Hit the Road in Style

It drives like a boat and has some nicks in the paint. It has what looks like a cigarette burn in the driver's seat. It even includes a working 8-track tape player containing – get this – a well-used Barry Manilow tape.

But it's an all-original survivor, and it might be the coolest car you'll ever own. That is if you buy a ticket and win it.

For the second year in a row, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce – this time with sponsorship from us, The Times – is raffling off this 1970 Buick Electra as a fund raiser for the Chamber and its upcoming All Wheels Weekend event.

The car was donated to the Chamber last year by Merle and Joelle Jackson, of Dayton. It was purchased new by Joelle's brother, and spent most of its life near his home in Lewiston.

The car has a 455 cubic inch V8 engine, automatic transmission, almost new tires and giant bench seats. Heck, you could probably carry two foursomes to the golf course, with all their clubs in the trunk.

The Chamber raised about $3,600 last year in a raffle that was won by Bob and Jeri Krieg, of Clarkston. The Kriegs, who are big fans of All Wheels Weekend, and plan to bring their Chevelle and Mustang back again this year, decided to donate the car back to the Chamber to be raffled again.

Bob Krieg told me that he had originally hoped to restore the old Buick, but that he and Jeri decided they already had enough cars (how is that possible?) and they could use the tax write-off. In the meantime, they put about a thousand miles on it, including taking it on a road trip to Montana.

The car will be parked in various conspicuous places around the Touchet Valley in the next couple of weeks. So if you see it, take a closer look.

Then get your billfold out and buy a ticket or two. Raffle tickets are $10 apiece and available at The Dayton Chamber office (166 E. Main), the State Farm Insurance office in Dayton (207 E. Main) or The Times' office in Waitsburg (139 Main).

Or, if you just want to learn more about the old car, give me a call at (509) 540-2752.