Albany Indoor Swap Meet
The phrase “Swap Meet,” gets the brain thinking. What do I need/want? What new project can I find? Anything else I need for my current project?
The Albany Indoor Swap Meet has been going on since 1978. At first it was held at the Linn County Fairground, just west of I-5, where Costco is located now. Nineteen years later, the swap meet relocated to the “new” Linn County Expo Center and has been going strong ever since. For those who haven’t been there before, it is one of the largest swap meets in the State of Oregon. Four large buildings plus many outdoor stalls. At the Albany Swap Meet you can find just about anything from turnkey cars, rusty sheet metal, engines, carbs, to wheels and tires. Anything you need to get started on a project or finish the one you have.
When I first started my hot rod project, I went to several swap meets to gather up parts and pieces for my car. This included the Albany Indoor Swap Meet. I usually found something that I needed and continue to find things I can use. Even on the rare occasion I don’t find anything, it is great just to look around shoot the bull with friends.
Martin Harding is one the original members of the Enduring A’s Chapter MAFCA. He and the group have been organizing and running the swap meet since day one. Along with the Enduring A’s, the Linn County Sheriff’s Posse, Linn County Sheriffs Reserve and the Linn County search and Rescue donate their time to make sure the swap meet goes smoothly. This is a fundraiser that is put on by the Enduring A’s and is the only one they do annually. The money is designated to help the Linn County Sheriff’s Reserve, the Posse and Search and Rescue, as well as scholarships to LBCC Auto Program and various other charities.
If you plan on attending the 2016 Albany Indoor Swap Meet, plan on coming early. The meet is usually the 3rd Saturday in November, with the gates opening at 8am and the parking is FREE. For any questions or information call 541-928-1218 or go to albanyswapmeet@comcast.net
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6th Annual Cruise to Downtown Oregon City
Toward the end of the 2015 car show/cruise-in season Trick ‘n Racy Car Club held their 6th Annual Cruise to Historic Downtown Oregon City.
The weather couldn’t have been better with warm sun and a light breeze, it was just a beautiful day. The turn-out was terrific as well, with nearly 400 cars for the second year in a row.
The Club teams up with the Downtown Oregon City Association to put this show together annually and it just seems to be getting bigger and better every year.
Just in case you didn’t know… the “Historic” part of the title relates to the fact that Oregon City was the first Capital of the Oregon Territory back in the 1800s, before Oregon became a State in 1859. Which also makes Oregon City an old town. The buildings and streets have changed over the years but are still layed out the same as they were 150 years ago. It’s a quaint little downtown area and it works out great for an open air car show.
Incedently, for two years in a row the show has filled up entirely and some potential entrants had to be turned away. The show in 2016 will be held Saturday, September 17th. The organizers have decided to expand the car display area. All the details haven’t been worked out but they are working on plans to have enough room for as many as 800 cars and more vendor booths. Mark this one on your must go to list.
Hot Rod Pile Up
Have you ever been invited to a “Pileup?” Neither had I, that is until last August. I didn’t know what a Pileup was really but it seemed safe enough. The card said it started at 2pm, bring a side dish or dessert & beverage, with BBQ served at 6pm. Ah ha! Sounds like a food type gathering, not unlike many family and friends type summer outdoor happenings.
I still didn’t really know what it was or was for and then I read the invitation from the top. I never read things from the beginning. I always read who it’s from, who it’s to, when, you know get the high lights and then I think I know something. I read assembly instructions the same way, if I read them at all. But that usually only happens after a couple failed attempts at assembly. I’ve heard it said that’s a “guy thing,” whatever that means.
At the top of the invitation it said 2015 Hotrod Pileup! OK, now it’s beginning to make more sense. It was from Jim Lindsay, the author of “Little Bastards.” Apparently he has an annual get together at the family farm in Shedd, Oregon. Also apparently he invites his many friends and acquaintances that are into, what else? Hot Rods, to drive their Hot Rod and come spend a summer afternoon checking out each other’s cars, talking, eating and just plain enjoying each other’s company. Pretty cool, Huh?
