The 24th annual Low Bucks Car Club car show at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds had a lot fewer competitors than it normally has during Eddie Cochran Weekend.

Rainy weather was probably the biggest deterrent for most car enthusiasts. The show usually gets about 200 cars but had about 50 on Saturday, and there were more trophies than cars in the show.

For some, the wet weather wouldn’t stop them from coming to the car show because of the opportunity to see other folks who love cars and the chance to talk about anything and everything related to automobiles.

“I enjoy it,” Steve Casperson said. “I really like coming here.”

Casperson comes from Stillwater and brings his 1940 Ford Coupe. He has only missed one show in 21 years, and likes coming to the show to see family who live in Albert Lea.

One family member is Casperson’s cousin, James Love, who also owns a 1940 Ford Coupe. Love’s coupe has a 1968 Chevy 327 motor and a turbo 400 transmission. It’s also been modified with a Mustang suspension.

“I bought it mostly done,” Love said. “I’ve had it since 1995 and did some updates.”

Casperson bought his coupe in 1981, and when he bought it he said it was a mess. It took him nine years to do all the work on the car.

“It’s my daily driver in the summer,” Casperson said. “I’ve been to 20 states in that car.”

He said he’s not afraid to drive it, even after all the work he put into it. It has a 1968 Ford 302 motor, and said it wasn’t easy to fix up the car.

“I had to hand make many parts,” Casperson said.

Casperson said he has another car he’s fixing up and is making about a third of the parts for that car because the parts are hard to find. Another car enthusiast at the show was Duane Willaby from Albert Lea. He and his wife brought their grandson, Noah Hanson, to the show. He described what he liked about going to the car show each year.

“Talking to other owners and looking at other cars,” Willaby said.

He owns a 1946 Ford Coupe with a flathead V8 engine. He has been slowing making modifications in hope that his grandson will be able to help him someday. Right now Hanson helps his grandpa by keeping the car clean.

Though there were fewer cars than usual at the show, there were still several unique cars to look at including a 1959 Cadillac with two doors and a hardtop, with a 390 engine and the telltale bullet taillights.

Another standout car was a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria hardtop that was painted purple and white and even had the original radio inside.

The show was from noon to 4 p.m. at the fairgrounds and trophies were given out at the end of the show. The cars were asked to line up from 4:30 to 6 p.m. before riding 26 miles throughout the county and city. Money raised during Eddie Cochran Weekend funds the Eddie Cochran Memorial Scholarships. The Low Bucks Car Club saves money for next year’s show and then offers up to $2,500 in scholarships.