{"id":33201,"date":"2024-08-17T11:46:33","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T15:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=33201"},"modified":"2024-08-17T11:46:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T15:46:33","slug":"heavy-metal-the-dream-cruise-is-thundering-down-woodward-once-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/heavy-metal-the-dream-cruise-is-thundering-down-woodward-once-again","title":{"rendered":"Heavy metal: The Dream Cruise is thundering down Woodward once again"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Ferndale<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The rolling feast of nostalgia known as the Woodward\u00a0Dream Cruise returns Saturday to the birthplace of the American automobile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Tens of thousands of classic cars will be parked or meandering along a 16-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The bevy of customs, classics, exotics, muscle cars and hot rods will do their yearly roll call in all their twin-turbo, gold-rimmed, chrome-plated, four-on-the-floor glory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">More:<\/strong><a class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/business\/autos\/2024\/08\/17\/dream-cruise-saturday-2024-families-vettes-evs-flock-to-woodward\/74840394007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|spike click:4|${u}\">Dream Cruise Saturday: Families, \u2018Vettes, EVs flock to Woodward<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/08\/16\/PDTN\/74830665007-20240815-dmsp-downriverfootpre-0068.jpg?width=660&amp;height=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Sharon Vanover, Dennis Vanover, Beth Parsons and Johnny Parsons stay under the tent and umbrellas, watching the classics go by, as rain falls on cruisers on 'the loop' of Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan on August 16, 2024.\" width=\"508\" height=\"371\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Sharon Vanover, Dennis Vanover, Beth Parsons and Johnny Parsons stay under the tent and umbrellas, watching the classics go by, as rain falls on cruisers on 'the loop' of Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan on August 16, 2024.\" data-c-credit=\"Daniel Mears, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Sharon Vanover, Dennis Vanover, Beth Parsons and Johnny Parsons stay under the tent and umbrellas, watching the classics go by, as rain falls on cruisers on &#8216;the loop&#8217; of Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan on August 16, 2024. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Cruise, billed as the world&#8217;s largest single-day auto event, pays noisy tribute to good ol\u2019 American auto power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI love it. How can you not?\u201d asked Stephanie Raymond of Southfield. \u201cYou can see every model and year all in one spot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Cruise isn\u2019t a single-day event for Raymond. It\u2019s a weeklong love affair. She and her red 1955 Corvette showed up Monday and returned every single day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Her fiery passion for all things Corvette matched the fire-engine red of her vehicle. She\u2019s a walking Wikipedia of the car and its history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Did you know the 1968 Corvette was patterned after the Mako Shark II concept car? You do now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI scare my friends, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d she said about her vast knowledge. \u201cThey say I need a hobby. I say I got one.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/08\/16\/PDTN\/74830664007-20240816-dmpredreamcruisers-0045.jpg?width=660&amp;height=454&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Greg Csernai covers up the engine on his supercharged 1967 Ford Mustang as the rain comes down Friday along Woodward in Pontiac.\" width=\"499\" height=\"343\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Greg Csernai covers up the engine on his supercharged 1967 Ford Mustang as the rain comes down Friday along Woodward in Pontiac.\" data-c-credit=\"Daniel Mears, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Greg Csernai covers up the engine on his supercharged 1967 Ford Mustang as the rain comes down Friday along Woodward in Pontiac. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Besides American muscle, the flotilla of chrome and steel along Woodward on Saturday will feature Mustangs, Chevys, Camaros, Dodges and Firebirds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Cindy McGraw of Royal Oak spent most of Friday driving up and down Woodward and will do so even longer on Saturday. She loves to show off her blue 1965 Chevrolet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Like Raymond and her Corvette, McGraw described a bond with Chevrolet that rivals the one she has with her husband.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Then again, he\u2019s a big fan of Chevrolet, too, so the marriage is a happy one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe\u2019re big fans, but I might be a little bit more,\u201d she said about the car. \u201cWe love to meet other people who share the same love, and just talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\">\n<p><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Raymond and McGraw won\u2019t be the only roosters of the roadway showing off their stuff on Saturday. There will be plenty more tail fins, exposed engines, oversized grills, suicide doors, scoops and spoilers<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s only natural that Shay Stephenson of Marlette has a thing about cars. After all, he\u2019s a mechanic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Stephenson was showing off a sky-blue 1966 Dodge Charger but he knows about a lot more than that. Watching the procession of cars in Ferndale, he called out the make and years of cars as they passed by.