Naturally, I had to drive my daily driver, since none of my “Hot rods” are usable yet. Though the ’48 Ford did drive across the driveway from one shop to another just last week. No windows, lights, paint or completed interior but the clutch didn’t chatter, the engine sounded like any flathead with glass packs and it stopped on its own. Pretty cool, I thought. But, the turnout was impressive both in number and uniqueness of cars in attendance. There were some really nice looking restorations and or hot rods.
I had no idea that there were so many car guys out there in farm country but there sure is. Check out the pictures and you see what I mean. I want to tell Jim thank you for the invitation it was a fun “Pileup,” and despite the name, I’m not aware of any injuries.
Jim tells me he is working on his latest book. We’ll let you know when we know more.
Petersen Auction Group Salem Auction
In October the Northwest’s own Petersen Auction Group held their Salem Auction at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. This one was the third and final auction for 2015.
The auction offered nearly 80 vehicles, some antiques, some modern muscle, some hot rods, in general some interesting and fun cars and trucks. The first things to “cross the block” are usually automotive memorabilia. There is often restored service station gas pumps, air & water stations, signs and other collectibles. I like these nostalgia pieces, though I really don’t have any room for them. The restored items are always beautifully done and are items we would all be proud to own.
The real fun began around 10 a.m. with a 1972 GMC Pickup crossing the block. The third car was a very well preserved 1971 Mercedes 250, 4dr. sedan. It appeared to be all stock and well cared for. I couldn’t believe it was a 44 year old car. A friend of mine bought it. Since he had two cars there I helped him get his daily driver home after the auction, he drove the Mercedes. His report was that he loved the car, everything worked, it ran great and he was fortunate to have gotten it.
February 2016 begins a new year of Petersen Auctions. Again at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, all inside, warm and dry on Saturday February 6th. See their ad in this issue for contact info for consignments or visit their website, www.petersencollectorcars.com. You just might find your next fun vehicle at the auction.
The Original Canby Oregon Harvest Swap Meet
One of my friends laughs at me and I don’t know why. Well, maybe I have an idea but he seems to usually be there with me so … You see he makes fun of me and rust. His comments include, “You must have rust in your veins, or grease … We often go to swap meets together and I’m usually found gazing in wide eyed wonder at some rust colored treasure that he hasn’t a clue about. He’ll ask “what’s that,” or he might just shake his head, turn away and chuckle as I stop to study some unidentifiable old part. He just doesn’t get it.
We do have different tastes in collectible cars and trucks but there is crossover. He sees humor in my knowledge of this part or that part for some old American car, while he on the other hand knows way to much about old Porsches, BMW’s, Auto Union (Is that a car brand?) or Mercedes.
Swap meets are a great place for us car guys to go find parts and pieces or even whole cars for future and current projects. The Canby Harvest Swap meet never disappoints. Usually in early October with a lot undercover at the Clackamas County Fair and Event Center, you might find just what you’re looking for.
This years’ swap meet was a pretty good one. I took some unneeded but usable stuff and I sold everything I took except for one piece. I also found somethings that I just couldn’t live without, though I’m happy to say I brought home far less than I took. My friend sort of took a car and brought home a different one. I must say, things were changing hands at a brisk pace. Put this one on your to do list for next fall. Oh, and next month, in January, don’t forget the NWDRA Performance Swap meet. (See coming events this issue) One of my favorites too.
Sema Show & Tell: My Five Favorites
The first car I ever owned was a ’61 Beetle.
I’ve owned three more in my lifetime as well as couple VW powered race cars. I’d never owned a VW bus but I always liked the way they looked…then I had to drive one for work. If I was going to describe any vehicle I’ve driven as a “death trap”, it would be that bus. For one thing, you sat with your face dangerously close to the windshield. For another, it was grossly underpowered for the amount of weight it was trying to push. There wasn’t a gear in the gearbox low enough for driving uphill. And it was noisy.
This bus however, is really fun. The builder took the design elements I always liked and exaggerated them. It’s like a cartoon drawing brought to life. If I had to drive it for work, I might not like it either. As a creative piece of automotive art though, it rocks. This (nearly) scratch-built bus was manufactured in Utah by Ron Berry Creations.
