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History on four wheels

Dez Loreen
Northern News Services
Thursday, July 10, 2008

INUVIK - If you walked down Inuvik's main road last week and thought you went back in time to the '50s, you weren't alone.

A classic car club from Anchorage, Alaska came into town on Tuesday night.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Bruce Campbell of Anchorage, Alaska stands beside his 1957 Ford Fairlane he brought up on the Dempster Highway last week. He was accompanied by co-members of his classic car club from Alaska. A total of 11 classic rides swept through town last week. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

In total, there were 11 cars, ranging in styles from the '30s and on.

Bruce Campbell is one of the car enthusiasts that made the trip beyond the Arctic Circle.

Campbell drives a 1957 Ford Fairlane. He has spent many years working to restore his classic.

"I got this in 1999," he said.

He wouldn't divulge exactly how much he spent on bringing the old car back to its former glory.

"I don't keep track of that because my wife would find out," he said with a laugh.

Campbell added that keeping a classic vehicle in running order is much like a regular car, the parts are just a bit harder to find.

This is the first time Campbell and his team have been north of Dawson City.

"A few years ago, we went to Yellowknife, but this is our first time on the Dempster," he said.

Campbell said he heard all the hype about the community and needed to see it for himself.

"We saw all these signs about how beautiful Inuvik was and read all the hype and advertising about how great Inuvik was," he said.

He added that the lay of the land is not much different from where he has been in Alaska.

"You have the same problems with permafrost that we have," he said.

Campbell said that he gets a lot of people asking about the state of his car after taking the Dempster Highway.

He said that cars like his were made to be driven on dirt roads, not pavement.

"This car was made for roads like the Dempster," said Campbell.

Local car enthusiast Chad Day is usually seen driving his 1966 Plymouth Sport Fury.

He had a chance to speak with some of the members of the Alaskan car club.

Day said he loves to see other classic rides in town.

He added that keeping a classic car in a remote community has some challenges, like ordering parts.

"I usually get my parts from EBay," he said.

"I'm learning how to do the maintenance myself as well."

Day said he hopes to see more car clubs make the trip North someday.