Cruisin’ the Gut harkens back to the golden days of good times driving Vancouver’s main drag with good friends. Saturday’s event drew classic car enthusiasts out of the woodwork. No, really, there was a 1932 Ford Roadster with a hand-carved myrtlewood body.
When Paul Cox was a student at Camas High School in the 1970s, he drove a 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS, a “beautiful car” that he regrets selling. Back then, he drove Main Street with his friends, hooting and hollering at other drivers or girls. It was fun and it was the thing to do on Friday and Saturday nights, he said.
No matter how cold it was, the windows were always rolled down. On cold days, the heater would be blasting and there would be blankets to keep warm.
“You just weren’t cool if you had your windows up,” Cox said.
Occasionally, cars would cruise off the main drag and toward Lower River Road to experience the faster pace of drag racing.
Back then, teenagers just called the area Alcoa, after the aluminum plant that used to be there, Cox said.
“That was a long time ago,” his wife, Bev Cox, said with a laugh.
Now, Paul Cox has a bright red ’65 Ford Mustang that he parked in downtown Vancouver so he could watch the parade of cars. His Mustang was in good company as Mustangs of all years cruised the gut and lined parking spots along Main Street. Cruisin’ the Gut offers a glimpse into the evolution of car models and changing tastes.
While Cruisin’ the Gut brings back memories of what used to be and revives a beloved activity, it’s just not the same, Cox said.
“First of all, there’s a lot more cars,” he said. Each year, the event seems to draw more and more motorists wanting to show off their rides.
And, the Coxes said, when they were teenagers it was just hot rods driving up and down the street. At Saturday’s event, there was a medley of classic and modern, cool and kooky. Along with the Thunderbirds and Model T’s, spectators got to see newer Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Vipers.
Occasionally, a Chrysler minivan could be spotted slowly driving Main Street, its driver perhaps surprised by all the traffic.
Hot day in Vancouver
It was a hot day — 97 degrees at its peak — combined with hot cars. Vendors like Vancouver Public Works offered free water, and a free snow cone stand was set up in front of Calvary Downtown.
“There’s a truck like Daddy’s! Wave!” Dustin Smith said to his two daughters.
They were splashing around in an inflatable pool set in the bed of Smith’s ’68 Chevy truck. Smith, whose family got to the event around 10 a.m., said his girls were kept entertained between the pool and the cars.
Smith isn’t that into old cars — just the truck he got from his grandpa — but the event is a fun experience for his family.
It lasts all day, too, so people come early and stay late.
Some people wandered to the Vancouver Farmers Market, as well as Fire in the Park, a kid-friendly annual fundraiser put on by Vancouver Firefighters Local 452 that has a big emphasis on safety and emergency preparedness.
With all three events on the same day, downtown Vancouver was bustling.
