Lloy and Wanda Falks of Lawrence had no worries about seeing another car like their 1943 Chevy military limousine at the Leadsled show. Wanda said the car was one of only two built, and that the center doors were made of wood, owing to the shortage of steel during World War II; the car was also used in a movie, she said.
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The colors and shapes of classic automobiles make the annual Leadsled Spectacular at Salina a visual feast for the eyes.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Pinstriper Eric Campbell of Kansas City, Mo., lays down some fine lines under the shade of his vendor s tent. Customers brought their vehicles to him, told him what they wanted and left him to create the accent work while they checked out other cars on display.
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Seven-year-old Austin Wolff of Victoria made the rounds looking good with his oversized hat and his cool pedal car, which began life as a toy fire truck. His dad, Nick, said Austin received the pedal car when was only 6 months old and it was customized by friends and family.
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Another long-distance entrant was Kelly Puckett, who brought his radically lowered 1969 Mustang all the way from Stockbridge, Ga., to take part in the KKOA event.
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Brilliant blue doesn t even begin to describe Justin Hartman s custom 55 Chevy pickup from Tulsa. His ride features a fully padded white tonneau cover that matches the white bucket seat interior.
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Robert Cowgill probably could have stumped most of the spectators who packed Oakdale Park with the identity of his entry. It is a 1959 Kellison J5 sports car, which he brought to Salina from Cowgill, Mo.
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There just aren t enough superlatives to describe Roger Jetter s beautifully customized 1955 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. The grille and `Dagmars have been subtly repositioned and the two-tone pearl iris paint job is a mile deep. The car took 5-1/2 years to build and made the 7-hour drive from Aurora, Colo., without a hiccup.
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Another eye-catching car was David Leather s vivid 1951 Ford Victoria hardtop, hailing from Ridley Park, Pa. We re not sure what the color is called, but it sure is pretty.
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Gary Salter s 59 Chevy Suburban was looking especially cool in its mint green paint scheme; the truck hails from Broomfield, Colo.
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The gorgeous paint job on John LaMantla s 54 Olds 2-door almost outshone the lowered body and big wheels. The Olds is headquartered in Omaha.
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If you re not exactly sure what a `section job is on a custom car, this demonstration project illustrates pretty clearly how to go about it. That 4-inch gap in the firewall and cowl will be carried through the rest of the body, with the top and bottom pieces joined for a slimmer profile -- not a job for beginners.
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Gary and Mary Jo McClanahan travelled east along I-70 from WaKeeney to take part in the show with their bright red 1934 Plymouth coupe.
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Bob Huff brought his heavily customized 57 Ford Ranchero all the way from Utah to display it as one of the KKOA host vehicles.
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Here s a closer look at the high-rise Shotgun motor that lives under the forward-hinged hood and fenders of Eddie Alterman s 56 Ford gasser. It s an all-aluminum block measuring 665 cubic inches and producing 1,051 horsepower.
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Chris Shuler s 1961 Falcon station wagon has come a long way from its beginnings as a grocery-hauler. The burgundy custom from Center Point, Texas, features a pavement-hugging stance highlighted by period-correct chrome reverse wheels and wide whites.
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The combination of dark green paint and hand-stained wood paneling made Dick Guiry s fat-fendered Ford wagon a standout; he s from Greenwood Village, Colo.
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Powered by a Buick nailhead V-8, Larry Smith s neat 34 Ford 5-window coupe represented Garden City in the Leadsled lineup.
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Dan Kilgariff of Hutchinson chose a Chrysler industrial Hemi to power his chopped, primered 27 Model T street rod.
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Dave Grissom s 47 Ford coupe from Haysville undoubtedly fooled a lot of folks with its heavily customized front end, reminiscent of Oldsmobile styling. Fit and finish was flawless.
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Everett Reynolds nifty little 1960 Rambler American wagon displayed some authentic patina and some gas station artwork on its doors, as well as a set of full-moon discs. The Rambler rolled in from Oronogo, Mo.
