Not that strong a swimmer? Be your own “Phelps” in the Coker Tire Challenge Rally. If you have the skills, you can bring home the medal, or the metal, or something.

The three day event tours the beautiful countryside of Tennessee in September. This is a timed event and all types of vehicles are eligible. Stop making excuses, and admit that your Olympic dreams are probably fading away. You can win this thing, if you have the right stuff!

Check out the Coker Tire Challenge website for details.

Check out Corky’s west coast styling with Jimmy Shine on Jimmy’s website Jimmy writes a nice blog and was at the NHRA Museum grand opening for the Coker Tire-Honest Charley Anniversary Exhibits.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has grown spectacularly since its inception in 1963 when a group of manufacturers began to organize the industry. While SEMA now encompasses educational opportunities, technological assistance, legislative support, consumer interaction and direct liaisons with the automakers, the ultimate illustration of the industry’s development is its iconic event in Las Vegas.

From a modest inaugural affair with a few dozen exhibitors in the mid-’60s to more than 2,000 companies offering displays that will sprawl across more than a million square feet of convention halls in 2008, the SEMA Show is a shining reflection of the industry’s strength. Comprised of a network of businesses that contribute over $38.1 billion in earnings to the economy from about 7,100 SEMA-member companies, the automotive specialty-equipment industry owes its existence and vitality to individuals who have given their energy, time and talents to building both national and global commerce.

The SEMA Hall of Fame award was established to honor those who helped create and sustain the industry. To be considered for the SEMA Hall of Fame, a candidate must have contributed to the industry on a national level and have been involved in the industry and/or the association for a minimum of 10 years. In addition, nominees must have made significant contributions toward enhancing technology, professionalism, dignity and/or the general stature and growth of the industry, acting with a high degree of integrity, and must be at least 40 years of age. While a contribution to SEMA is generally an important consideration for nomination, the nominating committee may, at its discretion, select an individual who has not had close ties with the association.

Four industry champions will be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame for 2008. Join us in welcoming Raymond Bleiweis, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Joseph “Corky” Coker and Bob Cook to their places among SEMA’s elite. (more…)

From Reuters Website

(Corky Coker is the owner of Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Coker Tire, which supplies specialty tires and parts for antique and classic cars. He’s past chairman of the Specialty Equipment Market Association. His company is developing an all-electric hot rod based on an iconic 1932 Ford model. He spoke with Reuters correspondent Kevin Krolicki.)

DETROIT (Reuters.com) – Coker Tire owner Corky Coker spoke with Reuters about the future of the auto industry in the United States. Here are excerpts of that conversation.

On what U.S. automakers can learn from hot-rod culture:

We are the largest supplier of collector tires in the world. I very much live and breathe the automotive after-market, which is a $41 billion industry. It is the epitome of what consumers want for their automobile. Auto design changes have been sparked by after-market companies, because these guys who have this passion for cars are closest to their consumers. Our industry brought many things such as running boards and sunroofs into the mainstream for the auto manufacturers. In the past few years, we’ve seen a lot of momentum and energy created by Toyota’s Scion brand. They are really on the leading edge of personalization of vehicles. If the Big Three will start doing things right and developing good products, they will start getting the market share and profits back. You’ve got to be on the leading edge in quality. If they do those things, our domestic industry will make those turnarounds.

On what it means as U.S. auto manufacturing shifts South:

Being from the South I have a lot of friends from the North. I like to joke that you Yankees up there think you won that terrible skirmish 100 years ago, but the South has had a 200-year plan to infiltrate your industry and bring it South. You tell me who’s winning. There is an energy down here and people feel good about their future. We’re re-developing and re-designing our downtowns. Young people are graduating from college and staying here. They’re not moving off. They’re trying to develop new businesses and stay in the area. People want to do business where there are success stories and where there’s energy. If I can say anything about Volkswagen’s decision to build this decision in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it’s that we have that purpose and energy. Chattanooga was once a manufacturer of a production vehicle. Between 1910 and 1912, a gentleman named Henry Nyberg manufactured cars in Anderson, Indiana and Chattanooga, Tennessee. So this story is really about creating the opportunity for automobile manufacturing to come back to Chattanooga.

On the need for fuel-efficiency:

If you look at Ford and GM, I think they’re getting it now. With oil above $100 per barrel, it’s important that we have personalization but that we’re also smart about fuel economy. We’re in the process of building a very high tech roadster that’s all electric. We won’t call it a hot rod. We’ll call it a green rod. It will be a 1932 Ford Highboy and it will be very quick zero to 60 miles per hour. It will be a clean and cool hot-rod. Maybe we’ll figure out a CD sound system that makes it sound like a Ford flathead V8 engine.

There’s something about an old pickup truck. Such a simple plain old vehicle, just a tick above agricultural equipment. Even the guys in the 50 thousand dollar diesel one tons just stop and stare at an old hauler as it passes. An old pickup make us all kids again. My old F100 started life in 1953 as not much more than a work truck, a tool someone needed to get the job done.

I usually keep this truck at the farm and use it just like it was built to be used. Haulin’ stuff! A funny thing happened a few weeks ago, as I’d driven it in to work one day and ended up driving something else away. We rolled it into the museum to get it out of the way. A few days later we had a great car show, and you’d have thought there was a shining red Ferrari over in the corner of the museum, as people just flocked straight to that old truck to see it. There’s not much done to dress the old truck up, it’s just a good running ‘53 Ford.

The guys over at BedWoodandParts.com helped me out with the bed wood, when I did have to replace it. I mean what’s a truck without a bed to haul stuff? These old beds suffer from the wood going away first. Their kits are top notch and fit just like OEM. I could have had a tough time selecting from all the hardwoods and exotic woods available. I’m a classic guy so the Hickory bed kit was perfect for that old truck. Their kits fit so many applications and you can imagine a Cocobolo bed on a a flashy show truck at the car show, or if you’re like me, good ol’ American Hardwood on a good ol’ American truck!

Since 1993, the Vespa Club of America has sponsored an annual motorscooter rally to promote scootering and VCOA membership. Amerivespa 2008 was held in Chattanooga, TN on July 24 - 27. For more information about this year’s rally, check out the Amerivespa 2008 site.

On Friday, the tour visited Coker Tire headquarters. The rain was the monkey wrench for all the scooter enthusiasts, but many of them showed up with rain gear and good spirits. The club had a full agenda planned for their rally in the Scenic city and we’re glad they included us. Thanks guys for showing off the bikes and stopping by!

For more pics visit the gallery

It’s been a few year since too much rainfall was an issue in the Southeast. Mostly hot and dry summers have baked us to sleep. The good ol’ afternoon thunderstorm is almost out of our minds, and then yesterday it rained. There are plenty of colorful ways to describe the amount of rain that was falling. Let’s just say it rained very hard for about half an hour. With the renovations here being buttoned up there were plenty of eyes looking to see how everything would weather the storm. We probably would have made it too, if an empty can and bottle hadn’t plugged one of the main downspouts on the old loading dock sending hundreds of gallons of rain water on a mission for another way out.

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When Port-A-Cool said they’d send over two units for the shop, we all laughed. Cooling down the shop is like a dream come true and we could hardly believe it as the dog days of summer begin their relentless march on into the upper 90s. (more…)