Cruisers converging on Metro Detroit this week for the Woodward Dream Cruise did not seem concerned over southeastern Michigan's soaring gas prices, record unemployment rates and crumbling automotive backbone. By and large, the state's economic troubles have not weakened their will to cruise.

'Gas prices, yeah, they're a kicker but when you don't drive that often, they're not too bad,' said Mike Malott, as he stood next to his 1941 Pontiac in the shopping center's parking lot on 13 Mile and Woodward Avenue, the epicenter of the cruise, on Wednesday. Gas at a nearby Mobil station was advertised for $3.89 a gallon.

Like Malott, who cruises in his car once a week in the summer, many classic car drivers said using their vehicles only on special occasions minimizes fuel expenses and the costs of wear and tear.

'Most guys only put on two or three thousand miles a year,' said Malott, a court officer in Detroit. 'The friends of mine I cruise with, they're the same way.'

Though it may entail revved engines and high speeds down main drags, cruising does not require driving long distances and is cheaper than the average commute.

'Most of the time, you get there and park,' said Dee Richardson from the passenger seat of her 1969 Plymouth.

Richardson's husband Dave, the car's original owner, bought it for $3,000 and raced along Telegraph Road when gas was 30 cents a gallon.

'I remember my first tank of gas cost $8, and I thought that was a lot!' Richardson said.

Now, he said, he fills the 25-gallon tank three times a season, spending about $300 on fuel for the year.

Others say they have modified their cruising habits. Diane and Charles Herkowitz of White Lake said they try to cruise a little closer to home in their 1944 Coupe now that filling its tank costs $45.

'We're a little more conscious (of gas prices) than we were before, but this is a toy,' Charles said.

Cruise route hotels prosper

Cruise fans also have been opening their wallets for front row seats and convenience.

Hotels near the cruise route reported few vacancies. The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, where rates vary from $255 to $1,375, had only 'limited weekend availability' as of Thursday morning, according to Tracy Fashing, director of sales and marketing. Many guests are repeat customers who booked their 2008 stay during last year's cruise.

Demand has held strong despite Ford's relocation of its classic car exhibits from Birmingham to Ferndale, Fashing said.

Though this is the first year that the cruise will travel south of Eight Mile, downtown Detroit hotels have yet to see a boost.

'We're hoping that the momentum of this event will drive traffic next year,' said Jennifer Kulczycki, spokeswoman for the MotorCity Casino.

Many tourists in town for the event choose to stay at hotels with outdoor parking lots in places like Ferndale and Birmingham, said Judy Dufour, director of sales and marketing for the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

Though it is difficult to separate the cruise's impact from the many August conventions the Marriott hosts, she said, 'I don't think the Dream Cruise has affected the downtown hotels that much.'

Bargains for world cruisers

Meanwhile, international cruisers whose currency is valued favorably against the dollar were pleased by how far they could stretch their money in Michigan. Bob Evans, an auto body shop owner in Sydney, Australia, arrived last week and said he and his son were enjoying the relative low cost of groceries and other items.

'It was cheap,' he said of the airport hotel where he is staying. 'I just booked it for 10 nights.'

Evans said he was not surprised to find that Michigan's cruisers are still driving through tough economic times. Cruising is no more expensive than other leisure activities, he said.

'If it costs you $100 in fuel,' he said, 'it's like a day of golf.'