Junkcar Willy

Molly the Southside Dragway Mascot!

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Junkcar Willy

Southside Dragway W.v

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Junkcar Willy

Possum's Muffler & Brake Cruise-In October 10th
201 Viand Street Point Pleasant W.v

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Junkcar Willy

Possum's Muffler & Brake Cruise-In October 10th
201 Viand Street Point Pleasant W.v

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Junkcar Willy

Possum's Muffler & Brake Cruise-In October 10th
201 Viand Street Point Pleasant W.v

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Junkcar Willy

I love them original!! This 1970 Chevelle brings backs the memories of my own that I sold 18 years ago.
Possum's Muffler & Brake Cruise-In Point Pleasant W.v October 10th

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Junkcar Willy

Possum's Muffler & Brake Cruise-In
Point Pleasant, West Virginia

There's something special about a locally owned business that has been serving its community for over three decades at the same location.

Possum's Muffler & Brake in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, is one of those places.

And what's even more impressive is that Possum was working at that very location long before he became the business owner.

I've always believed you don't stay in business that long, especially in a small community, unless you're doing something right.

You can advertise all you want, but it's how you treat people, the quality of your work, and the trust you build over the years that keep customers coming back.

That kind of reputation isn't built overnight. It's earned one customer at a time, year after year.

And there's something fitting about seeing a longtime local automotive business bringing car enthusiasts together for a cruise-in.

It's more than just cars and trucks. It's about friendships, community, and supporting the small businesses that have supported our area for generations.

Congratulations to Possum's Muffler & Brake on over 30 years in business, and thank you for helping keep our local automotive community alive!

Junkcar Willy
Junk to Speed & In Between

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Junkcar Willy

PJ HECK: PONTIAC POWER AND A LIFETIME OF AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY

Some people collect old cars. Others restore them, race them, and preserve a piece of automotive history that future generations might otherwise never know existed.

Then there are people like PJ Heck of Gallipolis, Ohio, who have spent much of their lives doing all of those things.

When you start digging into the history of Pontiac performance, especially the legendary Super Duty cars of the early 1960s, PJ Heck is a name worth knowing.

And his story goes back a lot further than most people realize.

I came across a fascinating article from High Performance Pontiac magazine, now preserved on the Hot Rod Network website, titled "Pontiac Pavement Pounders Shootout, West Virginia Pt. II."

The article, published April 1, 2004, covered a special drag racing shootout held July 14, 2002, at the old Kanawha Valley Dragway near Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

And right there among some serious Pontiac racers was PJ Heck with his incredible 1962 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty.

At the time of the article, PJ was 63 years old and had spent 35 years working in industrial construction. But his passion for Pontiacs was something special.

According to the magazine, PJ had once owned both Mickey Thompson's and Royal Pontiac's 1963 Swiss Cheese Pontiacs at the same time!

For those unfamiliar with Pontiac racing history, these were not ordinary cars.

During the early 1960s, Pontiac was a serious force in drag racing. The company developed lightweight Super Duty Catalinas with special aluminum components and weight-saving modifications to compete against the fastest factory-backed machines from Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, and Plymouth.

The legendary 1963 Swiss Cheese Catalinas earned their nickname from the holes drilled into their frames to reduce weight. They became some of the most fascinating and collectible factory drag racing machines ever produced.

And PJ Heck was involved with these cars when they were more than just valuable pieces of history. They were machines built to race.

His Pontiac collection over the years also included a 1961 Catalina station wagon, a 1963 Ventura coupe, and his powerful 1962 Catalina Super Duty.

That 1962 Catalina certainly wasn't lacking horsepower.

When PJ showed up for the magazine shootout at Kanawha Valley Dragway, his Pontiac was packing a massive 500-cubic-inch engine with dual four-barrel carburetors.

The car was known for wanting to lift its front end when the starting lights turned green.

On that humid July day in 2002, traction was a problem. With a 4,500-rpm launch and shifts at 7,000 rpm, PJ managed a best eighth-mile elapsed time of 7.04 seconds.

The magazine calculated that as approximately 10.95 seconds in the quarter-mile.

That's impressive performance for a big, heavy, early-1960s Pontiac!

But one of my favorite parts of the article wasn't about horsepower or elapsed times.

It was a story PJ shared about racing his Catalina back in the 1970s.

During one race, the flagman backed him into position, and PJ forgot to put the transmission back into a forward gear.

When the flag dropped, instead of launching down the track, the Pontiac suddenly jumped backward!

PJ quickly found First gear, buried his foot in the throttle, and still managed to drive past the 409-powered Chevrolet he was racing.

Now that's a drag racing story worth telling!

And PJ wasn't the only member of the Heck family bitten by the Pontiac performance bug.

His younger brother, Vance Heck, was also featured in the magazine's West Virginia Pontiac shootout coverage.

Vance, from Marion, Ohio, credited his older brother with inspiring his love for powerful Pontiacs. He brought his own 1962 Catalina, powered by a 470-cubic-inch engine, to the event.

Think about that for a moment.

Two brothers, both involved with some of Pontiac's most interesting performance machines, helping keep alive a part of American drag racing history.

And all of this was happening right here in our Ohio Valley.

The old Kanawha Valley Dragway, which closed in 2017, was once the setting for these remarkable machines and their drivers. The article even recognized track operators Tim Bell and Ray Lewis and the members of the Almost Heaven Pontiac club who helped make the shootout possible.

That's another reason I enjoy researching stories like this.

Sometimes we travel hundreds or thousands of miles looking for automotive history, not realizing how much of it happened right here in our own backyard.

