By The Numbers for Week 8 of the Prep Football Season
October 28, 2015
Lafourche, Terrebone Halloweens moved to Friday
October 28, 2015
Classic car enthusiasts from all over the U.S. will converge on Houma during the first week in November with their treasures in tow.
Organizers of the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Central Division Fall Meet say the gathering promises a great experience not just for members but the public at large.
“Dozens of first class antique cars from around the nation have registered and dozens more will descend on Louisiana like a rain of good fortune and good times,” said Fred Duplechin, a Schriever enthusiast and retired public health administrator. “We have several cars over 100 years old and we will likely have some to represent every decade up to 1990. We’re going to have a great time and we want everyone to be a part of it.”
The meet will be held Nov. 5, 6 and 7 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. On Saturday, Nov. 7 all autos brought to the meet will be displayed and entry for the public is free.
The star of the show, by member estimations, will be a 1921 Bour-Davis automobile, the only car ever manufactured in Louisiana.
The car – lovingly restored by Shreveport-area enthusiast Dick Nelson – will be loaned by the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum.
About 1,500 Bour-Davis cars were manufactured between 1916 and 1922, and the one bound for Houma, Duplechin said, is one of the few that survived.
One of Duplechin’s own automobiles is likely to draw a good amount of attention. His 1981 DeLorean, with a tag that reads “88 MPH” will especially appeal to enthusiasts of the “Back To The Future” movie series.
The Michael J. Fox picture featured a DeLorean that was turned into a time machine by scientist “Doc” Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd. For the car to travel in time it had to travel at 88 mph. The joke is that the DeLorean’s dashboard indicates the car can’t go faster than 85.
Duplechin’s other classic is a rare 1988 Avanti convertible.
All manner of vehicles – including motorcycles – are expected at the meet. Among the things members share, Duplechin said, is an appreciation for automobiles that pre-date current design trends. Most cars consumers buy new are what Duplechin and other collectors describe as “colored jellybeans” that in many ways are indistinguishable from one to the other.
The local club’s president, Buddy Whitney, says he gets a lot of satisfaction from working with an auto’s engine.
“It’s an accomplishment when you get one finished,” he said. “I like the social events and the club’s support. We have six chapters in Louisiana and one time a year each chapter puts on an event. You get to know the people.”
Whitney said that will give him a lot of opportunities to get the 1976 Corvette Stingray he is currently restoring out on the road.
While Duplechin, Whitney and other members actively work with restoration projects, ownership of a classic, they note, is not a requirement for membership.
Those who don’t own a classic, or might not see themselves owning one until some time in the future, can still have full participation in club activities.
Judging contests and generally taking part in social aspects of the club, perhaps even assisting other members with projects, are among the activities that just about anyone might find appealing, the organizers said.
For those who do own what are regarded as classic or antique cars, the club has numerous categories.
Stock autos restored to factory condition, street rods, hot rods and even unrestored autos living in someone’s barn are all included in the mix.
Some people, Duplechin said, buy cars that are already restored while others do the restoration themselves or pay someone else to do it.
His own interest in cars developed early, he said.
“I have always loved automobiles,” Duplechin said. “We grew up in the 1950s and it was a car-crazy time. The war had just ended and people were getting back to work and buying cars.”
His own career path drew him to study subjects related to dealing with people. But he had a longing to know more about technology, how things work.
“I did my first tune-up with a 12-inch crescent wrench, a screwdriver and pliers,” Duplechin said.
Now he can take engines apart and put them back together. He has also become skilled with other aspects of restoration.
In the garage behind his Schriever home last week, Duplechin was carefully retailing a leather seat from the Avanti, removed from its place in the car and set on a work bench.
In the garage, where the DeLorean is usually covered by a gray tarp, the walls are full of vintage gas station signs.
“You can get in this hobby for $200 or $200,000, whichever fits your budget,” Duplechin said. “You can start from scratch. Cars I have owned were inexpensive. There are a lot of old cars you can get for a reasonable price.”
Insurance for the autos, Duplechin said, is also surprisingly inexpensive.
“You can get full coverage for $100 or $200 for a whole year,” Duplechin said.
The reason for attraction, Duplechin acknowledges, is for many people a matter of nostalgia.
“It makes us feel young again and helps us fulfill dreams that we never could have back when. A lot of people’s first antique is either the model of the high school car they had or, if they are lucky enough, the one they dreamed about having.” •
