Larry Burchett, founder and president of B Rod or Custom, is excited to announce that General Motors (GM) has just granted a license to B Rod or Custom to manufacture new C-2 Corvette replacement bodies.
The license includes Corvette model years 1963-1967 in both convertible and coupe body styles with options for wide body or stock widths. All fiberglass parts are press molded, post cured and made with superior quality tooling resins. Vehicles will feature metal and carbon fiber birdcage parts and are assembled on fixtures that have been specially designed for that model. All parts are made in the USA.
5 PACKAGES AVAILABLE
• GM licensed Corvette body only
• Body plus chassis
• Body plus chassis & drivetrain
• Roller package with wheels & tires
• Turn-key C-2 Corvette
When B Rod was formed, the vision to make B Rod or Custom the first name people think of when purchasing or building specialty automobiles was paramount. That name is now synonymous with quality construction, trend setting style and value-based pricing. To accomplish these lofty goals, much energy was focused on the uncompromising task of laying the foundation of quality craftsmanship. Willingness to alter, adapt or sacrifice for the good of the project has also been a major component of B Rod’s principles and convictions. Over forty years have been dedicated to excellence in craftsmanship and integrity.
Welcome to the Corvette Expo!
Corvette Expo was the “brain child” of Byron Cooper (owner), with his brother Ronny, of Cooper’s Corvette Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. Byron opened Cooper’s in 1967 on Broadway in the North end of Knoxville in a rented 4 car garage, but bought their own building 2 years later.
Early in 1976 Byron came up with the idea to have a Corvette show & open house at their business location on Broadway in Knoxville and invite several vendors they had met through the Corvette business. Soon word and popularity spread and their location was no longer big enough!
After hosting at several locations around Knoxville, the Corvette Expo has found a nice new home at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge. With over 100,000 square feet inside, and massive outdoor vendor and parking space, it makes the Corvette Expo a widely popular show with the young and old, anyone who loves Corvettes and fast cars!
My name is Cajun Graham and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you. I hope to honor Blan’s legacy and continue to bring a quality magazine to such an amazing community! Taking on this project I have already learned so much and have enjoyed hearing just how much Blan has touched many of your lives!
AWARDS AT THE DJ TRAILER • 3:30PM CORVETTE DRAGON CRUISE THE SMOKIES LEAVES LECONTE CENTER FROM THE CORVETTE PARKING LOT • 4:30PM BUILDING AND SHOW,LOT SECURE • 6:00PM
CORVETTE EXPO TAKES ADVANTAGE OF
THE “NEW” 50 YEAR OLD FOOTHILLS PARKWAY THE “MISSING LINK” OPENS
The Foothills Parkway “Missing Link”, a 16 mile stretch that connects Walland to Wears Valley in East Tennessee opened on Veterans Day weekend in 2019.
The roadway is 50 years in the making, battling funding obstacles and natural erosion. This is a spectacular section of road with unparralleled views.
Corvette Expo is grateful to the visionaries in the 1930’s who concieved the idea of this parkway in the Smoky Mountains, and is excited to use it again for the 2021 Corvette Cruise from the LeConte Center to the Dragon during the Annual Spring Event.
The Corvette Expo will feature a Show, Swap Meet, Sales Corral and the annual Corvette Cruise. The 2021 Cruise will take several hundred Corvettes to the Tails of the Dragon from Pigeon Forge on Friday the 19th, 2021.
The Cruise will be escorted out of the LeConte Center by the Pigeon Forge City Police and will then take the Parkway from Wears Valley on the 33 mile scenic ride to US Highway 129, the Dragon, continuing on through the 11 mile Dragon to Deals Gap in North Carolina. Corvette Expo has previously taken the Corvette Cruise to the Dragon from Loudon with as many as 435 Corvettes participating. The 2021 Dragon Cruise will offer a more scenic experience for the Corvette enthusiasts. Will we break the record from Pigeon Forge?
Hope you enjoy the 44th Annual Edition of Corvette Expo now at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge and for being a part of this great tradition while experiencing a bit of history in beautiful East Tennessee.
For information on the 2022 Sping Corvette Expo, visit www.corvetteexpo.com or call 865-687-3976
The Corvette Expo 2021 “Tail of the Dragon Cruise” will utilize the newly completed “Missing Link” on the Smoky Mountain Foothills Parkway.
