CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Rev up those engines! The annual Rod Run and Doo Wop continues in Charleston through Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of classic vehicles are parked along Kanawha Blvd. for the four-day event that started Thursday.
You’ll find Fords parked alongside Pontiacs, their owners making sure they are shined to perfection. This is a chance to really show off a vehicle.
St. Albans resident David Smith has his 1955 Chevy Bel Aire on display. He bought it off of E-Bay from a man in Smithville, Arkansas and spent more than two years getting it in pristine shape.
“I stripped it down to bare metal, started prepping it and brought it back to life,” he explained.
The car is a beauty. The engine is brand new and souped up. The body a combination of dove gray and pearly white. Smith loves to show it off and he loves to drive it.
“I’ve put about 9,000 miles on it since I done it,” said Smith. “Just ride her around!”
Parked just across the street from Smith, a 1969 Pontiac Firebird 3-speed painted a cinnamon color. The owner rarely takes it out of the garage other than to show it at an event like the Rod Run and Doo Wop.
“Every now and then I might take it out on Sunday for a drive but most of the time, I just take it to car shows.”
Leonard Walker of Mount Carbon is extremely proud of his 1929 Ford custom sedan. It looks like something out of a ZZ Top video. He admitted a classic car is a lot of fun to own but a lot of work as well.
“It takes a lot of money and a lot of time,” he explained.
There are classic vehicles from all across West Virginia as well as 15 other states and Canada. The Rod Run and Doo Wop is free along with concerts every night at Haddad Riverfront Park.