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Independence, MO —
Juan Johnson was eating dinner at McDonald’s Saturday night when a bunch of noise across the street piqued his interest.
So, Johnson, of Independence, and his young family went to the nearby Hi Boy Drive-In at 16721 E. Gudgell Road to see what the crowds of people and classic tunes of the ’50s and ’60s were all about – and then they stumbled upon the annual Hi Boy Classic Car Cruise.
“Classic cars are well-built, and they hold their value,” Johnson said of his passion for the automobiles. “The cars that they make today, they don’t make them like this anymore.”
The Classic Car Cruise started with the celebration of Hi Boy’s 50th anniversary five years ago, and it’s continued ever since. In its first year, the event experienced a rainout, but it was rescheduled for several weeks later, and more than 150 cars turned out.
“It’s such a nice turnout for the city of Independence,” said Cheryl Comer, who owns the Gudgell Road and U.S. 24 Hi Boy locations with her husband, Larry. “We just love seeing the same people, and then we see new faces. Everybody gets so excited about it that you think, ‘Oh, we can’t stop doing it because everyone gets so excited about it.’”
And Saturday’s hot weather wasn’t the least bit of a deterrent for the car show.
“Oh my gosh – we say as long as it doesn’t rain,” Cheryl Comer said. “As long as it’s not raining, we don’t care how hot it is.”
Many of the cars had their hoods open to reveal their engines, and they appeared waxed and buffed to their best condition. But one car in particular stood out as not quite show-ready. Patrick and Sandra Cattin of Raytown, first-time Hi Boy Classic Car Cruise attendees, brought their 1953 Mercury Monterey to the show, with a fake rat attached to the roof.
That rat, the Cattins said, signifies the car as a rat rod, a car in an unfinished state with just the bare essentials intact so it can be driven. The car – at one time a taxi – had originally belonged to Sandra’s father, Michael, but he sold it.
The Cattins bought it back about a year later at auction, so the car could remain in the family. When asked what work needs done to the car in its current condition, Sandra laughed and said, “Everything.”
But by next year’s Classic Car Cruise, is it possible the Mercury Monterey could be back in its prime, ready to show off?
“Yes,” Sandra Cattin said. “It’ll be jade green. I’ve got a portfolio for it.”
Juan Johnson was eating dinner at McDonald’s Saturday night when a bunch of noise across the street piqued his interest.
So, Johnson, of Independence, and his young family went to the nearby Hi Boy Drive-In at 16721 E. Gudgell Road to see what the crowds of people and classic tunes of the ’50s and ’60s were all about – and then they stumbled upon the annual Hi Boy Classic Car Cruise.
“Classic cars are well-built, and they hold their value,” Johnson said of his passion for the automobiles. “The cars that they make today, they don’t make them like this anymore.”
The Classic Car Cruise started with the celebration of Hi Boy’s 50th anniversary five years ago, and it’s continued ever since. In its first year, the event experienced a rainout, but it was rescheduled for several weeks later, and more than 150 cars turned out.
“It’s such a nice turnout for the city of Independence,” said Cheryl Comer, who owns the Gudgell Road and U.S. 24 Hi Boy locations with her husband, Larry. “We just love seeing the same people, and then we see new faces. Everybody gets so excited about it that you think, ‘Oh, we can’t stop doing it because everyone gets so excited about it.’”
And Saturday’s hot weather wasn’t the least bit of a deterrent for the car show.
“Oh my gosh – we say as long as it doesn’t rain,” Cheryl Comer said. “As long as it’s not raining, we don’t care how hot it is.”
Many of the cars had their hoods open to reveal their engines, and they appeared waxed and buffed to their best condition. But one car in particular stood out as not quite show-ready. Patrick and Sandra Cattin of Raytown, first-time Hi Boy Classic Car Cruise attendees, brought their 1953 Mercury Monterey to the show, with a fake rat attached to the roof.
That rat, the Cattins said, signifies the car as a rat rod, a car in an unfinished state with just the bare essentials intact so it can be driven. The car – at one time a taxi – had originally belonged to Sandra’s father, Michael, but he sold it.
The Cattins bought it back about a year later at auction, so the car could remain in the family. When asked what work needs done to the car in its current condition, Sandra laughed and said, “Everything.”
But by next year’s Classic Car Cruise, is it possible the Mercury Monterey could be back in its prime, ready to show off?
“Yes,” Sandra Cattin said. “It’ll be jade green. I’ve got a portfolio for it.”
