Popular La Conner boat and car show truly classic

They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

That was a refrain heard often last weekend by those singing the praises of vintage vessels and vehicles headlining the 18th annual La Conner Classic Boat & Car Show.

But, as the large crowd that strolled the Port of Skagit’s La Conner Marina south basin parking lot can attest, yesterday’s stylish boats and cars can be remade to look brand new.

Cool cars and boats displayed on sunbaked pavement, coupled with Beach Boys hits and other Golden Oldies blasting in the background, made for a truly classic event.

Billed as one of the Northwest’s best summertime boat and car exhibits, the La Conner show kicked off with the “Ride to the Rex” cruise on Friday night.

That was followed on Saturday by a six-hour exhibition that highlighted historic designs and linked generations of watercraft and auto enthusiasts.

The John Hacker designed Greyhound, a “Gentlemen’s Racing Runabout,” one of the fastest boats on Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’ Alene in the Roaring 20s, was a big show favorite.

Built in 1921, the 33-foot Greyhound is now owned by noted boat restorer Alan Thomle of Stanwood. It boasts a splendid mix of cypress, oak and African mahogany woodworking, and still reaches speeds up to 40 mph.

La Conner’s Dan Jensen was among those locals who admired the Greyhound’s blend of custom craftsmanship and sheer power after having toured the large car display area nearby.

In contrast to Jensen, always familiar in a crowd, was the appearance of a far less visible La Conner celebrity.

The Swinomish Sloughmander came out of hiding, unable to resist the show’s appeal, drawn especially to an elaborately decorated 1930 Ford co-owned by Stanwood’s Lyn Nelson.

Nelson said the sleek Model A hits 70 mph on the highway after having logged 92,000 road miles. But its most distinctive feature is its paint job, sporting a series of Northwest images illustrated more than 40 years ago by Oregon artist Keith Berringer.

The back of the Ford’s rumble seat is adorned with a view of Mount Hood and the Columbia Gorge, a scene that changes when the seat is folded, a demonstration Nelson gave for the Sloughmander and others.

“I really love this show,” said Nelson, who has made La Conner a regular summer stop the past five years. “The people here are great.”

She included the Sloughmander in that number.

“Your wife’s name is Sally, isn’t it?” she asked him at one point.

Indeed, many of the La Conner show’s entrants are virtually wedded to their hobby. Ed Hanks of Lynden spent 15 years restoring his “mostly Ford” roadster pickup.

Domestic models, like Nelson’s and Hanks’, were joined by rare imports.

Dave and Leslie Borg of Camano Island brought in a five-speed 1962 Morris Minor convertible, situated across the lot from a blue 1966 Sunbeam, showing that the famed British Invasion wasn’t limited to rock groups.

While the show attracted owners and exhibitors from throughout the region, a number made short drives to the marina.

Dan and Debbie Byrd of La Conner entered their 1956 Ford F-100 pickup and 1999 Mustang Cobra convertible. La Conner’s Stu Gustafson brought his Type 65 Shelby Daytona coupe. Rod Kirkwood, also a local, showed his 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

That’s just to name a few.

In fact, one could spend the entire day at the show and not see everything. Not that anyone complained.

La Conner’s Lisa Judy pretty much summed things up.

“Good times, cool cars, cool friends, and hot pavement,” she said afterward. “What’s not to like?”