WES MESSICK
> FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
People definitely stop me at the gas station, but I love that people enjoy it. It’s what it’s there for
WES Messick quickly progressed from pulling around Radio Flyer wagons as a young tyke to street racing at the age of 15, and has spent the decades since building and racing motorbikes and cars. But none are more well-known out on the salt lakes of Bonneville than his gigantic version of everyone’s favourite red wagon. We caught him and his furry mate, Demon, watching the racing at this year’s Speed Week from way up high in the driver’s seat.
You definitely don’t see something like this every day. What’s it called?
Well I used to call it the Radical Flyer, but I got a letter from the Radio Flyer company one day asking me to take the stickers off. I was tempted to leave them on, because ‘eff you’, but then they explained the legal implications and the costs if they stayed on there, so I said to myself: “I think I will take them off!” [laughs]
What possessed you to build it?
I’ve built a couple of themed cars before from The Munsters, but they were always oneor two-seaters and my wife wanted me to build something that the family could ride in. It’s a hand-built body and chassis, custom everything, with a carb-converted 350 Vortec from a ’97 Chevy truck, along with the running gear. A lot of the parts came from a rock crawler. I traded my labour for the parts, and I had some 38.5-inch mud tyres lying around. I drew up some ideas and when my wife saw this, it was decided. I guess it’s all her fault!
It looks like a lot of fun!
People always remember it from past years on the salt, and I always enjoy taking people for a ride. I built it in 2006 and I’ve been taking it out here just about every year, give or take the cancelled ones. I haul it out on the back of a semi truck. People definitely stop me at the gas station [laughs], but I love that people enjoy it. It’s what it’s there for. We do parades and charity things too. The kids at the local hospital go to leukaemia treatments in Radio Flyer-themed carts too, so we take them for rides. They absolutely love this thing.
What’s your background with cars?
I grew up in Southern California in the 60s era with Roth and Barris, and I was always inspired by their cars. In the late 70s I was a street-racing kid, and ended up drag-racing bikes in the 80s and 90s, but had a big crash on a bike on winding roads. I can’t drive with a clutch pedal for more than a few hours anymore. I retired from racing in ’03 and have been working with locomotives, diesel engines and building all kinds of cars for people.
What else do you have back home?
I’m building a wheelstander out of a ’61 Econoline. It’s all there; I just need to get it finished. I’m aiming to have it done before the Goodguys show in Loveland, Colorado later this year. I’ve also got a coffin and parts for a Dragu-la build, but I think I want to do it in my own style, add Halibrand wheels and things like that.
Sounds like a bunch of cool projects!
It’s hard to find the time with work and all, but it’s still fun. It’s a sickness, you know!