Hot Rods, Hillbillies and Genuine Moonshine...

[Jive-Bomber]

As much as the lakebeds of El Mirage or the salt flats of Bonneville pushed men to make faster cars out West in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, many fellow hot rodders in the South got their inspiration for speed from outrunning Johnny Law with a trunk full ...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

[swingcatt]

Awesome. My '37 has been in the family since, well...1937 and came with an oral history of hauling moonshine in the foothills of Virginia. Actually, when I tore it down to the frame, I was a little disappointed that I didn't find any! - SC

[oldandkrusty]

Jive Bomber, thanks for posting one of the best shorties I've ever seen on the birth of NASCAR and the good old boys, and Louise too, that got things started.

[vintageauto]

I'm just gettin into a book "Driving with the Devil" by Neal Thompson about Southern Moonshine and all the good ole' boys.

[MitchellDeMoor]

Originally Posted by vintageauto

I'm just gettin into a book "Driving with the Devil" by Neal Thompson about Southern Moonshine and all the good ole' boys.

That's a great book!


Thanks for posting this. My great grandfather used to make shine and run it. That was an awesome video!!

[TAYLOR]

Thanks for the clip. I have always loved the history of moonshine and early racing.
I picked up a good dvd at the moonshine fest in Dawsonville last year (Red Dirt Rising) The movie tells a story of young shine haulers all the way up to the meeting at the Streamline hotel in Daytona Beach Fl. for the organazation of NASCAR.

Red Dirt Rising http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZLjqWjRDqE

[goose-em]

That was great, thanks. I have a gallon of shine chillin at the house right now. Need to pack it up and take it for a ride in the hot rod!

[JeffreyJames]

Awesome! Yeah I love hearing about all these guys down here that drove Shine cars. My mailman told my about a early plymouth painted grey called the "The Grey Ghost" that has a hopped up Cad V8 engine and the only way they ever caught him was because he ran out of gas one time on a bridge. Still looking for that car....

[outlaw256]

never did like going in circles but i have always been interested in those old haulers and the drivers.when i live in tn. we use to find old back roads where no one lived and turn our cars loose. we built them for straight line runnin not curves but damn it was fun. i learned alot about how to handle cars back then.daydreaming i was haulin a load and on the run. thank god i was young and indestructable.!!and i have drank more than my share of lightnin.and even made a few gallons. run a few gallons thru my 55 chevy.wont do that again!!!lol thanks for the link i loved it.

[drjones96]

Originally Posted by Jive-Bomber

Side note: I feel a kindred spirit to moonshiners during the Depression especially, as my Great Uncle down in the bootheel of Missouri was shot dead in his own home by revenuers and local police for doing nothing more than operating a still and trying to get away. But that’s another story….

What town in the bootheel? I'm from that area.

[Jive-Bomber]

Originally Posted by drjones96

What town in the bootheel? I'm from that area.

My mom grew up in Poplar Bluff, and I've still got an Aunt near Puxico. I guess I've should have said "near" the bootheel...

[texdesoto]

Man I miss Gray, he was the best.

[BStoltz]

Sweet video, thanks for the post!!!!

[Bubba Kirby's Rod Shop]

Originally Posted by texdesoto

Man I miss Gray, he was the best.

That was a nice surprise. He was a real character.

[Sqeaky Hinge]

Well, Hillbillysville lays right here in good ol' Southern West Virginia , and I can tell you from the history of the brew , and some of the guys I know and have heard my grandpappy talk about , there is a rich history of the brew here , go in the woods around here trying to mess with them and make a name for yourself , and you'll get your ass handed to you... the cars around here were usually Fords , due to the flathead V8 being the first 8cylinder engine a poor ass coal miner could afford , then they started modifying the Fords with early Caddy engines , of course , I guess all you gotta do is watch Billy Ray Cyrus bullshit his way thru the show hillbillys: and american legend...

[Stutz]

Moonshine is tasty. Not saying I have any

[Hdonlybob]

Superb video..
Thanks much for sharing.
Cheers....

[LB+1]

Shine was not made just in the hill's - There was hundreds of flat land and river bottom land stills - Down here in Louisiana - If your product was not good - You
were out - You damn well did not talk about it even as a kid - Sugarcane Rum and Whiskey went North form here by Truck's Train and Cars - And it is (STILL) out there - Over in Mississippi right today for sure good stuff - Course you all know this a Big Bull Crap of a Story!

[Hot Rod Elvis]

Dawsonville Ga is the real 'birthplace of stock car racing'. We've had seven people from here that's won a race in Daytona. 5 drivers and two owners. Bill Elliott being the only one on the superspeedway. But still, that's something that Charlotte, or Daytona can't even top! We have the moonshine festival every October when the leaves are at their peak, where you'll see more 40 Fords, race cars, and moonshine cars, race car drivers, etc in one place than you'll see anywhere else.

I work at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville and am proud to be a tour guide and teach people the history of moonshine and stock car racing. In fact, right in the complex, is the first legal moonshine distillery in the state. It's not open right now, but will be in the next month hopefully!

-Cody

[AeroMonte]

Originally Posted by Jive-Bomber

My mom grew up in Poplar Bluff, and I've still got an Aunt near Puxico. I guess I've should have said "near" the bootheel...

Cool, that is my stompin ground. The old car hobby is still alive and well around here.....and there's a hillbilly or two still brewing shine in the hills I'm sure.