Looking like an extra from the Speed Racer movie, this DeTomaso P70 Barchetta was actually built to compete in the Can-Am series. In 1965 Carroll Shelby ordered a half dozen of the Ford powered sports racers from Italian coachbuilder Alejandro DeTomaso. Unfortunately by the time the prototype was complete, changes to the engine rules had made it obsolete. Shelby canceled his order and DeTomaso was livid. He responded by creating the Mangusta (Mongoose) to sick on Shelby’s Cobras, a prophecy that went unfulfilled. DeTomaso’s Pantera introduced in’71 did however enjoy moderate success with over 7,000 units sold in its twenty year production run.
The Barchetta represent classic European mid-sixties styling and it is a wonder that it survived it’s tumultuous past. It was raced only once then used as a show vehicle briefly before being rolled into the corner of a warehouse in Modena where it languished for decades.
I’m a sucker for any race car I was lucky enough to watch compete when I was a kid. Ronnie Kaplan’s 1969 AMC Javelin fit the bill at SEMA this year. The factory supported Javelin team had raised many an eyebrow in the Trans-Am’s maiden season. They hadn’t won any races but had placed second six times, briefly led Ford in the point standings and finished every lap of every race they participated in. For ’69 Kaplan ramped up his engine program and the AMC’s took on a musclebound appearance. Over the winter the Javelins had grown massive fender flares and a huge hump in the hood. Unfortunately with their tweaking, the team had sacrificed reliability and now they couldn’t finish races. (I think we witnessed this car’s best performance which was a seventh at Laguna Seca.) Still, I was a huge fan. The red, white and blue livery made it look like a frozen confection and it seemed particularly threatening as it barreled around the course. The fact that Indy car regular Jerry Grant was behind the wheel, wasn’t lost on me either. I certainly knew that name from the Memorial Day broadcasts.
What I didn’t know was that Roger Penske was probably already in negotiations with the folks at AMC. For 1970 the cars were painted red, white and Sunoco Blue and the incomparable Mark Donohue was lead driver. Under Penske’s management the Javelins became winners but they lost me as a fan. Seeing Kaplan’s/Grant car was like a three dimensional snap shot for me. I got misty.
I have to credit my new car buddy Jim Estes for my next selection which was the 1963 Corvette split window. Estes had just finished reading a feature about it in the current issue of Hot Rod and apparently commit most of the article to memory. The race car was significant for several reasons; numero uno was it had featured the first appearance of Chevrolet’s 427 big block. Next was the list of automotive icons that had been involved in the project: Zora Arkus-Duntov (the father of the Corvette) had given it his blessing. Mickey Thompson had prepped it for racing and Smokey Yunick had built the engine.
You’d think a car with those credentials would be unbeatable from the get go but that turned out not to be the case. Stock car ace Junior Johnson was the assigned driver for the Corvette’s Daytona debut and stuck it on the pole. He wasn’t comfortable in the car however, stating that it was probably capable of qualifying twenty miles per hour faster with the proper set up. Johnson climbed out after morning practice and was replaced by road racer Bill Krause in the 250 mile contest. Krause braved rainy conditions to bring the evil handling machine home third. After Daytona Chevrolet withdrew their support, Yunick took back his engine and Thompson sold the car into private hands. The new owner installed a 327 small block and raced it out on the west coast. Eventually it was parked, went into storage for a few years, even lived outside for a while. Finally, it received some much needed TLC in preparation for the Monterey Historics. Once there, it was swarmed by Corvette enthusiasts which led to the rediscovery of the race car’s colorful origins.
Now it has been restored to its former glory with the inclusion of the Yunick big block. It isn’t flashy… it’s all business. It’s a thoroughbred. And when you think about the people that came together to build it… Man!
Making my fifth and final choice was difficult but as I scrolled through my photos, something became glaringly apparent. I take a picture of every late 40’s/early 50’s C.O.E. I see… and I don’t mean just at SEMA. I’ve taken a photo of every C.O.E. I’ve seen everywhere, for years. I have a collection of about twenty of them. I like them all dolled up and I like them rusted out. I like the Fords as well as the GMC’s and Chevies. I just like ‘em all- I think someday I’d like to own one.
