Mustangs and Muscle Cars in Mesa, Arizona

Lance and his website HotRodPlanet.com is becoming quite a car show promoter in Arizona.  This is his latest effort and I’m sorry to get this up late for THIS WEEKEND 2/13/10.  Here’s the info you’ll need. (Click on the flier to see it full size) The show is SOLD OUT, but you can still take in the 200+ cars and the Air Museum.

Mustangs & Muscle Cars – Car Show at the
Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aviation Museum February 13, 2010

The public is invited to attend the Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) Arizona Wing Aviation Museum’s Mustangs & Muscle Charity Car Show, sponsored by Berg Ford on Saturday, February 13, 2010. This shows theme features WWII P-51 Mustang fighters, along with both classic and new cars. The car show is open to all makes, models and years of muscle cars, street rods, 4X4’s, Exotics, Imports and motorcycles. Come see the cars cause this show is SOLD OUT.

Mustangs & Muscle Charity Car Show will be held at the CAF Arizona Wing Aviation Museum located at Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, AZ. The Museum is located at 2017 N. Greenfield Road. Doors will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Warbirds on display for the car show include the B-17 Sentimental Journey, B-25 Mitchell Bomber, North American SNJ/T-6 and Stearman trainers, and many more. Exhibits displays Include a tribute to the B-17 Chow Hound, honoring fallen Airmen and the 91st Bomb Group, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Tigers, the China Burma India Theater and Women in Aviation, including the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS) of WWII plus others.

In addition, there will be Hot Wheel racing for the kids, sponsored by KMJ Diecast, as well as music provided by a local DJ playing hits from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

Admission Price – Ages 13-Adult $10.00, Seniors 62 and older $9.00, Ages 5-12 $3.00, Ages under 5 free. Rides are also available on WWII B-17, C-45 and SNJ/T-6 trainer. Gift certificates may be purchased for flights on Sentimental Journey or other warbirds. The museums gift shop has many aviation gifts available for that unique gift. Food and drinks will be available.

The CAF Arizona Wing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to celebrating our heritage of freedom through flight, education, exhibition and remembrance. For more information on The Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum please call 480-924-1940 or visit our web site at www.azcaf.org.

4th Saturday Cruise in Mesa is Catching on

Just a reminder! The regular Mesa Cruise is the 4th Saturday of every month including this Saturday, March 28th. This is one of the cool shots my man Swanee took at the cruise that followed the Home Runs and Hot Rods show. I left out the “Hot Dogs” part cause Lance didn’t save me one.

More of Swanee’s pics of the Saturday Mesa Cruise here.

MyRideisMe.com members get free entry and free parking at the cruise. Such a deal!

Diecast Drags net $365 for Progeria Charity

Thanks to many friends of mine and the support of generous parents, it was the kids that won at the “Home Runs, Hot Dogs and Hot Rods” show in downtown Mesa, Arizona on 2/28/09.

One set of winning, smiling kids were the ones that enjoyed 4 hours of non-stop action running down the 50 foot track during practice among the car show hot rods. By the time racing action started, they had nailed the timing of the Christmas tree’s amber-amber green start. My boys know the drill, so more than once you heard, “You got smoked!” Next time, bring your kids to the show! Now you’ve got something to enjoy with them that’ll get you out of your lawn chairs!

The second set of kids that won we’ll probably never meet. A rare few will ever know the courage needed to be so different on the outside but remain a smiling, energetic kid inside. I hope other folks were inspired to give to the Progeria Research Foundation like I was when I read Amy Foose’s story. As the younger sister of famed designer and builder Chip Foose, her life ended at 16 before many doctors knew what Progeria is. I’m proud to have raised $365 in donations from the kind car show goers that Saturday. Thank you.  You can still donate yourself by going to Terry Foose’s fund raising site: First Giving for Progeria Research

So what happened in the race?

