News

LUCIFER'S WILD RIDE

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:42:30 -0500

Lucifer is a 1967 Chevy CAMARO SS owned by Wayne Caira of Oxford, Massachusetts. His racing team is called TWINSINRACING and is well known at the New England drag strip for dominating in his classes against well known drag racers that aren't competing on a limited budget.

This badass 1967 Camaro SS features a big block Chevy 491 Ci engine and a high performance In-Gear custom built Th 400 transmission with a trans brake and 5500 stall converter. Backing up this power plant engine and tranny is a Dana 60 rear end with 4.56 gears. Richmond spool and Moser caps with a girdle cover built by Wayne himself, at the TWINSINRACING garage located in Oxford, Mass.

The suspension is equipped with ladder bars and coil over qa1 double adjustable shocks placed both at the front and rear of the drag car. Wheels are Weld Pro Star Wheels and the entire interior of this vehicle was custom built by the crew of the TWINSINRACING team.

Lucifer's body and paint was the task of Wayne's father, Alfred Caira Jr. After a long decision process with color schemes and graphics comparisons they decided to go with a GM Flashback Black and feature Synergy Green flames for that devilish appearance. All of the body work and paint was done at the TWINSINRACING Garage.

Wayne Caira is 28 years old and has been a big fan of drag racing since the first time his dad brought him to see the drag cars at the race track in New England. He was just 3 years old at the time but he knew then he wanted to race cars at the drag ways when he grew up. At the age of 16 Wayne got his chance to drag race for the first time. Wayne and his father and brother built a 1979 Chevy truck they would take to the drag strip. It ran a 9.82 in the quarter mile. Not nearly as fast as the 1969 Camaro his dad built and ran consistent 8's with at the drag strip years earlier when Wayne was a kid, but that was very fast for a pick up truck.

The young drag racer would watch a particular drag car at the race track when he wasn't racing his Chevy truck each week and always wanted to get his hands on it if it would ever end up for sale someday. Well, that's exactly what happened. The drag car he watched and just had to have was his future drag car, Lucifer. He watched this badass Camaro tear up the drag way each week for years before it went on the "FOR SALE" block and Wayne even sold his custom built drag truck to purchase this desired car in 2010.

Today, Wayne drag races Lucifer on super gas and runs in the Super Competition Classes. He often sends the bigger name drag racers rolling back to their trailer's with their parachutes tucked under their rear ends and he does it on a very limited budget. That budget doesn't stop the competition from getting down to business when they go up against Lucifer. They watch the front tires leave the track and stand 4 feet into the air when the Camaro launches down the quarter-mile at more than 140 miles per hour. The 65 inches of ladder bars slam hard while the 15x14 Mickey Thompson Slicks grip the track and the spectator's leap to their feet applauding the 1967 Chevy Camaro SS, named Lucifer, as it blows the doors off another drag car. That deserves respect from any drag racer on any track!

Wayne is a full-time mechanic at In-Gear Transmission and Speed Shop located in Douglas, Massachusetts. He is very skilled when it comes to engines and transmission repairs and replacements. He is also an excellent overall mechanic and there isn't anything with four tires he couldn't fix. I would recommend him to anyone searching for automotive repairs and drag racing builds. Drag racing has been a Caira family tradition since his own parents were kids and growing up around hot rods and drag racing has its advantages when it comes to automotive knowledge and experience when you reach adulthood.

Wayne resides in Oxford, Massachusetts with is wife and daughter, who just happens to be Daddy's biggest fan!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Written by Jim "ETCH" Weicherding 2013

Jim is the Author of OUTLAW RUN The Book & OUTLAW RUN (Beyond The Book) Series

http://www.outlawrun.us Author & Artist contact @ jwpisces14@aol.com

Jim is a Feature Writer and Artist for Motorhead Magazine in New England.

http://www.getmotorhead.com

Jim is a Contributing Writer and Artist for THE LEGEND MAGAZINE Nationwide.

http://www.gtoaa.org

Jim is a Contributing Writer and Artist for VI Performance Magazine Canada.

http://www.viperformance.ca

OUTLAW RUN Beyond The Book Series 11

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:03:02 -0500

The police officers glance across the diner looking for anyone that looks even remotely suspicious as the waitress replies to their question.

"I haven't seen anyone here this morning driving a classic car of any type. All of the classic cars and trucks I see in this parking lot are on flatbed trucks, or in trailers on their way to a car show, or going to the drag way."

"So, that's a (no) then?" says the police officer with a smirk.

"Yes."

Etch still has his back to the police officers and Tony anxiously watches them mulling around the counter area talking with the waitress.

"What in the hell are they doing now?" asks Etch under his breath.

"They are just standing there looking around the diner and talking with the waitress," Tony mumbles across the table to Etch, trying not to be heard by anyone else near the counter area.

"I am going to have to fight my way out of here I just know it," whispers Etch.

"Relax buddy, they are headed for the door," replies Tony, with a smile on his face.

Etch slowly turns around as the police officers begin to exit the diner headed back to their cruisers left running in the diner parking lot.

The waitress follows the three police officers to the door and makes sure that it is closed securely behind them.

"The cops are outside now Etch," said Tony.

Etch turns his attention outside the front window and sees the police officers standing by their cruisers in the diner parking lot sipping on their coffee's.

"Why won't they just leave already?" asks Tony.

Etch quietly watches them out the window and doesn't respond to Tony's question. Tony watches the waitress also watching the police officers standing around their cruisers in the parking lot.

"They must not be too concerned with catching you Etch if they have time to stand around drinking coffee and leaning up against their cruisers," suggests Tony.

Etch candidly looks back at Tony, "They are very intent on catching me and they must think I am in here or they would have left already."

"Great!" Etch says out loud, as one of the police officers starts to walk back into the diner's front door. "This is it... it's show time!"

Etch immediately stands up and begins to walk up to the counter just ahead of the returning police officer. His leg pain is the last thing on his mind and he is ready to fight his way out of the diner if he has too.

"Wait Etch!" Tony says, as Etch begins to walk to the counter area of the diner. "The cop is going back to the parking lot and they are running for their cruisers!"

Etch bends down looking out the front windows and watches as the police cruisers exit the parking lot with lights flashing and sirens blaring for no apparent reason.

Tony jumps up and walks behind Etch, "I had your back buddy!"

Etch smiles. "Sure you did buddy."

Etch approaches the front counter and asks the waitress how much he owes her for the coffee.

The waitress is standing behind the counter dangling the phone on her finger tips and smiling at Etch.

"It was you, wasn't it?" asks Etch.

"Yup!" replies the waitress, still dangling the phone on her finger tips.

"What did she do Etch?" asks Tony.

Etch and the waitress look back at Tony and roll their eyes simultaneously.

"She called the police department and told them she saw a jet black GTO traveling down another roadway far from here," said Etch.

"That's right Etch," the waitress concurs with what Etch just told Tony.

All of a sudden the police cruisers return to the diner parking lot approaching from different directions.

"Is there a back door out of here?" Etch asks the waitress. She points to the hallway that leads to the back door.

Etch and Tony head down the hallway and flee from the approaching police officers. They disappear just as the police officers run through the front door and step up to the waitress standing in shock behind the counter.

The first police officer grabs the phone still dangling from her finger tips.

"Calls to the police department have a caller phone number and address listed sweetheart!" snaps the police officer. "Nice try on the diversion attempt but we didn't fall off the donut truck yesterday."

"Now tell me where the GTO driver is and we won't arrest you for interfering with this investigation and the capture of a dangerous felon."

The police officers are searching throughout the diner and asking everyone if they have seen a black GTO in the parking lot and its driver in the diner in the past ten minutes.

A little boy starts to laugh and points out the diner front window as he watches Etch jump into a still running cruiser and slam the door.

The police officers watch as one of their cruisers begins to exit the parking lot with the lights flashing and sirens blaring.

"Son-of-a-biiii!" yells the police officer responsible for that particular police cruiser.

All of the police officers exit the diner running for the cruisers while Tony leans up against his car laughing.

The chase is on, again...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim Weicherding is the Author of the book, OUTLAW RUN and OUTLAW RUN Beyond The Book Series, 2013

http://www.outlawrun.us OUTLAW RUN Web Site

Jim also Writes and Creates Automobile Artwork for Motorhead Magazine published in New England,

http://www.getmotorhead.com

Jim also Writes and Creates GTO Artwork for THE LEGEND MAGAZINE Nationwide.

http://www.gtoaa.org

Jim also Writes and Creates CARtoons & Artwork for VI Performance Magazine published in Canada.

http://www.viperformance.ca

THE LEGEND OUTLAW RUN Book Review

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:40:15 -0500

Often times in life we get opportunities to meet or not meet Great people. I have have the pleasure to meet (not in person yet) Jim Weicherding but have talked and discussed many business ventures with this Great American! Jim is doing the same thing we all are chasing his dream, and that is keeping the Classic and Hot Rod world Alive. We feature Jim's Magazine articles and just fun stories he writes right here at least monthly. You can also check out Jim's web site http://www.outlawrun.us/, we also feature T-shirts and free down loadable artwork that Jim has given to us. You can also get a copy of Outlaw Run right here!!! So here is an amazing review from Legend Magazine ...

OUTLAW RUN The Book Review

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:17:22 -0500

OUTLAW RUN The Book, written by New England, USA, Author and Artist, Jim Weicherding, takes the reader on the ride of their life in this recently published paperback book about the US Government banning all classic cars and trucks from road use across America.

With a storyline premise that sends chills up and down the spine of anyone who owns a Pre-1976 vehicle in the states just imagining the possibility of this fiction book becoming a reality has helped gain its popularity with car and truck enthusiasts, not only in the USA, but also other countries where this culture and hobby is enjoyed by millions of people who attend car shows, cruise nights and drag racing events.

Jim has taken these car and truck enthusiasts worst nightmare and turned it into a storyline premise that has endless possibilities for ongoing plots and even a continued series.

OUTLAW RUN The Book features a cast of wonderful characters who are compelled to take things into their hands but watch as just one man actually takes his high performance 1969 Pontiac GTO out of storage, after parked for 5 years under a car cover and says, "Catch me if you can!" to area law enforcement agencies.

If the OUTLAW GTO is caught on the roadway it will be confiscated, crushed and the owner will lose his license for an indefinite amount of time, face jail time and be forced to pay huge fines. A risk this owner is willing to take to show his contempt and anger for the law passed by Congress banishing these classic muscle cars from America's roadways years earlier.

OUTLAW GTO is a power plant 1969 Pontiac GTO dubbed, "OUTLAW" at area drag ways by the drivers competing against it because it always beat the other street driven drag cars and stole the show every week during the drag racing season. OUTLAW's owner, Etch, would walk up to the other race car driver with his hand out, take the cash and quickly put it in his front pocket and yell out the word, "Next!"

OUTLAW RUN The Book isn't just one chase scene after another. It is a non-stop chase from front to back covers that will have the readers on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next to this rebel with a cause. There are many twists and turns, shots fired, cars soaring through the air, ambulance chasing, off road cat-and-mouse diversions along with high speed evasive actions taken with multiple law enforcement vehicles leading up to a chemical hauling train explosion leaving police vehicles smoldering burnt out shells of steel that don't even resemble cars anymore.

Every sentence of OUTLAW RUN The Book is a preview of something more exciting coming with another turn of the page.

OUTLAW RUN The Book was written by a car guy, for car guys and girls, that opens up the mind to all possibilities and invites the reader be a part of the story. As you read the story, OUTLAW RUN, you feel like you are in the driver's seat and are taking a ride for your own life. As you read the story, you become entangled with the words and the pages become the vehicle you drive.

OUTLAW RUN The Book is a perfect size for vehicle dashboard compartments and bringing along to car shows, cruise nights and drag ways to read and enjoy in an element great for reading a story of this type surrounded by other car and truck enthusiasts.

If you love muscle cars, classic cars and trucks along with drag racing you will love reading OUTLAW RUN The Book written by Jim Weicherding, but there is one thing that you will need to do before reading this book; "Buckle Up, because it is one helluva ride!"

OUTLAW RUN The Book is available online at Jim's new web site, http://www.outlawrun.us on the Store Section.

You can contact Jim directly by e-mailing him @ jwpisces14@aol.com He loves talking about Muscle Car GTO's especially, but anything cars and trucks is fine by him.

Jim also writes OUTLAW RUN (Beyond The Book) Monthly Series for New England's MOTORHEAD MAGAZINE and writes regular weekly blogs for HOT RODS AND MORE Web Site located in Texas.

http://www.getmotorhead.com

http://www.hotrodsandmore.com

Watch for more of Jim's OUTLAW RUN (Beyond The Book) Series, Artwork, CARtoons, Comics and Drag Racing Features in upcoming issues of VI PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE Imprint and Online at our web site, http://viperformance.ca starting this summer.

Jim Weicherding is an Award-Winning Author, Artist, CARtoonist and Publisher residing in Burrillville, Rhode Island, USA.

BUILDING The PERFECT BEAST

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:23:16 -0500

When you think of the word, "Perfect", what comes to mind are the words, "Nothing is Perfect", but is that a true statement?

Perfection is in the eyes of the beholder. Something, or someone, might be perfect to that individual that sees through imperfections and sees perfection.

Such is the case with my recently purchased 1969 Pontiac GTO. I see the perfect muscle car for my new book, OUTLAW RUN.

