DETROIT — Despite paying close to four bucks per gallon at the pump, crowds have continued to flock to Woodward Avenue as the weekend nears, confirmed Lt. Corrigan O'Donohue of the Royal Oak Police Department.

Don Tanner, executive director for the Dream Cruise, adds the optimistic assessment that rain should be the only factor that could hinder attendance, which is predicted to be in the 1-million-to-1.5-million range. Last year's cruise involved some 40,000 classic cars and 1.2 million people scattered along Woodward Avenue.

'Every indication is showing that are having a small effect on attendance. We have been in close contact with people from all over the country throughout the year, and they are all still showing up — even from faraway states like California and Florida. This is a once-a-year, once-in-a-lifetime event that people don't want to miss,' continued Tanner.

Prospective cruisers aren't ignoring the crazy prices at the pump, though; some are taking action by outfitting their hot rods with innovative hybrid kits. Illinois' Rad Rides by Troy is currently developing a green E85 kit for muscle cars that will be certified by the EPA. E85 is better for the vehicles, too: It ranges from 100 to 105 octane, so the cars are performing better and getting better gas mileage.

'Everybody is talking about E85 and the fact that it's 105 octane. Hot-rodders can run more boost on their turbos while using up to 30 percent less fuel,' said Troy Trepanier, president of Rad Rides by Troy.

Although you will see a lot of the cars out cruising before the big day, expect to see quite the crowd when the official cruise starts on Saturday, August 16 at 9 a.m.