Classic cars cruise down memory lane

OGDENSBURG — Every vehicle at the 48th annual Seaway Cruisers car show had a story behind it.

For Dean Marshall, owner of Heuvelton Tin Shop, his 1978 Ford 250 was about better gas mileage via a homemade device of PVC pipe, stainless steel plates and water that produces hydrogen on demand.

"The hydrogen mixes with the gas for a cleaner burn," he said. "I've gone from 12 to 18 miles per gallon. With a new unit I'm going to put in, I'm pretty sure I can double the mileage to 24. That's good for the biggest motor Ford makes."

Mr. Marshall had been trying to devise a system of his own, but found the answers he wanted with Zero Fossil Fuel on www.youtube.com.

"He really helped me out. He's got a big following," Mr. Marshall said. "They don't want anyone to patent anything. This is for everyone."

The system produces hydrogen as an electrical current changes from positive to negative, causing a spark to jump through the water to reach the next electrified plate.

"It's not dangerous when it's used properly," Mr. Marshall said. "Gasoline is probably more hazardous than this stuff."

Sunday's car show in an Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority field off Route 37 attracted 128 vehicles.

"We're down a little bit this year because of gas, most likely," Seaway Cruisers President John M. Miller III, DeKalb Junction, said. "We've had as many as 260 vehicles. That was probably about six years ago. We had no Corvettes this year, which is very unusual, and no motorcycles."

Many of the vehicles were accompanied by photo albums of their restoration from a heap of rust to gleaming finale.

Phillip J. Burnett, Rensselaer Falls, brought a 1947 Plymouth special deluxe, the last of several he has restored.

"I've sold them all. When I got where I wanted to do one again, I'd go get one," he said. "I bought this off a back car lot in Massena around 2000. One of the things I enjoy is when people come up and say, 'My dad had a car like that or I had one like that.'"

Mr. Burnett had at least 15 cars before he even finished high school.

"You could buy a car for $15, $25 back then," he said. "I'd buy one and drive it until it died."

A 1959 Triumph TR3A owned by Ronald W. and M. Sheila Day, Heuvelton, is a trip down memory lane for them. According to a sign in front of the car, Mr. Day bought the car in 1964 and took his future wife on their first date in the car in 1965. He traded it for a 1966 Mustang a year later, but his father had the wisdom to buy it back from the dealer.

The Triumph, taken off the road in 1975, deteriorated until Mr. Day restored it from 1995 to 1997.

Thomas J. Bolton, Smiths Falls, Ontario, modified a 1949 Plymouth to resemble "Greased Lighting," John Travolta's car in the musical "Grease." Purple dice hung from the rearview mirror and a diecast model sat on the hood.

Slicking back his hair, Mr. Bolton admitted he had dressed for the part in black pants, a black leather vest and dark glasses.

Why people are attracted to certain cars defies reason, said Mr. Miller, who favors Sunbeams, a British sports car.

"I got my first one in 1973," he said. "The main reason was I could fit in it. At 6-foot-seven, I'm a little taller than the average person. I could fit in a Porsche but they were too expensive for me."