The Friday Nite Cruise at Old Town
as reported by Gregg Nelson Sr.
August 5th, 2005
As Published in V2-I33-#52 August 11th 2005
Hello
Everyone, This is Gregg with an another installment of The Friday Night
Cruise REPORT. This is Sunday night and I'm taking a few minutes from
work to put a few thoughts to paper. I've been agonizing since Friday
night about what to write. I gave considerable thought to the events
that occurred Friday night, my involvement with The Friday Night Cruise
At Old Town, and comments that Steve Butler has made to me since he
asked me and gave me the honor of writing in this weekly installment.
Two things
that Steve said have an impact in this installment. The first thing is
that the biggest difference between our publication and Mike Kelly's
Cruise News isn't necessarily the size although they are larger, but
that we print the news of these local events almost as it happens. When
you give me your time to read my report, it is of events that have
occurred in the last week. Basically said timely reporting and not news
that is four to six months old. Because it is news of The Friday Night
Cruise At Old Town I feel compelled and duty bound to report all the
news at least as I see it good or bad. If I report only the good, I feel
my report would not be credible. To this point in time my reports have
been 100 % truthful with a little creative license added. An example of
the creative license occurred a few weeks ago with the 12 cruisers of
the Friday Night Cruise. That night there was in reality 12 Corvettes,
10 Mustangs, 4 PT Cruisers, 2 Chrysler 300 Hemis, and 1 Porsche 944 in
the cruise event. The other vehicles described in that sonnet were also
in the event as described but not necessarily in the numbers listed but
they were close.
The second
thing Steve asked me to do was to give a biography of myself relating to
things automotive which I think qualifies me to comment and maybe pass
judgment as I do.
I began the
appreciation of the automobile at a very early age, probably 3 or 4
years of age. The first car that I remember was a 1960 Dodge that he had
when I was about that age. I was born on Easter Sunday, April 22, 1962.
The next family car I remember was a black 1965 Plymouth Fury 111 two
door hardtop with red interior. This is my favorite car of all time and
I will own one at some point although it has eluded me so far. I can
describe every car my parents have owned since with detail including
year, make, model, body style, and color. I can also tell the same info
on cars owned by family members and neighbors. I lived on Blossom St. in
Lowell, Ma. from May 1965 to August 1977 and fondly remember playing in
and pretending to drive my neighbors black 1959 Buick Electra 4 door
sedan and another neighbors white 1960 Ford Country Squire wagon with
its red 9 passenger interior and beautiful wood grain sides and those
gun sight fender trim. I remember another neighbors black 1961 Chevy
Impala 2 door hardtop. This car was awesome and owned by a blue haired
old lady and I can't tell you her name but can describe the car as
though I saw it earlier today. The same can be said of other cars in the
neighborhood. I remember my second grade teachers car. She happened to
live five houses away and drove a 1966 or 1967 Chevy 11 four door sedan.
I remember another 65 Plymouth Fury 11 4 door sedan, a 65 and 66 Ford
LTD 4 door sedans, 63 and 64 Chevy Impalas, a pair of 1960 Plymouth
Valiants, 64 Pontiac GTO, 73 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus, and a 74
Mercury Cougar XR7. I was fascinated with and lusted for each one of
these very early in life. I saw these hunks of iron as freedom and
possibly freedom from my fathers abuse.
As soon as I
was old enough to handle scissors, I cut up every magazine I could get
my hands on cutting out all the car ads and collecting pictures of each
make and model. I collected Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars but only the
ones of stock American cars. I had hundreds and at about the age of
eight I ran away from home taking only two things, one blanket and my
Matchboxs and Hot Wheels. From Hot Wheels and magazine clippings I
graduated to 1/25 scale model cars (some of which I still have) and
dealer brochures. I spent hours on my bike going from dealer to dealer
collecting these. I wish I knew what became of them. In August of 1977 I
moved to Milton, Vt. and to my delight found there was an automotive
salvage yard behind the houses across the street. My father didn't know
it was there until the fall when the trees dropped there leaves which
infuriated him, but delighted me.
On the
afternoons when I was able to sneak out of the house I would go to the
hill that overlooked the salvage yard and watch what was going on in
there. As often as I could on Sundays I would sneak into the salvage
yard and walk around and play in the cars and wonder what happened to
this one or that one. In the summer of 1979 I got a job in the salvage
yard. At first all I got to do was pick up broken glass and other parts
that had fallen of the cars after they were being readied for the
crusher. As the owner of this business saw that I knew the cars by year,
make, and model he allowed me to start stripping parts and stocking them
on the shelves for sale. I worked for this man for almost ten years and
learned how to strip cars, (as well as repair) and sell parts. I learned
how to drive cars, pickup trucks, sling wreckers, 1,2,and 3 car
carriers, tractor trailers, three different types of front end loaders,
two different types of car crusher, endless hand and power tools,
torches, and other shop equipment. I learned all aspects of salvage yard
operation as well as many involved in body shop operation and that of
rebuilding wrecks.
I learned to
buy and sell cars and scrap iron. I was also a buyer at a salvage auto
auction. I have also worked as a service writer for a Chrysler Plymouth
dealer and a parts clerk and shipper and receiving clerk for a Ford
dealer who at the time was the largest Ford dealer in the country.
I have sold
new cars at a Ford Dealership, Nissan Dealership, and a Dodge
Dealership. I have also worked in a reconditioning department for both a
Ford and Dodge dealer and also in a body shop preparing cars for paint.
I have also played sales manager for a radiator and gas tank shop. When
I came to Florida I was an office manager for a salvage auto auction.
