Tag: vintage cars

Dec Cruisers Show & Lake Placid Christmas Parade

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Greetings Cruisers! We have two new things to share with you today.

CORRECTION: To be in the Christmas Parade on Dec. 9, 2023, it is not necessary to fill out a form from the Chamber of Commerce.

First, our next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show will be a week from this Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the American Legion Post 25, in Lake Placid, Florida. The show starts at 11 am and wraps up around 1:30 pm.

Second, the Town of Lake Placid always has its Annual Christmas Parade on the 2nd Saturday of December, the same day we are having our Car Show. We have been invited to put out to the  Cruisers to be part of the Christmas Parade!

If you would like to “Cruise with the Cruisers” in the Lake Placid Christmas Parade, email Scott at… lightoak@comcast.net . There is NO CHARGE.

We have heard some chatter about the 2024 SVRA Hagerty Cars & Caffeine Show on February 24, 2024. DON’T BUY YOUR TICKETS, YET!

After January 1, 2024, Toni Strollo will issue a generous Discount Code. We’ll let you know when the code is available.

Hope everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving and weekend. See you December 9 at Legion Post 25! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

 

This Saturday’s Car & Bike Show CANCELED!

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Greetings Cruisers! Well, you don’t need us to tell you that it’s a HOT summer here. The forecast for this Saturday is that the low for the day before sunrise will be 77 degrees and a high temp of 96 degrees.

Those numbers are AMBIENT air temps and do not reflect the heat index that factors in humidity. It’s going to be one of the hottest days of the summer.

So, because we don’t want anyone dropping from the heat, we have decided to CANCEL this Saturday’s show due to BAD WEATHER.

Sorry, Cruisers. Please let your other Cruiser pals know, just in case they don’t read this.

We’ll be back to you about the September show at the Lake Placid American Legion.

Y’all stay cool now! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

2023 Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show

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Yes, it was another HOT ONE, but HEY, it was the end of July in South-Central Florida! (Slide Show Below!)

Greetings Cruisers! Despite the challenging heat, Devane Park was packed with cars, trucks, bikes, and happy people. Plus, we had the classic ambiance of the U.S. Sugar Express steam locomotive train.

There’s nothing like the lonesome sound of a steam train whistle. But being that we’re car and bike people, you could also say the same things about a big-block Chevy or Hemi with open headers or a big-bore Harley-Davidson.

From the 2022 Caladium Car & Bike Show

The gates opened at 7 am and as usual, cars were lined up by 6:30 to get a good parking spot near a tree. “DJ Ben” fired up his machine, a big, honk’n soundboard, and speakers by 8 am. You gotta have tunes for a car & bike show!

 

 

 

This year’s Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show had a simplified Awards deal. Here are our winners!

“Farthest Traveled” – Troy Evans, 2020 Corvette Stingray from Washington State

“Mayor’s Choice – John Donato, 1930 Ford Hot Rod

“People’s Choice” – Anthony Poplunek, 1932 Ford Hot Rod

“Mayor’s Motorcycle Choice & Police Chief Motorcycle Choice” – Jeff Mace Custom Harley-Davidson

“Most Members of a Car Club” – “No Name Car Club”

“50/50 Winner of $900” – Chris Barry

 

 

 

 

Our next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike show will be Saturday, August 12, from 9 am to noon at the Lake Placid American Legion, on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid, Florida.

Legion Pit Master “Larry” will be slinging the burgers and dogs!

Lake Country Cruisers will supply the Rock’n Roll music, great door prizes, Cruiser of the Month, Bike of the Month, 50/50, plus a 50/50 runner-up prize. Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Shows are Family-Friendly and Dog-Friendly. So, bring the kids, grand kiddos, and Poochie! (we ask that you keep your doggie on a lead and clean up after any messes)

We’ll see you there! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

2023 Caladium Car & Bike Show This Saturday!

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Greetings Cruisers,

   Just a reminder that this Saturday, July 29, 2023, is the 32ndth Annual Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show at Devane Park in beautiful downtown Lake Placid, in the roundabout circle.

The Registration gate opens at 7 am. If you did not Pre-Register, the Registration Fee is $25.

