Peering into a 1979 VW Camper van on Saturday are Bob Bennett of Sydney on the left and Mick Morrison of Sydney Forks. The van brought back a lot of memories for the two friends who were attending the Northside Boys Show Your Ride event on Saturday. It was a real trip down memory lane for many people who attended the sixth annual two-day event. The VW Camper van is owned by Kirk Watson of Point Edward. Photo by ROSEMARY GODIN/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentBob Bennett and Mick Morrison peered into the open side doors of a vintage Volkswagen (VW) Camper van and memories spilled out of both of them. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“This was the first vehicle I had a licence to drive with,” Bennett said. Article contentArticle contentIt was his father’s van back in the 1970s. Article content“It was a real hoot to drive,” he told his friend, Mick Morrison. Article contentMorrison, of Sydney Forks, reminisced that he had two VW Beetles during his lifetime and he shared a few stories about driving both of him. Neither had heaters. Article contentArticle content Organizers of the weekend’s Northside Boys car show were basking in compliments after the show finished on Saturday. Many people lauded the charitable event for being so well-organized. Above, left to right, are volunteers Kim Collins and Wayne Collins of Sydney Mines and executive board member Danny Tobin. They all said the show gets bigger every year. Photo by ROSEMARY GODIN/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentELEGENCE ON WHEELSArticle contentThe two longtime friends were in Sydney Mines Saturday to attend the sixth annual Northside Boys Show Your Ride event. Article contentMore than 500 antique, vintage and custom cars were parked all through the closed downtown streets, as people and families walked the roads taking in all the elegance on wheels. Article contentAccording to car websites, car shows feature three categories of vehicles based mostly on age. However, historic status may change how much a car is worth. Article contentFor example, CBC Radio recently aired a story about the discovery of the Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 that actor Steve McQueen drove in a car chase scene through the streets of San Francisco in the movie Bullitt, released that year. Article contentThe car had disappeared for about 40 years. But once it was discovered in a simple neighbourhood family garage outside Nashville, its worth had risen to US$3.74 million.Article content Brenton Zinck of New Germany stands beside his rebuilt Ford with parts from 1935-49. His Rat Rod as he calls it, drew a lot of attention at the weekend’s sixth annual Northside Boys charity car show. This was the first time Zinck and his wife and car co-owner Melissa had attended the Show Your Ride event in Sydney Mines. They joined more than 500 other owners in displaying their vehicles that rolled back time for everyone. Photo by ROSEMARY GODIN/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentPRESERVING HISTORYArticle contentThree categories at Saturday’s show included vintage, antique and classic cars. Each one of them plays a part in preserving history and shows that each decade contained style and character when it came to “our rides.” Article contentArticle contentA standout vehicle at Saturday’s car show belonged to Brenton and Melissa Zinck of New Germany, near Bridgewater. It was their first time bringing their “Rat Rod” Ford to the Sydney Mines show.Article content This 2000 gold Ford Mustang convertible was just one of over 500 custom, vintage and antique cars on display at last weekend’s Northside Boys Show Your Ride charity event in Sydney Mines. The car is owned by Lynn Mulvihill of Sydney. Photo by ROSEMARY GODIN/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentBrenton Zinck said he has been working on this restoration project since 2020 and the car has been rebuilt with bits and pieces of Fords dated from 1935-49. Article contentAlthough it looks like a worn-out beater at first, the distinctive-looking vehicle is anything but that. It has more than 35,000 miles on it. Article contentZinck says it certainly draws attention as they’re driving down the highway. Article content“Kids just love it,” he said. “They all want to get inside it, and I let them.” Article contentTAKING OLD CARS APARTArticle contentZinck, whose father owned a lumber business and had old cars in the millyard first became interested in old cars at the age of seven. It was at that age that he began taking the old cars apart to see how they worked. Article contentHis Rat Rod is a passion project that both preserves history and design from the war years and highlights the Zinck couple’s personal creativity.
Dreams on wheels come out in droves at Cape Breton charity car show event
