News: 2011
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Past news archives: 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007
This year's stories:
- Win this Pedal Car!
- Food Drive for our Neighbors
- Win a Brand New all Electric Nissan Leaf!
- The Ultimate GTO
- Who has the Fastest Pine Car in Tucson?
- Hot Wheels Races Added to the Show!
- The Journey of a Kaiser Darrin
- Olive Garden Supports the Car Show
- A Match Made in Mopar
Win this Pedal Car!
(click images to enlarge)
Some 40,000 people are killed by drunk drivers in the United States every year. Participants and spectators — you can join
the fight against drunk driving and purchase a raffle ticket at the Cops and Rodders car show and have a chance to win this
beautiful one of a kind Tucson Police Pedal Car. This car is a unique and limited edition DUI unit that contains all of the exact
markings for one of TPD's DUI Enforcement Unit's vehicles to include push-bars on the front end of the vehicle.
The pedal car is a 1955 Chevy donated by retired Capt. Rich Harper and painted to specs by Spud Hester of the Arizona Rangers
and Roy Hester his brother, who are partners in a vehicle restoration and painting of classic cars. The hat with the Pedal Car
is this year's official Cops and Rodders hat, dedicated to the men and women in law enforcement who have died in the line of
duty to include our own officers here in Tucson, Pima County and Arizona. Capt. Harper dedicated this pedal car to Erin
Leadbetter, his former partner's wife who was killed by a drunk driver. So support those who protect us, go see Andy at the
sales tent and pick up your raffle ticket.
Food Drive for our Neighbors
We are helping Interfaith Community Services with their food drive this year at the show. Please bring a frozen turkey
or ham if you can; they will have a freezer truck there to accept them.
Please let me know if your car club wants to make a special presentation and we will be happy to coordinate this request.
YOUR help will touch the lives of people in our community who may be shut in during the holidays or just down on their luck.
The great thing is that while the request is for our participants our spectators can contribute as well. So if you have an
organization that would like to contribute nonperishable food items or a frozen turkey or ham have them contact me at
(520) 343-0437.
What a great way to share our blessings with those who aren't doing quite so well this year. Our goal is to fill up their freezer
and to fill 4 large boxes with nonperishable food items as well. Come on and let's all work together!
Win a Brand New all Electric Nissan Leaf!
$37,000 MSRP
(click image to enlarge)
Thanks to Jim Click and his automotive team you can come to the show and purchase your chance to win a 2012
Nissan Leaf all electric car! Included in this prize is a charging station valued at $3,500 and installation valued
at $1,200. Jim has provided this opportunity for all charities and the Tucson Police Foundation along with the Cops
and Rodders is participating in this raffle event. The cost of the tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100, so this is
your chance to "Go Green!" 100% of your contribution will benefit the Tucson Police Foundation in its mission to
support the Tucson Police Department. There is no cost to come out and be a spectator at the show, so bring your
family, have a great time and buy your chance to win this 100% Electric, Zero gas and Zero Tailpipe car. You don't
have to wait for the car show though, you can go to the Tucson Police Foundation office at 3900 E. Timrod, Suite #7
in Tucson to pick up your tickets early or call 520-207-2878 to get more information.
The Ultimate GTO
(click images to enlarge)
The famous Grand Turismo Omologata created by Pontiac was an option on the 1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans and became known in its
own right as one of the classic muscle cars of the sixties. The “GTO” as it became known offered distinctive appearance items
with a 389 cubic inch engine that produced 325 horsepower that first year of production in 1964. Now, Steve Disch of Lakewood,
Colorado has built what he calls “The Ultimate GTO” based on 1964 styling and 2006 technology.
In his two-car garage Disch married
the best of both worlds to produce a car with all of the classic styling of the first GTO, a 1964 convertible, with the technology
of the last GTO, a 2006 Australian-produced Holden version. The Ultimate GTO, at first blush, appears to be a beautifully
restored and slightly modified 1964 GTO. Closer examination shows this to be far from the truth; it is perhaps the most highly
modified classic GTO ever!
