By Catherine Ellerton
Moapa Valley Progress
Stock cars, custom jobs, modified, chopped, flamed, tubed and shaved are words that take on a whole new meaning when heard at a Car Show. Last weekend Crown Tires and the Las Vegas Cruisin’ Association, in conjunction with the Mesquite Resort Assoc., presented a spectacular Classic Car Show.
Bob Dierken, Media Spokesperson advised that when all was said and done, over 700 cars, some worth over a half million dollars, showed up to show off. They came from eleven states to include Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington. These folks are serious Car Show participants. Jan Erickson from Del Mar, California, said they attended at least one show a month.
It was as though you were walking through a rainbow of blues, reds, purples, blacks, greens, gold, yellows and pinks. There was a 1946 Chevy that was even painted to look like rust.
One didn’t know where to look first. There was the 2008 Mustang Club of American Grand National 1st place award winner and an extremely rare 1941 Ford Convertible that, according to the owner Scott McNair of Leyton, Utah, had been built right after Pearl Harbor.
Logandale resident Max Maserang was one of the participants with his 1980 Mustang Saline.
There was a 1941 Plymouth Satellite Police Car that had been owned by one of the actors in the old TV series “Adam 12” and a unique 1961 Chevy Ramp Side Truck….with the engine in the rear.
Let us not forget the 1966 Sunbeam Tiger –Maxwell Smart drove this model of car in the TV series “Get Smart.”
From 1923 on up, every make and model seemed to be represented at the show.
In addition, there were vendors present that were selling everything a car enthusiast could possibly hope for. A couple of Valleyites from Overton, Larry Maxwell and John Holzer, were selling used parts in a very popular Swap Meet.
When navigating the four Mesquite casino parking lots grew too much, the participant could wander just a bit further and do a bit of sampling at the Smokin’ Big Chili Challenge held in the Casablanca parking lot. Here you could try a sampling of Karen’s Chili, Gross Brothers, On The Road Chili, Double Flush Chili and Buckeye Chili among other equally as creatively named concoctions.
I ran into self-proclaimed Chili connoisseur from Logandale, Jacque Martin, who said that even though she had just started down through the Chili booths, she was rather taken with the Green Verde from “Smokin’ In Mesquite.” Jacque said she liked it hot and this chili filled the bill.
On Sunday, over 260 prizes were awarded to include cash up to a total of $15,000.
The Moapa Valley Progress was given the opportunity to choose one of the Dignitary Picks. A plane disguised as a motorhome was chosen. This automotive device was designed by a Boeing Engineer, built in a WWII airplane factory. The vehicle has no frame, has an all aluminum plane fuselage-type body. Only 360 were built and 80 are still licensed. Chuck and Cindy Hanson are the owners of this 1969 Ultra-van named “The Whale.”
Chuck is the past president of the Cactus Cruisers, a local Car Club, and has been very supportive of the Car Shows in Overton and the Muddy River Shows when he finds time to take from his job as a County Building Inspector. Cindy is a nurse at Mesa View Regional Hospital in Mesquite where the couple currently resides. Congratulations on displaying and actively driving this unique motorhome.
