Good Guys 2011 Spring Nationals Scottsdale

Here are some hi-lights of my three days at the Good Guys show. The show ended for me today (Sunday) around 1:30 and I've been going through photos from all three days. I'm whipped, so I'm going to let photos speak for themselves for the most part. It was a great show and I met a lot of really cool people...some local celebrities.....yes I have photos. 

One of my favorite parts of the show is the swap meet area. There's everything from old rusty Hot Wheels to old rusty classic cars and all the parts in between. 

There are plenty of cars for sale too. Some are ready to drive away in while others are projects waiting to happen. My understanding is that this wild Cadillac-Camper was ready for a weekend in the mountains. 

How about that for a custom job? 

Friday as I was heading out of the swap meet area I came across the Desert Valley Auto Parts (DVAP) space where they were selling a small array of parts and handing out pamphlets for the next day's auto auction. For those not familiar with DVAP they have a cool reality show on the Discovery Channel that takes place at their two giant salvage yards; one in north Phoenix and another down south in 

Casa Grande. Their goal is to put the old abandoned cars back on the street and make a profit at auction.

I first met Andy, he's a mechanic on the show...a very nice guy.

Then I caught Jason McClure heading out. The following day I was down on one knee trying to get a photo of a cool rat rod and was stretching my flash unit on it's cord as far as my left arm could. I was likely grunting and swearing in this awkward moment when someone comes up behind me and offers to position the flash for me...it was Jason. 

Hell of a nice guy!

Here's the photo we took together....

Here's a link to DVAP:  http://www.dvap.com/

The TV show is "Desert Car Kings" and it's on Wednesdays on the Discovery Channel at 7pm here in AZ (Mtn Standard). The first season is midway through (showing on TV) and Jason says ratings have been good, but Discovery is keeping quiet until the season runs its course in regards to a second season. I hope to see more. With Jason's encouragement, I also plan on getting out to DVAP and shoot some of their sun baked classics

Now for some award winners!

Here they are, Dave and Laura Miller and their '59 Kustom Plymouth Fury. They won a very cool award for best "Chopped & Dropped" at the show. 

I came across this beauty just shortly after Dave got the news. He said he was still a little stunned. It's a high honor at the Good Guys show. There was a lot of impressive competition for sure. It couldn't have happened to a nicer couple and more unique ride. Cheers to the Millers!

MORE RIDES...

This is one bad-ass grill ornament! It's Mr. Horsepower meets Von Dutch's flying eyeball. The owner, who's name escapes me (sorry) knows a guy who used to work with Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. He created this snarling cigar smoking masterpiece just for this car. Well done.

There are more photos in the gallery.

Friday's Image: "NO DICE"

Vintage Phoenix: A Car Show, a Landmark & Award Winning Yard Art

1961 Dodge Phoenix, Good Guys Car Show Scottsdale Spring 2010

Melrose on 7th Avenue

I'll start the from the end of the day and go backwards for no particular reason. Here was the destination, the "Melrose On 7th Ave - 2011- Tenth Annual Street Fair & Classic Car Show".

I left without signing up... missing my chance at stardumb.

This is Manny Prieto's 1950 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe. Mucho Chevy bomba amor going on here.

Here we have something very different from the '50 Chevy, but vintage for sure...

It's a 1923 T-Bucket owned by Bob Sperry. It's a bucket O' skulls. He said once at a car show some young girls asked him if he knew how many skulls are in and on the car. He never counted and guessed at around 50-something. The girls had taken count and said there were over 80. At another time I will get more into the details of this wild T-Bucket.

In a similar spirit, further up 7th Avenue there was this work in progress, Mike Rangel's "Dracula Car".
I'd love to see this on the road.

Here's the grill detail of a classic 40's Buick Roadmaster

Classic Kustom Merc

Here's another classic, a bomba 1941 Chevy.

Ever seen one of these? It's a 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster Mini Limousine with a raised rear roof.
The passenger roof height was so the well-to-do male passengers could keep their top-hats on. Maybe they had 20 gallon hats in AZ back then?  Carmen Miranda my have cruised Hollywood in one of these too.

This is a magnificent '58 Chevy.

Here's Chris' ratty rod project. Cool and sinister.

A Ford truck from the garage that put the car show together. Thank's Chester's Garage!

Here's probably the most famous landmark in the Melrose neighborhood. Classic.

On the road to Melrose

On the way to the fair I stopped by a McDowell landmark, the "My Florist" sign and got back about a block for a photo to get something (a palm tree) in the foreground. Once a florist shop, "My Florist Cafe" opened up in the '90s and was a hip hot spot until 2010 when they abruptly and without giving a reason shut their doors.

I attempted to gain more history on the florist but could find nothing on line. Then I looked closer at this photo I took. Under "Cafe" you can see the original word "Coins", I'd assume as in collector coins. Then under "Bistro" you can see where "Antiques" was originally painted as well as "In" under "Willo" and "Rear" under "Bread". I'm going to say at some time between flowers and artisan bread and martinis, "My Florist" was an antique shop. The sign once having said "Coins, Antiques, Park In Rear". This makes sense because it's an historic neighborhood and just a few hundred feet further west on the same street (McDowell) there are empty antique stores on both the north and south east corners. They had been there for decades and unfortunately are now vacant. I foresee a large Walgreens or CVS store taking one  of those valuable corner spaces only because a Starbucks has already opened on the opposite southwest corner.

The Art & Yard of Gary Parsel

I have driven by this corner house a few times on the way back to Mesa or heading out to an event and never had the time or willing passengers to stop and take a look...until last Saturday on the way to the Melrose street fair. Gary Parsel's eclectic home sits on the corner of East Willetta & 7th St.

He has won the New Times "Best Of" for  yard art in his historic Evergreen neighborhood. His house will be open for viewing as will others in the neighborhood the weekend of March 19th for the Art Detour event.
It's sure to be interesting.

The giant tiki-like heads in these photos are made of carved styro-foam and the dogs (and master) are mostly made of concrete. Gary takes custom orders too, in fact he was in the process of installing a large head in a condo across the street when he caught me in his yard.

Who will blink first?

Junior, that there is where we relieve ourselves. Take it in pup, it's a beautiful thing.

Get out and see the city!
More photos of this outing and color versions are in the gallery.

Friday's Image: '56 Packard