By Lloyd Frazier
It was a gorgeous rocky mountain spring Saturday in Old Town-Fort Collins. We have seen an unusually wet spring over the last couple of weeks. So folks were excited to get out and enjoy the warm sunshine. In fact, I sought out some shade now and again for a little relief from ‘ol Sol.
It is always a joy to go to a classic car show and meet all the awesome people that are there with their car or truck. There is always an interesting story attached to each and every entry. I am still amazed how entwined the automobile is in our culture.
I saw some of the same cars from last weeks Good Guys show at The Ranch in Loveland. It is always nice to see them again in a different setting like beautiful Old Town Fort Collins. This time, I made it a point to speak to some of the exhibitors and listen to them tell their story of how they came to be here with that great looking old classic.
Here is a 1967 Buick Sportwagon. It is the same as an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, but in Buick form. I actually do not recall seeing this Buick version during my childhood days. My step-father used to drive a ‘68 Olds Vista-Cruiser. It was fun riding in the back and looking up at the tall buildings and bridge structures through those roof mounted windows. Speaking with the gentleman about how he acquired this car and what he put into it was fascinating. A true blue car guy or gal will get into great detail about their work. He told me how he discovered the great looking port holes on the new Buick LaCrosse and decided to order a set and put them on this ‘67. They are true port holes that actually vent the heat from the engine compartment. Unlike the clip-on originals that were replaced. The trim is actually polished aluminum, not chrome. As wagons go, this is a beaut!
My next stop along the way, I found a couple of great looking old trucks. One was a ‘46 Dodge that was rebuilt over the course of a couple of years. The gentleman jokingly told me of how he discovered it and decided that “his daughter wanted it, so he bought it for her.??? Obviously, he bought not only for her but for him as well. It was apparent, from the good work he put into it, that he enjoyed every minute of its restoration. I just hope I run into these fellas again so I can here more of their tales of automotive history.
There are even some stories that tug at your heart strings. This perfect example of a ‘71 El Camino SS with 350 V8 and 350TH tranny has a sad story to tell. It was owned and lovingly pampered by a woman’s late husband. She was selling it. I could tell it was hard for her to talk about it. If I had the money, I would have plunked it down right then and there. This economy has taken its toll on classic car prices as well. I just hope that she gets the money she is asking for it. The car is in absolutely perfect condition. Cragar wheels, BF Goodrich T/A’s, Edelbrock carb, perfect interior, and all for 14K. Let’s all hope it falls into the hands of a true classic car person so that it can live on to tell it’s personal story.
FORT COLLINS OLD TOWN CAR SHOW PICTURE ALBUM
Enjoy….Lloyd, signing out!
