Since 2005, the 28th Street Metro Cruise has been an annual event put on by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, but “cruising 28th Street” has been a “thing” long before then — people have grown up cruising up and down 28th Street, maybe first with their father and now with their children.
Cruisers have long considered 28th Street a memorable place for car lovers, particularly around the Rogers Plaza area in Wyoming, and “Bringing car lovers together to celebrate this long-standing tradition was the foundation for the current event,” the chamber states on their website.
And WKTV Community Media has been covering the 28th Street Metro Cruise since its inception.
“WKTV Community Media has for nearly half a century been part of the Wyoming and Kentwood community and, with Metro Cruise being one of largest gatherings of our community, we have a long history with the event,” Tom Norton, general manger of WKTV Community Media, said. “We have covered it in many ways over the years. Rain or shine. Big and smaller. The cars change but our commitment to coverage has not.”
For just a sampling of WKTV’s coverage, and some recent YouTube highlights, see the following links:
The History of Metro Cruise
Even in the COVID-19 year of 2020, WKTV got creative and still offered up a show.
In 2017, a car show met Hollywood premiere as WKTV brought classic vehicles to the red carpet.
In 2018, WKTV looked at what “classic sports and performance cars” might look like in the future.
Historic Metro Cruise photos, from 2013-15. (Courtesy of WKTV)
By WKTV Staff
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the local community saw what turned out to be a brief interruption to the annual pilgrimage of classic cars to one of the busiest strips in the State of Michigan — 28th Street in Wyoming and Kentwood.
This year, though, the 28th Street Metro Cruise will be in full swing again this August. And, to start the celebration of cars, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce announces the return of the “dust off” event on Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Wyoming Moose Lodge #763, at 2630 Burlingame Ave. SW, in Wyoming.
At the event, classic car owners will have that first spring opportunity to roll their rides back down the street to be admired and, as the Carly Simon song says, “get a few eyeballs” on them.
And as vaccinations continue to filter through the general population and with CDC further relaxing mask requirements among vaccinated people, the hope among organizers is that turn out will be large and even larger for the return of the 28th Street Metro Cruise, Aug. 27 and 28. While social distancing will still be respected, the entire event Saturday, May 1, will be out of doors. For more information, visit the Metro Cruise website at 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.
Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet is expected to be on display at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Anybody who has rebuilt a classic car will tell you there are somethings that just have to be modernized, that some of the original mechanicals simply can no longer be renovated.
That is especially true with classic pickups, most of which were bought and used as work vehicles — farm vehicles often — including Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet, a now annual visitor at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise, this year on Aug. 23-24.
So while “Old Yeller” carries much history with it — including its original bright yellow paint job and his mother’s graduation tassel hanging from its rear view mirror — it also carries something few classic pickups possess: a fuel system running off of ethanol.
“It’s named ‘Old Yeller’ because it had that name, that color, when we bought it,” Miller said to WKTV. But in another way it is very, very different from when it was new or when it came into the family.
A Quick Fuel Technology carburetor, some new fuel lines and cleaned the fuel tank allows the vehicle to run on 85 percent ethanol . (Supplied)
“One of the interesting things is I converted it to E85,” he said. “I put a Quick Fuel (Technology) carburetor on it. Replaced the fuel lines and cleaned the fuel tank. It runs great on 85 percent ethanol and that is the only fuel I run through it now. That is kind of a thing (when he shows it off). I’m an ethanol producer, we have the NuVu (Fuels) gas stations, and we wanted to do a little bit of proving that ethanol can run great on older vehicles. It burns really clean and has good power.”
While the ’55 may have modern technology and a little bit of modern purpose associated with it, it also carries a family history that will be passed on in the family, Miller said.
“My father bought the truck in 1992, 27 years ago, in Bismarck, North Dakota … It was his favorite year of pickup. He was a Chevy guy for a lot of years,” Miller said. “But it had basically sat in a barn, in storage, for 15 years in Bismarck … I have had an interest in older vehicles, and have redone a number of vehicles — a ’74 Corvette, a ’68 Camaro — so I asked my brothers to ship that truck to me.”
As with almost any classic car rebuilt, the vehicle was in worse shape than he thought when it was finally parked in his garage — “A lot of pickups were used as farm trucks and they were really abused. I think they are more rare than the cars. … just preserving the history and keeping them on the road.
Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet “Old Yeller”. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“I spent the winter of 2016, into 2017, just going through all the mechanical. Brakes. We added power steering. Radiator. Rims and tires. Took the dash out if it, got all the old gages working. … We were having trouble with the original straight six cylinder motor and we put a Crate 350 in it. So it has a little more horsepower. So, just got it road worthy. … Now it’s a great cruiser. We use it on the Interstate. It’ll run 75 miles an hour down the road.”
And with a reminder of its family history hanging from its rearview mirror, it will likely stay cruising down the Miller family road for a while.
“When my dad first bought it, my mom put her 1970 graduate class tassel on the rear view mirror and that would never be touched by our family. That stays there,” he said. “This truck will go down to my brother’s son, or my son. It will stay in the family.”
WKTV Community Media will produce a 1-hour special live broadcast scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, on WKTVLive.org as well as on WKTV Comcast Cable Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and, later on demand at WKTV.org.
For more information Metro Cruise 2019, visit the chamber’s website at southkent.org and keep up on the latest news of Metro Cruise and DreamWheels at WKTVjournal.org.
Doug Deweerdt’s history with his 1951 Chevrolet pickup is not unlike a lot of stories about guys rebuilding classic cars — it started out with rusty years in a pole barn somewhere, it’s always more work than they initially thought, and it often has a strong family connection.
But the story of Doug’s dad wanting to leave classic cars to both sons, and his deceased dad’s involvement Deweerdt’s rebuilding process, is unique.
“My father picked this vehicle up, probably, about 30 years ago, for him and I to restore,” Deweerdt said to WKTV. “He already had a 1947 Dodge business coupe. He picked up the truck for he and I to do, so my brother would get the car and he’d leave the truck to me.
“Well, life and kids got in the way and it sat in his pole barn for like 20 years, then he pushed it off into my garage for like five or six (years). He passed away in January 2013 and in December I decided, you know, its time to do the truck.”
While he was working on the renovation of the truck, done in about 2-1/2 years, he was constantly reminded of his father, though.
Deweerdt spent “a lot of time in the shop, after work,” working on the pickup, he said. And “I’ve got a picture of him standing next to his ’47 that hung on my shop wall the entire time,” — his voice trailing off in memories — “there is definitely a connection.”
The process of rebuild
Deweerdt, who is plant manager of Grand Rapids’ tortilla maker El Milagro of Michigan, Inc., told us the story of the actual work required that involved both family and a new friend.
“At the time (he started the rebuild) I had an acquaintance that had built a couple (cars), Jeff Myles, and I asked if he would stop by and take a look at it. You know, give me some ideas,” he said. “So he did, and, you know, in talking to him, I asked him if he would mentor me. I told him I’m not asking him to help me, just kind of walk me through certain sections of it. Which he did, and he’s become a very, very good friend of mine now.”
While Deweerdt did “about 90 percent of the work,” including a frame swap, to give him more modern brakes and other mechanicals, he finished it with a special paint job from a shop in Muskegon. He has been showing the ’51 for three years.
“I tried to keep it as original as I could,” he said. “A lot of guys really modify the bodies, shave the doorhandles and all of that. I really didn’t want to do that. I really wanted to keep it as original as possible and yet I wanted that look (pointing to the vehicle) and I wanted a more modern-day ride, with the suspension.”
And then there is the wood bed
One other thing that is not “original” is the truck’s bed — but that, too, is more a personal story.
“The bed wood, we get a ton of complements on that,” Deweerdt said. “A lot of them just do the normal wood shade. … (but) I had seen a sample of the dark wood on the internet. My wife piddles with woodworking, we both do. So I gave her a sample of the wood and said ‘This is what I want.” And she played around with a couple different combinations and this is what we came up with. … we get a lot of people commenting on that.”
And there will broadly be more comments on the ’51 at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise on Aug. 23-24.
WKTV Community Media will produce a 1-hour special live broadcast scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, on WKTVLive.org as well as on WKTV Comcast Cable Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and, later on demand at WKTV.org.
For more information Metro Cruise 2019, visit the chamber’s website at southkent.org and keep up on the latest news of Metro Cruise and DreamWheels at WKTVjournal.org .
