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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2016)
JUNE 16, 2016 // 29 Start your engines for Muscle & Chrome Patty Petersen returns with 1964 ‘Mompala’ car By EVE MARX SEASIDE — Saturday, June 18 is the date for one of Oregon’s premiere and most anticipated car shows, Seaside Muscle & Chrome, to take place in downtown Seaside. Five city blocks of show quality vehicles from 1960 to 1978, plus factory built vehicles from 1979 to the present, will be on dis- play. Muscle & Chrome is produced and coordinated by the Seaside Downtown Development Association. Patty Petersen is a resident of Vancouver, Washington. She is the proud owner of a 1964 Im- pala she calls “Mompala” that’s trophied at Muscle & Chrome for the last two years. “Mompala” has also had the honor of being featured two years in a row in Cruize Magazine. “My mother bought the car brand new in ’64 after raising 13 kids. The car has been kept safe and sound in the family ever since we lost Mom in ’99,” Petersen said. Petersen is a single woman and takes care of the car on her own. “I have a mechanic, but this is a flying solo project,” she said. “I’m the youngest of 13. My brothers didn’t have an interest in showing the car, but I did. Our mom bought it in ’64 brand new; she paid cash for it. It was a pretty big thing for her to come home with a brand new car.” Petersen said she grew up in the car. “I’ve always loved classic cars. I’m a member of Beer Boys Racing, a Vancouver-based club. Our club has gotten the Best Club Participation trophy a few times at Mus- cle & Chrome. I was very close to my mom. The car gives me a lot of comfort. I’m a breast cancer survi- vor and the car keeps me grounded. Mompala is such therapy for me. It’s a good kind of nostalgia.” Petersen said that when she was a child the car seemed small, “But now it seems like such a big car! The trunk is huge!” Petersen said that when- ever she brings the car to a show lots of younger peo- ple look at it and appreciate its beauty, but the biggest response comes from older folks who like to stand around and tell their own classic Impala stories. PHOTO BY JEFF TER HAR Cars will line Broadway in Seaside for the Muscle & Chrome. SUBMITTED PHOTO Patty Petersen will be coming to Seaside for Muscle & Chrome. “I’ve had a lot of bodywork done on the car. I know the story behind every ding and dent,” Petersen said. “I haven’t completed the interior work. At shows, I build a shrine to my mother inside the car. My daughter made a special blanket and I have all these amazing pictures of my mom with her Chevy Impala. When I take Mom- pala to shows, I spread that blanket over the seat. It’s a real conversation starter.” Petersen said it’s not always easy being a single woman with a classic car. “The car world tends to be a man’s world, so it’s nice when women can be highlighted,” she said. “It’s very empowering not only to me but hopefully to other women.” For modern muscle car fans, the Kepler Motors Motion Supercar will be on display at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center during the show on June 18. The car features a 550 horsepower 3.5 litre Twin-Turbo engine, is AWD, and can go from 0 to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds. Registration and check in for Muscle & Chrome begins Friday, June 17, at 1 p.m. at the convention center and is open until 7 p.m. Participants are invit- ed to the Leisure Time Campground for a compli- mentary barbecue at 5 p.m. The Cruise Highway 101 event starts at 6:30 p.m. for registered vehicles. On Saturday, registration and check in begins at 6 a.m. at the convention center and is open until 11 a.m. The Show and Shine event on Broadway runs 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is open to regis- tered vehicles only. The City Center parking lot will not be reserved for regis- tered vehicles. For information about other events connected to Muscle & Chrome includ- ing the Treasure Hunt and the Downtown Cruise as well as the dinner and awards ceremony, visit sea- sidedowntown.com or call 503-738-7637 or contact Keith Chandler at 503-440- 4040. Originated in 2004 as Muscle Beach Cruz by the late Gary Diebolt, a merchant and SDDA board member, Muscle & Chrome is officially sponsored by Sunset Auto Parts, Ras- cals, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn, River Inn at Seaside, Shiloh Inn, Hi- Tide Oceanfront Inn, The Seashore Inn and Ebbtide. Note that for 45 minutes starting at 5 p.m., streets will be closed to public traffic for the Downtown Cruise. Closed will be Holladay via Broadway to Turnaround north on Columbia, right onto 1st Avenue, right on to Holl- aday and right going west on Broadway. Seaside Wheels and Waves is the next classic car event to take place in Seaside Sept. 8 to 11. For more information, call 503- 440-4040. NORTH COAST SYMPHONIC BAND D IRE CT E D B Y FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. D AVE B ECK ER A m e r i c a n H e r o e s Member FINRA/SIPC • STO C K S/BO N D S • M U TU AL F U N D S • F D IC -IN SU RE D C D ’S • IRA AC C O U N TS AND R ACHEL B ECK ER J U LY 3 • 7: 30 PM Lib erty Thea ter • Asto ria NEWS TALK FOR THE COAST 503.325.0677 #1 12TH ST., SUITE 7 ASTORIA, OR S U N DAY S O L O IST S A NDY Mark Hedeen Financial Advisor Do o rs O p en a t 6:45 PM PRESHO W AT 7 PM Pro viding live a nd lo ca l new s co vera ge every da y N o rth Co a st Ja zz En sem b le Y ou could see it ton igh t, rea d a bout it tom orrow or h ea r it live N O W ! Celebrate A m e r i c a ’ s Birthday! 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