From Red to Blue Camaro
Contributed by Tara Bush DJ Don Musica (yes his real name) does more than play music around central Florida at the local car shows under the name, Cruisin Orlando. He has been fixing, modifying, and restoring cars since he was 16. His first hot rod was a 1972 Nova in 1985 in his home town of Meadville, PA. Don has owned many classic Chevy muscle cars and trucks (also he keeps my Shelby and Cuda running), but his specialty is...
Jetfire Makes a Cross-Country Trip
Contributed by Sandy and Steve Gray, from Hamilton Ontario, Canada, and Snowbird in Port Charlotte, Florida Do you know what an Oldsmobile Jetfire is? Most of you are likely unfamiliar with these cars as we had been too…. until recently. Last year when attending ‘Oldsmar Days’ in the north Tampa area of Florida we saw our first Jetfire. What caught our attention was the factory turbo under the hood: this car was built in 1963! The...
This is the REAL Deal
Contributed by Russ Muller If you have spent hundreds of hours and/or thousands of dollars doing bodywork trying to restore a tri-five Chevy, 2nd generation Chevy II, or a 1st or 2nd generation F-Body (Camaro or Firebird) because you have not been able to find good aftermarket body panels, I have the solution for you: Real Deal Steel (RDS). I spent some time with Randy Irwin and Joe Whitaker, the company founders and owners, to get a...
What is the S40 Collection?
Contributed by Russ Muller Photography It started simply enough. I was at the car show in New Smyrna Beach when a coral-colored ’58 Chrysler 300 caught my eye. As I was checking it out, the owner struck up a conversation with me. After chatting about his car for a little bit, he walked me over to look at his son’s ’70 Hemi Road Runner convertible that was parked nearby. We chatted some more, and he invited me to contact him for a tour...
His Dream Became Reality, Decades Later
Contributed by Mark Jackson, Naples I grew up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, and in the 70’s there were a ton of old cars and hot rods. About that time, there was a silver '68 Camaro being built down the street from my house by a guy I only knew of, but I did know the guy who painted the car as he dated a friend of my sister. They put a lot of work into the Camaro with the paint designs by pulling the body off the sub-frame and...
Nashty 51 – Is the Coolest Tub
Contributed by Carl & Kathy Casey Commonly known as the “Upside-Down Bathtub”; this modified tub was found in 1995 sitting in a small town lot in Missouri known as Halltown. Carl Casey, Jr and this son Carl Casey, III, were driving along I-44 and spotted an ugly gray whale-like car with a rusted body and seats that were ripped to the springs. Somehow, however, Carl looked at his son and said “that's the one I...
Celebration of Cars Event Coverage
Contributed by Tony Napolitano from CAR-tography Saturday, February 29th, 2020, ‘Leap Day’ dawned crisp and cool. The sun rose in a deep blue sky. It was perfect weather for AACA and the local Cape Canaveral region to have their Celebration of Cars Show held at the American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne. The line to get in stretched about a half-mile in both directions. When we finally got in we learned that registration filled...
Cops & Cars for Kids
Contributed by Russ Muller Photography The 23rd annual Cops & Cars for Kids was held on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at the Oviedo Marketplace Mall, just east of Orlando. This year the event attracted a record number of vendors, but more importantly, it also had 205 registered show cars and 56 different law enforcement agencies participating. The host of the event, the Oviedo Optimist Club, said that the funds received from the event...
2020 Best Muscle Cars: Ranked & Their Features
Contributed by Tim Setterfield, Freelance Automotive Writer You won’t see as many muscle cars today as you would 50 years ago. However, the desire behind them is still very much alive. If anything, car manufacturers have continued making them even though they’re not always marketed as such. Before we delve into the list of best ones for 2020, let’s have a clear definition of what a muscle car really is. What is a Muscle Car? A muscle...
The Return of a 55 Year Old Classic
Written by John Wishart & Photos by Ed Sindoni Nestled in the sprawling area of Lakewood Ranch, Florida is a hidden gem of a classic car. It’s not often that the opportunity to see a 1964 ½ concourse level Mustang arises, but when it does, it should be shared. John Wishart (MCA #85927) interest in Ford performance cars started in the early 1960s during his teen years in Vermont. At first it was as a spectator watching Ford...
Racing Legends Parade
Contributed by Jeff Burgy Recently the 10th annual Racing Legends Parade took place at Racing Turn North restaurant at Ponce Inlet. Before Daytona International Speedway, stock car races in Central Florida were run on the beaches in the Daytona area. This parade of vintage race cars celebrates the cars and drivers who raced on the beach in the forties and fifties. The cars cruised south from the restaurant (north turn) on Route A1A...
Special Cars Found at the Villages Cruise
Contributed by Ed Sindoni The setting for this show is throughout the square and connecting streets in the Spanish Springs area of The Villages. This is an open show, but priority is given to Villagers, and if the vehicle limit is reached (usually about 250), then others may park outside of the show area, but not be eligible for awards. Also, vehicles must be at least 25 years of age….we’ll see about that. Each month one of the many...
TRUE 1928 Survivor Hot Rod “Deja Vu”
Contributed by Dana Barlow Deja Vu was originally my high school hotrod from 1959. From 1957 through 1959, 1 found parts and designed it into a running hotrod. In the late 1950’s, things were made and not bought in most cases. In the early 60s, stuff was not made yet or too high dollar for me. As a teenager, I incorporated many unique features into this car. In some ways, the parts I was able to find shaped the build. This is most...
What’s it REALLY Like to Build a SEMA Car
Written by Tara Bush and Zip Simons of Street Metal Concepts Do you ever wonder how the custom cars get chosen to display at SEMA (Speed Equipment Manufacturer Association) every year? Do you have to know someone special or be damn good at what you do to get a spot? I met Zip a few years ago and he gave me the scoop on what he had to go through to get there, honestly. At the time of your build, Street Metal Concepts was a young...