Of the four trucks I took pictures of at SEMA, this was my favorite. It was constructed by Dan Hogan of Hogie Shine—a paint and body shop in Phoenix, Arizona. And of course it didn’t hurt to have a bad ass, Bonneville inspired, 1930 Model A riding piggy back. The cab of the truck is ’53 Ford C750 but it’s mounted on a Dodge chassis. Beneath that bulging bonnet was the biggest surprise of all- a Cummins twelve valve! The same engine that powers my dually. Never a shortage of grunt with that Cummins.
If that ol’ VW bus is at one end of the power spectrum, my ’98 Dodge 3500 is at the other.
Once a Racer. . .
Former Formula 1 racer Bob Bondurant is still quick.
I glimpsed his profile in passing and had to chase him back to his booth at SEMA. He was there to promote his school of high performance driving and though I respect his business savvy, I’m more interested in his previous career— that of a professional race car driver.
Is it common knowledge that Bondurant drove a Ferrari to ninth in the U.S. Grand Prix of 1965? (He was fourth the following year at Monaco in a BRM.) Do people know that he was hand-picked by Carroll Shelby to drive the original Ford Cobra? And that partnered with Dan Gurney, he finished first in class at Le Mans in ’64? These achievements were accomplished just prior to my introduction to road racing. Fortunately, I did witness Bondurant contest the 1970 Can Am series and that was what I chose to talk with him about.
Can Am historians will tell you that Team McLaren dominated the series from its inception through 1971, but they did face formidable competition. Bondurant choose the series to promote his fledgling driving school business and to showcase his driving ability. Under the banner of Smith-Oeser Racing, a two year old Lola T160 was prepared for the challenge. It was lightened and heavily modified with swoopy coachwork. Giving up little in the horsepower department, they installed a fuel injected 427ci Chevy for propulsion.
Bondurant took the controls one race into the season at St. Jovite (Canada). He struggled with engine problems in qualifying and fell out of the race with less than half the distance covered. Two weeks later when the tour made its first appearance stateside (Watkins Glen), Bondurant soldiered home fourteenth. This is a better performance than it seems as the field swelled with an influx of closed cockpit, enduro cars that compete in their own race the day before. Then it was back to Edmonton, Canada where the team put forth a solid qualifying effort. Bondurant started the contest from the eighth slot and ran well…until his engine expired with twenty laps to go. Mid-Ohio was nothing to write home about; twentieth in qualifying and an early retirement, this time due to electrical woes.
Finally in the sixth race of the season, Elkart Lake (Wisconsin) the team put it all together. Bondurant tied Team McLaren driver Peter Gethin with fifth fastest time and ran up front all afternoon. When the checkered flag fell, Bondurant was second, only one lap down to Gethin. On this Sunday he’d held nothing back and defeated among others, Peter Revson in the Lola factory entry. For the remainder of the 1970 campaign, Bondurant continued to qualify well (seventh fast at Road Atlanta, sixth at Laguna Seca and twelfth at Riverside) but his fragile Lola could not go the distance. It was easy to surmise that Bondurant was capable of running with the best and even capable of winning. If only he had the car…
For 1971 Bondurant teamed with privateer Lothar Motschenbacher and his chances for a positive result improved dramatically. Motschenbacher was a wealthy car dealer/professional racer who purchased Team McLaren’s cars at the conclusion of each season. Other than a fully tested factory effort, there were simply no better cars available. The new team underlined this point by qualifying fifth and sixth at the season opener in Mosport (Canada), and finishing the race in third and fourth place respectively. At the second outing at St. Jovite Bondurant was a tick slower than Motschenbacher, starting ninth but failed to finish the seventy five lap contest. At the third round they returned to winning form, again claiming side by side starting berths in the third row and again Motchenbacher finished on the podium. This time however, Bondurant lost oil pressure and retired at twenty laps. Spirits were sagging by the fourth round where the team could manage no better than seventh and thirteenth starting spots. It got worse in the race as Motschenbacher crashed out on lap seven. Bondurant actually finished the race in sixteenth position, a full nine laps off the winning pace. Before the fifth race of the season, the racing partnership had dissolved and only one Motschenbacher entry appeared on the grid at Mid-Ohio. It was very likely the McLaren Bondurant had driven in his last outing.