Disch started with a 1964 LeMans convertible (a good “30-footer” in his words) and a 2006 GTO that met a tree sideways at
some speed after only 3,700 miles on the clock. After brainstorming with a few friends, he decided to “re-body the 2006 GTO”
rather than take the usual hot rodder's approach of pulling the drive-line from the '06 and stuffing it in the '64. Once the
decision was made, it didn't take long to repair the necessary damage, weld in sub-frame connectors and cut the body off the new
GTO.
Then, the '64 was stripped down and separated from the frame. Using an engine hoist and a grinder with cut-off wheels,
Disch cut off the rear half of the '64 behind the doors and begin fitting it down onto the remaining floor pan of the '06.
After 9 attempts, the rear of the LeMans sat comfortably down over the rear wheels and a mig welder was used to create a '64
unibody back end. The process continued forward, attaching the new, extended rocker panels with the sill plates. The old
windshield frame and door hinge plates were welded on around the new dash and cowl.
Due to the drastically different front ends, the '64 front end sits on a 1”x1” square tube framework, which allows the
original front clip to appear stock without interfering with any of the suspension or cooling of the '06. Smooth and subtle
hand-fabricated plates cover the transition and look like stock '06 GTO when the hood is raised.
Disch doesn't limit his driving to car shows and hamburger stands, clocking 25,000 miles, recently driving 1,050 miles from
Denver, CO to Pendleton, OR in a single day. The orange GTO turns heads during every outing, winning 15 “Best of Show” awards
in 29 months and appearing 7 times in magazines (four on the cover) such as Hot Rod, Auto Enthusiast, Goodguys Gazette and The
Legend. If this two-year project isn't on the cutting edge of a new trend, then it just might be in a class of its own.
Come out to the show and check out the beautiful and maybe the most modified classic GTO you will ever see! Thanks Steve for bringing your GTO all the way from Denver Colorado to be at our show to help support our officers and to add a beautiful attraction to the show!
Who has the Fastest Pine Car in Tucson?
Boys and Girls, this is your chance to find out if you have the "need for speed!" This year's Pine Car Derby promises
to be the most exciting yet and we want your car! Each year Boys and Girls from the ages of 1 through 17 can bring
their pine cars and race them. We award trophies for the top three finishers in three different age categories (5 and
Under • 6 to 11 years • 12 to 17 years) and prizes for appearance and creativity! Bring your car at 8am
to weigh it and then get ready to start your engines at 10am! We have grandstands for your family and friends to watch
you race and a PA system to announce the fun! Tucson Police Officer David Rencken is the race manager so come and see
him and have a great time! Oh, you don't know how to build one? Then come on! Mr. Joe Findysz and his staff from Ace
Hardware/Tucson Hobby will help you build your own car! If you want to get your car ahead of time go to his hobby
shop at 6959 E. 22nd where they have a great selection. I also want to thank Mr. Ken Tucker, Director of Tucson Catalina
Scouts for his help with the show as well.
There's no speed limit on this track, I can hear the crowd roar and they could be cheering for you!
Hot Wheels Races Added to the Show!
Fast and Furious Metal Cars!
Thanks to Jim Hatzelis, the Cops and Rodders Car Show will have Hot Wheels car races for kids at the show. This is another fun, free family event where any boy or girl can come to the show and participate in a fun time racing your own Hot Wheels car or one provided by Jim! Every child who participates in this event will each receive a cool hot wheels car to take home when they are finished! So come on out to the show, join in on the free Halloween activities including this new race that will join our Pine Car Derby, Sponsored by Tucson Hobby and our Pedal Car races!
The Journey of a Kaiser Darrin
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The Kaiser Darrin that Lee towed from Cleveland to Tucson
Kaiser Motors evolved from Kaiser-Frazer and in 1954 the Kaiser Darrin was born. It was Henry Kaiser's wife who convinced him to take a chance on the design by “Dutch Darrin” and the stunning, modern looking Kaiser Darrin roadster became a reality. One of several unique features of the Darrin included doors that open inwards and the use of fiberglass to build the body of the vehicle. Kaiser did this before Chevy introduced their Corvette using fiberglass.
