I took off from Glendale just as the sky in the east was turning pink. Wanted to make sure I got to the venue early so I could meet up with the other club members attending. Arrived in Tustin and pulled into the check-in line behind a 1965 MkIII, Green over Cream, that I didn’t recognize. Right behind me was Tom Spangler in his yellow BugEye, a few cars back was Jay Miller in his red MkIII, then came new member Jarrod Word in a Black 1954 BN1 with louvered bonnet and leather strap. Finally, Mike Scroggie joined us driving his Porsche 356, which he dubbed a German Healey.
The show sponsor, Enderle Center and its owner Al Enderle go all out in making this a family event for car lovers. With the proceeds supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Tustin their volunteers were out in force, handling registration and raffle ticket sales. Miss Tustin and members of her court were on hand all day. From singing the National Anthem, selling raffle tickets, posing by cars and announcing the class winner results. The Orange County Fire Authority handled the Flag Raising and the Police Department and Police Explorers handled security.
The 1965 MkIII that I mentioned earlier is owned by John Franklin of Huntington Beach and it got a lot of interest from our group; who were given a guided tour of the mods and changes he had incorporated into his car. Of the 200 or so cars on hand you were able to see stock, custom and resto-mod examples. There were the tri-5 Chevys, the Chargers, the Mustangs and T-Birds. There was a 1938 Plymouth “Woodie” Wagon that had been in the same family since new. It had made a trip to Europe in the hold of an Italian ocean liner and escaped from France ahead of the German invasion in WWII. We admired a 1951 Customized Mercury that sparkled with its paint job.
I was taken with the classic lines and beauty of a Maroon and Black 1927 LaSalle Four-door Sedan; with a yellow and black 1930 Chrysler soft-top Town Car, with the tool kit stowed in the driver’s door; and with a 1932 Chevrolet Coupe in Mahogany Brown and Custard yellow. The final jewel in this sea of cars was a 1942 Chevrolet Deluxe Special Coupe with fender skirts, after-market fog lights (a $900 for one item), crank–out sun visors and a beautiful light grey velour interior.
When all the trophies, 16 classes and five or six special awards, had been awarded a Jaguar convertible won our class. Then it was time to pack up, put on the sunscreen and head north for home.