Street rodders roll into town
Medina County Fairgrounds host weekend car show
The “featured car” of the 2017 Vintage Street Rodders of America Medina car show is this 1935 Chevy Town Sedan owned by Jerry Bowman of Wooster. Here are exterior and interior views of this beauty. Photo by GAYLE FOSTER
MEDINA – Nearly 90 pre-1949 vehicles, both cars and trucks, came to town June 23-24 where their owners sought shady spots at the Medina County Fairgrounds to show off their immaculate and well-cared-for “babies.”
They were part of a group called Vintage Street Rodders of America who adhere to strict guidelines that their car or truck must be older than 1949, have at least 1,000 miles on the odometer and must be driven to the show (not trailered). Most of the participants traveled fair distances to the Medina event, coming from such places as Bowling Green, Wooster and Bucyrus in Ohio; Vero Beach, Fla.; Kingsport, Tenn.: and Maggie Valley, N.C.
President of the group and event organizers Jim and Debbie Bledsoe plan similar shows around the country, driving their 1934 Dodge panel truck that began life as a bus. Bledsoe did all the restoration work himself, including painting “ghost flames” on the fenders and along the side panels that only show up when the light hits just so. His truck boasts a 440 motor, 5-speed straight drive. The interior has a polished wood floor and ceiling with decorative LED illumination. Its next journey will take the owners from Chattanooga, Tenn. to San Antonio, Texas in October.
Helen and Larry Hammon of Spencer drove their 1948 GMC towing a miniature similar “car” that serves as a trailer for their personal baggage when they hit the road to such places as their recent May trip that covered 4,900 miles from Knoxville, Tenn., the famed “mother road,” Route 66 and on to Amarillo, Texas, with a stop in Memphis to visit Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
Jim and Joan Krejci of Medina drive matching 1932 Ford Roadsters, one a pick-up, the other a “soft-top,” neither has side curtains or windows. Both are steel bodies. The pair acknowledged, “The only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys.”
A certain camaraderie develops when friendships form over common interests. In the case of the Vintage Street Rodders, it’s about the cars and the call of the open road as they plan their next excursion.
They were part of a group called Vintage Street Rodders of America who adhere to strict guidelines that their car or truck must be older than 1949, have at least 1,000 miles on the odometer and must be driven to the show (not trailered). Most of the participants traveled fair distances to the Medina event, coming from such places as Bowling Green, Wooster and Bucyrus in Ohio; Vero Beach, Fla.; Kingsport, Tenn.: and Maggie Valley, N.C.
President of the group and event organizers Jim and Debbie Bledsoe plan similar shows around the country, driving their 1934 Dodge panel truck that began life as a bus. Bledsoe did all the restoration work himself, including painting “ghost flames” on the fenders and along the side panels that only show up when the light hits just so. His truck boasts a 440 motor, 5-speed straight drive. The interior has a polished wood floor and ceiling with decorative LED illumination. Its next journey will take the owners from Chattanooga, Tenn. to San Antonio, Texas in October.
Helen and Larry Hammon of Spencer drove their 1948 GMC towing a miniature similar “car” that serves as a trailer for their personal baggage when they hit the road to such places as their recent May trip that covered 4,900 miles from Knoxville, Tenn., the famed “mother road,” Route 66 and on to Amarillo, Texas, with a stop in Memphis to visit Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
Jim and Joan Krejci of Medina drive matching 1932 Ford Roadsters, one a pick-up, the other a “soft-top,” neither has side curtains or windows. Both are steel bodies. The pair acknowledged, “The only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys.”
A certain camaraderie develops when friendships form over common interests. In the case of the Vintage Street Rodders, it’s about the cars and the call of the open road as they plan their next excursion.