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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Cupertino resident Don Harr shows off the 550 HP autocrosser engine of his 1982 Chevy Corvette at the Happy Dayz Diner in Campbell.
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Classic cars cruise up to the old-time diner
Eatery's owner upholds tradition of hosting the popular Hot Rod Night
By ERIN MAYES
There are lots of reasons to go to the Happy Dayz Diner. Car enthusiasts from all over the Santa Clara Valley just make it a point to go there once a week to show their wares.
On Thursday nights--the diner's busiest night of the week--dozens of old, souped-up cars cram into the parking lot of Happy Dayz, 2638 Union Ave. in Campbell, before 5 p.m. They sit there for a few hours while their owners walk around, admiring other owners' shiny new paint jobs and gleaming chrome. Hoods are propped open, and the sterile, winding, freshly scrubbed innards of engines are presented to onlookers.
Oldies but goodies are blasting from speakers propped up on tripods, and a disc jockey interrupts now and then to call out "No. 67, your order is ready."
Welcome to Hot Rod Night.
Ron Burton, also a Campbell resident, enjoys showing off his cherry red '56 Corvette. He says he's been attending the car shows for six years because he finished working on the Corvette six years ago, although he's owned it for 29 years.
"It's my toy," Burton says. "It's just an expensive toy."
Happy Dayz owner Dennis McIntyre started inviting car owners to display their hard work in front of his diner in March. The diner's previous owner had done the same, and the tradition is now about eight years old.
The 42-year-old Milpitas restaurateur purchased the business about three years ago and says the secret to his success is keeping the surrounding business owners happy. Before he took over, Happy Dayz owners were being deluged by complaints from neighbors, who said they were losing business because of a lack of parking. McIntyre has turned parking into a fine art, sending three employees around the parking lot with walkie-talkies, directing drivers in and out of spaces, and most importantly, keeping the hot rods out of neighboring business' spaces.
The result is a majority of the parking lot packed bumper to bumper, double-parked every which way, and a few empty spots in front of the other businesses.
It might seem like somewhat of an inconvenience, but McIntyre's crew must be doing a decent job, because neighbors are allowing car shows to occur five nights of the week.
Tuesdays are Volkswagen nights; Wednesdays are biker nights; Thursdays are for everyone; Fridays are Harley Davidson nights; and Saturdays are for the Mopars--Chryslers, Dodges and Plymouths.
McIntyre comes from a family steeped in the restaurant business. He also owns a Foster's Freeze in Milpitas, which his wife, Joann, manages. The couple live in Milpitas and bought the restaurant from McIntyre's father in 1992. His father had taken over the business from his aunt in 1979. She had owned the business since 1964.
The Thursday event attracts people of all ages and races, although the participants are predominantly men. Even owners of brand new racing cars bring their vehicles to the Thursday night shows. Some of the vehicles--Honda Civics and Accura Integras--are lowered and decorated with spoilers that reach for the sky. Owners of the classic cars tend to look down on the new racing cars, but no rules bar the new breeds from visiting.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
