Harvey Eger's love affair with antique cars began in high school, when his father bought him his first car, a 1930 Model A Ford. "I was the only high school student in 1960 who drove one," said Eger, an attorney from Jeannette. "I still have that car. I sold it and about 10 years later I found it and bought it back." Eger became involved with the Western Pennsylvania Region Antique Automobile Club of America several years ago after purchasing a 1975 Cadillac Seville from a club member. He is now president of the organization, which has about 220 members. "You don't have to have an antique car to belong; you just have to have an interest," Eger said. David Reese, owner of Ageless Autos in New Stanton, said people buy classic cars for several reasons. "They buy certain cars because of emotions. They had these cars in high school or college. There's an emotional connection to the cars," Reese said. "Collecting cars takes me back to my youth," Eger said. "It's like owning a piece of history." And there are those who purchase cars or trucks as an investment. The value of a 1971 Plymouth Cuda in July 1998 was $60,000, according to USA Today. The 2005 value was $600,000. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird, valued at $30,000 in 1998, increased by 117 percent to $65,000. "The investment cars come with the original parts, engine, original interior, everything," Reese said. "Then there are the people who have extra money to spend and want to get themselves a toy. They feel they deserve it because the house is paid off and the children are out of college," he added. Reese opened his antique and classic car showroom in May 2002. He purchases vehicles from all over the United States for resale in his shop. "A lot of what I sell is the street rods. These cars don't have the investment quality but they have that emotional value," he said. "Baby boomers are buying these while youngsters are buying tricked-out Japanese cars. These will be the muscle cars of the future." Reese has purchased and is renovating the former KFC restaurant building in New Stanton to showcase muscle cars from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. He's waiting for his second dealer license from Harrisburg and is hoping to open on July 1. "There are a bunch of motorheads who like to come into the showroom and talk about cars and cruises," Reese said. "I'm having a good time. I like to talk cars." The 50 members of EC Cruisers also talk the talk. Dennis Gentilo, of Jeannette, president of the Cruisers and one of its founding members, owns seven cars -- two 1955 Chevys, a 1971 Volkswagen convertible, a 1971 Chevelle, a 1986 Corvette, a 1979 Cadillac and a 2001 Mustang Convertible. "Every car has a different style, performance, and several of them have sentimental value," Gentilo said. "The Chevelle belonged to my son, Scott, who passed away in 1997, and the Cadillac was my father's, who passed away in 2000." The 59-year-old began collecting cars in 1977 when he bought his first 1955 Chevy convertible. "I won a lot of the AACA shows with that car," he said. "I gave that car to my youngest son, Mark. Between the two of us we have 10 cars." EC Cruisers began 15 years ago, when some employees from Elliott Company in Jeannette decided to get together to share their common interest in cars. The members travel around to different car cruises each year and host their own cruise in September. Proceeds from that show go to the Westmoreland County Children's Bureau. "It's a family club," Gentilo said. "But now we have more non-Elliott Company employees as members." Great Race Vintage automobiles competing in the Great Race will pull into Uniontown for a pit stop today. The 24th annual National Guard Great Race is a 4,000-mile cross-country rally, running this year from Philadelphia to San Rafael, Calif. Racers are slated to arrive in Uniontown starting at 3:30 p.m. Main Street will be blocked off from East Church Street to Morgantown Street to accommodate the racers. Bill Ewing, chief executive officer of the race, said each car would stay in town for 25 minutes, with a staggered start for each that would have 30 cars parked on Main Street for one hour and 40 minutes. The rally is a timed and endurance event, not a flat-out race. The competitors in each car include a driver and navigator. A system of handicapping allows automobiles from the early days of motoring to compete with more recent models. The oldest car in the rally is a 1911 Belie made by the John Deere Co., and the most recent is a 1961 Chrysler Imperial convertible. Teams compete for a $100,000 grand prize from a $267,000 purse, raised largely through entry fees. The National Guard is the main sponsor of the race. Bruce Gezon, of Murrysville, has taken part in the Great Race for 22 years, coming to it after a long association with sports car rallies. In one rally, Gezon rode in the bullet-riddled 1934 Ford four-door in which Bonnie and Clyde met their end. He and his teammate won the Great Race in 1995, and Gezon has finished among the top three several times. This year, he is competing with driver Curtis Graf, of Irving, Texas, in a 1916 Packard. The Covered Bridge Region Antique Automobile Club of America will also host participants of the Great Race today on Main Street in Washington, Washington County. A car show lineup will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. The racers will arrive from 5 to 6 p.m. All 100 cars will be parked at the intersection of Main and Wheeling streets. Additional Information:

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Latrobe show The Western Pennsylvania Region AACA will hold its 43rd annual Paul P. Bell Memorial Antique, Auto, Custom and Street Rod Show on Sept. 3 at Legion Keener Park, Latrobe. The club meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the American Legion in Pipetown. Car enthusiasts are welcome.

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