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Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals - Trucks Of The NSRA's 21st Rocky Mountain NationalsHot Weather, Hot Trucks, Hot Happ'nins! From the February, 2009 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Bob McClurg Photography by Bob McClurg
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The overall climate and participation at the 2005 Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals held June 24-26 at the Pueblo, Colorado State Fairgrounds was in one word: HOT! It was the hottest "fry your brain, run for the shade" kind of weather we've ever worked. Please pass the bottled water and the salt tablets! We're talking temps in the high 90s-so blazing warm you could fry an egg and roast a chicken on the sidewalk! As for hot rods, classic trucks and street machines: The 21st Annual Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals featured over 2,300 of the hottest to ever congregate in one place. Hosted by Colorado Springs Rods & Customs Car Club, the event was three-plus days of hot rod fun under the sun, Rocky Mountain style. On Friday, June 25, a 100-car parade, sponsored by the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce was organized on a first-come, first-served basis. Accompanied by an official police escort, it led to the main entrance at the Colorado State Fair Grounds. Street rod registration followed, including an NSRA Safety Inspection, and let the fun begin. Various attractions included a swap meet, women's world arts and crafts fair, Super Prize drawings throughout all three days, and the all-day "Cruisin' With Wings" car show broadcast live by radio personality Wings Callahan. And if that weren't enough, Friday night's Live Rock and Roll Show/Vintage Rock and Soul extravaganza kept everyone a-hummin' and a-tappin'! Official sponsors of the event included Walker Radiator, Borgenson Universal, Denver Specialty Center, Hot Hues by Dupont, Vintage Air, Haywire Electrical Components, Watson's Street Works, Ford Racing, Ron Francis Wiring, and Grass Roots Rods & Customs. Those venders lucky enough to set up shop inside the air-conditioned Pueblo Convention Center arena saw plenty of foot traffic. It appeared to be the place to be throughout the entire weekend. Participating companies were American Racing Wheels, PPG, Denver Specialty Center, So Cal Speed Shop, Painless Performance, Colorado Custom, Affordable Street Rods, Haneline Products, and numerous others. Saturday proved equally hot, but by then most participants had found themselves a special niche where they could park their street rod in the shade, or a place where they could cool off. And there are plenty of things for the kids to do, like frolic in the fountain located in foyer of the Main Exhibit Building, for example. Highpoints on Saturday included the Vintage Air-sponsored "29 Below" competition, along with the Ford Racing-sponsored "Ford in a Ford" street rod exhibit. The Haywire Electrical Components-sponsored "Hammered Highboy" exhibit, the Watson Street Works "Be-Bop Boulevard" Buick, Olds, and Pontiac exhibit, and the Grass Roots Rods & Customs-sponsored "Mopar Lane" exhibit were also well-attended shows within a show. The show wrapped up Sunday, June 26, with the awards ceremony that afternoon, more Super Prize giveaways (a grand total of $101,000 worth throughout the three-day weekend,) and a special drawing for a new S-Series Chevrolet pickup truck! The lucky winner of the truck was Robert Shoaf from Pueblo. And speaking of trucks, classic representations of vintage haulers could be found everywhere you looked, and we rounded up some of the nicest for CCT readers. So without further editorializing, may we present the hot rod trucks of the 21st Annual Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals.  Perhaps one day in the future...  Perhaps one day in the future you'll see this sheetmetal frontend on a custom Ford F-100. But for now it's just another swap-meet item at the 21st Annual RMSRN event.  This was the "Ford in a Ford"...  This was the "Ford in a Ford" row (sponsored by Ford Racing)-it featured plenty of Genuine Ford-powered street rods and trucks.  This red/yellow-flamed Chevy...  This red/yellow-flamed Chevy with a '37 grille featured a healthy blown Chevrolet small-block with many aftermarket performance items. The open four-piece hood reveals a hint of what makes this Chevy pickup getup and go. Note the engine-turned firewall.  What appears to be almost-white...  What appears to be almost-white paint is actually a sea-foam green topcoat with chrome reversed rims and caps. There seems to be an abundance of '48-52 Ford F-1s being upgraded recently.  This red/yellow-flamed Chevy...  This red/yellow-flamed Chevy with a '37 grille featured a healthy blown Chevrolet small-block with many aftermarket performance items. The open four-piece hood reveals a hint of what makes this Chevy pickup getup and go. Note the engine-turned firewall.  Early Chevrolets, like this...  Early Chevrolets, like this sharp, dark blue small-block-powered '48, were in abundance at the 21st Annual Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals. This one had most of its original chrome, including front and rear bumpers.  Hey, it's a truck! Bob Hindman...  Hey, it's a truck! Bob Hindman of Hindman Metal Fabrications in Tulsa, OK, built this 409 (Camel Hump heads) tri-power Chevrolet low-tech rat rod. The truck's more interesting features include 18-inch rear wheels using late-model Chrysler truck rims, and a rather unique Ford 9-inch rear suspension.  Another all-Ford entry was...  Another all-Ford entry was Denver, CO resident Bob Maltese's peach-colored '49 Ford with a blown 351ci engine-which was another feature-worthy pickup.  This silver closed-cab '32...  This silver closed-cab '32 Ford pickup small-block is a feature-worthy pickup. Details included Halibrand wheels with knock-off center caps, small-block power, and plenty of attention to the construction details.  A blown V-8 engine with plenty...  A blown V-8 engine with plenty of polished parts shines brightly between brushed-stainless steel inner fender panels.  