PHILOMATH - Steve Nunez of Lebanon buffed the chrome of his '55 Chevy - the two-door post with the fat tires in back and the blower up front - and said he sometimes can't place a name with a face.

"But when you see their cars, you always remember them."

The Philomath Classic car show brought about 175 memorable vehicles to Philomath City Park on Saturday, including a herd of Mustangs and a flock of Thunderbirds.

"This is perfect weather. The clouds make the paint jobs look good, and it isn't too hot," said Jeff Lamb, who helped organize and judge the annual Philomath Chamber of Commerce event.

The car show serves as the chamber's main fundraiser, with some proceeds going to Philomath Community Services, an umbrella organization that includes the Philomath Food Bank and Philomath Holiday Cheer.

Many entrants raved about the setting, including Loren Stogsdill of Lebanon.

"The park setting, it's not like asphalt, where it gets really hot," he said as he and his wife, Carol, sat in lawn chairs next to their 1966 Galaxy.

They were looking for a convertible classic when they bought the Ford three years ago. The stylish blue car isn't some trailer queen that gets towed to shows. Much of the couple's fun comes from driving with the top down - the feel of the wind, the passing smells.

"Somebody cooking something, a mint field, the grass being cut…" Carol Stogsdill said.

Terry and Janet Stewart's 1956 Ford Fairlane, which they bought five years ago, serves as a sort of time machine. The automobile is nicknamed "The Pink Lady" for its color scheme, and the duo wore matching pink shirts.

"I just knew I wanted a car from the 1950s, when I was in high school," Terry Stewart said.

He and his wife are high school sweethearts who went on their first date nearly 50 years ago.

"We're not lost in the '50s. We never left the '50s. When we have a car club meeting, we sit around in our jeans and white T-shirts and jackets," Terry Stewart said.

Bim Tryon of Waldport was just a spectator, but he also was taking a trip down memory lane, checking out Detroit muscle cars and other rides from the '60s and '70s. "That's when I grew up. Half of these cars my friends had," he said. "This is a great show. A lot of really wonderful cars."

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.