WREN — Standing among a group of raffle ticket holders in the shade of a few trees on an Echo Hills Road property Saturday afternoon, 22-year-old Duncan Nodarse had a classic response when realizing that he had the winning number for the grand prize — a 1991 Jaguar XJS.
“Oh no!”
Nodarse explained his reaction.
Gallery: Malaise Invitational Car Show (June 24, 2023)
A collection of photos from the Malaise Invitational Car Show in Wren Saturday, June 24.
“I have 11 cars already,” the Oregon City man said. “I’m lucky because my dad came with me so I have someone actually to drive it back. I’m kinda jealous because I’m driving a 50-year-old semi truck with no air conditioning at 55 mph.”
The car raffle highlighted the four-hour Malaise Invitational Car Show, which features vehicles made from 1972 to 1995. The Eugene-base Malaise Car Club of Oregon puts on the event, which serves as a fundraiser for the HIV Alliance.
“I love cars, it’s fun,” said Nodarse, who drove down in a 1973 Ford C750. “I started with Hot Wheels and then it got more expensive.”
Still, not as expensive as the cars you might see at a more typical show with high-end classics on display.
“What I like is when you have cars you can get for cheap but still have fun with them,” he said. “I’m only 22, I’m not rich, I don’t have the money to get into that stuff. That’s why I like my cab over because it’s like a good mix between classic and somewhat Malaise Era stuff, so you get a bit of both.”
Chris Harding, a native of Wales who has lived in the United States for about 10 years now, didn’t win any prizes Saturday but he’s still proud of his 1982 Honda Civic that he brought up from Eugene — well, proud might not be the right way to describe it.
“It burns a nice amount of oil and there’s so many things broken and wrong with it,” he said. “But it’s got character. And that’s about all it’s got going for it other than gas mileage.”
Harding bought the Civic five years ago.
“I had a Mercedes at the time and the head gasket blew on it, so I needed to get on Craigslist and find what I could that was cheap to drive until I fixed the Mercedes,” he said. “Found this thing — $600 and that was a rip-off.”
Harding has replaced several engine components in the years since but it hasn’t been on the road.
“Just over a year or so ago, I towed it to my place, got a transmission rebuild, put it in there and I just got this thing together last weekend,” Harding said. “There’s a ton still wrong with it — the front right wheel bearing might make it home … we’ll see.”
Back in Eugene, Harding has a 1984 Saab 900 and an Oldsmobile Silhouette “dustbuster” minivan (beige on beige) that he took to the inaugural Malaise Invitational last year.
“And I have a van again that needs repairs because … they all do, right?” he said. “It’s in its natural habitat, which is sitting in the garage gathering dust until I can fix it.”
Those in attendance at the unique car show seemed to be having a good time. Besides the car, the raffle also included some other interesting prizes. Here are a few samples of what was given away (complete with comments from car show organizer Daniel “Bones” Lombardo):
• CED player — “You’ve probably never heard of it but they hold their value somehow and boy, it wasn’t hard to part with it so I hope whoever gets it enjoys it because I know I sure did.”
• After-market cruise control system — “If your cruise control system is broken or you’re looking to get one, here’s a difficult kit you have to install but it does come with a VHS tape to show you how to do it.”
• Big sack of dealership promotional material of random cars — “I looked through it all and some papers might be a little wet from drool; it was a lot to take in, it’s really cool.”
• Beer, wine and hard liquor — “Some of my favorite words.”
Harding is one of roughly 400 Malaise Car Club of Oregon members.
“I like the fact that this club celebrates the cars that aren’t revered by people as much,” Harding said. “Like last year, I think the Best in Show was like the cleanest Geo Prizm you’ve ever seen.”
Harding just hopes he can get his ’82 Civic home to Eugene.
“People really like this Honda even though it’s horrendous, it’s broken, it’s awful, blue smoke comes out of it all the time,” he said. “But people just appreciate things for what they are.”