The only thing out of control at the Outta' Control Hot Rods Cruise in Platte City was the weather

The Outta’ Control Hot Rods Car Club always holds a nice cruise night on the third Saturday of the month, and in spite of ominous clouds and impending rain, they still enjoyed a strong crowd for the August edition.

This was my last chance to take my 2013 Corvette Grand Sport loaner to an event before General Motors came and took it away forever, so I drove BHo to the land of Sonny Hill with the fiberglass roof panel stored neatly in the rear hatch area. Of course, I hadn’t thought to secure all the flyers that I picked up at the Corvette show earlier in the day, so once we hit 70 on 435, there was a tsunami of car show propaganda blasting all over the cockpit and out in the atmosphere. If I miss your event on the next weekly calendar, this may be the reason.

There was a black and red ’57 Ranchero in the parking lot that I don’t recall ever seeing before, but it was completely fantastic. It had the perfect ‘50s custom look without going over the top. Everything from the chrome wheels and spider caps, to the tube grille and red tuck-and-roll upholstery, to the Offenhauser engine dress and low stance made this car (truck?) the perfect cruiser. I guess I just I like it when someone’s opinion on how to put a car together agrees with mine.

There was a white ’69 Imperial four-door hardtop that really caught my eye. Now this was a lot of car. I mean, this thing would make my ’96 Impala SS look like a subcompact. But it was impressive. Add to that acres of button-tufted white leather, and you’ve got a car that would make the B-52s proud. On top of that, it was just a slick car, which is saying a lot considering how much material actually had to be maintained for the past 43 years.

This ’64 Ford Country Sedan station wagon was a pretty neat ride. It’s hard to imagine that these were designed as utilitarian family cars when you look at all the chrome and ornamental details. This one had sort of an old-school looking forced air supercharger type setup atop the Edelbrock carburetor, and larger diameter five-spoke wheels certainly added to the cornering ability.

Here’s a ’68 Buick GS 400 that had sort of a gentleman’s muscle car charm. The modern Torque Thrust wheels were OK, but I thought it was screaming for some of those beautiful Buick Road Wheels. Still, the hood tach, sport steering wheel, and U-handle shifter all made for a nifty red rocket. Anyway, it was kind of a refreshing alternative compared to the Chevelles, Mustangs, and Camaros that you usually see from this era.

This cruise also featured a bunch of ’61-’66 Ford trucks from the Slick ‘60s Ford Truck Club. I am actually leaving those pictures out of this slideshow, however, because I covered their appearance in a separate story.

I managed to click off 120 pics or so before it rained, and you can see them in the slideshow below. Or, click on this link for a nicer version.