Bondurant did not return to the Can Am but continued to race professionally for another decade. When reminded of the Can Am days, a smile spreads across his face and a gleam appears in his eye. “Those cars were fun,” he asserts.
Once a racer, always a racer.
24th Annual Hot Rod Reunion
The 24th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion Presented by Automobile Club of Southern California at Auto Club Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield California is in the history books for another year. Getting your nostalgia fix for old time drag racing is sure to be satisfied at this event.
In addition to the drag racing there is a car show/cruise-in in the “Grove” right behind the grandstands that covers about a ¼ mile with historic drag machines and new hot rods alike. Beyond that adjacent to the track there is a swap meet where you can find amazing hot rod stuff. I’ve never seen so many “Blowers” for sale, in my life, some very vintage and some not so old. There’s a vendor row between the pits and the Grove, where you can find tons of stuff. I bought a hot rod t-shirt for my newest grandson. Naturally, it was too big, but he’ll grow into it.
This event is quite a spectator event. The stands at Famoso run almost from the starting line to the finish line and they were nearly full most of the time. There were a few mishaps. A couple wrecks, some broken parts and a lot of old time front engine dragsters. Saturday night at dusk, these old race cars put on quite a show. Most of them are push start cars and the owners did just that, pushed them one at a time down the return road in front of the packed stands and lit up about 75 of ‘em. They then drove them around the Jersey barrier behind the water box and out onto the track. They idled them down the track and starting near the finish line, they parked them diagonally one by one where they sat and “Cackled” until they ran out of fuel. The line ran almost all the way back up the track to the “tree.”
By this time it was completely dark and the flames were popping out of the zoomies as they cackled until their fuel was gone. If you’ve never seen or heard a “Cackle Fest,” It’s pretty cool.
While wandering through the swap meet we stumbled onto a vendor booth operated by none other than Mr. Gene Winfield. He very graciously offered to pose for a picture and he even held up his copy of Roddin’ & Racin’ Northwest. Man, I’d love to know all the hot rod history he has experienced. A little farther down the aisle a golf cart pulled up to my buddy Jim who was wearing a vintage Ed Iskederian t-shirt and the passenger was none other than the man himself, Mr. Ed Iskenderian. He asked Jim if his shirt was an original (old) shirt, which it wasn’t, but a new reproduction of an old one. He also asked if we used any of his cams, which we do and have and he offered his hand to this nobody and introduced himself. I was impressed with his gracious friendliness. He has been working at this hot rod stuff for a while too.
Back at the beginning of this article I mentioned there was drag racing going on, tons of it. Nitro burning rails, Funny cars, Altereds, lots of the old stuff you might remember seeing back in the sixties, gassers etc. and newer stuff as well. In the front of the pit area nearest the staging lanes there we vintage race cars, push cars/trucks, old gassers galore. It was a pretty cool weekend and it was the 24th annual, which suggests the likelihood of a 25th annual. It’s worth the trip if you like hot rods and race cars, but take your sunblock and hat because it was pretty sunny and you will definitely get burnt if you’re not protected. Look for next years’ event again in mid to late October.
HEADS UP PEOPLE!
Recently I was talking with Cliff at Cliff’s Classic Chevys and he mentioned a recent rash of thefts and burglaries that have been happening all over rural Clackamas County here in Oregon. It’s not known if they are related but it seems that many home shops have been broken into under cover of darkness and a myriad of specialty car parts have been stolen. Additionally some cars have been stolen as well as tools, equipment and trailers. I decided I needed to write a little story about this to send out a warning, so I called a half dozen victims of these crimes to learn more.
