LANGLEY - There's something about the Langley Good Times Cruise-in that brings out the best in Mother Nature.
The 17th edition of Western Canada's best attended charity event was held under a dome of blue sky.
The sun warmed the annual celebration of classic cars, trucks, souped-up motorcycles and hot rods to above-normal values for this time of the year.
Along with tens of thousands of visitors who filled streets that were closed to traffic, there was a sensory explosion of music, food and motorized entries of all shapes and sizes.
All proceeds from Cruise-in go back into the community, benefiting the show and shine's charities including the Langley Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Langley Community Support Groups, Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association, PuCKS, Langley Boys Girls Club, Douglas Park Elementary Association and Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society.
Meanwhile, a good number of owners didn't have to travel very far to show off their prized possessions.
Al Tecklenborg lounged in a lawn chair near his 1913 Ford Model T at the Concours d'Elegance at Douglas Park. Tecklenborg said he acquired the Model T from former Langley City Mayor, the late Reg Easingwood, "way back when," around 1970.
A five passenger, four cylinder, 20 horsepower car, a Model T Touring Car retailed for $600 and included an extension top, top cover, automatic brass windshield, speedometer, two six-inch gas lamps, generator, three oil lamps, horn, tools, and jack.
His Model T "runs good," said Tecklenborg, who drove it to the Cruise-in.
"We did a frame-up, I guess you would call it, took it all apart, cleaned it up, painted it," he said.
Further north, along the one-way portion of Fraser Highway was where you could find Al Underhill's 1955 Chevy Bel Air.
The Bel Air has come a long way in many respects; Underhill bought it from its previous owner from Boston, Mass., about two years back.
He found the car on a "racing junk website," Underhill said.
Since acquiring the Bel Air, Underhill has given it a complete overhaul, including new paint, motor, transmission, rear end, suspension and frame. This marks the second straight year Underhill has shown the car at Cruise-in. He said he had "lots of thumbs up" from passers-by on Saturday.