I love cars. I mean I really, really love cars. Not so much late-model vehicles - no, I'm more into the classics.
Sadly, I've got champagne tastes and a beer budget, so my dream of owning a mint Stutz Bearcat is still a bit far off. But that doesn't mean I can't live vicariously through others!
Thankfully, I live in the Southern Adirondack region of New York - and it's an absolute Mecca for anyone who likes the sound of an internal combustion engine. From the Americade Motorcycle Rally every June to the Adirondack Nationals every September, the Lake George/Glens Falls region is just crawling with classic hot rods and choppers all summer long.
I missed the Nationals this year, a combination of moving to our new house and torrential downpours all weekend. This had me pretty bummed out, but it turns out there was a miniature car show just down the road from our new home. A local florist has an annual fall festival, complete with vintage cars, so I wasted no time in getting my ass down there today.
There weren't a huge number of cars there - maybe a little over half a dozen - but it was a good mix of classics from the 1920s all the way to the 1970s. This covers pretty much the gamut of my obsession with cars - once the oil crisis hit and the era of the muscle car came to an end, there really isn't much to talk about. Sure you've got your 1980s standouts like the DMC-12 Delorean and the Pontiac Trans-Am, but these cars were more famous for Back to the Future and Knight Rider than anything else. Might as well obsess over the helicopter from Airwolf, right?
image from Pinterest
Oh Ernest Borgnine, you make me feel like a woman.
I was not disappointed when we got out. The first thing I see, walking into the parking lot, was a goddamned Packard. First one I've ever seen up close and personal. It was magnificent.
My wife @alladesria was more interested in the suave Robert Redford-looking fellow in the front seat. Apparently she has bizarre taste in men. Then again, she married me, so I should shut up.
The absolute best thing about the Packard was its hood ornament. I asked Robert Redford in the front seat if I could get a picture of it, and he graciously permitted it (after eyeing my wife up and down). I managed to take probably the best picture of my life.
But there were plenty of other cars to take pictures of. Here's the first of several 1920s-era Ford Roadsters that graced the lot, a beautiful cream-colored ragtop in fantastic condition:
Some wag had opened the rumble seat and stuck a scarecrow in there. I was more interested in the chrome luggage rack behind it, complete with a battered suitcase for a local blueberry farm:
Parked right next to the cream Roadster were another pair of Fords, both hardtops and both in great shape, painted in eye-popping colors.
One of them was decked out in sweet airbrushed flames!
For me, though, nothing beats classic red.
The Ford Model A is just so iconic. So is its inline 4-cylinder!
My wife really liked this one. Maybe she doesn't have such weird taste after all.
She called me over to point out a detail I had missed - the original plate under the hood, mounted on the firewall and complete with patent numbers:
This one was built in 1931, as you can see by the classic license plates. Check out the riveted travel trunk on the luggage rack:
Finally, the classic 1920-1930 set gave away to some later-model cars. There was a pristine 1970 Monte Carlo with her hood and trunk up, just begging people to come gawk:
The trunk was massive. Even with a full-size spare. Now that's the kinda trunk you can fit a body in!
There was also a pretty nice Mustang. Now I'm not a big fan of them - always been more of a GM kinda guy - but I gotta give credit where it's due.
More importantly, it was parked right next to a Rambler American, another car that, like the Packard, is a relic of US automotive history.
Again, my wife was more interested in the guy sitting in the Rambler. I'm starting to wonder if I have to dye my beard white.
The Rambler is another one I've never seen up close before. Robert Redford II was kind enough to let me get a picture of his backend, too.
Next we had a fantastic blue 1970s-era Corvette Stingray. I like this body type very much - it's really when the classic 'vette style and lines began to emerge.
I love the inset, recessed door handles combined with the protruding door lock. When's the last time you actually used your key to unlock your car door?
Finally, we got to the land yachts. There were a pair of Chevy Impala convertibles on the lot, hogging up the space. These things were goddamn long - one in classic maroon with a tan interior...
... and another in fishbelly white with eye-aching red trim - complete with fuzzy dice.
Goddamn that's loud. Of course the engine was no slouch either on the white Impala - a classic 327 cubic inch V-8.
That's a lot of engine. It's just a lot of car in general. I could barely get the whole thing in frame!
Then there was a beautiful Ford Deluxe - the original "Woody" station wagon.
The wood paneling on this old girl was just beautiful.
Easily one of my favorite cars of the day.
That was, of course, until the Goddamn Shelby Cobra showed up.
This thing was - and still is - an absolute beast. Glass, chrome and glossy, navy-blue steel, more curves than a Hollywood bombshell:
And of course, the massive freaking engine inside:
Lookit that chrome filter. Doesn't get better than that.
Really just had a great time. It was a far cry from the Adirondack Nationals, but it certainly took the sting out of missing it this year. Hope you enjoyed the show!