Apparently these thieves have “cased” their targets seeking the parts, tools and cars etc. One victim told me that they must be very proficient at it and therefore very practiced because he didn’t hear a thing. They may be slipping a thin piece of metal between the door and the jamb to trip the knob lock in some cases. To load out all of what has been taken must take a considerable amount of time too.
It’s unfortunate that others think it’s ok to take things that don’t belong to them.
The 57 Chevrolet seen elsewhere in R&R NW for some time now, has not been recovered or seen since the day it disappeared. The Camaro pictured here was stolen in August. I’m not certain whether this one has been recovered or not, but it wouldn’t hurt to call the police if you see it. Better to be safe than sorry.
Speaking of being safe, some of the thefts took place where no alarms were present… or sorry, years ago I put in an alarm right AFTER a break in. It’s safe to say that getting a monitored alarm BEFORE a break in is much better idea. Security cameras are a good idea too. In some of these thefts these thieves had to have a truck and it had to be close because carrying the stolen items very far would have been extremely difficult. Security cameras with recording devices could have captured a vehicle allow for a description or an identifying number.
I’m trying to encourage you to keep your eyes open for potentially stolen property and for your own security. Look over what you have done to secure your stuff. If locks need to be update, do it. If alarms systems, video security cameras need updating, do yourself a favor and update everything before you’re stuff gets stolen. Also, review your insurance coverage. One victim told me that he thought he was covered only find out his insurance didn’t cover “car parts” “that weren’t attached to a car?” Are you kidding? I’ll do my best to be kind but, some insurance coverage “fine print,” just ain’t right. Check with your agent to make certain your coverage is what you think it should be and correct it if it isn’t. He lost years’ worth of parts he had collected for his projects, that probably totaled $20,000 worth, all uninsured because of one clause in his policy he didn’t realize was there. If your insurance doesn’t give you the coverage you want, go shopping! He did and found Haggerty was just what he wanted. They may be one of only a few companies to offer the right coverage for our hobby.
I heard an unconfirmed rumor that the police had arrested some people and recovered a cache of potentially stolen property in Clackamas County. If you have been a victim of a theft described above, call your county sheriff if you live in a rural area, or your city police department to check the recovered stolen property that they might not be able to identify as yours, but you could if you saw it. You could get some of your stuff back.
As violated as a break-in makes you feel, you can help prevent it by being vigilant about your security. I don’t think thieves ever take a day off.
GoodGuys Rod & Custom Show
The GoodGuys Rod & Custom Association show schedule kicked off in mid-March 2015 at WestWorld in Scottsdale Arizona, the first of 22 shows held all over the country, culminating with a final show for the year, back at WestWorld the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 20-22 2015. Many of these events have titles that include in their description things like the “14th Annual” and the “28th Annual,” with some as old as 33rd and new as the 1st.
Many of these shows attract literally thousands of Rods, Customs and others, not to mention many thousands more spectators who come out just to see the spectacularly built machines that are in attendance.
This year I made it, to cover at least, the 28th Annual WESCO Autobody Supply, Pacific Northwest Nationals at the fairgrounds in Puyallup Washington and the 14th Annual Great Northwest Nationals held at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center in, where else, Spokane.
In both shows I have to give a hat tip to our brethren from north of the border, Canada. Those guys build some absolutely fantastic cars and trucks. In mentioning that fact in conversations with some of them and other friends, I heard several reasons for the high quality builds, one in particular that came up many times was, “Long Lonely Winters.” That might be true but truly, they build very high quality, innovative cars and trucks, for sure. Check out some of the pictures detailing a few.
Chadly Johnson was fortunate to be able to make it to some of the GoodGuy events in California this year. Like I said, there were 22 events from corner to corner all across the US. He shared his pictures with R&R NW and some of those are represented here too. No matter where you live in this great country of ours, if you’re a car guy or gal you can travel a little or a lot visiting new destinations and taking in a premier event like the ones the GoodGuys’ put together
Look for the GoodGuys 2016 Schedule in a future issue of Roddin’ & Racin’ NorthWest. These cars are fun to build and to drive. Enjoy!
1971 Mustang “scratch built body, in bare metal.” – Lyle Vass – Strathmore, Alberta.
