Street Machine Fall Nationals in Little Rock

[ChevLoRay]

Okay, I went today and spent 4 hours walking around and snapping pix. Not very many trucks at all. To be honest, what I saw today was a bit disappointing, especially in comparison to the Hot Rod Power Tour that was here about 15 months ago. I realize there is a huge difference in these two events, but didn't realize how MUCH difference there would be.

Guess I found out I'm not a street machine kinda guy. I'm a truck kinda guy.

But here's my '96 GMC at the show after painting the mirrors body color and with the side trim removed. Not bragging, but happy to have a 14-year old vehicle that still looks decent. Last time I had vehicles that were 14 years old, I had to completely restore the exterior and one interior. Sure is cheaper to keep one looking good than it is to make it look good again.

[Boog]

Well crap. I saw a good many cars heading to and from LR today so I knew there was a show somewhere but I had not heard anything about it coming up. Don your 96 sure is looking smooth. I'm glad you finally got the rear down a touch and I like the changes you've made lately.

[Locknkey]

Yea the rain sorta kept me from going, mebie I'll get this ambulance running right someday and if I get it to look like yours, it will take some time an a few dollars in a few years. Great looking rig tho.

[JohnC]

Yeah the Street Machine show doesn't even compare to the Power Tour. My cousin has gone to both the last couple of years with his 70 Camaro. He didn't go to Little Rock, but did go to the Power Tour.

Your truck looks sweet man. The mirrors look good painted.

[ChevLoRay]

I thank you guys for your comments. I had to paint the mirrors, show or no show, because the original black was funky when I repainted them in '02 w/o a clear coat...Krylon gloss black back then. So, almost 5 years in CA and they were fading and the primer was starting to show. I used a 3M fine scotchbrite pad and then primed them after using some glazing putty to fill in the fine scratches. I shot them with some Dupli-Color paint that is the right paint for my truck only to find that it is a 2-stage paint and needed a clear coat. It got that, too. Now, I need to use some 2000-2500 grit and wet sand them and buff 'em. But, they do make me feel better whether anyone else notices or not.

I didn't enter the show to show it off, just to ay for a good parking spot and have a place to keep the camera and cooler, which non-entrants can't bring. If I drank 10 bottles of water over the three days, it would pay for the parking Heck, I even caught one guy reading my owners information card!

Rain doesn't help any outdoor event, but here I am getting ready to go back and see if they call my number for whatever "Super Prize" they're going to give away.

[bloertcher]

That show used to be here in Springfield on this weekend every year.From 1989 until 2008,I remember going as a fairly young kid,and it shaped my mind quite a bit.It really went downhill up here the last few years,though.Not sure if it was Special Event,(the promoter) or the fairgrounds,or a combination of both.It got to where there was a ton of mega-bucks rides that no normal guy could ever afford to build.I did miss the show this year,though.I went with my Dad,and now I have I son I used to take,but now that he's old enough to remember stuff,it's gone.thank goodness for having a dragstrip and several dirttracks a short distance away,because we are about out of car shows around here.

[JohnC]

Yeah my cousin and a few guys that all went up there last year said that it wasn't as good as previous years. I don't know that they realized that it moved.

[ChevLoRay]

Moving it may have been an economics issue for the promoters. But, a ton of rain this weekend surely dampened anything that they might have gained financially, at least for the vendors. I don't know how many participants they need to break even, but I'm guessing they didn't have enough. Hopefully, they'll try again and hope for better weather. September in Arkansas is one of those months that may be "disrupted" by hurricane fallout. I have a tree that is leaning severely courtesy of Hurricane Ivans' topical force winds and we're 10 hours from the Gulf of Mexico. Even though this past weekends' rain came from up through LA (not Los Angeles), there wasn't a hurricane to be found.

[tvblazer78]

Clean looking truck.

[ChevLoRay]

Thanks, Travis. Coming from a TOTM winner, I feel honored.

[Boog]

Was this held at the fairgrounds Don? I haven't been out there in years.
Have ya turned up any suitable replacement wheels yet?

[ChevLoRay]

Jim, it was at the Livestock Show Grounds on Roosevelt Rd. Rain was an issue. I went back after it quit raining on Sunday, getting there shortly after noon. The awards had already been done so it ended before 3PM, as was stated on the info I got in the mail. Okay, it was raining most of the morning and I didn't even expect that I'd get any award. But, I'd like to have seen the ceremony.

As for wheels for my truck, nothing has changed. You said something about the back being lower and the only thing that changed between those pix was the Bell Tech upper shock mount relocators, which changed the angle of the rear shocks. It rides better than it did before the mod, but will bottom out on the right bump. So, I'm looking at AirLift air springs, but that won't happen for a while. I don't know if stiffer shocks would help, but I'm beginning to think they won't hurt. What I have on the rear right now are for a '98 Tahoe rear end. They're shorter by almost 4 inches than the stock length shock for my truck, and they ride good on the highway. It's just the rough stuff that jars my innards and my wifes' outtards.