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Classic cars converge on Cape

3 min read

Bill Wendt’s “Skanky” mobile was everything the unflattering moniker implied; the makeshift auto was like a rolling junkyard, equal parts mailboxes, old grocery shopping carts, pool chair mats and black and white photos of women in various states of undress lining the “topless” auto’s interior.
“This is my everyday car. It’s got 34,000 miles on it,” Wendt said. “They used to call all of my old girlfriends skanky, but I never knew what it meant.”
The car truly was built from the ground up, as Wendt merely slapped together things he had lying around his garage.
He said “everything important” on the car is new, from certain parts of the engine to the fiber glass body.
“I had all the pieces and it took three months to put it all together. It was a lot of fun,” Wendt said. “I did it just to be different, just to make it look skanky.”
Wendt’s “Skanky” car was part of the Corvettes on the Gulf’s Car Cruise, a fund-raiser sponsored by the car club to benefit Barbara’s Friends Music Room at the Children’s Hospital at Health Park.
Corvette member and organizer Jim McLoughlin said the warm climate and abundant sunshine make Florida the perfect home for car clubs, and car enthusiasts, like himself. McLoughlin own 6 classic corvettes and a 1932 Ford.
“Oh, I’ve been into cars since I was 19,” he said.
Though sponsored by Corvettes on the Gulf, the show was a fine collection of makes and models from across the board.
Chevelles and Mustangs sat alongside Chargers and Thunderbirds.
Walter Asbury’s 1953 cherry red Ford Victoria was a draw, luring auto lovers to gaze upon its all original interior.
A Cape resident, Asbury often participates in the car shows around the county, enjoying the camaraderie of like-minded enthusiasts.
“There’s a lot of nice people around here, people who just get together and have a good time,” he said.
Asbury originally owned a Ford Victoria when he was teenager, but ended up trading it to a friend for a Mercury.
He’s wanted another Victoria ever since, finally getting his wish when he purchased the current Ford in 1982.
He’s put anywhere from $8,000 – $10,000 of work into the car, only drives it on Mondays, and one day hopes to pass it down to his grandson who’s 13.
“I’m hoping he’ll be inclined to do something with it on his own,” Asbury said of his grandson. “My goal is to give it to him when he’s 16.”
For more information on Corvettes on the Gulf events, visit corvettesonthegulf.com.