When it comes to car shows in the middle of winter, one's options are rather limited. If you want to get your fill, one way is to start livin' on Tulsa time.
Every February one of the largest, and possibly biggest, indoor car shows rolls into Tulsa, Oklahoma. True to form, 2008 was no different-the Darryl Starbird 44th Annual National Rod and Custom Car Show rolled into the Quicktrip Center over the February 15-17 weekend.
When we decided to head out and take part in the festivities, we found another abnormally large aspect to the show: Tulsa is big on custom classic trucks! Don't believe us? See for yourself.
The Tulsa show is huge-in all aspects. For starters, the Quicktrip Center spans two levels of 448,400 total square feet of column-free space under a cable-suspended roof. Every square inch of the building's upper level is filled with over 1,000 trucks, customs, rods, musclecars, and various vehicle-related oddities. The building's lower level still has enough room to house monster truck races, freestyle motocross, and a three-man "Globe of Death." Adding to the spirit of the show is the "Go for the Gold" award (an award that gives away the largest cash prize in the industry: $20,000) and this year's Darryl Starbird's National Rod and Custom Car Hall Of Fame annual induction. Top that off with over 50,000 spectators for the weekend and it's pretty easy to see how Tulsa is big all over.
Not a conventional load, but...
Not a conventional load, but we wouldn't mind it either!
Remember when we said oddity?...
Remember when we said oddity? Check out this El Camino-turned-flatbed wood fence/hay/hauler.
In an attempt to break the...
In an attempt to break the world record for consecutive hours of wrenching on one's truck, this dude stayed down there the entire weekend. In fact, didn't even see him come up for food, water, or a trip to the bathroom.
On the outside, this mid-80's...
On the outside, this mid-80's pickup screams "blast from the past," but take a gander under the hood...
...and you'll find a late-model...
...and you'll find a late-model Chevy Vortec motor nestled in.
One thing we miss about the...
One thing we miss about the van craze are the crazy murals. Until those boxed behemoths come back in style, this quintessential dragon-and-wizard mural will have to do.