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29th Annual KKOA Leadsled Spectacular Salina Kansas - Simply SpectacularFrom the February, 2010 issue of Rod & Custom
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The rod and custom faithful are blessed with dozens of great car shows throughout the country every year, a good share of which even cater to the traditional crowd. But there are still only a handful of gatherings where customs-or kustoms-take center stage. The KKOA Leadsled Spectacular was one of the first, and is once again one of the best. A lot of locals bring their... A lot of locals bring their muscle cars and late-model imports out to the Friday night drags at the airport, but you still get to see plenty of vintage rods and customs running side by side on the strip. Now in its 29th year, the Spectacular has regained a lot of ground since finding a stable home in Salina, Kansas. With tree-lined Thomas Park as its setting, the show has seen steady growth-officially hitting the 1,000 entry mark for the '09 event July 24-26. Many participants are diehard KKOA members who've flocked to the show since the '80s. Others are second- and third-generation enthusiasts who just recently discovered the Spectacular's fun, laid-back atmosphere. All of them journey to Salina to get a yearly fix of whitewalls, dual pipes, and candy paint, not to mention a chance to meet custom royalty like George Barris, Bill Hines, and Darryl Starbird. Friday night drag races are one of the added bonuses of the Spectacular's Salina home. KKOA President Jerry Titus has somehow convinced Salina's city fathers to allow heads-up eighth-mile drag races at the old Salina airport. The just-for-fun races are a great way flog your kemp or rod, and thousands of spectators flock to the 'strip to check out the spectacle. When the right cars are running the whole scene looks like it was transplanted straight from the '50s. Gary Gerberding pulled out... Gary Gerberding pulled out all the stops when he built this sweet Cyber Green Stude for his wife, Liz. The tastefully chopped coupe wears modified '55 Olds headlight rings, a handmade grille, narrowed front bumper, and Lee-style '56 Chevy taillights. A '51 Ford dash highlights the custom interior. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the '09 Spectacular felt a little lonely without the presence of Elden Titus, who lost his battle with cancer in late 2008. The younger brother of KKOA President Jerry Titus, Elden helped relight the kustom torch in the late '70s and early '80s and did far more than his part to keep it burning bright. Elden was an avid builder of both full-size and scale-model customs, and his memory was honored at the Elden Titus Model Kemp Spectatular model car contest, hosted by the KC Slammers Club. On the 1:1 scale side of things, Gary Gerberding created the Elden Titus Design award, which was presented to a very appreciative Tim Strange for the '52 Buick he built for Erik and Paul Hansen. While hot rods and street rods are both welcome and plentiful at the Spectacular, the show's spotlight will always shine brightest on the cool customs it attracts. With that in mind, we hope you'll allow us to indulge our custom senses on the following pages. If the low 'n' slow life appeals to you, maybe you'll consider checking out next year's 30th anniversary Leadsled Spectacular, scheduled to hit Salina July 23-25, 2010. Cruise over to www.kustomkempsofamerica.com for details.  Proving that even Plymouths...  Proving that even Plymouths can make cool early customs, Shoe Nyegaard had Jeff Myers chop a few inches from his skirted '38 coupe. Mods include a LaSalle grille, '37 Plymouth front end, extended doors, and a sectioned deck lid.  With a LaSalle grille, '37...  With a LaSalle grille, '37 Ford headlights, and a '40 Olds rear bumper fitted with '49 Ford taillights, Ed Blassingame's '36 Ford three-window looks like it could have jumped right out of the pages of an early '50s little book.  Brian Everett's glowing gold...  Brian Everett's glowing gold '40 Merc is one of the latest creations to come from Oz Kustoms. A hardtop chop, extended fenders, molded running boards, and Dagmar bumpers are just a few of the highlights on this smooth cruiser, which carried home the Most Spectacular Leadsled award.  Tom Sparkman's House of Kolor...  Tom Sparkman's House of Kolor Brandywine '55 Buick has a Fatman Mustang II IFS, Art Morrison four-bar rear suspension, frenched headlights, Packard taillights, Riviera seats, custom console, and a 425ci Nailhead backed by a Tremec five-speed.  Erik and Paul Hansen's Resilience...  Erik and Paul Hansen's Resilience '52 Buick earned both the Elden Titus Design award and the event's top honor, the 777 Custom Crown award.  Lou Calasibetta came all the...  Lou Calasibetta came all the way from his Old Stillwater Garage in New Jersey with the restored Alexander Brothers Golden Chariot '56 Chevy. The car's subtle mods-including a tube grille, reworked side trim, custom taillights, and an asymmetrical hood scoop-result in a perfect example of tasteful early '60s restyling.  John Tretten tried to explain...  John Tretten tried to explain to us how many coats of paint are on his wild panel-painted Chevy wagon, but we lost count after the first couple dozen...  Brad Masterson cruised all...  Brad Masterson cruised all the way from California in his fine Fleetline Chevy.  Mike Shea's shoebox Ford has...  Mike Shea's shoebox Ford has been cruising around in primer the past few years. It was good to see it in Salina with fresh gold paint and white scallops by Jeff Myers.  Dave Barnes' '59 Pontiac has...  Dave Barnes' '59 Pontiac has been on the road for several years now, but still looks great. The Inferno Red beauty features a '60 Merc grille, modified front bumper, and a rolled rear pan.  Don Pagano had a nice mild...  Don Pagano had a nice mild custom '57 Ford in the late-'50s. A few years ago, his brother, Tom, built this one as a surprise gift for Don. Subtle touches include frenched headlights with extended eyebrows, a Glory Grills grin, and narrowed bumpers. A 312 Y-block gets it moving.  Yeah, it's a custom show,...  Yeah, it's a custom show, but it's hard to ignore a great-looking Deuce like this three-window.  Curt Stechert swapped an Edsel...  Curt Stechert swapped an Edsel nose onto his Ranchero, and then sprayed Watson-influenced purple and white paint to make sure you'd pay attention.  We never tire of seeing clean,...  We never tire of seeing clean, well-executed custom Mercs like Gary and Pam Garnick's black '50 from Nebraska.  Mild customs don't get much...  Mild customs don't get much finer than Ron and Gail Lawson's '53 Merc.  Doug Reed recently rebuilt...  Doug Reed recently rebuilt the '49 Olds he's been cruising in for more than 40 years. Thankfully, he had Mike Schoech of Auto Artistry re-shoot it in the familiar bright green with dark green scallops, originally designed by the late Elden Titus. The fastback still runs a 371 J-2 Olds tri-carb mill.  Frenched headlights, a '56...  Frenched headlights, a '56 Plymouth grille, Pontiac side trim, and '59 Buick tallights are all nice touches on Ed and Judy Banes' '56 Ford from Colorado.  There's only one way to describe...  There's only one way to describe Chris Stewart's six-carbed, W-motored, tube-framed and seriously low Model A: Badass!
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