Staff writer
“Weather is the deciding factor,” Jerry Alcorn said. “Sometimes we pick a cruise because it is in a particular town or tied to a special event, but the bottom line for taking a car out is weather.
“It is all about the trip, so we don’t go in rain, snow, or ice and sometimes not even under the summer sun.”
Alcorn, of Herington, was at Peabody Cruise on Sunday with his 1949 Hudson Super 6. The tan and maroon sedan was backed into a space on the west side of Walnut St. with six other cars and a dozen motorcycles.
He said he found out about the cruise from an acquaintance that knew about his enthusiasm for old cars and brought him a flier. He and some friends from the Herington Throttle Jockeys Car Club made the trip.
“I go to half a dozen or so car shows a year, but I enjoy doing cruises also. I like the drive and it is something to do just for fun,” he said.
Alcorn has had the Hudson for 25 years. When he bought it, it was in bad shape, but it had not been wrecked.
“I did the mechanical work myself, but a friend did the bodywork and painting,” he said. “I had a company in El Dorado replace the glass and do the interior — the upholstery and all that.”
The restoration took several years, but Alcorn has enjoyed the restored Hudson.
“The Wichita Eagle has a classic car feature called ‘Wichita on Wheels’ and they came out and did an article about the Hudson and the work that went into it,” he said. “I have a window sticker they gave me that says it was one of their featured cars.”
Alcorn has had chances to sell the car and has considered some of them quite seriously.
“But I have always backed out,” he said. “I’m just not ready to get rid of it. Maybe one of these days.”
In the meantime, he travels with his car club friends, his wife, and his dog, Chewbacca, to car shows and cruises that come along when the weather is fine for a trip.
“The drive is the thing,” Alcorn said. “Driving it out on the road is the best part.”
Peabody Cruise takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the last Sunday of each month from May to September in downtown Peabody. Stores are open and amenities provided are church service, food vendors, and music.