Fredericksburg.com
Classic cars line the parking lot at the 5 & Diner in Central Park on Saturday for the weekly Cruise Night. Visitors could get a close look at a variety of cars.
Owners and visitors alike enjoy the individuality of the classic cars on display on Saturdays, such as this chrome Pontiac hood ornament and to order reprints.
AMID THE RUMBLE of big American engines and the sounds of 1950s rock 'n' roll, adults and children peered through windshields and under hoods with a bit of wonder at the weekly Cruise Night at the 5 & Diner in Central Park.
The Accelerators Car Club sponsors the show every Saturday from April through October. Each car is immediately recognizable, from the chrome on the grill of a 1955 Chevrolet pickup or the fins and taillights on a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, to the classic Pontiac hood ornament of a windswept Indian.
They stood in stark contrast to the modern cars driving by on Cowan Boulevard. "I can't tell the difference between cars today," says Ford Fairlane owner Mike Kremposky of Springfield.
"They're like time capsules," said Teresa Padgett of the Accelerators Car Club as she and fellow club member Rachel Myers walked the line of steel and chrome machines. "A lot of people spend a lot of time and are proud of them," said Myers. "It's a family."
"We're like ambassadors for this hobby," said Chuck Shotwell of Stafford, sitting with his wife, Linda, behind their 1934 Nash Sedan and 1933 Ford Coupe. "We can share them with younger people who've never seen cars like this," Linda said while visitors peeked through the window of the bright red Ford.
With a laugh Shotwell added, "It's a team effort--I keep them running and she keeps them looking pretty." Many of the car owners echoed the sentiment that the classic cars reminded them of their younger days, days that were simpler and less complicated. "This is what I wanted in high school," said Kremposky. "Back then I didn't have the money, and now it's getting expensive, so I got in at the right time."
As the evening wore on, a parade of cars pulled into the retro diner's parking lot, reminiscent of the movie "American Graffiti." Muscle cars, hot rods, dragsters and even modern tricked-out imports pulled into the lot, their owners popping the hoods and setting up lawn chairs to relax and talk with friends and curious visitors.
"Americans and cars go hand in hand, like baseball and hot dogs," said Padgett.
July 10 2006
technorati tags:muscle, cars, chevrolet, pontiac, fairlane, accelerators, club
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