|
by Rosemary Lee Potter
Special to Tropical Breeze
Saturday was a sunny, brisk collecting
adventure in many ways. I'd seen that the 21st Annual Heritage
Village Antique Car Show would be rolling into the piney gladed
historical park setting for five hours only. Off I went as I've
known car collector people to tell passionate stories about their
pursuit of antique vehicles. Maybe here'd crop up some more tales
to share. I wasn't far wrong.
It was nearly noon by the time I reached
Heritage Park. I was fortunate to find a parking spot nearby where
I'd spot the first amazing really old car! Indeed, I soon ambled
into the first rows of vehicles and was as awed as many folks
standing about to see these truly gorgeous cars, the first one, a
Zimmer, in bright red, a sleek convertible. A boy of four went over
to one of the vehicle's shiny metal horns and blew into it —
of course, backward. We watching were amused. Most of the folks
offered oohs and aahs, as they circled the vehicle to see all the
angles and goodies.
I was thinking that the owners of this car
could cause a traffic jam, even get pulled over when they take a
drive! I could see an officer stopping them — not for a
ticket and just so he can take a closer look; ask questions, you
know!
Then I had my chance — but not to
ride in the gleaming vehicle. I spotted a woman who walked directly
over to the passenger side door, opened it and picked up something
inside there . Aha! This must be the owner, the one who I hoped
would tell me about the adventures this car is providing, and, of
course, the back story or provenance of the car.
Lynn Kislin acknowledged that she was
owner of the car along with her husband, Terry, who was sitting
across the dirt road from us just watching the crowd admiring his
pet car. The Kislins live in Safety Harbor and, while their
business, Appliance Gallery, keeps them busy, they still often hit
the road — well, wouldn't you if you could motor off in this
gem?
For the last ten years they have been
enjoying collecting cars! Although this red beauty is but a
replica, it isn't the only special car they've owned. There was a
crème Zimmer convertible, one of only six manufactured, a
replica Dusenburg and a Tiffany that once belonged to daredevil
Evil Knieval.
The Kislins really enjoy driving their
special cars to other car shows and exhibitions such as this one.
They enjoy other vintage car events as they meet and socialize with
other antique car enthusiasts. Yes, they actually have seen blue
lights behind them when they drive this car. Yessir, pulled over,
the officer explained that he only wanted to get a closer look, ask
a few questions. Funny, that's the way the crowd at this exhibit
was behaving. You really can't help yourself!
One neat collecting anecdote was offered
by Terry Kislin. He bought the Zimmer in Chapel Hill, NC, and had
it shipped here. Lynn was away for the day when the car arrived.
Terry parked her car out on the street and parked the Zimmer in the
garage.Coming home Lynn discovered the Zimmer in her parking space.
Funny! She didn't seem to mind.
Motorcycles — notably a row of them
parked at on the diagonal — mostly flat-heads from Harley
Davidson, the owners told me, each owner standing nearby with a
tale to tell about his bike, either how he'd found it or obtained
it for a bargain sum. Now having reconditioned that bike, the bikes
have become far more than transportation — valuable vintage
machines.
Jack Clark and Drew Ehehalt were kind
enough to tell me about their bikes. Interspersed with their tales,
other owners told of totally restoring their bikes, often
retrieving them from abandonment! They turned junk (as many of us
might see it) into shiny, attractive, highly-collectible fun!
Clearly these folks enjoy biker camaraderie, which comes along with
the roar of the ride.
I went into one of the historic buildings
— an original grocery store — H.C. Smith Groceries and
Meats. Volunteer store-keeper, Carol Fallon, explained the Pin-MAR
badges that I saw on hosts — she said it stands for Pinellas
Model A Restorers, an antique car club which, beginning in 1964,
worked to restore and preserve the Model A Ford. Obviously the
club, now with more than 150 families, has expanded to other
collectible vehicles.
Right outside the store was parked a
Stanley Steamer. Owner Ross Walkup was really enjoying showing off
this neat car which ran/runs on hot water — that is converted
to steam! Innovative then. Perhaps innovative now?
Hey, in a little glade near the food
section there was a school bus — with gleaming yellow paint.
Where the school district sign usually is, black paint reading "Old
School Bus." Russell Smith, proud owner, spent a couple years
totally restoring it. We marveled as he shared his photo
collection, which showed the various stages in the restoration from
a beginning with near junk to this totally restored working bus,
even down to the tool sets, the knobs and dials on the dash! A
totally restored working vehicle!
The like-new bus is complete with seating,
metal corporation identification disks, right down to the vintage
marbles, a slingshot and two schoolbooks bound by a leather strap
for carrying, all of which which Smith slyly suggests students left
behind on the bus long ago!
Hungry now, glad I spotted some kettle
corn at an outdoor tent called "Poppin' Papaw Fred's Country
Popcorn" where we watched Jon Humphress, owner who does this on the
weekends, stirring the corn in an old kettle — making it
sweet with at least a touch of molasses, he admitted he'd added.
He'd shove that hot popcorn in a plastic sleeve right then and
there.
I gawked at a 1917 LaFrance antique fire
engine, a vermillion red Model A Ford from 1931 and even an old
Good Humor truck! I was sorry I missed the vintage traffic signals.
However, it was fun to see car enthusiasts in costume, too —
every period of dress including WWI doughboy, ladies in long aprons
and fellows in blazers wearing straw hats.
The program for this antique car show
included a reminder that we should all "admire these lovingly
maintained cars without touching!" Makes sense as the cars have
highly polished surfaces, easily marred, much less damaged.
There are so many collectors close by
— not only these devoted car people, but many others who
furnish old-timey items to display in the historic buildings, such
as all the old items sitting on the grocery store shelves and an
adjacent room set up as a dentist's office with the chair and all
the old dental tools laid out, as if ready to use.
This whole event was in celebration of
"Florida Heritage Month, a tribute to heighten awareness of our
state's rich cultural heritage, celebrating its historical sites,
museums, libraries, and visual and performing arts, which flourish
in the state of Florida."
Want to join in on the antique car
excitement? For more information on the Pin-Mar Antique Car Club,
contact Bill Miller at 727-531-4559 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
© 2007 Rosemary Lee Potter. All
Rights Reserved.
Rosemary Lee Potter is a confirmed victim
of the collecting bug and can be reached by e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or write to her in care of Tropical Breeze,
P.O. Box 585, Safety Harbor, FL 34695.
|
Front Page 
Columns 
