Crescent – All about car

Ben Bekers beautiful 1954 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Sport Coupe on the Crescent Beach Concours lawn last Saturday.Cam Hutchins Last weekend was the perfect way to end the summer season thanks to lots of great showsAs always, Saturdays Crescent Beach Concours was outstanding. I was there for morning roll-in and the selection of cars was absolutely stellar. Too many great cars to pick my favourite, so Im lucky not to be a judge. John Carlson taught me most of what I know about working on engines and it was great to see him there as chief judge. I spent lots of time talking to many owners and one cool story concerned three generations of carnuts presenting a 1968 Fiat 500 bought new by Grandma (or Nonna) in Italy and the a SILA Bimboracer owned by grandson Massimo Calandra. This was an electric childrens car built by S.I.L.A. in Turin, designed by Giovanni Michelotti, and based on the open Ferrari Spider of its time and has Connolly Ferrari leather interior. Young Massimo was a hit with the judges.Another Italian supercar of its day was the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Touring owned by noted car collector and vintage racer Jon Shirley of the Seattle area. This car has a supercharged straight eight-cylinder engine and its snarling exhaust note rivals any of the muscle eras V8s. It rolled in to a prime spot in the centre of the field and won best of show. But choosing best of show must have been tough because there were so many cool cars. There was a 1909 Pierce Arrow 24 Runabout that came in with protective bags over the brass to protect it, along with a 1910 Russell Knight 22 owned by Peter Findlay. The 1929 Franklin Speedster at the show has an aluminum body and a similar vehicle was given to Charles Lindberg in hopes of promoting the benefits of the Franklins air-cooled engine.Another cool engine was the six-cylinder in the 1936 MGNB. After the Thirties most MG were stuck with all sorts of four-cylinders so this was a pretty unique car to see. The flip side to small engines was the big bad Shelby GT 500KR of Postmedia columnist Alyn Edwards with the 428 Cobrajet. Alyn took a day off of reporting and judging to just come to the show as an entrant. Beside the Shelby was the biggest baddest of the 50s wild decade, the audacious 1959 Cadillac Series 62. The rear of these cars are probably the most photographed tails of all time.Other of the crazy 50s tails included: the 1958 Imperial 4 door Southampton, owned by Ernie and Colleen Stepney; Doug Taylors 1957 Mercury Turnpike; and the 1957 Dodge Custom Royal D-500 of Bob and Josie Cunningham. Similar to the Dodge Custom was the Orange Creamsicle-coloured 1958 DeSoto two-door hardtop Firedome Sportsman owned by LDonna Lynds. This weekend I am going to take a cue from Alyn and enter my old Chevy truck in the Langley Good Times Cruise-In, and look forward to meeting up with all my B.C. Hot Rod Association buddies at 6:45 a.m.at the Starlight Drive-In and all drive in together to park as a group. I have not been able to make it for the last few years but am really looking forward to being an entrant this year. I am going to start the weekend off with a visit to 192th Street in Surrey for the classic Cruise-In held every Friday evening and also to the Currus Metalworks open house. Sunday will probably include a trip down to Cloverdale for the Bill Larson Memorial Pub Run Newton Boys Hot Rod Run Show Shine. For decades the McLander brothers put on this awesome show, and although they are sort of retired it is still a super cool show and there is a great food at the pub. Another good place to eat that has a car show on Sunday is the Cat Fiddle Pub in Port Coquitlam.So the suggestion for this weekend is bring a kid and an appetite!SHOWSSEPT. 6What: Currus Metalworks Open House and Car ShowWhere: 208-19138 26 Ave., SurreyWhen: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.Admission: FreeInfo: 778-545-8422 or george@currusmetalworks.comSEPT. 6-7What: Queen City CruiseWhere: Downtown NelsonWhen: Friday Cruise 2 p.m to 6 p.m. Parade from the Railtown district of downtown Nelson.Saturday show 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Admission: FreeRegistration: Saturday 9 a.m. $25 and open to all vehiclesInfo: 250-551-5848 or info@nelsonroadkings.comWebsite: nelsonroadkings.comSEPT. 7What: Langley Good Times Cruise-InWhere: Downtown AldergroveWhen: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Admission: FreeRegistration: $30Info: 604-371-3770 or registerforlangleycruisein@gmail.comWebsite: langleycruise-in.comWhat: Cars Rods RidesWhere: Archie Browning Curling Rink, 1151 Esquimalt Rd., VictoriaWhen: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Admission: Donations acceptedRegistration: 8 a.m. $5 to support children in the region over the holidays. A cash donation or a new unwrapped toy is appreciated.Info: 250-920-0946 orlorneargyle@gmail.comWebsite: esquimaltlights.ca/car-showWhat: English Car Affair in the ParkWhere: Government House, VictoriaWhen: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Admission: FreeInfo: 250-477-9832, info@oecc.ca or susanchapp@shaw.caWebsite: oecc.caWhat: Endless
