The ColoRODans, in its 35th year of existence as a classic car club, celebrated its annual Rod Festival on July 23 and 24, 2005. The event, which has become a staple in the Longmont community, was better than ever. With more than 300 classic cars attending the show, the 35th Festival was a complete success.

The two day event included a Show and Shine, several events and demonstrations and ended with the ColoRODans giveaway of a 1968 Chevy Impala that the club restored.

Saturday July 23, the club began the day with a rodder's breakfast at the ColoRODan's clubhouse at 209 Kimbark St. for the registered participants. The participants then prepared to drive in the Boulder County Fair parade down Main Street in Longmont. The classic car enthusiasts then enjoyed a scavenger hunt and a poker run. That night, the ColoRODans hosted a welcome party with a pig roast and music by the Joe Cool band.

On Sunday July 24, the Festival offered a morning pinstripping demonstration by Mark Ford and a model motor display by Ron Bement. Denver Broncos cheerleaders came to the show in the afternoon, and then the club announced its show awards and gave away several door prizes donated by community contributors.

This year the ColoRODans members, celebrating the club's 35th anniversary, wanted to do something special to get younger generations as excited about classic automobiles as they were at that age, and still are today.

They decided to rebuild a true American classic, a 1968 Chevrolet Impala, and give it away to one lucky 18 to 25 year-old at the annual Rod Fest on July 24 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds.

That lucky winner turned out to be 18 year-old Jinny Maddox.

"It was pretty unbelievable," said the University of Fort Louis freshman. Maddox said she started to get interested in classic cars from being around her boyfriend Erik and her dad. She won the car a week before she left for college, and said it was definitely "different" to drive than her Toyota. Maddox is studying to be a math teacher and although she didn't take the car to college with her, she is still feels very lucky to have won.

The Impala, purchased in fair condition, was rebuilt by ColoRODans members during weekends and week nights in their own shops.

As a fine specimen of classic American automobilia, the Impala was chosen in part because it is still widely available. For consumers in the '60s, the Impala was a convenient combination between performance and luxury. Wollbrink, who participated in much of the rebuilding of the classic car, said older Impalas were known for their stylish look, nice handling and to an extent, for performance.

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Check out the hard work the club did on the Impala.

The Impala was so popular that it set many sales records still intact today. According to www.impalaclub.co m, "With sales in excess of 13 million from 1958 to 1996, more American households chose the Impala as their car than any other full-size car in the history of the automobile. In 1965, the Impala set an all-time industry annual sales record of more than 1 million units."

The Impala model the ColoRODans chose is a 1968 hardtop with a 350 engine. According to member Bryce Wollbrink, it has a rebuilt powerglide automatic transmission, new brakes, headers, dual exhaust, rally wheels and a rebuilt suspension. The red vinyl interior, a striking contrast to the primer black exterior, was redone by Jesse Munoz, owner of Munoz Auto Trim. The interior upholstery was originally pea green.

The ColoRODan's Impala project is unique because the members are donating almost all of the parts and labor to build it. Body work was done by several members at Ozzie's Auto Body in Loveland, the suspension and brakes were completed at Steve's Automotive in Longmont and paint donated by Bart's Automotive in Longmont and paint donated by Bart's Automotive was applied in Wollbrink's shop.

Club member Jim Arnold, who brought the car to his home shop in Boulder, did a lot of the engine work. He tore the engine down, put an aluminum intake on, repainted the engine Chevy orange, replaced all belts and hoses and tuned the engine. The carburetor was rebuilt, and Precision Auto in Longmont rebuilt the radiator, routing a leak and repairing it for free.

Arnold said it's great to see the ColoRODans and the sponsors come together as a team. Steve Powers, who rebuilt the front suspension and performed some minor engine work with Steve's Alignment employees David Tenkely and Chris Brandt, said he liked the look of this Impala. He said it is nice because it's a fast back, and it will be a good starter car for someone.

The car spent its final days in the shops of Kuhn and Wollbrink. At Kuhn's, final pieces such as the bumpers, trim and hood were assembled. As they put the final touches on the car, it was apparent why the ColoRODans decided to give away a car this year - Classic automobiles have been a source of enjoyment their entire lives, and by giving the Impala away, they have a chance to spread that joy to a new generation.