Hundreds of tricked out, fixed up, classic and vintage cars converged Friday evening on downtown Rapid City for the 2008 Cruiser Night, an annual event sponsored by the city and police department.

This year was different than past years. Instead of staging at the civic center or another location before the start of the cruise, participating vehicles lined up on Main Street between Fifth and Eighth streets, as well as on Sixth and Seventh streets between St. Joseph and Apolda streets. Admirers got a chance to look at cars and talk to the owners for about 90 minutes before the official start of the cruise down Mount Rushmore Road and back.

Owners were eager to share stories about their vehicles.

The 1952 red MG roadster owned for only a couple of months by Willy Paradis of New Underwood was partly under water until two days ago. Luckily, the water only got up to the doors and did not reach the carburetor before Paradis and his friends could get it to higher ground.

"It's gone through a lot," Paradis said. "It was a mad dash to put it together. We pulled it out with some four-wheelers."

John Hovdenes of Lophat Kustoms in Rapid City showed off a 1933 Chevy that he has owned for about five years.

"Cruiser Night's so cool because a lot of people bring stuff out that they never bring out. You get to see a lot of cars here that you don't get to see as often," Hovdenes said.

Russ Haley of Rapid City sported a 1963 Olds Dynamic 88 convertible that has about 62,000 miles. Haley, who has a disability, hired some people to help restore the car and has had it for a couple of years. He said it runs well.

Keith Rave of Rapid City bought his 1941 Plymouth pickup in 1982 and completed the paint job on "Prowler Purple" last year. Rave said he did much of the restoration himself with the help of a friend. He said it has an all Chrysler Mopar engine and sits on an '88 Dodge Dakota chassis.

"It's very fun to drive," he said.

Randy and Patsy Schmidt of Rapid City own a 1971 white El Dorado convertible with a red interior and fat whitewall tires that was previously owned by the mayor of their hometown, Medicine Lake, Mont., "Home of the Honkers."

Patsy said 1971 was the year she and Randy graduated, and the car's colors - red and white - are actually their high school colors.

"You've seen 'The Dukes of Hazzard?'" Patsy said. "This is also the Boss Hogg car."

Though Randy has been threatening to find some longhorns to mount on the hood, Patsy said she has been putting her foot down on that score.

Rick and Diane Payne of Cisco, Texas, go to several car shows during the year. They brought a lightning and yellow 1962 Chevy Nova to Rapid City in a trailer. Rick said he has had the car - which features a 383 Stroker engine, 700R4 transmission and 10 bolt posi rear end - for about 10 years, though it wasn't completed until two years ago.

"Lots of chrome. Seven miles to the gallon, more or less," Payne said. "One guy I heard called it 'smiles' per gallon."

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com