Here are the Rules for Participation

1. Registration opens at 7 am on Saturday, July 29th at the park and closes promptly at noon.

2. ABSOLUTELY no early admissions to the show field.

3. All show parking sites will be assigned by show officials.

4. All trailered show cars must be driven onto the show field.

5. Parking will be provided for trailers and tow cars adjacent to the show field.

6. Cars to be judged must have trunk and hood open and windows down.

7. No bicycles. skateboards, skates, or scooters are allowed on the show field.

8. “For Sale” signs are permitted on the windshield for the sale of the vehicle, but no parts sales.

9. For their safety, all minor (Under 18) children must be supervised by an adult.

10. All decisions are final.

* Dash Plaques & Goody bags to the first 150 registered vehicles

* Music by GNR Sounds (DJ Ben)

* Food provided by the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce

* Beer Garden

* 50/50, plus consolation prizes (last year’s 50/50 was $1,000!)

* Little Miss Caladium Pageant, sponsored by Bittner Bridal, in Lake Placid.

2023 Awards: Awards Presentation at 1:30 PM

Awards include;

* Peoples Choice

* Police Chief’s Choice

* Mayor’s Choice

* Most in a Club

* Furthest Driven

Follow the Car Show signs from US Highway 27 to Devane Park.

And lastly, Cruisers, when you register, remember to register as “Lake Country Cruisers” so we have a chance at winning the “Most in a Club” award!

Rain or Shine – No Refunds.

Just a reminder, it will be HOT (big surprise, right?), so be sure to pace yourself and drink plenty of liquids; and not just beer! Find a shady spot and do your best to chill.

We’ll see you there! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

 

 

PS – Cruisers, our next Car & Bike Show will be on August 12 at the Lake Placid American Legion, on rt. 27, in Lake Placid, FL. The show will run from 5 pm to 7:30 pm. If you have a motorcycle, bring it, or have friends with a bike, invite them! We like two, three, four, and six-wheel machines!

Lake Country Cruisers April Car & Bike Show

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Slide Show Below!

Greetings Cruisers! The beautiful weather continues. It was another perfect day for a Car & Bike Show. We had sixty cars and bikes, and well over one hundred in attendance. The Legion had the outside grill fired up and served hungry Cruisers hot dogs, hamburgers, and cheeseburgers.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

To take the edge off the heat, our May 13, 2023, American Legion Show will start and end one hour earlier. The May show will start at 9 am and run until 12 noon. We are also working on shows in June, July, August, and September in various locations and some early evening shows! We’ll keep you informed.

Our first Feature Car, Ron Bomburger’s 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk

Last month’s Cruiser of the Month, Ron Bomburger’s beautiful 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk was on hand. Ron’s classic Studebaker has had a frame-off restoration in the last few years and won 1st Place in the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Winternations and has qualified for the coveted AACA Zenith Award!

Our second Feature Car was Dan Barr’s 1989 Corvette Challenge race car

From 1985 to 1987 Corvettes totally dominated the SCCA Showroom Stock Series. By the end of the 1987 season, SCCA kicked the Corvettes out of the series for being too fast! Then in 1988, and 1989 Chevrolet offered identical race-prepared L98 Corvettes to race in the Corvette Challenge Series. These were factory-built race cars and only eighty-five Corvette Challenge race cars were built, making them rare in the world of collectible Corvettes.

Dan Barr purchased his #9 Bosch 1989 Corvette Challenge race car at the end of the ’89 season. Since then, Dan has raced his Corvette extensively. Between 2022 and 2023 the car was refreshed and restored at George Haddad’s Fabulous Restorations Hot Rod Shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Even though the Corvette is a real race car, it is street-legal! I covered Dan’s Corvette in the April 2023 issue of Vette Vues Magazine.

Coming up Next Month! Continue reading “Lake Country Cruisers April Car & Bike Show” →

Happy 95th B-Day to Ross Longo!

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Ross Longo B-Day Party Slide Show Below!

Greeting Cruisers! It was twenty years ago that Ross Longo, Mary Carol Plott, and Edde King thought it would be fun to start a car club! Since Highlands County is peppered with lakes, large and small, they decided to call themselves, “Lake Country Cruisers”.

