VALLEY CLASSIC 9TH ANNUAL CAR SHOW (500+ CARS/TRUCKS)

 Year two for this show.  Last year was a good show, but we got the news about Diane asking for hospice early in the day so we had a cloud over us the rest of the show.  This year was important to get through to the other side of one of many reminders of last August.

They said over 400 last year and over 500 this year.  They have more room but really hard to see and get to everything.  Lunch was great and we ate inside and visited with a nice young couple.

Getting Mary Lou ready

Game Day!

We met up with Jerry and Cindy Tonneson (Ankeny) at Merle Hay Mall and caravaned in.

A great sign...I wish we would have seen on the way in.  That would mean we came in the usual way.  We got there around 8:35ish for a 9am show and they were already funneling people around the building on the (still wet) grass.  We went way around to the back a whole new way.

Our canopy is pretty good-sized but we made this work at an angle.

Jerry's '32 is all-steel. He's owned it 30 years.

The guy is out of Chariton.  He brought (2) 1947 Cadillacs!  Both in Hollywood condition.

Here is the other one...

This 1940 Chevy Bus was an award winner

1954 Packard - Wow

1935 Auburn Speedster.  See another picture below for a comparison on how low the profile is.

John and Cindy from Park Church with their 1957 Pontiac Safari

This is what I called the "North 40".  They did not park cars here last year.

This guy restored his grandfather's truck that was once used to harvest wheat in Kansas.

1931 Chevy

We saw this 1964 Merc last year

1959 Chevy El Camino

Inside of the Caddy convertible

Hard to see but there are cars peeking out.  This was our drive in.

1927 Chrysler - A Winner

Griswolds!

A 1947 Frazer

1935 Ford

The back of the '53 Ford.

LO AND BEHOLD - WE KNOW WHAT SIZE ENGINE WE HAVE!

 When Mary Lou was in to see Trevor at J-Town, I mentioned where I should find the engine code on the block (so far I wasn't see it) and he pointed out that he could see a "D".  I knew right then that once she got home, I could get a closer look and then look up online.

Below are pics I took of the engine block and in my Bingo voice "D44"!

This chart is hard to see but confirms the D44-1001 is a 1953 Red Ram Hemi.  241 C.I. / 140 HP.  I had a suspicion it was a 241 and from 1954 from talking to Randy when we bought it.  But we were told it was a 270 and we were also told it was Royal.  We now know the engine is smaller but how cool to know it's the first year Dodge had the Hemi!  Very authentic First Gen!

MARY LOU IN THE SHOP FOR THE FIRST TIME

 Cindy has been worried about our oil not being changed since we got the car.  Plus, not knowing the maintenance history.  The challenge was finding a place to do it and where we knew the car would be taken care of.

Our new friend Rob Holland said he would do the work, but they live in Indianola and just wasn't happening.  Cindy stayed with it and called a guy in Johnston who turned out to be our new "go to guy" for Mary Lou.  Trevor at JTown Auto is close and really likes our car.  I trust him to do right for us and the car.

WHAT WE STILL NEED DONE

> He said to start looking for a new brake booster and master cylinder.  Ours is rusting out and they are known to do that.  That is a sooner than later item.

> This fall he wants to finish doing something with our radiator and how it's mounted.  He found mount plate bolts leaking.  It's something he couldn't do at the time.  He said depending on when we do it, he would put our car on a flatbed and bring it to us to avoid salt/brine, etc.

> He said he can help with the blinker.

WHAT HE DID

> Oil Change.  New filter.  Used 20W50 oil.

> He tightened valve cover bolts.

> Re-tightened bolts.

> Removed front tires and re-tightened wheel bearings

> Installed exhaust wrap around exhaust pipe next to engine oil filter.  It was getting cooked and he said the oil was pretty nasty. This should help.

ON THE ROAD WITH MARY LOU

 A couple of pics I took while driving around.  I wanted one down by the Des Moines River and Cindy humored me on a hot day and the Van Dee's was early morning getting gas on a Sunday.