Friday evening turned out to be so gorgeous that after work I went downtown to check out the Car Cruise.

As always, our own Mike Eiler was doing a fantastic job playing the tunes of the '50s, '60s and '70s with announcements thrown in here and there.

I had a terrific beef brisket sandwich and some cheese curds from the Basher's food truck.

Faribault Main Street Program Coordinator Nort Johnson gave me a plaque to give to the owner of my favorite car at the event. I've never been asked to do that before and I've been to a lot of car shows over the years.

I walked up and down Central Avenue a number of times before making my tough decision. There were so many terrific vehicles downtown from very old to not so old.

The crowd kept getting bigger.

I enjoyed visiting with owners of various vehicles and finally decided the business dash plaque would go to Jack Schweitzer and his 1928 Pontiac. The hood ornament is unique and I don't think you find a lot of these around anymore.

A 1972 green Monte Carlo was my other finalist, but in the end I chose Jack's because the body looks relatively close to original. The tires are different, he put in a different motor with an automatic transmission and Jack showed me the ingenious air conditioning system the vehicle had. The windshield could be lifted up, leaving a gap for air to come through on the bottom and the air would then go into a vent that would push the air at the feet and legs of the front seat passengers.

The final Faribault Car Cruise is August 18th and I would encourage a visit.

I am not a mechanical guy by any stretch, but there is something about strolling down Central Avenue with all these terrific classic vehicles listening to the music of days gone by that brings out the kid in me.

I'm sure Mike has a picture on this website of the trophy someone will take home next month. A mechanic put it together. A red wagon with large wheels and a natural gas cylinder on the front which is for a grill in the wagon.

Brilliant!

Everyone seems to remember their first vehicle just like they remember their first kiss.

My first vehicle was a 1973 Dodge Charger. Milk chocolate brown with a white landau roof. It had black leather bucket seats and I put a top of the line, at the time, eight-track stereo in it that would really crank out the tunes.

What was your first vehicle?

I visited with some gentlemen in their 70s who talked about cruising down Central Avenue when they were teens.

That Monte Carlo I told you about reminded me of a trip I took when I was a junior in high school. One of my friends and I went to Florida in 1976 in his new 1975 Monte Carlo. It was red with a black leather interior.

He always had terrific vehicles and I have to say I've enjoyed all the vehicles I've owned but there is something special about the first one.

Take a stroll down memory lane August 18th during the last Car Cruise and see who wins that red wagon grill trophy.

 

 

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