you can see from the pictures, this is quite a diverse car show.  You might get an interesting car that belongs to one of the high school kids, and it’ll be parked next to a high-dollar muscle car.  Over here you had a car that was built by George Barris in the early ‘50s, and over there was a Yugo (I kid you not).

The glare is there at the Hartman Heritage Center Cruise

As the sun sets figuratively on the 2012 car cruise season, the sun was setting literally on the monthly Hartman Heritage Center Cruise in Independence on Saturday night. Talk about harsh conditions for picture taking. It was like I was taking pictures of the sun directly, and a car would sneak in and spoil the shot.

Stifling sunshine aside, there were still lots of great cars there. This was taking place at the same time as the huge monthly cruise in Belton, but they still managed to bring in a good crowd at this weekly event.

Kansas City car shows, car cruises, and car races for September 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 2012

We keep clicking off the car events as we head into the fall, but there are still a few good ones to check out before Old Man Winter checks in.

One of the bigger events in this area will be the Basehor-Linwood High School car show, which always seems to pack ‘em in. You also might want to check out the weekly cruise in Independence, or Cars in the Park at Shawnee Mission Park. Wherever you decide to go, there will be some great cars and trucks to look at, and no doubt several owners who would be more than happy to tell you all about them.

The entire Kansas City-area car show, car cruise, and car racing schedule, plus the NASCAR TV schedule from Dover and Las Vegas, is listed below.

19th Annual Vintage Fabrication car show reveals a serious shop hidden in a vintage Mobil station

I was in time-killing mode Saturday afternoon, so I looked at the old HMC weekly calendar and found out that the Vintage Fabrication open house was taking place in Independence. I wasn’t really expecting that much, but I jumped in the Impala and headed east.

As it turns out, I’m glad I went. Vintage Fabrication is actually a pretty cool place, and the turnout was surprisingly robust. This was the 19th year for this event, and obviously word has spread during that time.

2012 Mid-America - Aces Chevelle/El Camino Show brought big blocks to the Great Mall

 

The Great Mall in Olathe has been the site of some pretty big car shows lately, and that tradition was continued over the weekend with the Mid-America - Aces Chevelle/El Camino Show, which filled the north parking lot with gleaming mid-sized Chevys.

I know the Chevelle contingent has been getting strong around town lately, because I see several of them whenever I hit a car show.  But it’s hard to realize just how strong until you see them all in one place.  It would be hard to assemble a bigger gathering of hood pins, stripes, and Chevy Rat motors.

2013 Ford Fusion test drive review. The happy blend of past and future

Hey, look, there’s an Aston Martin following us! Well, not really. But that was the reaction when I looked in the mirror while driving in a caravan of 2013 Ford Fusions. This does not look like the typical midsized sedan. And with all the attention that Ford put into the development of this car, those looks aren’t deceiving.

Ford is serious about this new car. It will be the most expensive global car launch in the company’s history. And this is a global launch. The Fusion follows in the footsteps of the Focus, Fiesta, and C-Max as another vehicle that should be popular all over the world. In Europe, this new Fusion will be the new Mondeo sedan.

Kansas City car shows, car cruises, and car races for September 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 2012

Some of the bigger car shows may be coming to an end in Kansas City, but we still have a pretty long list of things to do this weekend.

The big Chevelle show is at the Great Mall on Saturday, and there are church shows in Olathe, Independence, and Blue Springs. And there are cruise nights all over town, including big ones in Belton and Independence. Or take in a car race. Lakeside is running a big Modified show Friday and Saturday nights, or head down to Lebanon for a 100-lap Late Model show.

The entire car show, car cruise, and car racing schedule for September 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 is listed below.

2012 Old Marais River Run. 1,200 photos. Yeah, it was that big.

Generally, you can expect the Goodguys show at Kansas Speedway to be the biggest car show of the year in the Kansas City area.  But I think we might have a new champion for 2012—the Old Marais River Run in nearby Ottawa, Kan.  Nearly 1,700 pre-1972 cars and trucks packed into picturesque Forrest Park for a beautiful weekend of spit-shining and cruising.

This is a dynamic show, with cars driving around the access road all day, people riding the shuttle through the show, and numerous organized cruises and activities throughout the weekend.  This is the 26^th year of this event, and the Over the Road Gang has obviously learned a thing or two about putting on a good show in all that time.

7th Annual Shawnee Wheels and Dreams Car Show was bigger than I bargained for

On Sunday, I had this bright idea that I could go to 10:30 church, partake in a heaping plate of fake Krab salad from the Golden Corral buffet with my family, go home, get the truck, dart over to Shawnee to snap a few quick pictures of the 7th Annual Wheels and Dreams Car Show, and still make it to the awards ceremony at the All-Truck Nationals in Riverside at 2:00.

Kansas City car shows, cruises, and races for September 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 2012

There are lots of car events all over Kansas City this weekend, but most of the classic car world will be focused on Ottawa and the Ol’ Marais River Run. This is a monster show, with some 1,500 cars packing it into Forest Park. If you want to see something special, take that short trip south of town.

Other significant events of note include the Shrine Swap Meet in Lee’s Summit, the Basehor Boys cruise on Friday night, the Platte City cruise on Saturday night, and the strong cruise at the Hartman Heritage Center in Independence.

Check out the entire schedule of Kansas City car shows, car cruises, and car races for September 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 below the break.

