Tim's Corner

a club for american car enthusiasts

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Here you will find exciting news about recent events as well as published articles in StreetSceen Magazine by Tim Irby. Hope you enjoy please read on..

Arkansas Rodders Give Back To Injured Veterans

by Tim Irby

There are car shows and cruise-ins and they're all great fun and I enjoy each one I attend. Being around hor rods and their owners is exhilarating to say the least. Then there are special events that make you glad you are alive.

That's how I felt on Father's Day, June 15, 2008. For the fourth year in a row I spent three hours at Dad's Ole Car Day at the Veterans hospital in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

It is the most rewarding car event I attend and I am proud to be a member of CAMS Car Club who organizes and hosts the event eacy year. Since it's on Father's Day numerous family members and friends take time to visit fathers and brothers, mothers and sisters who are in the hospital recuperating from injuries and illnesses. Most of these fine veterans were severely injured fighting for our country. Most are in wheel chairs. Many are toting an oxygen tank. but not much can keep them from pouring out of the hosptial to see the cars and have some fun. The hospital staff and family members enjoy it as well.

It was a great time to share a moment of history and memories with the hospital patients, employees, friends and family members. And it seemed like everyone had a story to share, owned a car like that once. And on and on. The enthusiam on each veteran's face told the story of the afternoon.

Free hot dogs, chips, ice cream, cookies and cold soft drinks, compliments of the Golden Corral Restaurant, hit the spot for both rodders and spect6ators. Ice, which was a lifesaver on this steamy hot afternoon, was donated by Polar Ice. Gordon O'Steen, brought his 1955 Chevy along with an entire sound system and provided musical entertainment that everyone could relate to. What would we do without volunteers like Gordon?

Hot rodders also brought ball caps, t-shirs and magazines for the patients. The hats may have been the biggest hit. They came in handy, shielding eyes and face from the blazing sun.

Around 60 cars were on display and white it is not an offical car show and no entry fees were collected, CAMS did provide plaques for two awards. Winner of the Spectator's Choice Award was a 1956 teal Ford Sunliner owned by Earl and Diedra Rodgers. Winner of the Participant's Choice Award was a classic 1915 Ford Model T open touring owned by Steve Bonifant.

As the parade of cars moved out of the hospital parking lot, you could see spectators waving goodbye to a ver special afternoon. What a way to share my hot rod and my Father's Day afternoon. Later in the day I spent time with my own 92 year-old father. The event made me appreciate my own father that much more. This was a very good Father's Day.

And I am pleased to report that CAMS will host the event again on Father's Day 2009.

CAMS Introduces Horsepower Of A Diffrent Kind
HEARTS, HOOVES AND HOTRODS

Story by Tim Irby
Photos by Tim Irby and Ray

When this writer arrived thirty minutes early for the Hearts & Hooves Car Show it appeared as if I had arrived late. Cars and specators had already packed the Wildwood Centre parking lot in Sherwood, Arkansas. Obviously this "Horsepower of a Different Kind" fund-raiser for Hearts and Hooves Therapeutic Riding Center was going to be a victory for everyone involved. And it certainly was, more than $17,000 was raised for the center.

Over 100 antique cars, streetrods, muscle cars, customs, and trucks of all kinds registered and entered the show. CAMS Car Club of Sherwood, host of the show, efficiently parked cars and moved people through the registration process. Novelty vehicles included the General Lee Dodge Charger and a Mark Martin racecar. Many of the Miracle Mile Car Dealers brought 2008 models as well. This North Little Rock/Sherwood dealer group was the major sponsors of the show. Volunteers were prominent, including employees from Metropolitan National Bank and Delta Dental who provided the food and the cookers, while Sherwood Rotary Club cooked hamburger and hot dogs up till 2:30 pm. Hamburger or 2 hot dogs, chips and drink sold for a modest $5. Proceeds from the sale of the lunch also went to the charity.

Craig O'Neal, sports anchor for Today's THV, was the emcee and kept things spirited most of the day. There was live entertainment, recorded music, various vendor booths and more car watching to keep everyone busy. This was not your boring car show.

This show had some very remarkable stock vehicles that don't often show up at car shows. Perhaps the charity twist brought out some new faces (or new wheels) including stock vehicles such as a '48 Chevy Fleetmaster owned by Valerie Jackson or John Walker's perfectly kept '71 Oldsmobile Delta 88 convertible or the always admired '58 Ford retractable hardtop owned by Billy Morden. My favorite was Les and Linda Saville's perfect '61 red and white Corvette. There's always something distinctive about stock vehicles. Where do people find those vehicles?

Of course, streetrods and muscle cars are always popular in Arkansas. Parked side-by-side were three tri-five Chevy's that were flawless; a black '55 owned by Jerry Langford, and a red '57 owned by Bill Miller and a teal '57 demonstrated why post Chevy's are so tough looking.

