Chris Vander Doelen
Windsor Star

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Traditionally, cruisers say the season starts with the first gathering May 1 at Bopper's in LaSalle and lasts as long as weather permits -- usually October.

The cruising set are car restorers and other devoted motorheads who like to take their hardware on the road -- and the Windsor area probably has more of them than any other region in the country.

My first warm spring Saturday here was a shock, back in 1983. I went downtown for a beer or two and was floored at some of the cars bumper-to-bumper on Ouellette Avenue: Muscle cars, fully restored classics and exotic sports cars were on parade like they were auditioning for an appearance in American Graffiti VIII.

It was the day I learned that in a real auto town, half the population has an automotive gem hibernating in the garage. They come out in the spring, right after the tulips, and start gathering in bunches in the parking lots of their favourite bars, restaurants and coffee shops.

Starting this week the people who own these vehicles have a new place to patronize in the geographic centre of Essex County. The old-fashioned kind of drive-in -- with red and white vinyl stools and a juke box, serving burgers, ice cream and foot longs.

The newest destination for recreational bikers and automotive buffs is the 50s Diner at the Canadian Transportation Museum in Essex, at 6155 Arner Townline. The room got its shakedown "cruise," so to speak, last Saturday morning.

The Transportation Museum, formerly known as Southwestern Ontario's Heritage Village, invested a $75,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation plus a lot of its members' sweat equity in the restaurant.

A big, sunny room seating 50 looks out on one side into a perfect woodlot, the front onto a paved parking lot which will soon be expanded to hold a lot more cars being shown off.

For smokers, a licensed outdoor patio will soon have umbrellas to go with the tables.

"It'll be the place to hang out if you're a hot rodder or car restorer," says Mickey Moulder, one of the executives of the museum and a member of the Historical Vehicle Society of Ontario, which owns it.

The museum's members have been busy this winter, he said Saturday. They spent the off-season restoring a 1947 Cadillac ambulance, and a 1947 Ford police car.

A Champion Sparkplug delivery truck which was a Ford Model T is still in the process of being rebuilt. They will all be added to the impressive collection inside.

Motorcylists are also welcome at the 50s Diner, which makes sense because on good weekends the Arner becomes Harley Highway as local bikers get together to take their weekend cruises.

(I live on the Arner, and at one point on Sunday the thunder of massed Harleys going by was so loud I couldn't hear my lawnmower).

Local bike enthusiasts are also in the process of establishing a larger display of classic motorcycles at the museum.

They've got the bikes, but need to raise a bit more money before they can take the next step.

The Diner's hours aren't carved in stone yet -- the club is still trying to figure out what cruisers will want. But they figure the diner will open at 9 a.m. on weekdays (closed Mondays), at 8 a.m. on weekends, and stay open until 2 p.m. Thursday night will be cruise-in night at the 50s Diner.

Breakfasts, from what I enjoyed Saturday, are done extremely well, with big servings including farm fresh eggs, for under five bucks. The hashbrowns were especially good.

The rest of the menu includes real milk shakes, foot longs and even a couple of salads. Every item but one is under five dollars.

Moulder says he's hoping to see more Canadians this year, since the museum seems to be well-known already among American car buffs. "Our museum is better known in Michigan than it is in Ontario, which is a shame," Moulder said.

Check it out some weekend. The 50s Diner is about halfway to Point Pelee, on the way to Colasanti's or the beaches on Lake Erie. It's nine km south of Jones Fine Furniture on Highway 3. The official opening is May 25.

Brand shouldn't matter as long as its built locally

Some people in this town are getting overly sensitive about what other people drive. It might be warping their perspective.

In a story last week I quoted retired Cadillac-Chevrolet salesman Walt Temkow, who was in the process of ordering a new Dodge Caravan minivan.

"I buy Chrysler minivans because I like them and the service is good," Temkow said, without me asking why a GM guy was buying where he wouldn't get a discount. The "why" was such an obvious question.

Some of Walt's former colleagues were disappointed to read the quote, and took it as a slight against their service. He called me to plead for the record that his main vehicle is always a General Motors product. Currently it's a Chevrolet Epica.

Imagine, having to make excuses for driving a locally-built product because it's good. Just like that foolish Tim Hortons debate, this kind of product bullying can only create a backlash for Windsor.

cvanderdoelen@thestar.canwest.com

Reproduced courtesy of The Windsor Star, May 02, 2006.