Tri-5 Chevys at XXX Rootbeer Drive-In
Written by Keith Fudge

Last August, Dennis Gage traveled to the Pacific Northwest for one of the best shows around: The Tri-5 Chevy XXX!  It is held at the legendary XXX Root Beer Drive-In in Issaquah, Washington.  This event featured more than 250 classic Chevys from 1955 through 1957.  The event is sponsored by the Northwest Classic Chevy Club.  After Dennis arrived, he spoke with Event Organizer, Bud Worley, who told him about the show.  Bud said that the registered cars ranged from stock to custom and that they were there in all colors and models.  We saw coupes, sedans, convertibles, trucks, and Nomads.  This was literally like being in a “car candy store!”  As Dennis and Bud continued to talk about these magnificent vehicles, they started to walk toward the show area.

First, Dennis found Steve Bender and his awesome 1957 Chevy!  Painted in Ginger Pearl with an interior covered in French Vanilla leather, this custom classic was the cat’s meow!  Steve had the door handles shaved and had replaced the factory rear quarter inserts with ones made from brushed aluminum.  The dash had been stripped to the essentials and Steve replaced the original gauges with Dakota Digitals.  Under the hood lurked a 502 cubic inch fuel-injected crate motor complete with a cold air induction system based on the original design.  This had to have been one of the finest customs at the show that day!  Next, Dennis found Roger Gage (a coincidence?) and his 1956 Chevy.  Painted in black and low to the ground, this car is not all that it appears to be!  While the body is basically a stock 1956, that is where the 1950s end as this bad boy rides on the running gear of a 2000 Camaro!  Roger said that just a few modifications had to be made, but other than that it was a perfect fit.  The interior is all state-of-the-art Camaro including air bags for safety.  Another great feature is the custom designed trunk space that is leather lined and features the classic Chevy Bowtie emblem.  Hidden underneath the panels are the CD changer and Air Ride suspension parts.  Roger said that this car was the best of both worlds sporting 320 horsepower and getting 27 miles per gallon.  Way to go, Roger!  The next car that Dennis found looked as if it rolled right off the showroom floor!  Meet Ralph Baumgardner and his stunning 1955 Chevy convertible.  A two-toned combination of Nassau Blue and India Ivory, this car has been in the family for a while as Ralph said that he has owned it for 28 years!  Ralph told Dennis that he has tried to keep the car as stock as possible and that it is comfortable and easy to drive.  Featuring factory dual exhausts, this splendid car features a 265 cubic inch V-8 with a 3-speed overdrive transmission.  Also, under the hood was the patented Chevrolet oil-bath air cleaner!  Looking at this car certainly turned back the clock to the glory days of the 1950s!  Barry Pettyjohn was the owner of perhaps the best “duo” of the show!  Up front was a stunning 1955 Chevy convertible.  Painted Dust Rose and White, Barry said that he had restored the car to about 95% stock.  He said that he had the car painted this color because he had a car just like this one in high school!  It certainly was put back in the right way, but what was following this drop-top was also just as impressive.  Hooked to the rear of the Chevy was a 1958 Bell Boy Speedboat.  Painted to match the convertible, this watercraft featured a custom interior similar to the Chevy as well.  One thing is for sure: be it by land or by sea, Barry will be traveling in style!  The last car that Dennis saw was a 1955 custom Chevy Nomad that you would just have to see to believe.  Named “Showtime,” this car is owned by Bob Smith.  Chopped 1 ½ inches and with an exterior painted in House of Kolor Candy Purple, not to mention Camel colored ultra leather on the interior, this early SUV was all about traveling in style…and by the way, it could get you there in a hurry!  Powered by a 503 cubic inch fuel-injected engine, Bob commented that the car was “pretty fast.”  In fact, it was so powerful he said that he “ripped the rear end out of it once,” and we don’t mean that he removed it with a set of tools!  One nifty feature of this custom was that one of the taillights flipped out automatically to reveal the fuel door…how cool is that?  Thanks, Bob and keep on cruisin’!

Dennis and the crew had a blast from the past and saw the nifty 50s up close and personal!  If you would like to see some great cars and at the same time visit one of the great American diners, you need to attend this event as well!  This year will mark the show’s seventh year and will be held on August 20, 2006.  In addition, the show will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Chevrolet!  If you would like more information about the event, give them a visit on the web at www.nwccc.net.

That’s it from the beautiful Pacific Northwest so until our next trip, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”