Bill's 47 Ford at the Jalopyrama 2011

This week I got to hit the Jalopyrama at the Annapolis Armory. This was another show that I had never been able to attend in the past. And as I stated about the last couple of shows I blogged about, its another show I won't miss again. There was a ton of cars and a couple of bikes ( look for more on these bikes later...its gonna be worth the wait too ) . It was complete sensory overload but I got to spend hours at the show taking it all in. One of the cars that got my curiosity up was this 47 Ford you see here. It is owned by Bill from Cumberland, who was gracious and patient in answering my questions and passionate about his Ford.

What drew me over to the Bill's car was the row of 6 gas cans in the back. I love the look of the old gas cans just strapped on the back looking as though the owner is ready for a run across the dessert with no chance of finding gas.

 I had figured that they were acting as his gas tank, but I just couldn't figure out how so. Of course I am never afraid of going to the learning tree, so I asked Bill about his street rod and it's unusual gas tank set-up.

 

Bill explained that the first 2 cans are for the batteries and the other 4 are covering a 15 gallon gas tank. With a close eye and lengthy inspection of the set-up I still could not see that hidden tank or batteries. This is a testament to the detail taken in putting this set-up together. Both Bill and his Ford were a real throwback to American Rodding, and I even caught him checking his gas level with his fancy " stick a wooden stick in" fuel checking system.

Bill put a lot of work and good old fashion know-how into putting the 47 together and as a proud Ford owner he was happy to tell me that other than the alternator and the steering column, this car is all Ford. It's just not one Ford but a couple of them all in one. The motor is a 1985 300 6 cyclinder, it has an F150  5- speed transmission, and the frame is from a 92 Explorer.It was a real pleasure seeing this car and talking with Bill about it, both are true examples of keeping the Kulture alive.

There will be a ton of pics from the Jalopyrama in the Kulture Gallery of the all new KultureBlog.com in the next week or two, so be sure to look for up coming announcements. Of course there is plenty to blog about from this show, so keep an eye out for new blogs and pictorials.

1923 Ford C-Cab Delivery Wagon

 This '23 Ford  C-Cab delivery wagon was one of the local cars being shown at the Laurel Lion's Car Show. I liked this car alot as it reminded me of some of the funky hippy wagons I liked as a kid. It just has that 60's anything goes kustom look to me. It is a port-hole bubble window, "Shagin Waggin" lettering and  psychedelic paint job away from shere perfection. It was a fun car to look at, and I had the pleasure of seeing it again at the Frederick Car Show the next day. This is another car I hope to find out more about in the future and hopefully write up a complete feature article.

Craftsmanship

One of my favorite things about writing for the Blog-E-zine is talking to the many different talented craftsman that the local kulture scene has to offer. Last weekend at the Mobtown Greaseball I met another highly talented guy by the name of Mark Main. He put together a pretty sick rod that has an aggressive stance that looks like it could drive a tunnel through a mountain. But this blog isn't about that rod, its about a detail on it...the straps.

You see up until he told me, I thought that the leather straps that were used on the hood and to secure the gas tank were just that...leather straps, but no...they're metal. Go ahead zoom in on the pics, click em to expand their size and take a close look yourself. No matter how close I got I could not tell until I touched them and sure as hell they're metal...WOW, that is bad ass detail. Mark hand made and painted the straps himself, and is the proud owner of Wayback Machine Company T/A Metal Art Design. His attention to detail is amazing and he truly is an artist and a craftsman. Seeing stuff like this just makes me hope that some where there are some kids who will pick up the craft of metal work and keep this type of handmade creativity alive. So check out the pics and yes...I'll say it again...they're metal. My mind has been officially blown.

And if you want to know more about the Rod he built along with more details and pictures, be sure to sign up for our FREE Subscription, as I hope to catch up with Mark again for a full feature article sometime in the future. In the meanwhile be sure to look for some more upcoming blogs from the treasure trove of local car shows over that past few weeks.

Classic American Hot Rod

I never got the official count from this Sunday's car show that the Heart of Maryland Classic Chevy Club hosted at the Frederick MVA, but the last I had heard there were about 400 cars that made it out. There was something for eveyone at this show, and seeing how this is the 19th annual, I don't see it doing anything but getting bigger for next years 20th annual. Over the next week or so I will be sharing some of the cars and bikes from the show here on the GBM blog. Today's car is a 1955 Chevy Bel Air that to me captured the classic American Hot Rod look and feel, From the Cragar SS wheels to the Hot Rod Flames and side mount exhaust. This Bel Air just did it for me. Enjoy.