Car buffs claim city streets

When he started restoring his 1965 Malibu, all Bob Artz had was the shell.

It took three years in his Lewiston Orchards garage for Artz to add an engine and bring life back to the classic cruiser, which now has a victory-red paint job and modern features including an FM radio.

"You make it a better car than it was when it was new; it's probably going to outlive me," Artz said.

The car is one of about 400 classics and hot rods that restoration mechanics will show off this weekend on Main Street during Lewiston's Hot August Nights. Events begin at 3 p.m. today with the Rogers Motors tune-up show and shine on 16th Avenue. Events including a Main Street cruise, concerts and show and shine downtown continue through Saturday.

Artz, now 65, entered a restored 1955 Chevrolet in the first Hot August Nights in the 1980s, and has missed only a few of the downtown car shows over the years.

He and his wife Judy Artz are looking forward to returning with their '65 Malibu this weekend after a one-year absence. But he said it's the other cars and their mechanics he'll be interested in.

"You get to see all the people you haven't seen for a year," Artz added. "It's just something where you have a lot of interaction with a lot of people that you see in town that have the same interest you do."

From classic '50s cruisers to restored rat rods, the show has 26 classes for entrants to choose from. The surge in rat rod entrants led the committee to add the custom hot rods as a category this weekend, said Hot August Nights Committee Chairman Dan Dorman.

The committee also recently made a distinction between custom chopper motorcycles and classic bikes that can be entered in separate categories at the show.

Car registrations are on pace with last year, when 396 people showed off their restored and antique cars. About half of the registrants are from outside the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

"People who are car people usually pick three or four, five or six shows they'd like to go to each year," Dorman said, noting the Spokane Good Guys Rod and Custom Association car show last weekend usually brings additional entrants to Lewiston. "If they're out West for something like Good Guys, they'll come here."

New this year is the Sizzlin' Summer BBQ Festival at Brackenbury Square, allowing local vendors to show off their barbecue and amateur chefs the chance to show off their secret recipes.

Because of recent repaving of Main Street, Dorman said promoters are also highlighting the "smoothest cruise" Friday night.

The committee donates all money made from Hot August Nights to local charities, Dorman said.

"What kind of makes it all worthwhile is when we get to award these checks to the needs-based organizations around the valley," Dorman said. "That's really the payoff."

Some car hobbyists just look at the show as a chance to catch up with old friends, but Dorman said others are planning family reunions around Hot August Nights. Others just want to take a look at what other car hobbyists are up to.

Artz said his Malibu probably only sees the pavement about 10 times a year, but admits the odometer sees a lot of miles this weekend between the cruise and show and shine.

"That is our best community event of the year," Artz said. "Everybody that's anybody's got a car down there."

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Gary may be contacted at bgary@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2262.

> If you go

Today: Rogers Motors tune-up show and shine from 3-8 p.m. at 2203 16th Ave.

Friday: Hot August Nights Cruise on Main and D streets from 7-10 p.m.

Saturday: Breakfast at Brackenbury Square from 6:30-10 a.m., show and shine on Main Street from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sizzlin Summer BBQ Festival at Brackenbury Square from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.