Classic car cruise-in was
a blast from the past    

[AUG. 26, 2003]  Beach Boys music, fuzzy dice and hot cars surrounded the Logan County Courthouse lawn Sunday. Some 130 entries into the annual classic car cruise took locals back to simpler times.

One such cruiser was owned by Ivan Tripplett of Lincoln. Ivan parked his dark blue and vanilla bottom 1948 Chevy pickup on the south side of the square. This golden oldie has all the amenities of a modern coupe but is a sweet ride for Ivan and his wife, Joann.

He reported that his baby sports a 350 Chevy block engine, automatic transmission, and cruise control, as well as power windows and locks. Ivan, who retired from Myers Industries several years ago, has taken his new beauty to eight classic car shows this summer, winning a trophy for "A Fine Ride" in Petersburg.

The truck is appraised at $28,000 and is the second classic car that Tripplett has rebuilt. "I do all my own labor -- that's the fun of it," he chuckled. He is now ready to sell this giddyup and buy another fixer-upper.

His wife, Joann, smiled as Ivan talked about the drives they have taken together.

Another cruiser is Lincoln resident Mike Buttell. He and wife Juanita purchased a 1952 Dodge Coronet last year and have been slowly fixing it up. The Sentinel Green machine has all the original parts, and he wants to re-chrome and paint it.

Buttell is a member of the Railsplitter Antique Car Club. He has also collected antique tractors. He states that the Coronet is the first original antique car he has owned, but he has restored other classics, such as a '68 Chevelle, '70 Charger and a "sweet" '70 Camaro Z28.

Picking a favorite out of this collection of cars would be difficult. The glisten of the paint jobs and the roar of the engines take an observer back to an era of drive-ins, soda shops and good ole rock 'n' roll.

[Patricia Rankin]