Kids were separated into elimination brackets of: 5 and under, 6-8, 9-12 and over 12. The 6-8 group fielded a full 16 car field followed closely by 15 and 14 racers in the 9-12 and 5 and under. Race action was fierce!

The kids discovered in practice that it wasn’t the heaviest car (like common wisdom might say) that proved fastest, it was (as I’d been saying) the car that goes straight! My tracks a little wider than standard Hot Wheels track, so super-fast cars that got the “High speed wobbles” scrubbed speed on the track sides and were eventually passed. Lead changes, believe it or not, were NOT uncommon, especially with the Christmas Tree start. More than one “holeshot” winner celebrated and alot of “snoozers” restarted their breathing by making it up on the big end.

For the younger racers, Allison, the over 12 champ had her “Ratbomb” Hot Wheel rocking and took what was probably a holeshot win in the finals over 6-8 year old champ Nathaniel. Allison bested Thomas from the 9-12 year old bracket and Nathaniel used a holeshot to sneak past the “young gun” of the group, the cute but not quick Barbara. 3rd and 4th were to split the case of Hot Wheels that Hot Rod Art Book supplied, but as it turns out, Barbara and Thomas are brother and sister! They smiled incredulously when I handed over the case of 72 brand new Hot Wheels.

For the big kids, my mom and wife got in on the action but were quickly SMOKED by the men. Mark tried to use his daughter Allison’s winning car from the kids races. Boo Mark. Nope. We fielded 25 racers for the adult bracket and I thank them for their generous donations. The field included some ringers from the Arizona Outlaws Hot Wheels club (who by the way helped all day long!) but couldn’t make it out of the first round. In some fast paced, “snooze you lose” action the final featured Ray (and his smiling son) racing Ricardo. Ray’s Nomad-like wagon proved to be to much for the competition and closed out the best of 3 with 2 wins in a row. Ricardo, “You got smoked!”

More thanks are needed: Thanks to Lance Baker from www.Hotrodplanet.com for putting on a good show. Other than not saving me an XXL t-shirt, a job well done! Thanks to my buddies: Big John for countless hours building the electronics behind the starting gate. Turns out he got sucked into my plan and we both underestimated the time needed to see it through. At 3AM on the Thursday before the show, my man put on the finishing touches. That’s a dedicated and true friend. Then thanks to E-rock for the support and transportation. Turns out a minivan (hey! it’s my wife’s car!) isn’t big enough to haul everything. He also kept my fire lit and hooked me up with a timely Filaberto’s burrito when needed.

Finally, thanks to the generous donations from www.Ridemakerz.com and Dwayne Vance over at www.Hotrodartbook.com. The kids were drooling over the “build-a-bear” take off that’s “build-a-car” over at Ridemakerz. First place for the kids took home a $100 gift certificate to Ridemakerz and 2nd place took home the ready to be assembled and trick Dodge Viper with motor and remote control. I think 2nd place thought he won!

For the adults I had 4 copies of Dwayne’s new book: Hot Rod Art Book, “Masters of Chicken Scratch”. I don’t know how many times I answered the question, “Are these for sale?” No, they’re for the racers! Get your own copy of the book and instructional DVD at www.Hotrodartbook.com. To sweeten the winning deal, the adults got a “treasure hunt” Hot Wheel donated by Kirk at KMJ Diecast in Mesa.

In Closing

That was fun! Alot of work, but fun. I’d really love to hear from the participants and on-lookers who took in the action. I’d also like to make the track available for charity events and future car shows. I’m also hoping to some day have an “Unlimited” diecast drag race where anything goes. Who’s up for that?

Stay tuned for a story about the car show and the fourth Saturday cruise that followed. So many burnouts!!

Enjoy the rest of the pictures and the winner’s shots:

Diecast Drags in Mesa – For the Kids

Most times it seems like nobody’d notice anyway, but I’ve been slacking on blog writing lately cause I’m working on my Diecast Drags track. I posted about it in the discussion forum. Did you see it?

