Stick-Lee: The duct tape, Fifth Ave General Lee

When I saw the story (17-year-old car lover and his Fifth Avenue), I was thinking it’d make a nice Next Generation feature for Koch. Patrick Varnadore is enrolled in the Okaloosa Applied Technology Center, on his way to the NASCAR Technical Institute August, so he’s clearly interested in more than just a cheap ride.

Then I saw the car. According to the story in the Northwest Florida Daily News, Patrick needed to hold in a window on his ‘86 Fifth Avenue. “One of my friends came up with the idea of going for a world record and covering the whole thing in duct tape,” Varnadore said. “I took it one step further and wanted to make it look like the General Lee.”

I’m not sure there is a “car most covered in duct tape” world record, but Patrick went for the gusto, anyway. He’s about 60 percent of the way there, and is in it for more than just the novelty value: He’s looking for a Grave Digger scholarship, up to $10,000 awarded by Grave Digger driver Dennis Anderson, to help cover his $40,000 NTI tuition. “I’ve always loved to watch NASCAR, but I’ve never raced,” said Patrick. “Pit row will be the next best thing to racing”

The NWFDS photos are obnoxiously watermarked, but you check out their gallery here. Their video is somewhat better, although at no point to they actually show the whole car.

Things I learned in writing this post:

1. There’s a NASCAR Technical Institute
2. There’s a Grave Digger scholarship at the NASCAR Technical Institute

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Wanted: Sooner Sports Cars

I will be coming down to Tulsa to cover the Leake auction on the weekend of June 14th, and wouldn’t mind rounding up a car or two to photograph while there. We’ve got decent classic and muscle car contacts, but aside from one (very cool) 1970 Mazda, there are no sports cars in our files.

(note: this is a 1967 Mazda Luce, but it is from Oklahoma)

So if you’re anywhere near Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Ft. Smith - whatever’s west of Tulsa or Enid, I guess - with a car in which you think Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car might be interested, drop me a line. I’d consider going as far as Wichita if it was something special.

I’m planning on keeping Sunday the 14th open for photography, but I could probably fit a shoot in almost anytime on Friday or Saturday as well.

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American automobile plants: The Map

For the past two-and-a-half years, I’ve been working on a story on the Staver automobile. Little is known of either the company or the car, but I think I’ve succeeded in tracking down just about everything that can be tracked down at this point, and have started writing a story.

But until today, the location of their factory, “76th and Wallace” in Chicago, has been a mystery to me. However, I’ve had a research partner on this one, Timmins A. Dodson, whose grandfather was a Staver owner and, unfortunately, investor. Tim recently dug up building permit records for Staver, and putting those addresses on the map made it all click for me.

When the story’s done, I can add a link to it online, or any other relevant information.

So I put it on a new map, permanently, and I’d like to invite anyone who’s interested in old car factories to add their own locations. Let’s dig up all those addresses, old and new, and start putting together a complete map of the automotive history of America, similar to the maps Dan’s putting together of former car dealerships.

Contribute to: American Automobile Plants.

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