CORVETTE EXPO DRAGON
CRUISE ROUTE
SPRING 2021 • FRIDAY • MARCH 19
Welcome to the 2021 Spring “Corvettes Cruise the Dragon”
FROM THE LeCONTE CENTER AT PIGEON FORGE
Cruise length: 56.3 Miles
START TIME: 4:30PM
Cruise Time: 1 Hour and 34 Minutes *Approximate
SUNSET: 7:46 PM EDT LAST NIGHT: 8:12 PM
EXIT THE LeCONTE CENTER WITH CITY of PIGEON FORGE POLICE ESCORT
Be sure you have a full tank of gas - No gas or restrooms until your destination.
00.0 Set your trip odometer to “0” and exit the Park N Show lot as directed.
00.0 Left on Teaster Lane
00.8 Left at Trafiic Light onto Wears Valley Road
01.1 Cross the Parkway at the Traffic Light - Straight on Wears Valley (Highway 321)
08.3 Entering the Wears Valley - Continue Straight
09.5 Right on Foothills Parkway entrance
09.6 Left onto the Foothills Parkway. Entering the newly opened “Missing Link” Continue straight on the Foothills Parkway for approximately 31.7 miles.
24.3 You are now entering the original Parkway - opened 1968
24.3 End of the “Missing Link” (Authorized by Congress in 1944 - opened in 2018)
41.3 Left on Highway US 129 @ Chilhowee Lake towards the Tail of the Dragon
44.5 Enter the Tail of the Dragon (11 miles • 318 Turns • No side entrances)
Do Not Cross Center Line!
56.3 Your destination - Deals Gap North Carolina (The end of the Dragon)
Souvenirs, Rest Rooms, Refreshments and Fuel
This concludes the Cruise. To continue on to Fontana Dam, turn left on 1247. If you wish to visit Tapoco Lodge, continue straight on 129 for 3 miles. If you are returning to Pigeon Forge, reverse the directions. There are many Restaurants new the LeConte Center and in the Island Entertainment Complex. You are welcome to park in our secure Corvette parking lot and ride the Free Trolley to the Island Complex where you will find Restaurants, Shops and Entertainment..... Enjoy!
THE SWAP MEET
The LeCONTE CENTER at Pigeon Forge
NY........... APSIS
TN........... B ROD OR CUSTOM
TN........... BEST LITTLE HEMP HOUSE
MN......... CHROME DOMZ
OH..........CLOCKS BY ROGER
TN........... COLOR STREET NAILS
TN........... DIAMOND FINISH
SC...........D and M RESTORATION
OH..........EAGLE WIRE
TN........... CLASSY CREATIONS
TN........... FARMHOUSE CRAFT CO
NC.......... FARRIS INSURANCE
NH.......... FLASH CARDS - HOLD@GATE
GA.......... GREG WYATT
TN........... K and M COLLECTIBLES
TN........... LADY L’S BOUTIQUE
NJ............LEAFGUARD HOLDINGS, INC
AZ........... MOTORSPORTS ACCESORIES
KY........... NCM / CORVETTE STORE
KY........... NCM / INSURANCE AGENCY
NC.......... AUSLEY’S CHEVELLE PARTS
PA........... AUTO-ENTEC
IN............ CATHY PODELL
VA...........CORVETTE MASTERS
NC.......... DREAM RESTORATIONS
OH..........EAGLE WIRE
TN........... FARRIS WHEELS
FL............ GALLI SHIRTS, INC
TN........... GARY WATSON
TN........... GERMAN ROASTED NUTS
AR...........JOE RAY CORVETTE PARTS
AL........... KENNETH WILLINGHAM
MN......... McGRIFF TOOLS
VA...........MULTLU, INC
NC.......... NATHAN ROBINSON
NC.......... NINE LINE APPERAL
SC...........PAIN X NOW
GA.......... RAPHA RUB
MO.........RESTO MOD TECH
IN............ RICHARD PONTIUS
The LeCONTE CENTER at Pigeon Forge
TN........... NICHE BOUTIQUE
TN........... PAPARIZZI JEWLRY
MS......... PARKER SNAPS
TN........... SOUTHERN BARNWOOD
PA........... TOP FLIGHT AUTOMOTIVE
IL............. TWO LANE AMERICA
CA.......... TNR GROUP
LA........... WIZARD PRODUCTS
TN........... WOW MY GARAGE
TN.......... X-TREME PRODUCTS
TN........... RICHARD RIVERS
NC.......... RJ’S RESTORATION
GA.......... RON BARON
TN........... RON’S COLLECTABLES
KY........... ROY HUNTER
WV......... RON SMITH
TN........... TEDD ADAIR
TN........... THUNDER ROAD CREATIONS
AL........... TIM RANDALL
OH..........TROUBLE FREE LIGHTING
NC.......... VETTE PROS
TN........... WILDCAT VETTE PARTS
TN........... CHARLES WAGNER
OH..........COFFMAN CORVETTE, LLC
TN........... COOPER’S CORVETTE CENTER
IL............. D &A CORVETTE
MN......... DEL PALMER
TN........... ET MOTORGEAR
TN........... EUGENE WORLEY
E PIGEON FORG
ROD RUN
food&fun
Corvette Crossword
Fun with Words
CROSS WORD
WORD LIST
COOPER
CORVETTE
CORVETTE EXPO
COUPE
GRAND SPORT
KENTUCKY
MAKO
PENNANT
PERFORMANCE
PIGEON
RACING
RACING
THINGS TO DO
APR
SMOKY MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL
April 3rd- April 25th
