Olympia Street Rod Association Summer Car Show a Thurston County Tradition

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By Tom Rohrer

lucky eagleAs a youngster growing up in Southern California, Thurston County resident Jim Moreno had a passion for street rods.

“I was in the club ‘Hot Heads’ of San Diego and I belonged with my cousin Bob.  I think I was 16 and he was 17,” said Moreno. “We used to drive down the beach, get into trouble, all of that.  It was fun times.”

oly street rod car swhoDecades later and up the coast in Olympia, that passion still burns strong, even though getting into trouble is no longer part of it.

Jim, along with his wife of thirty years, Debbie, finds an avenue for his interest through membership in the Olympia Street Rod Association.

Members in the club since 1996, the Moreno’s have overseen all sixteen Olympia Street Rod Association Summer Car Shows.  This year’s event will be held on August 9, at the Lucky Eagle Casino from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Moreno’s and the rest of the association thought the area was in need of a summer show, and in 1999, decided to organize the first annual event.

“I think there’s a passion for street rods in the area, but also people just enjoy getting outside and looking at these cars.  They sort of capture the imagination,” said Debbie.  “People who have no idea about the show, they’ll drive by it and it catches their eye.  Soon enough, the afternoon goes by and they’re still looking at cars.”

Along with providing the public an opportunity to view street rods free of charge, the OSRA gives away several prizes throughout the day and donates proceeds to both the Rochester Area Food Bank and the Thurston County Food Bank.  Prizes include a $300 gas card, a $300 cash card, cash giveaways of between $5-$10, tickets for the Lucky Eagle Casino buffet and a $500 gift certificate for the Tumwater Les Schwab to a registered street rod shower.

“We want to give back to the community.  That’s part of the mission of our group,” Debbie explained. “They do a lot for us and we want to return that favor.”

oly street rod showHosting the event at Lucky Eagle Casino is beneficial for both parties involved.

“It’s a great location, and we get a lot of foot traffic out there,” said Jim.  “The show is always one of their biggest days for the Casino, so we both lucked out a bit in how it’s all worked out.”

A band will be on site at this year’s show for the first time, joining the roughly 350-400 street rods on display.  Seeing the community come together with a shared passion for the famed style of automobile is always a special experience for Jim and Debbie.

“It’s a lot of fun to see people in this setting.  After everyone is parked, the traffic stops coming in and you can get around to talk to people and see cars,” Jim said. “You get all kinds of people, but they all are interested in street rods.  Everyone can share experiences.”

The Moreno’s experience together with street rods dates back to the early days of their marriage.

While still living in San Diego, the couple attended a family wedding in the Puget Sound area.  They’ve been living here ever since.

“I said, ‘I never want to leave.’  It was that quickly,” said Debbie.

“She saw Olympia and said, let’s move here immediately,” remembered Jim.

Two decades before the move up to Washington, the couple purchased their first street rod, and have shared a love for the specific type of vehicle ever since.

“It’s a passion that’s developed over time.  When Jim saw an ad in the paper for a 1956 Ford Truck, we went out and looked at it,” Debbie Moreno recalled. “It was just sitting in the fields with weeds growing up around it.  He turned the engine over and I heard it and thought, ‘ohhh, we own a truck.’”

oly street rod classic showIn addition to the 1956 Ford Truck, the couple owns a 1935 Chevy they purchased at a garage sale.

Together, the couple drives the vehicles to car shows in the region or to locations such as Yellowstone and Glacier National Park.   On these trips, they are joined by their fellow car club members.  It’s a group the Moreno’s appreciate.

“We’re close friends and every year the bond grows a little stronger,” said Jim.  “These relationships are some of the things were most thankful about since moving to Olympia.”

“Over the years, we’ve met lots of car people. It’s a very tight knit community, and if someone is in trouble, we rally around that person,” commented Debbie.  “A few years ago I had cancer. They hosted a car show for me and it was amazing the amount of people who came out. That did my heart so much good.”

Created in 1972, the Olympia Street Rod Association has had a peak membership of around 50 and a low point in the teens. “A small group” according to Debbie, the current membership continues to meet monthly to discuss matters such as the summer show, upcoming trips and unsurprisingly, street rods.

While movies and fictitious stories have given rise to the idea that automobile groups participate in unlawful activity, the Olympia Street Rod Association goes against that stereotype nearly to a fault.

“We’re not running around like a gang.  Honestly, we have trouble running at all these days,” said Jim with a chuckle.  “If anything, we’re a grey hair gang.”

For more information on the Olympia Street Rod Association Summer Show, including a form to display a vehicle, visit http://olystreetrod.com/.  To get more event information, visit www.luckyeagle.com.

 

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