They put the word out that they would all be gathering in the parking lot behind the Lake Placid Train Depot in downtown Lake Placid. A dozen or so friends got together, enjoyed oldies music from someone’s boom box (remember those?), did a little dancing, and had a lot of fun! So much so, the Lake Country Car Show became a regular monthly happening! You can read the full story HERE.

The rest is history and Lake Country Cruisers is still going strong!

On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, around two dozen members of Lake Country Cruisers got together at the Lake Placid American Legion to celebrate Cruisers’ founding member, Ross Longo’s 95th Birthday! Birthday cupcakes, cards, old stories, and good wishes were the order of the day.

Cruisers co-founders Mary Carol and Edde ganged up on Ross to deliver double smooches!

So, on behalf of Pete, Ron, and all of the Cruisers, a big THANK YOU to Ross and Mary Carol, and Edde, too for launching Lake Country Cruisers! – Scott

PS – Just a brief reminder. This Saturday, April 8, 2023, will be a Car & Bike Show AND Swap Meet. The Swap Meet starts one hour earlier than usual, at 9 am.
For complete details, CLICK HERE!

Meet March 2023 Cruiser of the Month

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Meet “Studebaker Man”, Ron Bomberger and his Stunning 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk

NOTE: This Saturday’s Car & Bike Show will also be a Swap Meet!

When Ron Bomberger and his 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk rolled into the Lake Country Cruisers Show on March 11, 2023, I turned to Ron Ellerman and said, “Look at that beautiful Studebaker! I don’t remember the last time I saw one!” Studebakers are hardly ever seen and this one was dazzling! We forget, but in 1956 the Golden Golden Hawk, with its big Packard engine was the quickest, fastest car on the road.

Here’s “Studebaker Man” Ron Bomberger’s Story

“My first car was a Studebaker and I bought them until the company went bankrupt in 1967. I just always loved the Golden Hawk. Around 2012 when we were living in Pennsylvania, I found this car on eBay and got really excited. It was nice, mechanically sound, and complete, but tired. It was too good to pass up.

We were snowbirds then and would winter in Lake Placid. Then in 2016 we moved to Lake Placid permanently and brought the Golden Hawk with us. But when we lived in Pennsylvania I was very impressed with the workmanship of restoration experts at Cornerstone Automotive, in Lititz.

I kept thinking how amazing the Golden Hawk would be if it had a frame-off restoration. Continue reading “Meet March 2023 Cruiser of the Month” →

Lake Country Cruisers March 2023 Car & Bike Show – YES!

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A Perfect Day For A Car Show! (Slide Show Below!)

Greetings Cruisers! What a beautiful day we had for a Car & Bike Show. It was a little cool at 9 am when we started to set up and a little warm when we wrapped up tthe show at 1:30 pm.

A big “Thanks!” to our friends at the Lake Placid Dunkin Donuts for the coffee and donuts. They sure did go fast!

We had fifty cars and around eighty in attendance at the show. The American Legion was having a regional meeting in the banquet room, so the inside kitchen was closed. But Commander Fred Pierce made sure that our Cruiser friends could get lunch, so the outside grill was fired up and by 11:30 am you could smell the burgers and hot dogs!

Our 50/50 winner was Sebring resident BethLinn Mackes and her take home was $150 CASH!

Our 50/50 Runner-Up winner was Sebring resident Pat Klynstra, and she received a FREE oil change from our friends at Highlands Complete Auto, on Rt. 27 in Sebring.

 

 

And our Curiser of the Month was Ron Bomberger and his stunningly beautiful 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. In 1956 this was one of the quickest, fastest cars of its day. The Golden Hawk’s styling was influenced by French industrial designer, Raymond Loewy‘s design studio. Loewy went on to design the body for the 1963 Studebaker Avante.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Our next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show on April 8, 2023, will also be a Swap Meet! So, the same as we did for our February Swap Meet, we will start at 9:00 am, one hour earlier than usual.

If you are looking for parts or would like to clear the car clutter in your garage and unload some old car stuff, the 10′ x 10′ space is $15 and the 10′ x 15′ space is $20. You can pay at the Sign-In tent.

Thanks to everyone that came to the show. Remember, our shows are car AND bike shows. So, if you have a motorcycle, bring it. If you have motorcycle friends, invite them! It’s a Car & Bike Party!

