Five Cool Cars From the two thousand seventeen Woodward Wish Cruise

R OYAL OAK, Michigan – What kind of cars and trucks are you likely to see on Woodward Avenue this weekend? You`ll see the sort of classic cars and trucks that will never show up at the Pebble Beach Concours, because those are trailered, not driven.

Hard-core cruising embarks by the previous weekend, during evenings, tho’. By Saturday, many cruiser cars will be parked at the various retail business lots fronting the broad north-south avenue, inbetween Ferndale and Birmingham, and again up in Pontiac to the north.

One problem we`ve had for years is shooting photos of these cars while on Woodward on the Big Day. You`ll see them in one or two lanes closest to the curb, but with too many modern minivans and SUVs surrounding them, predominant your photo.

This crowding makes it nigh-impossible to get any kind of speed during the peak hours, toughly nine a.m. to seven p.m. Saturday, and with these old cars and trucks, you have to worry about the efficacy of your radiator and fan. So I went out during a duo of weekdays in search of some interesting cruising machines and their owners. Here`s what I found:

1954 Chrysler Fresh Yorker Town & Country (top)

Proprietor: Murray Couch of Porter, Texas

SPECS: Rat Rod, with three hundred fifty four cubic-inch Hemi V-8, seven hundred twenty seven automatic transmission, one thousand nine hundred sixty three Mercury nine-inch rear end.

HOW MANY Wish CRUISES?: «I`ve possessed it six years, and been to Fantasy Cruise three times with this car. I`ve been coming out here about ten years. I drove this from Texas.» (It has air conditioning.)

HE SAYS: «I desired a rat rod. Everyone had a rat rod, I had a bunch of nice-looking cars. I found the bod and framework. There was no engine, transmission, suspension. A dude in Normange, Texas bought ten cars out of Abilene. This is the only one he couldn`t sell. He sold it to me for $500» (but it took Murray three donor cars to build).

I SAY: Possibly the most sublime car on Woodward this weekend.

CRUISE OR PARK ON SATURDAY?: «I`m going to cruise, then park at the car wash» (north of thirteen Mile, on west side of Woodward, near Duggan`s).

1967 Pontiac GTO

Holder: Ken Grace of West Bloomfield, Michigan

SPECS: Original and stock, with 360-hp, four hundred cubic-inch High-Output V-8, four-speed manual gearbox. «Other than radial tires and secretly hidden XM radio, she`s real stock.»

HOW MANY Fantasy CRUISES?: Ken has possessed the car for eighteen years, and brought it to Desire Cruise each of those years.

HE SAYS: «I had a `66 GTO in the ‘60s, when I was youthful and single. I absolutely loved it. I got married and went from a GTO to a Vega. My wifey told me to find one. It took me three years. I dreamed a convertible, a `66 or `67, it didn`t matter, and a four-speed.»

I SAY: I couldn`t stand against featuring this iconic muscle car in the year of its fifty th bday.

CRUISE OR PARK ON SATURDAY?: «I have to park. It`s unlikely to cruise. You have to worry about overheating. If it was just cruisers (on Woodward on Saturday) we could do it.»

1963 Ford Fairlane five hundred 2-door hardtop

Holder: Jerry Worful of Detroit

SPECS: three hundred two cubic-inch V-8, «most likely more than three hundred hp,» Toploader four-speed manual, GT40 goes, 1.6:1 rocker arm ratio.

HOW MANY Wish CRUISES: Possessed for twenty years as of last February; «basically twenty years on Woodward.»

HE SAYS: «I dreamed a car, and this boy had a car that was all-original. He had bought it for his son, but the son`s friends laughed at him because it wasn`t an S-10 or Camaro. He paid $Three,000; I gave him $1,500.»

I SAY: It`s a good, less-expensive alternative to an early Mustang.

CRUISE OR PARK ON SATURDAY?: «I`ll be home at the garage, working. I restore stainless steel aluminum trim for classic cars.»

1971 Oldsmobile ninety eight Luxury Sedan 2-door hardtop

Proprietor: Tony Yauch of Warren, Michigan

SPECS: All original, with four hundred fifty five cubic-inch four-barrel V-8, dual exhausts, three-speed automatic transmission, 44,500 miles.

HOW MANY Fantasy CRUISES?: «I`ve possessed it thirteen years. I`ve come to Woodward with it all thirteen years. Bought it at thirteen Mile and Woodward, where the Kroger used to be.»

HE SAYS: «I paid $6,600 for the car. I think I got ripped off.» [Sticker price fresh was $6,671.34 with options.]

I SAY: There`s nothing more evocative of the pre-OPEC embargo era than a Five,000-pound, 225-inch-long full-size-plus luxury car with two doors.

CRUISE OR PARK ON SATURDAY?: «Cruise it during the week, then park it and run my `07 Mustang convertible on Saturday. [The Olds] needs at least ninety three Octane to make it run. I can`t keep pulling down $80 into the tank.

Jeep Quicksand two thousand seventeen Moab Easter Safari Concept

Holder: Fiat Chrysler of Auburn Hills, Michigan

SPECS: Chopped, extended-wheelbase Jeep Wrangler with aluminum doors, redesigned grille, three hundred ninety two cubic-inch Hemi V-8 crate motor, ‘haul chute` rear recovery cable, Warn winch, Moon tank, staggered 32-inch front outer diameter, 37-inch rear outer diameter BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tires.

HOW MANY Desire CRUISES?: If certain unnamed people can sneak this and five other Moab concepts out, this will be its very first.

I SAY: A good way to build anticipation for the imminent unveiling of the all-new, aluminum-bodied two thousand eighteen Jeep Wrangler. Described as an «off-road dragster,» it`s the ideal Jeep for the Woodward Avenue Wish Cruise. Just don`t ask its driver to attempt smoky burnouts with those tires.

CRUISE OR PARK ON SATURDAY?: Witness for it on Woodward Avenue this Saturday. If it`s not raining.

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