OUTLAW RUN The Book is a fast-paced story about the federal government banning, and making it illegal to drive, classic cars and trucks manufactured prior to 1976 in the United States. If you are caught driving a classic car, or truck anywhere across the country, your vehicle is confiscated, crushed before your eyes, receive indefinite license suspension, pay large fines and court costs and could even be jailed for any length of undetermined time without any due process.

The Pontiac GTO was the first American Muscle Car and it is fitting that the GTO be the vehicle of choice for a book that takes these power plant muscle cars off the roadways across America and bans them from ever seeing the black top again. And, the Pontiac GTO happens to be my favorite muscle car, I have been an owner of one since I was a teenager and I'm the author of OUTLAW RUN, so those are factors as well.

All kinds of car builders and classic car restoration shops can, and do, rebuild beautiful muscle cars, classic cars and trucks everyday in America and that is a great thing! Helps keep this hobby and lifestyle alive for generations to come. As long as it's legal.

What happens when it isn't legal? What happens when these build and restoration shops are out of business and their doors are closed forever? What if aftermarket manufacturers could no longer manufacture classic car and truck parts and they too, are forced to close their doors forever? What happens to muscle car, classic car and truck magazines when their advertisers are out of business and their readerships drop off by the millions due to loss of interest and the reality of the situation is hard felt by so many enthusiasts? Where do the weekly, monthly and annual car show events go after the hobby and lifestyle dries up and entirely disappears?

Scary thought isn't it? Well, it could really happen!

OUTLAW RUN is a story about one man's rebellion against the government banning classic vehicles from road use across America using his powerhouse 1969 Pontiac GTO to help him make that statement but it doesn't end there; it begins there. The awareness and the acknowledgement that anything can happen in this country to take away our rights and our freedoms and we really can't do very much to stop these things from happening is not just my unique premise for a great storyline written and published in a paperback book about the possible carpoctalyptic future of our classic car and truck culture and hobby across the US, it really can happen!

Regardless of that possibility, scary as it is, I am still following through with my project build and plan to build MY PERFECT BEAST 1969 Pontiac GTO dubbed, "OUTLAW" based upon my book, OUTLAW RUN.

Watch for this celebrity muscle car photo documented and YouTube project build over the coming months and witness for yourself what mind over matter can achieve when it comes to "BUILDING The PERFECT BEAST" 1969 Pontiac GTO. There are a lot of car shows and cruise nights out there beckoning the "OUTLAW" GTO and we don't want to let the readers and growing fan base of OUTLAW RUN The Book and monthly OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Magazine Series down when it comes to Show & Tell.

The invites for the "OUTLAW" GTO and the guest appearance of OUTLAW RUN The Book author to attend and sign autographs while showcasing his power plant Pontiac muscle car GTO are coming in fast and furious from all over the United States and even in Canada lately and that will become a priority to keep fans and readers happy nationwide and over the northern border starting this car show season.

I can be reached via e-mail @ jwpisces14@aol.com with any questions, or inquiries, about my book OUTLAW RUN, Beyond The Book Magazine Series and OUTLAW GTO Project Build.

OUTLAW RUN The Book Web Site is http://www.outlawrun.us or http://www.lavsauto.com/

Watch for the new OUTLAW RUN The Book Review in the May Issue of MOTORHEAD MAGAZINE, THE LEGEND MAGAZINE & VI PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE, 2013.

Jim Weicherding is a Feature Writer & Creates CARtoons and Car Artwork for MOTORHEAD MAGAZINE in New England 2013.

OUTLAW RUN (Beyond The Book) Series 10

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 10:33:14 -0500

Etch looks back at the lake and tries to see if Outlaw is visible from the roadway hidden behind the thick bushes and trees.

He can't see his jet black GTO and smiles as he heads towards the diner located about a mile from his current spot. Walking there will be a struggle and very painful but at least Tony will show up soon to give him a ride back home after some breakfast and some well needed coffee.

About an hour later, Etch can see the diner around the bend and notices Tony's car in the parking lot next to the doorway entrance. He hangs down his head and shakes it slowly from side to side, "Unbelievable," he whispers to himself.

Etch makes his way into the diner and sees Tony wave at him from a booth next to the front window. Tony is already drinking a coffee and flirting with the cute waitress, as usual.

Etch walks directly into the rest room, washes his face and hands, and returns to sit at the booth. All the while he is glaring at Tony while shaking his head side to side.

The waitress walks over to the booth and asks Etch, "So what will it be this morning GTO Man?"

Etch replies, "A cup of coffee, two eggs scrambled hard, wheat toast, two sausage links and a friend with a clue."

The waitress laughs, "I can get you everything you asked for Etch... but the friends with a clue you gotta get for yourself!"

Tony smiles, "What the hell did I do now?"

Etch looks into his eyes, "When did you get here?"

Tony, "About a half hour ago, why?"

Etch, "Did you see me anywhere when you got here?"

Tony, "Nope. You weren't here buddy."

Etch, "Okay, I wasn't here right?"

Tony, "Nope!"

Etch, "Then why in the hell didn't you go out there looking for me when you knew I was walking here and I wasn't here yet?"

Tony, "Oh yeah! I could have done that huh?"

Etch looks at Tony and smiles, "Yeah, you could have done that!"

Both men start laughing at the same time and Etch punches Tony in the arm.

The waitress walks over to the booth and gives Etch his coffee and his breakfast order, "Why are you walking Mr. GTO? Where's that hot car of yours?"

Etch, "In the shop. It needs a tune up."

Waitress, "I thought all you tough guys did all your own mechanic work on your hot rods and big trucks."

Etch, "Not today. I'm taking a break from turning wrenches this weekend."

Tony, "Yeah, Etch doesn't like turning wrenches anyway. He just likes to beat the hell out of 'em and let's his buddies fix 'em for him!"

Waitress, "That's cause he needs those big hands for all those custom etched windows and show mirrors he creates for everybody."

The waitress walks away from the booth leaving Etch and Tony alone.

Etch, "We gotta get back to my house so I can get my truck buddy!"

Tony, "What then? Do we come back and get your GTO at the waterfront this afternoon, or wait until after dark?"

Etch, "We definitely have to wait until dark. I can't let them see Outlaw on the road again. The law is searching everywhere for my car so they can scrap it in front of my face, throw me in jail and toss out the keys!"

Just then a pair of police cruisers roll into the diner's parking lot and Etch sees them from his seat in the booth next to the front window.

Etch, "Dammit! Look at this crap Tony! They are right here, right now and I am a sitting duck!"

Tony, "What are we gonna do now buddy?"

Etch pulls his baseball cap down over his face and slides his sunglasses out from his pocket and puts them on just as the police officers enter the establishment and walk up to the counter.

Waitress, "What can I get you officers this fine morning?"

Police officer, "3 cups of coffee, regular, 3 sugars in each one please, and make them to go."

The police officers are looking around the diner at the patrons when one of them sees Tony. Etch has his back to them and is looking out the front window.

Tony gestures a slight wave when one of the officers makes eye contact with him.

Etch whispers under his breath, "You didn't just do that, did you?"

Tony, "Why?"

Etch, "We don't need any attention drawn to us if you know what I mean."

The officer making eye contact starts to walk over to the booth where Tony and Etch are sitting.

Waitress, "Hey boys!" The officers stops walking and turns his attention back to the cute waitress behind the counter.

Officer, "What is it?"

Waitress, "Your coffee's are ready... to go."

The police officer pays for the coffee's and takes the bag from the waitress while looking over at Tony and the back of Etch.

The officer turns and starts towards the exit and stops to say something to one of the other police officers.

Tony looks at Etch and slowly shakes his head side to side as Etch turns to look over his right shoulder to see what the police officers are doing keeping his head low and behind the bench in the booth.

The officers turn their heads back at the waitress behind the counter when one of them asks, "Have you seen anyone come in here this morning driving a jet black 1969 GTO by any chance?"

The waitress replies...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OUTLAW RUN The Book & Beyond The Book is Written by Jim Weicherding 2013

Jim is also the featured Writer and Artist for Motorhead Magazine of New England.

Jim's new web site, http://www.outlawrun.us is full of Outlaw Run Information & Book Ordering Online

You can contact Jim @ jwpisces14@aol.com anytime for any reason related to his book, series and artwork.

OUTLAW RUN ( About The Author )

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:18:04 -0500

OUTLAW RUN Author, Jim Weicherding, a resident of Northern Rhode Island for the past forty years, has been a muscle car enthusiast since he was just a child growing up in his home state of Minnesota.

Jim was surrounded by muscle cars, classic cars and trucks as a young boy during the 60's and grew to love everything about them.

Jim would spend hours each week just sitting on top of a neighborhood billboard in the center of St. Paul & Minneapolis and sketch these classic cars and trucks as they drove past him twenty-five feet below his perch on the large advertising billboard that would some times feature the images of his favorite muscle car; Pontiac GTO's.

With a Pontiac dealership located directly across the street from Jim's house, he had many opportunities to see the new year GTO being delivered and showcased inside the main lobby of the establishment along with all the other new model Pontiacs. Jim played ball and rode his bike in the dealership's rear parking lot and when riding his bike, pretended he was driving the brand new GTO released that year for sale.

One summer, the Pontiac dealership manager watched Jim riding his bike around the parking lot and walked over to see what car he was pretending to drive while making revving noises and burning rubber screeches out loud. Jim smiled and told him, "GTO!"

Jim started washing Pontiacs at the dealership that summer and his favorite, the GTO, came out the cleanest, his boss told him with a big smile. The manager would take Jim to the local diner and pick up lunch for the crew and sales people in a GTO all the time during the summer months when Jim would help out around the parking lot and showroom area cleaning Pontiacs and hanging out with his new friends.

He drew a lot! He would draw all the Pontiacs, new and old, but especially loved drawing his favorite muscle car, the Pontiac GTO. Jim would bring these illustrations to his grade school and the teachers would display them on the classroom walls and even make photo copies of them for the class of students to color in and display on their classroom walls.

As Jim got older his talent for illustrating classic cars and trucks improved dramatically and now creates car show and cruise night coloring books featuring GTO's, Classic Cars and Trucks as well as Rat Rods, Hot Rods and Harley Davidson Motorcycles. Tens of thousands of these car featured coloring books are passed out to kids at car shows and cruise nights all across the New England area each cruising season for the past two decades. Jim has won many awards and has received many honors for his car art and publications for kids and kids at heart.

Jim's love for muscle cars, especially the GTO, drove him to not only to draw these classic muscle cars, but to also write a book titled, OUTLAW RUN.

OUTLAW RUN is a carpoctalyptic story about the federal government banning all classic cars and trucks manufactured prior to 1976 from road use across America. Jim's vehicle of choice in his storyline premise features his 1969 Pontiac GTO as the star car dubbed, "OUTLAW".

Jim frequents car shows and cruise nights across New England and the state of New York and often wonders what would happen if this American culture was ever to be a thing of the past and this was no longer a part of our hobby and lifestyle as classic car and truck enthusiasts. The book, OUTLAW RUN, was born of his curiosity and his storyline, even though fictional, hits home with many of us who enjoy this lifestyle with a passion.

OUTLAW RUN opens up new dialogue amongst many car show and cruise night enthusiasts, participants and spectators across the New England region due not only to the popularity of Jim's new paperback book, but also due to it's newly formatted storyline series featured monthly in Motorhead Magazine for the past eight months. Motorhead Magazine is a regional car guy and motorhead magazine published in Rhode Island with a strong following and a very large distribution area covering Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts this summer car show season.

Many of those readers specifically following the magazine because of Jim's OUTLAW RUN (Beyond The Book) Series that takes the reader beyond the storyline featured in the actual book to a continued storyline that expands upon the original premise and builds character development and added chase scenes and excitement to an already exciting car guy book.

OUTLAW RUN The Book and (Beyond The Book) is a story written by a car guy, for car guys and car girls, that asks the questions, "What if?" and "Can this really happen to our hobby and lifestyle someday?" while taking you for an exciting ride and adventure with one man, one real fast GTO and an adrenaline rush that will leave the reader hoping it never comes to this... ever!

You can see more about Jim's OUTLAW RUN The Book and (Beyond The Book) Magazine Series by visiting his new web site, http://www.outlawrun.us

Jim's book can be ordered online at his web site and will soon be available on Kindle and Amazon Books for ordering convenience.

Watch for the real "OUTLAW" 1969 Pontiac GTO Photo Documented Project Build coming soon to The LEGEND MAGAZINE.

To contact Jim directly you can e-mail him at jwpisces14@aol.com. He loves to talk and write everything GTO and welcomes e-mails from enthusiasts everywhere.

OUTLAW RUN Beyond The Book Series 9

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:23:32 -0600

Outlaw leaves the abandoned church parking lot at a breakneck speed and puts down hundreds of feet of burnt rubber on the roadway with a billowing cloud of smoke rising above the tree tops in the early sunrise of this clear summer day.

Etch is fighting to keep his power plant 1969 GTO straight on the black top as he mats the gas pedal in a rage of anger over the current predicament he is now facing because the government couldn't just leave well enough alone and let these classic cars and trucks remain an icon of the human spirit and backbone of the American worker free to cruise anywhere they pleased without it being a crime to do so.

He is angry and very well should be feeling this way. It was his passion, along with millions of others just like him who loved their classic cars and trucks and enjoyed the hobby along with cruising to their favorite car shows and cruise nights week after week.

