Bob and Jane Zurawski cruised over from Stevens Point, WI, in their chopped '51 Merc. Besides the lid lowering and hardtop conversion, custom mods include Olds headlight rings, a DeSoto grille, and vertical '58 Olds taillights frenched in the rear quarters. There are 17-inch Intro wheels and disc brakes at each corner.
One of our favorite cars of the show had to be Dave Klegin's '50 Ford sedan, a period-perfect mild custom with frenched lights, rounded hood corners, Cad caps, a '55 Dodge grille, and a subtle two-tone green spray. It's still got a flathead underhood, and may get an interior someday. Maybe.
A broken back couldn't keep Chad Walen from bringing his recently finished '57 Ford custom to the show. The car shines with House of Kolor Ultimate Orange and pearl white hues divided by Ranchero trim, and scoots thanks to a 429ci Cobra Jet big-block and C6 trans.
After viewing it on display at the Detroit Autorama in March, it was great to see-and hear-Bill and Sandy Baron's Magnuson-blown, LS1-powered, and Corvette-suspended '54 Chevy cruising the grounds in St. Paul.
Casual Affair - Back to the 50's Show in St. Paul
Yes, it's big, but Back to the '50s is anything but pretentious
Have you found yourself wondering lately whether the custom and hot rod hobby has become a bit too bloated and pompous for its own good? We've got car builders who are television celebrities, owners who fret about the best show at which to "debut" their latest rides, and six-figure customs that are so trick they need to be toted around in $10,000 trailers pulled by $40,000 pickups. It's enough to make you long for the laid-back, carefree days when custom cars were built to drive and events were merely a means for fun and fellowship with your buddies and other like-minded rodders.
That's why we like attending the Minnesota Street Rod Association's huge Back to the '50s show in St. Paul. The atmosphere always seems far more casual than other events, which is probably why it continues to be one of the largest rod, custom, and classic happenings in the country. The number of participating vehicles regularly eclipses 10,000, while 10 times that many spectators typically file through the gates between Friday and Sunday. This year's 33rd annual event, held June 23-25, had an official car count of 11,069.
One reason for such staggering numbers is the populist, wide-open entry policy. Basically, if your car runs, has four wheels, and was originally built before 1965, it's welcome at Back to the '50s. Thus, you not only get to see great street rods and customs, but also various restored classics, trucks, a few vintage sports cars, and even a bunch of plain Jane four-door sedans and other neat old stuff.
Some participants camp in their cars overnight in order to claim particular parking spaces, but the Minnesota State Fairgrounds are so spread out and inviting that it's hard to pinpoint a true "power parking" area. Those who do find the "perfect" spot miss out on one of the event's primary pastimes: cruising. We think Dave Klegin and his pals had the right idea. They would pile into his mild custom, Flathead-powered '50 Ford sedan, cruise for a while, and stop when they found a decent, open parking spot. They'd walk around and check out the cars in that vicinity for a bit, then hop back in the Ford and do some more cruisin' until they found another temporary parking spot. It looked like fun-and a great way to cover the massive fairgrounds without killing your feet.
Besides the overwhelming number of vehicles, Back to the '50s has all the other attractions you'd expect from such an event. There are hundreds of parts vendors, an equal number of craft booths, and food stands offering some of the best fairground vittles around-everything from cheese curds and cheeseburgers, to cinnamon rolls, barbecue sandwiches, and various kinds of meat on sticks. There's also live music on Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning, plus regular prize drawings throughout each day. Sunday morning's swap meet ensures that a good number of participants will do some bargain hunting, and maybe even score a new project vehicle before heading for home.
One thing Back to the '50s doesn't have is an awards ceremony. Perhaps the lack of trophies keeps some potential participants and high-profile pro builders away, but the event sure doesn't seem to suffer for it. Instead, it just keeps quietly growing in its own casual, low-key manner. If this laid-back approach sounds good to you, consider attending the 2007 show June 22-24, or visit www.msra.com for more info.
Ron Barclay has blended traditional custom touches like lakes pipes and scallops with more modern mirrors and 18-inch Billet Specialties wheels on his tasty, mild '58 Pontiac. It still runs a Pontiac 370ci V-8 mill.
Janesville, WI's Trever Brandenburg demonstrated the versatility of the shoebox Ford by giving his heavily hammered '51 a thoroughly modern look. The billet grille, molded Plymouth front bumper, and big-inch five-spokes are complemented by frenched '59 Cad taillights and hot licks over bright yellow paint.
Bright blue paint with long, skinny flames make a simple-but-effective statement on Tommy Miller's Chevy, while 17-inch Intro wheels help complete the look. A gray velour interior and later GM subframe make it more enjoyable to drive.
Ralph Marquardt's '63 Falcon was one of three Cayuse concept models designed and built by stylist Vince Gardner for Ford and its Custom Car Caravan. Its asymmetric front and rear styling and radiused wheel openings helped earn it a cover spot in Custom Rodder's July 1963 issue. Aside from fresh paint and a new top, Ralph's 40,000-mile version remains unchanged from the '60s.
Gordy Jacobson's '51 Chevy gets its mean, clean, modern look via a chopped top, shaved and smoothed body, and a charcoal paint covering virtually every exterior surface. It runs 18- and 20-inch Boze wheels and a gray leather interior with bucket seats, a console, tilt column, and Vintage Air.
This Kansas-based '55 Olds appears to be all stock except for a little lowering, 18- and 20-inch five-spoke rollers, and custom white threads, but it sure does shimmer in bright orange and white.
Since being featured in Custom Rodder's November 2005 issue, Tom Wahl's awesome Ford woodie has gone on to earn the Goodguys Custom Rod of the Year award and, more recently, the MSRA's Custom of the Year honor. Congrats, Tom!
Bright red paint, a cherry black top, and Corvette grille are enough to draw your attention to Billy Sampson's '55 Chevy two-door wagon, while a super-sanitary tan interior with Impala-style buckets and console will impress you upon closer inspection.
We saw this neat turquoise '57 Pontiac cruising nearly every corner of the fairgrounds on Saturday.
How 'bout a looong '56 Lincoln as the basis for the ultimate land-barge custom? A little dechroming, a lot of red paint, and an updated gray cabin have Menard's Wisconsin-based version looking clean and comfy.
Steven Palmer's '54 Chevy has the right look going with its tastefully chopped top, '55 Chevy headlight eyebrows, frenched '56 Buick taillights, and '55 Pontiac rear bumper.
Dean Osland recently completed this very well-detailed '58 Rambler. The stock body belies all the mods underneath, which include an updated chassis, LS6 small-block V-8, and tan leather bucket seats divided by a well-integrated late-model GM console.
Sometimes the most tried-and-true recipes-like DeSoto grille teeth, rounded hood corners, and Lincoln taillights-work best on a mild custom Merc. A. Olson's red, unchopped '50 sure looks nice.
A healthy 3 1/2-inch top chop gives Pete Schumacher's '62 T-bird an especially svelte appearance. Wheels are 17-inch Center Line items.
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