Features Gene Winfield Show 2021

Gene's show this year will be on Saturday, October 16. I'll be there along with the crew of pinstripers and always colorful attendees. If you are coming out, look me up and say hey, its always good to meet fellow Hambers!

 

The stars have aligned, I leave this morning, it is about 625 for me.

A link to the Winfield-Watson Gathering:
http://www.rodtossers.com/

Russ

EDIT: Not really looking forward to all that interstate travel... Will return on some secondary roads.

 

Great Russ, see you there!

 

They were setting up this afternoon.

 

they are doing serious road work on the 14. it's best to get off in Rosamond and take Sierra Hwy north. see you there.

 

Today, they were paving Sierra Highway, just south of Gene's. Had to wait for the one lane traffic- an got a "free undercoat" .

Don't know if they are working on Saturday. There will be lots of loose stone south of Gene's. Consider Backus Road exit in you have a good paint job.

Russ

 

Sounds like someone in the street dept or highway dept doesn't like Gene very well.
977 Miles for me, I'd have to park way out beyond the cheap seats but sure wish I could make the trip.

 

I won a welder with his autograph on it.
Have met him at SEMA

 

I won a lead paddle that he signed at one of his metal working classes and have visited with him at the Portland roadster show a few times.
First time I met him and knew it was him was at the 98 Goodguys at Pleasanton and I ended up buing a pair of Chevy Bow tie earrings for my wife from him as that was all I had money for.

I have a feeling that I met him in 1962 when I was 15 and we were making the trip back from San Diego in my dad's 57 Olds J-2 and stopped at his shop to have something looked at and he tried to trade dad out of his Tri-power intake. Dad had us three kids and my grandmother in the car.

 

I would like to attend one of his classes.

 

Highly recommend

 

The young guy is Michael. He pinstriped my air cleaner cover.

Russ

 

more pics?

 

Here one from Custom Mikes of my car there

 

Here’s some pics

 

Thank you for sharing your pics. Looked like another kool turnout.

 

Cool

 

That flamed Merc is Insane!! Damn..

 

Gene and I had a running gag about who had the youngest wife/girlfriend. Went on for years...Gene went thru a few, but I had the youngest wife in the late '70s. (my wife Joey) Gene came thru with flying colors in '84, at Pomona...
He showed up with new bride at Dean Moon's booth, we 'carded' each other's ladies, Gene beat me by 'two'!
Had to miss this year, 'young' wife still isn't retired...Not 'til March 2022.

 

Yes it is and John the owner drives it everywhere! He was at Straykat’s show this year too which is a 4000 mile trip. A very cool guy as were the others there too

 

Thanks for sharing your pictures!
It’s been a while since we’ve gone.
So many of the pioneers are now gone since my son, my father-in-law and I went a few years back.
Larry, Norm, George, Blackie, and Sam are all building for the Big Guy in the sky!
Seems like only a few left.

 

You got it and check out YouTube for some more video coverage, there was a lot to see

 

Man, those are some flashes from the past!

 

Thanks for sharing this milestone event @michaelvz51...aren't they all...but to meet this mover and shaker who is such a kind Spirit with energy that should be bottled and sold it must have been an iconic time...

Thanks to the others sharing their experiences and images as well...

 

Thanks for the pics !!!

 

You got it sir

 

You got it

 

The paving was an oil and sand mix - not much of an undercoat - Probably would trap water and speed up a rust out.

Trip went "relatively" smooth. A few observations about driving an old car (and an older driver).
1. Phoenix traffic reminded be that the Volvo has blind spots - Stopped at an Autozone and bought spot mirrors (small curved mirrors that allow you to see into the blind spots).
2. The severe drone (exhaust resonance) at 75 MPH (4,000 RPM) was muted (but not totally gone) with my temporary fix.
3. This hot-rodded engine gets about 300 miles to the quart at those speeds.
4. The driver (age 77) gets about 100 miles between rest rooms.
5. I still do not like driving in the Los Angeles basin (1-10, I-215, I-15). Stop and go traffic climbing up 1-15 gave me a leg cramp.
6. The car leaked gas out the gas tank filler (parking lot sloped a bit) - turning the car around fixed the problem)
7. Traffic jams can occur in the middle of nowhere - I-40, the exit to AZ-85 was backed up all the way down the ramp. Executed "Plan B" and routed through Kingman and Wickenburg.

Definitely a fun trip.

Yesterday, I decided to install new spark plugs. While I was under the hood, I did a compression test: 167, 166, 77, 130 <sigh>. I think the head gasket blew out between #3 and #4. Tomorrow, I will look for my leak-down tester (I'm fairly sure I bought one 20 or 30 years ago - time to search the cabinets...).

Russ