Hey, it's a truck! Bob Hindman...  Hey, it's a truck! Bob Hindman of Hindman Metal Fabrications in Tulsa, OK, built this 409 (Camel Hump heads) tri-power Chevrolet low-tech rat rod. The truck's more interesting features include 18-inch rear wheels using late-model Chrysler truck rims, and a rather unique Ford 9-inch rear suspension.  The silver Deuce had an equally...  The silver Deuce had an equally impressive stablemate: an electric blue '32 Ford closed-cab with red steelies, center caps, and wide whites.  Steelies, caps, and rings...  Steelies, caps, and rings are making a huge comeback. This two-tone '35 Ford is a bit timeless and could have been built anytime in the past five decades.  Garage-theme" trucks were...  Garage-theme" trucks were common at Pueblo, like Jimmy's Hot Rods primer-coated and whitewall- equipped '46 Ford. The signage is becoming an affordable way to make your truck a bit unique.  Another fine example of a...  Another fine example of a custom vintage Chevrolet 3100-series truck was this black and orange, small-block-engine '48. Details included frenched headlights and smooth running boards.  If blown-motor Studebakers...  If blown-motor Studebakers make you reach for your checkbook, check out this peach and purple-flamed '48, powered by a supercharged small-block Chevy engine. There's plenty of polished Edelbrock equipment under the hood.  Early Chevrolets are the most...  Early Chevrolets are the most abundant body style GM ever produced. This red-on-red '49 features frenched headlights, smooth running boards, and American Racing Torque Thrust IIs.  There were a ton of blown...  There were a ton of blown Willys coupes at Pueblo, but this pearl-yellow '41 was the single Willys pickup we found. This one has a blown Chevy and no-nonsense rear rubber! There's plenty of high-performance braided fuel lines attached to the engine.  We're pretty fond of clean...  We're pretty fond of clean '40 or '41 Ford pickups. Resting in the shade was this red one wearing all the original chrome emblems and trim. There appears to be a small-block Chevy under the hood.  One of the biggest hits at...  One of the biggest hits at Pueblo was Randy Jackson's Brighton, CO-based '39 Ford Standard NASTRUCK. This outstanding and very fast truck was built by a Golden, CO shop called Just Dream'N and featured a ton of trick details.  There were a ton of blown...  There were a ton of blown Willys coupes at Pueblo, but this pearl-yellow '41 was the single Willys pickup we found. This one has a blown Chevy and no-nonsense rear rubber! There's plenty of high-performance braided fuel lines attached to the engine.  This black '35 Ford RODNEE...  This black '35 Ford RODNEE from Oklahoma has many of the classic hot rod details-including plenty of louvers and dual exhaust.  If blown-motor Studebakers...  If blown-motor Studebakers make you reach for your checkbook, check out this peach and purple-flamed '48, powered by a supercharged small-block Chevy engine. There's plenty of polished Edelbrock equipment under the hood.  One of the biggest hits at...  One of the biggest hits at Pueblo was Randy Jackson's Brighton, CO-based '39 Ford Standard NASTRUCK. This outstanding and very fast truck was built by a Golden, CO shop called Just Dream'N and featured a ton of trick details.  And yet another vintage stove-bolt...  And yet another vintage stove-bolt hauler from Colorado came in mint-green with peach and purple pinstripe scallops.  One of our all-time favorites...  One of our all-time favorites was Steve Dalrymple's Arvada, CO-based silver '46 International smoothie. Powered by a healthy GM small-block, Steve made the time to allow CCT's roving camera to snap some photos. We hope to publish them in a future issue!  Sheridan, CO's Don Plomske...  Sheridan, CO's Don Plomske (D&D Auto Body) showed off his chopped and sectioned '48 Chevy known as the Colorado Copper Kart. Don has owned a series of fine street rods and pickup trucks over the years. This smooth Chevy is powered by the industry-standard small-block Chevrolet. Note the painted late-model door handles.  From Southaven, MI, Bill Hardy's...  From Southaven, MI, Bill Hardy's '35 Chevrolet Suburban was one interesting piece of vintage tin. At 70 years young, Bill not only drove his rare '35 Chevy to Pueblo, he built it to boot!  Another barn-fresh "shop truck"...  Another barn-fresh "shop truck" at Pueblo was this (primer-painted?) '34 Ford complete with mildly massaged flathead and apple-green wire wheels and faux-aged patina. On closer inspection, it appears the patina of rust is genuine, including the Flathead and its various parts. (Hope there are plans to make this one safe for the open highway.)  For most car/truck guys, a...  For most car/truck guys, a bright yellow '32 Ford sedan delivery is an awesome sight. This chopped yellow beauty with five-spoke wheels was a perfect example of a timeless hot rod!  The PKUPMAN was in attendance....  The PKUPMAN was in attendance. His two-tone purple '38 GMC was another of the many great trucks at Pueblo. Polished billet wheels contrast the deep merlot topcoat.  Another barn-fresh "shop truck"...  Another barn-fresh "shop truck" at Pueblo was this (primer-painted?) '34 Ford complete with mildly massaged flathead and apple-green wire wheels and faux-aged patina. On closer inspection, it appears the patina of rust is genuine, including the Flathead and its various parts. (Hope there are plans to make this one safe for the open highway.)  Here's yet another pre-'50s...  Here's yet another pre-'50s Ford F-1 heart-throb-complete with chopped top, two-tone pearl paint, Moon stickers and Mercury hubcaps.  This bright orange '34 Chevrolet...  This bright orange '34 Chevrolet pickup featured Billet Specialties wheels, the original four-piece hood, a "shortie" surfboard in the bed, and a very healthy GM small-block with painted Trick Flow valve covers. The grille shell was also kissing the pavement as we walked by. We wonder . . . Where does the owner surf in Colorado?
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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