Classic and unique cars take over Port Huron

When Bob Sichko was younger, he always wanted a Volkswagen Bus but could never afford one.

Now, years later, he was camped out at Desmond Landing in the shade of his 1978 Volkswagen Bus, painted with flames and decorated with orange-shag carpeting inside.

"It brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people," said Sichko, of Croswell.

Sichko's Volkswagen was one of hundreds of classic cars that filled Desmond Landing Saturday for the annual Mainstreet Memories Car Show. Classic rock filled the air while spectators walked through the rows of cars.

A few rows over, Bob Fick, of Macomb, cleaned the sides of his mostly-original 1995 burgundy Ford Bronco. 

Fick enjoys bringing his Bronco to car shows to show it off and see the other cars.

"I love to see the cars and talk to the other people," he said.

Nearby, goldfish swam in a bowl being used to prop open the hood of Brian Harter's 1985 Chevrolet Blazer, dubbed the "Fish Bowl 2.0."

The car is painted flat black, with blue-tinted windows. Shark decals decorate the sides and the hood, and stickers of the Blue Water Bridge cover the windows.

"It's something different, you don't see this nowhere," Harter said.

Changes to this year's show

Unlike past years, when the show has been held on Huron Avenue in downtown Port Huron, this year it was held at Acheson Ventures' waterfront property, Vantage Point.

The rate at which the show has grown has lead to problems staging and parking cars downtown, where the show has been held in the past, said Ron Steward, the show committee's president. The move allows the show to continue to grown while also saving money by not closing down Huron Avenue.

One concern the show committee had was keeping people visiting downtown businesses after the move. The St. Clair County Council on Aging offered a shuttle service to transport people downtown and back during the show.

Contact Brian Wells at (810) 357-8668 or bwells@gannett.com.