John Loudon drove more than 300 miles from Rockville, Md., to attend the first day at the Syracuse Nationals. His car, a black 1968 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, gets about 13 miles per gallon. Even though his hand-restored car is a bit of a gas hog, he would not have traveled to Syracuse any other way. “Gas isn’t a concern,”...
John Loudon drove more than 300 miles from Rockville, Md., to attend the first day at the Syracuse Nationals.
His car, a black 1968 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, gets about 13 miles per gallon. Even though his hand-restored car is a bit of a gas hog, he would not have traveled to Syracuse any other way. “Gas isn’t a concern,” he said. “It’s only a concern to Mr. Obama, not me. As long as I got the money, I’m buying the gas. ... You build them to drive them.”
These sentiments are shared by hundreds of classic car enthusiasts who traveled from Canada, Connecticut, Maryland and Hawaii to show off or sell their cars at the show at the state Fairgrounds. The show, which last year attracted 70,000 people, ends Sunday.
For most owners, this was not their first time. Joe Silva, from Kitchener, Ontario, was on his fourth trip. His 1977 Pontiac Trans Am was on its first.
The car, which cost Silva $1,000, is the same model Burt Reynolds drove in the 1977 film “Smokey and the Bandit.”
“It means a whole lot to me. I’m probably one of the biggest Pontiac fans still going,” said Silva, who was wearing a black Pontiac t-shirt and necklace. “It’s a joy, every year we look forward to this show.”
Even though he respects the environment, Silva believes that his car is more than just a form of transportation. “We’re still keeping something from the old style of life,” he said.
For Ed and Lil Robinson from Wolcott, Conn., their 1964 Chevelle might not be gas efficient, but its tough. “Newer cars are fine in terms of gas mileage,” Ed Robinson said, knocking on the bumper, “but if I hit something, I’m not going to die. This is metal. There’s no plastic anywhere.”
Because most classic car owners, like Michael Bellino from Oahu, Hawaii, only drive them during the summer or good weather, they believe that the effect on the environment is minimal.
“Theses guys aren’t driving them that much so I don’t think they’re effecting our environment that much,” Bellino said.
Fernando Alfonso III can be reached at falfonso@syracuse.com or 470- 6078 .