Racing at the local strip here in Tucson
In 1961 Lee Abrahams enters the picture. Lee's very first car was a 1954 Kaiser Darrin that he purchased in Cleveland, Ohio. “I bought the Kaiser Darrin when I was 16 and paid $150 for it, which was a lot of money for a 16 year-old in 1961.” Lee's parents decided to move to Tucson in 1963 and Lee towed his Kaiser to Tucson. He began working on the car and as the car went through all of the changes it finally became a full racecar. Lee's family's company, Miracle Car Wash sponsored his racing efforts, “We raced the car at all of the local tracks here in Tucson, tracks in California and at the NHRA Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana.”
Restored to the original racecar look
Lee's lifelong passion for the Kaiser Darrin was born and became cemented as he spent more and more time building his race car, “The Kaiser had a Ford beam axel, a 440 C.I. big block Chevy engine with hilborn fuel injection, an Oldsmobile rear axel and a B&M clutchlife transmission.” This unique blend of parts and features allowed Lee to run times as fast as 9.50's at 150 miles per hour.
In 1980 Lee sold his racecar. But as time went on he really began to miss his car. As with many car collectors he
had “sellers lament,” and began searching for his race car. “I sold the car back in 1980 and found it in 2010 in Florida
thru the Kaiser Frazer club, which I belong to. It was in very bad condition as shown by the pictures.” Lee got his
racecar back and began the labor of love to get the car back into the original condition it was in when he was racing the
car. “I restored it to the way it looked back when I raced it. It should be totally finished by the car show.” So from
Cleveland Ohio, to Tucson, Arizona, to Florida and back to Tucson, the odyssey of this rare Darrin roadster has come full
circle. When you come to the show, stop by and say hi to Lee and check out his rare and stunning collection of Kaiser
Darrins.
Olive Garden Supports the Car Show
Restaurant manager Samuel Alegria, Cops and Rodders Coordinator Ron Canterman and the staff at the Olive Garden (click to enlarge)
The Olive Garden restaurants of Tucson are stepping up again this year to help the Tucson Police Foundation raise funds for Kevlar bullet resistant vests for our police officers. The Olive Garden brings their tastes of Italy to the show as part of their monthly contribution to area foundations. Manager Samuel Alegria, who is a Tucsonan and graduate of Pueblo High School said, “Our goal is provide a great dining experience for our customers and to give back to our community. In addition to the Cops and Rodders, Samuel listed Camp Wildcat, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson as well as putting up Christmas Trees around the holidays to help disadvantaged children. Samuel has been a manager for Tucson area Olive Garden Restaurants for the past seven years and led the West Irvington location to the highest rated Olive Garden in the United States. Samuel has been coordinating Olive Garden's efforts with Ron Canterman our VIP Coordinator.
Samuel said, “While we are a national corporate entity, we are involved in our respective communities, through providing excellent dining services, hiring employees and giving back.” He continued, “We are connected to Tucson, because all of us here are Tucsonans.” Samuel, who graduated from Pueblo High in 1992, recognizes the importance of supporting the police department, “We want to keep the great officers we have safe and help programs such as the Safe Teen Accident Reduction Training.” Olive Garden of course promotes healthy meals and Samuel sets a good example as an active participant in running events. Currently he is training for a marathon in Chicago. As far as car shows, Samuel enjoys attending and supporting the Cops and Rodders show, “I love the 1966 Mustang, but I also really like the 2012 Dodge Challenger.”
When you get the opportunity, go by the Olive Garden at Broadway and Craycroft and thank Samuel and his staff for their continued support of the Cops and Rodders Car Show.