Outlaw is merging onto the open highway and the jet black, late 60's muscle car, is cruising at around 80 miles per hour without any other vehicle in sight for the time being, but Etch knows that will change as the morning sun begins to rise higher in the clear blue sky.

"There has to be a place I can bring Outlaw and not be noticed around this area," suggests Etch, under his breath.

Etch remembers a location just over the Rhode Island border next to a lake where he used to go parking and swimming late at night with his girlfriend that was secluded and out of the view of the main roadway travelers in their own vehicles. He drives Outlaw down Route 44 leaving Connecticut and crosses over the Rhode Island line about 14 miles from his home. He makes his way unseen by anyone else and drives off the highway onto a dirt path hidden by trees and bushes and noses the GTO up to the lake's edge.

"I have got to get home without being seen. How in the hell am I going to do that?"

Etch reaches for his cell phone and attempts to call his friend Tony to come pick him up at the diner a mile up the road in about an hour. No answer.

"Hey buddy, it's Etch. Can you pick me up at the diner on Route 44 in about an hour? Call me back. I'm on foot and need a lift to my house. Thanks!" Etch leaves a message instead of speaking to Tony directly and begins the walk to the diner.

Normally a walk for a mile wouldn't be a major problem for anyone, but with Etch's arthritis riddled left hip the pain of a walk that distance will be severe to say the least. He has no choice. He has to leave his cherished muscle car hidden in the trees and bushes by the lake so nobody will see it. There are signs posted everywhere NO SWIMMING ALLOWED and KEEP OUT so he knows his GTO will be safe while he figures out a way to get the bad-to-the-bone Pontiac back to his garage safely and in one piece.

"Tony had better show up!" Etch states, once he gets to the clearing and reaches the highway on foot.

"I need to get to my truck without being seen so if I do get pulled over by the law I can tell them they have the wrong person and I have been at home the whole time."

Etch's cell phone rings; "Hi Etch, it's Tony. I will be there in about forty-five minutes to pick you up buddy."

"Cool! I'll buy you breakfast and bring you up-to-date on my adventures with Outlaw."

Etch begins his long and extremely painful walk to the diner...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OUTLAW RUN The Book & (Beyond The Book) Series is Written by Author, Jim Weicherding Copyrights 2013

Jim Weicherding is also a feature Writer for Motorhead Magazine of New England

Visit his web site @ http://www.outlawrun.us / on Facebook and now on Twitter for updates and more info.

OUTLAW RUN (Beyond The Book) Series 8

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:59:15 -0600

OUTLAW vanishes from view of the Connecticut, State Troopers running to their cruisers in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot.

Etch glances quickly at his rear view mirror and doesn't see any flashing lights on those police cruisers approaching behind him in OUTLAW and decides maybe it's time to go find a place to rest and gain some perspective on his personal dilemma. He sometimes has a tendency to over dramatize certain things in his life but this time seems appropriate for being well... overly dramatic.

OUTLAW slowly pulls off the road behind an old run down church on the Connecticut and Rhode Island border. Etch is familiar with the area because he once owned a home not too far from this location he chose to seek refuge in and out of sight from law enforcement. He also attended this church every Sunday morning when it was filled to capacity but those days are long gone and church members left their homes in the rural part of this state to move south where the cost of living was cheaper and they could find better paying jobs.

New England was hit hard during the recession and many families lost their homes and had to pull up stakes and move elsewhere. Etch knows only too well the hardships of being a self-employed graphic artist in Rhode Island. Work is hard to come by and now that classic cars and trucks are banned and illegal for road use across America he lost plenty of vehicle custom glasswork as well.

He sits back and listens to his favorite classic rock radio station out of Worcester, Massachusetts and reflects upon the good ole days when car shows and cruise nights were a week long schedule of events and he could hang out with people and friends that had the same passions for classic cars and trucks and these types of venues to bring the kids and enjoy themselves.

But the government took all that away with one bill passed in Congress and our freedoms were once again taken away from us. We are now, five years later, driving plastic, economical pieces of junk instead of Detroit built Muscle Cars and vehicles manufactured for power and performance with steel bodies and anyone doing so is hunted like a criminal.

Etch is no criminal and OUTLAW is no piece of junk.

He grabs his left leg and winces in pain as his left hip is causing him pain once again. Etch rolled over a 1969 Mach I when he was just eighteen years old and has suffered with hip pain ever since due to its gradual deterioration from arthritis. The pain can be severe at times and he definitely needs some rest hiding behind the old abandoned church for a little while at least.

The morning show DJ's are friends with Etch and they are talking about the good ole days when car shows and cruise nights were held everywhere across the region and we could see classics cruising down any road at any time before the ban went into effect.

"Any listener's out there wanna call in and let us know what you miss the most about car shows and cruisin' in your classic rides?"

"Yeah, I do," says Etch into his cell phone.

"Etch? Is that you? You are all over the news buddy, where are you?" asks one of his friend DJ's.

"I'm in OUTLAW and they gotta catch OUTLAW in order to scrap OUTLAW!"

Etch fires up his power plant 1969 GTO and tells the listening audience to listen to this as he revs up the big block engine.

"Remember this sound?" Etch side steps the clutch and mashes the gas pedal while the sound of screaming tires echoes across the airwaves into the ears of a half-a-million radio listeners homes, offices, businesses and vehicles.

OUTLAW exits the church parking lot leaving a mile high cloud of smoke from burning rubber and launches down the back road into the early morning sunrise...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) is the written series based upon the popular selling OUTLAW RUN Paperback Book by Author, Jim Weicherding

Jim writes for Motorhead Magazine and Muscle Car Web Sites

Watch for his book, OUTLAW RUN, in your favorite Hot Rod & Muscle Car Magazines this year nationwide.

Visit, http://www.outlawrun.us for more about this very popular Carpoctalyptic Story of the end of the Classic Car & Trucks in the US.

A TOUCH OF GLASS

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:30:14 -0600

What can I write about custom etched glass and mirrors other than it is a very rare art form in this day and age.

Back in the earlier years of the 20', 30's, 40's and 50's it was a very popular art form used by many graphic artists on soda pop shops, gift shops, restaurants, bars and taverns across the country as a way to display business names and services for the consumer public.

Custom glass work was considered the high quality level of displaying business names on front windows across Main Street, USA because of it's handcrafted applications and subtle appearance compared to painted designs created by area sign painters.

Anyone with a set of number and letter templates, a can of paint and a paint brush could put a business name on a front window or the interior walls of any business establishment. But, an artist customizing the glass and windows with sandblasting and etching methods was considered a craftsman with distinguished capabilities. There was also no room for error. If the artist messed up the design the artist would have to not only have to do the job over again, he, or she, would have to pay to replace the window and glass and start all over again.

This was a very expensive way to learn this unique craft and trade. Sign painters making mistakes could just use paint thinner, or paint reducer, and remove the mistake and start all over again with the same piece of window and glass without much of a loss other than their time for labor.

Custom glass, mirror and window etching died out gradually in the 60's when sign painters started using higher quality paints for their craft with newer sign enamel paints that lasted much longer. Custom etched glass, mirrors and windows lasted as long as the piece of glass did. It never changed, discolored or wore out. It was always there. New enamel based paints could last for years now and was much less expensive to have feature business names and services so sign painters became the artists of the business trade while glass craftsmen slowly disappeared altogether.

Even hand painted signs went by the wayside in the 80's when newly developed, high tempered quality vinyl became available to every sign shop in the country. Sign painting became old hat just like custom etched glass and mirrors once did years earlier. Everyone switched to cheaper vinyl done on computers and took away the tedious tasks of hand painting signs and windows. Even the automotive aspect of hand painted graphics took a back seat to newer, long lasting vinyl in place of paint applications.

Well, that's the overall industry. There are still a few of us diehard artists and craftsmen out here that don't mind creating handcrafted custom etched glass, mirrors and windows. Don't be confused by those individuals that use an engraver device like a tattoo applicator. That's not etching; that's engraving. Two totally different mediums and styles, but the most popular amongst glass artists. I personally do not like the finish the engraving leaves but that's the customer's choice, not mine.

I create plenty of custom etched wall and show mirrors for customer's across the USA and ship all items via UPS directly to your front door, so don't hesitate to contact me about custom show and display mirrors with any art or graphics etched on them.

You can check out more of Etch's Custom Glass & Mirrors by visiting his Facebook page, Man Cave Specialties.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim "ETCH" Weicherding is a Writer, CARtoonist & CARtist for MOTORHEAD MAGAZINE in New England

Jim is also the Author of the hit popular paperback book, OUTLAW RUN @ www.outlaw.us

He can be reached via his e-mail address, jwpisces14@aol.com

Barrett Jackson Auction Scottsdale AZ

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:23:16 -0600

Are you ready to hear about an experience of a lifetime? The Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona is an image burned in my memory forever. Many celebrities have attended the event in the past, putting their own possessions up for auction. They included Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Jay Leno, Alice Cooper, Billy Corgan of the former Smashing Pumpkins, baseball players Reggie Jackson and Randy Johnson, DMX, Carroll Shelby, Bill Goldberg, Tony Stewart, and motorcycle customizer Jesse James and many more. I could never imagine the rush I got when we entered the auction area. There were thousands of people in the audience observing and the big spenders in the front row seats using all sorts of body language to bid on some the most beautiful cars, trucks, and motorcycles in the world. Our mission was to go to the Barrett-Jackson Auction and bring the (HRAM) hotrodsandmore.com viewers a behind the scenes look at what goes on at these auctions.

Hotrodsandmore.com was invited to the Barrett-Jackson Auction to meet some of the top names in the world of cars. We specialize in classic cars, motorcycles, and other memorabilia sales and trade through our classified website to help customers find that treasure they always wanted. We were able to find more contacts in the auction to bring more content and items to our customers and fans. The vibe from people with the same interest of cars was unbelievable at the show. Can you imagine going to one centralized location and having everyone there that loves the same things as you? You can have a conversation with just about anyone at one of these auctions and not feel uncomfortable at all.

Myself and Wild Willy walked around the event for a while networking until we found the media tent. This area is set up for media personnel to meet and exchange notes with each other. As we walked into the media tent we noticed The Speed Channel who has been providing TV coverage of the Barrett-Jackson auction since 1993 recording a boy in a wheelchair. Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson was presenting the child’s charity organization with an undisclosed check for The Darryl Gwynn Foundation whose mission is to provide SUPPORT for people with paralysis and PREVENT spinal cord injuries. I did not know that Barrett-Jackson Auctions provided support to so many charity organizations at every event. George Barris and his grandson entered the media tent unannounced to participate in this private charity event. By the way George Barris built the #1 1966 BATMOBILE which was auctioned off in Scottsdale for a record breaking $4,620,000.

We spoke briefly with Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson and he was a real down to earth person just having fun and making money at the same time. He said he started in 1978 as a cosigner at the auctions and worked his way up to the top through lots of hard work. He’s well known for wearing his sunglasses all the time and his huge joker grin. He says he had no plans for retiring anytime soon because he loves what he does and enjoys helping people. All of these events happened within the first two hours of our arrival, but there were so many exciting things going on at the event that I’m ending this for now and do another write up to cover the next five hours we were at the auction. If anyone else attended a Barrett-Jackson Auction please feel free to jump in we would like to hear it.

OUTLAW RUN The Book ( OUTLAW 1969 GTO BUILD )

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 18:59:45 -0600

Let me begin by directly cutting to the chase, ( pun intended ).

This classic muscle car frame-off restoration and build is not your average build by a long shot. It doesn't have any top name industry builders involved. It doesn't have a televised episode on Power Block TV, or a famous person turning the wrenches on this project build.

What it does have is real, hardcore, blue collar craftsmen and artists in their own fields restoring a power plant 1969 Pontiac GTO based upon a popular new book titled, OUTLAW RUN.

OUTLAW RUN was put to paper by Award-Winning Artist, CARtoonist and Author, Jim Weicherding, from Rhode Island. This book is gaining strong support and publicity with hot rod magazines, hot rod web sites and selling like hot cakes through its new web site along with direct sales at speed shops, auto body shops, garages, car shows and cruise nights across New England.

The increasing popularity of the book, OUTLAW RUN, has inspired its author to actually build his storyline GTO and cruise to car shows and cruise nights next car show season to let his fans and classic car enthusiasts see, touch and hear the real, "OUTLAW" GTO. There will be featured book related items and clothing also available along with the real OUTLAW GTO showings and showcases all year long in 2013, with GM auto dealerships wanting to have the OUTLAW GTO on display in their showrooms during the winter months and schedule meet and greets with the author for book and item signings in those dealerships.

The OUTLAW GTO was recently delivered to the classic car restoration shop located in Massachusetts. The shop is approximately a 15 minute back road drive from the author's home in Rhode Island. A very well known classic car restorer and auto body shop owner, Dennis Lavallee, has been commissioned to do the OUTLAW GTO frame-off restoration and build due to his extensive background in classic car restoration and builds. He has received numerous awards for client builds as well as his own classic car restorations with his own collection of muscle cars and classic hot rods over the past three decades.

The OUTLAW GTO Build will be a complete, photo documented, frame-off build over the next few months in preparation of the next car show season in New England. This popular book based muscle car build will be featured in car magazines, on car related web sites and in a specialty OUTLAW RUN BUILD Photo & Art Book in 2013, published by the author of OUTLAW RUN The Book.

