Take A Kid To A Car Show
SEMA began promoting the slogan “Take A Kid To A Car Show” years ago and it may have even more relevance today than yesteryear. Exposure to any pursuit is key to becoming involved and when the Wrightington family reached out to us with their story we knew we had to share this perfect example of successful influence. The three Wrightington brothers, Everett, David and Ronald have been into cars since they were little kids. Their father, Everett Wrightington, Sr., got them into hot rodding early between the ages of 6-11 years old. The four of them would go to the local salvage yard and while dad would be getting parts for his ‘49 Mercury or mom’s old Plymouth, the three Wrightington brothers would be off looking around for cool horn buttons, hubcaps, car emblems and other treasures to take home with them.
All three Wrightington brothers are US Army Veterans and live in Massachusetts. (L-R) Everett Wrightington, 80 years old from Rochester served in Germany, Ronald Wrightington, 75 years old from Lakeville served in Vietnam, and David Wrightington, 78 years old from Rochester served in Korea.
Massachusetts (oldest NASCAR sponsored track). They also trav- eled to Sanford, Maine, where Ohio George Montgomery and other top racers of the time were tearing up the asphalt. At the
took place back when Hot Rod, Car Craft and Rod & Custom were small-format magazines. All three brothers attended four years of Auto Vocational School and then in the late ‘60s the Wrightington brothers were draft- ed into military service in the Army. They were very proud to serve their country. When they returned from the military service each of them began building their own hot rods. Almost a lifetime has gone by and the brothers are still enjoying their custom-built hot rods by going to shows together and the boys say: “You brought us up right—Thanks Dad.”
indoor shows they saw many famous cars built by Gene Winfield, Alexander Brothers, George Barris, Bill Cushenbery and Ed Roth. As pre-teens Dave and Ron stood 3-feet away from Ed Roth while he airbrushed a sweat- shirt for them for $5. Eventually the brothers began entering every model car contest they could and the detail they put into building their model cars earned them many trophies. All the car shows/races/model car contests Everett Wrightington’s ’34 Ford 3W runs a 351 Cleveland, Ford FMX trans, Mustang IFS and 9- inch Ford rear. Wilwood discs stop all four Halibrand wheels. Chrysler Purple paint has graphic highlights and the grey knit interior calms things down.
It was during these times that dad could see the boys’ interest in cars and started taking them to car shows, drag races and stock car races at Seekonk Speedway in dropped tube axle stop the spinning Mehelich wheels rotating against a backdrop of Ford Vermillion paint. Ronald’s ’27 Ford Tudor also must be Ford powered, this time with a 302, Ford A.O.D and Jaguar independent rear suspension. Wilwoods mounted to a 4-inch
David’s ’32 Ford Vicky has been chopped 6 inches and it too runs Ford power with a 357 Windsor, C4 trans, an 8-inch Ford rear and Heidt’s SuperRide IFS. Wilwood stops the Weld Racing Rodlites. The brilliant Volkswagen Red is offset with a two-tone gray interior.
14 DECEMBER 2024
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