1951 Ford F1

Cruisers crowd Saint Clair

SAINT CLAIR - Attendees of Saturday's Saint Clair Cruise Night couldn't help but notice the purple car lined up against the fence.

Barney the Dinosaur was prominently displayed on various parts of the 2003 PT Cruiser, which had 89,924 miles on it.

Laura Slusser, 56, of Berwick, sat proudly behind the wheel. Her husband, Walter, 48, didn't mind sitting in the passenger seat. Laura bought the car in December 2010 and decided to have things related to Barney put on it "because it's purple," she said.

The car was one of at least 250 that participated in Saturday's 10th annual event, including cars, trucks and even an Army vehicle.

All the vehicles lined up at the Saint Clair Business Park until cruise time, a little after 6 p.m.

Owners and a few spectators caught a glimpse of the vehicles before they cruised downtown, but most people were in downtown Saint Clair sitting on chairs and steps or standing to watch the cars go by. The Alert Fire Company No. 1 was open and sold hot dogs and other food, and fireworks were held after the cruise.

Ed Quirin, 66, of Saint Clair, entered two vehicles - a 1930 Ford Model A and a 1951 Ford F1 pickup - in the contest, which had a $10 entry fee with proceeds going to the Schuylkill Saints Teener League.

"You can actually start it with a crank in the front," Quirin said of the car, although he had never done so. Equipped with a rumble seat in the back, the car "is a driver, not a show vehicle," he said. He bought the green car from a person in Florida and has spent seven years and an unknown amount of money restoring it.

Dave and Jen Roehl, Middleport, entered a 1962 Volkswagen bus. They bought the bus a few years ago for $1,500. It gets 20 to 25 miles a gallon and travels 55 to 60 mph because it is only 50 horsepower.

Event organizer Bill Dempsey said that, on average, about 250 to 300 cars register for the event. The top 40 vehicles, as judged by a three-member panel, will be given trophies, he said. He estimated that more than 1,000 people lined the streets for the event.

Mike Quercia, president of the cruise committee, said he got the idea 10 years ago while at a Halloween parade in the borough.

"We started out with maybe 100 vehicles. It's just kind of grew a little each year," he said.

Logan Stevenson, 3, of Saint Clair, had his hands over his ears because of the loud noise from an Army vehicle that produced noise to simulate gunfire. His mom, Melissa Manhart, 29, said her son loves the event and Saturday was their second time attending.

1951 Ford F1 Flathead V8 USD 21995 | Classic Cars

Who hasn''t dreamed of a clean, rugged old truck to use as a toy? Nice enough to show anywhere, but not so clean that you''re afraid to throw a few bags of mulch in the bed at the garden center. This 1951 Ford F1 is ideal for the guy who still likes his toys to work for a living. There''s no more popular color on these great old haulers than Vermillion Red, and it was true back in 1951 as well. Nicely finished to period-correct standards, it shows extremely well with a great air of originality t...

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