Sweet Rides by the Seaside

For those who get excited when a hot rod with painted flames on the front wheel wells revs its engine at a stoplight, the 19th  Harbor Run at Channel Islands Harbor was the place to be Sunday.

The Ventura Vintage Rods car club showcased almost 300 pre-1975 hot rods, many with drastic modifications to motors, drive chains, suspensions and bodies. There were also a few that still sported mostly original equipment, such as George Parr’s ’32 Ford Deuce Coupe.

“I built it from the ground up; it’s what keeps my body going,” said the 82-year-old Ventura resident. “The original 1932 flathead V-8 was trashed when I got the car the ’32 had a lot of failures so it was replaced with a 1940 model engine that runs like a dream.

“I also changed the rear-end ratio, but everything else is original, including the Stromberg 97 carburetor. I have fun with it. I drive it about three times a week — drive it to the store and will keep driving it.”

“It’s cool looking,” said Grant Fisher of Simi Valley, gazing at a glossy black 1932 Ford Roadster. Grant, 11, said the Harbor show was his first “old car show.” He said one of his grandfathers is a “Chevy guy, my other grandfather is a Ford guy.”

“I’m a Mustang guy, I won’t ride in a Corvette,” Grant said.

In addition to Corvettes and Mustangs, those who visited the show could check out Chevy  Z28 Camaros, El Caminos, Pontiac GTOs, Dodge Chargers and ’57 Thunderbirds. For those old enough to remember which included a large percentage of the crowd there even was an Edsel Pacer and Studebaker Champion.

But what really drew a crowd in a hurry was when a 900-horsepower Camaro SS race car fired up.

“Damn,” said an onlooker, “that sound gives me goose bumps all over.”

Another car that brought smiles was the show’s only 4-door — a 1946 Ford Super Deluxe woodie owned by Hollywood Beach resident Shane Knight. Knight said he purchased the station wagon — famous for its connection to the Southern California surf scene — a month ago.

“It went through a full frame-off restoration in 2001,” Knight said. “All the wood is original, except for the back gate. It’s powered by a rebuilt 350, plus it’s boxed and channeled.

“It’s good for the family — we have two girls, one 17 months and the other 4 years old — and we like to cruise PCH. Maybe stop at Neptune’s Net or Paradise Cove to eat.

“My oldest daughter loves me to pick her up at pre-school. I can’t wait to have some longboards sticking out the back or on top.”

Charlie Roark, president of Ventura Vintage Rods, said there were close to 300 cars on display Sunday. “Harbor officials tell me it’s the biggest event in the harbor, except for the 4th of July celebration,” he said. “We get tremendous support from businesses, the community and the harbor.”

Roark said the show, which costs about $4,000 to put together, gets so much support because “100 percent of the net proceeds go to charity.”

Last year, proceeds from the car show went to 14 organizations, including the Ventura County Rescue Mission, Meals on Wheels, Prototype Women’s Center, Coalition to End Family Violence, Ventura Vet Center and the Police Activity League.

“We’ll be donating $10,000 to $12,000 this year to nonprofits such as FOOD Share, Kiwanis, Oxnard Fire Department Explorers, Oxnard Police Department’s K-9 program and others we’ll decide on later,” Roark said. “We usually give $1,000 or more to each organization.”