The Diecast Drags, or some might say, “Hot Wheels” track is brought to you MyRideisMe.com and supporting the Progeria Research Foundation (http://www.Progeriaresearch.org)

The track is 2 continuous lanes that measure 50 feet! I roll it up when I’m done. The entire track lifted off the ground on a support platform to give a gradual decent and super high speeds! Racing will feature an electronic finish line and a “Christmas tree” start that gives an edge to the better reaction time. This promises to be more fun than Pinewood derby racing because it’s easier to get started and the fastest car might not always win!

Of course from the trial run 2/21 at the local, “Cruise in” called the “Mesa Pavilions” at Power and Hampton (Kmart parking lot) the kids could care less about the start! They just want to see who won and the small jump we had setup at the finish line!

The official race will be held on Saturday 2/28 as part of the “Home Runs, Hot Dogs and Hot Rods” car show. Lance Baker at www.Hotrodplanet.com is running that show. All the info you need to know about the show is at Hotrodplanet.com. There are no less than 4 car shows happening that weekend, but none of them have a cruise planned for after! Mesa is hosting a cruise to support local businesses (so bring and empty stomach) on the 4th Saturday of every month. The show starts at 11AM right in downtown at Center and Main streets and the cruise will start about 5PM. So even if you attend another show, make it back to Mesa for the cruise.

The racing action will be, “Free with donation” for all the racers. With each donation, you’ll get 1 Hot Wheel and as many trial runs and races as I can fit in. I’m hoping for $5/person and 100 people/racers to give $500 to the Progeria Foundation. I’d like everyone to know that 100% of the money will be donated.

For more info, I’ve already got a poster and some informational fliers about Progeria. I learned that Chip Foose’s younger sister died of Progeria before most people even knew what Progeria was. Amy Foose’s story of courage was deeply sad yet encouraging and hopeful at the same time. I was inspired to help and will make the donation on behalf of Terry Foose, Chip’s mom, at her fund raising site: First Giving for Progeria Research

Racing on 2/28 will run 12 AM-2PM for kids and at 2-4 for adults (depending on participation). Prizes will include 1 unopened case of Hot Wheels donated by www.Hotrodartbook.com and a gift card (or more!) to build your own custom ride from www.Ridemakerz.com. I’m hoping to add more prizes so more friendly car folks will race and/or donate to this super worthy cause.

Any questions or to make a donation yourself, please contact Craig Pike at pikesan@myrideisme.com or for information about the show and “Main Street” cruise that will follow, go to Hotrodplanet.com.

I hope you enjoy these few pictures, the kids sure did! If you’ll be racing, leave a comment telling me how many kids. Also, if you’d like to make a donation to Progeria but can’t make it to the show, please go to: Terry Foose’s website

Squeeg’s Kustom Goodguys Lunch Stop

The Goodguys Southwest Nationals rolls into Scottsdale, AZ only once a year and with it comes a mad thrash to get your car ready and some great chances to roll your car out (even a roadster since it was in the 80’s that week!) have some fun and meet some other rodders in the area.

Doug Jerger the owner of Squeeg’s Kustoms in Mesa, Arizona landed the lunch stop for the Goodguys Show. Doug was kind enough to let me take up some space at his shop and hand out some of the posters we made.

The open house came at a perfect time as Squeeg’s was debuting 3 trick hot rods. Doug’s shop can build and paint anything you want and do it to near perfection. The 34 Ford Roadster shown above was one of the cars. Everything on this car screams professional builder and the style and execution let you know this car had a solid plan right from the start.

The other 2 hot rods finshed were a 32 Ford Roadster and a 40 Ford coupe. I’m not showing the 40 Ford right now because we’re all hoping the coming out part for the 40 will be on the pages of Rodder’s Journal.

Make sure to look closely at the pictures below. Maybe I got a shot of you or your car? If so, let me know.

