Car buffs revving up for weekend
For Harry Whitman, of Coeur d’Alene, the rhythmic rumble and puff of exhaust from his restored 1936 Ford pickup sounds like satisfaction.
Whitman’s truck is one of more than 500 geared up for the 14th annual Car d’Alene this weekend along Sherman Avenue. The event starts with a 1,000-car cruise Friday night. On Saturday, vendors, a car show and a dance will take place in the streets, and a swap meet and demolition derby are set for Sunday.
Whitman, who spent about $40,000 restoring his rig, said plenty of well-spent time with friends helped make his truck a head-turner. That’s all the payback he needs.
“That’s a lot of satisfaction,” said Whitman, standing back to look at the truck. “If I win something, that’s a bonus.”
This is Whitman’s first car restoration show since he retired from United States Postal Service in 1995. After retiring, he got involved in the hobby full time and joined the North Idaho Classics Car Club, which will host the event with the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association.
Whitman also owns a 1966 Chevy Impala, a 1956 Ford pickup and a 1933 Ford two-door sedan — the old “Bonnie and Clyde” car of his dreams. His other cars were mostly complete, but the truck was purchased in pieces from a friend seven years ago.
“I brought it home in a box,” he said.
It now rumbles, sporting a new engine and transmission with less than 60 miles of wear. It also has some modifications not offered in 1933, like automatic windows. The black and chrome exterior are accented inside by a custom rosewood dash and solid oak boards lining the bed.
All the work was done by car specialists in the area, Whitman said.
His friend Don Swartz did most of the body work and has been working on cars since he was a teenager.
“I kept telling him it’d be ready on Tuesday,” Swartz said. “I just never did specify which Tuesday.”
The final touches were added in mid-May. Its completion came just in time to compete in the “Lost in the ‘50s” car show held in Sandpoint last month and the truck took second runner-up out of 600 vehicles.
This weekend, a string of sparkling cars and trucks will line Sherman Avenue from Second Street to Eighth Street to compete for everything from best pipes to paint jobs. Loudspeakers will blare 1950s music from end to end amid an estimated 30,000 spectators.
Cars built before 1978 can register for the show for $20 and the cruise for $5 at Sherman IGA. T-shirts will be available for $15.
New events this year include a street dance from 8 p.m. to midnight with a live band, “Hot Rod Deluxe,” of Spokane. A 21-and-over margarita area will be roped off Friday night to Saturday night in the parking lot across from Cricket’s Steakhouse and Oyster Bar with bleachers to view the cruise.
In addition, a familiar face to some car buffs will be roaming the event Friday and Saturday for an upcoming TV episode on cable tip show “My Classic Car.” Host Dennis Gage will be filming along Sherman Avenue, bringing a new level of exposure to the event, said Mark Porath, general manager of Cricket’s and chairman of the Car d’Alene committee of the Downtown Association. “It’s just another example,” said Porath. “Car d’Alene is really being noted as the premier car show in the Northwest.”
A swap meet and demolition derby will be held Sunday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. Patrons will be shuttled free of charge to and from downtown.
Streets will be closed for the cruise, which starts at 6 p.m. Friday and for the dance, starting 8 p.m. Saturday.