By Richard Tew/Automotive Columnist for The Post Newspaper
Last Saturday at Friendswood’s Stevenson Park, I was temporarily transported back in time to the hot road era of American culture.
The Friendswood Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual “Classic Car and Bike Show” featuring cars and trucks from the year’s past to present. Some of these vehicles are badged with names like “Roadrunner,” “Fury,” and “Mustang.” All names are synonymous with speed and excitement.
If you like the sound of loud, large raucous engines, and enjoy the glimmer of chrome and the pop of exotic paint jobs, this was the place to be.
Approximately 150 cars and trucks—both new and old—lining Stevenson Park, a large park located off of FM 518 near downtown Friendswood.
In addition to the raw power and speed these vehicles have, there’s the nostalgia. Most car enthusiasts love not just the cars and trucks they spend years restoring, but the memories the vehicles engender.
One entrant into this year’s car and bike show was Jim Winters. The Wellsburg, West Virginia native says he has been working on classic cars since he was 12 and professionally when he turned 16. Winters says at one time he had 18 hot rods, many of which are Mopar. He fired up his 1969 Plymouth GTX and drove to the car and bike show at the request of a close friend of his.
Winters has shown the 440-powered four speed at various car shows before, including the famous Autorama show in Houston. He’s received many awards for his efforts.
Winters’ painted his GTX in a familiar “Plum Crazy Purple” but with a slight stylistic twist. He says he mixed a bit of lavender and pearl paint to tone down the deep purple hue. The result is a unique mix of historical coloring familiar to car and truck enthusiasts with a hint of personalized flavor he says he probably couldn’t duplicate.
“To me, it’s more of a softer look,” said Winters. “These old school (cars) are built for speed and handle well,” said Winters.“
What’s it like driving such a beautiful classic car around town?
Winters says it’s an attention magnet. He says people frequently want to take pictures or and talk about the car.
“You get that kind of stuff all the time,” said Winters.
When asked Winters about the future of the automotive world he minced no words. He echoed what many other auto enthusiasts feel when it comes to the reality of electric vehicles slowly replacing fuel-based cars and trucks.
“I think it sucks,” said Winters. “Electric cars are fine. You know they are fast, but they don’t have the rumble or feel on the road.”
It is that visceral feeling, the sound and smell of performance cars and trucks coupled with the engrained nostalgia, that keeps car and truck show enthusiasts coming year after year.
Photo Cutline: Tim Winters’ award-winning 1969 Plymouth GTX. Photo by Richard Tew/The Post Newspaper.
