SHELLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — The 7th annual Spud Days Car Show featured cars both modern and classic. People proudly showed everyone their cars from across the decades.
“I bought it ten days after I got out of Vietnam in October of ’67,” said Car Show Participant David Johnson. “There’s some days when I pull it out and it’s in the sun that I just can’t believe how shiny it still is with that old paint job on it.”
Each car and owner has a story—how they got the car and the years of work they’ve put in to maintain and improve it.
Some people love restoring cars to their former glory.
“This is a 1966 three-quarter ton Chevrolet,” said Car Show Participant Gary Shipley.
When Shipley retired, his friends told him to buy a new truck. He decided it would be more fun to buy an old truck and fix it up. He was right. He says his truck keeps turning heads wherever he takes it.
“You can’t go to the gas station or anywhere without somebody coming over, commenting on how much they like your truck,” Shipley said. “I can take a new one or go to town and nobody notices it.”
To some, an old, run-down car might look useless, but to people like Shipley, they automatically see it as something with incredible potential.
“A lot of these cars have been locked away. Somebody didn’t want them anymore. They got put out,” Shipley said. “And I think they all need to be brought back.”
After spending so much time with their cars, they feel like a part of the owners’ families. Many owners say they plan to hold on to them for the rest of their lives.
“I’ve been offered over $70,000 for [my car],” said Johnson. “I had a somebody that wanted to buy it. I told him it wasn’t for sale at any price. I don’t care. It’s not leaving me.”
Whether they restore or maintain one of these vehicles, everyone at the show can agree it’s all about their love for classic cars.