Until then, right click and save the image of the poster we made and use it as your wall paper. It’s a good size file and should look great as your screen saver.

Special thanks to Doug and all the guys at Squeeg’s.

Mesa, Arizona Cruise on Main – Monthly Event

Cruisin’ Main Street
New Downtown Mesa Monthly Cruise

Beginning this Friday night December 12th, from about 6pm to 10pm, the downtown Mesa merchants will host a monthly cruise night on downtown Mesa’s Main Street from Center Street to Country Club Drive.

All years and types of vehicles are welcome to cruise or park along Mesa’s Main Street to enjoy the parade of rolling sculpture’s pass by. Most of the stores and restaurants will be open late so bring the whole family and make a night of it.

This cruise night will become a monthly event to coincide with the downtown Mesa merchants successful “Friday Night Out” program held on the 2nd Friday of the month. Mesa’s next 2nd Friday Night Out event and cruise night is scheduled for January 9th 2009, so be sure to mark your calendars.

Among the many activities planned for Mesa’s “Friday Night Out” event will be an “Art Walk” featuring over 80 artists displaying their wares along Main Street. Also, live music will be playing at several locations along Main Street too. As I said, most of the stores and restaurants will be open late so plan to make a night of it.

All this culture and family fun plus 2 and 4 wheeled works of art cruising up and down Main Street will make for an inexpensive family night out in Downtown Mesa. Money may be tight, but gas is still cheap, so load up your ride and cruise on out to Mesa for a fun “Friday Night Out.”

For more information on Downtown Mesa’s “Friday Night Out” event go to: http://www.downtownmesa.com/friday_night.htm for more details on this and upcoming 2nd Friday events and to see photo’s from past events and cruise nights in Mesa.

If you have any more questions that the web site’s can’t answer, call Anita at the Jersey Girl Cafe (218 W. Main) at 480-924-7887 or e-mail her at: jerseygirlcafe @ gmail.com.

Don’t forget, with any purchase, Jersey Girl Cafe is giving out $50.00 off coupons for Discount Tire—-which also includes $100 off for a set of rims !!!! (Anita just posted me today about the $100 off rims part).

Also, two other terrific restaurants on Main Street are Queens Pizza for some great pizza prepared by Dave, or S-Bistro for some high end French-American-Tuscan food, prepared by Chef Brian.

Contributed by:
Bill Gilmore
Senior Appraiser
Automotive Research Services

1956 Buick Special Mild Custom

In case you didn’t know, My Ride is Me has a meaning. Everybody’s ride tells you a little something about the owner and every owner has a story. Ed shared this story for MyRideisMe.com about his 1956 Buick Special after I took some photos at the recent Cruise on Main Street in Mesa, AZ. It’s a beautiful car, so I’m happy to share this brief story and pictures.

Written by “Special” Ed (click to see his custom garage)

There is a story with this car. (Isn’t there always?) I had a blue and white Buick when I was 19, and was devastated when a drunk hit me in the rear and totaled the car. I paid $375.00 for it and had to borrow $200.00 to get it.

25 years later, while living in Detroit, I asked my brother-in-law (who was in the car business in Chandler, AZ) to keep an eye out for a clean AZ ‘56 Buick. I’ve owned several street rods and always had a soft spot for that old Buick. A few months later he called and told me I owned a ‘56 Buick Special. He had a mutual friend fix the bad spots and had an interior put in it and sent it to me in Detroit. From the beginning, the Buick was to look like I wanted my first Buick to look. There the sub frame and drive train work began. I found a donor ‘73 Buick Electra 225 and used the 455 engine and the 400 trans. The sub frame is ‘74 Nova welded in high to get the front end low and converted to disc brakes. The rear end came from the same Nova. Shortly after that, my wife and I decided to move to the Phoenix area. The car was then shipped back to Chandler (along with my ‘47 chopped Ford sedan) and sat untouched for about 5 years while we reset our lives.

