Love of old cars keeps elderly feeling young

The cars themselves could be called seniors. But with some adjustments, they’re still going strong.

“It’s all about more power,” said Lee Van Dyne, 62, long-standing member of the Central Maine Street Rods club, along with her husband, Tom. “It’s like that old TV show ‘Tool Time,’ where Tim Taylor always wants more power. These cars are souped up.”

The club was founded in 1981 to promote the sport of street rodding. At that time there were only four street rod cars in the Bangor area, she said. But the sport has grown and is “huge now,” with a couple of dozen members in CMSR. There is also a national street rod organization.

“It all came about in the 1950s when guys, then called gearheads, started turning 1930s and ’40s cars into hot rods,” Van Dyne said. “They wanted to keep doing it as they got older.” The term hot rod is not in favor with the group, however, because of the “James Dean, trouble-maker connotation,” she added. “This is a family-oriented club.”

To classify as a street rod, the car must be pre-1948 and be modified in some way. Some owners have added power steering, air conditioning, new wheels and seat belts. The engines are replaced with modern versions, which enable the cars to run on the street. They also are inspected.

“We’ve gone to New York and other places for car shows,” said Sharon Smith, 56, club member. “You can travel all over in them. We have met the nicest people. You could say we have a really good time.”

Nell Caine, 74, agrees. “The friendships and the people are wonderful and now that I’m not working, I love to go with John.” There are “Cruise Ins” where you go and park your car and walk around to look at everyone else’s cars.

John Caine, 71, has turned the couple’s basement into a street rod museum of sorts. They have more than a hundred model cars in glass cases, organized by make, while slick covers from Street Scene magazine line the walls.

“This is his little domain down here,” said Nell. But his pride and joy is in the garage.

Parked carefully, as one would a baby carriage, is a 1937 firethorn red Chevrolet. The interior has been completely redone and the motor changed to a 1986. John points out that the front end is actually from a Camaro. And once it’s revved up, well, let’s just say it is not the kind of car in which you can drive away quietly.

“I’ve worked for a couple of years on it and I’m not done yet,” John said

“They never are,” said Van Dyne with a wide grin. “It’s never done. As long as they own them, they pick at them. More power, that’s the name of the game.”

While the love of old cars is a constant in this nonprofit club, so is the sense of community. Members often hold fund-raisers for other organizations. Along with adopting some EAA clients at Christmas and on Valentine’s Day, club members made and donated large, fully stocked and festively decorated Easter baskets. And they raise money for the Sunshine Fund, an account used when flowers are needed for a member who may be hospitalized.

“We also have car shows for charity,” said Smith.

“We’ll do anything that’s an excuse to drive the car or show the car,” said Van Dyne with a laugh.

Members do not have to be seniors to join. It just works out that many older people in this area have done so.

For information on the Central Maine Street Rods Club, call Van Dyne at 989-4936 or Smith at 843-7768.

Carol Higgins communications director at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.