Without a doubt the most lavish display was Billy Brooks' 2000 yellow Corvett and matching motorcycle. Tweety Bird was the theme of this all yellow display. Stunning is all you can say. Awards were given out in a number of categories including best paint, best interior, participant's choice and CAMS Host Club Award. A Mazarati owned by Ron Cook won the Sherwood Mayor's Choice award. However, Charles Wilson was the big winner of the day, taking home the Chevy 350 crate motor donated by Russell Chevrolet.

Hearts & Hooves Car Show was much more than a typical car show. It was a public display by public-minded rodders who wanted to do something for a group of people who are doing so much for kids with disabilities. Hearts & Hooves is a non-profit riding center founded in June 2001. Since that time, over 200 children, youth and adults have enjoyed the benefit of riding in the Hearts & Hooves' program. Hearts & Hooves is the only accredited therapeutic riding center in central Arkansas, and one of only two to achieve this status in Arkansas.

Therapeutic riding uses equine-oriented activities for the purpose of contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social well being of people with disabilities.

Participation to Arkansas' NSRA Appreciation Day
Continues to Astound Everyone

Story by Tim Irby

Photos By Marvin Brown

It was a bizarre weather day. But what would you expect from Arkansas in March? Rain and thurder during the early part of the day, sunny in the middle and cloudy again by 3 pm. But none of this could deter the 100 plus cars from across Arkansas who attended the annual NSRA Appreciation day on March 16, 2008 in North Little Rock Arkansas. It was the sixth year in a row for CAMS Car Club of Sherwood to host the event at Burns Park. The park, one of the largest publicly owned parks in the country, is the perfect venue for an event like this.

    You could feel the vigor in the air as more than 130 vehicles showed up for what has become the first rodding event of the season for Arkansas streetrodders. "There were 97 NSRA members who participated in the activities, plus we were able to attract five new members and seven renewals." Kay Staggs, state NSRA representative said.

    "This event is something we really enjoy and it's now something streetrodders really look foward to after being shut in for the winter," Paul Fox, president of CAMS noted. "Now if we can just control the weather."

    Roger Barnhill, a member of NSRA's South Central Division Safety Team, supervised a non-stop day of inspections. According to Barnhill, the team inspected 46 vehicles and 36 received the 23-point sticker. the safety award was presented to Lonnie Reyn for his '37 Chevy sedan.

    Free coffee and donuts, compliments fo the Golden Corral Restaurant, awaited the rodders as the arrived. There was plenty of entertainment, CAMS members cooked and sold hamburgers and hot dogs for hungry rodders. It seems that hotrods and cool air bring out the hunger in everyone.

    While this is not a car show and entry fees are not collected, CAMS Car Club still gave away prizes and cash that totaled more than $1,000.00. Among the door prizes was a digital camera, gift baskets provided by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, eight items donated by Advance Auto Parts each with a value of $50.00 or more, along with prizes for the ladies and the kids, not to mention CASH.

    Mitchell Appraisers provided a Craftsman toolbox again this year for the raffle. Sale of the raffle tickets brought in $1245.00 and CAMS matched up to $500.00 which was donated to Treatment Homes, Inc. the clubs, adopted charity. Treatment Homes, Inc. serves children from ages 3 to 12 who are in emotional difficulity.

    CAMS will sponsor the event again in 2009, which is scheduled for the third Saturday in March.

2008 O'Reily's AutoFest

How To Cure The Winter Blues

On the fifth of January, I found myself in downtown Little Rock at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Autofest in Little Rock at the Statehouse Convention Center. It had been several months since I'd been to a car event or seen a hot rod and the sights and sounds were invigorating to say the least. I was having winter withdrawals and this show was the perfect antidote.

Billed as an indoor cavaclade of everything automotive featuring the hottest cars and rides from across America, the 3-day show lived up to its billing with some really great looking vehicles on display; many of which were very high dollar cars. Being a custom lover I found the black 1954 Mercury Monterey to be my favorite. But nothing could upstage the 2-tone gray 1941 Willy truck, the bronze and maroon 1935 Ford Roadster, the 1967 dark green Mustang, or the, perhaps I'd better quit naming cars because there were way to many to discuss in this article.

There were around 100 customs, street rods, muscle cars and even 4X4's neatly displayed in the indoor space. While several of the high dollar vehicles were pro built, nothing could be taken away from the home built cars that were there. Two especially stood out, a lime green 1969 Camaro and a red 1957 Chevy Nomad. The two cars, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, sat side-by-side and frankly, it was impossible for me to pick a favorite from the two. The paint job, flames and matching white and lime green interior on the Camaro were stunning. On the other hand the Chevy wagon motored down the highway behind 620 horses of a big block. WOW is all I can say.

Like most car shows, hot rodders were walking around, picking up new ideas, and talking to old buddies. Spectators were peaking into every open window and hood. Camera flashes could be seen from every corner of the hall. Bands entertained. And the venor displays were busy all weekend.

All in all, it was a great show and certainly reinvigorated my passion for the hobby. Thank you O'Reilly's and Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau for hosting such an extraordinary event. I'm confident the show will return in 2009 and I plan on being there once again. It's the cure to the winter blues and a sure fired way to get your hot rod blood boiling. See ya there and keep on crusin'.

Tim Irby