The car show was quite a success.
There were 360 cars lining the riverbank, Front Street and much of Second Street. Over 600 catfish dinners were served Friday night.
It’s success hopefully brought a lot of dollars into the community. Hundreds of spectators paraded up and down the line up of vintage vehicles. JT hopes they also went into the stores.
An entertaining incident occurred in front of Barry Guillet’s office on Second Street where Steve Brown, Ron Kendrick and Gary Deblieux set up a tent to be comfortable while their antiques were on display. The atmosphere was much like a football tailgating party… barbeque, boudin, hamburgers, libation in plastic cups.
Brown’s car is a deep red 1957 Chevrolet that’s beautifully restored.
Well, it started when Brown decided he wanted to see the other cars so took off walking for Front Street.
With Brown’s departure DeBlieux said, “Let’s create some excitement,” and went into Guillet’s office and come out with a sign on a sheet of paper that said, “For Sale, $2,800 (Firm)” a telephone number and the last line said, “Must Sell Today.” He stuck the sign on the windshield of Brown’s Chevy.
Anybody who knows anything about restoring an old vehicle knows that $2,800 is such a ridiculously low price that it is absurd!
Well, DeBlieux was right, it drew a crowd. Spectators were examining the car in disbelief. Everyone had their cell phones out photographing the car and getting a close up photo of the sign and phone number.
Word of the sale spread up and down Front Street and the crowd grew.
One came over to the tent where DeBlieux was sitting in a comfortable chair viewing all this and was asked, “Is the price for real?”
DeBlieux replies, “The owner will be back shortly, you’ll have to ask him.” Then he pointed out that there was a telephone number on the sign.
The inquirer then asked, ”Why is he selling it so cheap?”
DeBlieux lowered his eyes, tightened his lip and said, “ He need the cash…probably marital problems.”
The answer satisfied the man and he quietly took out his cell and called the number on the sign.
Another interested party approached DeBlieux and asked, “Is the owner back yet?”
DeBlieux said, “No. But have you tried the cell number?”
Indignantly, the man said, “Yeah! And it is the police department!”
DeBlieux smiled and said, ”Sorry, Mister. The owner probably put the wrong digit in the number. He should be back shortly.”
After talking with the police, several people requested notepaper, which Guillet got from his office and they left their addresses.
By this time the interested parties were getting a little uneasy waiting for Brown to return from his Front Street tour, so there was some discussion in the tent as to what to do: take the sign down, mark sold across the sign or let Brown handle his prospective customers when he returned.
Well, it was decided to take the sign off the windshield.
Spectators moaned and moved on down the road.
The sign had just been removed when the police showed up and demanded, “Where’s that 1957 Chevrolet for sale for $2,800? We’re to get the sign and take it to the police department! All the calls are jamming the switch board and we cannot get anything done.”
The police were talked out of taking the sign. It is now being framed to hang in Brown’s workshop.
