5-miles of awesome customs, street rods, and plenty of muscle, too!
II handling the logistics of street closings, well–marked detours (including the closing of a state highway), and all the behind–the–scenes preparations that were needed to welcome the tens of thousands car enthusiasts and their families wasn’t impressive enough, the monumental task of positioning over 2500 confirmed registered collectors’ cars by Saturday’s opening gun (you can easily double this figure if you add all the neat vehicles dotting the surrounding side streets and parking areas), should alone be applauded. Ed Reavie (Nostalgia Productions, Inc.) had obviously learned volumes after 24 subsequent years nurturing the event’s growth, getting the stamp of approval from all layers of government (local and state) that had resulted in the production of one spectacular show, a show that’s “a real happening and very addictive”, echoed one excited spectator, adding, “It’s 5–miles of awesome customs, street rods, and plenty of muscle, too”!
With an overnight rain ending by the event’s 0900 official opening, five miles of collectable automobiles were already hearing the ooo’s and aah’s from the hordes of admission–free (since the event is held on a public street, no admission can be charged) onlookers that were multiplying like ants at a picnic. Several blinks of the eye and Memory Lane was a sea of over 100,000 heads (number based on the increase traffic count crossing ‘Big Mac’), enveloping the town of St.Ignace!
The presences of the big three automakers, GM, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler, clearly indicate their interested in the automobile buyer’s likes and dislikes, while they also wet the appetites of potential consumers with awesome displays of past, present, and future styling of their particular marques. “Shows like this are the styling testing ground for future designs; just look at today’s Prowler or PT Cruiser”, commented one of Daimler–Chrysler’s employees, quickly adding, “These cars (pointing to the all the customs) aren’t concept vehicles. The majority of these guys drive their street rods here and back home after the show. These hot rodders are the pulse for our future creations and we better be taking it”.
Countless images from Hot Rod, Rod and Custom, and Car Craft magazines just jumped off the pages and were within visual touching (keeping finger prints off please) of everyone. A ’37 Plymouth powered by a Chevy small block with three deuces, a ’38 4 cylinder Bantam Roadster, a Hemi powered ‘41 Glass–bodied Willys, midnight black with ghost flames, ’62 Pontiac ‘Fireball Roberts’ Special Edition (only 30 made), a ’58 Sunkist orange Chevy Yeoman not Nomad and winner of this year’s GM Best Design Award, a live Hot Rod front cover featuring a classic 3–window, 5–window, and a roadster of three Michigan buddies (see opening pic), and let’s not forget the presence of the muscular 390, 421, 427, or 440–six pack cubic inch engine from the late 60’s or early 70’s. There was one of the finest customized 1951 Chevrolets, the famed LaJolla created by noted designer Harry Bradley, as well as many carbon copies of other renowned classics, one being the Hirohata Mercury clone, and another, the beautifully redone 1940 Ford of celebrated designer and custom car builder, Bob McCoy.
A long time has passed since the days when $35 got you a ’34 Ford with ripped off fenders and hand painted white walls, and definitely a long time since spoons were screwed on the hubcaps for spinners and cars were actually chopped to lower their wind resistance at Bonneville, but it wasn’t that long ago when many of us remember those droplight lit nights under our very own hoods. “The show is like a window into the soul of the car’s owner”, said one participant. And whether your favorite is a custom, street rod, or muscle car, the St.Ignace show is all about cars and car lovers of all types, past or present, who spent and continue to spend years and decades passionately embracing his or her special machine.
“ The show is also good business”, commented one retailer, adding, “it’s also a great venue that helps uncover our little town’s other attributes for future visits, as well”. And while some shop keepers still seemed unprepared for the onslaught of visitors, most embraced the winning situation that kept the ‘No Vacancy’ light lit, restaurants operating at full capacity (some reportedly running out of food), an 85% increase in bridge traffic, and an army of young entrepreneurs seizing the moment and collecting thousands of discarded aluminum cans for redemption. Additionally, “the weekend was the major fundraiser for 40–50 local groups….. their Christmas”, commented Ed Reavie, adding, “The trickle down effect of extra monies made this weekend will power the local economy for many months down the road."
Ed Reavie’s vision to create one big town meeting where all levels of automotive enthusiasts could share an unparalleled camaraderie with each other might have grown to be the apex of car shows, but more importantly, it still remains a grassroots gathering of car nuts who hope to pass the hot rodder’s torch to the younger generations so their flames of enthusiasm will continue to go cruisin’. Hope to see you at next year’s St.Ignace’s Straits Area Antique Auto Show!......Walter Pietrowicz