Fewer things hold as many stories as the cars found in Valparaiso University Lot 37 during a Currie Motors Ford of Valparaiso Cruising Downtown Valparaiso car show.
The juxtaposition of a C8 Corvette next to a 1951 Chevrolet panel truck tells a story of innovation, progression, and performance, but just as the two tell a story together, the individual stories often speak louder for those who listen.
Ray Hasier was two days out of his time in the Army when he purchased a hand-painted 1951 Chevrolet panel truck in Colorado. Shortly after he began the journey back home to Indiana, he ran into an issue with the police.
The officer that pulled him over thought the paint job was so bad that it couldn’t have been used for anything other than a farm truck, and he thought Hasier was too young to be driving a work truck on an expressway.
“I got stopped by the cops because they thought I stole it from a farmer,” Hasier said.
Hasier got a new paint job shortly after he made it home and coincidentally was never confused for a thief again.
This trek from Colorado to Indiana was just the beginning of a lifelong journey in the hands of Hasier and his wife, who raised a family and have spent many years into retirement with the bright aqua panel truck alongside them every step of the way. The car has been in the family for 53 years, and it still has plenty of life left in it.
Ted and Barb Targonski know all too well how a vehicle can end up feeling like a part of the family, as their avocado-green Datson 240Z has been in their possession since it rolled out of the factory in 1972. The couple now proudly displays photos from the first day they bought the car and their children in the passenger seats in the trunk of their near mint-condition car.
The Targonskis got married in 1971 and were in the market for a car the following year. They lived in Lansing, Illinois, at the time and were set on purchasing a 240Z – a car that was in high demand but low supply in the United States.
Ted Targonski recalls waitlists and split-second decisions surrounding the purchase of the car but says they never signed up because they needed an automatic transmission, and the chances of their only option being a manual transmission were very high.
Instead, the Targonskis stumbled upon an advertisement in a Chicago newspaper for a dealership that had six of the vehicles in stock. The dealership was in Zion, Illinois, and the two immediately made the journey to the dealership in hopes that one of the vehicles would come with an automatic transmission.
Luckily, there was one suitable car left, and it was in the best color possible, according to Barb Targonski. It was the car of her dreams, and it came home on Labor Day weekend.
Although they often toyed with the idea of selling the car for something more family-friendly, they always landed on the decision to keep it just a little while longer. Nearly 51 years later, it’s safe to say that they held onto it for more than just a little while.
Merely owning a 240Z is a rarity, but a car in such great condition with all-original interior and exterior parts is nearly impossible to find.
“It's rare that it’s not restored. It's got all the original interior and all the original exterior. Most of them are all repainted and modified, but this one looks the same. It’s exactly how we bought it,” Barb Targonski said.
While vintage, untouched vehicles are hard to come by, it’s just as rare to find a car that has been beautifully and tastefully restored or modified to respect time-honored traditions while making the most out of the vehicle. For Rex Clark, his early 1960s Studebaker Lark VIII Cruiser walks the line with extraordinary precision.
Clark bought his Studebaker from a mechanic who had to downsize his car collection. He bought the vehicle with traditional hot rod modifications and feels it's the intentionally sophisticated alterations that give the car such a unique personality.
“It's been built in what they call the traditional hot rod style, which means that it's the way we would have built hot rods back before 1965. There are no mag wheels or any of the modern speed stuff going on. It’s classic,” Clark said.
Just as each car has its tale, each attendee had their own story, memory, or dream about several of the cars on the lot during the event. For some, the show was a trip through time; for others, it was a look to the future. No matter who was in the crowd, people were sure to feel some sort of connection to those around them.
Car shows like Currie’s Cruising Downtown Valparaiso often bring out the best in the community, and as summer continues to push forward, Currie ensures car enthusiasts will always have something to look forward to with the promise of a car show in the heart of downtown Valpo with no entry fee, no lengthy award shows, and no expectations other than a night of relaxed camaraderie among friends and peers.
Currie Ford’s next car shows are slated for July 7 and July 21. To learn more about Currie Motors Ford of Valpo, visit https://www.fordofvalpo.com/.
