Hi all !
Well the weekend of July 6-7-8 turned out to be a whopper. Myself, my friend
Rick Hansen from Oxford NY, and Boogie Woogie headed to Hartford Connecticut
soon after I got back from my first Friday on the job in a long long time.
We hit the highway about 5 pm from Sidney NY and traveling on smoother,but
slower secondary roads towards Hartford. Great weather, great company,
great ride.
Got lost four times. he he he.
You know how it is, you get gabbin with a pal instead of really paying
attention, and whoops! there we go again! Right thru the rhubarb.
But I gotta tellya, roads in Connecticut ARE poorly marked. So we prolly
went 35 miles and two hours farther than we shoulda. -aw, so what. We had
a good time.
Its not the destination, its the journey you know.
SO we pull in to the site of the third annual ROAD AGENTS Rock-a-Billy
Rumble about 10:30pm and the warm ups for the Rumble were going full tilt
boogie Lotsa VERY nice cars to be seen in the dark, lotsa music with THREE
live Bands at the FREE warm up party, and lotsa young things with purple
hair, rings in weird places, -and TATs
HUH????
I thought this was supposed to be a 50s sorta gatherin ?
-With only pre 1963 style Hot Rods, Custom Cars, and early chopped and
bobbed Motorsickles allowed. I sure dont remember anything like that.
Sailors and kids Dads were the only ones who had tattoos where I grew up, I
dont know about you.A nd I sure never saw any purple hair until the
hippies. And there was only two kinds of guys that wore earrings where I
came from, and one kind was Pirates But I digress.
By prior arrangement, Rick and I met up with Timin Joe Timney around past
midnite, to share a room at th Inn once we left the Rumble warm-ups.
Joe was already in bed as hed had a good drive that day after working all
day in Delaware and had driven up to meet us in Hartford Truth to tell I
was bushed as well having been up since 5:30 ayem mownself.
But even so, it was a grand reunion. We gabbed of Maxton, and Bonneville,
and Hot Rods until we fell asleep Joe in mid sentence
- Hey Joe, did you hear me, or are ya snorin???
Next morning by 7am the huge East Hartford Elks Club parking lot was filling
fast. Let me tell you, if there was one 32 Ford, there was 50. Same
for Model As, and Merc Customs, FLATHEADS everywhere! THE original star
car from the 1956 movie Hot Rod Girl , a REAL Fuel Altered, Ronnie
Roadsters Flathead Altered, Three early diggers, an honest to gawsh STREET
LEGAL, flathead powered, resurrected 35 Ford 3 window coupe Stock Car (that
ran Upstate NY in the 50sand driven to this event ) Many famous,-and
near famous, old original rods appeared as if from out of nowhere. Some
really great Custom Cars, and some mighty fine early Harleys of all flavors;
Flatty, Knuckle, Panhead, et al, Thumpers, and beautifully restored a 1941
Indian Four. All told rthere must have been 450 really fine rides in
attendance,,,, and thats not counting the ones turned away at the gate for
being too modern looking.
Everywhere you looked, there were old friends; Tommy Hockman from Pennsy,
Tom Culbertson and most of his club mates, the ROAD ROCKETS from
Indianapolis, and many, many other friendly faces in the crowd. The
atmosphere was as if it were the start of the Indy 500 .and charged with
as much electricity.
Members were in attendance from old and new clubs such as;
the TYRODS
the CARBS
the DOMINATORS
the PUSHRODS
the STROKERS (of Springfield)
the RADICAL VALVE TIMERS
the 97s
the ORIENTALS,
the Boston area STROKERS
the ALTER BOYS,
the ROAD ROCKETS
the TRI-CITY FLYWHEELERS
the BOSTON AREA ROADSTERS
the KUSTOM KROWNS
and
the PHANTOMS .being just some of the ones I can think of at the moment!
To say the third RUMBLE was a success, is a lot like like sayin Bonneville
is hot, salty and fast.
Right Joe ?
We ran into many old friends, and saw others if only for a moment. There
was so much going on, you couldnt take it all in, nor greet all you would
have liked to. Friend Howard Hastings of the 97s drove by in his late 40s
style 29 A-V8, and I hollered, and then never saw him again!
We ALL had too much fun I think. Later that day, some of the
re-enforcements from the LSR list arrived to help carry the flag of honor
into the fields as it were. Bob Swanson first, then our black belt
historian Loose Bruce AKA BDF Fastmetal showed up as well. We all had a
fine time, and decided that all of you who missed the event REALLY MISSED.
But we did as well as we could to have your fun for all of ya who couldnt
be there
I do know a 30 box of barley pop will never be the same. We had it
surrounded. And we kept it out of the Sun too Keith! Later on I got a
ride around the block inna 331 Cad powered little short that was just
finished by one of the twenty something up and coming young guys and it
was a thrill. A bit edgy around the edges perhaps, but whose car wasnt
when we were that age I ask ?
For you Ardun lovers out there, it is worthy of mention that not one,.. but
two Deuces drove in the front gate under their own power, and under the
capable guidance of Ronnie Roadster (Ron San Giovanni) and Ardun Mike Hart,
both locals from Connecticut Mikes sweetheart, had a extra zooty special
made dual plane three deuce setup on it, residing in a warm, comfortable
looking, patinized jus right dark green and black almost stock, Deuce 3
Window with apple green Kelsey Hayes wire wheels -Ah nirvana.
Did we have a good time ?
What do you think ?
So next year in early July, Youd best make plans to be at the ROCK-A-BILLY
RUMBLE in East Hartford, Ct. if you possibly can. I know, I know, some of
you live in OZ, KIWIland, ENGland, CANada, NORTHWESTland, and such, but I
did want to at least give you a taste of the experience
Yah we did good las weekend, Boogie Woogie did too -giving a Dutch
Rockabilly cat the ride of his life around 9pee-m Saturday nite
Cheers to you all,
Dirty Doug Anderson, signin off,
-cuz 5:30 sure comes early for work!
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