The thought of meeting up in Reno for Hot August Nights sounded like a good idea, so I called up the car rental agency and reserved a bone-white Dodge four-door sedan that looked like it was fresh off a television cop show. It wasn't as much fun as driving one of my old trucks, but it wasn't bad. The best part was the Dodge had a back seat, so I never had to empty the trash for the entire trip. It was about 4 a.m. when I exited CA-14 and rolled onto US-395. Around lunchtime I pulled into Bishop, California, and bought 2 lbs of smoked salmon, along with a big loaf of chile cheese bread from Schat's Bakker for the road. Just north of Bishop, heading towards Reno, 395 starts climbing at a pretty steep grade for many miles. The dinky four-banger engine in my rented Dodge spent most of the mountain ascent red-lined in second gear screaming at the top of its tiny little lungs.
Having never been to Hot August Nights, when I arrived on the outskirts of Reno and started spotting more and more hot rods and old trucks heading towards downtown my excitement started to mount. It was kind of like the feeling one gets as they ride into Sturgis, and knows the fun is only just beginning. For lodging (as in mooched a spot on a hotel room floor) I called the crew at Sonoma County Street Rodz and was told to pull into the Peppermill, leave the Dodge in the valet parking, and meet them in the lobby. It couldn't have been five minutes later and we were all piled into Sonoma's shop truck and headed to the auto auction held in the Reno Convention Center. At the convention center we walked up and down every aisle and commented about the vehicles that were staged to run across the auction block, and then finished the night off by witnessing how much money they brought.
For a Hot August Nights newbie it didn't take me very long to determine all of the casinos in town had custom car shows taking place in their parking lots. Hot August Nights is an event that encompasses the entire city of Reno, and one can try to run all over town and experience as much as possible or just hang out in the downtown area and have a great time in one spot.
At the end of my three-day stay I handed the Peppermill valet my ticket, and he went up to the parking structure's roof and retrieved the Dodge from the 100-degree heat. When the kid returned with the car he was as pale as a ghost, and looked like he was going to barf. As soon as I got a good whiff, I knew immediately what had happened. I forgot to take the salmon out of the car and it smelled like there was a corpse rotting in the trunk. Laughing, I hopped into the Dodge, cranked-up the A/C, and with all the windows down headed home towards LA.
Proving the world of classic...
Proving the world of classic trucks is a mobile one; after seeing this '57 GMC panel truck at auction in Reno, a week later I met the new owner, a guy from Las Vegas, at a car show in SoCal.
This '62 Dodge Town Wagon,...
This '62 Dodge Town Wagon, unlike a lot of its brethren, never saw use as a U.S. Postal vehicle. All 1962 Dodge trucks were built in Warren, MI.
We spotted this radical '53...
We spotted this radical '53 Ford F-100 chop-top waiting in line to go on the auction block Friday night.
Here's the late Henry Travers'...
Here's the late Henry Travers' '56 Ford Big-Window complete with a chrome-plated original Ford speaker box. Henry was the guy who rigged the rearend to fly out of the police car in American Graffiti.
No you are not seeing things...
No you are not seeing things this, '56 Ford Big-Window really does have "real fire" ghost flames rising up through its candy paint.
Tangelo is the name of the...
Tangelo is the name of the House of Kolor paint the owner of this pre-war Willys chose.
Henry Ford would flip if he...
Henry Ford would flip if he saw the bight-colored custom paint on this old Ford pickup seen in Sparks, NV.
Don't be fooled by this GMC's...
Don't be fooled by this GMC's retro looks, under the hood is big-block 502 backed with a 4L80 automatic overdrive transmission.
Wonton soup and this 1-ton...
Wonton soup and this 1-ton Dodge with a utility bed and an Alaskan pop-up camper have nothing in common except they are both good. The asking price for this truck was $1,100; it ran like a top.
To buy a truck with all of...
To buy a truck with all of the factory options such as this '58 Chevy shortbed Big-Window Fleetside a guy would have to spend some dough.
Here's a 21st century take...
Here's a 21st century take on a traditional '50's-style custom. We think the air cleaner is from Technostalgia.
This '57 Chevy came down from...
This '57 Chevy came down from Denver, CO, to enjoy Sparks' involvement in Hot August Nights.
Trucks as pretty as this small-window...
Trucks as pretty as this small-window '56 Ford F-100 with Custom Cab never go out of style.
About the only thing that...
About the only thing that separates this '56 Chevy from being a base model is its Big-Window and optional chrome-plated hubcaps.
This '59 Chevy shortbed Fleetside...
This '59 Chevy shortbed Fleetside with a Big-Window and Custom Cab was just one of many show-quality trucks present at Hot August Nights.
The lack of a 3100 emblem...
The lack of a 3100 emblem below the Chevrolet blaze on this truck's hood identifies it as a '52. The 3100 emblem was eliminated to help conserve metal during the Korean War.
This C10 Chevrolet was parked...
This C10 Chevrolet was parked under cover at the entrance to the Peppermill.
Look for Matt's super clean...
Look for Matt's super clean '55 Cameo from Arlington, WA in an upcoming issue of CCT. Matt's dad handled the bodywork and even smoothed the steel seams inside the cab.
As witnessed by the presence...
As witnessed by the presence of this '37 Plymouth pickup there's still a lot of unusual old farm trucks living in those Nevada hills.
The wheelie bars on the back...
The wheelie bars on the back of this Pro Street Cameo Carrier aren't there just for looks. After this photo was taken "Kameo" pulled a wheelstand clear across the parking lot.
With the mid-'58 introduction...
With the mid-'58 introduction of the Fleetside bed, Cameo Carriers such as this '58 from Bakersfield were rare even in the year they were sold.