A Match Made in Mopar
(click images to enlarge)
What happens when a girl driving a red Plymouth Duster meets a boy driving a blue Plymouth Duster? They fall in love, get married and live happily ever after! For Rhonda and Jim Hatzelis this is exactly what happened when they first met at the Southern Arizona Mopar Club in 1994 and were married two years later in 1996. Rhonda and Jim were originally going to go to Las Vegas to get hitched but instead were married at a local MOPAR club show here at the McDonald's at Catalina Highway and Tanque Verde roads. Ronald McDonald was invited to be “best clown” and the event was held as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House here in Tucson.
Of course this has been a marriage that has had MUSCLE from the starting line and as time went on, the Dusters have been replaced
with other MOPAR vehicles.
Rhonda Hatzelis grew up in a MOPAR family, her dad Robert owned a 1967 Red Dodge Charger, 383, 4 barrel, which she drove to Santa Rita High and to car shows on weekends with her father. Her brother Jimmy owned a 1970 green Plymouth Roadrunner, 440, “6 Pack.” Her dad and brother have passed on, but she still has their cars and with her husband Jim, have taken great care and show them regularly at car shows.
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Chrysler produced the Plymouth Roadrunner starting in 1968 as a “Muscle Car” that could reach the low 14's in the quarter mile and sell for less than $4,000 – 5,000 per car. With a 440 engine and a “six pack,” the car could giddy up and go reaching 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds.
Rhonda modified the Roadrunner giving it a “Mod Top” to add her touch to the car that creates excitement at car shows and has been covered in publications such as the 2011 MOPAR Collector's Guide under Matt's Hardcore Cruiser Award. She does her share of the work as well, replacing the interior, gages, seats, carpet and chrome on her 1967 Charger.
Jim Hatzelis who hails from Brooklyn New York, got tired of the cold and migrated to Tucson and a warmer climate. The Tucson weather was just right for Jim and allowed him to spend more time outside under the shade of a tree working on his MOPAR cars. Jim is the quintessential “Shade Tree” mechanic and does over 70% of the work in restoring the muscle to these MOPAR cars, outsourcing the paint jobs. Jim does all the work at his home either in the garage, in their shop or under a silk tent in the back yard. He said, “Part of the fun of this hobby is maintaining the cars and since I'm a 'Gearhead' I love it!”
One day, Jim spied a 1969 Dodge Coronet sitting parked in a yard and just had to have that vehicle. The 1969 Dodge Coronet, “Super Bee” was Dodge's answer to Pontiac's “GTO.” The Coronet had a sleek looking coke bottle style to the exterior, and with a 440 engine, and 4 barrel carburetor hit 60 mph in 6 seconds or less. After looking at those “Keystone wheels,” Jim started negotiating and agreed on a purchase price. His high finance selling off some of his rare and valuable Matchbox and Hot Wheels collector cars but he raised the money. There had been some paperwork indicating the vehicle was unsafe to drive. Jim got to work fully restoring the vehicle and now proudly shows it off at shows here in Tucson and across the country.
Rhonda and Jim have been attending the Cops and Rodders car shows since the beginning and have won awards nearly every year, winning for best in class in 2009 and 2nd in the same category in 2010 with Rhonda's Plymouth Roadrunner. They love coming to the show. “I love the Halloween theme,” said Rhonda. “The shows are so much fun to go to and it's for a great cause.” Jim agreed: “The Tucson Police Foundation has really grown a great show and we love attending. The real winners are the participants and the spectators because of the family atmosphere.”
Here are some of the awards won by Jim and Rhonda:
- 1966 Dodge Charger; Little Anthony's, Special Entry, December 2010
- 1967 Blue Dodge Charger; Kyle Franks Foundation, Honorary Choice Award, October 2009
- 1967 Red Dodge Charger; Cars in the Park, Best Stock Engine, October 2006
- 1969 Dodge Coronet; HEMI Show, 1st Place B-Body Modified, March 2005
- 1970 Plymouth Road Runner; Mopars at the Strip, Cannery Choice, April 2008