RENO, NV (Aug. 3) — August means the start of the 10-day festival celebrating classic cars known as Hot August Nights. While it’s not the only thing HAN is pretty much the main attraction.
• Friday began with a Show ‘N’ Shine at Summit Racing Products in Sparks. The turnout was pretty good with both trucks and cars on display.
One of those was a Ford pick up that has been altered just a bit.
Another was a very modified 1937 Ford. That drew a lot of attention.
- Later that day the Old Slammers Club decided to get in once last cruise before HAN really got going. They meet at the Northtown Shopping Center.
- The club not only has American cars but also features many restored and altered VW’s.
• Not much on Saturday but on Sunday two groups had their first car meet of the month. One was Reno Jeeps & Coffee.
The other was Reno Cars & Coffee. There was a pretty good turn out of cars. One of them was a beautiful Toyota Supra.
The Supra was clean and even the motor was clean and easy to see as the hood was up.
One of the more unusual vehicles was this camper on a 4X4 pickup chassis. Looked like it could go anywhere.
• The biggest show, outside of the HAN in Virginia City was at the Bonanza Casino on North Virginia. It was the annual “Cruisin’ for the Cure,” show to benefit the Prostrate Cancer Foundation and the event was part of the HAN Event Series.
The event fills up the entire north parking lot and has all sorts of cars. One of them is owned by a Raider’s fan.
Most cars have been sold or bought by their current owners but there are exceptions. One of them is Melvin Wallila, who owns a 1972 Plymouth “Cuda.”
“Bought it brand new, off the showroom floor in November of ’71. It’s only got 35,000 original miles on it and it’s pretty stock the way I bought it, has a few added things but not very much.
“Has a 4-speed manual transmission, 355 gears in the rear end with a posit traction rear end, 340 engine. When I first bought it drove it for about eight years as it was my car that I drove around. The last seven or eight years I just drive it to shows. Got a lot of power to it and goes real well.”
There was also a long Corvette row. Some of them had their hoods up so people could see the motors…