Spring has sprung and car shows are just around the corner!   

 Ok, we turned the corner already and found one last weekend at a local high school.  It was pretty incredible to have such a nice day and so many nice cars to see! 

  

Here are some of my favorite pic's:

This 1960 cadillac CoupedeVille is so pretentiously long that one can't even fit it into a picture, nevermind a parking spot.

  

A turquoise '55 Chevy Bel Air is our sweetheart favorite.  Its our birth year   and since we were born only 3  days apart I can't think of a better car to represent both of us.  

        

I'm becoming familiar with the Ford Victorias...mostly because I'm fond of Queen Victoria and this regal car has lots of chrome in front that looks like a flowing 'V'.  For Victoria of course!

     A 50's Mercury that can only

     be lovingly called, "A BOAT!"

  

As a mother, and a school teacher, I can see only one thing here in this '63 Chevy Impala: a teenager dragging his heels.   Aw, mom, do I have to wear a suit?  

 Another Teen sentiment:

There was some discussion over who 

should sit in the rumble seat of this 5 

window coupe.

I quietly stayed in the background to 

avoid being picked.

This  '68 Mustang looked super cool with a glistening cherry red coat.  Giddy-up let's go!

Another Mercury--big rounded curves everywhere--called the Montclair and    appropriately nicknamed "Caramel Sundae".   I'm totally for anything that

has ice cream in it.  And Caramel, especially salted caramel, is my favorite ice cream flavor.

                                   

 

       Sometimes its just about the wheels.   

     We pondered these for a long time.

     I didn't have the heart to suggest that 

     they would look good on       

     the caramel sundae.     

                               

 Harry & I couldn't decide if this rat-rod   had patina or a really bad paint job.   It certainly looked intimidating. 

Some vehicles have significance for us because our kids have something like it.  Our son just bought a GMC pick-up truck like this one  with a lot less features on it but still with a lot of character, just because its old!

And this one, well, it's just like any woman in the 1960's---what hat should I wear today?

TIME FOR ICE CREAM!

Drivin' Down South

Snow to sun is quite a transition that requires complex packing skills when going on a holiday.  However, I know that once we are in sunny Palm Springs I need good walking shoes besides all the shorts, suntan lotion, and sunglasses.  That’s because we always visit the Dr. George Charity Car Show when down there.  

Of course, our primary interest in the show is the plethora of classic cars, however, the vision behind the Fund Raiser is the memorial to oncologist Dr. George.  All monies raised are donated to cancer treatment services.  We have walked our own cancer journey with our son Andrew, diagnosed at age 2 with Leukemia and requiring a bone marrow transplant when he relapsed 3 years later.  We were thankful for the medical help that he received, and for a clean bill of health now 22 years later. 

 But before we could enjoy the car show we had many miles to travel.  Our 2009 Venza was new to us and we were excited to have a 4 wheel drive!  We left in fairly good weather but soon entered a downturn in weather on the south side of the border.  What we thought was rain seemed to be causing a lot of accidents and it was only when a small car spun out in front of us across 2 lanes of traffic did we grasp how slippery the road had become.  The promised ice rain which we had hoped to outrun had beaten us to the draw.  

After a good 45 minutes of slow driving we moved into less threatening weather and could test the feel of our new vehicle.  It covered ground quickly and smoothly.  The double sun roofs gave added brightness inside and our seats could do many wonderful things which quickly led to me having multiple cat naps.  Separate controls for the seat warmers and heating vents kept the temperature warm and cozy.   The drive was so comfortable that we even briefly considered driving through the night, but since I was the one who would likely be doing all the sleeping that plan was quickly abandoned.  

An interesting sight along the highway was the appearance of a Military Personnel Carrier.  Although the ice rain had stopped, temperatures were still chilly, and we commiserated with the young private who sat outside in the gun turret.  To his credit he waved back cheerily.  

Our arrival in the sunny south was celebrated with tasty burgers at our favorite  In ‘n Out restaurant which always heralded the beginning of Bliss as winter clothes were shed, Canadian money put away and American bills brought out, and the upcoming car show carefully deliberated upon. 

Fortunately car show day dawned warm but cloudy which gave us the perfect climate for traipsing across acres of cars.  We started out the day with two other couples who bravely kept up until noon and then bowed out of the grueling race to see every car.  In my opinion, the car of the day was an AC cobra worth $13,000,000.  Yes, that’s 6 zero’s.   It is a 1965 race car still in the hands of the original owner Hank Williams (not the singer!).  Besides its original owner, the car is still in almost original condition in spite of participating in 394 racing events.  (I’m still having a little trouble with the 6 zero’s.)  Besides winning over 35 trophies with his car Hank has the distinction of being the first African-American to have driven on the Indianapolis Speedway.  (Umm, the 6 zero’s??)  The factory color was supposed to be light blue, but someone goofed and it came out in a unique silver blue….called “Princess Blue”.  OK, for that I would pay the 6 zero’s.  Literally!   ($0000.00) 

All joking aside, I did try to make the effort to be serious about cars.  So at the auction lot we looked over a bunch of uninteresting cars until this one caught my eye.  It was kind of cute. 

Ok--cute in an ugly duckling sort of way.  Hold on!  It is a duckling because yes, it can go in water!   

Check out the propellers at the back.  And the large boat slip hook at the front.  And even a boat’s sidelights on the bow/hood with red indicating the port side and green signalling the starboard side.  Because this vehicle is so diverse its called an amphibious car or ‘amphicar’.  For geographic locations that tend to flood, this car would make a big hit.  Or should I say, splash?   I have seen it in action on our lake on one occasion, but for all its trappings you would have to pay me 6 zero’s to get into one of those.  

