It’s not all show — there’s a lot of tell, if you ask

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PENDLETON — Rob Latour of Anderson said his 1929 Ford Coupe gets about five or six miles per gallon — and it uses racing fuel, which costs about $7.50 per gallon.

It’s expensive, but such is the price you pay to run a 711 horsepower engine.

“I built that three years ago … from scratch,” Latour said, motioning toward his vehicle parked at the Sons of AMVETS Car Truck Cycle Show on Saturday, May 18, at AMVETS Post 26, 939 S. Broadway St., Pendleton.

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Latour was among dozens of drivers who popped their hoods, opened their trunk lids, shined chrome and cleaned glass to give others a chance to admire their prides and joys in full splendor.

Joe McCord of Huntsville was showing his 1936 Ford sedan, which he’s owned for 25 years.

It has an “all original body,” he said, and has traveled to shows across the Midwest.

Keeping it pristine means driving it only in nice weather, he said.

“It don’t see snow or salt on the road — it’ll kill ‘em,” he said.

He’s also driven it on race tracks, including Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

Ron Holloway of Anderson brought his 1963 Chevy Corvair to the show, placing a “for sale” sign on the dashboard after backing it into a place for display.

“I’m getting too old for this,” Holloway said, noting that he recently sold his 1958 Chevy Impala, and might try to sell his 1949 Willys jeep.

Even so, he still couldn’t help sharing many stories about the Corvair, including some of the unique design elements of rear-engine automobile, which he noted landed in the cross-hairs of a well-known activist.

“You know Nader?” he asked, referring to Ralph Nadar, who was critical of the Corvair in his book “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile,” published in 1965.

Visitors strolled the parking lot, some with children others with dogs, but all seemingly appreciating and admiring the the rows of classic and vintage machines.

Martin Holbrook, also of Anderson, had his 1929 Ford Model A Roadster on display.

He said he frequently takes his car to shows, but most of the time he doesn’t go too far.

At six to seven miles per gallon, powering the 300 horse power Chevy engine can get pricey, he admitted.

“And it’s all just for fun,” he said.

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