The Cook Car Show

The 10th annual Cook Car Show at Park 48

The parking lot at Park 48 was packed with people and vehicles for the 10th annual Cook Car Show on September 21. With funky music playing over loudspeakers, families and friends came together to show off and share their trucks, cars, motorcycles, and some machines that fell in between. Check out the video below!

A father and daughter duo

For Chris Hansford, a Human Resources coordinator at Park 48, and his daughter, Savanna, the show is another fun way to spend time together and bond over the 1960 Chevy Impala the two seem to love so much.

“It is one of 47 cars that came off the lot with a fifth wheel kit on the back. It’s driven 52,600 miles, and it hasn’t had any work done since 1988,” Chris said.

“When it was repainted, the hoses were replaced, the air conditioning was upgraded, and the body bushings were replaced. Other than that, this car does not have any restoration, it’s all original, and her name is Elsa, courtesy of my 6-year-old daughter,” he said with a smile.

A sentimental machine

For others at the show, including Joshua Richardson, the Operations manager based out of Indianapolis, his love for his ride also stems from sentimental value.

“I’ve always been into motorcycles because of my dad,” he said. “My dad bought this 2012 Victory Ness Vision, special edition, brand new, and I bought it from him when we found out he had cancer.”

“It had 4,00 miles on it when I bought it at the end of 2014, and now it has 97,000 miles on it,” Joshua said. “I took this bike on a trip last year out west and drove 6,700 miles in 15 days. I think it has been to about 20 different states now, and it can go really fast, too, but what I love the most about this bike is that it was my dad’s.”

From aquatic to automatic

Among the classic cars and motorcycles, one vehicle in attendance was quite different from the rest.

“This is a 1987 Honda Helux,” explained Jason Brown, a Video manager at Park 48, “Except we took everything off of it, cut a hole in the bottom of a jet ski, and stuck it on top of the motorcycle.”

When asked what prompted him to create this crossover, he said, “I saw one and thought that it was really interesting, and I showed my wife, Jackie, a video and explained I’d kind of like to make one of these, and she said ‘Okay.’ I don’t usually get a green light on crazy projects and I’m not really even a motorcycle guy, and now I own a motorcycle.”

Together, the two had pulled the jet ski out of a junk yard, and, within a few months, they had cleaned the algae, made the mechanical changes, and spiffed up the paint and cosmetic work, including the signature fluffy, purple seat.

“There are three names we go with,” Jason explained. “The term that everyone has agreed industry wide is ‘Scoot-Ski,’ but, I have also heard ‘Pave Runner’ and ‘Boatercycle,’ which is really good!”

An adrenaline outlet

Along with their cars providing them with creative opportunities, others shared that they are also mechanical projects and adrenaline outlets. Curtiss Malicoat, a Tool and Dye technician at Cook Polymer Technology, is one of these drivers.

“My car is a 2016 Subaru BRZ, we autocross it and do track days with the Sports Car Club of America,” he said. “It’s basically courses that are set up with traffic cones, and you race against a clock. Time trials are on a road course that’s already well established.”

“But I love my car because it gives me something to express myself,” he continued. “I can modify it, change things like how it looks and how it performs, and just get out on the track and drive.”

A generational Graham

For one family at the car show, it was easy to see that gasoline runs in their veins. Caitlin, Brian, and Jamie Walls are the second- and third-generation owners of a 1936 Graham, along with the patriarch of their family.

“My grandfather is the main owner of the car, and then my dad, Jamie, and my uncle, Brian, are the next two owners in line. I am the third-generation owner of the car,” Caitlin said proudly.

For six years now, the Walls family has owned this rare vehicle that was originally built in Indiana. Every modification that been made to the car has been carried out by the family, including adding a radio to the vintage vehicle.

“We still have the original motor and transmission at home,” said Jamie, who works in Department 16 at Park 48.

“If we wanted to, all of us could pull this car into the garage, strip it down, and put it all back to the original,” said Brian, who works in Department 90 at Park 48. “And with the brand-new engine, it will boogie if you want it, too.”

“My whole family has done mechanics through school, and we all know how to work on a car to keep it up and running. For us, this car is special for our family. We work on it together,” Caitlin said. “But they only made 400 of these cars, and this is the only one left and registered anywhere. This is history for Indiana, and we want to help keep it going.”

Fun and photos from the evening

Overall, the evening was filled with fun, raffles, and even a burnout for everyone to enjoy. To see more from the Cook Car Show, check out the photo gallery below!

For more fun

Click the images below to check out other stories on the Life@Cook blog!