For the third straight year, the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise was big, fun and free! The fourth weekend of October has become a popular time for collector car and truck enthusiasts to come to the Daytona Beach area, since that’s the designated weekend for the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise each year. The event is known for its special activities such as great car theme outdoor movies at terrific waterfront settings. The 3rd Annual Daytona Beach Dream Cruise, held October 22, 23 & 24, 2010, had 1,500 participating cars at eight nice venues. All types of collector cars and trucks were displayed.
A truly memorable big official gathering this year took place Friday from 3:00 to 9:00pm at City Island Park in downtown Daytona Beach. This venue has a fabulous view of the Halifax River, and with perfect weather and a full moon that night, it was a great setting with tremendous numbers of terrific collector cars filling the entire park. Everyone enjoyed a great musical performance by “The Volunteers of the U.S. Army Field Band” and then when it got completely dark, there were two entertaining films shown on a big outdoor screen featuring great racing action on the beaches of the Daytona Beach area. Like all of the official activities of the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise, this car display, concert and movie presentation was entirely free and as at all venues for the entire weekend, there was plentiful free parking for the public.
Again this year, check-in of collector vehicles took place on Saturday behind the Volusia Mall, which is the only area big enough to accommodate the tremendous numbers of participating collector cars and trucks that also provides a proper backdrop and correct sun exposure for shooting the official photo of each collector car brought there from early morning to late afternoon. Each of these photos was later digitally enhanced and given to the respective participant, totally free, even including postage paid by the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise, this made possible by photo sponsor Speed Park Motorsports (www.speedparkdaytona.com). Registration (online at www.daytonabeachdreamcruise.com before the event or on-site at the Saturday check-in location) is totally free for collector vehicles at the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise and check-in/photo taking for such a big turnout of collector vehicles moved along quickly again this year.
Elsewhere at the big Volusia Mall site, there were lots of collector cars displayed along the eastern side of the parking lot and in the south (front) side. At the front of the mall, people were treated to a special gathering of five cars referred to as “Rick’s Picks”. Event producer Rick D’Louhy hopes everyone at the event had a chance to see this varied group of special cars that included the incredible original El Matador brought to the event by members of the Asphalt Angels Car Club (Palm Beach County, FL). Other impressive unique cars in the Rick’s Picks grouping were a wildly-yet-tastefully customized/modified ’64 GTO owned by Bob Carter that you may recall from the November 2005 issue of “Hot Rod Magazine” (cover and feature article), John and Linda Cornelius’ terrific ’32 Ford 5-Window Coupe built like a ‘60’s hot rod, and a beautiful ’35 Ford Phaeton restored by Joe (Sr. & Jr.) Gimpel and Alan Scheffling. Also in this group was Rick D’Louhy’s unique ’55 Mysterion hot rod/sports car. The fiberglass body on this vehicle is one of only three of these bodies known to exist, and the origin of this body is a “mystery”, hence the name “Mysterion” that Rick has given to this interesting Offenhauser-equipped 239 flathead V8-powered car.
In addition to seeing lots of great cars at the Volusia Mall, there were even several recently-crowned beauty pageant winners for attendees to meet including Miss Daytona Beach and Miss Volusia County. Speaking of beauty queens, the lovely and talented Megan Clementi, Miss Florida USA 2010, and co-host Alan Goldstein from the automotive television program “Muscle Car Workout” met lots of enthusiasts at this year’s Daytona Beach Dream Cruise. Also on hand was another automotive television program, Tail Fins and Chrome, whose host Jake was interviewing lots of owners as his camera crew was shooting their rides for future episodes. Mustang Sally was reportedly seen in Mustang Alley, a special Mustang display area at the mall.
While some cruising took place along US 92 in the vicinity of the Volusia Mall, most owners chose to display their cars in a static mode at the Volusia Mall and Daytona State College Saturday until mid-afternoon when they headed to one of two special official activities of the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise that evening. For the third straight year, a popular sock hop was held at Down the Hatch in Ponce Inlet.
