Published: June 03, 2008 11:05 pm         

Ramblin’ Rod car show held in downtown Royse City

By Leslie Gibson

Herald-Banner Staff



Chevelle, Duster, Galaxy, Malibu, Charger, Mustang, Barracuda and Falcon — with names like these and the engines some of them had — driving a car in the 60s and 70s wasn’t a guilt trip — it was fun.

Roads were roomy; usually providing enough space for the young (at heart) to try a time or two to achieve the 13.7 seconds in a quarter mile of the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. So what if the car got 10 to 15 miles per gallon, gas was 36 cents a gallon in 1970.

The Chevrolet Chevelle wasn’t just one of America’s most popular cars in the late 60s and very early 70s, it proved so at the Royse City Ramblin’ Rod Car Show Saturday as well.

Ed Brizendine’s red 1970 Chevelle was Class Winner in the Muscle Car division. Though in rough shape when he found it, “it had a naughty attitude. It was an old drag car, kind of thrashed but ugly,” he said.

Johnny and Diane Tovar brought their restored 1967 Chevelle to the show. “We love it,” Diane Tovar said. “We got married in a car like this and we dated in a car like this,” she said. She was 13 and Tovar was 18 when they met, and they’ve been together ever since, she said. Their Chevelle, marina blue in color, has won prizes in various area shows. Cars are Royse City’s couple’s hobby now that they sold their horses. Tovar trained cutting horses for 26 years.

Though the whole family, including grandson Damion Aiello, loves the car, it wasn’t so long ago that being driven to school in a similar Chevelle was embarrassing for their oldest daughter, Diane said. Also, unlike the car they restored, their original Chevelle had no air nor power steering. “I wanted all the power I could get,” Tovar said. The ’67 model they have is unusual in that it had been specially ordered from the factory with power steering and air.

A deep burgundy 1966 Mustang at the show belongs to Suzanne Vogt of Royse City, but basically has been given to her son, Matthew Baggett, because he takes care of it he said. “I like old stuff, old clothes, old music.” It has a 289 engine. They bought the Mustang for $12,000, but some of them sell for $50,000, he said.

Next to it, a lime green Plymouth Duster from 1972 attracted the attention of visitors Darren Henderson of Royse City and Mark Yarborough of Nevada. They are friends of Basel Dudley, for whom the Royse City show was his first. He brought his late father’s 1966 Chevrolet farm truck from Tennessee, now painted maroon.

Dudley said the show was great. “I’m just havin’ a time,” he said. “It’s my first show. Everybody’s been hollerin’ at me to show this truck,” he said. “My dad bought it new and I restored it.”

To support the Main Street Program, to which Royse City was one of two cities accepted for 2008, she and the chamber and economic development corporation (EDC) worked the car show which she expects to make an annual event.

Main Street takes advantage of a city’s history, to boost the city’s economy and tie the history and the present together.

Such was the show. Next to a 1941 Plymouth, a “junkyard” car, which Michael Brizendine bought because he “felt sorry for it,” was a 2005 Saleen Mustang, with 580 horsepower. It belongs to Michael and Daphne Brizendine and won in the 200 and Newer Class.

First place in the 60s Car Class went to Carl and Sheila Nicholl, who just moved to Royse City eight weeks ago. They brought a black 1965 Plymouth Belvedere.

Brandi Kozlousky of Royse City won with and 89 Mustang GT. She got interested in car shows through her brother and dad. “I’ve always been a Ford fan,” she said. Why? “First on race day.”

Jim Roman of Royse City bought his 72 Chevelle Malibu from a neighbor in San Antonio, who only drove it to church and work, and trusted him to take care of it, and it is still pristine. All I did was the paint job and muffler, he said.