So you want to win some car show awards. If you're James Kendall, you pick up a 1970 Ford Custom Van, grab a brush and a roller, and get busy with purple paint. It was eight years ago that James purchased the then barely running Kendall Van for the bargain price of 200 dollars, American. James has been rolling it into car shows ever since. The row of awards on display in front … [Read more...]
Onward Thames
From the project cars we wish we had money and time to build department, comes this 1959 Thames Trader 300E panel wagon. The complete and original if not somewhat rusted vanwagon was for sale at the NHRA Bowling Green Hot Rod Reunion swap meet - with a bonus. Inside the van-like wagon's cavernous cargo area were all the parts to fix or replace any rusty bits. Also included was … [Read more...]
Fourth of July Parade
The local Fourth of July parade is always a good place to kick things off on the most red, white, and blue of American holidays. Thanks to the Redwood City staging its parade participants nearby to the Clunkbucket estate, we got to catch the action up close even before the show even started. Waking up to the opening theme from the Flintstones being played on a trombone and the … [Read more...]
Royal Jokers Cruise Night
Proving that art, metalflake, cars, and roadside cuisine really do all work together are the Royal Jokers car club. While the club has been building and driving fine hot rods and customs for over twenty years, they just recently started rolling into the Oakland art scene at the Giant Burger for a monthly dinner. The first Friday of every month is when uptown Oakland has an Art … [Read more...]
Clean Battery Posts and Terminals
Despite promises of atomic power and limitless propulsion, the lead-acid battery under the hoods of most automobiles is not very futuristic. Cleverly named maintenance-free batteries are updated versions of the same basic lead-acid automotive battery design that first kicked over a production Cadillac in 1912. Even maintenance-free batteries require occasional wrenching. … [Read more...]