Wilson County Fairgrounds packs 'em in for the 2016 Spring Redneck Rumble

The Redneck Rumble has attracted rat rods, hot rods, and classics to the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tenn., for years. The fall edition proved to be so popular that they added a spring version in 2015. The second-annual spring gathering was Friday and Saturday, and despite it being Mother’s Day weekend, it was still a strong showing. As the title indicates, some of the entries were decidedly “redneck,” (since when did saw blades become an accepted substitute for fender replacements?!), but there were still some special rides throughout the show grounds. I caravanned out with members of the Tennessee chapter of the C-10 Truck Club, so the old HMC beater was right at home at this event.

Speaking of old trucks, this 1960 Chevy Apache really spoke to me. I mean, this thing checked every single box. It was a Custom Cab short bed with a big back window. It had all the right chrome trim, including the hard-to-find side moldings and the rear cab molding between the roof sails. It even had a 283-c.i. V8 under the eyebrowed hood. Flaxen Yellow and white may be the perfect color combination. I love original, and this truck was definitely that. But for me, because this was such a rare, well-equipped truck, I think this would be a good candidate for a factory-correct restoration. God, this thing would be pretty.

Now, although I would not like to see that particular truck customized, here’s a ’52 Chevy DeLuxe two-door hardtop that was beautifully enhanced by some mild custom touches. This was done absolutely right, with a Fenton dual-carb intake, split headers, and a lovely Thickson finned aluminum valve cover. Don’t be fooled by that “Powerglide” emblem on the trunk lid. This baby has a four-speed shifter growing out of the transmission hump. The factory colors of Regal Maroon and Onyx Black give this car that subtle, period-perfect look.

I know very little about 1933 Dodge trucks, but after seeing this Commercial Express pickup cruise through, they seemed like something worth learning about. Look at the lines on this thing. They sure don’t strive for this kind of grace and beauty on the current Ram truck. These were obviously car-based, which added to the sleek, chopped-top proportions. You could buy one of these in 1933 for only $450, which seems like a hell of a bargain. This one was as nice in person as it looks in the pictures. It also had a wooden storage box in the bed that had “HOOVER MOTORS” burned into it, so I thought that was particularly interesting.

Don’t let the lack of paint throw you—this ’49 Ford is more high-end lead sled custom than rat rod. The seams and welds are still visible from where the top was chopped, and the Frenched headlights are still a work-in-progress. But all the work on this car is exceptionally nice. The interior appears to be pretty much complete. You can’t beat red seat bolsters with white, pleated inserts and piping on a ‘50s custom. ’50 Cadillac wheel covers are also a perfect choice. You can tell that whoever is building this is not only very talented, but also understands what goes into an authentic ‘50s “Kustom”.

This is obviously not customized, but when you see a ’40 Ford Deluxe Coupe as nice as this one, it deserves some attention. These are some of the best looking cars ever made, which is why they have remained popular all these years. These really were well-made cars. The minimal seats in the seats were high-quality and distinctive. The Bakelite trim on the dashboard was beautifully simple. The hubcaps, the headlights, the taillights, the grille—all of it was spot-on. Finished in Garnet Maroon, this one oozes quality. You can tell this car was driven in based on the bugs it killed, but who wouldn’t want to drive a nice V8 Ford like this?

I hope you’ve got a little time, because I dodged all the bicycles and motor scooters to take 531 pictures at the 2016 Spring Redneck Rumble. You can see them in the slideshow below, or click this link for a nicer version.