Once OUTLAW is built to specifications featured in the book this coming spring, this newly restored 1969 GTO will be touring all over New England, New York State and to selected major car show events nationwide with the author behind the wheel and plenty of OUTLAW RUN Collectibles and Clothing on hand for fans, enthusiasts and spectators at these car shows and cruise nights.

The OUTLAW GTO will also be offering branding opportunities to big and small automotive businesses, manufacturers and suppliers by displaying sponsorship logos on full color display banners surrounding the big block, power plant, jet black, 1969 GTO being showcased at these events as well as being featured on a variety of items and clothing featuring the OUTLAW GTO and OUTLAW RUN The Book images selling to fans and enthusiasts all across the region of New England and New York State and a few select larger car shows nationwide. Schedule of events featuring the OUTLAW GTO will be posted on the OUTLAW RUN web site in March of 2013.

Any automotive businesses interested in participating and sponsoring a brand opportunity directly related to the OUTLAW 1969 Pontiac GTO Build can contact the author via his e-mail address located at the bottom of this article. 1969 GTO parts and accessories are the primary objectives of the branding and build for the OUTLAW GTO. Anyone contributing to the OUTLAW GTO Build gets recognition and strong visuals as a branding support system throughout 2013 at the car shows, cruise nights, drag ways and car events. Your logo will be everywhere the OUTLAW GTO will be showcased and displayed the next car show season.

Unlike the vehicles featured in movies such as, Dukes of Hazzard, Smokey and the Bandit, Vanishing Point and Bullitt, which were showroom condition when driven for the first time, the OUTLAW GTO is a complete frame-off restoration build of a classic muscle car longing for a new life and new purpose with a mission to encourage other enthusiasts to restore the classic cars and trucks of yesterday while keeping this hobby and culture vibrant and fresh on the minds of young and old.

Watch for more on the OUTLAW GTO Build here and in other mediums over the coming months and follow the transition made from a shell of a vehicle to a powerful, restored and beautiful muscle car of our yesterday's bringing a new found inspiration for our tomorrow's.

Jim Weicherding Author of OUTLAW RUN The Book & Creative Influence behind the OUTLAW GTO Build Project

OUTLAW RUN Web Site http://www.outlawrun.us

Author E-mail @ jwpisces14@aol.com Sponsor Inquiries & Questions about the OUTLAW GTO Build Project & Events Schedule

OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Series 7

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:16:33 -0600

Outlaw makes its way through the back roads of Connecticut in the middle of this hot summer night on its way to unknown destinations.

Etch has his power plant 1969 GTO cruisin' to the classic's playing on the stereo while watching for head lights headed towards him coming from the opposite direction and also glancing back to see if there are any flashing reds and blues approaching in his rear view mirror.

Looking at his dashboard he sees that his gas gauge reads low and he will need to find a gas station that is open twenty-four hours a day to refuel his muscle car before any police cars happen upon his outlawed classic ride on the open road. Outlaw can't outrun the police on empty.

Etch finally arrives at a gas station and pulls his muscle car up to a gas pump running now on gas fumes, vapor and a little luck. Exiting the vehicle he sees two Connecticut State Troopers across the highway at a Dunkin Donuts parking lot leaning up against their cruisers eating donuts and drinking iced coffee's. He looks back at Outlaw parked on the opposite side of the gas pumps hidden from the view of the two state troopers and walks into the store and gas station entrance to purchase fuel for his car.

Etch glances out of the gas station's front windows and sees the two state troopers still standing in the parking lot across the highway talking with one another oblivious to the fact that he and his wanted car Outlaw, are located directly across the street from them.

Etch reaches into his left front pocket, grabs a crumpled up fifty dollar bill and tells the blonde behind the counter to keep the change.

"You haven't pumped any gas yet. How do you know if there will be any change from your gas purchase?" the clerk asks Etch, with a big smile.

"I'll stop pumping at forty-seven bucks so you keep the rest." replies Etch, with a smile and a wink of his eye.

"Nice car you have there. What is it?" asks the clerk, not knowing the vehicle year, make or model.

"That car? It is a 1969 Pontiac GTO with a big block 455."

"It's nice. Can I go for a ride in it sometime if you are in the area?"

"I would love to give you a ride in it but it isn't legal to drive that car on the road anymore. The government banned those types of cars from the roadways across the country five years ago."

"Then why is it here at the gas station?"

"Because I felt like taking it out for a spin on this beautiful summer evening."

"Well, I would still like to go for a ride in your car someday if you make your way back here again soon."

"Maybe. We'll see how things go after tonight."

"Bye. Drive slow."

"Bye. Driving slow is not an option I'm afraid. Too many people want my car off the road and they will do anything to stop me. Fast is the only way to travel."

Etch exits the store and combination gas station and walks back towards Outlaw to fill the beast up with fuel. He glances back across the highway and sees the state troopers inside of the Dunkin Donuts through their big picture window standing at the counter ordering more coffee and donuts.

"Maybe I can get out of here without being noticed," Etch whispers under his breath.

Etch stops the gas pump at forty-seven dollars like he said he would and re-enters Outlaw grabbing the steering wheel with his right hand and closes the door with a slight click and not a full slam with his other hand thinking that those state troopers might be able to hear a car door shut all the way from across the highway.

"What are you doing? They can't hear my door close all the way over there."

Etch turns the key and fires up Outlaw. That, they heard.

Outlaw inches its way away from pump 14 and heads towards the exit leading back to the highway.

Etch sees the two state troopers pointing at him through the Dunkin Donuts window and puts the gas pedal to the floor. Outlaw exits the gas station parking lot with its rear tires screaming and leaving behind a very large cloud of smoke in its wake. Outlaw fishtails back and forth across the four lane highway and quickly vanishes from the view of the two state troopers running towards their cruisers.

"Damn that car is fast!" states one of the state troopers to the other.

"Yeah, and the driver is no slouch either," suggests the other state trooper in response.

The two state police cruisers exit the Dunkin Donuts parking lot with lights flashing and sirens blaring in hot pursuit of the Outlaw GTO.

To be continued...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outlaw Run ( Beyond The Book ) is written by Jim Weicherding, Writer & CARtist for Motorhead Magazine 2012.

Jim Weicherding is also the Author of the new action-packed Paperback Book tilted, OUTLAW RUN.

You can visit Jim's new site, www.outlawrun.us to order his new book on the Store Section of the web site.

Perfect for Christmas Gifts and Stocking Stuffers for those Muscle Car, GTO, Hot Rod & Classic Car Enthusiasts in your life.

You can also contact Jim directly by e-mailing him at jwpisces14@aol.com

SPOOKYTOOTH Continued

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:40:09 -0600

The dark blue Chevelle with white stripes leaves a cloud of smoke and a stretch of rubber two telephone lengths long vanishing down an alley two blocks ahead of the teen boy's giving chase in their big boxy truck.

"We are never going to be able to catch your Chevelle in my truck," comments the teen behind the wheel of the big Chevy pick up truck.

"I know that!" snaps the owner of the 1970 Chevelle.

The truck stops, turns around in the middle of the road, and heads back to where they left the three young teen girls walking two blocks behind them.

The teens are now back together and the owner of the stolen Chevelle is livid and physically upset about his situation.

"Who was driving my car?"

"We couldn't see the driver. He was too far behind us and it was getting dark," replies one of the girls.

"If he stole your car then why is he obviously following us instead of taking it and hiding it?" asks another of the teen girls.

"I don't understand it either," says one of the teen boys. "It doesn't make a lot of sense to steal a car and then stick around to show that you have it. The guy is crazy!"

"Well, while you guys were chasing after your stolen Chevelle, I called the cop's on my cell phone," stated one of the girls.

"You did what? Why did you call the cop's? They hate me!" replies the owner of the Chevelle. "They aren't gonna help me get my car back!"

"I didn't tell them about your car. I told them we were being followed by a strange man and were afraid to walk any further without an escort," commented the girl holding up her cell phone in front of everyone's eyes.

"We have to get out of here if the cop's are coming," the driver of the truck announces to his buddies.

The teenaged boys return to the pick up truck and leave the scene with the girls standing on the dimly lit sidewalk.

A police cruiser travels past the truck coming from the opposite direction headed towards where the girls are waiting for an escort home.

Just then, the driver spots the dark blue Chevelle with white racing stripes, blast through the stop sign three blocks ahead of them without even slowing down for the posted street sign.

"There goes your Chevelle again!" says the driver of the truck pointing towards his windshield while putting the gas pedal to the floor in an attempt to give chase.

"What is this guy's problem? asks the Chevelle's owner.

"I don't know, but he is gonna wreck your car if he keeps driving it like that!" suggests the driver of the truck.

"Take the right here at this corner," said the owner of the stolen muscle car. "Maybe we can cut him off a few blocks in front of him. We will never catch my car in an outright chase. We have to outsmart that guy in order to get my Chevelle back without it being totally destroyed in the process,"

The big boxy four wheel drive heads down the neighborhood street hoping to get ahead of the Chevelle and its driver.

To be continued...

Written by Jim Weicherding, Writer and CARtist for Motorhead Magazine and the Author of OUTLAW RUN The Book and Beyond The Book Series. You can contact Jim directly by e-mailing him at this online address, jwpisces14@aol.com and visit his very popular web site, www.outlawrun,us for continued updates about the OUTLAW GTO Build and Events Schedule and to order his new book.

SPOOKYTOOTH

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:31:20 -0600

"Who in the hell stole my car?!?" yells the teenager at the top of his lungs at his buddies, after noticing his precious 1970 Chevelle is missing from his driveway.

"Damnit! WHO STOLE MY CAR?!?"

The 4 teens pile into another's pick up truck to go searching for this stolen muscle car right out of the drive way at sun set in plain view.

"I am gonna kill that guy when we find him!"

Meanwhile, a 1970 Chevelle, dark blue with white racing stripes, is slowly following 3 teenaged girls as they walk together down a quite neighborhood street. The sun is settting and it is getting darker by the minute.

"Who is that following behind us in that car?" one of the girls asks the other two girls walking in front of her.

"Just ignore him and maybe he will drive away," suggested one of them.

A couple blocks later, and this same dark blue 1970 Chevelle with white racing stripes, is still following the girls as they walk together on the sidewalk.

"Can you see the driver? asks one of the girls.

"No. The car is too far away, but it is definitely following us," states the girl closest to the Chevelle.

"Should we run away, or call the police on one of our cell phones?"

The teenaged girls are becoming more nervous and keep looking back behind them to see where the car is while attempting to see who the driver is at a distance.

"You don't think this has anything to do with the other night at the mall, do you?"

"No. This can't be involved with that incident... can it?"

Just then, the 4 teenaged boys roll up on the girls from the opposite direction in the pick up truck and it startles them.

"Hey! You three see Tommy's Chevelle around anywhere?" asks the passenger closest to the girls inside the big truck.

"Is that it back there?" the girls stop walking and simultaneously point down the street behind them.

"HEY MAN, THAT'S MY CHEVELLE!!!" Tommy yells out, while pointing straight ahead through the windshield.

The dark blue, 1970 Chevelle with the white racing stripes, launches from its stopped position and quickly turns left onto Chesapeake Street, leaving a double stretch line of burnt rubber from the rear tires and a huge cloud of smoke in its wake. The muscle car disappears behind the landscaped yards and homes at end of the street corner.

"Well, what are you waiting for?, Tommy yells at the driver of the truck. Go after my Chevelle so we can kill that guy!!!"

To be continued...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim Weicherding is the Author of OUTLAW RUN, OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) and Writer & CARtist for Motorhead Magazine.

You can contact this Award-Winning Author, Writer & Illustrator directly, at jwpisces14@aol.com

Jim's extremely popular OUTLAW RUN Paperback Book is available online at his new web site, http://www.outlawrun.us on the Store Icon. Great Christmas Gift & Stocking Stuffer for all those car enthusiasts out there this holiday season.

OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Series 6

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:01:56 -0600

OUTLAW vanishes down the highway from anyone's view. The high performance Pontiac GTO appears to be a dark shadow of a ghost. One minute it is in plain sight and the next minute it is completely gone. This muscle car is faster than fast and it is becoming very clear to law enforcement that it will need a machine of equal power to catch it. That, and to find a driver with equal skills to handle the power at high rates of speed and still avoid any harm, or injury to the innocent drivers, passengers and even pedestrians that may get in the way during a high speed chase.

The driver of OUTLAW appears to be a skilled driver and doesn't show any signs that he will stop, unless he is stopped by other means. His maneuvers are with defined and controlled actions, and reactions, and doesn't suggest a reckless nature or attitude. OUTLAW simply is trying to evade the law, not threaten or attack anyone.

Etch drives his 1969 GTO down a series of unlighted and dark back roads in Connecticut. After a lengthily cruise, uninterrupted by police chases and beer bottle throwing punks, he comes to a place where he used to love to display his mean machine on Saturday nights. He'd hang out with his buddies talking about the classic cars and trucks entering and leaving the car show. He would get waves from everyone leaving the cruise site because he always parked his ride right at the exit to the venue. There wasn't any shade there but he didn't care. He would sit in one hundred degree weather with his other friends just to show off their classics, hot rods, trucks and rat rods.

Now, he sits in the dark hiding his muscle car GTO instead of displaying it. He rests his head down on top of the steering wheel and sighs. He thinks about those days when there would be three hundred classic cars and trucks, street rods and hot rods on display at the very spot he is hiding in.

"How did it all go so wrong?" he asks himself under his breath. "Why did this happen and who allowed this to happen?"

