Rodder's Day 2008 - Tucson/Pictures

Went down to 4th Avenue, in Tucson's "Old Town" today. This event has been happening for over 20 years, so there is always a great bunch of cars, from all over the Southwest. I even saw one from an Illinois club.

I am a painter, so you will have to tolerate more "paint pictures" than usual, but I threw in unusual body styles, and even a couple of those "vintage rods". Don't worry, I didn't get too close, and my tetnus shot is current. :-)~

Great weather, friendly faces, and the smell of the barbeque wagon! Always a good time. Thanks to TSRA, Tucson Street Rod Association.

I'll post a few at a time, so come back for more.

....and more...

Five more:

Notice the '39-'40 sedan is a "hardtop"!

The Blue panel really looks nice!!! Always great to see something unique!!!!

More.....

I love the view of block after block of rods, restos and customs!

The overhead wire and tracks are for the trolley, which runs during the event. You can see it at the far end. :-)

Here are a few more.

....and YES! It's a Hemi!

Still more, but obviously not all!

I assume that is an actual Australian "Ute" pickup.

...and the last of my pictures.

The long-nosed bucket looked like it had an inline. I assume it was a six.

A good day!

Yesterday they had a tour to the top of Mount Lemon, overlooking Tucson, for a "Burger Burn".

After this event today, was to be the awards banquet, at the host hotel. Tomorrow, the trip home.

To see more of the cars and activities, visit the TSRA web site at... http://www.tucsonstreetrodassociation.com/

Nice cars! how many did you paint?

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Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

Nice cars! how many did you paint?

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Thanks. The quality of the cars was noticeably up this year.

I had three in these pictures, but all were graphics-only jobs, from about 5-10 years ago. None of my completes, or recent stuff.

This Buick was there, though these are loder pics. I am proud to say, amny years ago, my shop or employees did some of the body work........(a very small amount, but I'm still proud). He had a trophy sticker on the headlight, but I don't know what award he won. Whatever it was, it was well-deserved!

I sure do love them buicks! And that one is Perfect! What is that grill made from? It does not look like a stock buick grill i have ever seen.

The bumpers are Caddy "Dagmars". I think the grill teeth are 1950 Buick pieces.

Those are really great pictures, thanks for posting. :D The Buick is really sharp and you're right it deserves an award. About the 39/40 "hardtop", there was a green one at Goodguys Charlotte a few years back that won several awards and later showed up in a Street Rodder layout. I also saw one at the CoonAss in 2005. They are really sharp when done that way.

Nice cars, I like 51 ford, blue and silver hardtop. Just love to see them all lined up in town, makes it a friendly relaxed setting.

Richard

Still more, but obviously not all!

I assume that is an actual Australian "Ute" pickup.

Your assumption is correct.......pity you didn't show a frontal shot, I could have told you with more certainty.......but it's either an FX or FJ Holden (GM) ute (utility), circa '48 to '55.
Great photos.
Thanks.

If you look at the photo of the front of the T-bucket and
touring car, side by side...you can see the front of the Ute.

Oh yeah! So ya can......
The back end of that ute is most certainly Holden, unmistakable, but that grille is Chevrolet......
No question of that either.
So is it a Holden back end moulded into a Chev car, or Chev grille moulded into a Holden ute?
Looking at the over-all lines I'd go for Holden back end and Chevy car body.
The FJ/FX front gaurds don't come so far back into the doors as the Chevy ones do.
Interesting.......
Thanks for that.

Would the Chevy grill fit a Holden? I thought the Holden was a GM product too. I also thought of an Olds grill, but I'm not sure of the differences.

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Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

Would the Chevy grill fit a Holden? I thought the Holden was a GM product too. I also thought of an Olds grill, but I'm not sure of the differences.

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Yep, Holden is G M. But the FJ and FX front guards finish at the A post.
Roughly '48 to about '54 for the FX and FJ, Chevrolets from around the same era, that is late 40's, the guards finished in the middle of the front doors, as those ones do.
The window in the back of the cab shouts "Holden!" at me too......but from there on forward........nah.

I'll assume that "guards" is your term for fenders. If that is true, then it looks like the door portion of the "guards" is a bolt-on. Maybe they opted to use an american front body, with the door parts added???

I had a crack at replying to you yesterday, but the stupid pooter wouldn't let me....just kept telling me "Web-site unavailable"........we're on dial-up, and speeds are sssslllllooooowwww.......30.6Kbps.
Do a search on CHR for "Holden", it should show the "Efijy" car that was posted here a few years back, that'll give you an idea of what an FJ Holden looked like.

I remember those drawings! Beautiful.

Yep, she's a bobby dazzler alright, but do you see what I mean about the gua......Oops!, sorry, fenders not continuing into the door?
Whereas the Chev fenders did.

I saw that. There looks to be a seam around the fender portion, like it's a bolt-on. That way they would not have made a different door for each.

Were the "Utes" marketed anywhere else, besides Australia or New Zealand?

Not as far as I'm aware.......but then, what would I know?

I'm not really "into" Holdens, I'm pretty sure some of the passenger cars made it into the States in various guises, as did some of the Ausbloodytralian Fords.......badged as Taurus and Tempest.

Great pictures.

The Buick is absolutely beautiful !!

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Originally Posted by johnboy

Not as far as I'm aware.......but then, what would I know?

I'm not really "into" Holdens, I'm pretty sure some of the passenger cars made it into the States in various guises, as did some of the Ausbloodytralian Fords.......badged as Taurus and Tempest.

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Problem solved!!
I was at a boozy party last night, held to celebrate the end of the Drag Racing season. As was to be expected, there were many Petrol-heads of varying ages and persuasions there.
So......I posed the question of the Chevrolet cab with the Holden tray.
Yep, they were built alright, they're a Fisher bodied Chevrolet, built by G.M. in Ausbloodytralia just after WW II, for the American market, with a widened FX Holden ute body on the back end.
Nobody was too sure how many were built, but the general concensus was less then 2,000.
So there ya go!
(Stands, bowing modestly, waving his hat, to thunderous applause.)

Not quite right Johnboy they were built for the local market in australia by G.M holden Australia The cab and chassis came from USA and the backs were made locally they were bigger than the holden body's,

Thanks guys.

I am sure that many others are also curious about these car/trucks. They are probably unknown to casual enthusiaists here, but the internet is making the world a smaller place.

Our Chevy El Caminos, GMC Sprint, and Ford Rancheros have always been highly prized, and if the utes had been marketed here, I'm sure they would have been, also.

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Originally Posted by kiwirodder

Not quite right Johnboy they were built for the local market in australia by G.M holden Australia The cab and chassis came from USA and the backs were made locally they were bigger than the holden body's,

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Good on ya Ray, O font of all knowledge, it's just as well someone knows what they're talking about, I would've put everyone crook!
:3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: :3dSMILE: