Clever Magazine, Vol.II, Issue # 1 "The Competition" (www.clevermag.com)

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The Competition
by Diannek

When Harvey Delockroy drove his 1947 Cadillac convertible into its assigned spot for the annual car club competition, it looked just like it might have rolled right off the showroom floor. It took its place in its class among the 175 contenders at the national meeting of the Cadillac LaSalle Car Club, held this June (1999) in Santa Clara, California. This was a big event for club members, who had been working hard restoring their antique cars over the past year in hopes of walking away from this meeting with a trophy and the murmured appreciation of their peers. They know better than anyone the work that goes into bringing these beautiful old cars back to life.

This particular project took Harvey over three years to complete from when he first brought it home. When he bought it, although the car was intact, many of its parts were scattered around it. He says it took several hours to pick up the pieces. So, much of the car arrived at Harvey's workshop in cardboard boxes. At one point in the restoration, the car was totally disassembled. All the pieces were then cleaned, repaired or replaced with factory-correct replacements. Everything about the car must be restored to factory specifications. That's how the car is judged.

On the morning of the competition, Harvey and his wife, Carol, did the final preparations for the judging. They wiped and polished it to make sure everything was clean and lined up properly, including even the labels on the hubcaps.

Carol worked with a toothpick to make sure no stray piece of dirt may have somehow wedged itself into the seam lines, while Harvey checked the engine, the windshield wipers, the radio, all the lights, latches and covers. Everything must be sparkling clean and in working condition.

When the team of four judges arrived with the clipboards and flashlights, they examined and probed everything. Harvey was obviously nervous as his turn came around. The other owners watched respectfully, knowing exactly how he felt as the inspection progressed. He kept his fingers crossed as he was asked to start the engine for the electrical inspection. He was worried about the windshield wipers. They usually worked perfectly, but the day before the show, they had had a balky moment. Would they respond this morning? One swipe was all they needed to see. He turned the key to start the engine. It hesitated, like maybe the battery was a little weak. He tried it again, and the motor turned over and started purring. He reached for the dash button, and the wipers moved quickly across the windshield. Harvey smiled. He knew the electric windows would work, and the top would lift, the headlights and turn signals would work. (Yes, Cadillac even had electric windows and turn signals in 1947.)

They wouldn't know who would walk away with the trophies until the awards banquet Saturday night. There had been nearly two hundred cars in the competition and maybe twice that many people were in attendance for the dinner and awards presentation. There would be many awards given out that evening, for all the different classes and categories, but every award was given and received in respectful silence because everybody in the room knew the significance of those awards.

We were thrilled and relieved when Harvey's name was called. He accepted a first place trophy for his car, and it couldn't have been handed over to a nicer guy. All his hard work and loving attention had paid off. He'd done the best he could do and the judges agreed.

Congratulations, Harvey!

A lovingly restored car is like a piece of American History coming back to life. But restoring antique cars isn't just about competing for trophies with all the hard work that goes into it. Club members also like to take them on the road. Some of the people at the awards banquet had driven their cars to the competition. A special award was given to the car that was driven the greatest distance. The winner had driven over 3,000 miles to compete. Regional car clubs organize caravans, and club members and their families shine up their vehicles and tour the country together. They socialize and make new and lasting friendships from these events. Their reverence for these fine old automobiles is quite apparent as this event unfolds. It's a moment they won't soon forget.