Old patrol car highlights Plains show

It was the third year for the Local Yokel's Car & Truck Show at Ripples Ice Cream Parlor in Plains, but the first time the sponsors had a People's Choice Award for the top vehicle, which went to Plains resident Wally Logan and his 1941 Chevy pickup.

Logan did all the work himself, except for the paint job, including the pickup bed, which is featured with red oak, locust and mahogany wood. Winning the People's Choice means Logan's vehicle will be on the cover of the 2019 show poster.

Twenty vehicles registered for this year's show on Saturday, which was sponsored by Ripples Ice Cream Parlor and NAPA Auto Parts. The cars ranged from Plains resident Joann Mathers' 1930 Ford Model A to a 2006 Ford Mustang, owned by Camas Prairie resident Patty Erchul.

The show also prompted the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) to make an appearance. Trooper Steve Spurr didn't bring his 1935 Ford coupe patrol car there to make any arrests, but to show people what the MHP's first patrol cars looked like.

"This is really cool and people love it," said Spurr, who transported the vehicle on a trailer from Helena for the show. Spurr, a highway patrolman for seven years, said the vehicle was one of the original fleet of 24 cars the year the MHP was formed. The vehicle, which is owned by the Association of Montana Troopers, was restored in 2009 and donated to the association. Spurr said nearly all the parts are original and it's in top condition. He said the top speed of the car is about 85 mph. The original cost was $700. The vehicle is used for shows and parades throughout Montana.

Spurr periodically turned on the car siren and lights and gave some people rides in it after the show. He also had on hand several MHP artifacts from his personal collection, including a trooper cap from the 1950s, and his favorite piece, a 1937 Montana code book that contained the organization's first 11 basic traffic laws.

The MHP vehicle tied for second place in the People's Choice Award, along with Mathers' Tudor Sedan. Her boyfriend, Joe Sheppard, restored the 88-year-old vehicle last year. Mathers said it had served as a chicken coop in Camas Prairie for 30 years.

The show had a variety of vehicles on display. Robin Schutt of St. Regis drove his 1973 Plymouth Duster to the show. Schutt has been in around 30 car shows since buying the Duster three years ago, but this was the first Plains participation. Gary McGraw of Plains showed his bright yellow '31 Roadster, complete with a Woody Woodpecker decal on the side. McGraw said his car has numerous parts from the 1950s and older, including a 1949-1953 Ford engine and a 1928 pickup bed.

"It's the cutest car here," said Kay Clarke of Trout Creek. "I came with the second cutest one," she said, referring to her 1940 Ford.

"This has really been a lot of fun because I like old cars," said Ripples owner Tom Peterson, whose brother, John of Libby, showed his 1935 Ford Deluxe Tudor Sedan. Tom has a 1949 Chevy that he's restoring and hopes to have done for next year's show. He guessed that about 200 people stopped in for the show, which ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bryan Spellman of Plains helped with the show and said a couple from Denver was passing through and stopped to look at the cars.

"I think everyone really enjoyed it and the weather couldn't have been better," said Peterson, who plans to sponsor the show again next year. "I just want to thank the participants; they're the ones that actually make a car show go."