Building To A Deadline With the Cavaliers CC
As auto enthusiasts we sometimes put deadlines to our projects to help boost productivity and get things done in a timely manner. For me, I've let a few deadlines come and go, but it always helps in the grand scheme of things. The Cavaliers CC in Long Beach, California are no strangers to deadlines with the car builds they have under their collective belts. They're a traditional hotrod and custom club dating back to the '40s, with some very notable cars flying the sword-and-bolt plaque they run, such as the "Monte Trone" coupe. Today the guys carry on the tradition of their forefathers, tradition and history mean a lot to these guys. This is a club that gets down and does hard work together. They seem to turn out at least two cars each January, releasing them at the Grand National Roadster Show. Beginning about this time of year they're slowly getting the ball rolling, and then come August the GNRS deadline really begins to begin pacing them. It's in August that the Cavaliers meet up for a show-and-tell of sorts - each one showing the other what they've been tinkering on in their garages. From there the group collectively chooses two of the projects to see through to completion in time to be revealed at GNRS. If you know anything about old school cars, these things take work. We're not talking mashed-together rat rods here... we're talking fine craftsmanship with labor-intensive progress. But, every year, in a few short months these guys pull it off. It takes the whole team of 'em a lot of saving of pennies and as the deadline approaches working in shifts, in what seems around the clock, to get each car done - leaving of course for work and family, until they can get back to their buddies house to wrench on cars some more. This past year the club decided to choose Rick's sport coupe, nicknamed "Eskimo Pie," and Danny's coupe to be finished for the show. The mad thrash was on for months until the day they felt it was more intuitive to pick just one of them and move forward. As it was Rick's car that was the closest, the overhaul to get done and to the show began. The first time I went over, it was seriously just a puzzle of parts and a drawing. By my next visit, the chassis was complete with motor - rolling along beside it was the body work getting done. These guys move very fast, especially on a crunch, but there just seems to be an air of fun when they're all together - everyone is joking around talking trash and having a good time. They work well together; they are pals. Year after year it seems the projects never stop coming and getting finished, and Eskimo Pie was no different. It arrived to GNRS, even if the group were a little drowsy from the many late nights they put in. They're a hard working group of guys - none of them are rich, which means they have to find parts and cars on deals in order to make their dreams come true. Each car has its own flavor and is built like they would have been built in the '40s or '50s. They're old cars with souls. They drive like old cars, small of oil and gas... and that’s why we love 'em.
