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Cruisin' Under The Neon Stars
In many ways Reno is a mini Vegas, with all the glitz and glamour but on a smaller scale, and to enjoy the fun you must be legal. The now famous Hot August Nights event became officially legal in '07, turning twenty-one and still going strong. This year's gathering of the automotive faithful was bigger and better than ever, expanding across the Reno and the Sparks, Nevada areas. Every kind of hobby car and truck was present, either in a show area or cruisin' the boulevards. The swap meet was huge and almost any kind of part (or complete car) you could want was laying or parked on pavement in one location or another. From swap meet, to auction, to parade, to big name entertainment and gambling, it's all happening in Reno during HAN!
The Just Dashes contingent of automophiles drove up from LA in a '65 GTO Tri-Power convertible, very cool! Traveling up historic Highway 395, on the eastern side of California, made for a leisurely and picturesque cruise. Driving through towns and villages like Mojave, Lone Pine, Bishop and on up to Carson City is like taking a trip back in old time California history. Having the top down, with the 389 engine purring along, was the icing on the cake.
While pulling into Reno it was obvious that the festivities had been going on for a while. The event goes for 10 days, this year it was from August 3 through August 12, so it might be the longest annual automotive related event in the country. If you decide to attend in '08 it's a good idea to make your hotel reservations well in advance, and tell the Boss you're goin' fishin'.
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Here we are approaching the famous RENO sign spanning Virginia Street in downtown. One lap of the cruise took approximately 30-minutes. Another cruise was held on Victorian Avenue in Sparks, just adjacent to Reno.
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Almost every little town along California Highway 395 is dotted with old buildings like this "general" store in Bishop.
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A 1950's style one-pump gas station, complete with a derelict 50's Chevy, is still waiting for an attendant to fill 'er up. You've got to get off the main roads to find sights like this.
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Here's the transportation for the Just Dashes crew, a loaded luxo-mobile '65 GTO convertible. Nothing like traveling in droptop, powerhouse style.
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Here's a look at the Sierra Nevada mountains across June Lake on the way to Reno. If you really want to see the sights of eastern California, cruise up Highway 395 and enjoy.
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When we arrived at the hotel the parking lot was already packed with cars. There was so much cool stuff to look at it was boggle-minding!
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This incredible Chevy street machine was a knock out! It's supercharged, detailed to the max and clad in "Arrest Me" red. All the right stuff!
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Here's a restored Thirties Cadillac touring car that is exquisite. It was a real crowd pleaser and a great part of our automotive heritage.
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How rare is this? It's an early Sixties Buick roadster with red leather interior. What a cruiser and look at those teeth! That grille is bigger than some import cars!
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Check out the custom bodywork around the grille on this flamed Merc. That paint scheme probably cost more than the car.
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This rusty old Chevy ragtop, complete with Surf Board, probably found a new home after the show. It would make a really nice street rod or restoration project.
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The swap meet areas were jammed with cool stuff. This vendor had a little bit of everything for sale. Got rust?
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Need a manual for almost any car or truck? This was only a portion of the literature this site had for sale.
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Want a vintage Coke machine or Bob's Big Boy looking lawn ornament? You could find everything from the ridiculous to the sublime at HAN.
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If you're concerned about the water temperature of your classic, this vendor could solve your problem. He had a Monometer for almost any classic made.
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A Rambler American wagon street machine with triple outlet lakes pipes. Not a common sight at any car show, but very cool.
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Cars ranged from mild to wild, as evidenced by this beautiful roadster. No expense was spared building this one.
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A blown small-block Chevy powers this wild looking three-window custom high-boy street rod.
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A mere $6500 would have you putting along in this 1918 Model T roadster. The car was a fine example of an original T, and a rare find today.
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Looking out from the '65, you can see the throngs of spectators lining both sides of the main cruising street.
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Two lines of vehicles paraded down Virginia Street toward the giant RENO sign visible in the distance.
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This beautiful street rod from Washington State, cruised with us the whole length of the downtown area. Cars came from all the surrounding states to participate.
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On the way home to LA we stopped at Jake's Saloon in Lone Pine for a cold one. Jake's is where the beer is cold and the atmosphere hot. We can't wait until next year!
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