Don Drew of Allenstown bought his 1940 white Chevy with S-10 pickup twice.
He originally purchased it in 1994, then sold it to buy a 1967 Chevelle. Through the next year, he pined away for his much loved ’40 Chevy. The love affair brought him crawling back to man he sold it to with the Chevelle in tow.
In an arrangement seemingly written in the stars, he made an even trade: the new seductress for the old flame.
Drew said he had immediately regretted letting go of his first love. He had been interested in hot rods since he was a kid, but this one really had a hold on him.
At the Kiwanis Club of Hooksett’s first Antique and Classic Car Show on Sunday, Aug. 19, Drew and his beloved Chevy competed against other owners and their own “significant others” in the Street Rod category.
Kiwanis Club member Dale Hemeon of Hooksett organized the event, having a motorized lover of his own – a candy apple red ’67 Camaro – entered in the Camaro/Firebird ’67 to ’02 category.
Hemeon said his dream car was the ’69 Camaro, but that the ’67 had entered his life two years ago at the right time and price.
“It’s a car of my generation,” he said.
The show was a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club’s charitable donations to many causes in the community. Since its formation in 2000, the Hooksett Kiwanis Club has contributed to numerous local charities and community projects including summer programs for children in the community and sponsorship of the Miss Hooksett Scholarship Pageant.
Participants paid a $10 entry fee to show off their voluptuous hot rods, sleek cruisers, toned muscles or modern wonders. A total of 78 beauties turned out for the competition, each one the pride, joy and, many times, the savior of its owner.
Elaina Hebert of Hooksett said her husband, Bob Hebert, bought their ’57 Chevy wagon after his father’s death in 1991. He brought it home in pieces, she said.
Over the next few years, he read about and watched mechanics at local garages working on cars, and eventually he even taught himself to weld. He completely rebuilt the car, even installed the seats and did all of the bodywork and painting.
“I knew he needed something,” said Elaina Hebert, who believes the love and attention her husband devoted to the car was a good thing for his spirit following his father’s death.
Several of the cars at the show were one of only a handful of their kind. Steve Andrewchuck of Pembroke entered a 2005 Dodge Ram SRT 10 “Yellow Fever Special,” the 50th of just 500 such trucks to come off the assembly
line.
The 2005 SRT 10 was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004 for being the fastest production pickup truck in the world, with a top speed of 150 mph and the capability to go from zero to 60 in 5.3 seconds.
Not surprising, seeing that the truck is equipped with a 500 horsepower Viper motor and a six-speed transmission.
Andrewchuck fell in love with the SRT 10 when he passed by a Dodge dealership on the way to work on day. He said he loves Dodge trucks, but that his dream car is a Viper. “This is the closest I’m going to get,” he said.
Awards were given to the top car in each competitive class. Blue Ribbon Fences of Hooksett paid for the trophies and the dash plaques that all of the show’s participants received.
All of the merchandise raffled off at the show, including a flat screen television, was donated by Wal-Mart of Hooksett.
Hemeon said he wants to make the car show a traditional fundraiser for the Hooksett Kiwanis Club, and that next year he wants to also include motorcycles in the show.