The Smoky Mountain Music Festival is a competition for elementary, middle and high school music groups. It offers these groups a chance to showcase their work and talent in front of adjudicators in the Smoky Mountains. On Friday, concert bands, jazz bands, orchestras, choral groups and winterguards, indoor drum lines, and other auxiliaries will perform at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. On Saturday adjudication of the Street Parade on the downtown Gatlinburg strip will occur. An awards ceremony will follow the competition on both days.
Gatlinburg Convention Center
234 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
SADDLE UP & THE ANNUAL CHUCK WAGON COOKOFF
April 4th - 5th
Pigeon Forge invites Western lifestyle enthusiasts, foodies and those in search of a hearty meal to the new Chuck Wagon Cook Off competition. Chuck wagons will gather for this one-of-a-kind outdoor cooking event. Long before today’s food truck craze treated foodies to impromptu kitchens on wheels, early American chuck wagons fed hungry cowboys on the open prairies during cattle drives. Chuck wagon cooks, or cookies, as they are known, rely on simple ingredients to guide their menus and fire to power their ovens.
Clabough’s Campground
405 Wears Valley Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
13TH ANNUAL MOUNTAIN MAN MEMORIAL MARCH
April 25th
The Annual Mountain Man Memorial March is a 26.2mile march in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Originally organized in 2007, the march was a personal tribute for University of Tennessee Army ROTC Cadet –1LT Frank Walkup, a 2005 UT graduate who was killed in action in Iraq. To honor his memory, a group of Cadets from the Rocky Top Battalion marched 26.2 miles with each Cadet carrying a 35-pound rucksack to represent his sacrifice.
More than a decade later, this event this has become one of the largest events in the United States to celebrate the service and honor the ultimate sacrifice of these fallen service members. Along with more than 45 ROTC units, participants now include active duty military, reserve and guard units, veterans of all services, family & friends of the fallen, JROTC units, and even Cub Scout Packs. www.mountainmanmemorialmarch.com
MEET RICK “CLETUS” HURST AT COOTER’S PIGEON FORGE
April 8th - 12th | 11am - 5pm
Come meet Rick “Cletus” Hurst from the “Dukes of Hazzard”
Cooter’s Garage
177 East Wears Valley Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 www.CootersPlace.com
MAY
YELLOW MUSTANG REGISTRY
May 1st - 4th
This annual event is a celebration of Fords “pony” car. View over 70 mustangs dating back to the 60’s to current models all the while taking a stroll down memory lane. Enjoy meeting new friends and getting reacquainted with old friends. You can register your yellow Mustang, get merchandise, find out about events and get more information at www.yellowmustangregistry.com
The Christmas Place Inn 119 Christmas Tree Ln, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
BLOOMIN’ BBQ & BLUEGRASS
May 15th - 16th
Two-days of food and fun in historic downtown Sevierville. See live entertainment from Priscilla & Little RicKee ft. Louisa Branscomb, Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Balsam Range, Dale Ann Bradley, Love Canon, Phil Leadbetter & the All-Stars of Bluegrass, Dale Ann Bradley, and headliner Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
More than forty of the nation’s top BBQ cook teams will be on hand for the Bush’s Best Tennessee State Championship Cook Off. Other event highlights include The Mountain Soul Vocal Competition honoring the songwriting of Dolly Parton, The Late Night Jam, and The People’s Choice Tasting Contest (ticketed) which let’s the public sample and vote for their favorite pulled pork. Free admission. Free concerts. www.bloominbbq.com
ANNUAL CHEVY CLASSIC ROUNDUP
May 15th - 16th
The Annual Tri-Five show celebrates the American icon classic Chevrolets from 1955-57. See over 100 modified and restored Chevys. Music and food vendors will also be on site. Looking for that hard to find part for your own project vehicle? Visit vendors row for a wide variety of parts and technical support. Model car contest for kids, food, music, etc. Come join the fun!
