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Classic Firebird proves reliable for road trips ahead of Langley Cruise-In
Langley driver Carly Baerg has used her 1980 Pontiac Firebird as daily transportation and for long road trips, and plans to return with it to the charity car show in downtown Aldergrove.
Carly Baerg will bring her 1980 Pontiac Firebird back to the Langley Good Times Cruise-In this year after relying on the classic car for daily driving and lengthy road trips over the past eight and a half years.
Baerg bought the Firebird for a little more than $4,000 around Christmastime when she was 18. She had become interested in older vehicles after watching the long-running fantasy series “Supernatural,” whose protagonists drove a 1967 Impala. Although her parents thought the idea was a bad one, she kept looking until she found a car that met her requirements. Its working heater was an added bonus.
She watched “Smokey and the Bandit” for the first time after buying the Firebird and has since met many other Firebird drivers. Baerg says the cars are enjoyable to drive and straightforward to work on. Unlike many owners who store classic, custom and hot rod vehicles during winter or take them out only for weekend drives and car shows, she has continued to use hers every day.
Baerg bought the car partly to take road trips, travelling to Alberta several times and making two return trips to Galveston, Texas. She says the car has brought her many memories and friendships.
She attended mechanics school to build her skills and says the Firebird has only gone to a shop for an alignment and transmission service; she has completed all other work herself. The car has attended the Cruise-In almost every year since 2019, except once when its alternator failed a block and a half from the show.
Baerg plans to look for cars like hers at this year’s event, especially vehicles that appear to have stories behind them. She is also working on a 1984 Corvette that she is building into a drift car, which may join the Firebird at the show.
The Langley Good Times Cruise-In is a charity car show held in downtown Aldergrove. It runs Saturday, Sept. 12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the main drag closed and an estimated 1,500 classic, custom and vintage vehicles expected on display. Information and pre-registration are available through Langley Good Times Cruise-In.