Etch closes his eyes for a few moments and tries to res

t for a little while knowing very well that this madness is far from over. He turns on his car stereo and sits back into the driver's seat taking a sip of his drink. It's warm now and does nothing to refresh him. Etch looks around at the field he once cruised to on Saturday nights during the car show seasons and vividly remembers the scene that took place on those beautiful sunny days and clear evenings.

He can clearly see his buddy's classic cars and trucks shinning from rim to roof with their hoods proudly opened to show the details of well maintained vehicles from top to bottom. Tony's Chevy Malibu, Crazy Larry's Ford Galaxy, Mike's 31 Coupe, Dick's 55 Chevy and Den's 40 Chevy Hot Rod parked next to the OUTLAW GTO all in a row, the first row, at each and every car show at this location.

Etch decides to exit his vehicle and stretch his legs. His left leg is in pain because of his hip and sitting for long periods of time can be very painful on him. He walks around OUTLAW to check out the tires and to see if his baby has been scratched or damaged in any way. He is happy to see that other than some dirt and dust covering his jet black beast that his car is undamaged and still looks great. He laughs because he knows if the situation was different there would be no way his GTO would be covered in dirt and dust. Never happen.

Etch opens his trunk and reaches for his hand held duster and cleans of his ride under a single spotlight in that parking lot in the middle of nowhere.

"I cannot believe I am dusting off OUTLAW in the middle of the night, while being hunted by police departments that want to take away my car, toss me in jail and throw away the key, just because the government says I can't drive it legally on the streets anymore!" he says to himself and a curious squirrel sitting on a tree limb directly behind him.

The sound of OUTLAW starting up sends the squirrel and a bunch of birds leaving in another direction while Etch cranks up the Beach Boy's singing," I GET AROUND", on his favorite classic rock radio station out of Worcester, Massachusetts.

OUTLAW exits the once popular car show location but this time it isn't going to be a nice summer cruise back to his home in Rhode Island. This time it is a race for his life. This time... things are entirely different. The power plant Pontiac GTO's spinning rear tires leave a huge cloud of smoke billowing across the field he was once asked not to pull hole shots to avoid problems with the landowner and the neighbors by the car show promoter. Not tonight. Tonight, he is going to do whatever the hell he wants to do with OUTLAW as he stomps on the gas pedal hard and leaves the entire area covered in smoke and leaving a couple hundred feet of screaming rear tires on the black top...

Written by Motorhead Magazine Writer & Artist, Jim Weicherding 2012

Jim's very popular paperback book is available on his new web site, http://www.outlawrun.us

Perfect Gift or Stocking Stuffer for Motorhead's everywhere!

You can contact the Author of OUTLAW RUN The Book directly at his e-mail address, jwpisces14@aol.com

OUTLAW RUN ( About The Book )

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:00:20 -0600

Believe it, or not, the original storyline for the book OUTLAW RUN was penned to paper back in the early 90's by Jim Weicherding who at the time owned a jet black 1969 GTO with a big block motor. This muscle car was brutal. At 40 miles an hour on a roll, one touch of the gas pedal towards the placemat broke the rear tires as if the car was rolling backwards instead of cruisin' forward.

Passerby's would give thumbs up signs and outward fists for power gestures as this beast rolled past them in the opposite direction. It was a strong contender on Friday and Saturday Nights on Walnut Hill where every muscle car, hot rod, big bad truck and Harley's for miles around would converge at the Jack-In-The-Box parking lot to challenge each other to a drag race. The big block 1969 GTO was the car to beat and everybody knew it and came looking to put the power plant Pontiac in its place. In the more than two years of drag races from that fast food parking lot to the water tower at the end of the road that never happened.

OUTLAW RUN Paperback Book is all about those days of drag racing at the drag strip and all those car shows. And I do mean car shows. That GTO was the beast attraction and everyone would practically break their necks attempting to get a look at that engine under the hood that never was opened at these car shows and cruise nights. I would say, "You wanna see what I am packing under the hood then drop to the ground and look up through my fender wells or under my radiator support housing." That hood never opened when there was an audience around. Only my closest friends would know what was tucked in that engine compartment. Everybody knew it was a big block but what else did it have that made it so damned fast. I could leap frog the GTO at low speeds and bring the front tires off the ground from a dead stop and a side step of the clutch pedal and a romp on the gas pedal.

OUTLAW RUN is about a muscle car, but it's about so much more than that. It's about our rights to drive classic cars and trucks on America's roadways without prejudice or interference from the government. OUTLAW RUN's premise is about the government banning vehicles manufactured prior to 1976 from road use and about restricting other vehicles with mandatory restrictor plates reducing horsepower in any vehicle newer than 1976 that has more than 220 horses under the hood other than municipal and emergency vehicles.

There is a personal storyline integrated into OUTLAW RUN that pits a bad cop with a major authority malfunction and a guy who just wants his life to be the way it was before the government stuck their noses into it with regulations and constant restrictions. The government just keeps taking and not giving anything back. He is tired of the day-to-day struggles to survive, the endless battles with family members that tell him to stop chasing dreams and come down to earth and then on top of that he loses his rights to drive his beloved muscle car on the street anymore. No more car shows, cruise nights and those rides down those long winding back roads of New England during the spring, summer and fall seasons. He is angry, frustrated and finally decides to make a statement with miles of burnt rubber and a catch me if you can attitude towards the government. The new ban on classic cars and trucks includes anyone caught driving their vehicle on the road is subject to stiff fines, loss of license and total destruction of their classic by means of crushing in any local salvage yard. It's gone! Period!

The OUTLAW GTO is not only the fastest street car in the region, it's now the fastest illegal street car on the road anywhere. And to make matters worse for law enforcement, one of the best road course drivers and drag racers in the region is the one piloting this mean machine across the area at maximum overdrive, breakneck speeds.

OUTLAW RUN is a great read and it doesn't take very long to get from front cover to back cover and it was written that way on purpose. The paperback book fits neatly into any glove compartment, or even above any vehicle visor for those car shows and cruise nights. It takes approximately an hour, or so, to read the entire book depending on how many distractions you are confronted with at those venues.

With the holidays upon us this would be a great inexpensive gift idea, or even a stocking stuffer. This is exactly the book for those family members and friends that love classic cars and trucks and reading about them. The OUTLAW GTO is the feature muscle car ride in the story but there are all types of cool cars and trucks and even Harley's integrated into the storyline. It is a car guy and a car girl book. Anyone who is an enthusiast of these era vehicles and the car show and cruise night scene will love this story and the unique premise and storyline plot. It's a feel good story about one man, one real fast muscle car GTO and his adventures eluding the police with an ending you will never see coming until you are there. It's all about loss and what one man can do to overcome that loss with a rebel spirit and a will to escape the government's stronghold on us all.

"They gotta catch OUTLAW to scrap OUTLAW!" Buckle Up! Because it's one helluva ride!!!

To contact the Author of OUTLAW RUN The Book you can reach him directly at his e-mail, jwpisces14@aol.com

To order your own copy of OUTLAW RUN, or as a gift for that someone special this holiday you can visit Jim's New Web Site:

http://www.outlawrun.us/store.html

TRICK-OR-STREET

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:04:49 -0500

Dennis loves his newly rebuilt street rod and is very excited to get it home and show all the neighbors his new ride.

He drives his pick up truck to the classic restoration garage that just rebuilt his street rod. As he drives along the streets of his neighborhood he admires all of the Halloween decorations on display at the houses along the way.

Dennis also sees children running around the streets wearing their costumes and playing in their yards. He smiles and continues on his way to pick up his newly rebuilt street rod. He turns on his stereo and hears Monster Mash playing from his favorite oldies radio station and turns it up loud. The big four wheel truck rumbles down the busy streets and catches everyone's attention.

All of a sudden an egg splatters across the windshield of his truck and Dennis slams on his brakes in an attempt to try and see who threw the object at his window. He sees a group of teenagers running down the alley laughing and pointing back at him. He is furious!

He cannot chase the teens because he has to meet the garage owner at 5pm to pick up his street rod before they close for a vacation week. Dennis wants his ride for an upcoming car show on Saturday in Massachusetts. He cannot be late.

Dennis puts on his windshield wipers and washer fluid to remove the egg and can only remove some of the contents from his view.

"I have got to get my street rod before that garage closes!"

He finally enters the garage parking lot and sees his gorgeous car parked under the parking lots lights. He parks his truck on the sidewalk and meets the garage owner next to his street rod. After some banter and going through the vehicle's high points, Dennis hands the garage owner a check and is given the keys to his ride. The men shake hands and Dennis enters his street rod and turns the key.

The 40 Street Rod backs out onto the street and Dennis heads for home hoping he is not met with the same teens he encountered in his truck on his way to the garage.

"If just one egg hits this car... I will kill 'em all!"

The street rod cruises back through the neighborhoods as costumed kids and adults make their way from house to house in effort to obtain as much candy as possible in just one evening.

Dennis can finally see his home from the end of the street and starts to relax a little bit knowing he has dodged a bullet with those neighborhood teens and their egg tosses at vehicles traveling in the area for amusement.

When he finally arrives at his home he sees eggs splattered all over his house and garage with toilet paper tossed across his tree limbs and stops in the driveway and shakes his head from side to side in disgust.

"Damned teens! They do this to me every single Halloween."

Dennis backs out of his driveway and sets out to try and find the teens to have a little chit chat about respect and consideration for others.

Moments later a series of eggs are tossed hard at his street rod and splatter all over the new paint job. Dennis becomes furious and starts chasing the teens with his street rod down the middle of the street. They are running and screaming for their lives as he hits one, then another, leaving bodies strewn all over the neighborhood covered in blood and barely alive. He drives his street rod from one side of the street to the other, even jumping a curb to mow down a teen with two eggs in his hands running on the sidewalk. He runs over the young man dragging his body for a block before pulling back onto the street.

Costume wearing kids and adults are watching the horror take place and run screaming all over the neighborhood in fear and panic.

Dennis catches up to the last teen scrambling around to try and stay alive and puts the gas pedal to the floor while aiming the street rod directly at him.

"Take this you screaming speed bump!"

Dennis plows his street rod into the teen and pins him against a big tree at the end of the block killing him instantly. He is knocked un conscience in the process. He feels somebody's hand rubbing on his shoulder.

"Hey buddy. Here‘s the keys to your car," says the garage owner. "Sorry you had to wait for it to be ready but that part arrived later than I expected. Good thing you waited because we are closing for a week for vacation and you'd hafta wait until then to pick it up."

Dennis becomes alert from his nap and looks at the garage owner and says, "Keep it here until then. I am NOT taking this Street Rod home on Halloween Night!"

"Cruise Fright"

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 22:28:57 -0500

Spencer fires up his newly restored GTO and backs it out of his driveway on his way to his first cruise night since starting his GTO restoration project over a year ago.

It's a beautiful fall evening on this Saturday night before Halloween, and more than likely one of the last cruise nights until spring of next year, so he wants to take advantage of this gorgeous weather and cruise to the local car show event just over the state line from his home in Rhode Island.

The immaculate muscle car gets a lot of stares and waves from other drivers and passengers on the back roads heading into the state of Connecticut. Trees are covered with different colored leaves and the wind blows them all over the roadway swirling around like mini-twisters. The GTO just travels along the back roads causing even more of the fallen leaves to whip around the vehicle and landing on the roadside. The GTO hits a patch of leaves and Spencer has to let off the gas, apply the brakes with both feet and cut the steering wheel hard to avoid hitting anything and stops just short of slamming into a huge oak tree on the opposite side of the road.

"Whew! That was a close one."

Spencer enters the GTO, fires it up and heads to the cruise night a few miles away. Moments later, a fire truck and rescue vehicle are approaching him very quickly on the opposite side of the roadway. He has to pull the GTO off to the side of the road to avoid being struck by the big trucks. Both vehicles speed by as Spencer waves to the drivers and passengers inside.

"Must be a house fire back there I didn't see."

Forty-five minutes later, Spencer can see the classic cars and trucks, along with hot rods and muscle cars parked on the field at the end of the long street ahead. The sky is turning darker now as the sun starts to set behind the hills of this country setting.

Spencer drives his GTO closer to where all the vehicles are parked and is stunned by what else he sees uprooted in the ground around all the parked show cars and trucks. There are grave stones and markers inbetween all the vehicles.

"What the hell? This cruise night is being held in a cemetery?" Spencer can hardly believe his eyes.

He stops the GTO just short of the entrance watching a strange looking tall man dressed entirely in black, slowly moving his arm and hand waving Spencer to come into the cruise night grounds.

"Wait a minute! It's a few days before Halloween. Of course, that's it. This is a Halloween theme cruise night. Now it makes sense!"

Spencer rolls the GTO into the entrance to the cruise night and rolls down his window, "Nice costume man. You almost scared the crap out of me with that get up!" The GTO slowly maneuvers its way around the grave stone markers and stone cross'.

Finally, Spencer finds an open spot to park his restored GTO and turns off the muscle car and begins to observe things happening around him at this weird Halloween cruise night.

"Wow! These people must have paid professional's to put on their make-up, they look horrible and scary as hell!"

Spencer exits the GTO and leans up against his ride to check out the scene.

"Hey, this is pretty realistic..." the man dressed like a Zombie just ignores him and stumbles past, tripping into an old Rat Rod head first.

"What the hell?" Another dead man crawls past Spencer at his feet and looks up at him smiling. He can see between his lost teeth to the black inside. "Look! This is real cool for Halloween and all that, but you guys are really freakin' me out here!"

