Friday, May 5, 2005

Happy Cinco de Mayo vatos! It's time for some carne asada tacos and a six pack of cold CERVEZAS! It's also time for my long overdue update - Five months to be exact! I've been busy with a lot 'o' stuff happening, starting with the East Coast Autorama tour, where I hit every where from Boston to San Antonio. At every different town, I hooked up with the resident Hot Rod/Greaser clubs and I was well looked after. Thanks to the Alter Boys, MA. The Gear Grinders in TX. Tom Culbertson of the Road Rockets and his crew in Indy and my brothers in B.S.M. (Black Shirt Mafia) from Ohio...

Quick story, Bob from B.S.M. had this Hustler hat that I liked, but he wouldn't give it or sell it to me for nuthin' so Shannon pipes up and says the store is close to where he lives and he'd pick one up for me, (this was in Cincinatti). A week later I see him in Indy and he pulls out the hat, BITCHIN RIGHT? No it gets better, Shannon didn't have time to go get it so his MOM went down to the Hustler store to get me the hat - I never met her, but I love her, Thanx mom!

Anyway more pertinent happenings. This month marks the start of the 2006 Dry Lakes season at El Mirage, May 6th-7th. I still don't have the Thacker and Shine Roadster back together yet, but there's been some talk with Bill Mitchell from World Products who a few years back sponsored us with a 427cu. in. small block Chevy. We turned 182 mph with it after driving to Bonneville. Hopefully he will kick down a motor again for this season.

Shop wise, I've been building a '57 Chevy 150 Gasser for Todd Haas, the same dude with the '34 Ecotec Roadster I built that has the Bonneville record for G/B.F.R. @ 210.881. Anyway, this car is going to be ridiculous so check it out in the Hot Rod gallery of my site.

On the side, I've been helping my Pop (a dead ringer for Captain Groton of the Frozen Fish Sticks fame) with his '34 Ford Coupe. Actually, his blown 324 Olds is featured on the cover of Street Rodder’s blower issue. He just finished building a real nice shop in his backyard for the coupe build…I'll post pics soon.

Check out the "Oddities" gallery for some insight into what I consider nite life fun. A couple of weeks ago we took a trip to Mexico. Not much into the ‘disco’ scene, I talked our hotel security guard outta his flashlight to see what I could find out there on the beach. No Chupacabra sightings, but I DID find a sea snake! Which I managed to put in a bucket with a stick and cruised back up to the hotel to show off my new captive. Needless to say, my wife Nikki wasn't at all pleased, so I had to let it go. Probably best, as I was later told sea snakes are about 3 times as poisonous as a cobra…

- Jimmy Shine