By Krista Menser
What is it about an old muscle car that makes a grown man become 12 years old, wide-mouthed and drooling over the interior, tires, and style? Some women suffer from this affliction as well…don’t worry, it’s not contagious! Car enthusiasts have joined Car Clubs for years, cruisin’ down the street and showing off their ‘baby,’ their precious car! The Iosco, Ogemaw and Arenac areas have their Car Club: Rods and Relics.
Rods and Relics meet at the West Branch Senior Center the third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. during the ‘cruisin’ season’. While their classic cars are safely tucked away for the winter, the group still meets once a month at local restaurants to eat together.
Rods and Relics hold several car shows each summer. Mo Meiers, President of Rods and Relics, admits that he ‘eats, sleeps, and dreams old cars.’ In this spirit, he sets up as many car shows as he possibly can for the group.
Glennie residents Tom and Marie Brown are long-standing members of Rod and Relic Car Club; they own two classic beauties. His 1974 blue Olds Delta 88 Convertible has a new top, motor and transmission rebuilt, and a 455 stock engine. Its immaculate interior and shiny chrome would dazzle even the most disinterested passerby.
Their 1968 green and blue mustang coupe is a true sight to behold! It’s all original except for the right front fender and right rear bumper. Seats have been recovered in supple leather, and carpet and headliners are new. It boasts a 351 Windsor engine (blueprinted and balanced).
Expert repairs were done to the engine and body of this fine vehicle from the past.
Tom has been a car enthusiast since he was ‘a kid.’
‘You have to have lots of money to get into this hobby,’ Tom said. ‘It gets expensive in a hurry.’
For the new ‘old car’ hobbyist, Tom recommends looking on the internet, junk yards, or word of mouth to find the hobby car for beginners.
‘The older the car, the more expensive the parts; they’re harder to find,’ he said.
While cars from the past bring to mind simpler times, they also remind us that the one thing one can always depend on is change. No doubt the Antique and Old Car Collectors of the future will look at our ‘modern’ cars as ‘relics’ one day…and we’ll smile fondly at the memories.