Wyoming resident Anbrocio Ledesma remembers as a young boy going down to the local party store and getting the latest copy of “Lowrider” magazine.
“I would flip through the pages, looking at the cars and think to myself, ‘One day, I am going to have one of those cars,’” he said.
Anbrocio Ledesma with his 1951 Chevy Deluxe
Not an uncommon dream for a young Mexician-American boy from a family of six living in the Grand Rapids area. In fact, the time that Ledesma was growing up, the popularity of lowriders — a car that sits low to the ground and often has hydraulics to raise and lower the car — in the late 1970s and early 1980s, lowriders had become part of the mainstream car culture thanks in part to “Lowrider” magazine.
“It’s a dream to have one of these, to have a lowrider,” said Holland resident Pablo Lopez, who is considered the founder of the West Michigan lowrider movement. Lopez owns a 1963 Impala SS that has taken him about 30 years to get “where I can say it is done.”
Lowriders came out of post World War II with the Mexican-American Barrios of East Los Angeles credited with creating this unique take on an automobile. It was the mid-1940s, Detroit had moved back into production of cars with a lot of used cars available on the market. Returning Mexican-American veterans applied their mechanic skills to build lowriders, filling the trunks with sandbags and cutting the spring coils to make the cars go as low to the ground as possible. “They are low and slow,” Lopez said.
There was backlash to the new style and in 1958 California lawmakers passed a vehicle code making it illegal to drive a car with any part lower than the bottom of the wheel’s rims. That combined with the fact that lowriders would scrap the ground lead to customizer Ron Aquirre to develop new hydraulic techniques to lower and raise a car with a flip of a switch. Salvage yards became popular as young lowrider enthusiasts looked for hydraulic pumps from lift gates and aircrafts.
“In order for it to be a lowrider, it has to have hydraulics,” Lopez said. “At least according to me.”
Pablo Lopez with his 1963 Chevy Impala SS.
Lopez’s car, built in the L.A style, is what one would expect a Lowrider to be. It features wire rims, 13-inch wheels, with a 327 V8 engine. Custom paint by his son Manny Lopez tells the story of Lopez’s heritage and life including the loss of his daughter Rosa Linda Lopez at age 37 to cancer. Even the inside is customized from the poke-dotted red suede seats to a 1940s microphone as the gearshift. The car also includes a record player that plays 45s, brass skulls on the door locks, and fringe on the mirrors.
Ledesma never gave up on his goal of owning a lowrider and while in the process of searching for a 1964 Chevy Impala — ideal for lowering because of its x-frame — he was given the opportunity to purchase a 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe. Called a Bombita, It took Ledesma “a good 10 years” to get the car to where it is now. It is a light metallic purple, paint done by Ted Aguliar, with silver accents and white interior. It has a 327 engine out of 1967 Corvette.
To create a smoother ride, Ledesma did take out his hydraulics for air bags. “That and when the line breaks with air bags, it’s just air coming out,” Ledesma said. “With hydraulics, when the line breaks, you have a mess to clean up.”
Both Ledesma and Lopez said that while there are still lowriders around, the interest has waned.
“It is a real expensive hobby to get into,” Lopez said, adding it is the reason why it can take several years for a person to get a car completely transformed. “Many of those I worked with have gotten married, gone off to college, started families and they just can’t financially keep it up.”
Even for Lopez, he didn’t get involved in the hobby until after his children were grown.
“I saw these antennas at a show in Lansing,” Lopez said pointing to an antenna from a 1956 Oldsmobile. “They were $90 at the time. I had enough money to either get the antennas or a hotel room for the night. I bought the antennas, drove all the way home and then came back to the show the next day.”
Lowriders are also associated with bad behavior which Lopez said those who own them are not interested in working with “bad kids.” “I’m not interested in helping bad kids,” said Lopez whose family owned Familia Lopez Slow & Low. “This isn’t about that. It’s about tradition, It’s about family. It’s about talking to people and having them sit in the car and connecting with each other.”
Make sure to check out the “DreamWheels” show which will be broadcasting live Saturday, Aug. 27 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Pal’s Diner, 6503 28th St. SE, and Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The show will air Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25.
At its base, a car is a machine built of metal with an ability to transport people from point A to point B. However, cars — especially classic cars — are never seen at their base level. For some, cars are an expression of individuality. A way to make a statement on their own personality and interests. For others, cars are a model of engineering at its finest and how far that engineering can be pushed.
