JANUARY SHOW WORTH A VISIT

The Historic Auto Attractions Vintage Auto Museum in Roscoe, Ill., will be open during the annual Lefthander Chassis Racer’s Trade Show on Jan. 9-10, 2009. The museum features over 90 historical vehicles, including cars owned by presidents, TV and movie stars, singers and entertainers and racing drivers. Many of the cars on display were purchased from the Imperial Palace Auto Collection of Las Vegas.

A $5 admission charge includes entry to the Racer’s Trade Show, Racer’s Seminars put on by over 50 vendors and to the unique automotive museum, which is not normally open during the winter. Registration for all events can be arranged by visiting www.lefthanderchassis.com and filling in the online registration forms. You can also call (815) 389-9999.

Old Cars Weekly visited the Racer’s Trade Show last year to speak to vendors Mittler Bros. And Roper-Whitney about the sheet metal fabrication tools they manufacture, which are useful in both restoration work and racing car building. We found a high degree of crossover between the two disciplines among other vendors at the show.

According to Wayne Lensing of Lefthander Chassis, some of the vendors signed up for the Racer’s Trade Show as of Dec. 1, 2008 included Crane Cams, Edlebrock, Craftsman Tool, Auto Meter gauges, Accel ignition, Carter Carburetor, B & M transmissions and Champion Spark Plugs.

There will be five seminars on shocks, safety, brakes body and engine on Fri. Jan. 9, 2009. The Saturday seminars will cover chassis technology, shocks, tires and fuel. Discounts on purchases of products from Lefthander Chassis will be available both days. Hours for the trade show are 10 a.m.-8 pm on Friday and Sat. 8:30-4 pm.

The Historic Auto Attractions Museum, located across the street from the Lefthander Chassis facility, features such vehicles as an Al Capone beer truck, the Bonnie & Clyde “death car,” a Johnny Cash Cadillac, a JFK Lincoln, a Ford owned by FDR, TV character Fred Sanford’s rare Mercury pickup truck, a Batmobile, a Ghostbuster Cadillac ambulance and Stalin’s Packard limousine.