Classic car show struts its stuff in Sisters

From classic to eccentric, creative works of automotive art glistening of chrome and steel lined both sides of Main Avenue on Saturday for the eighth annual Glory Daze Car Show hosted by Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD).

Malt shop sounds of '50s and '60s rock 'n' roll breezed down the street while hundreds of classic car enthusiasts checked out rows of gleaming classics; from pick-ups to roadsters to rat rods to hot rods, there was something for everyone's eye.

And it wasn't too hard to accommodate a record number of 145 classic cars on Main Avenue with an extra block closed off for the event.

Rob Meeter, SPRD program manager, was on hand at the registration booth set up in front of Bank of the Cascades.

"We have a whole group of judges, mostly classic car guys from the community including Mick Hunter, manager of 3 Sisters Shell, who helped us set up the entire event," he said.

This year's event was sponsored by FivePine Lodge, Sno Cap Drive In, Takoda's Restaurant, Van Handel Automotive, and 3 Sisters Shell.

Steve Pease and his 12-year-old son, Tanner, from Sisters, stood talking together by the 1953 Chevrolet pick-up that he has owned since 1985.

"A friend of my dad's passed away, and his wife sold the truck to me back in 1985," said Pease.

Pease kept the original cab and chassis and added a newer bed and put it on a four-wheel-drive frame. The process of restoration was a slow one, and his son Tanner was an inspiration for Pease to continue to move forward with the project.

"He helped me work on this classic since he was about 4 years old. He would hand me the wrench, but it got more and more involved as he got older," Pease said. "It's a never-ending project that we work on together."

In the last decade there has been a huge craze in the hot rod world, a very interesting trend known as "rat rods." Rat rods are known for being highly exaggerated versions of 1950s-style jalopy hot rods.

Veteran Sean Barter's 1952 Dodge M37 twin-turbo unique rat rod drew a slew of spectators all day. Fans ogled over the original cab of a 1952 Dodge Power Wagon with a military classification of M37, and the fact that the rat rod was sitting directly on the ground.

In order for it to roll anywhere, it needed an air lift.

"I made the air bag up under the radiator, so you can't see it. It's amazing how many people get on their hands and knees looking for the air lift," Barter said.

The name "GONE 2 FAR" and Rat-T-Kool Kustoms was printed on the door of the cab.

"The name is a play on words. The 2 is for twin turbo and it's radically customized which is the Rat T Kool."

The cab was a Korean War Dodge and had been to Korea and back with the Army during the war. After the Army brought it back from Korea, the Oregon Department of Transportation snatched it up and the Dodge became a tow truck.

"I found the truck in Powell Butte on a farm and asked the owner what he was going to do with it. He wasn't sure and asked me what I would do with it, and I told him I was going to turn it into a rat rod, so he gave it to me. And I just started building it and adding on and went crazy from there," Barter said.

The Dodge had its original ragtop, but Barter made the frame, suspension, headers and the exhaust.

At the other end of Main Avenue, classic car buff Ron Robbel from Bend was busy showing folks his 1936 Desoto Airflow that he restored back to factory condition.

Robbel found the Desoto in Anchorage, Alaska in 1978. The Desoto sat in the lobby of a bank in unrestored condition, being admired along with a number of Model A cars.

"I became good friends with the owner of the Desoto and told him how much I would like to buy that car someday, if he ever wanted to part with it." Robbel told The Nugget.

When the owner passed away in 1998, his family contacted Robbel.

"The family knew I wanted the car, so I had the first option to buy the Airflow and I did. It only had 95,000 miles on it, but needed some original parts."

Finding all the factory parts for the Desoto took Robbel two years to complete. He even had to buy an entire parts car just because it had the right bumpers for the Desoto. Then he had it painted Winchester gunmetal grey, the 1952 original factory color.

"Everything is back to factory, including the pinstriping on the wheels. I was just going to make it into a daily driver, but I never quit. There was always something to do," he said.

At 2:45 p.m. Emcee Bob Buckmann announced the official winners in all 14 categories.

People's Choice Award went to Sisters resident Alan Melton for his 1967 GTO. Ron Robbel picked up the award for Best of Show for his 1936 Desoto Airflow. Best Custom award went to Sean Barter from Prineville for his 1952 Dodge rat

rod.