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The day honoring St. Patrick has become a great occasion for all types of events. From turning rivers green to staging civic parades, the annual celebration brings out the “Irish” in just about everyone. Hot rod, custom and street car fans are no exception as once again the Hustlers Car Club of Las Vegas presented their annual car show during the Southern Nevada Sons of Erin St. Patrick’s Day Celebration for the city of Henderson, Nevada.
A “snake” that St. Patrick would have kept?
Conspicuously dressed for the occasion was the 2003 Cobra Mustang owned by Kevin Ellis. This brute is ready to rock with a bottle-fed, supercharged, 32 valve modular powerplant backed up by a 5-speed manual trans. Lots of chrome and polished aluminum adorn the engine compartment which makes this little rocket as cool to look at as it must be to drive.
Look closely in the trunk and you’ll find a two-bottle nitrous system that can be called upon if the supercharger doesn’t quite push you into the seat deep enough. Sexy flip-up doors make for showy entrances and exits when arriving or departing…but we doubt any valet gets to park this super serpent out of sight.
Fans of the late model muscle were not disappointed as there were plenty of examples of killer post millennial street machines on hand.
Haul your Shamrocks?
Among the cadre of wickedly sexy pick-ups in attendance was the 1967 Chevy Fleetside C-10 owned by Tony Thomas. The truck’s utilitarian body is unchanged from its original factory configuration. Yet the beautifully applied red and gray paint scheme gives it a distinctive, white-collar attitude.
Many of us grew up riding in the cabs and the beds of pick-up trucks. Because of this, trucks are as much a part of our lives as breathing. As advertised on the doors, a powerful fuel-injected mouse motor lurks under the hood. Inside is a nice mix of old and new with the dash being true to the original layout and design. Super comfy captains chairs and a console replaces what would have been the ubiquitous bench seat. 
Stay With What You Love.
If you cut your teeth on Mopar super stockers in the mid 60’s, would you play with a 1934 Ford two-door sedan during your retirement? That’s exactly what Verne Slone is doing but with his own special twist.
Rather than go the usual GM powertrain route, or stay pure ‘Blue Oval,’ Slone’s Ford relies on vintage Mopar performance. This shiny red street warrior is powered by a blown 392 Chrysler Hemi which easily pumps out well over 600 h.p.
That horsepower is channeled through a 4-speed manual transmission that came from a 1969 Roadrunner and gets to the ground via a MoPar 8 3/4” differential.
There’s plenty of passenger room available for family and friends brave enough to ride along with Vern since he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to feather the throttle when a performance blast is called for!
Andy Ray’s rare 1969 Rambler SC/rambler is a rolling time capsule. After all these years, the Rambler is generally untouched save for an engine refresh.
Cool In Any Century.
The eye-popping 1958 Ford owned by Jimmy Souza is the blueprint of how cars were customized in the early 60’s. Two-toned purple metal flake finish graces the exterior that also features chrome lake pipes, custom grille, ’58 Caddy tail lights and white-wall tires hung on chrome reverse rims and baby moons.
The interior is dominated by a period correct white vinyl tuck-and-roll upholstery with purple velour seat inserts, door panels and package tray all done in the classic button-and-tuck diamond design. Ford Y-block motor fed by three-deuces powers this sweet vintage cruiser.
Local car shows and cruise/race events are where you can see the grassroots of car culture up close and personal. They’re also a great way to meet new people, make new connections and be part of a community.
There’s lots more photos in the gallery below. Be sure to check them out!
