1951 Chevy Trucks

Gearheads, cars and chicken meet

Even though their Wednesday evening cruise-in at the Lucky Wishbone at 990 S. Harrison Road can draw up to 50 gorgeous cars, the East Side Strokers aren't really a club, Joe Owens says.

The name and its sinister crossed pistons and skull logo emerged a few years ago when the recession threatened the T-shirt business of a Wednesday night regular. Somebody suggested they make up T-shirts dedicated to their popular automotive get-together just to help the guy out.

"One of the guys came up with a design," said Owens, and that became the East Side Strokers. A framed shirt now hangs inside the restaurant, signed by members of the non-club.

Adding to the irony is that most, though not all, of the non-club's regulars are at or near retirement age. It's a polite, friendly, fairly well-heeled though casual and congenial bunch. The only time things get heated, a rarity, Owens says, is if someone talks politics.

The location of the gathering was just as much of an accident, Owens says. He said a group of gearheads, the core of the current group, had been meeting at another east-side fast-food restaurant, but Owens said the owner ran them off.

They tried a couple of other locations, but without much enthusiasm from the management of those places. Then, about eight years ago, Owens says, they happened upon what they now affectionately refer to as "The Chicken."

Management at the Lucky Wishbone not only allowed them to stay, Owens said, but a manager told them Wednesday nights became the restaurant's biggest night, both because of the club members eating there and because of the other customers their cars attracted.

Now the restaurant not only hangs the framed logo inside and gives club members free sodas, but has used them in TV commercials, Owens said.

"We've only missed two nights in almost eight years, and that's been when Wednesday fell on Christmas Eve," Owens says.

It may all be serendipitous, but the non-club is made up of some serious gearheads. And many of the regulars are women.

"I was raised on a farm, and when you're raised on a farm, your dad could fix anything," said Nancy Owens, Joe Owens' wife and a Wednesday night regular.

She learned about cars and trucks from her father. She said if something breaks on the farm, you can't wait around for somebody else to fix it.

Joe, too, picked up the car bug as a young person in Iowa, where he worked as "lot jockey" washing cars and doing other odd jobs at a car dealership.

1951 Chevy Panel Truck - Classic Trucks Forums at Classic Trucks ...

Ambulance (clam shell) doors I assume?   Actually I have no experience with hanging them but lots of hours spent hanging aircraft doors.

Typically if you have a riding condition on the hinge side you have a door that is racked in the opening.  Have you removed the hinges and best fit the doors in the opening to see where the hinges should line up?  

Easier said than done, but once you can establish an optimum fit mark the door and body at the Center line hinge location and also at the latch and attempt to adjust your hinge attach points to achieve that fit.

you do not want to be bending on the doors or hinges.   my '50 doors and hood fits better than my 2001 Silverado.. takes lots of patience.

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