What is going on Friday...... Registration will be open from 10:00 am to around 1:00 pm on Friday at the host hotel. All day Friday, the show is a moving show. We go on a Garage Krawl to visit shops all over the Wichita area. We will provide maps at the host hotel. During the cruise we will tour some professional shops and tour private collections. What is going on Saturday..... Saturday the show will be at the Kansas Aviation Museum. What a kool location for the show. Like all Stray Kat events, we have entertainment for the entire family. This is the purrfect place to host the show because aviation is a big part of Wichita and it is a kool back drop for the show. The building was built in the early ‘40s and is a kool art deco structure. Please go to their web site below to check out the museum. www.kansasaviationmuseum.org EVENT SCHEDULE Saturday the show will be at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita. The past Eight years the show has been a good fund raiser for the museum. We will open the gates at 8:00 am and you will be able to park around the airplanes. It sure makes for a kool photo op. We have artist from all over the mid-west attend the show. Why Wichita?1981 was the first year that I really started doing the car show thing. My third show was the Kustom Kemps of America’s Lead Sled Spectacular in Wichita. We drove up early Saturday morning and we were planning on spending the night at the host hotel but because I was only 18, they would not let me check in to my room. Not knowing anyone there, we just hung out in the parking lot at the hotel. We stayed as long as we could and then drove the three hours back home. Even though it was only for one day we had a blast! I had only seen one chopped Mercury before and it was at an indoor car show at the Starbird show in Tulsa. This was the first time I got to see a Mercury and kustoms in motion. They are kool sitting still but when you get to experience them driving around town, whoa, look out. Watching a Kustom a cruising is a whole different experience. That weekend I was introduced to the important role that Wichita played in the Kustom and Hot Rod history. Can you imagine how kool it would have been to see Dave Stucky cruising Douglas in the Little Koffin. I love to hear the stories of those days. My late 50’s experience didn’t really start until the early 80s. Kustoms like Hub Harness ’59 El Camino, Doug Reeds ’50 Olds “aka Toad” and Johnny Hammond’s timeless ’58 Chevy Impala. I know that I’m leaving some of the kustoms that started it for me out but what a list. These guys introduced me to kustoms and that kool Wichita Style. The Kool thing is they are still cruising the streets today. Doug Reed's "Toad" Johnny Hammond's 58 Impala Hub Harness 59 El Camino. If you look at the mild kustoms above they're all about the profile. Wouldn’t it have been kool to live in Wichita when, Starbird, Cushenberrry, Stucky, Farner, Eldon Titus and Carl Green were building some wild kustoms and cruising the streets. Since that day Wichita has not slowed down. Guys are still building them today and still doing their part keeping the Kustom and Hot Rods alive in Wichita. I’ve been blessed over the years to build relationships with a lot of koool people in the area and felt like Wichita should host a Kustom and Hot Rod event. Like every other town in the USA they’re too many car shows but I feel like they’re not enough kool ones. Wichita has a kool show in the Delano district but other then that one, not another show for the Kustom and Hot Rod enthusiasts. The guys that I mentioned above influenced my foundation on what is kool and I’m very thankful that I was exposed to this legendary Wichita style. Today we have guys in the area (Jeff Meyers to name one) that are building Kustoms and Hot Rods that are influencing the younger crowd. I want to spot light some of the legendary builders and show them what they started years ago is still alive today and make sure that Kool will never go out of style. If you have any questions just let me know. If I don't know the answer, I'll ask Jack... Happy Trails, Mick
Going to pick it up from upolstery shop on Saturday morning. A little bit of tweaking and should be ready for Starlight!
It is no secret the Kats like to eat. The social side of car shows are very important. Last year we need reservations for 40+ No problem.....
Mick, you gotta save me one of those for my wall, as I don't think we are gonna be able to make it this time.
And if you play your cards right, you'll get to eat some really good food from the oh so KooL Lonely Knights at the hotel and maybe even meet the infamous Finkd!! (The more than famous guy I'm pointing at) LoL! Sucks were gonna miss it now that I think about it even more.
Well "Best laid plans" my daughter got sick Fri night and we had to cancel our reservation. Hopefully next year.
The Jalopy Journal
