Dale (left) and Diane Gerry have created the most unique vehicle on display at Cactus Jalopies. The call it Deco Liner. It began life as a 1948 Chevrolet cab over truck, but they’ve added a long back end to it with a new and powerful 502 fuel injected engine. (Richard McGuire photo)
Cars of every colour and vintage filled Gyro Park during Cactus Jalopies on Saturday, but it was a dark black one that stood out from the others.
The long, six-wheeled vehicle, dubbed “Deco Liner,” is the creation of Dale and Diane Gerry from Kelowna.
From the distance, you’re not quite sure which is the back and which is the front. Its 502 fuel-injected crate motor engine is buried in the back under a long extension of the vehicle.
Only the front end is recognizable to an automobile history buff.
“It’s a ’48 Chev cab over (truck),” said Dale. “That’s what it started out life as. It’s taken me about 12 years to build it.”
He’s been in the business of building hot rods for about 30 years for customers all over North America, but this is one Dale and Diane plan to keep and take to shows.
Not every vehicle aficionado has a supportive wife, but Dale gives Diane full credit for her role in the creation of Deco Liner.
“I guess I was just there behind some of those ideas that he had,” says Diane modestly. “We had a little coupe and he wanted something with a little more leg room. He likes to challenge himself and this was a challenge.”
As visitors to Cactus Jalopies stopped to admire Deco Liner, trying to figure out what it is, Diane was busy polishing its enormous black body. The black shows up dust and fingerprints, she says.
Deco Liner may be the most unique, but it’s certainly not the only amazing vehicle at this impressive car show that was celebrating its 10th year.
There are old classics glistening with shiny paint and souped-up hot rods where you must read the labels to figure out what they were originally.
The show starts out slow with the Rotary Club of Osoyoos serving pancake breakfast, but by 10:30 a.m., Gyro Park is packed with people enjoying the cars, trucks, bikes and bright sunshine.
Graham Bennett, of Keremeos, shows off his 1926 Ford Model T. The tin is original, he says, but he’s obviously put a lot of work into it in the 15 years he’s owned it.
Henry Ford, who gave his name to the motor company, is reputed to have said that you can get a Model T in whatever colour you like as long as it’s black. Bennett’s, however, was painted a fiery red, matching his shirt.
Over by White Sands, Walt Wiebe looks admiringly through the window at the interior of a classic red 1955 Chevrolet car. Wiebe, now in his 70s, says he once owned one, and also owned cars like several others nearby.
For many people, Cactus Jalopies is a trip down memory lane – their first cars or perhaps a car with special memories, be it an ageless original Volkswagen Bug or a sporty 1960s Ford Mustang.
Students from the 2016 grad class at Osoyoos Secondary School raised $3,600 from donations at the entry to the show, putting them almost a third of the way to the funds they’ll need for next year’s grad.
“It was super generous of Cactus Jalopies,” said Shannon Miller, OSS vice principal, who added that show organizers could have simply kept admission fees or donated to any other cause.
The students helped set up the grounds.
Back near the entrance, Diane Gerry says Cactus Jalopies is only the third show that they’ve taken Deco Liner to, but they’ve already won trophies.
Her first ride in the completed creation was this year on Mother’s Day.
They plan to drive down to California in it and Dale plans to build a matching fifth wheel trailer for it.
Work began on Deco Liner in September 2003. Since then, says Diane, it has taken more than 8,000 hours of work and more than $200,000 in parts.
“We can’t put a price on our labour,” she says. “It’s just numbers. That’s all it is.”
Dale knew what he wanted when he started out, she said, and worked from a plan. Nonetheless, the couple came up with more tweaks along the way, sometimes influenced by other people’s ideas at car shows they attended.
The original plan was to make Deco Liner white.
“We didn’t like that idea very long,” she said.
She supports her husband’s passion and shares in the fun.
“It’s what he loves to do,” she said. “Some people like golfing and a lot of other things, but this is what he loves to do. When people ask if he’s going to retire or when, I have no idea. I think he’ll still be doing this when he shouldn’t be.”
The two previous shows were short hops. The trip from Kelowna to Osoyoos was the longest that Deco Liner has taken. It’s hard to imagine it making the long journey to California.
“He put four (gas) tanks in there, but they’re not very big tanks,” says Diane. “Given the fact that it’s a turbo 400, we probably are not getting much more than 11 or 12 miles to the gallon. So we’ll be filling up a few times.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Diane Gerry was working hard to keep Deco Liner polished. The shiny black paint easily shows dust and fingerprints. She has supported and participated in her husband Dale’s passion for building unique and interesting vehicles. (Richard McGuire photo)
Probably the most unique looking vehicle at Cactus Jalopies was a custom vehicle named Deco Liner belonging to Dale (pictured) and Diane Gerry of Kelowna. It began life as a 1948 Chevrolet cab over truck, but except for the front end, you wouldn’t recognize it. (Richard McGuire photo)