See ya next month! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – We will be doing Car & Bike Shows throughout the year, and sometimes in different places. We’ll always let you know where and when, but be sure to check out Coming Events page.

Car & Bike Show This Saturday!

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Greeting Cruisers!

Just a brief reminder that this Saturday, March 11 we will be hosting another fun Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike show at the Lake Placid American Legion. The show officially starts are 10 am and runs to around 1:30-ish.

The weather forecast for Saturday is good – cool in the early morning with a high of 85 degrees later in the afternoon. PERFECT weather for a Car Show.

If you have friends with motorcycles, invite them! We like all kinds of machines!

And bring your pooch if you have one! We love dogs too. Just keep them on their leash and clean up after them if they, well, you know.

See y’all Saturday! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

The SVRA Show Was BIG FUN!

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Greetings Cruisers! By all accounts, last weekend’s SVRA Show was a big success. According to show organizer Toni Strollo, there were 253 cars for the Hagerty Car Show and 136 Corvettes at the Corvette Invasion “Corvette Corral”.

The Corvette folks were not able to get out on the track at 6 pm because there was a serious wreck at the hairpin corner. One of the race cars crunched into the wall and it took over two hours to clean things up.

On Sunday a group of cruisers spent some quality time at Pete’s RV. Pete’s RV spot was halfway down the straight-away to goes into that tight hairpin right turn. Yes, the one that cars often crunch into! The view was great. The lunch menu included big FAT bratwurst, hot dog rolls, baked beans, macaroni salad, potato salad, fruit, and lots of “cold barley soup”! (beer). Continue reading “The SVRA Show Was BIG FUN!” →

A Successful Car Show & Swap Meet!

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SLIDE SHOW BELOW!

Hey Cruisers! What a difference a month makes! Our January show was the COLDEST we ever experienced and last Saturday it was 25 degrees warmer! And NO ONE complained!

It was such a beautiful day we tied our attendance record of 101 cars and trucks. We were very happy with our first-ever Swap Meet too. We had fifteen parts swappers, with one that came from Fort Lauderdale! We also had lots of new Cruisers and a record number of Rat Rods. Dick and Marilyn Roddie were there with Dick’s 100-plus-year-old Hit’n Miss engine. It doesn’t get more nostalgic than that!

We estimate that at least half of the Cruisers that come to the show bring someone, so we guesstimate that we had at least 150 in attendance. So, a BIG THANKS to everyone that came.

Using the Lake Country Cruisers Divine Ice Cream Gauge, we knew we were doing good. By noon Divine Dave had a long row of folding chairs across the front of the American Legion with Cruisers enjoying Divine Ice Cream on a beautiful warm day.

And along with all the Cruisers, we had a good number of doggies. Dogs so LOVE a car show!

The American Legion was preparing their dining hall for their big Valentine’s Day Party later that evening, but they didn’t let our Cruisers go hungry. Commander Fred Pierce had some of his kitchen staff set up the outside grill behind the building. So, every now and then, you could enjoy the aroma of burgers cooking! You could see the dog’s noses twitching!

When we get a good turnout, Cruisers get a great 50/50 payout. Our 50/50 winner was Larry Row. Larry went home with $250 CASH stuffed in his pocket! NICE! Our 50/50 Runner-up prize was a $50 gift certificate from GC Grillhouse and Dave Bukis was the winner. Continue reading “A Successful Car Show & Swap Meet!” →

This Saturday’s Swap Meet is ON!

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Turn those old parts into CASH!

Hey Cruisers! Just a short post to let you know that the scheduled Swap Meet is most definitely ON!

To give everyone more time to sell their stuff, we are starting the show at 9 am, instead of 10 am. We have plenty of space, so get your car stuff into the truck or on a trailer and come on over to the Lake Placid American Legion.

If you don’t have stuff to sell, it’s still a Car Show with Door Prizes, 50/50, 50/50 runner-up restaurant gift certificate, and Crusier of the Month and Bike of the Month awards!

Our next scheduled event will be another Meet’n Eat on February 16, 2023, at Jaxson’s On the Lake, on Lake June Rd. in Lake Placid from 2 pm to 4 pm. Come on by, bench race, solve the world’s problems, and tie on the old feed bag! See you then! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

Here’s a map showing the location of the Lake Placid American Legion, on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid, Florida.