Selling the Ford freed up some cash to get the Buick on the road. It was finally street able in spring of 2000. I drove it for 5 years with blue and white primer, while I continued with body modifications, each time adding another spot of primer. The paint was done in August of ‘05, and turned out much better than I expected. I have done a lot of work on this car myself, but the fabrication and bodywork and paint and many other details were done by many other people in the Detroit area and locally. Be assured that I have written all the checks. There are many war stories with the build of this car as there are with all car builds, but I would be typing for hours to explain them all. Thanks, Ed

I’ll share some of the other pics I took of Ed’s ride so you know that it’s not just clean on the outside. The grill is perfect and the interior is just right.

So what’s your story? You can help MyRideisMe.com keep great new content available by telling us why, “My Ride is Me”. Where’d you buy it? What made you like that car in the first place? Is that the car you got to second base with Mary Beth in? We wanna know! Add a comment and let us know you want to tell your story and we’ll get with you. Thanks!

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Cruise’n on Main St. – March 2008

For more information on the November 8th, 2008 Memories on Main Street cruise, go to the Mainstreet Garage.

While most parts of the US are still half frozen, Mesa, Arizona launches the first big cruise of the year (and first minor sunburn). Brought to us as, “POP’s Memories on Main Street” by the Prostate Checkup All Sports Foundation, it was a good time had by all and we had near perfect weather for it.

Cruising between Country Club and Mesa drive with parking on Main Street and in the several nearby city lots, for the $5 per car donation, I think everyone had a place. I was expecting a few more cars, but there was no lack of quality. Main street was lined with lawn chaired folks cheering for the next guy to, “light’m up!” I’m pretty sure Mesa PD did just that cause most burning rubber was followed closely by howling sirens. For the most part though, I think every had a good time enjoying their cars and making new friends. I know I did.

Here are a few of the cars I especially liked. Most of the pics I took are in the MyRideisMe.com picture gallery. CLICK HERE to visit the Main Street Cruise gallery. I’ll be featuring a few of these rides. If anyone sees there car and wants the high resolution image, let us know.

First off is my man Mike’s newly finished (or the first time I’ve seen it) 2 door Comet Wagon. This smooth cruiser is the cousin of the Falcon wagon and rare to find, especially in this condition. I’m a sucker for wagons. Mike’s also got a garage here at MyRideisme.com. I’ll be loading the other pics I took of this wagon soon. Click here to visit Mike’s garage.

(Click on any image to see it full size)

Sticking with the wagons theme then, dig this one. I was lucky to meet the owners and hear their touching story. This will definitely be a feature story since it hits so close to home for me. How many people got into hot rodding or car building because of their Pops? Don’t let the badges fool you. This 2 door Chevelle wagon sports a big block and a 5 speed! They’re new members of MyRideisMe.com too! Click here to visit their garage.

Next up is a SUPER rare Boss 351 Mustang owned by Craig Fackler. He bought this car new in 1971, then sold it and was able to buy it back! Guess what? He’s keeping it now! I’ll be featuring this Mustang too.

I see this 1956Buick Special all over town and I love it every time. Ed finally gave in and joined MyRideisMe.com too. I wheeled this baby out into the open to take a few pics for Ed. This car’s smooth from every angle so even “Shakey” here can get a good shot! I’ve got more pics Ed! Click here to visit Ed’s garage.

Last but not least, I want to share a few more pictures of Corporal Foster’s newly redone Camaro. He was out proudly cruising his new ride with Lance Baker from the 1st Generation Camaro club near by. That Viper blue paint they used really pops in the sun. If you didn’t get a chance to read the heart warming story of this car and the soldier it was built for, CLICK HERE to read the story.

Obviously, there were more than 5 cars there so here’s some thumbnails of my favorite pics. Remember, all of the pics I took are located in the Gallery. CLICK HERE to see the complete gallery.

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