The cars of the 2013 Parkville Fourth of July parade

Every year on the Fourth of July, the Hovers usually partake in the pancake breakfast at the VFW hall in our hometown of Parkville, Mo., then we take in the parade that goes down Main Street.  Of course, I naturally get excited about all the churches and politicians and things that enter floats in this parade, but between you and me, the cars are what really trip my trigger.  To that end, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting things that cruised through the crowd this morning.

The Northwest Missouri Ford Model A Club had a nice presence at this parade.  They brought everything from roadsters to coupes to sedans.  I love Model As because they just eat this parade duty up.  They purr along and never seem to overheat, and the people that drive them are usually very approachable.  This cute little black roadster here had a big flag stanchion on the front bumper, making it just perfect for this particular holiday.

This big, ol’ deuce-and-a-half was loaded with people.  The owner came by and talked to me for a few minutes before the parade.  He’s part of the Military Vehicle Preservation Society, which is the group that shows these old battle-tested rigs at various auto shows and events around town.  I don’t think I’m tough enough to own a truck like this.  I certainly wouldn’t know where to store it, it won’t work at the McDonald’s Drive-Thru, and it just looks hard to drive.  But I’m glad there are people who are willing to take these things on, because they’re a special part of automotive history.

This ’54 Chevy sedan represented Parkville’s cruise night, which is held on the first Saturday of each month throughout the summer (with the exception of, ironically, Fourth of July weekend because of the carnival).  I’ve looked at this car a few times at, of all places, the Parkville cruise, and it’s a neat little car.  You seem to see a lot fewer Two-Tens than Bel Airs these days, but I think it looks good with those little hubcaps and minimal ornamentation.

Other automotive sightings of interest included the Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts Club, the Heartland Miata Club of Kansas City, several old fire trucks, and older Porsche Targa, a mid-‘80s Eldorado convertible, an Advanced-Design Chevy truck, a ’75 Caprice convertible, and various vintage tractors.  Also, BHo was in Parents Day Out last week, and they built a float that was in the parade.

Oh, and let’s not forget that the Hover Motor Company ’63 Chevy pickup was in the parade.  I like to get out there and promote this place once in a while since we’re starting to pick up a few advertisers.  I have found that you can shut off the engine and coast down the hill for the majority of the parade, which beats working that old, stiff clutch the whole way and risking an overheating problem.  Also I can hear people comment about how quiet it runs, which is sort of funny to me.  BHo and I had fun waving at people and answering questions about the truck along the way.

I took a few car pictures before the parade, but the good photos of cars coming down the street where taken by my wife, who was strategically posted along the parade route.  I appreciate her taking them, and she did her usual great job.  You can see all of our Parkville Fourth of July car pictures in the slideshow below, or click this link for a better version.