Four wheel pride

It's got a custom sound system, a special Wasilla High School spirit-inspiring paint job, custom leather seat and meticulous attention to detail -- the 1930 Ford Warrior golf cart is definitely one sweet ride.

The golf cart, fabricated by Wasilla booster and former school principal Bob Seims, makes appearances at every home game, and it turns heads and attracts as much attention as the game sometimes.

With two custom trailers, administrators can set up and take down the football field in minutes -- as well as look pretty cool strutting around in the vintage cart.

"Bob Seims did a tremendous job. It really turns heads when you're driving this thing up and down the sidelines," said activities director Doug Bean. "The kids want rides, and we've even had people offer us a lot of money for this thing."

Seims said the idea to put together the cart was born after talking with Bean -- who 20 years ago, was first hired in the Mat-Su School District by Seims to teach at Snowshoe Elementary, where Seims was the principal.

"We got together and we were reminiscing and we decided Wasilla High School needed something a little different, something fun for the kids," Seims said. "He had this old cart, and I told him we'd fix it up. We tore it down to the frame and started over."

Seims got plenty of help during the three-month project. Shell Ewing of Weld Air donated the metal for the cart; Don Dean of Powersounds [now ImageAudio] donated the marine-style sound system; Larry Puckett of Six Robblees donated the wheels and parts; Rob Hunter of Top of the World Auto Body did the custom paint job; Perry Cowles of Vital Sign did the artistic paint; Margaret Scott of Sourdough Upholstery provided the seat cover and Carolyn Purser of A Sign Post did the custom sign job. Seims said it was the help of the community that made the cart project possible.

"The neatest thing about the whole project was that I took the concept and some pictures to people, and everyone said, 'That's cool. We want to be involved,'" Seims said. "It shows how dedicated they are to the kids."

The entire process took about three months. He enjoyed the project so much he completed a second custom golf cart, this time a 1932 Ruxton, for himself.

The cart will be zipping up and down the sidelines at the Potato Bowl tonight at Veterans Memorial Field.

With kickoff of the annual Palmer vs. Wasilla game set for 7 p.m., the cart will be busy starting in the afternoon.

"They can get the yard markers set up and the field ready in a couple trips with the golf cart and the trailers," Seims said. "And then during the game, it turns heads."

Previously, the Warriors were using an old golf cart that was starting to fall apart.

"I had always wanted to do one, and so we brought in Doug's old one and tore it apart. I like dinking around my shop with things like that," Seims said.