Look At Loo-a-vul

Jim Berry’s flamed ’48 Chevy fire truck did double-duty hauling friends around the fairgrounds. The Berrys hail from Floyds Knobs, Indiana.

This classic green and black ’46 Chevy canopy express is the pride and joy of Jim and Esther Shekell of Newburgh, Indiana. Note the NSRA safety inspection sticker.

This handsome ’36 Ford ramp truck, a slightly heavier hauler than a half-ton, is owned by Jim Pugh from Beaver, West Virginia. A big-block crate motor supplies the get-em-up.

The guys at the Roadster Shop didn’t fill out their window sticker, but we know who owns this nifty yellow ’32 Ford panel truck—Bill O’Rourke from Elgin, Illinois. The rare piece with a big-block and four-speed tranny purrs down the road comfortably at well over the double-nickle. Bill admits to adding over 5,000 miles to the odometer last summer.

Here’s another rare one, a ’37 International pickup owned by David Mayeur of Chalmette, Louisiana. Dave’s a member of the Bayou Street Rod Association. The orange paint appears very fresh and the holes for chrome trim appear to be still useable—but we like the monochromatic look.

Most people look at David Gilbert’s very straight, black ’40 Ford service car and automatically (and incorrectly) think it’s a hearse. The rare ’40 hails from North Olmstead, Ohio.

Looking a bit like a junkyard dog was Elvis Pretzel’s (an obvious alias) ’49 Ford F-1 from Denver, Colorado. The owner with a good sense of humor was having too much fun with his crusty truck, but the rumble of a healthy small-block Chevy indicated it could take care of business, if needed.

Mike Hurd’s sharp yellow and black ’46 Chevy hauler hails from Galveston, Indiana. It’s a smoothie with much of its trim removed.

Barry W. Bunderant from Jeffersonville, Indiana, owns a most unusual ’47 Ford pickup. Notice that it has a passenger-car body (that has been sectioned) and passenger-car fenders.

Jim Purkiser’s two-tone (bronze and red) ’48 Chevy from Hamersville, Ohio, is typical of the popular postwar Chevy and GMC trucks—this body style is one of the most prolific to come out of Detroit.

The NSRA will give away this ’40 Ford convertible at the 2001 Nationals in Louisville. It will be built by Ball’s Rod and Custom, and will be painted and upholstered before the lucky ticket is drawn.

Here’s a perfect pair of parkin’ partners—two ’40s Chevys, a purple and white ’41 pickup owned by Howard Owens of Lanesville, Indiana, and a red ’46 Chevy Suburban owned by Jerry Hasch of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Chestnut Mountain Feed Company delivers supplies in a very attractive black ’36 Ford commercial. Owned by Phillip Nelson of Concord, Virginia, the Nelsons are members of the Backwood Street Rod Association.

Honey, we gotta get one of these! Seems as though we weren’t the only folks interested in Chuck Gray’s ’34 Ford commercial from East Peoria, Illinois.

Entry No. 7891 belongs to Everett Noe of Louisville, Kentucky. He’s the proud owner of this tastefully detailed ’40 Ford with traditional flames, red steelies, trim rings ’n’ baldies, and wide whites. Everett’s a member of the Louisville Street Rod Club. CCT

Louisville, Kentucky, is currently the home of the world’s largest automotive participant event, the NSRA Nationals. The NSRA’s contract for this venue was inked for at least a decade several years ago, so it will be home for the Nationals until 2010. The first weekend in August 2000 saw the NSRA’s 31st Street Rod Nationals—the sixth visit to Louisville (some say Louie-ville, others say Loo-a-vul). Attendance didn’t set an all-time record (there’s a good deal more rod run competition today), but it was steady at 11,261 street rods. About 15 percent of those were pre-’48 commercial vehicles. That’s roughly 1,500 pickups, sedan deliveries, or larger trucks.

The Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center is by far the most comfortable and accommodating venue in the center of the United States, and it draws street rods from coast to coast. The air-conditioned buildings offer spectators a break from the typical 90-plus-degree temperatures—and it draws everyone who has products to sell as well. Speaking of products, you can now conveniently UPS your purchases of new parts or novelty items directly to your home. Rarely does the parking area fill completely, but cruising can be a challenge on Saturday with well over 100,000 spectators roaming the fairground. The cars and trucks are the main show, but the icing on the cake is the quality musical entertainment provided by the NSRA. Freedom Hall provides great visibility and acoustics for the best entertainment the hot rod hobby has to offer. Last year’s evening shows featured award-winning country music recording artists Janie Fricke and Lee Greenwood. These Graham Brown and Jolly Demis. A unique treat is the opportunity to meet the artists after the show.

If the promise of seeing 11,000 street rods isn’t enough for the hardcore, another unique experience is the opportunity to see over 200 new products created specifically for the street rod market. Every year the NSRA tallies the votes of industry judges to award the Best New Product of the Year in several price categories. Visibolts won for Under $50, Lokar’s Eliminator gas pedal for $50 To $500, and Fatman Fabrications split axle for the Over $500 category.

Our space is too limited to show much more than a glance at some of the trucks in attendance. There’s more than a week’s worth of things to do in the four days of the Nats—plus plenty of Nationals’ history and heritage that’s subject for lively conversation. Typically, older members debate how long today’s youth will be interested enough in pre-’48 cars and trucks to support these special-interest activities. This writer suspects there will continue to be a bright future for modified vintage vehicles, and a long run for the Grandaddy of all hot rod events, the NSRA Nationals!