Cool Wheels Plus Much More
Contributed by Tara Bush Where would you find sunny, blue skies and 85-degree temps in the middle of winter…South Florida, of course. On January 19 I headed to Deerfield Beach to the Quiet Waters Park for the 9th annual YATC Cool Wheels Car Show. I’d heard rumors but I wanted to see for myself. It was well worth the 3 ½ hour trip in a 53-year-old classic, but there was much more than just a car show in this beautiful park. It was...
Q&A with Tint World Orlando
Contributed by Tara Bush and Pete Muller I never gave much thought to tint on a classic car but after traveling thousands of miles across the country on the Hot Rod Power Tour in June, my new aftermarket AC wasn't doing much good. Between the window gaps, floorboard heat, and the sun radiating through the windows, I was a hot mess (and not in a good way). I asked Pete Muller, from Tint World Orlando, what could be done and he...
Ponies Under the Palms Event Coverage
Contributed by Ed Sindoni The Mustang Club of West Central Florida held its 28th annual “Ponies Under the Palms” Mustang and Ford Show at Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton) on Sunday November 24, 2019 attracting over 170 participants. The field was mostly comprised of Mustangs ranging from the first generation 64 1/2s, Mustang IIs (you remember those, don’t you), Fox bodies, Bullitts, and current generation, a good number of Mercury models...
24 Amazing Views of Ford’s Detroit Plant circa 1917
Below is an amazing array of postcards from 1917 with pictures and statistics of the Ford's Detroit plant, the world's largest automotive...
C&C Palm Beach & More
Contributed by Tara Bush It’s late September, just a hint of coolness to the air, and we decide to head south for the 6 annual Cars & Coffee Palm Beach with Steve’s new ZR1 Corvette. Even though it is on the bottom of the exotic scale, for the money you can’t beat the performance. Normally when I go out of town, I do my best to cram as much as possible into the time I’m away from home, therefore you can’t drive 3 hours and go to...
I Bought a Film-Famous Murcielago for $80K, and Then Things Got Weird
Written by Freddy “Tavarish” Hernandez and published by Haggerty Supercar ownership ain’t what it used to be. Pop open any social media app and you'll be thrust into a sea of barely-post-pubescent man-children braying about how getting their sparkly one-off Ferrari three weeks out of high school was a result of 49 percent “rising”, 49 percent “grinding”, and… two percent having a semi-absent dad who served as lead counsel for...
Quail Run RV Park Show
Contributed by Ed Sindoni Located in Pasco County near Wesley Chapel, Quail Run presents an annual “car” show to raise funds for their designated charities. It also entertains the many day visitors who enter the property on Old Pasco Road, as well as the residents parked in one of the 292 available RV sites. One of the very best parts of this venue is the availability of at least some shade as old oaks tower over many of the...
Carlisle’s Winter Autofest at Lakeland
Contributed by Ed Sindoni Talk about an event with something for everyone, this is it. Five people can go to this, split up once you get there, and focusing on your interest, never see one another until you’re ready to leave. Let’s take a quick look at what was offered. Airplane rides were offered in a Stearman bi-plane and for some extra $, some aerobatic thrills could be added. The Corvette Fun Field was packed with both newer...
Billetproof Show at Don Garlits Museum
Contributed by Ed Sindoni For those who don’t know what a Billetproof Show is, let me paraphrase, “It is meant for those who build their own traditional style rods and customs on a limited budget. NO billet-clad, digital gauge, pastel graphic, named after a fifties song trailer queens.” You may be thinking “rat-rods”, but then you’d be surprised. To add to the festive atmosphere, was a Tallahassee band, The Intoxicators, who were...
Car Show Don’ts
Written by Tara Bush and video contributed by Casey J Porter of Combustion Chamber This video should be mandatory viewing material for all new car show attendees. We all love spectators and we all love showing off our cars and trucks, but from time to time, we all experience that one person sitting in our car or the sticky fingers running along the top of the fender, or better yet, the sexy wantabe model laying across the hood. I...
Kissimmee Mecum Auction Event Coverage
Contributed by Ed Sindoni The “local” Mecum Auction is usually held the first two weeks of January (I attended on Tuesday, the eighth). Gates open at 8AM, spectator admission at the gate is $30 (on line prior to show it’s $20 + fees), and parking is $10 cash. Already you’re thinking that this is similar to another Orlando area theme park (let’s not even begin to discuss food and drink prices), but it truly is the absolute best car...
The Villages Monthly Cruise In
Contributed by Ed Sindoni Working at traffic control on Saturday January 19, you had to know things were going to be difficult. Located in the town square from morning until early afternoon was a festival, which had to to cleared before the classic vehicles would be allowed to being parked in the same area at 2:30. Let’s add to the mix absolutely perfect weather, and about 400 anxious drivers waiting to fill those festival spaces. ...
Let’s Take a Ride – The Ormond Loop
Contributed by Tom Quinn, Mercedes-Benz Club of America Central Florida Is it possible, that when you live somewhere long enough, you start to lose sight of what’s in your own backyard? Have you ever heard someone say “There’s just nothing to do here!” indicating the need to hop a plane to somewhere, anywhere, more interesting?. That’s exactly what I heard the other day in line to checkout and I couldn’t help but think about the...
Florida Car Scene – A Year-Round Experience
Contributed by Steve Klein – Photos by Russ Muller Photography When people think of Florida, sunshine, palm trees, beaches, amusement parks and drinks with umbrellas often come to mind. However, Florida, and Central Florida in particular, offers much more for car enthusiasts of every sort and is home to thousands of amazing cars and a very strong and active car community. There are multiple shows, races, and other show...
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