For Dom Federico, cars are works of art.
“I just love them, and when I got this car and I looked at that fin,” said Dom with his finger pointed towards a fin on a beautiful teal 1961 Cadillac Convertible, “All of a sudden I realized that what I really was doing wasn’t collecting cars, but collecting art. Each one of these is an art form, if you look at the faces of each one of these cars, each one is completely different.”
Dom and his wife have been collecting art since 1973 with the goal focused on every car as an individual. Their private garage houses more than 30 unique and classic cars, but simply filling the garage was never the focus. Instead of seeking out cars one by one, Dom waits until the cars “find him.”
His approach stems from Saturdays in August during his childhood where he would take his bike from one car dealership to another in hopes of seeing the new cars set to be unveiled and introduced in September. Throughout August, the new cars would be in the back with high canvas coverings on the chain link fences to conceal the cars. Dom would climb the fences just to get a look at what was in store for the next year, and when the right car came along, it left an impact.
“When the ’63 Corvette came out, I stayed in the showroom for hours. I couldn’t stop looking at it because of the artwork of it,” he said.
Those late summer Saturdays led to an infatuation that couldn’t be quelled with a single car. What started as one car eventually became two, and then three, until one day Dom finally came to the realization — thanks to his daughter — that what he owned was a little more than an extension of a normal garage.
“When I got to 10 cars, my daughter who was 8 at the time, said to me, ‘Dad, we’re in double-digits.’ And it hit me.”
Dom’s interest and passion had become a collection, something worthy of sharing with others around him. His garage has hosted parties and charity events with the cars as the main attraction, but one of his favorite showcases is the 28th Street Metro Cruise and on the red carpet at DreamWheels!. Since the inception of Metro Cruise in 2005, Dom has only missed one year and loves sharing his artwork with people who truly appreciate cars.
Lately, Dom’s participation in Metro Cruise has shifted towards being an annual member on the red carpet at WKTV’s DreamWheels!. This year he plans on bringing his ’79 Ferrari.
“We had been to Metro Cruise multiple times in the past and actually stopped going because it became too crowded to even drive cars. With DreamWheels!, we can still drive our cars and show them off. It’s kind of like a tradition now.”
Make sure to check out the “DreamWheels!” show which will broadcast live Saturday, Aug. 27 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Pal’s Diner, 6503 28th St. SE, and Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The show will air Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25.
Some people restore cars. Barry Brown and his wife Sam Choi-Brown took it one step further — they restored a diner.
“Diners fit with cars, cars fit with diners,” said Brown, the owner of Pal’s Diner, 6503 28th St SE, the home of this year’s “DreamWheels!” production. “They’re both restored items. They’re both unique to look at.”
Those classic American diners that dotted much of the United States landscape in the fifties and sixties actually were an extension of the wagon carts that would come to sell food to employees at businesses and manufacturing sites. Walter Scott is credited with creating the first diner in 1872, a horse-pulled wagon he would bring to employees at the Providence Journal in Rhode Island.
However, it wasn’t until the late 1930s that the diner began to be prefabricated into the familiar shape of a railroad car.
“People often think that the diners were old railway cars,” Brown said. “They weren’t. They were just designed to look that way.”
In fact, it was Roland Stickney who inspired by the streamlined trains, especially the Burlington Zephyr, who designed a diner in the shape of railroad car calling it the Sterling Streamliner. That railroad-style would carry on much through the history of the classic diner until about the 1970s when fast food restaurants began to dominate.
Like a mobile home, the original diner is narrow and elongated to allow for roadway transportation. In fact, it was by road in 1993 that the Browns transported Pal’s Diner from New Jersey to Grand Rapids. It was a 950-mile trip that included getting permission from four state road commissions to shut down major roadways and utilize the highways, not to mention a cost that was well into six figures.
And while the move was about 23 years ago, Brown can still remember it like it had happened yesterday.
“It took a lot of guts,” Brown said with a laugh. “But I will tell you that Sam and I were partners in this together. I sat down with her and we talked about it and we knew, that if we did this, we had to be partners.”
The couple could sense that if they did not move the now 62-year-old diner it would be lost like so many others. The land lease where the diner sat in New Jersey was up. Several others had looked at moving it, but passed. The Browns were the last ditch effort to save it with Pal’s former patrons and staff knowing it.
