STORIES

So, do you like Vintage Vehicles?

Northwest Deuce days.

July 14-17,2022

This was one of my many memorable times of the summer.

My friends Karl, Kyle and Kristina came over from the mainland to hang out and check out Northwest Deuce Days. It was the 90th anniversary of the Deuce Coupe.

It started on Thursday, July 14th. Hundreds of hot rods and vintage vehicles roam the Streets of Victoria.

Starting in 1998, The Northwest Deuce Days takes place every three years in Downtown Victoria, attracting classic car owners worldwide. It’s a unique piece of automotive art.

Karl brought his 1938 Dodge. Kyle brought his 1970 Chevy. I was their tour guide. We cruised up and down the main strip all weekend. Everyone with an vintage vehicle was cruising around that weekend! Unique vehicles everywhere. I felt like I was in the cool club or in the classic movie, American Graffiti. People on the street were waving and taking photos.

It was a wild weekend.

Karl built his Dodge from the ground up. It started as a flower planter for $150. Every part of that vehicle comes from something different. Pieces taken from planes, boats and cars are integrated into this build. The hydraulics make it so you can ride high or low. It also spits flames and goes! It’s not every day that you see an older vehicle with flames on the side.

I have an appreciation for older vehicles. Even the smell is unique in its own way.

I asked Kyle to describe the smell of older vehicles. ”Old cars all smell different. It’s that old smell of a book you just opened. The scent of your house after you’ve been gone a long time. Old cars smell like a story that cannot be told by words alone. You have to immerse yourself in the experience to understand it all. New cars don’t have a story so they don’t smell like anything. Old cars have a smell and a feel all their own.”

Well said, my friend.

The weekend ended on Sunday, July 17th, with the main event that featured pre-1952 vehicles. All parked downtown at Victoria’s Inner Harbour, including Karl’s Dodge!