[Chrysler300] Special Bruce Olson Goodguys memorial award

[Roger Schaaf <obiwan10@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

For those long time members who remember Bruce Olson,,,I know some of you are still out there.

I had entered our 300 B at the Pleasanton, Calyfornua Goodguys National event this past 3 day annual event.  Saturday I was approached by a gentlemen (and his son) who introduced himself as Todd Olson.  He asked if I would accept a special award from Goodguys to my car in memoriam of his father, Bruce Olson.  

For those remember Bruce, he in partnership with Gary Meadors (who is the current retired owner of Goodguys who son is now President of the organization), founded Goodguys some 25 years ago.  Our annual 4 times a year Goodguys events(Goodguys is headquartered in Pleasanton some 20 miles from my home, so we get 4 events a year) are always my favorite auto events of the year,,,,In fact the really great Hillsborough Concour is always on the same Sunday as the final day of the August Goodguys event and I must always forgo it to be at Goodguys.

In my lengthy conversation with Todd, I told him that I knew his father and remember very well the beautiful 57 black 300 C that he owned before his passing some 18 years ago at a very young age of his early 50's from Kidney Cancer,,,,and told him that my father too had succumbed to this disease.  He mentioned that John Lazenby now owned the 57 C,,,which I did happen to remember.

He mentioned to me that he still had in his possession a photograph taken by Larry Jett of this black car with a perfect finish, in which our B was parked next to to Bruce's car but not part of the photo.  But in this photo was an absolutely perfect reflection of our B.  I too have a copy of this photo that Larry had given me some many years ago.  I believe it may have been taken at the National's of the Western Club in Folsom or North Sacramento in the early 1990's.

I of course told Mr. Olson that I would be highly honored to receive this award in memory of his father.

I was told by several Goodguys staff members that this is a very prestigious award,,,,the plaque itself is certainly a beautiful piece of work.  Also was told that past such Bruce Olson memorial awards were only presented to hotrods and never restored to stock cars,,,,,as Bruce was a big fan of old Ford hotrods and himself owned a Chrysler Hemi powered 32 or 34.

Todd also said that his father always had considered the B as the most elegant of all 300's and had hoped one day to do acquire and restore one of his own,,,,Gary Meadors upon seeing ours some years back had asked me a number of questions about it and subsequently reported to me in a telephone call that he acquired one himself and was going to completely restore it,,,,which he then promptly forwarded off to Boyd Coddington's American Hotrod shop(the setting for his televised series,,,,in fact I saw this B sitting in the corner of the shop in one episode,,and thought "oh my") who basically jacked the body of the B chassis and transplanted it to a Viper Chassis,,,,,at least anyway, it too was a Chrysler product,,,,,maintaining for appearance sake at least the most important component,,,,the 354 Hemi.  I recall asking Mr. Coddington upon see his car at a large annual Mopar show where he displayed it for the first time,,,,he was parked right next to me in the 300 class,,,,why not start with a Windsor instead of one of the very few B's left in existence and even more rare stick shift models.  His response was something that went like this,,,,"You know a couple of guys,,,he and Boyd,,,and a couple of beers and who knows what might happen".   Nevertheless it is a fantastic and very well done and beautiful car,,,,however purely personally suspect it would even be more so if he would perhaps reshod it from its current aluminum wheels and replace them with a  set of Motor Wheel Chrysler wires.  See links below.

Bruce never did acquire his B,,,,but wherever he may be looking down upon us,,,,,he now owns a full partnership in mine.

Roger Schaaf
300 B, Calyforuna

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1657577  Bruce's 57 300 C

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daddio/6119172561/   Meadors modified 300 B

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