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Although it was hot and a little humid, the crowds at the Leadsled Spectacular didn t let a little discomfort keep them from packing the gently curving streets of Oakdale Park in Salina.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Symbolizing the term `lead sled, Jerry Welsh s 50 Mercury came equipped with a Carson-style top and a fully involved flame job spreading back across its sheet metal. The car traveled from Ashville, Ohio, to Salina to be part of the show.
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The red grille insert of Ken Schell s jet black 32 Ford Tudor provided the perfect accent; Schell brought his sedan in from Erie, Colo.
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Harry Lindsay s vibrant orange 32 Ford full-fendered 3-window coupe captured the classic street rod look from every angle. Lindsay and the coupe make their home in Littleton, Colo.
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Another heavily stylized `sled on display was Jack Walker s 51 Buick hardtop out of Belton, Mo. The various hues of blue highlight the smooth lines of the recontoured car.
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Eddie Alterman s 1956 Ford Victoria gasser performs an ear-splitting burnout at the Friday night drag races at the East Crawford Recreation Area. Equipped with a monster 665 cubic inch Ford `Shotgun engine producing over 1,000 horsepower, the red rocket from Bonner Springs proved popular with the big crowd of spectators.
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Not all of the wild customs were full-sized metal exercises in design. Fritz Schenk s novel `Roswell Rod featured both a terrestrial and an alien alongside his out-of-this-world creation, part of the annual model car contest at the Leadsled Spectacular.
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Harold Murphy s full-custom 1954 Ford pickup was entered in the Hall of Fame category; the tubular grille bars and matching tubes in the rear fender scoops hearken back to the days of the custom car show circuits. Murphy resides in Loxahatchee, Fla.
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One of the more radical `sleds at the Leadsled Spectacular was this blue-flamed 51 Ford custom belonging to James Luker of Oklahoma City. The purple roof was a cloth covering -- and if you re looking to get into an already-built ride, this one is for sale.
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If there was a car perfectly set up to enjoy cruising the sunny show streets, it probably was Stan and Sharon Orness 1957 Ford Sunliner, resplendent in white paint with a red and white interior. The Ornesses made the trek from Devil s Lake, N.D.
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John Saltsman was another long-haul participant, bringing his old-school customized 1949 Studebaker pickup all the way from California for the show. Note the pancaked hood, frenched headlights and the red scallops on the wild green paint job.
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Liana Stevens of Austin, Texas, was prepared for rain or shine at Murpho s Garage and Boutique tent in the vendors area.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The late Elden Titus last project, the Vibrasonic Roadster, was a focal point of the Leadsled show this year. His wife, Tammy, seen with the car in primer, said she was overcome with emotion when she first saw the radical roadster, being finished by Gary Meyers and other builders who were friends of her husband.
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Tony Phillips came all the way from Greenwood, S.C., to take part in the Leadsled festivities. His 1938 Buick Victoria looked stock at a distance, but has been transformed into a road-ready street rod with all the amenities.
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Steve Hofman s brilliant green and gold 1951 Pontiac custom brightened the show field, sparkling in full sunshine. He journeyed from Sartell, Minn., to take part in the show.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Capturing the `Look but don t touch theme of the field of customs and hot rods, the hub caps of Jerry Welsh s Mercury brought the point home, literally.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The sinister grille on this 1950 GMC pickup entered by Freakshow Tatto brought a grin to a lot of spectators faces. The truck is based in Fort Collins, Colo.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Lynn and Barb Carrel from Gladstone, Mo., brought their sweet little 52 Chevy Bel Air hardtop to Kansas for the Leadsled weekend.
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A closer look at the hood of Chris Shuler s Falcon wagon shows the deep, deep burgundy paint is accented with maroon ghost flames that appear and disappear with different light conditions.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Not every car at the show was a custom or a hot rod, as evidenced by Roger Morrison s beautifully restored 1934 Ford Victoria. The maroon machine had only a couple of miles to travel to Oakdale Park, as it is based in Salina.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Jason Melia of Dodge City crafted a starburst hood to set off the lines of his chopped 27 Model T coupe.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
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