Cool Cars and Hot August Nights

Hot August Nights is a weeklong party, and the cars are the stars.

Not just any cars--vintage, cool cars, mostly from the 1950s and '60s. American-made muscle cars such as Ford Mustangs, Shelby Cobras, Chevrolet Camaros and Pontiac GTOs dominate the festival in Reno, Nev., but there are also plenty of Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, AMCs and even some Jaguars, Volkswagens and Mini Coopers seen cruising the streets of northern Nevada.

Cars range from stock to heavily modified.

The Leal family of Reno brought out their 1901 Oldsmobile. They found the car in a barn about 25 years ago and restored it. They said the two-seater will hit 25 mph.

Although they look like museum pieces and owners often treat them that way, cars are meant to be driven, and cruises are a big part of Hot August Nights.

There were 6,000 official entries for this year's 25th-anniversary event. Official entries are capped so there are also many classic cars not entered which cruise the perimeter streets. Only the entered cars can participate in the official cruises and the show-and-shines.

Organizers estimated the event brought about 800,000 visitors to downtown Reno and surrounding areas and generated an economic impact of about $250 million--all because of nostalgia for a bygone era.

Cruising and crooning

Car owners say Hot August Nights reminds them of simpler times, a time when cars were designed with flair and were easier to work on. No computers are involved, just a knowledge of wrenches and screwdrivers and, in some cases, a willingness to take on a long-term project.

Many owners say the cars are part of their families and in some cases have survived multiple marriages.

Many cars are ground-up restoration projects and owners take great pride in their work. Most are willing and eager to talk about their project and share ideas. Other cars are quickly bought and sold by fans of beautifully restored vehicles. Auctions and swap meets are another big attraction of Hot August Nights, as is music. Acts on hand this year--all at no cost and all held outdoors--included Neil Sedaka, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Paul Revere and the Raiders.

All of the major casinos in the area have music every night for the event, which ran Aug. 9-14.

Controlled cruises go through downtown Reno and Sparks every night and also circle the parking lots at casinos outside of those main areas.

Spectators get to their favorite viewing areas early to secure a good spot near the metal barriers. Crowds grow larger each night, culminating in throngs congregating on Saturday night to get a peek at the cars and to hear the roar of the muscle cars.

Spectators and participants say another big draw is the family atmosphere. During the cruises, children sneak as close the barriers as they can as passengers often maintain the tradition of tossing candy to them.

Many of the cars come from a time when street racing was popular and, after a 10-year absence, Hot August Nights brought back drag racing. There was a 1/8-mile track set up in downtown Sparks and a quarter-mile track in Fernley, about a half hour east.

Family affair

Like many of the cars at Hot August Nights, Todd and Tanya Purdy's 1955 Chevy Bel Air is part of the family.

The connection runs even deeper than most, though. Todd's brother painted the car black with orange flames using lacquer and Imron paint in the family garage in 1980. His brother died in July, and Todd has vowed to keep the paint job, even though lacquer paints are increasingly hard to find.

The Purdy's children, Nick and Veronika, adore the Chevy and are next in line to own it. They will have to share it.

Todd Purdy acquired the Bel Air in 1978 when he was 19. He had always wanted a 1955 Chevy hardtop. He pulled weeds and did yard work and the car's owner gave him the gutted relic.

Todd, from Coarsegold, Calif., outside of Yosemite, spent about five years putting it back together. It has a 350-cubic-inch engine, bored 0.30 over. It has Muncie four-speed with a Dana 60 rear end.

The Purdys have been at Hot August Nights for the past eight years, bringing the Bel Air for the past three.

"I can't go back in time, so this is the closest I'm going to get," Todd said. "It's a family thing."

The car has been in several magazines and on the cover of Super Chevy in 1988.

By Jim Krajewski