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s an annual sport for him. Once in a while, he\u2019s stymied by a passing vehicle but, usually, he knows them all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI\u2019ve worked on a lot of them over the years,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty hard to trick me up but it happens once in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/08\/16\/PDTN\/74833789007-cruise-friday-chevyaussies.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Michael and Leanne Babbage came all the way from Australia to attend the Dream Cruise with the Woodward Tri Five Cruisers \u2014 for the fifth time since 2012.\" width=\"495\" height=\"279\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Michael and Leanne Babbage came all the way from Australia to attend the Dream Cruise with the Woodward Tri Five Cruisers \u2014 for the fifth time since 2012.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<p><em>Michael and Leanne Babbage came all the way from Australia to attend the Dream Cruise with the Woodward Tri Five Cruisers \u2014 for the fifth time since 2012. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Since its debut in 1995, the Cruise has attracted classic car owners and fans from around Michigan, the Midwest, the country and even other continents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Take Leanne and Michael Babbage. This weekend&#8217;s M1 extravaganza is the sixth time they&#8217;ve journeyed from their home in Surfer\u2019s Paradise, Australia, to be part of the festivities on Woodward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThere is nothing else in the world like the Dream Cruise,\u201d said Leanne Babbage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Back home in Queensland state, the couple are minor celebrities in the hot rod world with a gorgeous 1957 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe that has graced magazine covers and won awards. Leanne even competes with it on the drag strip. The biggest classic car show in Queensland?<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe Cooly Rocks On Festival on the Gold Coast is the biggest event we have with 1,400 cars,\u201d said Michael. \u201cThe first year we came to the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2012 there were 40,000 cars and 1.2 million people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">They were addicted and have come back five times since, including this year. Naturally, they\u2019ve hooked up with the Woodward Tri Five Cruisers \u2014 a local club founded by Roger Posey that celebrates Chevrolets from 1955-57, an era in which the GM brand made big strides in engine engineering. Some 46 Tri Fives from all over the country are gathering this weekend in Memorial Park at 13 Mile and Woodward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cOur countries share a passion for big horsepower V-8s,\u201d said Michael, noting that GM produced muscle cars under the Holden brand name in Australia for years. \u201cWe have a lot of space in Australia like the U.S., and you can really put your foot down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Back home, the Babbages have a garage full of classics, including a 1959 Cadillac, 1973 Chevy Camaro, and 1973 Pontiac Firebird. But the cost of shipping one of them to Michigan\u2019s Cruise (about $8,000 roundtrip) is prohibitive, so they ride Woodward in other Tri-Five members\u2019 Chevys.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cOne year, we rented a Mustang, but it was hard to get all our luggage into it,\u201d Leanne said with a laugh. This being wintertime Down Under, the Babbages take an extended vacation in Detroit, Las Vegas and anywhere else they can ogle V-8s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In Birmingham, as a parade of Ford GT supercars rumbled past Friday morning, Doug Newhouse, 63, looked up from the T-shirt stand at Maple and Woodward that was already doing brisk business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Newhouse and his wife, Laurie, came all the way from Holland in their beautiful Meyer Manx Dune Buggy. The Buggy\u2019s flat-4 Volkswagen engine can\u2019t compete with the Ford GT\u2019s for visceral thrills \u2014 but the GTs can\u2019t climb sand dunes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cOh, yeah, we\u2019ve had our Buggy in their natural habitat on the Silver Lake Dunes,\u201d said Doug, referring to the famed sand park that overlooks Lake Michigan. \u201cWe\u2019ve driven this thing everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Cruise veterans, they come here every year in their original Manx that they bought years ago on a whim from California. The Buggy shares their classic car attention with a 1941 street rod.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>fdonnelly@detroitnews.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>hpayne@detroitnews.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ferndale\u00a0\u2014 The rolling feast of nostalgia known as the Woodward\u00a0Dream Cruise returns Saturday to the birthplace of the American automobile. Tens of thousands of classic cars will be parked or meandering along a 16-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue. The bevy of customs, classics, exotics, muscle cars and hot rods will do their yearly roll call [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33201"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33203,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33201\/revisions\/33203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}