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   Vancouver Island Region

                  Chrysler Products Restorers Club

  
Established 1981

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Tom McCahill

           
                     July 24-26-2014  WPC Northwest Regional Meet,

                        Parksville, BC  "Mopars and Sandcastles"  on Vancouver Island, off Canada's southwest coast.

 

We'd been planning this meet for almost a year,  and the day finally came on Thursday July 24th.   WPC Member friends from Washington, Oregon and BC began arriving at the host hotel starting at noon,  and everyone had arrived by late afternoon. After a Monsoon on Wednesday - that many people were caught in driving through Oregon, Washington and BC,  the rains dried up on Thursday thankfully with intermittent sun and clouds.   Thursday afternoon we had a tour to a local private Bone Yard, in Errington,  the home of Mr. Joe Pullen who has about 200 cars in the back of his acreage - many of which are Chrysler Forward Look and later vehicles as well as many Cadillacs and other GM and a handful of Ford Products.   Most are rusting away in the field but there are many salvageable parts.  Prior to this none of us had ever had the opportunity to visit Joe's place before so this was a complete surprise to us and it was absolutely thrilling to see so many of these old cars in one spot.    Joe is restoring a 1957 DeSoto Adventurer.   Needless to say those who arrived at the hotel early in the day had a great time wandering through Joe's acreage.  

Thursday evening brought our Annual Ice Cream Social, hosted at Parksville Chrysler.  We had command of the showroom and parking lot and a great time was had by all who attended.   After we finished there we took a tour 5 miles up the road to the town of Qualicum Beach and parked our cars right in front of the beach for a relaxing time of viewing and chatting about the day, and the cars.

Friday Morning dawned,  still with some gray skies but NO rain.  We met at 9 AM and toured to the McLean Steam Sawmill in Port Alberni,  a National Historic Site,  approximately 33 miles away, right in the forest.  When the McLean Family closed the mill in 1965 they simply left all the equipment on site.  A group of historically minded men decided that it would be a great idea to keep it operational and the rest is history.   We had a live demonstration of a Steam Donkey and of the mill actually milling raw lumber from the forest nearby.   Lumber is milled and sold on site.   Lunch was provided by the Steam Pot Cafe on site.  After leaving the mill many of us stopped in Coombs for a bit of shopping and Ice Cream at the Country Market,  featuring goats on the roof.    Friday evening was free time to wash cars,  see local attractions in Parksville such as the International Sandcastle Competition.  

Saturday was the day of the car show.   With approximately 30 WPC members'  cars on the field at Coombs Rodeo Grounds and another 62 MoPars  that dropped in for the show we had a total of 92 MoPars on the field by late morning.  All in all it was a great day.  Weather cleared even more with a day of mostly sunshine with a few cloudy periods to dispel the sun's heat.    We had one gentleman? arrive in a late 70s Dodge Aspen with 2 friends driving Brand X cars.  We explained that it was an event only open to Mopars.  (It was heavily advertised as such).   Well this fellow was not too pleasant, ranted, raved and swore at us,  and said a club like ours would never be able to fill the field with just MoPars.   How wrong he was.   

Saturday afternoon we announced winners of the drop ins right on the field and presented them with their trophies.   Most people left around 2 PM and members went back to the the hotel to freshen up or take in the local attractions.   Happy Hour was at 6 PM at the Coast Quality Inn across the street from our host hotel,  and the catered buffet banquet started at 7 PM.   A delicious meal was enjoyed by all, and after dinner was over we presented the Trophies won by club members and had a little entertainment by the Fabulous MoPar PentaStars singing a repertoire of spoof songs,  and ventriloquist Gary Green had us laughing with his clever act.    Many door prizes were given out - in fact I think just about everyone got a door prize.

Sunday Morning dawned with completely clear blue skies and by mid morning it proved to be a gorgeous hot summer day.   Members departed from the host hotel and we waved some on as we passed them on the highway south. 

All in all it was a very successful weekend, enjoyed by all except our one complainer.   Many thanks go to all who planned this meet and show,  and thanks to all who attended to make it a huge success.  

Until Next Year, in Oregon,  Ian 

 

Show Winners:    No best of class judging,  just the peoples' Favorites as follows: 

(2 of each except for hard luck, long distance and Spirit of the Meet Award)

2  Favorite Plymouths

Paul and Emmy Knight, 1955 Plymouth Belvedere 2 door HT

Dave and Diane Crawford,   1950 Plymouth Suburban Wagon

2  Favorite Dodges

Jack & Shirley Perry, 1962 Dodge Polara convertible

Ron & Jean Wenzel,  1960 Dodge Polara four door hardtop

2  Favorite DeSotos

Barrett and Shirley Taft,  1959 DeSoto Firedome sedan,

Paul & Marja Mitchell,  1958 DeSoto Fireflite 2 door hardtop

2  Favorite Chryslers

Frank Daly, 1958 Chrysler 300-D

Ian & Shannon Smale,  1960 Chrysler Saratoga 2 door hardtop

2  Favorite 2 tone Paint   Schemes

Ian & Shannon Smale,  1960 Chrysler Saratoga 2 door hardtop

Paul & Marja Mitchell,  1958 DeSoto Fireflite 2 door hardtop

2  Favorite Engine Compartments 

Frank Daly, 1958 Chrysler 300-D

 Larry Zappone,  1956 DeSoto Adventurer

Hard Luck

Rod Walker   - 1977 Chrysler Cordoba  (Differential howl )

 

Long Distance (Driven to meet)

Dick Romm & Norm Purdy  1952 Plymouth Suburban Wagon

 

Spirit of the meet Award

Kit Carson  -  over 90 years old, drove his 1965 Valiant Convertible to the meet.

 

  BELOW:  the tour to the private Bone Yard of Joe Pullen, in Errington,  Thursday afternoon. 

                                Top 2 photos are of members cars who have arrived on site.

  

 

Below  - Cars  parked at the host Hotel,  the Parksville Travelodge, Thursday July 24th,  and at the Parksville Chrysler Ice cream Social at 7 PM

 

 

 

 

 Below - Late Thursday Evening Tour to the  town of Qualicum Beach.  

Cars are parked right at the beach.

 

 

 

Below- Friday Tour to the McLean Steam Sawmill. 

This Mill is a National Historic site and the ONLY working Steam Sawmill in Canada.

 

  Above -  A minor problem with the Voltage Regulator on a 56 Adventurer.
 

       

Below - a comparison of a 300-D  and a 1958 DeSoto.

 

 

 

     Saturday -  The Car Show  at Coombs Rodeo Grounds  10 AM till 2 PM

 

 

Below - Registration Table at Show.

 

 

Below-  Banquet and Entertainment  

 

 

 

Below:   the MoPar PentaStars and Ventriloquist Gary Green ( Papa  G)