The other well-attended Saturday activity late that afternoon and into the evening was held at Halifax Harbor Marina Park and Blue Grotto in downtown Daytona Beach. There was a fabulous VIP parking display of nearly two dozen ’32 Fords encircling the viewing area where a big, enthusiastic audience saw the final test screening on a huge outdoor screen of the new hot rod movie “Deuce of Spades.” A special treat was that the star of this Faith Granger film, Timothy Luke, who plays Johnny Callaway, arrived before dark in Glenn McGlone’s flathead powered vintage style hot rod roadster. Timothy then signed lots of autographs and posed for pictures. He’s a really personable, approachable and talented young actor and everyone who met him was really impressed. It was a unique experience to view the film knowing the lead character was there viewing it with the audience. That night, after the film, David “Doc” Donaldson drove Timothy to his motel in his full-fendered, hemi-powered, classic ‘32 Ford 5-Window Coupe.
The movie “Deuce of Spades” will be available on DVD by the time you read this. Log on to www.deuceofspadesmovie.com to learn more about the film and how you can order the DVD and souvenir items.
Sunday, from late morning until mid-afternoon, lots of great cars and trucks were displayed at Halifax Harbor Marina Park and Blue Grotto. Steve Clair brought Timothy Luke, star of “Deuce of Spades” to this gathering in his “Millner’s Coupe” clone from “American Graffiti”. Beyond his being chauffeured in grand style by period correct hot rods Saturday evening and Sunday, Timothy also was treated as a distinguished guest midday Saturday by Barry Margolis (with his unique ’68 Cougar convertible that you’ve previously seen in Mike Kelly’s Cruise News) and the other “Florida Old Guys” who drove him around showing him Daytona’s sites and even drove him on the World’s Most Famous Beach. R.J. Lenz took Timothy in his super cool, low-riding ’63 Riviera to Daytona Beach International Airport Monday for his departure. This was Timothy’s first trip to Florida so his impression of the Sunshine State couldn’t be better thanks to all the super car enthusiasts at the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise who greeted him so warmly.
Among the many cars on display Sunday at the picturesque Halifax Harbor Marina Park/Blue Grotto location, a large group of awesome blower motor cars arrived and out of courtesy to others, they parked at the far end of the display area, never driving on the grass, so their exhausts wouldn’t stir up dust. At 3:00pm, everyone gathered on the deck of Blue Grotto, the eye catching restaurant and night club adjacent to the park for significant drawings. Lots of lucky attendees won gift certificates from sponsor National Parts Depot, and then ten lucky car owners each won $100 cash put up by Blue Grotto. Timothy Luke drew the names of all winners and then posed for a photo with each of them as well as posing in a group shot with all the owners of ’32 Fords (Deuces) on display that day, in keeping with the prior night’s final test screening of the movie “Deuce of Spades” at this site.
Considering additional gatherings of collector cars at Hooters, Speed Park Motorsports, and Daytona State College, it was a really fun weekend with lots of varied car activities. While no official activities were scheduled along A1A in the vicinity of Bellair Plaza, plenty of collector cars could be seen at various times in that vicinity again this year.
The Daytona Beach Dream Cruise is known for its unique features and special venues plus the fact that it’s entirely free for the public and participants with no admission fees and no registration fees. Rick D’Louhy produces this event with financial support from terrific sponsors Heacock Classic Collector Car Insurance and National Parts Depot (NPD). He encourages everyone to do business with these great Florida-based companies owned by caring car enthusiasts (www.heacockclassic.com and www.npdlink.com).
It is through sponsorship by these great companies and financial assistance from other businesses sponsoring individual activities (Down the Hatch, Blue Grotto, Hooters, Speed Park Motorsports and NAPA Auto Parts of Daytona Beach) that Rick is able to keep this event free. Contact Rick D’Louhy to learn more about becoming a sponsor of the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise. He can be reached at 386-672-1861 or Rick@DaytonaBeachDreamCruise.com.
Planning is underway for the 2011 Daytona Beach Dream Cruise. To order souvenir items including event shirts and extra dash plaques from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 events, to see photos from all three years of the event, and to get details about activities and venues for the 4th Annual event when the dates will be October 21, 22 & 23, 2011, log on to www.DaytonaBeachDreamCruise.com. CN
