Category Archives: Cars

A Clean Roomy Trunk

1955 Chevrolet rear view

Tri-Five Chevys look great from the rear (see photo). That’s just one of the reasons why 1955-56-57 Chevrolets are popular collector cars. Their tushes may be a bit flat by Miss America standards (or when compared to the curvy rear end shown in the photo below of a 1951 model), but the design is clean and functional. It makes for easy loading/unloading, and that was important for many families in the 1950’s.
Continue reading

West Hills Inflatable

As cute as the car?


Even when I’m clueless about the specific product being advertised, I always stop to take pictures of giant rooftop inflatables. Case in point: the hamster (or Hamstar as Kia spells it) shown in the photo. With a quick online search though, I learned more about a car, and the campaign to sell it, that’s tied to a hip rodent.
Continue reading

Car Show Calendar

Each year the entries on the Pacific Northwest Region Calendar of Events seem to be printed in a smaller type size. Although I can barely see them without my reading glasses, the tiny type is actually a good thing. Smaller print means more car shows are listed on the two-sided calendar, which is available now, but going fast.
Continue reading

Keep My Truck for as Long as You Want

Yesterday’s snow storm, which doubled down this morning with several hours of freezing rain, is a blessing for the region’s auto body shops. Snow and ice cause wrecks. Ironically, my 1999 Toyota Tacoma is at Bremerton’s Trew Auto Body this week for repair from a non-snow-related accident. I’m in no hurry to get it back. Trew can put some of the storm’s victims ahead of it as far as I’m concerned.
Continue reading

Keeping Criminals Out of Collector Cars

A new Washington state law makes it riskier for criminals to travel in collector cars. I own a collector car with a “lifetime” collector car license plate, meaning there are no annual renewal fees. As far as I know there aren’t any “wants and warrants” out against the car or me. However, until the state legislature acted earlier this year, there was no way for a police officer to tell that or even if I’m the car’s legal owner if the car was pulled over for a traffic stop.
Continue reading

Do LEFEV Parking Signs Help?

Sorry, trucks don't qualify


On a sunny morning earlier this week, the parking lot at the new YMCA in Silverdale was perhaps one-third full. The occupancy rate in the spots reserved for low emitting and fuel efficient vehicles (LEFEV) was far higher. Only a couple of the thirty or so LEFEV spaces (see photo) were empty. I parked at the far corner of the lot, ate my Burger King breakfast sandwich, and pondered my cynicism.
Continue reading

Elks Care

In case it rains


“Elks care, Elks share.” It’s a wonderful slogan and one that the Bremerton Elks lodge strives to live up to. Clearly some Elks also care strongly about their collector cars (see photo). Last Saturday at the 23rd annual Elks car show in Bremerton, a couple of owners pampered their entries by bringing along Quik Shade instant canopies. Given the off-and-on showers all weekend, the shelters weren’t there to keep the cars out of the sun.
Continue reading

Long Cars in Shelton

A lot of car to wash


A rare 1959 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron highlighted the Antique and Classic Car Show today in Shelton. There was no award at the show for overall length, but if there had been one, the beautiful blue four-door hardtop (see photo) would have won. Not counting limousines, it is one of the longest production cars ever made in the United States.
Continue reading

Surf Green

Chevy's low-cost model for 1957


Chevrolet cars were available in 16 solid colors for 1957. The photo, taken earlier this week in Chico, shows one of them, an original factory color called Surf Green. The car in the photo is instantly identifiable as a One-Fifty, Chevy’s entry-level series in 1957. You can tell by the half-length single strip of stainless steel side molding that runs from the door to the rear tailfin.
Continue reading

Today’s Resting Classic

Can it tow the boat?


In the short stretch of Old Belfair Highway between Kitsap Muffler and Sam Christopherson Avenue, there’s a large level lot full of old cars, trucks, boats, and heavy equipment. I have driven past it hundreds of times without paying much attention. This afternoon, a 1959 DeSoto parked in the lot’s east entrance caused me to take notice. DeSotos haven’t been made for 50 years so I had to stop for a photo.
Continue reading