I got to meet ExJunk over the weekend

[Bill Pedersen]

I just got back from attending the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando. While I was there, I had the opportunity to meet Jim (Ex Junk) and his wife Nan. These are two of the nicest people I’ve met in a long time.

I have always admired Jim’s t-bucket and have collected all of the pictures he has posted here on the site. I can tell you first hand that the pictures don’t do this car justice. The attention to detail is unbelievable. You really have to see it to appreciate it.

We took his car out for a drive and it rides as nice as it looks. From 0 to almost 100 mph, the car hooked up, went straight without any drift and never experienced any vibration or shaking. It was equally as impressive going around corners and going over the bumps in the road. It’s amazing how the proper ackerman effects the handling and I have a whole new outlook about friction shocks if they are done correctly.

Thanks Jim

 

[EX JUNK]

Thank you for the good words, Bill, Nan and I will be looking forward to a visit next year when you are back for the show.

Jim

 

[Mike]

I've got news for everyone. If I ever get in Jim's T, I'm not going to be getting back out until it's sitting in my garage.

Bill, are you a regular at PRI? How did the crowd seem this year?

 

[Bill Pedersen]

Hi Mike,
Yes, I'm a regular. I think this was my 16th year. The crowd appeared to be down again as it was last year. The economy is effecting almost everything. I heard that the exhibitor count was down to around 1,000. Some of the companies that have been there every year, didn't show up this year. Others had smaller displays. It is still an unbelievable trade show thought. I few years ago they moved the show from Indy to Orlando because Indy wasn't big enough to hold all the exhibitors. At Indy it filled the convention center, the RCA dome, the hallways leading to the connecting hotels and they still had to turn companies away. This year I think the show had downsized enough to have fit back at Indy. The great thing about Indy was the Gasoline Alley tour. On Thursday night most all of the race car shops and fabrication shops in Gasoline Alley open their doors for you to walk in and look around. On the other hand, it's tough to beat the Florida weather in December.

 

[benT]

I sure wish it'd come back to Indy... My Firm just finished the Convention center expansion (it now covers the area where the RCA Dome was) and is connected to the new Lucas Oils stadium. They were supposed to be back after it was finished, but it appears that they may not after all. Oh well, we'll find something else.

 

[Mike]

The company I worked for always displayed at PRI. It was great when the show was at Indy, because the Convention Center is about 55 - 60 minutes from here. I think the move to Orlando was ill-considered and came at a really bad time. We always joked about having a racing season and a trade show season, because it seemed we were always on the road. Indy can be cold this time of year and a lot of wives enjoy being in Orlando, where it's warm. But when the show was at Indy, tons of jobbers would drive in from Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Minneapolis, etc. Business goes in the tank and now that jobber in Minneapolis is looking at flying to Orlando, rather than driving to Indy. That sapped a lot of the crowd.

As we were watching the crowds thin out, we ultimately made the decision to withdraw. We had displayed for years, but poor turn-outs and increased logistics did us in. We even went so far to purchase a small utility trailer, so we could haul everything to Orlando ourselves. Which added two really rough travel days to the event. It finally got to a point where it was no longer working for us.

To give you an idea, the City of Indianapolis offered Lewis the use of the facilities in Indy for free, if he would consider toughing it out until the convention center was finished. Free! Yet he refused and moved to Orlando. So one can only wonder what that deal was like. I remember Lewis grumbling about the cost of the lighting in the Hoosier Dome. I don't recall what the cost per hour was, but I remember it took my breath away.

We even used to do PRI West, back in the day. We flew into San Jose for the first PRI West, just 2 days after the Northridge earthquake. It was nigh on impossible to drive from L.A. to the Bay Area, so that traffic never arrived. That Sunday they played the AFC and NFC Championship games. Joe Montana was playing for the Chiefs in the AFC game and the 49ers were playing in the NFC game, so the Bay area crowd never arrived on Sunday. They set up big screen TVs in the concession areas, so I would walk to the end of our aisle and watch the games, since there were fewer than 100 potential customers in the entire place.

I have a good pal who stays in Richmond, up on the NE side of the Bay. At the time, he was working for a performance warehouse in Hayward, so we UPS'ed everything to the warehouse. Amos loaded it all up in his dualie and took it to his home. The day we flew in, he met us at the hotel and gave us the nickel tour. That night, we went to his place and I took his dualie back to Santa Clara. Sunday night, we tore down and loaded everything in his dualie, so he could take it to the warehouse and ship it back here to Indiana. The bright spot of the trip was running up to Oakland on Saturday night, to attend the Oakland Roadster Show.

Now, back to wondering how to get Jim's T out of his garage and into my own.

 

[benT]

I also have met Jim back a few years ago at the NSRA show in Tampa when I was living in FL. I was solo and my '27 wasn't finished at the time, and Jim called me and invited me to hand out with them a while. I sat in his T which was done, but not painted. It is a very well thought out and clean ride- I had a good time talking with Jim, his wife, and Track-T (the other Jim) about hot rods and T's. As they say, Jim's good people!

 

[Mike]

Ben, the more I think about it, your T is closer than Jim's. And every bit as well designed/built. Hmmm...

 

[EX JUNK]

Decisions, decisions, decisions! LOL

Jim

 

[Mike]

Well, I do like blue...

 

[benT]

Just promise me that if you "borrow" it, it'll never be found again so I can claim the agreed insurance value on it!

 

[Mike]

Reckon the police would be looking as far north as Lafayette?

 

[Mike]

Ben, are you going to make it to the IMIS Show, by any chance?

 

[benT]

Nope-- I've heading to MN this weekend. Maybe next year

 

[bucketkids]

Jim & Nan are gold for sure. And I have not forgot the lazania dinner I owe you Jim. Body is sanded and ready to paint. I bought the paint and primer you recomended. Interior is done for the most part. Lets get together soon after the holidays! Merry X-mas and Thank You for all you do. Most important Thank You Nan for letting him!

 

[EX JUNK]

Jim & Nan are gold for sure. And I have not forgot the lazania dinner I owe you Jim. Body is sanded and ready to paint. I bought the paint and primer you recomended. Interior is done for the most part. Lets get together soon after the holidays! Merry X-mas and Thank You for all you do. Most important Thank You Nan for letting him!

My mouth is watering for that lasagna, and I hope that we can get together over the holiday period when you might not be so busy with your job. Nan and I are ready!

Jim

 

[Mike]

Lasagna? Did someone say something about lasagna?

 

[tfeverfred]

I haven't met him, but he was more than patient with me, while I was doing my wiring, Without his schematics and phone advice/encouragement, I'd have given up and bought a kit. Thanks again, ExJunk.