June, 2006, Cruise News

STORY LINE:  ROAD TRIP, 2006 SEMA HEADS-UP

Being away from Michigan’s ‘angel puke’ during the month of March is a wonderful state of happiness for me. You may like snow … but I over the years have come to dislike the ‘stuph’. Yes, I acknowledge the necessity of this frozen H2O, I just do not like it. It looks pretty-sometime, but pretty much though stops my favorite activity of playing with cars for about five months of the year. Every year. I have a distinct need for palm trees and a bad day of about 70 degrees fahrenheit and no more than 12 percent relative humidity …  a Cadillac convertible, many miles of sandy ocean beach … or a 200mph capable vehicle and many miles of deserted highway. A really good cigar and a tall glass containing Parrot Bay rum mixed with pineapple juice or cranberry juice will work too. Now back to reality.

THE road trip took place mid March to Floyd Garrett’s Muscle Car Museum in Sevierville, Tennessee, where some 90+ classic AMERICAN made muscle cars are available for visitation by anyone who wishes to see them and pop for the entry tariff. Left way early in the am before the birds make their first stretch and had my second cup of java in Toledo where I filled ‘Bufords’ fuel tank thinking fuel might be cheaper … not so. ‘Buford’ by the way is my Buick Roadmaster ‘Woody’ Estate Wagon and is like lounging in the parlor …21 mpg too.  Stopped in Dayton to secure a set of knock-off and hammer for my Dayton wire wheels that will be adorning my ’73 Grand Am pic-a-door, some 50 miles down the road and crossing the Ohio River in Cincinatti is where you know the south has been entered … ahh Kentucky, Lexington horse country is beautiful!!!

Arrived at the Muscle Car Museum in Tennessee, about 18 miles due east of Knoxville and nine miles directly south off of I-40, late afternoon and as soon as I walk in the door who do I see … Phil Edwards THE SIGN GUY setting up his signs for sale display … seems I just cannot hide anywhere anymore! Spent the rest of the day till almost midnight with Floyd Garrett and some of his car friends, had dinner, could not get enough of the museum and spent the night in Gatlinburg right at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Early morning with a walk through town and breakfast at my favorite Gatlinburg establishment, The Pancake Pantry and back to the Muscle Car Museum. 

Floyd’s museum is full of muscle cars, Elvis memorabilia and model trains and if you like American Muscle, this is Valhalla. The front of the building houses a 6,000 square feet gift shop filled with 18,000 books, toys and just good old car ‘stuph’ for sale. The car museum section is enclosed behind the gift shop and when entered the first car you see is a 1963 Pontiac Super Duty 421 Catalina 2dr hardtop. Bright Red in color with 8-lugs, this is the last SD 421 Pontiac built-single 4-barrel and virtually under secrecy after the GM ban for Johnny Mauro and the  Pikes Peak Hill Climb. A few other Pontiac SD cars are also in the museum, a 1961 3x2 barrel 368HP/389SD Catalina, a ’62 and another ‘63. Fords: Ford built the 7-Litre 428 car in 1967 with only one 2x4 barrel 425HP/427 convertible 7-Litre built … and it is here. A ’63 light weight 427 Galaxie White/Red trim,  and a number of BOSS Mustangs. My favorite MOPAR was a 1959 Sport Fury convertible 1x4 barrel 361, an A-990 1965 HEMI Super Stocker and a clone ’62 Dodge 440 Red convertible with a 413 ‘Cross Ram’. A neat Olds was the White 1966 442 W30 2dr sedan with the L69 3x2 400 RAM AIR. And Pontiac GTO cars. Floyd Garrett’s favorites are Chevrolets and the museum has groups of them from 409’s to LS6, 396 and 427 Corvette cars. Yenko, Berger and Motion Camaro cars are also displayed. Floyd’s office even has Don Yenko’s lamp on the desk. www.musclecarmuseum.com  865-908-0882.

After leaving Sevierville it was a short 90 mile trip west to Sparta, Tennessee where old Michigan and No-Name Car Club friends Bill and Kathy Saylors retired. Bill just traded a ’56 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery for a way sharp Powerglide 250HP/327 powered  ‘64 Impala SS hardtop. His garage is about half as big as the house and just as clean. Spent time on his farm feeding the Black Angus cattle (they are now cattle ranchers-and I am now a qualified calf nurse feeder) and cruising around in his Red Corvette visiting some of his car friends and stopping in at good southern roadside restaurants for coffee and homemade foods. Bill and Kathy’s neighbor has a way lowered ‘61 Buick LeSabre mild custom convertible, Andy Yoder has a drop dead gorgeous ’61 Coronado Red tri-power  ‘Bubble Top’ Bonneville … and on St. Patrick’s day their car friends held a corn beef/cabbage party and brought out the cars. Cookville, Tennessee has a drag strip right next to I-40 so I was right at home, and just up the road a few hours in historic Somerset, Kentucky … Somernites car cruises are held on the fourth Saturday of each month April through October.  Southern hospitality at it’s absolute best.  

NOTES from SEMA Media: INDUSTRY CELEBRATES AMERICAN MUSCLE AT THE 40^TH  ANNUAL SEMA SHOW. Ford, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler share an unprecedented collaboration  as vehicle manufacturers of the 2006 Event … Three of the American automotive industry’s giants will shine at the 2006 SEMA Show, simultaneously celebrating the continuation of their musclecar heritage and the SEMA Show’s 40^th anniversary. Just as several automakers have chosen the world-famous Las Vegas event for the major introductions of new and specialty vehicles, the trio of Detroit icons is sure to produce automotive headlines with dazzling displays, educational programs and the unveiling of future vehicle and performance products as they share the title of Vehicle Manufacturers of the Show.

This personally makes me very happy as last year Honda America was the SEMA show sponsor. It is good that the Detroit boys collaborate as they should … and this is the first time in the history of SEMA that DETROIT  is the sponsor in the form of this collaboration. YES!  SEMA is likely one of the best automotive events in the country and I have been going to the show since last century.

Again … The world is a harsh yet wondrous master, it rewards the strong with an inate adaptability.

The fate of the others is extinction …a wise person should seek the wisdom of his world.