You could say
that I have done everything automotive from selling them new off the
showroom floor to putting them in the crusher and then onto the trailer
to go to the shredder. I have seen them come out of the shredder made
into small chips.
I've tried too
many aspects of the automotive trade that many would consider unskilled
labor jobs that didn't pay much and tried to support a family. I did
most of them well and a few not well enough, but if you have tried to
buy parts from a clerk that didn't know anything you will know just how
skilled a job it is. All of these jobs take skill, knowledge, and
dedication to do them well. Knowledge is the key to doing anything well
and then practice what is learned to master that task.
I am a firm
believer that all events need rules to govern them so as they are safe
and fair for all who participate. Old Town has set the rules for both
the Friday and Saturday cruises and with the exception of changes the
year classification (25 or 30 year cutoff for Saturday cruise instead of
1972) should be left as they are.
These rules
should be binding on both participants and the organizers of the event.
I do understand that Old Town can refuse admission to anyone at anytime
for any reason, but to use that excuse to admit or not admit a potential
cruiser without cause is a copout. During my years at Old Town as both a
participant and as a cruise staff member I have noticed on both Friday
and Saturday cars that didn't qualify for the respective cruise and most
times when I pointed out the car that didn't belong appropriate actions
were taken.
This last
Friday evening there were four checker flag winners. Of those four there
were two trucks that caused some controversy.
The first one
was a white 2001 Ford F-150 that belonged to Faron Meeks. This truck was
a plain F-150 that had white neon lights added under it, a stainless
steel insert in its graphite grille, a few small stick on flame
appliqué's around the F-150 fender badges and chrome bed rail on the
bed.
The second
truck belongs to Amanda Miller who owns a blue 2000 Chevy S-10 LS pickup
that appeared to be stock with the exception of dark tinted windows.
This truck did have the body kit from an S-10 Extreme but I am told it
could be an option on an LS.
The rules of
the Friday night cruise is that any car 1973 to 1987 that is show
quality can cruise. 1988 to present cars must have at least four
modifications. There is also an addition to the rules that allow special
interest vehicles. By the rules the F-150 did qualify for the cruise.
Did it look
like a custom? No way. You can make your own decision about the S-10. I
saw a member of the Staff, after the cruise and he was being questioned
about the F-150 by other cruisers and I questioned the S-10 because if
it had modifications
I want to
report it. He became indignant about the questions and said both trucks
qualified, didn't want to talk about it and walked away.
Two weeks ago
Ken Tiggleman and I were walking along Trophy row looking at cars and I
ran into Joe who was looking for the owners of two cars because he
didn't think they belonged in the Saturday cruise because they were too
new. One car was a 1968 Lincoln MK 111 that had 22" wheels and tires and
the second car was a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1. The previous week a 73 or
74 Dodge Charger (B-body) was in the Saturday cruise. I questioned the
owner who said it was a 72 car with a 73 nose and taillights. The sheet
metal is different on Chrysler B-body cars from 72 and 73. The glass and
trunk lid is the same all else is different and this car was a 73 or 74
but the owner had the vin # covered.
Recently I
asked a friend from work to join us in the cruise. This co worker owns a
2004 Chevrolet Corvette that has tail light covers, license plate frame,
and two other custom touches on the rear. He was denied the ability to
cruise because the car was not customized. My friend tried to come into
the cruise two weeks ago which also happens to be the night that the
Corvette Club Of Orlando cruised with us. Many of their members had new
stock Corvettes that were allowed to cruise. About a month ago a
gentleman from the pan handle came and cruised with us. His car was a
2005 Roush Ford Mustang GT. I overheard Joe telling him he could cruise
that night but when he returned he had to add four modifications to the
car. A Roush Mustang is a full blown custom and I always thought that
both a Corvette of any vintage and a Roush Mustang would be special
interest vehicles. If not then I have no clue what special interest
means. I have another friend that had a 1999 Ford F-450 crew cab dually
that had been originally ordered and prepared for one of the Orlando
Magic players. This truck had dark tinted glass, running boards, fancy
bed topper, all the chrome goodies Ford had to offer including the
chrome alloy wheels. Inside the truck was custom leather seats, a custom
center console complete with stereo, TV monitor and play station game
machine. He too was told that the truck was too stock looking.
The rules
should be enforced equally and be binding upon cruisers and Old Town
alike. The rules for year identification are easy. If the car has a
seventeen digit vin # it is a 1980 or newer. The tenth digit (a letter)
tells the year. Example A=1980, B=1981, C=1982, D=1983 etc. The letters
I and O are skipped. If the car has a thirteen digit vin the sixth digit
(a number) tells the year and this applies to most cars from 1970 to
1979. If the vin # is less than thirteen digits it is a Saturday cruiser
no question. I know that there are members of the cruise staff that read
this publication and I hope that no one takes offense to what is written
here because no malice is intended. I also hope that whoever is at the
gate admitting the cruisers is knowledgeable enough to follow the rules
and make the decisions that need to be made.
The third
checker flag winner was Omar Plaza with a white 1991 Chevy S-10 pickup
low rider that had the same Extreme body kit as the aforementioned Chevy
S-10 as well as mag wheels, low profile tires, touneau cover, and cowl
induction hood.
The fourth
flag winner was Yarith Castro with a white 1991 Dodge Neon that was
equipped with a body kit, vinyl graphics, neon lights and mag wheels and
tires. This concludes another report and hopefully the future reports
will be much more up beat and positive. Reporting negative news bites.
Have a good week and cruise safely.
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