David Hall’s 1966 Ford Econoline Supervan has been many things: a paint van, a dollhouse, a way to get to the beach for vacation, a motorcycle hauler. It has been in the Hall family since it was new, but it didn’t become David’s as soon as he would have liked. When Hall’s Uncle Ray, the original owner of the van, died in 1972, David went to his uncle’s widow, Aunt Laura, and told her he wanted to buy it. “Tom,” …
Denny Carlyle has a custom license plate on his 2008 smart fortwo passion coupe: “TPANTS.” At first glance, it’s a little perplexing, but put together with the name of the car’s make …
When you become the owner of a high performance vehicle, it’s natural to show it off to your friends and family. So when Joan Mitchell, a Blacksburg Realtor (RE/MAX 8 associate broker), …
Virginia native Jim Williamson is no stranger to the water. Born in Radford, his mother took him to Claytor Lake often. “I’ve been water skiing since I was 7,” he says. “Just …
When Alan Neely gets near an auction that has a buggy come up for bid, it’s likely he’ll raise his number. The black buggy dubbed the “Charles Dickens” sitting on the side …
When Todd Ratliff was growing up in far southwest Virginia, his grandfather nicknamed him Hot Rod Todd. Todd had caught the car bug from his grandfather, a car salesman, and his father, …
Text by Karl H. Kazaks | Photos by Tom Wallace When Johnnie Self Jr. was in high school, he loved playing football for the Christiansburg Blue Demons, and he loved driving …
Text and photos by Nathan Cooke When exploring Blacksburg, you often notice three things: maroon and orange outfits, gray limestone aka Hokie stone and city-style buses. Blacksburg Transit (BT) is responsible …
Watching Dr. Daniel Hurd drive his 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena is to experience the sublime. In every sense, the machine gives the impression of being a mechanical marvel. Its engine, even at …
Text by Karl H. Kazaks Photos by Tom Wallace “Instantly, instinctively, you know.” So says the narrator of a 1959 television ad for Ford’s new top-of-the-line, full-size car, the Galaxie. As …