Cars with popped hoods are a common sight at the cruise-in, allowing enthusiasts to show off their own work and admire others'.

Ed Ronemus of Laurel, Md., has owned a 1963 Ford Galaxy 500 (above left) for eight months. It's the third '63 Galaxy he's owned since he bought his first one on his 21st birthday. "As old as they are when you find them, they're not in real good shape," he says. His way of getting around that is to buy better versions of the same car. He says his most recent purchase is much quieter than its predecessor. 

John Broussard would rather hold onto a car and fix it up. He says he has fixed up more cars than he can count, including his 1967 Chevelle (above right). 

Mike Gosnay is another who enjoys the challenge of repairing a car, no matter how bad it may start out looking. Gosnay bought his 1972 Buick GSX in Gettysburg, Va., for $32,000 and "smoked it home," he says. "It looked like a dog had lived in it." 

Gosnay says he has sunk $26,000 into repairing the car, spending $3,000 on the interior alone, getting every detail perfect.