STUDENT PARKING
High school show revving up
This weekend was always one of my favourites on the annual car-nut calendar as there are two great events: the car show at my old high school and the old-time races at Ashcroft. My school event continues but the Ashcroft drags shut down a few years ago.
But the racing lives on in spirit this weekend as the Langley Loafers host a tribute race to the Ashcroft Racetrack at Mission. It was always a great road trip driving up to the Ashcroft track for the “Lode Time Drags,” but this weekend event offers a shorter drive for half of us, and the racing will be just as great.
Last weekend I was at the Coastal Swapmeet at Tradex, with the added and unexpected bonus of a car and plane show just a short walk from the Abbotsford event. There was a great selection of cars and planes and even a cool ’65 Mustang with the ultra-rare bench seat. Only the second or third time I had seen one of those, and it got me thinking about all the Mustangs I had been in that were owned by friends and all the cool cars that used to park in the student parking lot at Centennial 40 years ago when I attended high school. The school was only Grade 11 and 12 then and had 2,500 students that almost all were eligible to drive as you could get your full licence at age 16 back then.
Jim Caminiti had a 1965 Mustang that he used to deliver pizzas in, and Gary Wright had a ’68 Mustang that ripped the door off a parked car when the driver happened to fling open the door at the worst possible time. One lucky guy in the grade ahead of me drove his brother’s 1967 Supercharged Shelby GT 350 to school, black with gold stripes. Mark Janson ended up owning his brother’s Shelby and restored it to its original lime gold (green) paint scheme. The car was featured on previous artwork for the show’s poster and T-shirts. We tragically lost Mark only three years ago.
One of my buddies, Len Greene, had a birthday in April and actually drove a bit to Grade 10 in his very cool 1966 Comet Caliente two-door hardtop with the 289 and four-speed. The Lupus twins also had early birthdays and drove a wicked modified Datsun 510 to Grade 10 and a bit of high school before each getting cooler and cooler cars. Bernard Cote, who I also worked with at Fraser Mills, stuffed a V8 into a Vega, and Doug Lane drove a 1968 Olds Cutlass S with big “Boots” 50 series rear tires.
My best friend drove his dad’s Mazda 808 with a rare, for a parent’s car anyway, five-speed manual tranny. Another pal, Tony Sullivan, drove a big 1968 Impala SS with a 327 and he changed it over to dual exhaust. Speaking of big, I got to drive my parents’ Suburban with the 454 cubic inch or when I was really lucky, dad’s 1966 Austin Healey. The 454 also happened to be the number of grams in a pound, and we called all 454s “One-Pounders” when we learned the metric system. I also got to drive my grandpa’s 1963 Beaumont Acadian, which led me to a lifelong love of first-gen Acadians and Chevy IIs.
My first car was a 1963 Mini Cooper that really was a Morris Mini Minor with all the Cooper stuff thrown at it after the Cooper was wrecked. A true roach of a car that was a panic to drive, it had just been retired from Westwood racetrack and had twin carbs and dual valve springs for very high revs. I sold it to Len Glenn who also had a ’66 Chevelle with a One-Pounder swapped in.
Everyone remembers teachers. Mr. “Rich” Carlton, drove a 240Z, and Mr. Bianca, who may have been colour blind, loved his big bright teal 1963 four-door Galaxy with red interior that he bought new.
Note that all the model years of these cars and names of their respective owners are subject to change as these are from my memory. That said, I look forward to this evening ’s car show where we can hash over the actual years and models of all the cool cars that used to park in this hallowed” parking lot. See you there and bring a kid or at least a kid-like attitude!
SHOWS
TODAY
Seventh Annual Centennial High School Show ‘n’ Shine Where: Centennial parking lot, 570 Poirier St., Coquitlam
When: 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: Starts at 4 p.m. $15 per vehicle
Info: 604-551-3650 or camsfam@shaw.ca
TODAY TO SUNDAY
Cactus Jalopies Desert
Wine Tour 2018
Where: Osoyoos
When: Friday Poker Run and Garage Tours; Saturday Cactus Jalopies Show ‘n’ Shine at Gyro Beach, beer garden, evening open house at JF Kustoms; Sunday WCRA Drag Racing at Osoyoos Airport. Gates open at 9 a.m., time trials at 10 a.m., racing at 1 p.m.
Info: 778-870-7012, morgan@serenapr.com or cactus.jalopies@gmail.com Websites: cactusjalopies.ca or winecountryracing.ca
SATURDAY
Burnaby’s Hats Off Day
Show ’n’ Shine
Where: Hastings Street from Willingdon to Gamma, Burnaby When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Capitol Hill Elementary. $20 per vehicle and open to all classics/ vintage models. Proceeds to support Burnaby Neighbourhood House Info: 604-294-8899, 604-802-0490 or bonnie.game@gmail.com Website: hatsoffday.com
Jaguar In The Meadows Where: Harris Road Sport’s Park, Pitt Meadows
When: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. combined with the city of Pitt Meadows annual celebrations.
Admission: Free for spectators Registration: Participants must be on field before 10 a.m. $30 “day of” registration.
Info: 604 465 7244 silver007@telus.net moseley_nick@hotmail.com
2018 Pitt Meadows Airport Day ‘Wings and Wheels’
Where: Pitt Meadows Airport, 18799 Airport Way, Pitt Meadows V3Y 2B4 When: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: Free
Registration: Noon to 1 p.m. Open to all makes and models
Info: 778-789-2404 or afield@jibc.ca Website: flyypk.ca
Revelstoke Mountain Paradise Show ’n’ Shine
Where: Downtown Revelstoke When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: 8 a.m. $15 open to all vehicles
Info: 250-837-0109 or revccc@hotmail.com
SUNDAY
5th Annual British Motor Invasion Car Show
Where: Douglas Park, Langley When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: Pre-registration only. $15 and open to all British cars. Proceeds to the Langley Food Bank Info: 604-240-1847, 604-838-2145 or milesfamily@telus.net
Website: oecc.ca/vcb
30th Annual Model A Sunday Where: Farm Museum, Fort Langley When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: 9 a.m. and open to Model As and Ts and any make older than 1932
Info: 604-856-9796
Bigtimers CC Fourth Annual Auto Show
Where: Jack’s Public House, 9082 152nd St., Surrey
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. $30 and open to all vehicles
Info: 778-242-1195 or ravbrar@gmail.com
Website: bigtimerscc.com
Westwind Pub Show ’n’ Shine Where: Westwind Pub, 4940 Cherry Creek Rd., Port Alberni
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: Free
Registration: 7:30 a.m. $20 and open to all vehicles
Info: 250-724-1324 or westwindpub@shaw.ca
Website: westwindpub.com
Duncan Show ’n’ Shine Where: A&W, 5838 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission: Free
Registration: 9 a.m. to noon and open to all vehicles
Info: 250-748-7889
What: Vintage Car Club Swap Meet. Where: Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre, Nanoose Bay
When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission: $2
Info: 250-756-9709, clkhea@shaw.ca, 250-754-7236 or r.herman@shaw.ca
COMPETITION
TODAY AND SATURDAY Oval racing
Where: Western Speedway 2207 Millstream Rd., Langford
Info: 250-474-2151 or denise@westernspeedway.net Website: westernspeedway.net
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Drag racing including Langley Loafers Ashcroft Reunion Where: Mission Raceway Park, 32670 Dyke Rd., Mission
Info: 604-826-6315 or info@missionraceway.com Website: missionraceway.com
SATURDAY
Oval racing
Where: Saratoga Speedway, Saratoga Info: 1-250-337-5024 or race@saratogaspeedway.bc.ca Website: saratogaracing.ca