Sydney — The weather is definitely getting better when you start seeing those classic cars out for another season of driving.
While vintage vehicles are usually on the roads for only a few months of the year, enthusiasts work on their pride-and-joys all through the year in what is becoming a popular pastime.
“There’s definitely a growing interest in this area,” says Ralph Jeans, president of the Cape Breton Antique and Custom Car Club.
Some may assume that owning an antique car is a hobby that only the rich can afford, but Jeans says in some ways, it’s not as expensive as you might think.
“For one thing, there’s cheaper insurance and the licensing costs much less,” he says, adding that it costs less than $18 to license an antique car for a year and he pays about $100 to insure his 1968 Mercury convertible.
Licensing a present-day car can cost $270 for two years and insurance can cost in the thousands, depending on the owner’s driving record. But of course, says Jeans, there is an assumption that these cars are only driven for short periods of the year.
It can be a lot of work but for most, it is literally a labour of love. If you’re not mechanically minded, it helps if your car is in perfect condition but, to be a member of this club, you don’t even have to own a vehicle.
“All you have to have is an interest in the history of vehicles,” says Jeans.
Greg O’Flaherty was one of the founding members and he is still involved in the club today as events coordinator and vice president.
“Back then, I attended a car show at the Glace Bay Forum… a group of us thought there should be a club and on November 11, 1979, it all began,” he says.
Since then, the membership has grown to 206 members, thanks to plenty of events throughout the year. The club meets the first Sunday of the month from October to May and the first Tuesday of the month from June to September, at 7 p.m. in St. Theresa’s Hall in Sydney, with the exception of the April meeting which will be held on the first Tuesday of the month.
Cruise nights are held every Thursday evening from June until the late fall and include a gathering of club and non-club members who may ‘cruise the drag’ before heading to a nearby coffee spot.
In addition to these monthly events, there is also the ‘First Run,’ which is considered the first major event of the year that goes through the Mira and Louisbourg areas during Sunday of the Victoria Day weekend.
Another major event is the Community Cruise and it involves 100 or more vehicles driving through Cape Breton communities, parking in each for about an hour and then moving on to the next one. This year’s cruise will take place Sunday, August 12.
“If it’s a nice day, there’s a lot of people and they really seem to enjoy it,” says O’Flaherty, who drives the lead car from Grand Lake Road to Glace Bay, New Waterford, Sydney and Sydney Mines before finishing up in North Sydney.
Other events include attending car shows across the island and the Maritimes, and plenty of social events throughout the year such as picnics, corn boils, pool nights and Christmas events.
“I’ve been with it for 33 years and I’ve never thought about stopping,” says O’Flaherty. “There’s always something to do.”
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