A woman approaches Spencer, now halfway inside his GTO and grabs his shoulder and turns him around and points at a headstone. Spencer stares at the name and date on the grave stone and can't believe his eyes. SPENCER TUNNEY IS DEAD! 2012

He pushes the woman away from him and jumps into his GTO, fires it up and tears out of the cruise night like his life depended on it.

The GTO soars past the entrance man knocking him to the ground and smokes the crap out of the rear tires heading back towards home in the opposite direction he had driven to arrive at the cruise night once he hits the black top. The GTO is traveling at a high rate of speed for quite some time until it arrives to a location filled with police cars, fire trucks and a rescue vehicle with their lights flashing now in the darkness of the evening.

Spencer stops the GTO and watches as rescue workers bring the lifeless body of a man covered with a white sheet and roll it into the back of the rescue vehicle. Everything is moving in slow motion. He turns his head in one direction and then in another direction and then he sees it.

His GTO wrapped around a big oak tree and the roadway covered in blood.

He slips the GTO into first gear and side steps the clutch spinning the power plant muscle car around and heads back to the Cruise Fright with the gas pedal matted and the song, Highway to Hell, cranked on the stereo. This is one cruise night that will never end.

THE END?

OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Series 5

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:41:55 -0500

Outlaw is on the fast track to the open highway with a dozen police cruisers in hot pursuit. Gunshots ring out as Etch downshifts the power plant GTO and accelerates even faster to escape the long arm of the law, and the bullets.

Two RI State Troopers are pulling ahead of the other police cruisers but are having a hard time keeping up with the fleeing 1969 GTO muscle car. Outlaw's taillights are getting dimmer in the distance and the police cruisers' headlights are getting smaller in the rearview mirror.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Shouts Etch out of his driver's side window into the dark night air.

The police cruisers pull off to the side of the road and converge together while one radios to dispatch that they are no longer in pursuit of the GTO. Dispatch announces the last known location of Outlaw and requests other police officers in the area to be on the lookout for a 1969 GTO, color black, with one male occupant and a licence plate that reads OUTLAW.

Outlaw merges onto the highway and then Etch mats the gas pedal once he gets the muscle car onto the open straight away of the dimly lit four lane roadway. Big rigs are the only vehicles on the open road at this time of night and OUTLAW weaves in and out of the big truck cab and trailers and heads beyond the mini convoy to a not yet determined destination.

Etch is thirsty, hungry and tired and is searching for the next 24 hour fast food restaurant to grab a bite to eat and drink and rest for a little while. Outlaw eventually rolls into a Wendy's and slowly cruises up to the order window to place his order.

"A burger and fries with a chocolate milk shake puuhlease."

"Would you like to make that a biggie size order sir?"

"No thanks, just what I ordered will be fine."

"Drive up to the second window for your order sir."

Etch pulls Outlaw around from the rear of the building and stops dead in his tracks. Three police cruisers are parked in the parking lot and the police officers are inside the establishment. He sees them in the open windows sitting at a table waiting for their orders.

"Now what in the hell do I do?" he whispers to himself while creeping Outlaw up to the second window to retrieve his food and drink order.

The big block GTO is loud and powerful and the windows on the building begin to vibrate the closer it gets to the front of the establishment where the police officers are sitting at their table.

Outlaw rumbles up to the window. "Here's your order sir." Etch reaches up to grab his order and puts the food on the passenger seat and his drink in a cup holder on his door.

"Nice car maaaan!" says a young male employee of the restaurant. Another young male approaches the window and gives a thumbs up signal to Etch through the window.

A police officer sitting at the table inside notices the attention the driver in the drive up window is getting from inside the work station from the young employees. Etch notices the police officer looking over at the window and then they both see each other at the same time.

The police officer hits one of his partners on the shoulder and points at Etch sitting behind the wheel inside Outlaw and jump to their feet headed to the exit door. The four other police officers do the same. All headed towards the exit door to stop the Outlaw from escaping the parking lot.

Etch throws Outlaw into gear and speeds away from the building after tossing a twenty dollar bill inside the open window to the employees. The police officers are running towards the exit of the parking lot trying to stop the GTO from exiting. One police officer actually reaches out and grabs the door handle attempting to gain access to the vehicle. His attempt to do so is in vain as Outlaw quickly slingshots around the small landscaped meridian and heads to the exit back onto the highway.

The police officers scramble to get into their police cruisers and try to chase after the fleeing vehicle but watch in dismay as Outlaw's rear taillights disappear in the distance as big rigs soar past them in the same direction.

Etch turns his head around and only sees big rigs way behind him on the highway and no flashing lights. He takes a sip of his milkshake and reaches for his fast food while he buries the needle on Outlaw. The power plant black GTO disappears into the night...

OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Series 4

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 10:05:28 -0500

Etch drives Outlaw hard past the alcohol induced teenagers in the white Mustang and attempts to take maneuvers to leave their vehicle behind him and the first to be approached by any potential pursuing police cars. He instinctively knows that the jogger they just raced by would call the police after witnessing two vehicles traveling at high rates of speed on a main roadway in the middle of nowhere.

Outlaw vanishes into the darkness on the straight of way while the Mustang is being pulled over by two Rhode Island State Troopers.

Etch glances into his rearview mirror to see red flashing lights pull up behind the Mustang and all three vehicles pull over to the side of the road. He turns off his lights and accelerates even faster away from the scene hoping he was not seen by the troopers.

After driving Outlaw hard for another five minutes, Etch realizes that he is not being pursued and gradually reduces his speed to just around the posted speed limit. He has to find a place to hide low for awhile and keep the law out of his mirrors.

Etch knows of a secluded location by a lake down the road just off of Route 6 in Scituate. He used to come here with her on many hot summer nights to escape the heat... when she was alive. Outlaw rumbles to a slow crawl as the jet black GTO makes its way through the barely passable dirt road that leads to the lake beyond the wood line trees. Etch has been to this spot many times before and knows the terrain very well. He would usually bring his big bad Chevy four wheel trucks back through this pass but that is not an option on this hot summer night. He has no choice but to bring Outlaw back here to escape the law for even a little while.

The GTO approaches the lake with its parking lights on.The moon can be seen reflecting off the surface of the still waters by Etch as he checks out the landscape to make certain he is absolutely alone here. Nobody in sight as Outlaw's ignition key is turned off and the vehicle is coasting to the water's edge. Etch opens the driver's door and using his left hand lifts his left leg outside the stopped muscle car and swings his body around to exit the driver's seat. With one hard push of his upper body, he stands up surveying the location further at a standing position. Not a soul around. Etch is all alone.

After sitting back down into Outlaw, Etch reaches over and turns on the stereo. The song, "Reflections" by The Supreme's, is beginning to play on the oldies radio station. He puts his head back against the driver's seat and closes his eyes. He thinks back to when vehicles like his were street legal and they were at drag races and car shows all week long to show them off. He remembers Den's 1940 Chevy Coupe parked next to his GTO and his buddy Mike's 31 Hot Rod painted yellow with purple flames looking much like Milner's Coupe from the movie American Graffiti but snazzier.

An hour has passed and Etch finds himself waking up from a dream and entering into a real nightmare. A spotlight is aimed right at Outlaw from directly across the lake. Flashing lights fill the dark skies and illuminate off the lake's surface. Etch rubs his eyes and takes focus on the activity across from him. He looks around his location and sees no police cars, or police officers, but that scenario will definitely change very soon if he doesn't get the hell out of there.

"Exit your vehicle and step away from the car with your hands held high!" A harsh male voice comes over a loud speaker from across the lake. A bright spotlight is in Etch's eyes as he thinks about what to do next. "Do not attempt to flee. You are surrounded!"

Etch turns the key and Outlaw fires up. "S T O P ! You are surrounded!"

"Surround this!" Etch yells out his driver's window while cutting the steering wheel hard and fishtailing Outlaw back away from the lake and makes his way to the dirt road headed back to the main roadway.

Gunshots ring out and a bullet ricochets off of Outlaw's driver's door much to Etch's surprise and shock. "Why in the hell are they shooting at me? What in the hell did those two punks say to those troopers?"

Outlaw reaches the hard surface main roadway when the rear tires break loose screaming and begin leaving a stretch of black rubber all over the street from side to side. Etch mats the gas pedal and brings Outlaw hauling ass towards a multitude of approaching flashing red and blue lights. Etch slams hard on the brake pedal and turns Outlaw completely around in the middle of the four lane roadway and heads back in the opposite direction. Outlaw's left front tire leaves the ground as Etch downshifts the GTO and accelerates hard in an attempt to escape the police cars chasing him. It's a drag race Outlaw has to win...

Get a Copy of Outlaw Run http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-weicherding/outlaw-run/paperback/product-20032487.html

Autographed Copies can be requested by email @ hotrodsandmore@gmail.com

OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Feature Series 3

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:02:45 -0500

Outlaw is no longer visible to the neighbors standing on the corner across from Etch's house but the big block GTO can be heard a mile a way as it enters a main roadway that leads to Main Street in town.

Moments later two police cruisers pull up to the crowd and one of the police officers asks, "Has anyone seen a jet black '69 GTO cruise through the neighborhood within the past five minutes?"

"Sorry, can't help you officer. We haven't seen a classic muscle car GTO on the road since the Clunker Law was passed more than five years ago." replies one of the bystanders and a friend of Etch.

"That's what we thought," snaps the police officer.

The police cruisers quickly exit the area with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Meanwhile, Outlaw is cruisin' Main Street and getting a lot of attention from other drivers and passengers in other legal vehicles as well as people on the sidewalks walking around on this warm summer night. Etch decides it's time to take Outlaw onto the back roads where it is less likely to be seen and possibly reported to the police department.

Etch reaches out his right hand and turns on the stereo and sits back while winding Outlaw down to just above the posted speed limit. The four lane road is dark and less traveled by other vehicles and Etch feels a little more at ease behind he wheel of his Pontiac GTO.

He notices a set of headlights in his rear view mirror coming up behind him in the distance and turns off the stereo just in case it is the law and he has to make a run for it. A couple of minutes later a white, newer model Mustang, pulls up along side Etch behind the wheel of Outlaw. Etch can see that the teenagers have beer bottles in their hands and knows that this could be trouble for him if he makes the wrong move.

The passenger puts down his window and yells out to Etch, "Hey buddy, aren't those Dinosaurs outlawed from the roadways? Go bury that thing where it belongs deep in the ground with all the other dinosaurs!" His speech is somewhat slurred from the alcohol.

The Mustang then accelerates away from Outlaw, and just when Etch thinks he is in the clear of any trouble, the passenger tosses his beer bottle directly at the windshield of the cruisin' GTO.

Etch steers Outlaw away from the approaching beer bottle and it misses the drivers window by inches. Etch regains control of Outlaw as the Mustang accelerates even faster and pulls way ahead of the GTO by at least two hundred yards, or even more.

Within moments, Etch downshifts the GTO, mats the gas pedal and closes in on the Mustang to the shock and amazement of the driver and passenger trying to flee Outlaw after throwing a beer bottle at the windshield hoping to break it.

"Holy crap that car is fast!" shouts out the driver of the Mustang to his buddy still staring in awe at the windshield of Outlaw so close now you couldn't fit a stamp between the front bumper of the GTO and the rear bumper of the Mustang.

Etch says to himself. "Wanna play games? I can play games too!" He begins to steer Outlaw from side-to-side on the roadway behind the Mustang and scaring the hell out of the two teenagers inside hanging on for dear life. Two more beer bottles are thrown from the fleeing Mustang which only enrages Etch even more. Both vehicles are now doing over one hundred miles per hour on this long straight away back road in the middle of nowhere.

A jogger watches as the headlights approach very fast down the straight away coming towards him on his side of the road. He sees the Mustang's headlights traveling straight ahead while Outlaw's headlights are back and forth across the roadway close behind it.

The white Mustang and the jet black GTO fly past the jogger at a high rate of speed. The jogger sharply turns to see the taillights on Outlaw vanish around the bend and can hear the GTO's exhaust get louder as to indicate that it was accelerating even faster once it was out of sight. The jogger reaches for his cell phone. "Hello... 911?"

Outlaw can be heard in the distance traveling at a high rate of speed as the jogger holds his cell phone up in the air while the dual exhaust under the big block GTO diminishes with each passing second. "Did you hear that?" asks the jogger to the 911 operator.

"I sure did. How fast was that vehicle traveling and where is your location?" asks the 911 operator.

"The intersection of Route 100 and Route 6 in Scituate," the jogger replies.

Suddenly, two RI State Troopers race past the jogger in hot pursuit headed in the last known direction and location of the Outlaw GTO.

The chase for Outlaw continues...

To contact the author of the new paperback book, OUTLAW RUN and the Motorhead Magazine monthly feature series, OUTLAW RUN ( Beyond The Book ) Jim Weicherding, please e-mail him at jwpisces14@aol.com

The SAFE And The SERIOUS

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:20:26 -0500

It's called The SAFE And The SERIOUS and it was first created right here in Rhode Island and first launched at car shows as a creative effort to encourage kids, teens and families to drive safely and Buckle Up! on our roadways.

The SAFE And The SERIOUS Founder and Creative Director, Jim Weicherding of Burrillville, Rhode Island, began his unique campaign efforts at car shows across the state of Rhode Island with child passenger safety publication handouts, hand painted billboards and full color graphic banners featuring classic cars and trucks along with the safety message reminder, BUCKLE UP!

