Cruise by Colby Avenue to see classic cars

Published 11:32 pm Sunday, May 25, 2008

EVERETT — They came from near and far to cruise down Colby Avenue on Sunday afternoon, and each of the roughly 500 drivers could spin their own tale of rubber and gleaming metal.

Few, however, have driven through the heart of downtown Everett as long as Russ and Arlene Divers.

They’ve cruised Colby for nearly 60 years, dating back to when they were in high school and he got his first set of wheels, a green 1936 Dodge that had a previous life as a police car in Wenatchee.

On Sunday, as part of the ninth annual Cruzin’ to Colby car show, they were parked on the same stretch of street they know so well, reminiscing about the good old days of catching a movie in one of the four theaters in and around Colby and hanging out at the ice cream parlor on Hewitt Avenue.

Thousands of car enthusiasts roamed the sidewalks Sunday, examining interiors, leaning under popped hoods to inspect engines and swapping war stories about finding parts. It was a meeting place of preservation, renovation, restoration and innovation.

Russ, 75, stood beside his maroon 1941 Chevy Coupe while Arlene sat comfortably in the mohair-upholstered passenger seat. The couple have been married for 55 years and share a love of old cars.

Russ was in his element Sunday, watching each car pass with the majesty of preening peacocks.

“I’ve been building cars for more than 50 years, really for all my life,” Russ said. “It’s great to see this in Everett.”

Although he retired in 1997 as “a body man” and painter, he still lends a steady hand at Divers Street Rods in Startup and is building his own 1940 four-door Nash Lafayette in his garage at home.

He’s known as the “metal man from way back” at the Startup shop, which gained national recognition earlier this year.

Divers Street Rods combined a 2002 Ferrari Modena engine and transmission with the body of a 1960 Rambler wagon to help an Oregon man win a coveted Riddler Award at the Detroit Autorama hot rod building competition. Their entry was called “Ferrambo.”

Hundreds of cars — the red Ford Mustang, the roaring procession of muscle cars and the stoic Model T — rolled down a four-block stretch of Colby under sunny skies Sunday. Each could pull a U-turn with immunity near the corner of Colby and Everett avenues or rev engines with impunity.

Cruzin’ to Colby is sponsored by the Everett-based Seattle Rod-tiques car club as a fundraiser to help other organizations. This year’s proceeds will go to Hospice of Snohomish County, Camp Fire USA of Snohomish County and Children’s Burn Recovery Foundation.

As many as 800 cars could be on display for today’s Show ‘N’ Shine on Colby from Pacific to Everett avenues.

Diver said he is thrilled that Everett plays host to the annual car show, which brings people to his hometown from all over the state.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “Everett really needs it. It opens up the downtown. It gets people into town and hopefully they will do some shopping in town.”

The Divers will reciprocate, visiting other Washington cities also hungry for tourism dollars.

They’ll even make a car-show trip out of state in their light blue 1964 Pontiac Bonneville.

For all the travels, it’s still hard to beat cruising down Colby in their old cars.

“It’s a thrill to just drive them downtown,” he said.

Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com