“It was a sad day when it left New Jersey, but it was good because it was going to be saved,” Brown said.
When the diner finally got here was when the real work started for the Browns because just like a classic car, to rebuild you have to start from the ground up taking everything down and putting it all back together the right way. The restoration and finding its current home took about three years.
Now open since 1996, Pal’s Diner succeeds in allowing each visitor to touch the past. Like traditional diner floor plans, the service counter dominates. Accented in pinks, seating is along the sides of the car with a Wall of Fame area — featuring pictures of celebrities such as One Direction who have visited the diner along with the diner’s history — just before the bathrooms. The main kitchen is through the swinging doors.
Brown takes pride in that they still make shakes the ol’ fashioned way — by hand — and the restaurant features classic fifties’ fare.
But the true success is just like the diner owners of the past, the Browns have made a lot of friends, sharing a lot of stories and memories with all who have walked through Pal’s doors.
“The people we’ve gotten to know, the people we’ve lost that have passed away they are like family,” Brown said. “My wife knows birthdays and everything with a lot people. That means a lot.”
Come to Pal’s Diner Saturday, Aug. 27 as WKTV shares more stories about the people like Brown who are dedicated to preserving a piece of American history by restoring classic cars. The show runs from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Make sure to check out the “DreamWheels” show which will be broadcasting live Saturday, Aug. 27 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Pal’s Diner, 6503 28th St. SE, and Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The show will air Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25.
The cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are proud to share their streets with classic car lovers of all ages as the 11th Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise rolls in on Friday.
Meanwhile, WKTV is proud to be a part of Metro Cruise and share its tradition of television production expertise with the community as it presents “DreamWheels!” live on the red carpet. Thanks to many dedicated community volunteers, “DreamWheels!” will give Metro Cruisers a unique and fun perspective of this popular celebration of classic autos. Here’s a sample of what you’ll see:
A 1966 Continental Convertible. It is what cruising is all about.
A 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible. Straight from the 1966 brochure, this car features theEmpress Turquoise metallic exterior and aqua leather interior. It was built on November 2, 1965 at the Wixom, MI assembly plant and features such options as a Unibody car (no frame), a totally automatic convertible top, and a Stereo 8 track tape deck (new for 1966)!
Rob Zeller and John Manifold currently take care of the car which was never restored. It has always been well maintained.
This 1972 Buick Riviera has won over 40 awards from local shows.
A 1972 Buick Riviera. Originally owned in South Carolina, this car was used by a Michigan carpet installer to haul glue and tools. Today it is restored to a nutmeg exterior and saddle interior. Owner Bill Tripp says that its portrait was painted by a well-known local artist and used for the poster promoting the 2011 Hot Rod Power Tour in Muskegon that year.
See these cars and many more during WKTV’s live production of “DreamWheels!” It all takes place outside in the old Klingman’s parking lot across from Rogers Plaza. The show goes live on Friday, August 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. and again with new cars on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Best of all – admission is free!
As the 11th Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise gets ready to celebrate “Cruisin’ Back to the 20th Century,” WKTV is getting to roll out the red carpet for “DreamWheels!”
This red carpet classic car show treats audiences to surprise vehicles from the Ken Lingenfelter Collection, one of the largest in the U.S.
Over 40 rare and classic vehicles will be featured on the runway Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and presented by David Knisley from SPEED Television and Kim Carson from WLAV FM and WZZM’s “Take 5.” Experience Metro Cruise in a whole new way by participating as a member of the live audience as WKTV produces two live two-hour shows!
It’s the perfect way give your feet a break, sit down, relax and still take in classic cars such as these:
A 1959 Imperial Crown. A car with Chrysler Imperial on the fender or hood meant that the owner had one of the finest vehicles available on the market.
A 1959 Chrysler Imperial Crown. Here’s a few facts that make it so hot for the red carpet. It haspush button transmission located on the instrument panel, a Silver Crest Landau Roof of stainless steel, six-way swing out front seats that make it easy to get into and out of the car AND a radio foot control on the floor board. The radio will seek the next AM radio station while both hands are on the steering wheel. Pretty high tech for 56 years ago!
