AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Takes in Motor City

The 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour is over halfway through, and it’s been quite a ride so far for Jerry Dixey and crew. Participants just finished what might be the best round yet with the Autopalooza.org Tour taking them through the historic automotive sights and sounds only found in upper Michigan. A full week of access to museums, car collections and other famed automotive attractions awaited them as they made their way towards the final destination at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit, Mich. The Woodward Dream Cruise has become one of the biggest car events in the world, drawing in over one million people and spanning over 13 miles. Road Tourians enjoyed VIP status at the heart of the scene under the hospitality tent awaiting their arrival. The view of endless custom street rods, hot rods, muscle cars and everything in between was excellent with prime seating for tour participants. At the end of the last day, the 1959 Impala leading the tour rolled down Woodward Ave to cheers and applause from spectators.

There is still time to register for any of the remaining excursions in the 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour. If you own a street rod this is the ideal opportunity to hit the open road with fellow enthusiasts. For those that don’t a street rod, be sure to check out the schedule and make plans to attend any of the stops along the way.

Just watching the river of cars flow by.

Spy Photos of the 2014 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Build

Somehow we got inside Hot Rods by Dean and captured these shots of the latest AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour car.... as it happens. How cool is that?

Expect great things in 2014.

First Look at the 2011 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour Vehicle

The AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour kicks off at the end of this month, and final preparations are being hammered down now. The much anticipated unveiling of the tour’s lead vehicle took place on May 2nd at the Street Rodder Tech Center in Irvine, California. Powersports Technical Product Manager Len Groom was on the scene to help unveil the 55 Chevy that will be carrying Street Rodder Magazine editor Jerry Dixey around the country this summer. Excitement around the tour is definitely growing, and the reveal of the 2011 Road Tour vehicle signals the final stretch before the tour officially starts May 27th.

This year’s car was built by Chris Sondles, owner of Woody’s Hot Rodz. Featuring a complete Morrison chassis and Ron Shaver-built stroked & bored 409 motor, AMSOIL fluids are installed completely throughout to ensure the engine is well-prepared for the thousands of miles ahead of it. AMSOIL took this opportunity to launch a brand new product specific to the Hot Rod market. The new AMSOIL Z-ROD Synthetic Motor oil will be the oil of choice for this year’s tour. Designed for hot rods and classic cars with performance engines that require high levels of zinc to protect flat tappet camshafts and lifters, a key feature is its ability to provide superior rust and corrosion protection in storage conditions. The 2011 Street Rodder Road Tour is the perfect proving ground for AMSOIL Z-ROD Synthetic Motor Oil, now available in 10W-30 and 20W-50 viscosities.

Testing was conducted last Tuesday at the track where the car was subject to a slalom course, skid pad, and 60-0 braking. The results were interesting, to say the least. Stay tuned to the pages of Street Rodder Magazine for details on how the car performed during testing, with full coverage on the 2011 Street Rodder Road Tour provided in upcoming issues. There is still time to register for any of the tours this summer, see our previous blog here for details on how to join in on the trip of a lifetime.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

As summertime approaches, the opportunitites to be part of an AMSOIL sponsored event almost seem to be stacking on top of one another. It is a very exciting year with head turning thrills wherever you look.

Next weekend the NSRA will gather in Springfield, Missouri for the Mid-America Street Rod Nationals at the Missouri Entertainment and Event Center. This is the 25th year of the annual event, which is noted as the city's largest vintage car show. Fans of these wonderfully cool old-time cars can see them live from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday thru Sunday, May 23-25.

I know a few off road truck enthusiasts who would probably give their eye teeth to be part of the Top Truck Challenge in Hollister, California the first week of June. There will be a lot of shredded metal and other carnage again this year, no doubt, as the editors and publishers of Four Wheeler magazine dream up new ways to put equipment to the test. More info on that will follow soon.