The Christmas Place Inn
119 Christmas Tree Ln, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
PENTECOSTAL FIRE YOUTH CONFERENCE
4/2 - 4/3
Get fired up about your faith at the Pentecostal Fire Youth Conference! This two-day event promotes Christian morals and living among today’s youth. The Pentecostal Fire Youth Conference also includes an expo where ministries are able to share their missionary work, Christian CDs and information on bible schools. The Conference is free to attend, however a donation of up to $25 is welcome.
PIGEON FORGE SPRING ROD RUN
4/16 - 4/18
The Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run is an event no car enthusiast wants to miss. This annual event is the largest car show in the Smoky Mountain region.
Thousands of people will be in attendance enjoying some of the best show cars in the country. There’s also a swap meet and huge car corral. In the past more than $8,000 has been awarded for King of the Hill, the Ultimate 5 and Top 25 show cars.
REGISTRATION PRICE: $30-50
WOMEN OF JOY: RISE UP
4/24 - 4/26
Share a few days with Women of Joy – a ministry that has been changing the lives of women since 1994. Lead by Phil and Debbie Waldrep, these weekends serve and minister to crowds ranging from 1,000 to 14,000 women at each event. These incredible weekends are designed, created and intended to bring women of all ages and cultures together to help you pursue a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.
Wheels and Deals
2014 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY Z51 LT3. $78,000 | Garage kept, perfect condition, clean title in hand, Call or Text Nick at 865-603-3269
1978 CHEVROLET CORVETTE SILVER ANNIVERSARY. $24,995 | Phenomenal Condition, T-Tops are equally impressive and have an excellent fit, 350 V8 4 speed manual transmission, ONLY 8400 MILES!!, power windows, call Devvin at 865-256 2366
1994 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE. $9,500 | Get ready for Spring & Summer, great running & driving, needs nothing, newer tires, fresh tune up, no cracks or paint chips, I drive it weekly, title in my name, Insured through Haggerty for $14,000. 865850-7539
1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. $129,995 | ONLY 1,327 MILES!! This Resto Mod complete Frame Off Restoration has been redone to give you the best of both worlds! You get the iconic styling of the C2 Corvette with the modern driveline of the LS Fuel Injected Corvette’s that we all love. Call Devvin 865-256-2366
2014 C7 CORVETTE LT3. $36,500 | Selling my baby, I’m a teacher and the car was used for commuting. The car was always garaged and is in excellent condition inside and out, w/MANY upgrades. See walk around video: https://youtu.be/R35fZ3VAi8A. Call or text 828-233-5574
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. $44,900 | Stunning in Lemans blue comes with the lift off hard top and features the White convertible top which is in excellent condition, 327 V8 4spd manual transmission, For more info or to test drive, Call Devvin 865-2562366
While time travel is not actually real, here at Smoky Mountain Traders, we are dedicated to curating the best classic cars and making them available to anyone who has ever wanted to own a piece of history and ride it into the future. We have everything from classic Chevys to Dodges, Fords, Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, and Pontiacs.
SMT owner Keith Bledsoe started the business in 2004. Cars have always been a love of Bledsoe’s so he decided to turn his passion into an opportunity to own some of the most premier classic cars ever built while also
respecting our responsibility to make sure they are cherished and cared for the rest of their lives.
When visiting SMT, you’ll be sure to feel and see that passion throughout the entire property – from the classic cars to the decorations and memorabilia throughout the property.
Countless numbers of cars have come through SMT over the years. Customers from all over the globe have taken an interest in the quality of classic cars from SMT.
About five years ago, SMT moved up Highway 321 from Lenoir City to Maryville. Smoky Mountain Traders is currently located on the corner of HWY 321 and S. Carver Rd, at 2520 S. Carver Rd., Maryville, Tn.
Whether you are in the market to buy, or just passionate about the classic car industry, make sure to make time to travel to SMT to experience a blast from the past.
If you have any questions about any of the cars in our inventory then call us today or check out our website!