Owners Orrin and Fay Dorr have collected a total of 16 Imperials since 2004. You’ll find out how and why during the show.
This 1931 Packard Super 8 Roadster is owned by Tom and Donna Tuls of Holland.
This 1931 Packard Super 8 Roadster was built for the Salon Auto Show at The Commodore Hotel in New York in December of 1930 but wasn’t finished in time so it did not make it to that show.
Tom and Donna Tuls bought the car in 2012, started restoration in 2013 and finished it just this past June. It has been received three awards in that short time.
See these cars and many more during WKTV’s live production of “DreamWheels!” It all takes place outside in the old Klingman’s parking lot across from Rogers Plaza. The show goes live on Friday, August 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. and again with new cars on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Best of all – admission is free!
Classic car lovers – be prepared to fall in love all over again!
WKTV continues the tradition of producing and airing the only red carpet classic car show in the country and this year it has a new name “DreamWheels!” Car collectors from four states are bringing their rare vehicles to be showcased on the 100-foot red carpet Friday night and Saturday afternoon (see times below) during the 11th Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise.
It’s like Oscar night for car collectors according to show producer Tom Norton, who along with WKTV director Gene Gregory and many dedicated volunteers, have been preparing for these television productions for six months. Here are just a few of the vehicles you’ll see during these free shows at the old Klingman’s building:
The Austin Healey was designed by racing legend Donald Healey starting back in 1951.
From Ann Arbor, Jeff and Marcia DeBoer bring their 1958 Austin Healey 100 Six to the red carpet for the audience to enjoy.
The DeBoer’s Austin Healey was built in England in 1958 and shipped to a dealer in Philadelphia. Although little is known of its ownership history, it did spend time in the Upper Peninsula before DeBoer discovered the car in Charlevoix. DeBoer spent three years restoring the car’s interior to original specifications.
This 1934 Pierce Arrow is a five person sedan with an eight-cylinder engine.
The 1934 Pierce Arrow Model 836A was the least expensive model offered by Pierce Arrow in 30 years with a selling price of $2695. It featured the company’s first aerodynamic body styling. Among the engineering firsts was a five-foot long muffler for quieter motor noise.
Will and Sue Pugsley of Lawrence, Michigan bought the car in 2013 and drive it as often as possible. (How fun is that?!) Most Pierce Arrow owners drive their cars because they were meant to be driven!
See these cars and many more during WKTV’s live production of “DreamWheels!” It all takes place outside in the old Klingman’s parking lot across from Rogers Plaza. The show goes live on Friday, August 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. and again with new cars on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Best of all – admission is free!
Have you ever wanted to be a part of something BIG? Imagine having a good time and suddenly before you realize it, you’re in the middle of enjoying a great time! Your opportunity is coming up next Friday, August 21st and Saturday, August 22nd when WKTV produces “DreamWheels” live from the parking lot of the old Klingmans building. Be a part of the live television audience as rare and classic cars roll down a hundred foot glamorous red carpet.
Here’s a sample of the automobile eye-candy you’ll see:
The 1984 Aston Martin Lagonda cost more than a Rolls Royce at the time.
This 1984Aston Martin Lagonda was extensively customized by former owner Evel Knievel in 1990. Now owned by Bill Papke of Ada, Knievel used the car to travel the country doing promotions after he retired from his motorcycle and rocket jumping career.
Hand built in England, only 684 Aston Martin Lagondas were produced from 1983 thru the late 1980’s. During the telecast of “DreamWheels!” you’ll learn about the changes Knievel put into the car and why.
Built in Serbia, the 2007 Zoragy is a concept car featuring, among other things, an all glass roof.
Also from Bill Papke’s collection, the 2007 Zoragy concept car. A small company of designers and engineers called Zoragy Concepts built this concept car in Serbia to promote their car styling company. The Zoragy is based on Camaro Z 28 mechanical components.
See these cars and many more during WKTV’s live production of “DreamWheels!” It all takes place outside in the old Klingman’s parking lot across from Rogers Plaza. The show goes live on Friday, August 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. and again with new cars on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be a crosswalk between Rogers Plaza and the old Klingman’s for easy access. Best of all – admission is free!
It’s time to get revved up about the 2015 Metro Cruise! WKTV Community Television and Media is – so we’re sharing the excitement with you by taking a sneak peek at some amazing classic cars you’ll see Friday night August 21 and Saturday afternoon August 22 during the station’s live production of “DreamWheels!”
