Gary Baldwin prefers to find parts for his teal 1953 Willys Jeep pickup instead of purchasing parts. This is evident when he lifts the hood.
“There’s plenty of components of different vehicles at the dump here,” Baldwin said. “This air cleaner comes out of an Toyota. The throttle cable is one of a Subaru cable. Gas pedals are an Chevy pickup truck.”
Baldwin displayed his car at Bethel’s first ever car display that took place during the weekend. It was the Southwest Alaska community is off the U.S. road system, and vehicles must be brought to the area via barges, at an additional cost or transported by air.
The Baldwin classic was the vehicle of a former school principal in the Lower Kuskokwim School District in the 1970s. He would drive it along local trails when it wasn’t as deep. Baldwin was the one to inherit it in the late ’90s.
“People say it was transported to Quinhagak and I’m aware that it was driven between Nunapitchuk because he was a worker in both of the communities,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin who was the superintendent of the district He said he drove the truck every day until the time he retired.
Henry Peter said that his wife had learned to drive using the identical model. Peter had been born into a log house in Kasigluk, a town to the west of Bethel. He first came across vehicles after he arrived in Bethel in the year 1966.
“When I was a kid there was barely any automobiles, and no drives,” Peter said. “And the snow machines of old.”
It’s lots of work to keep a car in Bethel and that’s one of the reasons Alaska State Trooper Zack Hucklestep was inspired to host the first Bethel car event.
Huckstep was there in the 1971 Toyota Brown, which is an essentially an Land Cruiser. The day of the show the car was converted into a temporary playpen, so that it could keep his child in check while he completed finishing up some polishing.
Visitors who went inside were able to experience its luxurious leather seats, as well as an exact LEGO model of the car.
“Did I inform you about my Lego garage?” Huckstep asked. “So I’m not going to get too geeky however, I do have a LEGO garage that has, for example, all the tools and even a garage with an elevator, and everything to go with that Lego truck.”
The LEGO garage is in fact the only one that Huckstep owns. He doesn’t own an actual-sized garage in Bethel. This has created a challenge because Bethel’s storms can ruin the paint job. Paint replacement, just like all other things that make their journey to town isn’t inexpensive. Also, getting these cars to Bethel.
“It was transported from Australia all until I believe it was San Diego. It was funny that it was cheaper to ship it from Australia into America than shipping to Anchorage towards Bethel,” Huckstep said.
NAPA Auto Parts, the only auto parts shop in town, enjoyed the car event. It was a group effort. Alaska Commercial Company donated hot hamburgers and hot dogs. NAPA employees cooked them up for guests.
There weren’t only vehicles that were on display. There was a brand-new four-wheeler that is one of the most popular automobiles in the region and a cherry red Vespa.
Trooper Elondre Johnson stepped into his vehicle to assist Huckstep. He added some accessories, such as the addition of a fluorescent light panel for when he travels to villages along the frozen river during winter.
“Alaska is a very dark and gloomy place,” said Johnson. “And when we somewhat off-road, going down the river, when it’s dark It’s great to have that additional lighting.”
Don Roberts brought arguably the most practical car in the world: a new Bobcat. To show it off the driver put a six-foot long snowblower at the front of the car and uses it to shovel 20 feet of snow off the houses of his friends on the tundra. However, Roberts claimed that he could use 75 different equipments he could change into the location.
“God there’s plenty. There are a variety of attachments,” Roberts said. Roberts. “You can use grass cutters as well as posthole diggers, backhoes, and posthole digger can be put on it. Anything that can be mounted on a tractor will be to the side of the. I’m unable to list every one of them. There are so many things to do with this.”
It is Jimmy Guinn who brought the show-stopper: a massive bright, shiny, sun-yellow pickup dating from 1942. He claimed that it was an unusual find since the majority of them were discarded during WWII. He was able to have it shipped from Seattle. It is rarely seen outside the garage. The car was simple to take a look at the interior, with its black and yellow stripes as well as the traditional dashboard. However, people were amazed by how clean it was.
“The reason I enjoy it is that it’s nearly impossible to keep the place tidy,” said Ava, an 11-year-old participant. “I think about how they arrived without getting filthy.”
“Yeah. It’s beautiful,” agreed city mechanic Eddie Fenn. “Oh this is gorgeous. Much like it’s a Tonka toys.”
However, as much as Alaskans enjoyed the sun-kissed vintage car’s dazzling shine, they’re also awestruck by trucks.
“The big yellow truck in ’43 is, the absolute, you know the most impressive,” said Iskandar Alexandar who is a mental health for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Healthcare Corporation.
“But I think that this is the best choice. I chose this more of a conventional-looking man. Because if you had a backpack filled with cash you could buy it off the shelves and then imagine driving the car. You know that you’re in Alaska,” Alexandar said. “Chicks dig up trucks.”
At the end of the day, after all vote was counted, Guinn’s car was awarded the title of the award for Best in Show.
“Don’t take a risk too much, Jimmy,” Huckstep shouted from the megaphone while Guinn gathered a bucket of auto repair supplies that were donated to him by NAPA Auto Parts. “You also got People’s Choice and first place.”
However, Guinn said that the most enjoyable part of the day was the chance to hang out with the gearheads from around town.
“All the cars in this collection have plenty of love in them,” Guinn said. “Doesn’t matter how beat down, or brand new or not, the fact is that the owners truly love each car. This is what makes driving an automobile like this enjoyable since everyone cares.”
Guinn did not even bring his most beloved car. It’s metallic gold with grills on both the rear and on the license plate. It’s a good possibility to win another award next year and it’s hard to predict which other cars will pop up.
