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Revved up for vets
By Sean Barron
CORTLAND
In addition to their eye- pleasing qualities for many, a variety of old vehicles served as the colorful backdrop for a new event to assist those who have served our country.
“We want to help vets so they have a place to stay,” Nicolle Stanton said, referring to a main goal of the first Rockabilly Ruckus Car Cruise at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds on Everett Hull Road.
Stanton and her husband, Ed Stanton, own Warren-based E&N Vintage Entertainment LLC, which hosted the three-day event that began Friday and wrapped up Sunday.
The gathering also was an attempt to bring to the area vintage dirt-track racing with pre-1964 vehicles and promote rockabilly music, Nicolle explained.
The rockabilly style is one of the earliest types of rock ’n’ roll that developed in the early 1950s. The musical form often blended gospel, blues and country sounds prevalent during that time, and its most-famous practitioners include Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Dozens of attendees bid on vintage items such as old pinstriped suitcases, helmets, trunks and signs during an auction Sunday afternoon, the proceeds of which are to go to the Warrior Foundation’s Tri-State Post, Nicolle noted.
The post in many ways resembles a support group but also is dedicated to helping and empowering post-9/11 veterans and their families in Northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, especially those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Services include home improvements, outreach, grants and therapeutic needs, according to the organization’s website.
The car show and cruise brought in about $2,300 Saturday for that effort, Stanton said, adding that nearly 200 vehicles were on display, including a few from as far away as Canada.
A sample of vintage vehicles featured Sunday were a two-door 1961 station wagon, a 1954 Bel Air sheriff’s department vehicle, a gray 1967 Chevrolet, a light-green 1963 Bel Air model, a two-seat turquoise 1930 car nicknamed “Drag’n Slayer with an attached camper and a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle that Geoff Tuttle owns.
“I saw it on the side of the road and I went to the owner, but he wasn’t home,” the Niles man recalled.” So I left my number and before I got home, he called, so I came out and got it.”
Tuttle, who served in the Army from 2000 to 2003, said he’s always had a special affinity for Volkswagens. After buying his about five years ago, he redid much of the front end and underbelly of the car, which has a new, 1,600 cubic-centimeter motor and a dual carburetor, Tuttle continued, adding that he also applied light-blue paint over the original white.
In addition, the building in which the auctions took place was converted to a “pinup palace,” for women to get their hair and makeup done for free. Afterward, each had an opportunity to pose in front of the vintage vehicle of her choice to be a pinup model for a day, Nicolle explained.
Such models often were used in ads for what are now considered classic and vintage cars.
Also on hand were barbers who provided free haircuts and shaves reminiscent of styles of bygone days, she added.
Plenty of merchandise was for sale, such as Hot Wheels sets, individual model cars for $2 and $3 apiece, large monster trucks for $15 each and a model wrestling ring and plastic replicas of wrestlers.
Nicolle also praised Cassandra Seth of Pennsylvania, who served as auctioneer. Seth has conducted auctions for about 20 years and often donates her time to events such as this weekend’s car cruise, Stanton said.