Oldies but goodies roll-in downtown
Next NU car, bike roll-in set for July 12
Foot traffic was heavy on Minnesota Street Saturday. Pedestrians walked down the street and sidewalks admiring the different vehicles on display for the car roll-in. Photo by Clay Schuldt
NEW ULM — A good share of New Ulm Car and Bike Roll-in participants Saturday were owners of vehicles 50 years old or more.
Some of the vehicles were restored to like new condition, maybe even better than new. A number of other vehicles like “rat rods” took the opposite appraoch.
Rat rods are custom vehicles with a deliberately worn, unfinished appearance, often without paint, and including cast-off parts or miscellaneous items like skulls and livestock horns.
A rifle may be used as a gear shifter, wrenches as door handles and hand saws as sun visors.
Bob Youngblom of Lafayette drove his red, restored 1949 Ford convertible with a flat head V-8 engine to the roll-in.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch Bob Youngblom of Lafayette smiles next to his 1949 Ford convertible at the New Ulm Car & Bike Roll-in on Minnesota Street Saturday. Classic cars and bikes lined the downtown street from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
He talked about finding the car.
“An older gentleman dying of cancer was fixing the car up, wasn’t able to finish it. I bought it and finished it,” Youngblom said. “I did a fair amount of work on it, going through the transmission and electrical system. I dressed it up a little bit with lake (side exhaust) pipes, headers, three two-barrel carburetors and Thunderbird seats.”
Youngblom said his favorite vehicle is a 1949 Mercury two-door coupe. He is currently finishing restoring one.
“It’s been a long project. I bought it in 1982,” he said. “I just love to drive it. I’ve done done of work on it. I put a big motor, air conditioning, cruise control and back-up camera in it, but it’ll look old-school. I bought a commercial sewing machine to make my own interior. It’ll be done next year at the earliest.”
The next downtown New Ulm Car & Bike Roll-in sponsored by the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce is 3:30 to 8 p.m., Saturday, July 12. Outdoor DJ music will be heard until 8 p.m. Indoor music continues as late as 11 p.m. Other roll-ins are Saturday Aug. 16 and Sept. 13.
New model vehicles and old model vehicles were parked-side by side on Minnesota Street near the Center Street intersection. Photo by Clay Schuldt
A variety of food vendors will be on site. Admission is free. Participants are asked to stop at the show booth for a registration card to display in the vehicle window and for a chance to win prizes.
For more information, visit https://www.newulm.com. Call 507-233-4300 or email chamber@newulm.com.
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- Foot traffic was heavy on Minnesota Street Saturday. Pedestrians walked down the street and sidewalks admiring the different vehicles on display for the car roll-in. Photo by Clay Schuldt
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- Staff photo by Fritz Busch Bob Youngblom of Lafayette smiles next to his 1949 Ford convertible at the New Ulm Car & Bike Roll-in on Minnesota Street Saturday. Classic cars and bikes lined the downtown street from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
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- New model vehicles and old model vehicles were parked-side by side on Minnesota Street near the Center Street intersection. Photo by Clay Schuldt
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- Dozens of vehicles lined Minnesota Street from S. First 1st to N. 3rd Street Saturday afternoon for the first New Ulm Car Roll-in for the summer. Photo by Clay Schuldt
Dozens of vehicles lined Minnesota Street from S. First 1st to N. 3rd Street Saturday afternoon for the first New Ulm Car Roll-in for the summer. Photo by Clay Schuldt
