Royal Oak

For some, cruisin' Woodward isn't just reserved for Dream Cruise

By Jeremy Carroll
C & G Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — While 13 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue is often regarded as the epicenter of the Woodward Dream Cruise, in the months and weeks leading up to the huge one-day event, a location a half-mile north is the true place to be for gear heads.

The area near Normandy Road on the historic boulevard often fills up with classic car buffs on the weekends, and sometimes during the week, as well.

“We do it all year round, as much as we can,” said Tim Quiggle, sitting with his wife, Jan, next to his 1949 Ford at Uncle Ed’s Oil Shoppe Aug. 6. “We are not just wannabe cruisers that only come out for the Woodward Dream Cruise. We’re cruising all the time, as much as possible.”

Tim and Jan Quiggle, both Royal Oak residents, say they like the lead-up to the Dream Cruise better than the event itself.

“There’s nowhere to park,” Jan Quiggle said about the actual one-day event. “It’s too expensive.”

She said hanging out during the run-up to the cruise is better because it’s easier to sit back and chat with others.

“It’s just fun to see everybody and talk to everybody,” she said. “We hear all different sorts of stories from people. It brings back our youth.”

For the two 57-year-old residents, those memories of youth definitely include cruising up and down the famous avenue.

“We have been doing this since high school,” Tim Quiggle said. “We used to come out here, cruise around, pick up some girls and get a burger or whatever.”

He said while cruising-mania faded away in the ’70s and ’80s, he was happy to see its revival with the Dream Cruise in the ’90s.

“It’s fun to hang out and see all the nice cars and meet different people,” Tim Quiggle said.

The feeling is no different for the more than 100 people who gather at the Shell gas station on this night, many of whom have classic cars parked here.

“The actual event is overpowering — there’s a million people,” said Walter Tye of Rochester. “Coming out tonight, you’ve probably got 50 cars here, 60 cars here, and some people that maybe we haven’t seen since last summer.”

Tye said they’ll swap stories about what they’ve done to their cars, or what car they might be eying for purchase or sale. He is selling his 1940 Chevy because he plans to move.

“It’s good to be with friends and people that appreciate the old cars and the camaraderie that takes place,” Tye said.

Among the gear heads hanging out at the Shell gas station on Aug. 6 was Royal Oak’s mayor, Jim Ellison. A car nut who was on the first committee for the Dream Cruise, Ellison said he too enjoys the run-up to the cruise.

“This has been going on for weeks,” he said, sitting on a classic car and wearing a Hawaiian shirt. “It’s just a bunch of car lovers getting geared up for the cruise.”

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jeremy Carroll at jcarroll@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1110.