Back to the Bricks
Written by Keith Fudge

Hello, and welcome to another great season of My Classic Car!  Recently, Dennis Gage had the opportunity to attend “Back to the Bricks,” a custom car show in historic Flint, Michigan.  This city is the original home of General Motors, and it is cranked full of automotive history!  Held in the downtown section of Flint, these brick streets make up the longest brick road in the state of Michigan.  The festival is held during the same weekend as the legendary Woodward Dream Cruise located about one hour south near Detroit.  From the looks of the crowd in Flint, all these gearheads were exactly where they wanted to be! 

There was a rich supply of classics and customs in attendance.  After he arrived, Dennis met with Allen Hatch, the chairman of the event.  He told him that the biggest ingredient for the show’s success is, “Keep it free and they turn out by the thousands!”  Allen also said that this event is more than just a local gathering as he has spotted cars from Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, and even north of the border from Canada!  One thing that Dennis noted was how relaxed the atmosphere is at this show and that participants can come and go as they please giving it a truly “old-time” car show feeling!  Dennis soon had to get out and see some of the great vehicles that were in attendance.  With that in mind, it was his time to “hit the bricks!” 

First, Dennis ran into Gregory Rasmussen and his 1958 Chevrolet Apache ½ ton Stepside pickup.  Now this classic hauler isn’t your run-of-the-mill truck.  It is outfitted with a NAPCO POWR-PAK Four-Wheel Drive running gear!  Gregory told Dennis that this factory option was added so that Chevrolet could compete with the Dodge Power Wagons and the Ford Marmon-Herrington four-wheel drive conversions of the era.  Gregory said that he found the truck in New Mexico.  For the most part, he has restored it to its original condition including the Omaha Orange paint that was the original GM school bus color from 1937-1964.  The interior has been restored to stock.  On the exterior, the only thing that isn’t back to original specs is the type of wood used for the bed.  Rather than go back with the hard pine, Gregory’s son cut a maple tree for him, and they used this beautiful wood instead.  Under the hood is the original 235 cubic-inch straight six that is now on its third rebuild.  What a great truck!  Thanks Gregory!

Next, Dennis found Larry Barbera and his “quite English” 1948 Austin Dorset. Larry and his wife have now transformed what was once an economical Doctor’s car used for making house calls into a formidable “beast of the street!”  With stunning black exterior paint and tan leather on the inside, this cool cruiser is every hot rodder’s dream.  You’d better believe this bad boy is now equipped to make a house call in a hurry as it is powered by a Chevy ZZ4 crate motor making 350+ horsepower.  What a cool car!  Thanks Larry!  Wow, talk about a rarity!  Dennis then found Virgil Norgroue and his 1937 GMC Suburban Carryall.  Dennis was quite inquisitive about the GMC having a Suburban in its lineup.  Evidently this is one of the rare exceptions.  Virgil told Dennis that this vehicle began its life as a school bus in Dundee, Texas.  After an accident had destroyed most of the vehicle’s front end, the Suburban sat in a wrecking yard for several years until one of Virgil’s friends purchased it.  Then Virgil bought it from him.  Virgil told Dennis that he has replaced almost everything on the vehicle, and it took him approximately two years to complete the task.  Now, much more luxurious than a school bus, this early-model SUV sports power leather seats, air conditioning, and custom gauges.  Under the hood, it has been upgraded as well from the original Oldsmobile flathead to a late-model Corvette engine and transmission.  Virgil says that the ride is great, and this custom hauler gets around 20 miles per gallon.  This visit was Virgil’s first time at “Back to the Bricks,” and he said that he loves the relaxed atmosphere!

Last, but certainly not least, Dennis found a low, long, and lovely cruiser in the form of John Schumont’s 1969 Lincoln Mark III.  John has owned this car for 12 years.  It has been painted in this beautifully bright shade of Cadillac Pearl for the last 10 years.  Lowered in the front by air suspension and dropped in the rear by lowered coil springs, this sleek and stealthy cruiser looks absolutely menacing!  John louvered the hood (with his own machine) and shaved all the emblems and handles from the car to enhance the smooth appearance.  What was really interesting was that Dennis asked John if he had chopped the top, but John responded that all he had done was remove the vinyl top.  On the interior, John constructed a tonneau cover for the rear seats, giving a custom touch.  On the exterior, custom pinstriping is the perfect complement to the paint.  John said that this car has 120,000 miles on it and that he drives it regularly.  In fact, he boasted that it has never seen a trailer.  Good for you, John!  Keep on cruisin’!

Dennis and the crew had a great time in Flint, Michigan at “Back to the Bricks.”  It is sure to be an event that will continue to grow for years to come!  This year’s show will be held from August 13-16, 2008.  If you would like more information, you can visit them on the web at www.backtothebricks.org.  That’s it from Flint, Michigan.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”