LIFESTYLE

Criuse Night: An American Pastime

Marth Smith
Posted 7/2/15

Like the swallows to Capistrano, the old cars have returned to the perennially popular cruise nights that turn up in the parking lots of businesses the minute warm weather is here.

Last Friday, as …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in
LIFESTYLE

Criuse Night: An American Pastime

Posted

Like the swallows to Capistrano, the old cars have returned to the perennially popular cruise nights that turn up in the parking lots of businesses the minute warm weather is here.

Last Friday, as on every Wednesday and Friday night, there was a car cruise in which some 50 classic cars, street rods and muscle cars converged at the Rocky Point Clam Shack, in the parking lot between the outdoor eatery and the Firestone Tire store. The aroma of clams frying mixed with sounds of rock ‘n’ roll to provide a perfect backdrop as people wandered among the vintage vehicles, peering into engines and being careful not to stand on running boards.

As in bygone days, the same familiar faces were gathered around the cars of their youth, gossiping about what had happened to so-and-so and noting that if an obituary didn’t say someone was “survived by his beloved car, Victoria,” they didn’t know he was gone.

“We can match the guys’ faces with their cars, but not their names,” said one. “The obit has to mention the car.”

Bob Rossi was there with his shiny green 1954 Metropolitan, a car that’s guaranteed to produce smiles because it looks like an egg horizontally balanced on four wheels. The fuzzy dice dangling from the rear view mirror provided an extra touch of whimsy.

For many years, Bob and all his brothers showed up weekly at one or more cruises with a herd of vintage cars, each with its own story or anecdote, but the ranks of the Rossi brothers have thinned.

Rossi was in the second parking space with Ken Burghardt Sr., getting in first with his stunning burgundy 1934 Ford, a car with the Dolly Parton of fenders.

They joined buddy Neil Enright, who had brought his genuine muscle car, a 1976 Chevy Nova, and they sat in a semi-circle in front of their grills talking less about rebuilding cars – as they once did – and more about who was on a different kind of cruise or visiting grandchildren.

Ken Turchetta was at the hood his white-striped black ’72 Chevelle, the kind you see going for heart-stopping sums on Mecum’s televised car auctions. He said he’d taken the car, and also a 1964 Buick Riviera, after his son “started restoring it but ran out of money.” While having a vintage car once was a dream of men who would do their own restoration and drive around in a facsimile of their reclaimed youth, Turchetta said it’s becoming a more difficult market.

“The young kids can’t get into it anymore because they just can’t afford it,” he said. “I inherit my cars; they’re my children.”

Seeing the Chevelle triggered fond memories of my late mother, who owned an identical muscle car but didn’t drive it like a little old lady going to church. In fact, she once chased down a carload of teenagers who had cut her off in traffic, jumped out and told them off in language they could understand. She was 4 feet, 10 inches tall and well into her 70s, and loved nothing more that perching on eight cushions so she could see over the steering wheel and putting the pedal to the metal. She used to terrify my nephew by driving to his house at 100 mph, “gun it!” being her favorite expression.

The unofficial star of the show was Jennifer Brown with her canary yellow 1956 Thunderbird, both of them looking like they just come from Central Casting on a Hollywood movie. She suggested a few different poses, saying she’s often asked to cuddle up with her car for photo ops.

Special car cruises throughout the region are scheduled to benefit a variety of charities. The list is constantly updated online at djcarguy.com.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here