LONGVIEW — Classic car shows tend to draw a lot of men. That includes the Unique Tin Car Show and Cruise. Now entering its 42nd year, the event is a staple of the local car show circuit.
That doesn’t mean women are left out of the picture. Take, for example, Fae Baker. The Longview native and Unique Tin first-timer brought her 1967 Pontiac Firebird to the show this year.
The flashy red car (the color is called Vampire Red and was painted by Max’s Auto Body in Longview) isn’t really Baker’s. She is just keeping it safe.
The car originally belonged to her son, Tim Baker, who served in the Army and was a Chief Warrant Officer in the Oregon National Guard. Sadly, Tim Baker died in a helicopter crash in 1998. His car was left to his wife, to later be passed along to his son.
When Tim Baker’s wife put their house up for sale, Fae Baker, 73, offered to take the car and keep it safe.
“When she sold the house, he (her grandson) had just started college. He said, ‘Grandma, will you take my car?’ ” Baker said.
Of course she said yes. Baker and her husband had planned on restoring the car, but they got busy and never were able to complete it. In 2014, her husband passed away.
“After my husband died, this was my healing project. When I’m done with it, it goes to my grandson … or when he gets a job and can afford the insurance and has a garage to put it in!” she said laughingly.
The car, which is named Raven 39 — her son’s call sign in the National Guard — has had a bit of work.
With a 400-horsepower engine, 4-speed factory transmission, Holly carburetor and rally instrument cluster, this isn’t the car grandma just drove to church on Sundays.
“I did it right,” Baker said. “I got all the parts, a nice paint job. My grandson picked out the color, he picked out the wheels. So the guys at Max’s said, ‘Take it to the show! You’ll have fun.’ “
