Cruise-ins social events for car lovers

Most Thursday evenings you can find Bob Jenner hanging out at the parking lot of Ron's Drive-In on Sprague, and it ain't for their juicy burgers.

He's leaning against his sunfire-yellow '68 Dodge Charger, a clone of the one he bought brand-new when he was 20, checking out a dark blue '67 Charger parked near his car.

He likes what he sees, and tells the owner.

"You can't walk up to somebody with a (modern) car, who doesn't appreciate this stuff," he said, gesturing to the dozen or so classic cars in the lot, most of which on this particular night are Chargers. "There's nothing to talk to them about."

In the summer there's both a time and a place where Jenner can meet plenty of like-minded folks who appreciate his passion for cars. They're called cruise-ins, a nightly circuit where car aficionados of every make, model and year meet at designated spots throughout Spokane and Kootenai counties.

"(Cruise-ins) kind of make you feel 20 again," Jenner said. "It's about building relationships with people; that's what we're doing right here." Someone honks, driving by the lot. Jenner nods at the driver.

"It's a social hobby," said Dan Vestal, a 31-year-old Rathdrum resident. Vestal was parked at an automotive store when Jon Gibbs noticed his black '69 Charger and invited him to the cruise-in. "You come, look at other people's rides and get ideas what you can do on yours."

Cruise-ins aren't especially unique to Spokane and have been going on for as long as some of the old-timers can remember. But the size of the circuits and number of people who attend them go largely unnoticed by the general public.

"People don't realize the Pacific Northwest has a lot of cars that people work on all the time," said Al Merkel, owner of a silver '69 Charger. "It's part of the culture up here."

Because of the cold winters, car lovers spend all winter cooped up in garages fixing their cars, Merkel said. By summertime, they want to get out and show off what they have.

Hence the cruise-ins.

Gibbs, sporting a '66 Charger with police lights atop the roof, often is honked at and waved to by others on the road. Cruise-ins afford those fans a chance for a closer look at the car, and the driver behind the wheel.

"Girls often come to these cruise-ins," he said with a smile. "That's one of the big draws."

Looking around the lot, the girls are noticeably absent on this night. Where are they?

"I asked myself the same thing," he said.

Cruise-in schedules are fixed but often improvised, usually beginning about 6 p.m. Weekends belong to car shows.

Joe Legault is a Hayden, Idaho, resident recently transplanted from Tacoma. His passion for Chargers since 1980 helped him develop a wealth of relationships, making his transition an easy one.

One quick search on the Internet and he knew he wasn't alone in this area.

"(Cruise-ins) are just another avenue to meet people," he said, admiring the cars of his newfound friends. "A lot of people I've gotten to know over the years start out in a car club and become good friends over the years.

Ultimately, Legault said, a cruise-in is an excuse to socialize.

"The cars bring you in," he said. "but the people bring you back."

This sidebar appeared with the story:

COMING UP

Cruise-ins

Monday nights

Zip's, 12218 N. Market, Mead, 467-2475

D-Lish's Hamburgers, 1625 N. Division, 323-7130

Paul Bunyan, Too, 8625 Government Way, Hayden Lake, Idaho, (208) 762-2320

Tuesday nights

Steer Inn, 3547 N. Market, 484-5602

A&W Drive Inn, 6730 N. Division, 487-1210

Wednesday nights

Hot Rod Cafe, 1610 N. Schneidmiller Ave., Post Falls, (208) 777- 1712

Steer Inn, 7920 N. Division, 467-6823

A&W Drive Inn, 15605 E. Sprague, Veradale, 924-8084

Burger Express, Priest River, (208) 448-2490

Thursday nights

Ron's Drive-in, 12502 E. Sprague, 924-4660

Friday nights

Norm's Burger Barn, 21902 E. Wellesley, Otis Orchards, 926-1965

Copyright 2002 Cowles Publishing Company
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