A little later in June the Street Rodder Road Tour will be passing through Superior and stopping at the World AMSOIL Center the evening of June 18. The public is invited to see these classic cars from 6:30 till 8:00. (We'd party till midnight, but the drivers will have just finished a long day's trek and out of courtesy we'll let them check in to their hotels and get some rest.)

Those who have followed the tour in Street Scene and Street Rodder magazines will know that columnist Jerry Dixey drives the lead car. It's a lot of work putting these road tours together, but Jerry loves all the great people he's met along the way. This is your opportunity to meet him in person.

For the record, anyone interested in joining the parade of vintage street rods on Thursday as they head to St. Paul can meet us at the AMSOIL Center at 8:30 a.m. The word on the street is that Jo Coddington, co-star of the American Hot Rod TV show, will be along for the ride.

And if it is racing you're after, be sure to check out the AMSOIL Racing Blog. There's a lot of racing going on this time of year, and it keeps our racing manage Jeremy Meyer pretty busy with his fingers on the pulse of all of it. Check it out. It's a fun read.

In the meantime, take a deep and let's plunge forward. The best is yet to come.

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

It's the Real Deal

One of the sure signs of spring is the beginning of the Street Rodder Road Tour. So it is with a measure of amusement that we were forwarded this photo of the completed PPG Road Tour Roadster at the start of its first run in Chicago. Here in the Northland the sight of snow in late April is not uncommon. Somehow Jerry Dixey managed to get things underway this past weekend and survive winter's tenacity.

This first leg of the tour commenced in Chicago and will wind its way ultimately to Knoxville for the NSRA Nationals South where AMSOIL is an official product sponsor for 2008 and 2009. The flowers will be in bloom there, and when the Tour returns north we'll hopefully have flowers to share as well.

In the meantime, the AMSOIL lubricated car is a "looker." Ride on.

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Sneak Peak

This coming Saturday, April 26, the Street Rodder Road Tour will begin the first leg of its journey beginning at its birthplace at the new Roadster Shop facilities in Mundelein, Illinois. Assembled by the team at the Roadster Shop, the American Speed Company's Speed '33 all steel body will rest on a Roadster Shop chassis and be powered by the new Ford Racing Boss 302 450 HP motor, lubricated with AMSOIL synthetic motor oils and protected with Ea filters.

Street Rodder Editor Brian Brennan gave the AMSOIL blog team a sneak peak of the PPG Road Tour Roadster as it neared completion just before this weekend's launch. As in year's past, the car is a beauty. It'll be a shockin' rockin' fun ride for tour guide Jerry Dixey.

Visit the AMSOIL website for more information on AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Classic Automobilia Tour Goes Back to the 5o's

It won’t be long till summer is here.... the season of boating, picnics and classic car shows. This year AMSOIL has become an official sponsor of the Street Rodder / PPG Road Tour. It is especially exciting to note that the third leg of the Road Tour will wind its way up to Superior, WI where we can put our newly renovated AMSOIL Center on display. The destination for leg three will be the 35th gathering of the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the Fifties event, coincidentally coinciding with our own 35th Anniversary celebration year. For 35 years AMSOIL has been delivering the power of synthetics, and what better way to tell the story.

Beginning in Bowling Green, Kentucky, these classic street rods will detour through Youngstown and Cleveland in Ohio, make a fast break up through Michigan and the U.P. to weave through the Great Lakes on their way to AMSOIL where local car enthusiasts will gather to greet this hardy breed of road warriors.

Details:
~ All local car enthusiasts are welcome to join the festivities Wednesday evening June 18 and then cruise with the Road Tour to St. Paul’s Back to the 50’s on Thursday morning, June 19th.
~ This year’s Back to the Fifties weekend will probably break last year’s attendance record of 11,532 registered vehicles.
~ You can follow the Tour at www.streetrodderweb.com, watch the pages of Street Rodder and Street Scene Magazines, or call the Road Tour hotline at 1-800-664-1362 for all the latest updates.