SANTA CRUZ—Members of the Watsonville Riders teamed up with the Santa Cruz Car Club on May 15 to showcase their sparkling cars at Lighthouse Point as part of an ongoing “cruise night.”
The free event was designed to bring together car clubs from as far away as Gilroy and Hollister with locals to share an open air display.
“These shows are about family fun, sharing and learning from each other,” said Moe Haro, president of the Watsonville Riders, established in 2007.
The recent showcase is one of many recurring grassroots events organized by the car club.
On May 29, a cruise through downtown Watsonville, dubbed the Watsonville Cruise Night, invites car clubs to coast along Main Street from 5-7pm. The drive will culminate at the Kmart parking lot with a brief car show.
“You know, a lot of folks think we’re out here drinking and looking for trouble in our low riders but it’s just the opposite: We all help each other and we’re out here to invite everyone to stop by and take in the beauty of these cars; there’s a lot of care and love that goes into them,” Haro said.
Indeed, flocks of curious passersby took time on May 15 to mingle with the several dozen polished cars, many of them late 1950s and ‘60s Impalas with a backdrop of the rocky shoreline along West Cliff Drive. Also on display were early day Fords, a handful of motorcycles, Cadillacs and VWs.
Haro said he has worked for years on his 1962 Impala that boasts a custom paint job by a detail specialist in Salinas.
“I had him paint me and my wife into the design,” Haro said. “My whole family is represented in the design. And this is not just a show car; it’s a user car.”
Under the hood is a 350 small block V8.
“It’s built to drive,” Haro said. “I like Impalas because they’re simply a beautiful car and a great family car. It’s the cheap man’s rich car.”For information, visit the Watsonville Riders Facebook page.
