While a chance of rain was in the forecast, the weather at the eighth annual Rust or Shine Car Show and Music Festival remained pleasantly overcast without rain, at least until about halfway through the awards ceremony at the end.
Veterans Memorial Museum Executive Director Chip Duncan said despite the threat of rain, 335 participants registered their vehicles for this year’s show, with more parking outside of the official show area.
The car show functions as a fundraiser for the museum, and while Duncan still had to go through all of the totals from the different events and raffles, he was happy with how the show went.
“Rust or Shine is still always the biggest fundraiser we do annually,” Duncan said.
Aside from the show and raffles, a pinup contest was held and live music was performed by The Olson Bros Band. The next major fundraiser event for the Veterans Memorial Museum will be its Halloween Trunks with Treats event Oct. 30.
Of the estimated 350 vehicles on display, these caught the eye of The Chronicle before the rain arrived:
Supercharged 1930 Ford Model A
One of the rustier entrants, Tim Sullivan’s 1930 Ford Model A coupe showcased some of the beginnings of aftermarket car tuning with its 1937 McCulloch supercharger.
“They originally marketed them for trucks, for going over higher altitude passes,” Sullivan said. “They advertised a 30% increase in power.”
The McCulloch supercharger sits atop a Ford 239 cubic inch flat-8 engine.
“The flathead V8 was the go-to hot rod motor of the era,” Sullivan added.
It was during the 1920s and 1930s that aftermarket modifications to cars became popular, beginning with moonshiners modifying their cars during the prohibition era to be able to outrun law enforcement while delivering their illegal products.
Eventually, many of those moonshiners began to race their prized creations against each other, and the sport of NASCAR was born.
Other cars, both rusty and shiny
Unfortunately, The Chronicle couldn’t find some of the owners of many of these vehicles, but was still impressed.
Albeit a bit rusty, Tyler Phillips brought his 1962 Ford Mister Softee ice cream truck. Founded in 1956, Mister Softee Inc. is a ice cream truck franchiser famous in the Northeast U.S. It still produces ice cream trucks today. Phillips’ truck still has the original soft-serve ice cream machine in the back.
A jet-black 1967 Chevrolet Camaro was displayed with a stuffed mechanic working on engine repairs, and another Chevrolet, a lime-green 1956 Townsman Wagon, was catching the eyes of many car show attendees. Additionally, a peach 1956 Chrysler Windso stood out.
While many trophies were handed out, it was Lyle Foister, of Chehalis, who took home the best in show trophy for his 1976 Datsun 280Z.
