Kustom Kars in Denison

      When you have a car show the last thing you want to show up is RAIN... but that is exactly what happened Saturday in Denison as hot rods and cool customs were on display at Forest Park. I got there around nine-thirty in the morning and it was just beginning to cloud up... Great weather for photos!

      I parked my pick-up and this truck was right across the street from where I parked. It is a 1933 Ford pick-up. I loved the fact it still had a flat-head V-8 engine in it. These were the engines that brought the sport of hot rodding to the forefront. This one had Offenhauser heads on it with two 2-barrel carburetors. If you have ever heard a flat-head engine running through glass-pak mufflers, you would throw rocks at overhead valve engines. Unfortunately, a flat-head does NOT put out the horsepower of the overhead valve engines and fell by the wayside.

       One of the more unusual cars on display was this 1941 Hollywood Graham. I spoke with the owner and told him I thought it was a Cord when I first saw it, and he gave me this story. Cord made automobiles from the 1920's through the mid 1940's and went broke. They sold out to the Graham Company, who continued to make cars for two more years before they too went busted. Earlier model Cords had a knob under the dash, allowing you to turn the headlights so you could see around corners before you actually made the turn.

      This is a 1948 Ford Anglia.. It was a joint venture between the Ford Motor Company and an English company to make a small economy automobile. American Hot Rodders took to the Anglia like bees to honey. Out came the little four cylinder engine and in went the souped up V-8... Presto!! The perfect NHRA Altered Coupe. Check the top of the dash where it says 'quarter-pounder'.. and he ain't talking about any hamburger.

     This is a 1955 Chevrolet El Camino... The kicker is that Chevy didn't make an El Camino until 1959. This car originally was a station wagon that has been converted. Growing up in Dallas, my family used to live next door to Jack Simon, and his shop turned out Mercury pick-ups much the same way. Back in those days Mercury didn't make a pick-up, so Simon's finished products were in high demand.

     1941 Ford Coupe..  The 1940 has always been one of my favorite cars and is considered a classic among car buffs,..but the 1941 has it followers also. This is a very good version of this car. It is now powered by a Chevrolet engine... and check out the air conditioning. The transmission shifter remains on the floor, just like when it came from the factory.

      1932 Ford High-Boy Roadster.... This was really one of the cleanest and most admired cars on display today.. and like most good Fords, this one is powered by a Chevy engine. Super looking car and I am a sucker for those giant 12-inch headlights. The interior and exterior was simply outstanding. The '32 is the iconic year for hot rodders and this is a great example of what the sport is all about. Nice paint job too.

      1932 Ford 3-window Coupe... First thing to catch my eye was the Buick V-8 engine. Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile all have angled heads on them, but a Buick's heads & valve covers are straight up and easily identified. The drawback is the lack of after-market parts for the Buick engine. True to form solid front axle and headlights mounted on the frame since the fenders are not being displayed on this model. Great looking gangster whitewalls.

     1960 Chevrolet Corvette... Great looking car in almost mint condition. Red outside and inside was a great selling package that year.  I had a 1961 Corvette and mine was black inside and out. The 1961 and 1962 Corvettes look similar on the outside but there are major differences in the engines and transmissions. 1961 was the last year for the 283 cubic inch engine in the Corvette.

      1948 Mercury Coupe... Radically changed from its original condition. Completely lowered all the way around..and those headlights are from a Buick, but I am uncertain about the front grille. The interior was done complimentary to the outside color and the chopped top was really evident from the inside. Floor shifter for the automatic transmission... How about that Norwegian flag?....
    Sorry I didn't have more room for ALL of the cars, but I have picked a few that were different and stood out from the rest. Most of the entries were really well done, but time and space prevent me from showing more.
    I had been there about two hours when the light drizzle turned into a downpour and I headed back home. Sunday is suppose to be a better day and the cars will again be on display.. Come out and see them. Vintage cars reveal a time never to be repeated in American history... and they put a lot of shame on the cracker-box cars of today, which all look alike, despite which side of the ocean they came from.