Origin: Crescent Beach Concours a stunning end of summer treat

This 1928 Harley Davidson Model JL Special Sport Solo was purchased by Roger Seaholm from Fred Deeleyís Vancouver dealership in 1928.It has narrow fuel tanks, speedster handlebars and a high performance motor with larger inlet valves, a special camshaft and magnesium alloy high compression domed pistons. It also features standard 18-inch wheels as well as a speedometer, luggage carrier, tire pump, side stand and a fire extinguisher, which were special order accessories at the time. The J Range of Harley Davidson was produced from 1915 to 1929.Submitted For classic motorcycle fans, this weekends Crescent Beach Concours dElegance is serving up a 15 beauties from five countries.The 8th annual outdoor show on the grassy lawn of Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach in South Surrey actually marks the 17th year that event organizers have brought together a Labour Day long weekend gathering of collector automobiles and motorcycles, with the first nine taking place on the cobblestone streets of Gastown.This year, as in the past, the spectacular list of entrants80 cars in addition the vintage two-wheelerscome from all over the west coast of North America, and cover a broad span of makes and years and included vehicles that are often rare and seldom seen by the public. There will be six motorcycles built by British manufacturers and representing a wide variety of interests from the land that at one time virtually ruled the roost for motorcycles as transport and sport. Three of these represent the very best England had to offer for fast, efficient road travel for their time. These include two models from AJS, a 1956 Model 30 shown by Ben Bekker and a 1928 K6 shown by John Parsons, and a 1970 Norton Commando shown by master restorer Tony Cording. For fans of sport bikes Tom Nelson will be bringing his 1969 Greeves 380 Griffin, a bike designed specifically for motocross racing and the American desert racer market.Then there is a Brian and Randy Pollocks bikeor is it a car? Depending on where it was registered, the 1932 Morgan Aero Super Sports can be classified as both. This particular three-wheeler is registered as a motorcycle, and represents a unique and innovative vehicle that harkens back to an era when not all machines looked like they came out of the same mould.Rounding out the Brit bikes is a Triumph T160 Rob North Replica built and shown by John Martin. These bikes were raced by Triumph in the early 70s, and this particular example is believed to be the only Rob North special in North America that is street legal.Another rare motorcycle in the show hails from Germany. Alyson Nerkers very rare 1967 BMW R69S is a fine example of the R69 range, which was produced from 1955 to 1969. A 1962 magazine article published in Cycle World stated, It is still the smoothest, best finished, quietest and cleanest motorcycle it has ever been our pleasure to ride.From the land of the Rising Sun we have two bikes, as different as the proverbial chalk and cheese. A much modified 1982 Kawasaki KZ1000S1R Eddy Lawson Replica shown by Steve Willgoose and a 1974 Honda CT70K3 Trail 70 shown by Steve Gurry. The Kawasaki is about as close to a full race bike that can be legally ridden on the street, while the Honda is a charming little machine used for casual riding on streets and trails.From the U.S. there will be three remarkable machines. Representing Harley Davidson, a tasteful and skilfully modified 1992 Sportster Caf Racer shown by Fred Dallyn and a 1928 Model JL shown by Rod Busch. The differences (and similarities) between these two machines are remarkable, but both epitomize everything one can expect from this iconic company. Also from the U.S. is a 1948 Mustang 2 shown by John Crawford. These lightweight motorcycles, said to be named after the famed P51 fighter plane, were built in California from 1946 to 1965. This bike is a much sought after piece of U.S. history. In addition to beautiful bikes, the Crescent Beach show features an eclectic array of very collectible cars, such as this 1938 Steyr 220 Roadster, one of just six ever produced. Cam Hutchins And lastly, from Italy, are three of the very best produced by that country. A 1982 Laverda Mirage 1200 TS will be shown by Robert Smith. Primarily meant for fast cruising, it combines great engineering with superb styling. The 2002 Ducati MH 900 Evoluzione shown by Bill Dickinson and the 1981 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica shown by Rick Crebbin are both a perfect fit in the motorcycle world. They go extremely fast, are extremely beautiful, and sound fantastic, just what you would expect from their country of origin.Returning to the show this this year is well-known motorcycle journalist and photographer Robert Smith as part of the panel of motorcycle judges, joining Steve Harding, Gary Richardson and Alan Comfort.Awards will be presented for first, second and third in the Judged Class and for Best Presented Motorcycle from all motorcycles entered.IF YOU GOWhat:
Origin: Two-wheel heaven at Crescent Beach Concours d’Elegance