The fascinating history of American cars . . .one story at a time.
The Highway Creepers usher in the outdoor car show season in my area, and they host a terrific show replete with low riders, fins, rat rods, and hot rods. If you were unable to make it to Kearney over the weekend, here is some of what you missed:
’32 Ford
’54 Chevy
’51 Merc
’54 Chevy
’55 Caddy
’51 Chevy Deluxe
’48 Olds
’55 Mercury Montclair
’59 Buick
1950 Shoebox Ford
I was strolling along at an outdoor antiques market the other day when the Mercury Man caught my eye:
This particular cap is correct for a 1951 Mercury. It measures around eleven inches in diameter and marked the Mercury Man’s return from hubcap hiatus. I grabbed it quick because I just never find them at the flea markets where I live. You know where else you rarely find them? On ’51 Mercs.
Many of the car shows we frequent have been canceled this year, and I have missed them terribly. That’s why I was beyond excited to make the short trip to Elm Creek, Nebraska, to attend the show hosted by the E.C. Cruisers Car Club. There were many beautiful rides gracing the downtown streets of this central Nebraska village, and here are just a few:
It is fairly rare to see big trucks at the local car shows, so I was absolutely thrilled to see this unique entry:
It is a 1952 Ford F7, part of the “Big Job” line, and someone has made it gorgeous. The original truck would have come equipped with the 145-hp 279-ci Cargo King V-8 engine. The chassis in ’52 was available in a variety of lengths, ranging from a 135 to 195-inch WB, and the cab was either the 5-Star Cab or the 5-Star Extra. The “extra” consisted of things like sound deadener, custom door panel trim, sun visors, arm rests, door locks, chrome windshield molding and an illuminated cigar lighter. I don’t know what this particular truck had for a cab originally, but it was not neglected in the upgrade:
However big the job, it would be a blast to work it in this beast!
