A&W Cruise Night 3

We're back and better than ever at our third A&W Cruise Night!  You'll see some familiar faces, but also some new finds.  All in all, we had a good time, and we even got a little surprise for hanging around till the end of the show.  For this entry, the photos were primarily taken by David and the writing by Sam.

Above: 1965 Buick Skylark 

Sam: This car has been at a few shows, although not any of the one's we've documented.  I'd see it parked in the back around 4:00 on Tuesdays when the show was just getting started.  From the road, it looked to be repainted.  When I finally got a chance to see it up close, I was surprised to find it all-original, much like the '58 Edsel we've photographed before.  This one doesn't have anywhere near as much rust as the Edsel, but it is missing the passenger door trim.  It could probably stand a new paint job, but I respect the owner's decision to leave it as-is for the sake of originality.  If it were my car, I would probably just track down the missing trim piece, clean up the interior some, and drive it as-is.  

David: I really liked this car. Yes, it's not a perfect car, but that's ok. This car is being cared for, and the owner is making great efforts to keep it original. 

Above: 1975 Ford Mustang II Ghia 

Sam: This was another unique find at the show.  I can't ever remember seeing a Mustang II at a car show, let alone a mint-condition Ghia version.  The Mustang II hasn't been much of a collectable car due to its styling and lackluster performance (You can't really blame this on the car.  It was the Malaise era, after all).  However, due to their low survival rate and undesirability, these cars are starting to creep up in value as there are less and less of them left (similar to what's been happening with 60s 4-doors).  The owner disappeared shortly after the car arrived, so I never got to talk to them about it.  

Above: 1979 Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck 

Sam: Here we have another Dodge Li'l Red Express truck.  We've seen a few of these since we've started ONEC, but this was the first opportunity to document one up close and personal.  Dodge produced the Li'l Red Express from '78-'79.  These trucks were basically high-performance rights with their own custom paintjob, and you can finds lots more info and specs on this wonderful website: https://www.dodgeconnection.com/LilRedInfo.html  This particular example is a '79 because it sports the stacked square headlights common on cars of this era.  

Above: Resto-Mod Chevys: A 1967 Chevelle with a 454 Engine Swap and a 1955 Bel Air with Custom Rims 

Sam: Here we have two resto-mods: a Chevelle and a Bel Air.  Both of these cars were in immaculate shape.  Normally, the cars you see at shows have small imperfections in the paint: little chips or scratches or filler marks.  This is par for the course with a driver-quality car, but not these cars.  The paint on both of them was flawless all the way around, and I would be surprised if it wasn't done by a professional auto body shop (or individual).  The Chevelle was more of a period custom with a big block 454 installed.  There was a bit of chrome dressing up the engine, and the valve covers were definitely modern, but from a distance, it looked period.  The Bel Air had a fair amount of chrome in the engine bay, and a custom interior as well.  I can't remember what motor was in it.  I think it was another big block, but I'm not sure.  I'm being serious when I say I'm not normally a fan of resto-mods, but I really liked these cars.  

Above: Three in a Row! Blue Chevys Old and Older

Pic 1: From Left to Right: 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo SS, 1956 Chevy 210 w/ Blue Flame 140 CI Engine, 1946 Chevy 3100

Pic 2: Closer Shot of the '46 Chevy 3100 

Sam: Here's a shot from towards the end of the show, showing the '56 from earlier and a few more arrivals.  The Monte was in nice shape, and the 3100 looked to be an original survivor truck.  It still had temp plates from where it had just been purchased in Georgia, and there were also some bullet holes in the rear glass.  No idea what happened there.  

Above: MG Midget Mk. III 

Sam: Here, we have an MG Midget Mk. III, which was probably David's pick for the show.  This car was in nice shape, but man, was it tiny!  The second picture shows it photo graphed next to a Dodge Dart for a size comparison, except the angle doesn't do the best job.  In reality, the car is about 2/3 the side of the Dart.  Everything about this car, from the carburetor to the engine to the gear shift is small.  The alternator is about half the size of the engine block (seriously!).  David said I should get one of these cars.  When I remarked that I was already buying a '65 Impala and would have no space, he told me to park it on the tiny walkway to my house.  He's not technically wrong, as I'm sure it would fit there, but it would make mowing the grass a real pain.  

David: It easily was one of my top picks of the night. I love these classic British sports cars. It was hilariously tiny next to the dart, which isn't that big of a car to begin with. Well, compared to the other cars at the show, its not that big, but you get the idea. 

Above: 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger with 225 Slant Six "Leaning Tower of Power" 

Sam: Dartin' for trouble!  Here we have the first of our second pair of cars at the show.  These guys were parked in an adjacent lot, so they're off the beaten path (and also out of the pay-to-exhibit area) of the show.  This one had a little rust repair and bodywork done to it, but it was still fairly solid.  

Above: 1927 Mercedes Benz SJ 

Sam: This was the special surprise that pulled up at the end of the show.  I would consider this one my pick of the day.  This car has a straight 8 cylinder engine, hence the long front end.  It's also been fully restored, with a fresh new leather interior.  As you can see from the second photo, it was attracting a lot of attention, even as people were starting to leave the show.  A really cool find and definitely not something you see every day (or at every show).