Since the popular traffic safety campaign was developed in 2003, a variety of traffic safety messages and themes have been featured with numerous other visual applications such as full color hand painted billboards going on display at high school parking lot exits and out in front of police and fire departments across three New England states, RI, CT and Massachusetts. The hopes of Jim's creative visuals include getting teenagers and young adults to wear seatbelts and drive carefully by displaying these full color billboards at the parking lot exits of the student's high school and reduce traffic related injuries and death due to excessive speeds, reckless driving and not being properly restrained in a moving vehicle. Jim has recently been asked to create texting safety images for teens and young adults by law enforcement agencies across the region.

Jim travels around the state and region with his mobile traffic safety BUCKLE UP! reminder banners he displays on the sides of his pick-up truck as shown in the photo section of this page. He travels as far away as Cape Cod where his The SAFE And The SERIOUS "BUCKLE UP" reminder banners are dispalyed at popular retail locations along busy travelled roadways from Bourne to Wellfleet, Cape Cod.

Car shows are the perfect venue for reaching out to kids, teens and families about traffic safety because everyone arriving and then leaving the shows are driving to and from that location. With a truck full of handouts for kids featuring child passenger safety materials and teen related materials for safe driving and wearing seatbelts, Jim is able to reach out to a very large audience with his creative public safety efforts. The SAFE And The SERIOUS Campaign logo appears on the tailgate of his truck along with the words, "BUCKLE UP". He hopes to encourage more drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelts and drive safely due to a visual reminder in the faces and minds of people traveling behind his truck on the road. He often parks at heavily travelled locations like drive-thru fast food restaurants and coffee shops at the parking lot exits with his tailgate facing the drivers and passengers as they leave that location. Many times, individuals not wearing seatbelts entering the parking lot and drive-thru will reach for their seatbelts after seeing and reading the back of his tailgate as they exit onto the roadway.

Jim has received many local, state and federal honors and awards over the past few years while recently receiving a Citizen Service Medal from the state of Rhode Island and a Citizen Service Award from the state's law enforcement agencies and police departments. He received these medals, awards and honors because of his creative and dedicated efforts to help keep kids, teens and families safer on our roadways every day of the year. Many RI., CT. and Massachusetts Police Department web sites feature Jim's The SAFE And The SERIOUS Campaign materials for kids available as coloring cartoons and coloring pages they can print out and color in at home or in their classrooms. Kids everywhere absolutely love his cartoon characters and coloring cartoons and can be seen coloring them in at car shows and events across RI and the region throughout the year.

The SAFE And The SERIOUS Campaign has received many letters of support and letters of endorsement from local and state police along with letters of support and letters of endorsement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA), RI DOT Office on Highway Safety, RI Hospital, Lifespan, Hasbro Children's Hospital, CDC of Washington, DC,, Safe Kids USA and Safe Kids Worldwide also located in Washington, DC.

You can find Jim's "Seasons of Safety" Program by visiting the web site of Hasbro Children's Hospital and clicking the For Patience section and then Safety Coloring Pages. Jim has created a variety of child safety coloring calendar poster pages that are passed out every month to kids in the HCH "ER" and at safety events as well as being available online for easy access and coloring fun fro kids.

So, the next time you see a great big maroon Silverado parked at a car show, cruise night or popular fast food restaurant and donut shop with a Buckle Up! Banner or Billboard displayed along the bed of the truck stop by and say "Hi". Chances are he will have something onboard for your kids to color in to learn about child passenger safety and raise awareness for your friends and family.

"BUCKLE UP!" It could just save your life!

Anyone interested in The SAFE And The SERIOUS Campaign for your car show, cruise night, safety event, business, school, police or fire department contact Jim directly by e-mailing him at jwpisces14@aol.com with any questions about this award-winning traffic safety campaign.

The SAFE And The SERIOUS Campaign is a Jim Weicherding Property, Copyrights 2003. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Outlaw Run Beyound the Book

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:22:26 -0500

OUTLAW, an oil slick, jet black powerplant 1969 Pontiac GTO, vanishes into the darkness at the end of the street leaving the smell of burnt rubber and billowing smoke in its wake across the neighborhood.

Three police cruisers round the corner at the end of the block with sirens blairing and lights flashing. One police officer pulls over to the side of the street and asks three witnesses at the scene which direction a black GTO just took off towards. All three men point in three different directions while laughing at one another.

"Very funny!" snaps the police officer. "Do you know the driver of that vehicle?" asks the police officer sharply.

"I think it's Fred."

"No wait, it's Ted."

"No it isn't you morons. I know the driver's name officer, replies one of the witnesses. It's Alice!" All three men bust out laughing.

The police officer shakes his head side-to-side and says, "Nevermind!".

The police cruiser speeds away from the scene in pursuit of OUTLAW hoping to gain ground with his partners already five minutes ahead of him in the chase.

The police cruiser is headed in the direction of his partners on the street's long straight away when the officer sees headlights coming towards him at a high rate of speed in the other lane of travel.

OUTLAW goes past the officer's police cruiser at an incredible rate of speed being chased by two police cars and a local television news van.

"Holy Crap!" shouts the police officer as he quickly lays on his brakes and cuts the steering wheel hard to the left forcing the police car into a u-turn. Tires screaming as the police car fishtails around and aims the headlights in the other direction behind the news van.

OUTLAW flies past the neighbors still coughing from all the smoke left by the screaming tires when it took off mintues earlier. Now OUTLAW has a train of police cars and news vans attempting to keep up the pace with this muscle car just unleashed after five long years of being caged under a tarp and stranded inside a dark garage.

The neighbors watch with amazement as OUTLAW vanishes once again into the darkeness at the other end of the street this time, but with police cars and news vans in hot pursuit.

"What's next. A police and news helicopter?" asks one of the original witnesses.

"Do we even have a police helicopter and news helicopter out here in the sticks?" asks another neighbor.

Suddenly, a news helicopter flies overhead with a high powered light reflecting off the neighborhood below aimed straight onto the street.

"Guess that answers that question."

Neighbors begin to mull around and discuss what they just witnessed. The sirens begin to silence in the distance as the police cruisers put more space between themselves and the neighborhood.

"Wow! Guess Etch really needed to take OUTLAW out for a spin hunh?" The neighbors begin to laugh outloud.

"They will never catch that car. That GTO is way too fast for any of those police cars and news vans," states one of Etch's friends.

"Yeah, and with Etch behind the wheel it would take a lot more than three police cars, two news vans and a heccacopter to catch OUTLAW," replies another of Etch's friends.

"You know you just said heccacopter right?" asks a young boy holding his dad's hand on the street corner.

"Yeah. It's like a hippypotomus and an ephalunt kid. Now go away, you're bothering me!"

The little boy's dad says, "I hope they catch him and crush that eyesore car. This neighborhood had to put up with that car for years when it was legal to drive those types of cars on the street. It was too loud and made my nicknacks fall off the wall shelves when it drove by my house."

"Nicknacks? Did this guy just say the word...(Nick-Nacks)?" replies one of Etch's friends to the disgruntled neighbor.

The sirens are out of distance now and the smoke across the neighborhood has disappeared from the scene. A long stretch of rubber is left on the street directly in front of Etch's house that leads to the fourth telephone pole from the corner.

"Damn, that's a helluva strip of rubber Etch left driving OUTLAW like that," states another of Etch's friends.

Without noticing, OUTLAW coasts silently up to everyone standing on the street corner, and Etch, noticing everybody pointing at his tire rubber glued to the street surface under the street lights, sticks his head out of the driver's window of OUTLAW and asks; "Wanna see it again?"

Etch turns the key and side steps the clutch while matting the gas pedal to the floor.

To everyone's astonishment, OUTLAW launches with tires screaming as its two front tires rise straight off the pavement and slam back down a couple hundred feet away, once again, headed down the street with its red tailights vanishing into the darkness.

Outlaw Run Beyond the Book

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:52:03 -0500

You park your antique hot rod, or classic muscle car in the garage after returning home from an area cruise night. You take a final look at your cherished ride before you turn off the light and close the door. You reflect upon your evening with friends and fellow enthusiasts while you kick back in your favorite recliner and click on the television remote to watch the local news. Tomorrow is July 1st. The start of a new fiscal year and when most laws go on the books in your state. To your astonishment, the newscaster just announced a new law was passed making it illegal to drive any vehicle older than 1976 on public roadways as of midnight tonight. Classic cars, trucks and recreational vehicles are now permanently banned from every street across America. Violations range from hefty fines and tow charges to loss of license and vehicle confiscation and destruction by crushing. You heard the rumors and discussed the possibilites, but nobody ever thought it would ever become a reality. Your classic car is not street legal anymore.

OUTLAW, a jet black 1969 GTO sits covered in the owner's garage. This powerplant Pontiac GTO was nicknamed OUTLAW at area drag strips by the drag racers that had to try and beat it on the dragway a couple times a week because it was like stealing candy from a baby on every pass down the quarter mile in this brute of a car. Nobody could beat OUTLAW. Nobody.

5 years have gone by since the Clunker Law was passed into law and OUTLAW sits covered in a cold, dreary and dimly lit garage. OUTLAW's owner often contemplates the possibilities and wonders about the consequences of unleashing this bad boy Pontiac back onto the streets. He hasn't returned the license plates displayed on the vehicle as required by the Department of Motor Vehicles and can't even back it out onto the driveway to uncover and wash it. If the police see the plates on OUTLAW they could impound her and she would be crushed for scrap.

On a clear, warm, moonlit night in early July, OUTLAW can be seen rolling back out of the garage from the neighborhood windows. A few of the neighbors are car enthusiasts and own their own classic cars and trucks. They emerge from their homes and sit on their front steps as they watch OUTLAW get her first bath in over 5 years. Silently watching as they sip their ice cold beers and wonder if OUTLAW's owner is really going to do what they think he is going to do.

What does he hope to gain? Why would he take such a risk with such a beautiful muscle car? What lengths will he take to take a cruise again?

OUTLAW gets dried off by hand after being washed completely from top to tires. Neighbors quietly watch as the driver's door closes and the key is put into the ignition. A moment later, the dual exhuast rumbles and the ground underneath begins to vibrate all the way across the street. Windows in homes a half a block away are shaking as more neighbors exit their homes to see what is causing such a stir and interest.

OUTLAW rolls back out onto the street and just sits there. The 900 plus horsepower engine is warming up and the idle is becoming steady and more dominating. Neighbors sit in awe over this magnificent machine as it sits under the street lights completely still and then it happens;

You can hear the engine race as the clutch pedal is side stepped and the gas pedal is matted. OUTLAW breaks violently to the right with smoke filling the street around her. The tires are screaming and tearing up the blacktop. OUTLAW breaks to the left and launches straight down the street at an incredible rate of speed. Neighbors jumping up from their steps yelling out and spilling their drinks as they see OUTLAW's tailights vanish into the darkness at the end of the block. Smoke permeates the air all around the neighborhood spectators and the smell of burning rubber brings smiles to a few faces. Not everyone is amused.

Flasing red and blue lights can be seen approaching quickly in the distance as sirens echo across the night air in pursuit of OUTLAW. An officer stops and asks three neighborhood spectators what direction OUTLAW sped off towards and they all point in three different directions. The officer responds, "Very funny!" and resumes the chase to catch OUTLAW with the other police cruisers in hot pursuit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OUTLAW RUN is the only published paperback book that ever required the use of seat belts in order to read it. So, "Buckle Up!" because this is one helluva ride and Motorhead story for car guys everywhere.

OUTLAW RUN Paperback Book is written and published byof Rhode Island and can be seen in Hot Rod Magazines all across the country over the next 18 months.

Jim can be reached via his e-mail address; jwpisces14@aol.com for scheduling guest appearances at car shows and cruise nights in 2013 when the real OUTLAW will be unveiled and on display at car shows and cruise nights across New England and New York State. Watch for it!

National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 17th thru 22nd 2012

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:00:55 -0500

It's that time of year again. September, the month when most kids across the country are back in school. They are being hurried into vehicles everywhere and driven to school and back home again at the end of the school day.

Millions of children are transported to and from schools by family vehicles every day in this country and a lot of them are not wearing proper child restraints and seat belts.

That's where Jim Weicherding's very popular child passenger safety cartoon character mascot, BUCKLEUPALLOFUS, comes into play. Bucky, as the little kids love to call him, is an Award-Winning cartoon character for child passenger safety that first began his efforts to get kids to buckle up at car shows and cruise nights across New England back in the early 1990's. This big blue dinosaur with a seatbelt for a tail is featured on and in everything from coloring books, to coloring calendars, stickers, posters, travel sippy cups, vehicle litter bags, vehicle air fresheners to mobile banners and giant highway billboards just to name a handful of character features.

Buckleupallofus is even a giant 20 foot cartoon character balloon used nationwide at car seat checkups, child safety events, car shows, race tracks and even in parades in an effort to get kids to buckle up and use proper child restraints when riding in vehicles.

Over the past decade Jim's popular child passenger safety cartoon character mascot has been, and continues to be, used by law enforcement agencies, fire and rescue agencies, child safety advocates and children's hospitals nationwide to reach out to kids and families. The kids just love the big blue dinosaur with a seat belt for a tail and a welcoming smile on the items they receive from these agencies all year long.

