Golden Oldies Car Club puts the North Kansas City Cruise back in business

One of the most common questions people seem to ask me is, “what happened to the North Kansas City Cruise?”  And the fact, is, I don’t really know.  It used to be a strong cruise, then over the past couple of years, it just started getting weaker and weaker until it died altogether.  The scuttlebutt is that the cruise’s host and the City of North Kansas City were having some trouble, and the cruise died because of it.  But last Saturday night, the Golden Oldies Car Club breathed new life into this old cruise, and even with cloudy, rainy skies, this event really delivered.

The revamped North Kansas City cruise takes place in the street at Armour and Swift, and the city closes things off to civilian traffic.  Could this be like the Belton Cruise someday?  You never know, but they were off to a good start.  The Leavenworth Cruisers were the featured club this time, so they enjoyed VIP parking along the center of the street.

I really liked this ’57 Ford Ranch Wagon that was parked the wrong way on the corner.  ‘50s two-door station wagons are generally pretty cool anyway, and I don’t think I’ve ever found anybody who really didn’t like the looks of Ford’s lineup in 1957.  This one wasn’t exactly perfect, but it made for a nice driver with bright red paint and white and yellow vinyl.  This is the first time I remember seeing this car around, but I hope it turns up some more this summer.

Here’s a ’67 Oldsmobile Delta 88 convertible.  Now, I love the design of old GM cars, and they almost could do no wrong in the late ‘60s.  But on the surface, a ’67 Olds would not be my first choice.  That is, until you look at one like this.  This car is just so nice, both inside and out, that it’s impossible not to like it.  It has some modern Torque Thrust wheels, which are an improvement over the homely flat wheelcovers (or possibly wire wheelcovers) that this car would have been fitted with new.  Triple blue equals triple nice on this big Olds ragtop.

Here’s a ’30 Model A “Woody” wagon that was built by Tallant’s Auto Body right there in North Kansas City.  This had a few changes since the last time I saw it, including new chrome and black wire wheels, seat cushions, and black paint and detailing on the later-model, four-cylinder, General Motors engine.  This is a high-quality build, and it draws all kinds of attention.  Even the Hawaiian hot rod tiki pinstriping fits the theme nicely.  I’d be surprised if anyone actually ever uses that surfboard, but it looks good up there anyway.

Back in the 1940s, Jewel Tea really did deliver their products in Chevrolet Sedan Deliveries painted just like this one.  Yea, this ’40 model is a mild street rod, but it still oozes nostalgia.  I don’t think this car could be any nicer; it was as neat as a pin from the paint to the wheels.  Said Jewel Tea’s advertisements about their drivers, "I am courteous, dependable, prompt—and a loyal American.”  They probably could have been even more prompt if their delivery vehicles were fixed up like this one.

I had fun at the North Kansas City Cruise reboot 2013.  Hopefully this one will keep up the momentum and not drop off the scene again anytime soon.  Check out the pictures in the slideshow below, or click this link for a nicer version.