Classic cars displayed on Main Street during the second Summer Nights Cruise Series event in downtown Lake Elsinore. (Photos by Emily Baierl)
Main Street stepped back in time June 27 as classic cars filled downtown Lake Elsinore for the Sock Hop-themed Summer Nights Cruise Series event presented by the Downtown Merchants Association.
The evening featured classic cars and trucks, live music and local vendors. Community members showed up in 1950s-inspired outfits for a costume contest, while kids took part in activities including a hula hoop contest.
Participants in the 1950s costume contest do the twist.
Children participate In a hula hoop contest.
Legendary hot rod interior designer Ron “The Stitcher” Mangus also attended the event, presenting one of the night’s awards and meeting with car enthusiasts.
Mangus has spent 55 years creating custom interiors for hot rods after getting his start at a young age in his brother’s shop.
“It started out as just a job at 13 years old,” Mangus said. “My mom picked me up every day after school and took me to my brother’s shop. I started helping him, and he started teaching me the trade.”
Ron Mangus presents an award during the car show’s awards ceremony.
By 18, Mangus was running a five-person crew for his brother. He later opened his own business, taught upholstery classes and became known throughout the hot rod community for his custom interiors. Over the years, he has won several prestigious awards, including multiple America’s Most Beautiful Roadster awards for his interior work.
“I get to be creative and I try not to do two cars alike,” Mangus said. “That’s what I’m known for. People come to me because of my creativity.”
Mangus brought his 1965 Buick Riviera to the show. He described it as a “survivor,” a term used for vehicles that have not been fully disassembled and restored, but instead maintained and preserved over time.
Ron Mangus’ 1965 Buick Riviera on display.
“I like a car that’s been preserved,” Mangus said. “I found one here tonight, so I’m pretty excited about that car. It’s been restored, but the way they did it, they restored it correctly.”
That vehicle, a 1963 Volkswagen bus, was the one he selected to receive his award.
1963 Volkswagen Bus selected by Ron Mangus for an award.
For many participants, the event was also a chance to share the stories behind their vehicles.
Canyon Lake resident Mike Kidd brought his 1960 Pontiac Bonneville, a car he said reminded him of his high school years.
“I graduated in 1962, and the king of the high school had this exact car,” Kidd said. “When it came up for sale, I thought, ‘There’s no way I can really afford it, but I have to go look at it,'”
Mike Kidd’s 1960 Pontiac Bonneville.
After making what he thought was a long-shot offer, the seller accepted it.
“We bought it, and we love it,” he said.
Nearby, John De Anda showcased his 1972 GMC Jimmy, a vehicle he’s owned for 30 years and part of a small collection of similar four-wheel drives.
John De Anda’s 1972 GMC Jimmy.
De Anda said he originally bought it for off-roading and liked the 1972 model for its front disc brakes, later modifying it with a lift and engine upgrades.
“Being here with all the people and all the different vehicles, I’m just enjoying the day,” he said.
Lake Elsinore resident Cesar Sanchez and his family displayed their 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, which they bought four years ago after finding it on OfferUp.
The family restored the car together. Sanchez said his wife and children helped sand it down, revealing the Beetle’s original colors. They then applied a clear coat with metallic flake on top.
Cesar Sanchez’s 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.
“If you look at it in the sun, you’ll see a little glitter to it,” Sanchez said. “Because my kids worked on it, every little detail they worked on is just memorable to me.”
One standout feature of the Beetle invited guests to write messages or draw directly on one of the interior doors using colorful markers.
Sanchez said the idea started because his son would get bored during car shows.
“He would write on the doors, and then other kids saw him do that,” Sanchez said. “They just gather up and write a little message or draw something.”
Chris Clementi and Diana Clementi brought a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain. Clementi said that the vehicle sat under a tree in Lake Elsinore for 12 years before he rescued it and spent eight years restoring it piece by piece.
“Just getting recognition for having something that I put together myself,” Clementi said about why he enjoys bringing the Pontiac to car shows. “You don’t see Pontiacs anymore.”
Chris and Diana Clementi’s 1953 Pontiac Chieftain.
Bruce Clemens also brought a vehicle with quite a journey behind it. His 1948 Buick Super started in a New Mexico junkyard before making its way through Arizona and eventually into California, where he bought it about three years ago.
Since then, Clemens has rebuilt the engine and transmission, converted the car to a 12-volt electrical system and updated the suspension.
Bruce Clemens’ 1948 Buick Super.
When asked what he enjoys most about car shows, Clemens said, “I just like coming out here and hanging out.”
The Summer Nights Cruise Series continues July 25 with the “Fast and Fun Exotics” theme. The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Lake Elsinore.