Jim has received numerous awards and honors for his years of tireless and creative efforts to help keep children safer on America's roadways from Safe Kids USA / Worldwide, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, CDC, AAA, American Academy of Pediatrics and Hasbro Children's Hospital. He recently received Citizen's Service Awards from New England law enforcement agencies and was also presented with a Citizen's Service Medal from the state of Rhode Island given to him by his home town police department in Burrillville, Rhode Island. An awards ceremony was held at the Burrillville Police Department where Jim was presented with his awards and medal. Jim even created the brand new municipal court seal for the town of Burrillville that hangs on the courtroom and police department walls. Traditionally seals of this sort are in place for a couple hundred years as was the seal that Jim replaced with his new design for the town he resides in.

Buckleupallofus is very popular with police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, child safety advocates and grade school teachers nationwide and is featured on many police department, fire department, newspaper, radio station and television channel web sites for kids to access as child passenger safety coloring pages. The Internet plays a significant role with Jim's creative outreach efforts as everything he creates for children on the Internet is a coloring and activities format easily adopted by anyone wanting to reach out to kids and families about their safety. Kids just love the coloring pages featuring Bucky in a variety of traffic safety coloring themes and scenes.

Any police departments and fire departments, as well as children's hospitals and pediatric clinics, nationwide wanting to feature Jim's child safety cartoon characters as coloring pages for new or existing kids pages, can just e-mail him directly at jwpisces14@aol.com. There is absolutely no charge for these agencies to feature Jim's materials on their web sites for kids.

Jim currently creates monthly child safety coloring calendar posters and coloring books passed out to hundreds of children each month at Hasbro Children's Hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island, Emergency Room, Wards and at Child Safety Events across the state. His very popular cartoon characters, Itty Bitty Super Dupers, Buckleupallofus, Fearless Dino Protector Squad, Li'l Skipper & Clam Cakes and his Bus Stop Kids are all featured on Hasbro Children's Hospital web site for kids to color in and learn about safety while having fun.

http://www.hasbrochildrenshospital.org For Patitients / Safety Coloring Pages

Buckleupallofus photos shows Bucky Giant Balloon featured at the New Year's Parade held in San Diego, California escorted by the California Highway Patrol and teenager volunteers holding Bucky wearing Bucky Blue uniforms with bright yellow seatbelts.

Bucky on display at the Tri-State Cruisers Car Show in Pomfret, Ct.

CRUISIN' FOR A CAUSE

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:00:10 -0500

CRUISIN' FOR A CAUSE

They are the Tri-State Cruisers out of Connecticut. This very popular Saturday Night Car Show has been raising funds for Paul Newman's Hole In The Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut for nearly two decades to benefit terminally ill children. The car clubs efforts have raised more than $100,000 for the kids at the camp over the past 19 years states Tri-State Cruisers president, Dick Salvas.

Tri-State Cruisers are cruisin' every Saturday Night throughout the car show and cruise night season from the first Saturday Night in May thru the end of September to help raise money for a great cause. The car show promoters proudly boasts about the hundred's of classic cars and trucks and specialty vehicles that attend their weekly event weather permitting.

On September 1st, 2012, Maria Angelita Gomez, Director of Annual Giving for the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, presented the president of the Tri-State Cruisers, Dick Salvas, with an award for all of the car clubs hard work and efforts to benefit the children attending the camp during the summer months.

The Tri-State Cruisers new car show site is now located at Loos & Co. on the corner grass lot of route 169 and route 101. Through the generosity of owner Bill Loos, of Loos & Co. this popular car club has found a new home for their weekly car shows. Everyone involved with this organization is very dedicated and hard working putting the needs of the kids at the camp and those that attend their car shows first on the list of priorities.

The Tri-State Cruisers began their long car show tradition in 1991 when they were holding their car shows and cruise nights at the former Reuben's Deli on Providence Street with a group of about twenty show vehicles. As the club's popularity grew, they moved to the Putnam, Ct. Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot and then from there went to the larger parking lot located behind the Jade Garden doing business on Kennedy Drive, also located in Putnam, Ct.

Visit www.holeinthewallgang.org for more information about this wonderful camp for ill children.

This car club is a class act from the word "go" and this writer is proud to be a part of their weekly car show and cruise night events on Saturday Nights in Connecticut. Their mission is a good one and everyone from the volunteers passing out the entry sheets at the car shows entrance to the participants and enthusiasts, to the volunteers making sure everyone in attendance is getting what they need and passing out materials to selling 50/50 raffle tickets should be commended for their efforts. They make everyone feel welcome with a genuine smile and a handshake.

If you love classic cars and trucks and specialty vehicles along with some great oldies and the company of good people then the Tri-State Cruisers Saturday Night Car Show located on the corner of route 169 and route 101 is the place to be. Don't forget to drop what you can in the entry area donation container and try your luck with the 50/50 raffle to help the kids at the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. Win, or lose, you still win when you know where your money is going. It's fun and it's for charity so how can anyone lose. We all win with the Tri-State Cruisers Car Shows in Pomfret, Connecticut at Loos & Co. Hope to see you there!

Jim Weicherding, Writer & Artist for Motorhead Magazine, can be reached via his e-mail jwpisces14@aol.com

Building Your Hot Rod - Fun On A Budget!

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:37:09 -0500

There’s a common saying that applies to each and every one of us in the automotive hobby, and that is, “It doesn’t matter what you got, it’s what you get out of it!” Doesn’t matter if it’s a ’68 442 or a ’48 Nash, a lowrider or a hot rod, a tuner or a classic. It’s what you get out of it! But most importantly, it’s how to have fun with it.

As we all know, “building for show” has long been a recognized goal held for many decades. We see hot rods at shows in original ‘50s Car Craft magazines with angel hair displays, right through to the ‘70s with mag wheels and progressive quality with paint and emphasis on higher speed. While media lacked emphasis on the inexpensive builders throughout these decades, the truth is the workmanship and ideas were still being performed. The truth is as time goes on that the vintage iron does not get any younger. Pieces become harder to find, and time acts upon all aspects of these fine automobiles.

However...does your ride ever have to truly be finished to enjoy it?   No matter what you drive, whether it’s a rat rod, a hot rod, or a classic, you can have fun without having a point winner or a trophy taker. Let’s consider the important steps to take in building your ride on a very economy-friendly budget! Keep in mind, $10,000 might be inexpensive for one guy while $2,000 is pricey for another! It helps to establish a theme and what you want to say with your ride that best suits your budget, whether it is for the drag strip, a custom, a lowrider, or just a mildly restored cruiser. Then choose the most affordable and reasonable aspects that define the style you are going for (cruiser skirts on a kustom, perhaps a dropped front end for a drag car and black opened rims). Once you find out that theme, research, get connections, find out all the information you can about your low-budget ride. Let’s analyze a few tips on the ways in which one could build a cool fun hot rod on an affordable budget - in other words, tips to build a fun car instead of a point car!

Find alternatives for expensive parts - do you really need that NOS chrome trim, or could you instead do without? Perhaps find decent used trim on eBay? Join a forum and find someone who has that same NOS trim but needs to clean out his basement? Maybe trim off another vehicle and make yours more unique? The key is making good deals, biding time, and being patient. Patience will often bring cheaper and better results.
You don’t need a big block to make that rat rod go fast. Mid ‘80s Chevy Caprices are pretty common, and so are their 305 motors. You could even dress them up to look like a 283 with the ram horn style covers. Those will be plenty good to burn rubber in all gears, plus you’ll fool just about everybody.
Craft stores such as Jo Ann Fabrics, Michael's Crafts, sells a wide variety of options for your upholstery needs. But so does Wal Mart to an extent. Check out the clearance section - you might be surprised to have a total amount of just under $25 for your door panels and headliner.

The key is to research and get creative! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Take a second look at those cast-away seats headed for the dump that might clean up well and be nice in your rod! Perhaps those draw pulls you find at stores like Mexicali Blues will perform well at a low price and make your ride even more unique than the original new-old stock! Those original steel wheels could be cleaned up and painted instead of spending $500 on a set of mags!

Check out Mike's ’63 Chevy 2 door. He’s got less than 3k in it including: buying it, the parts to get it mechanically back on the road safe and sound, and the money to fix it up - and he’s barely 21! Features sunrise red spray paint from Rustoleum spray bombs at wal mart,and home made kustom interior panels.

So a question you’ve got to ask yourself is what is the most important aspect of your hobby? What aspect do YOU enjoy most?

Vintage Drags - Late Great Chevys Ruling The Quarter Mile

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:36:27 -0500

We have all heard great old stories of hot rodding from "the good ol' days." Stories about the fastest roadster in town, the fast 409 that blew the doors off every other competitor in the series, to everything in between. Fortunately in more recent years there's been a stronger interest in what really used to happen at the drag strip, and perhaps coverage on not only the famous drag cars but what occurred in the small towns. It's now a way of being connected, seeing the ordinary gear head taking his souped up Chevy to the drags and leaving with a time of 8.5 on the windshield.

However, there is something that is fascinating about seeing a pair of late great chevys head for head on the 1/8th mile strip. Even more importantly, the pivotal era just after the kustom period and before the mag wheels or chrome reverse rims were the hot trick. Note the black opened rims and white walls, some with red opened rims, the traction bars on the '55s and the front bumper off. Note the stance of the full bodied late great Chevys and early Fords with the raised front suspension for the weight transfer to the rear, and the pie crust slicks with 90/10 drag shocks. You now see this footage, and remember these good moments or perhaps watch in complete awe. But why don't you see many drag cars now done in that same era? It did happen, however many of the magazines you pick up covering vintage drags tend to feature gassers. Many late great Chevys have now been either restored, or turned into Lowrider material which is all well and good, however it is not the be all and end all. Fortunately, the "kustom" movement grows each and every day, and now people are starting to once again make traditional kustoms out of the late great Chevys.

Why does this valuable footage still float along the sidelines of the hobby? Most importantly, when is the last time you have seen a '62 Chevy with rear antennas, black opened rims and white walls on the dragstrip?

&amp;amp;nbsp;

A Mans First Love

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:09:46 -0500

This is a story of a man and his Love, a 1969 Pontiac GTO.

This is the tell of a Man and the love for his car. We will try and tell the story in it entirety, through out the life of this man and the car.

The year was 1971, Avon, Conn. and 16 year old boy was looking for a car and finds a one year old Pontiac convertible selling for 1400.00 .The young man works out a deal with the car lot, agreeing to bring the owner, his paycheck (from dish washing) every Friday, and the gentleman diligently subtracts the 28.00 from the balance at the end of each week. After 6 months the young man is asked to present a report card and a letter from his boss. The young man proudly delivers a letter stating that he was a hard worker and a report card to show that he also studied hard. At this point they shake hands and the owner tosses the keys to the young man, he is reminded that he was expected to continue to show up on Fridays until the debt is paid off. Well things get a little tricky once his father sees the car roll into the driveway. The young mans father reminds him that they do not to go through life owing others money. So at this point he has two choices, take the car back or pay the balance, so the young man convinces his father to lend him the money and he will pay him back. So now the young man works for his father to pay the debt in full….

Forty years later and thousands of miles away...His Love sits proudly and beautifully, brought back to life so that others can enjoy her.

Stay tuned for more......

Another Super Cruise-In in El Paso

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:46:25 -0500

Tonight was a great time and I met with a lot of super nice folks. Went down to Der Weinerschnitzel on the corner of Dyer St and Trans-mountain Dr. and took pictures of all the cars, customs, classics, hot rods and some sweet bikes. By the way they have a cruise in every month at one of the local Der Weinerschnitzel’s so stop in and support the cause. There were about 40 or so cars there and hundreds of people, super turn out. You know when you go to these cruise ins you meet so many people that there is no way you can remember all the names, but you surely remember their rides. You meet guys that have projects in the garage or guys that have projects in the shop; there is always a wealth of knowledge to be shared there. Tonight a couple of the guys and I talked about setting up a show for next season, I think that would be a really fun thing to do but we would need a lot of support. I was told there is a big Rat Rod Club in Los Cruses so I guess it is time to start working the show now. If you are in the El Paso or Southern New Mexico area please send me an e-mail at hotrodsandmore@gmail.com and give me some ideas or volunteer to help in the process. And do not forget to see photos of tonight cruise in, go to our face book page at Hot Rods and More LLC. I hope to see you Friday Oct 28^th 6PM at Hudson’s 1770 North Lee Trevino Drive El Paso, TX 79936.

Also Team Evolution a SUPER group of Guys and Gals will be putting on a benefit show,Nov 13, 2011 from 8AM till 5 PM judging will start at 1 pm, for Baby Benny who has cancer at the age of three. All proceeds will go to his family, they need the support and if you cannot make it but would like to donate or more Info you can contact Rafa @915-999-8536, I cannot think of a better cause to support than that of a child. So again hope to see you next week and remember check out our face book.

Hot Rod news from El Paso Tx

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:49:48 -0500

So this first post will begin, October 14^th 2011 was the 2^nd get together here in El Paso’s Classic Burritos Classic car and Hot Rod cruise in. It was a great turn out and there was something for everyone to see. The car and bikes ranged from the Classic of yesteryear to Rockabilly’s to the Sportys of today. It was a lot of fun to meet and talk with all the folks showing off their cars. This show will go on till it finally gets too cold but until then it will happen the second Friday of each month.

So the next show coming up at Der Weinerschnitzel Cruise-In October 22 - 6 p.m. In NE El Paso, Dyer and Transmountain. So stay tuned for photos and news.