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The WPC Club,
Inc.
Plymouth, Dodge, Fargo, DeSoto,
Chrysler, Imperial, Maxwell, Chalmers,
Jeep and Eagle & related
Automobiles. All Mopar /
All Years / All Models
Pacific Wonderland Regional WPC
Meet, Tualatin, Oregon, August 19-21, 2004
Photos follow article.
The Sweetbrier Inn at Tualatin OR, about ten miles south of Portland
on Interstate 5, played host to our WPC Regional Meet. The weekend
started aboTut noon on Thursday with several club
members arriving at our hospitality suite, to assemble packets with
nametags, window cards, directions for the upcoming tours and the Saturday
show.
WPC members starting arriving right after noon, right up to
the scheduled time for our Thursday evening tour. At 6:30pm, we
rolled out for a scenic 17.5 mile trip through the country, to the Double J
Ranch, near Hillsboro, OR. Jeff and Jeannie Gretz
hosted our ice cream social, in their slightly oversize “garage”, which had
had about eight cars on display (three of them Mopars).
After a lot of ice cream and cookies, a lot of visiting and telling stories
(most of them true), the approximately 20 cars started back to the
Motel. It is now very dark, and what should appear, but a policeman
blocking the return route, and sending people back to find another way
home. Everybody finally did arrive, some as late as 11pm, but safe
and sound. We just called it our “mystery tour”.
Friday morning was a scheduled tour to the
Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville, home of the Spruce Goose. Our
route headed south through Wilsonville, then west along the Willamette
River, passing by several estate type properties on the river. We
arrived at 10am and found four cars joining us there. There were now
26 vehicles and looked mighty fine lined up on the grass in front of the
museum. After about two hours looking over several interesting
aircraft, we continued on to a winery a few miles away. Here the
group enjoyed a box lunch and a fantastic view of the vineyards and
surrounding farm country. The weather was perfect, and Len Dawson
compared the view to the wine country in Italy.
Our next stop was back
in Newberg at a private collection of cars, trucks and even tractors.
The owner Ken Austin related to us that his collection is his life story,
cars he had in high school, dated in, raced at Bonneville, and had on the
farm. He has a total restoration shop and also builds specialty
parts, including custom intake manifolds.
Saturday morning was the car show at Clackamette
Park about ten miles from the motel. This time we head east through
the back roads to Oregon City. Several members were at the park by
7am to lay out the field by class and begin to park cars as they
arrived. The weather was again perfect and the shady city park on the
Willamette River was an ideal setting. We had a lot of space, which
allowed us to spread out and not be bumping doors.
By 9am the 59 registered cars were placed and the participant
choice voting began. We had several spectators, and a few visitors
with their Mopars stop by. Our sponsor,
Town & Country Chrysler in Milwaukie OR, brought out five new Chrysler
vehicles to the show. At 3pm we concluded the show and headed back to
the motel to prepare for the awards banquet.
The cocktail hour started at 6pm, and a buffet dinner began at
7pm. The Sweetbrier did a fabulous job on the evening with great
food, nice setting and friendly service. After dinner we presented
the awards. We had first second and third in 20 classes and five best of
show for each Chrysler Division. Town & Country Chrysler
sponsored the etched glass tumblers. A good time was had by all
and we called it a day (well most of us) and Sunday morning found folks
heading back home. With the WPC National being on the West
Coast next year, this group decided not to do a regional in the Northwest,
and try to attend the National in Burbank, CA
- Tom Fox, Pacific Wonderland
Region.
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