Monday, May 11, 2015

2015 NSRA Appreciation Day at T&M Steering Column Repair

Saturday was sort of a strange day for our car show adventures. We got a late start, but we set out to the event at Lincoln Technical College. It was supposed to end at 2:00, but when we got there right at 1:00, everyone was making a mass exodus. So then I called ahead to the NSRA Appreciation Day Show, which was taking place at T&M Steering Column repair. We were told they would be there until 3:00, but about the time we started taking pictures, things were wrapping up and everyone started bugging out at about 2:00. Let’s just say, we had to click fast.

Here’s a ’60 Pontiac Ventura. This car wasn’t strictly stock, as evidenced by the wheels, intake manifold, carburetor, and so on. This was a street rod event, so you wouldn’t expect it to be factory fresh. This was the first year for the Ventura, which was basically a fancier version of the Catalina. The roof and general size of this car is pretty similar to a ’60 Impala, but the trim and execution is considerably different. I love the interior in these, with all that chrome and Morrokide vinyl. This car could really be a knockout with a little TLC and a set of 8-lugs with wide whitewalls. I wish you saw more of these cars.

My 11-year-old son took several of the pictures for this show, including this sharp little ’52 Chevy club coupe. It really had that ‘50s custom look, with those red wheels contrasting with the Spring Green paint. Rolled and pleated Naugahyde with custom air conditioning gave passengers a cool place to sit. The original Stovebolt was replaced with a chromed-out Chevy small –block. Some of the customizing kit bric-a-brck included triple-outlet Lakes pipes, aftermarket spinner wheel covers, and dummy spots. Overall, there was a lot to like about this one.

’57 Chevys are fairly ubiquitous at car shows, but this Bel Air two-door sedan hides a secret. Lurking beneath those dual bombsight hood ornaments is not the 283 small block you might expect, but instead a Chevy big block. There’s plenty of room under there, so why not? This color was Harbor Blue, and the interior was reupholstered in a similar-to-stock pattern. There was also a roll of toilet paper on the front seat—always good to show up prepared. This was a nice car that was a faithful representation of a late-‘60s-style ’57 Chevy hot rod.

This is a ’29 Model A roadster, right? Well, not exactly. This is actually a Shay Model A Roadster, which was a 1929 Model A replica that the Shay company built from 1979 to 1982. Later, these components were sold as kits that the owner could assemble himself. These had Ford Pinto underpinnings, but they had a lot more charm than a Pinto. Incidentally, they also built Shay ’57 T-Bird replicas, so if you’re looking at a ’57 ‘Bird and something looks a little odd, it might be one of these. This Model A doesn’t look all that different than a real one, and most people wouldn’t be able to pick it out of a lineup.

There are 130 pictures from the NSRA Appreciation Day Show in the slideshow below. You might notice more than one picture of the same car. That’s because my 11-year-old son took most of the pictures, but I tried to snag a few more before everyone left, so we were out there double-teaming it. You can also see a nicer version of the slideshow at this link.

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