Those folks and their vehicles gather every year at events like the Cruise to the Woods and the Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota Ja-Mar Cruise. When they get together, a lot of fun and fellowship – not to mention ogling of magnificent machines -ensues.

“You could almost write a book on this culture,” said Wayne Lussman, of Fort Dodge, who has three vehicles he shows off.

“You will meet people who will turn into family,” he added.

Nostalgia draws people to the classic and custom car hobby, according to Andy Flagge, of Fort Dodge.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Steffen Ahlborn, right, of Hanover, Germany, and his son Paul Baumgarte, 7, of Hanover Germany check out a Ford Model AA 1924 during Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota Ja-Mar Cruise on July 11 at Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota.

“I think it’s kind of a yearning for a car, a vehicle, that their family had when they were growing up or maybe their first car,” he said. “I kind of feel that’s what it is.”

Flagge is well-versed in the hobby. His father, the late Tom Flagge, got him started. Today, he has 12 collector cars.

Not everyone in the car hobby has such extensive collections. Charlie Walker, of Fort Dodge, has one car, a 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire.

“I like having it,” he said. “I like driving it occasionally.”

When car collectors get together, a wide variety of vehicles can be seen.

Some are antiques, such as the 1916 Cadillac that Flagge has restored. The seven-passenger touring car has won awards at national car shows. Flagge takes it to shows in a trailer custom made by Jensen Trailers, of Humboldt, to accommodate the eight and a half foot height of the car.Flagge also has a 1972 Chevrolet pickup that he performed a frame-up restoration on. That truck has also won national awards.

Also to be seen at the gatherings are machines dubbed rat rods or street rods that don’t look anything like they did when they emerged from a Detroit auto plant.

Lussman’s paddy wagon is a case in point. It started as a 1929 Ford Model AA truck. He said the Model AA was Ford’s heavy duty truck of the time, with a one and a half ton capacity.

Over the course of nine years, Lussman turned it into a paddy wagon for the fictional Hooterville Police Department in the fictional Green Acre County. It’s powered by a 460 cubic inch engine. Its original flatbed body was replaced with a body Lussman created to look like a jail cell on wheels.

Details on the vehicle include a shiny antique fire extinguisher, a padlock with the words San Quentin Death Row on it and a pair of old handcuffs from the former Sing Sing Penitentiary in upstate New York.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Larry Abbas, of Duncombe, looks at a 1972 Chevrolet owned by Myron Mack during the Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota Ja-Mar Cruise on July 11 at Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota.

Additionally, he owns a 1946 Ford pickup and a 1956 Ford F100 that he bought for $50 when he was 18.

Cars, Lussman said, are art.

“There is such a wide variety of vehicles,” he said. “It’s what you grew up with or what you’re into.”

He said within the fraternity of car collectors, everyone respects and admires each other’s work. And to make it even more special, everyone is willing to help each other, he said. To get some advice or assistance, all someone needs to do is ask, he said.

“If the first person you ask doesn’t know the answer, they know somebody who does.” he said.

There are some challenges associated with owning an antique, classic or custom car. For example, an owner of such a vehicle can’t just walk into a local auto parts store and get what they need. Parts have to be ordered through specialty magazines or online. And ethanol should be avoided, Flagge and Lussman said.

The car hobby isn’t cheap, either.

“That old car has cost more than any new car I’ve ever owned,” Walker said.

The pleasure of working on their own machine and enjoying the company of like-minded people draws enthusiasts to the hobby.

“Don’t be afraid to get started in it,” Lussman said. “If you’re willing to spend the time, you can learn to do this. There’s always someone there willing to help you. Just ask.”