WKTV continues its tradition of producing the only red carpet classic car show in the country and you’re invited to be in the audience to watch it all play out. These cars have a taste of class all their own.
The recreated 1954 Chevy Corvair Concept Car has won several awards and you’ll see why.
A 1954 Chevrolet Corvair Concept Car comes to the red carpet compliments of owner Mike Terry. He and his good friend Brett Henderson spent three and a half years building the car he most wanted but did not exist – a 1954 Corvair Mototama Car. Only one of these cars was ever built by General Motors and destroyed by General Motors. Recreating this one of a kind car became Terry’s and Henderson’s passion which you’ll see and hear about at “DreamWheels!”
See this car and many more during WKTV’s live production of “DreamWheels!” It all takes place outside in the old Klingman’s parking lot across from Rogers Plaza. The show goes live on Friday, August 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. and again with new cars on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be a crosswalk between Rogers Plaza and the old Klingman’s for easy access. Best of all – admission is free!
As in past celebrations, the 11th Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise, will be attracting car lovers from around the country on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22. For WKTV Community Television and Media the tradition continues to host the only red carpet classic car show in the country on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. The two-hour live productions have a new name, “DreamWheels!”
You’re invited to be a part of the live audience on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. as one-of-a-kind vehicles and their proud owners grace the red carpet! Hosting the shows are David Knisley from SPEED Television and Kim Carson from WLAV FM and WZZM’s “Take 5.”
Here’s a taste of just some of the classic cars you’re going to see live at “DreamWheels.”
This 1936 14th Senior Series 1401 Packard Eight-913 Touring Sedan originally cost over $2500. Although today’s value is unknown, only a few of these Sedans still remain.
This 1936 14th Senior Series 1401 Packard Eight – 913 Touring Sedan has been owned by Richard and Leanne Zapala of Haslett, MI since July of 2011. The couple nicknamed the classic car “Big Al” after Chicago’s notorious gangster.
Retaining its original colors of a black body and tan interior, this five passenger beauty is also rumored (but not confirmed) to have belonged to actress Bette Davis but sold in an estate sale.
What is true is that Packard Motor Company skipped the automobile’s 13th Series due to superstition. As a result, the 1935 model was the 12th Series and 1936 model became the 14th Series.
The 1950 Muntz Jet takes the stage with a rich merlot exterior and a sweet cream interior. Its estimated only 198 of these cars were produced.
Now here’s a classic car you’ve probably never heard of – a 1950 Muntz Jet! And here’s why:
In 1949, a man known for his design and construction of Indy 500 race cars, Frank Kurtis, began to produce a two-passenger sports car called the Kurtis Sports car. Unfortunately it wasn’t a commercial success so only 16 were made.
In 1950 Earl “Madman” Muntz purchased the rights and the tooling for the Kurtis Sports Car and proceeded to make changes to the care like increasing the wheelbase to accommodate two more passengers. More changes were applied to the Kurtis, (and you’ll hear about them during the show), and it became known as the Muntz Jet.
David Hans of Barrington, Illinois paid $60 for the vehicle back in 1964 after responding to a classified ad in the Chicago Tribune. Soon after studying the title, he realized he owned the second Muntz ever made!
See these cars and many more during WKTV’s live production of “DreamWheels!” It all takes place outside in the old Klingman’s parking lot across from Rogers Plaza. The show goes live on Friday, August 21 from 8 to 10 p.m. and again with new cars on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be a crosswalk between Rogers Plaza and the old Klingman’s for easy access. Best of all – admission is free!
“I just love them, and when I got this car and I looked at that fin,” said Dom with his finger pointed towards a fin on a beautiful teal 1961 Cadillac Convertible, “All of a sudden I realized that what I really was doing wasn’t collecting cars, but collecting art. Each one of these is an art form, if you look at the faces of each one of these cars, each one is completely different.”
“When the ’63 Corvette came out, I stayed in the showroom for hours. I couldn’t stop looking at it because of the artwork of it,” he said.
Lately, Dom’s participation in Metro Cruise has shifted towards being an annual member on the red carpet at WKTV’s DreamWheels!. This year he plans on bringing his ’79 Ferrari.