13 WILD Rat Rods!!! – VIDEO

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Rat Rods Are Extreme Modern Versions of the First Hot Rods

Greetings Cruisers! The January 2023 issue of Hot Rod Magazine was their 75th Anniversary issue. Yes, Hot Rod Magazine is now 75 years old! The issue is a fun retrospective of the magazine and how it got started in 1948 as Americans were getting back to peacetime and the Car Culture was being formed in southern California.

The issue pointed out that the original “hot rods” were built from parts found in junkyards. Guys would buy wrecked and worn-out cars, strip off unneeded things such as fenders and running boards, and soup up their engines. This was before the era of pretty “custom cars”. People that weren’t into those new-fangled “hot rods” called them “jalopies” or “junkers”. Their appearance was not unlike today’s “Rat Rods”.Except for the Rat Rod BEASTS in this fun video.

At our last Lake Country Cruisers show, we had a nice group of fun Rat Rods and Classic Hot Rods. The Rat Rods featured in the video are truly OVER THE TOP! Enjoy!

We have two upcoming events you should mark on your calendar. This Saturday, February 11, 2023, our Car & Bike Show will also be our first-ever Swap Meet. The Swap Meet will start one hour earlier than usual, at 9 am. We still have space, so exchange your old car stuff for CASH. Then, you can go get some NEW car stuff!

To reserve a spot, e-mail Scott at… lightoak@comcast.net or call, 863-699-6355.
 Continue reading “13 WILD Rat Rods!!! – VIDEO” →

Cars, Coffee, Crafts, & Dogs at the Devane Park Circle in Lake Placid

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Slide Show Below!

Greetings Cruisers! A big “THANKS!” to the fifteen Cruisers that answered to last-minute call to come and hang out at the Lake Placid Arts & Crafts Show Country Fair in beautiful downtown Lake Placid at Devane Park. The weather cooperated with us and it was a great day for a Country Fair and Cars & Coffee. Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, but everyone had a delightful time.

But the Star Car of the event was Dick & Marilyn Roddie’s 1931 V-12 Cadillac Phaeton. I think more pictures were taken of the ’31 Caddy than even Jack Murphy’s brand-new 2023 Corvette Convertible!

For many of the attendees, it was the first time they’d ever seen a top-of-the-line 1930s luxury car, let alone one with a V-12 engine! I was talking with one teenage fellow that was pie-eyed looking at the engine and said to him, “That’s a V-12 engine.” He said, “What’s that?” I responded, “Twelve cylinders.” He said, “What’s that?”

Obviously, he was not a car guy but seemed to like what he saw. Continue reading “Cars, Coffee, Crafts, & Dogs at the Devane Park Circle in Lake Placid” →

Last Minute Car & Bike Show at the Devane Park Circle in Lake Placid

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THIS JUST IN!!!

Greetings Cruisers! Please pardon this last-minute announcement, but we just learned about this late today (Friday) around 4:45. Saturday and Sunday there the Lake Placid Arts & Crafts Show Country Fair in Devane Park, the roundabout where we have the Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show.

For “whatever” reason the turnout of crafters was light this year, meaning that there will be a lot of open, unused space in the park. The Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce asked board member, Pete Richie if we could put together an informal Car & Bike Show.

So, here’s the deal.

We will set up our tent and music in the park early Saturday morning. We’re not sure “where”, as this has not been planned for. You’ll have to look for our Lake Country Cruisers tent and banner. There will be no entry fee, no door prizes, and no Cruiser of the Month.

But, there will be a food truck at the event.

This is just a Cars & Coffee event.

The weather will be in the 60s and partly cloudy Saturday morning. So, bring a jacket, your chairs, a breakfast sandwich, and coffee. We’ll hang out for a few hours and bench race! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Our next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show will be next Saturday, February 11 at the American Legion, on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid.

This will also be our FIRST EVER Swap Meet, so we’ll be starting the show at 9 am and running until 2 pm. If you would like to clear the car clutter in your garage and unload some old car stuff, the 10′ x 10′ space is $15 and the 10′ x 15′ space is $20. You can pay at the entrance.