PJ Heck represents a generation of automotive enthusiasts who experienced these cars when they were new, raced them when they were competitive, and understood their importance long before they became expensive collector vehicles.

I believe the people who were actually there are just as important to automotive history as the machines themselves.

Cars can be restored. Engines can be rebuilt. Old photographs and magazine articles can be saved.

But the memories and firsthand stories of the people who lived through those years are something we can never replace once they're gone.

That's why I enjoy doing what I do.

From an old Pontiac station wagon at a local car show to a legendary Super Duty Catalina that once thundered down the dragstrip, every vehicle has a story.

And sometimes the person behind the wheel has an even better one.

PJ Heck is certainly one of those people.

Photos from Possum's Muffler & Brake Cruise-In Point Pleasant W.v October 10th.

JUNKCAR WILLY - William Erb
Junk to Speed & In Between

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Junkcar Willy

THE JUNKCAR WILLY TROPHY.....MORE THAN JUST A BEAUTIFUL MACHINE!

I've been blessed by Frankie Hall & Dianne Hall with the opportunity to personally select the winner of the Junkcar Willy Trophy ( first photo) at the Washington County Home Carshow on October 31st.

And what a trophy it is! A big, tall, incredible piece of handcrafted mechanical art that represents the creativity and talent Frankie puts into his work.

Now, I'll admit something. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to judge or choose the winner!

But I do know one thing. To me, the story behind the machine is just as important as the machine itself.

I've traveled thousands of miles looking at automobiles, meeting their owners, and listening to the stories that make each one special.

I've seen beautiful show cars with flawless paint, incredible craftsmanship, and enough money invested to make them look like they belong at SEMA.

And I've seen rusty old forgotten machines that look like somebody just dragged them out of the woods yesterday.

I can appreciate both equally.

To me, the character, imperfections, scars, and history of an automobile can be every bit as beautiful as a professional custom paint job.

Sometimes those imperfections tell a story that no amount of money can recreate.

Maybe it's a car that's been in the family for generations. Maybe it's somebody's first build, put together in a little garage with more determination than money. Or maybe it's a forgotten old junker that someone refused to give up on.

I've learned that you can't always judge the value of an automobile by its appearance, any more than you can judge the value of a person by what they own.

So when I walk around the Washington County Home Car Show on October 31st, I won't necessarily be looking for the shiniest paint, the biggest engine, or the most expensive build.

I'll be looking for something that catches my attention, and hopefully I'll get to hear the story behind it.

It might be a $100,000 show car. It might be a $500 rusty survivor. Both have an equal chance of catching my eye!

A huge thank-you to Frankie Hall for trusting me with the honor of presenting this incredible piece of mechanical art.

I can't wait to see what shows up!

October 31st | 1–5 PM

Washington County Home Car Show

845 County Home Lane, Marietta, Ohio

Come out to participate and win one of 187 trophies or just to enjoy the end of the Carshow season.

Junk to Speed & In Between

Remember, it would be a very boring world if we were all the same......KEEP BEING YOU!

This isn't the first carshow to present a Junkcar Willy Trophy, but I have to say, this one is by far the most incredible yet!

I am extremely lucky to be appreciated and celebrated in my Tri-State area for doing what I love and just being myself.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5 days ago |[YT] | 179

Junkcar Willy

THE JUNKCAR WILLY TROPHY.....MORE THAN JUST A BEAUTIFUL MACHINE!

I've been blessed by Frankie Hall & Dianne Hall with the opportunity to personally select the winner of the Junkcar Willy Trophy ( first photo) at the Washington County Home Carshow on October 31st.

And what a trophy it is! A big, tall, incredible piece of handcrafted mechanical art that represents the creativity and talent Frankie puts into his work.

Now, I'll admit something. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to judge or choose the winner!

But I do know one thing. To me, the story behind the machine is just as important as the machine itself.

I've traveled thousands of miles looking at automobiles, meeting their owners, and listening to the stories that make each one special.

I've seen beautiful show cars with flawless paint, incredible craftsmanship, and enough money invested to make them look like they belong at SEMA.

And I've seen rusty old forgotten machines that look like somebody just dragged them out of the woods yesterday.

I can appreciate both equally.

To me, the character, imperfections, scars, and history of an automobile can be every bit as beautiful as a professional custom paint job.

Sometimes those imperfections tell a story that no amount of money can recreate.

Maybe it's a car that's been in the family for generations. Maybe it's somebody's first build, put together in a little garage with more determination than money. Or maybe it's a forgotten old junker that someone refused to give up on.

I've learned that you can't always judge the value of an automobile by its appearance, any more than you can judge the value of a person by what they own.

So when I walk around the Washington County Home Car Show on October 31st, I won't necessarily be looking for the shiniest paint, the biggest engine, or the most expensive build.

I'll be looking for something that catches my attention, and hopefully I'll get to hear the story behind it.

It might be a $100,000 show car. It might be a $500 rusty survivor. Both have an equal chance of catching my eye!

A huge thank-you to Frankie Hall for trusting me with the honor of presenting this incredible piece of mechanical art.

I can't wait to see what shows up!

October 31st | 1–5 PM

Washington County Home Car Show

845 County Home Lane, Marietta, Ohio

Come out to participate and win one of 187 trophies or just to enjoy the end of the Carshow season.

Junk to Speed & In Between

Remember, it would be a very boring world if we were all the same......KEEP BEING YOU!

This isn't the first carshow to present a Junkcar Willy Trophy, but I have to say, this one is by far the most incredible yet!

I am extremely lucky to be appreciated and celebrated in my Tri-State area for doing what I love and just being myself.

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5 days ago |[YT] | 98