The completely wooden motorcycle at the Jackalope Restaurant in La Quinta is how I think two-wheeled terrors are best suited.  Silent and stationary!

 On the streets of Palm Springs we saw an interesting form of transportation:

A bus in which the passengers were seated side by side on stationary bicycles and had to pedal their way down the street.  We preferred to sit on comfy chairs at Ruby’s Diner while drinking our shakes and watching the world go by.

These 2 weeks of utopia eventually came to an end and the only car that really mattered was the one that would get us home---our Venza.  

Purses and Hubcaps

The other day as we stopped at an intersection an older compact vehicle drove through with unmatched hubcaps. 

“Did you see that car?”  I asked my husband who was looking in the other direction.  “It had two different kinds of hubcaps.” My husband who had just gotten a green light almost braked again as he glanced at me in astonishment.  

“What?”  he asked incredulously. 

“Well, that car that you just missed seeing had plain round hubcaps in the back but more spiky ones in the front,”  I explained.  “It sure looked goofy.”

“Why, honey,”  he said delightedly, “You’re actually starting to notice wheels!  That’s wonderful!”  

“Don’t get too excited about it,” I murmured. 

This has been a longstanding bone of contention in our marriage that he likes wheels and I----don’t.  Every vehicle we have ever bought has generated long discussions about its current wheels and much longer online researching to find new ones.  I can understand why tires need to be replaced, but perfectly good wheels??  

First off, it took a while to figure out that wheels are not equal to ‘hubcaps’.  Remember the days when you drove up the main street in town and someone would have carefully placed a lone hubcap beside the road in case the owner came looking for it?  Well, here’s the difference.  Wheels are on the tires just like the former hubcaps, but you won’t find them lying haplessly beside the road (without the rest of the car)  because they are solidly attached to the rims and can’t just come flying off without causing a terrific accident. 

My husband has tried to explain this to me many, many times, but it wasn’t until I noticed the mismatched ‘hubcaps’ (that were actually wheels) that I began to study the wheels of cars in the Superstore parking lot.   I realized that all tires have wheels of many different shapes.  These are bolted on with the bolts clearly visible.  In the past the hubcaps were the decoration that covered the bolts.  Now it is a thing of pride to know and show what your ‘bolt pattern’ is.  Besides the bolt pattern, a tire can have any kind of metal shape in its center. 

Sometimes the metal is a flashy chrome with dangerous spikes, or layers of spokes that whirl hypnotically, or the understated elegance of the classic star shape.  These can be quite interesting and quite expensive!  

When a car looks like it has lost its hubcap then you are looking at the ‘coolest’ wheel of today---simple black.  I think it’s really just a cheap shot at covering up unsightly chrome that has lost its finish.  It gets roughed up and repainted with black matte paint and voila!   A star is born! 

So this is how I try to understand the wheel enthusiasm of some men.  If you are a woman who loves accessories, you will go to the Gucci store and by the hottest bag in the window, or you will find the highest heels or the glitziest watch.  On the other hand, you might feel the most dressed up in the understated elegance of your ‘little black dress’.  These are ‘wheels’ for the woman of fashion.  Quite interesting and quite expensive, but necessary?   Not according to my husband!   

Gems at the Show

The biggest car show in the Fraser Valley happens in Langley on the 1^st weekend after Labour Day.  It is of such note that even the Queen makes an appearance to welcome us.  Her ‘bobble’ wave is adorable. I tell myself that if she can do this show then I can too.

                                               But first and foremost, there must be color! 

           

                                                 

And there is! 

This is what I love about classic cars.  There is a delightful use of color…sometimes its original and sometimes it’s ‘poetic license’. 

                                  

 

A design feature I learned about at this show was 1930's ‘Art Deco’.  This style from the depression era included the use of geometric shapes presented in stepped and repetitive patterns. 

Chrome is another feature that was highly visible in the past.  Unfortunately chrome has fallen out of favor with current manufacturers and so classic car collectors have revolted with their lavish use of chrome.  Even the unseen engine can be entirely chromed at great cost and effort.  All metal parts of the engine including supporting braces are removed and chromed and then returned into their place. 

 

An example of non-chromed engine.

                                                               A chromed engine.

Interestingly enough, a new trend in restoring cars is creating not just vintage cars but also a vintage finish.  It’s called ‘patina’.  Some of these cars have been restored and then artifically aged to match the shabby chic furniture in many homes today.                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    But still, the exotic and very rare Auburn of 1929 received the most attention.  Its unique boat tail, and jumbo head lights speak of wealth, luxury, and Hollywood.  What a contrast to the classics dressed in patina.

   

        

                                  

Other contrasts also caught my eye. Such as the 1960’s Corvette engine sitting in a 1929 Ford.  Really?   If restored cars are evaluated for their ‘original’ condition then how is this authentic?  I ask you, does this Ford deserve its "collectors" license plate?

Then there is the surprise reversal in fortunes between the ’55 Pontiac and ’55 Chevy.  The Pontiac was a luxury car with deluxe trim and interior and definitely more expensive to buy than the chevy.  And yet today, the ’55 chevy is worth twice the Pontiac and in much greater demand.  This favor exists in spite of the abundance of chevy’s and the rarity of Pontiacs. 

My favorite item at this show was not a car but a trailer.  Made for two (with a little squeezing) it was perfect with a sound system and TV tucked above the bed and a kitchenette on the outside.  Now that’s roughing it in a gentle kind of way.  

                                                Hey diddle dee dee, the open road for me!