Monday, November 24, 2014

AUTOS: Florence Rods 'N Rhodies Car Show - 'Vette's 'N More




1965 Corvette Stingray. (Image source: bing.com)
Never fear Ladies 'N Germs; Hya! The Show's almost over, as we're finally on the home stretch of this Mondo' Car Show review, as I  race back to Nofendersville to put another log on the fire 'N dream alongside my uncle; Oh Never Mind!

More 'N More  Rods'
Prior to initially viewing the AWESOME AMX, we'd run across a 1967 Corvette for which I'd not paid close Attenzione to, and  originally scribbled down in my notes that its interior was Elkhart Blue? To which after scouring  Al Gore's wondrous invention, thee A-L-L knowing Internetz; Hya! Have discovered instead, that Elkhart Blue was one of three body colours offered that year, while the car sported a blue interior and reputedly was the very last 'Vette produced in February, 1967.

Passing by the center of the show's boundaries, where a DJ was casually calling out raffle ticket winners, of which I recall one being for A-L-L of UZE GARDENERS! A pair of solar powered lighted Mickey & Minney Mouse Statuettes; EUREKA!

Then back to the music, as that timeless classic, the Beach Boys 'lil 409 began wailing! With other Hits such as Rhonda and I Get Around wafting thru the crowd as we made our way further down the street.

Approaching a red '65 'Vette, I asked Mary Ellen: Is that a Corvette, which are the ENEMY! Oh, why is that? Cause Corvette's raced against the Cobra and Mustang, and Chevy's are the ENEMY!

To which unexpectedly she told its very nice  owner, Tomaso doesn't like Corvette's because they're the ENEMY and he's an ex-Ford Mustang guy; SWELL! Thanks A lot Mary Ellen! To which his answer totally perplexed me. Telling us 'Vette's are great  to look at but I'm told Mustang's handle better; would you agree?

Yet, I later mused to Mary Ellen that the '65 Stingray has always been one of my favourite Corvettes, ever since watching weekly a long forgotten TV Show on NBC, featuring an AWESOME black '65 Stingray, with the show appropriately being titled Stingray, starring Nick Mancuso. (1985-87)

The very friendly man, who'd later tell us he was 67 and retired,  was 80% Deaf, as I immediately picked up when his cell phone rang. As it was the wife calling and he ran the conversation thru a Bluetooth connection in his ear, whilst I could HEAR the entire conversation.

That's the wife coming down from the Hotel; it's her car. After she got diagnosed with cancer we bought the car. Hey, you only live once  in life, right? So she picked everything out on the car, colour, amenities, etc. As we've upgraded  it quite a bit, like adding power steering, power brakes, etc. The only thing missing that the wife wanted  is AC, but we don't need it in the Vette! Which may have been a convertible? But I don't think so, just simply distracted too much by his and Mary Ellen's entertaining conversation...

She next ended up talking to  a man, who'd bought an 'Ol coffin hauler, i.e.; Coroner's vehicle for $100 off his friend after they'd rescued it from a field it was abandoned in. He then kept it in climate controlled  storage for some 30+ years before finally restoring I-T! Yada-yada-yada...

Meanandered past more Chebbies', primarily Bel Air's, along with another Nomad; having never seen two Nomad's at one car show before. Scooted  past the solitary "FoMoCo"  Mustang on display, a stock looking 1969 coupe, which brought back memories of Tomas Sr. taking a very impressionable Tomaso for a drive in his one morning and saying,  let's see what she can do; claiming he'd pegged the speedometer at 120mph on the Freeway! Like I told Yuhs, I was young 'N impressionable 'Wayback then...

Lastly, was a  1960 23-window VW van, in a pretty shade 'O green. And as we chatted  with its co-owner, we were interrupted by some man saying $110, 120? Wanting to know what she'd take for the vehicle?

Oh, that's our Kid's college fund and we've got four kids who'll need six years of college each, so I wouldn't take anything under $150,000; SHEISA! To which the man retorted; thought so, as it's the most expensive vehicle here! And I've seen them auctioned off for around that...

Standing there somewhat shell-shocked; Hey! I don't typically hang out around six-figure vehicles on a daily basis; Hya! Although I do recall this very same model fetching a then surprising $100k  at a Scottsdale Barrett Jackson auction - with Mega Home builder Ron Pratt the recipient.

The cheerful woman said; Oh, I don't know where my Husband's at, but he's been a VW nut all his life, and we've got a 66 Beetle which I was driving when I had the twins, but we simply needed more room after expanding to four; YIKES!

It's got NOS.now and he's taken it down the drag strip a few times, to which Mary Ellen enquired; what's NOS? To which I quickly replied is laughing gas for your car, i.e.; nitrous oxide - to which the woman, who I think said she was in her mid-forties?  Concurred, explaining why the engine needed to be  "built," in order to handle the extra horsepower demand. Also noting how her Hubby' hadn't been quite sure 'bout taking I-T out of its trailer that morning, as it'd threatened to rain with low hanging fog giving a mist to the air when we'd first arrived.

Saying our Goodbye's, we needed to go check upon the FURR-rocious lap Hoonds' pulling Guard Duty in our "A Team" look-alike van, before we'd unsuccessfully attempt locating the 26 cars that had dropped in on their way to another Car Show in California and simply headed off to the local grocery store instead.

Leaving the  store, Karmically Mary Ellen spotted an English Bloke' exiting a VW Campervan and summarily chatted him up! As I finally joined the conversation as he mused how he'd sold his first 23-window bus for $400! Then his wife joined him whilst he was showing off all of the working amenities inside the van while regaling how he'd bought the bus sight-unseen, before saying they had to get going.

As Mary Ellen later informed me they were in their  early 80's, and were definitely "Weather Worn," ironically staying two nights in our very same secluded campground...

BEST OF SHOW
Although I have NO idea if there's an 'Offical Popular Best of Show Award, Y'all know where simply everybody attending votes upon their favourite. Thus, as per usual, I did my own, very unscientific voting, with my Top-3 winners being, Tuh-Duh; are Yuhs really surprised?

1) 1970 AMC AMX
2) 1941 Willys Americar
3) 1965 Corvette Stingray