Oktoberfest car show includes locals’ classic rides
Dennis Humpal shows off his 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe during the Oktoberfest’s first car show, which took place on Saturday, October 19. Approximately 20 cars followed the parade down to the island for the show. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
During the Oktoberfest festivities on Saturday, October 19, the event put together several new attractions for visitors, including bouncy houses for kids and a car show for the auto enthusiasts.
Dennis Humpal, Calmar, parked his 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe at the end of the line, well within sight of the festival grounds. With its exposed engine and brightly colored frame, it stood out among the 20 or so entries in the show.
“One of my buddies told me about this, and I thought, ‘Well, I’m not doing anything,’ so I thought I’d come down here to check it out,” said Humpal.
The event was a show and tell for the drivers, and Humpal was ready to show off the hard work he had done, including the new floors, trunk, quarter panels and back end he put on. Parts for the car came from many different sources, including a front end from a Mustang, a motor and transmission from a 1984 Trans Am and interior parts from a 2004 Grand Prix.
“Like you would say, just a little bit of everything,” he said. “A lot of little things, too.”
Put together like Frankenstein’s Monster, it’s only appropriate that it’s painted green. But even though it’s made from parts of different machines, you can’t see the seams; Humpal’s craftsmanship is evident.
The car took two years to construct. Humpal had a body shop do the paint work, but he did pretty much everything else himself, including running the wiring and adapting milk piping for the engine.
“I used to haul milk,” he said. “Some guys had it laying [sic] around, so I just kind of made it work.”
Humpal has attended “a fair amount” of local shows in Iowa, but this was his first in Wisconsin. Hopefully, he and his Deluxe will come around more often.