2012 Midwest All-Truck Nationals is the place where truck owners come together

If you own a Camaro, Corvette, Mustang, Thunderbird, or Chevelle, there is a big, model-specific car show in Kansas City just for you. Now, I don’t own a Camaro, Corvette, Mustang, Thunderbird, or Chevelle. I have an old truck. Not even a pretty old truck. So the chances of me hitting a show that I would fit in at are few-and-far between.

The Kansas City car show, car cruise, and car racing schedule for September 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2012

As the summer winds down, lots of big car shows fire up in Kansas City. See tons of really great trucks from all over the country at the Midwest All-Truck Nationals in Riverside. Check out a couple of big Johnson County car shows in Shawnee and Merriam. See an all-Dodge show at Olathe Dodge, or an all-Chevy show at Heartland Chevrolet.

Whatever you like to see or do that involves cars, you’ll probably be able to find it in Kansas City this weekend. Check out the entire Kansas City car show, car cruise, and car racing schedule, plus the NASCAR events at Richmond, in the schedule below.

2012 Greaserama: Heaven in hell

 

Greaserama.  This is the Devil’s car show.   Hundreds of rusty, crusty cars crammed door-to-door in a sea of tepid muddy water.  Dangerous-looking people listening to loud, grungy, angry music while they suck down copious quantities of Pabst Blue Ribbon.  How do you want to die—by rubbing up against a car and contracting tetanus, or getting stabbed because the owner saw you get too close?

2012 Goodguys Mid-Western Nationals Sunday: Here comes the sun

The Goodguys Mid-Western Nationals is typically the biggest car show in Kansas City, and Saturday is usually the biggest day.  In 2012, this was still the biggest show in town, but rains on Saturday kept most of the cars away until Sunday.  Bright sunshine ensured that the car count was more like what people have come to expect on the final day of the show.  They also open up this day to allow later-model vehicles, which obviously adds to the festivities.

2012 Goodguys Mid-Western Nationals Saturday: Here comes the rain again

Every year about this time, the car show world descends on the infield of Kansas Speedway for the Saturday installment of the Goodguys Mid-Western Nationals.  This is the biggest car show of the year in this area, and Saturday is the biggest day.

But not this year.

Clouds and rain can't stop the Downtown Liberty Car Cruise

Last weekend, I hit the trifecta of historic downtown car events around here. Friday night I was at the Smithville Hot Summer Nights car cruise, Saturday we went to the Midwest Camarofest in Downtown Independence, and Saturday night I was off to the Liberty cruise in the historic district of that Missouri town. When it comes to taking pictures of cars encircling an old courthouse, I’m your guy.

Midwest Camaro-Fest draws more Camaros than the rest

I’ve always been a big Camaro fan. I’ve owned several of them over the years, and I miss every one of them after they’re gone. So how is a closet Camaro lover supposed to get his Camaro fix when he doesn’t have one in the driveway?

Well, around here, you can get your fill of Camaros at the annual Midwest Camaro-Fest, which is hosted by the Camaro Club of Kansas City. This is the premiere show in the area for Chevy’s popular Pony Car, and was held this year in the history downtown square of Independence, Mo. I’ve been going to this event for at least the last 11-12 years, and even entered a car or two along the way, so I can tell you firsthand that this club works hard to make this show the big success that it is.

Music and cars at the Smithville Hot Summer Nights Cruise

Smithville, Mo., is a pretty small community, but they have some big events in their historic downtown.  Late in the summer, they host “Hot Summer Nights,” and last Friday night they featured their popular classic car cruise.

I’ve never been to this before, but I’ve been told that they can get as many as 300 cars here.  The threat of rain was in the air this night, but they still probably had around 200 cars and trucks around the square.

Ararat Shriners bring cars to the 44th Annual Parkville Days Riverfest Parade

Walking around a car show and looking at all the cars can be fun, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could just sit in one place and have the cars come to you? Well, that’s how it works when you visit the annual Parkville Days Riverfest Parade, which made its 44th trip down Main Street last Saturday morning.

The only thing out of control at the Outta' Control Hot Rods Cruise in Platte City was the weather

The Outta’ Control Hot Rods Car Club always holds a nice cruise night on the third Saturday of the month, and in spite of ominous clouds and impending rain, they still enjoyed a strong crowd for the August edition.

This was my last chance to take my 2013 Corvette Grand Sport loaner to an event before General Motors came and took it away forever, so I drove BHo to the land of Sonny Hill with the fiberglass roof panel stored neatly in the rear hatch area. Of course, I hadn’t thought to secure all the flyers that I picked up at the Corvette show earlier in the day, so once we hit 70 on 435, there was a tsunami of car show propaganda blasting all over the cockpit and out in the atmosphere. If I miss your event on the next weekly calendar, this may be the reason.

Slickstock. Where members of the Slick '60s Ford Truck Club get together and eat lots of Pizza Shoppe

As the owner of a 1963 Chevrolet pickup, sometimes it is hard for me to remember that they actually made some other kind of truck in the early-to-mid 1960s. But on our way to dinner Friday night, I stumbled upon a reminder that yes, there really was at least one more brand out there. I think they were called Fords.

Actually, when we saw a bunch of them parked at the Platte Woods Pizza Shoppe, the first thing I thought was, “hey, I didn’t know we had a Ford truck club here in town.” And as it turns out, I thought right. These were members of the Slick ‘60s Club, which is a nationwide group of ’61-’66 Ford F-Series enthusiasts. Every two years these folks meet up for “Slickstock” to catch up on old times, talk trucks, and eat pizza.