Dick's Classic Garage 4th Annual Car Show

I recently attended the 4th Annual Classic Car Show at Dick's Classic Garage, a local classic car museum. With a fantastic variety and a strong turnout, it was easily one of the nicer shows I've been to. Awards were presented at the end of the show, but I felt like certain cars really needed some extra recognition, so here are my own awards, presented for various classes. Let's get started.

Coolest Paint: 1972 Plymouth 'Cuda

Although not the most popular year for the 'Cuda, this 1972 coupe was absolutely brilliant. The paint was a jawdroppingly beautiful shade of pink, and in the afternoon sun it was almost unreal. Besides the color, I also give points for it being a straight-up cool muscle car. The spoiler, vinyl top and shaker hoodscoop are all great details and really bring out the big Plymouth's full potential.

Best Hot Rod: 1932 Ford Pickup

There were plenty of hot rods to gawk at, and quite a few were 1932 Fords like this, but none matched the levels of pure awesome that this extremely blue pickup was giving off. Wild color aside, the chopped top, lowered stance and vintage wheels were all great. The main attraction, however, was obviously the enormous V8 topped with a Weiand blower. This was without a doubt one of my favorite hot rods ever. On a side note, it's nice to see a '32 Ford pickup instead of the more common coupe.

Best Mopar: 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T

I'll admit, I love almost all of the vehicles Mopar built during the muscle car wars of the 60s and 70s, so picking one to be my favorite was tough. That said, it was impossible not to love this beautiful Coronet R/T. The green paint is a welcome departure from the usual red, yellow or black, and it works well with the white interior and tail stripe. The rims are perfect for the car, giving it just the right amount of chrome, and to seal the deal this R/T has a very potent 440 under the hood. This was possibly my favorite car of the show.

Best Chevrolet: 1969 Camaro Z/28

The first-gen Camaro is common fare at most car shows, with plenty of SS and RS models always on display. But the Z/28 is different. It's much more uncommon, making it far more interesting. I was quite pleased to see one at the show, especially one as nice as this. The paint job is the trademark twin racing stripes, in this case white over a red body. The engine is Chevrolet's 302 V8, which was aimed at the Trans Am racing series. This is definitely a car I'd be happy to take home.

Best Oddball: 1960 Mercury Meteor Montcalm

At first glance, this appears to be a Ford Starliner. Look closer, and you'll notice the grille is wrong, and it doesn't say "Ford" anywhere on the car. That's because this is the Mercury variation of the Starliner, the 1960 Mercury Meteor Montcalm. What classifies this as an oddball is that America never got the Montcalm. It was sold exclusively in Canada, and this one somehow made it back into the U.S. I have to say, I adore the execution on this car. The wheels are aftermarket but not flashy, and the color is pretty in a subtle, elegant way. It's a tasteful example of customization.

Best 1930's: 1934 Ford

 Most 1930's cars, especially Fords like this one, end up as perfectly-preserved originals or completely reworked hot rods. This one, though, has managed to find a middle ground. It appears fairly stock overall, but the lowered stance and the menacing rumble of a new exhaust system give away its modern concessions. The black paint is so perfectly accented by the red wheels and the red stripe around the car, and the chrome makes it stand out and catch your attention. I'd love to see more cars like this, that are not original but not extensively modified, instead being a well-blended mix of the two.

Best Fullsize: 1968 International Harvester Travelall 1000

These things simply don't exist anymore. At least, not in this nice of a condition. I had to do a double-take when this one pulled in, just to make sure I didn't imagine it. The Travelall, though not the first SUV, was probably the nicest. Not as boxy as the Chevy Suburban or the Jeep Wagoneer, the International was styled like a car, and came off as less of a truck and more of an overgrown station wagon. This particular Travelall was remarkably original, and attracted tons of curious viewers. Seeing one of these in such great shape really makes me smile.

Best Ford: 1968 Ford Mustang GT California Special

The 1968 Mustang GT/CS is a rare machine. Sold for one year only in one state only, they're among the rarest Mustangs around. Visually, the CS is easy to identify. They were all coupes, and came with the Shelby-esque side scoops, the square foglights in the grille, and Thunderbird taillights. They also had the sidestripe along the side of the car, running from the scoop forward. While most California Specials were white with a black stripe, this one is a much more tantalizing red and white. These are awesome to look at up close, and it easily stole the title of "Best Ford" from its contenders.

Most Original: 1941 Cadillac Fleetwood

This classic Cadillac was positively oozing elegance. A big, black, stately sedan, this Fleetwood was just as imposing and beautiful as it was when it rolled off the assembly line in 1941. As a matter of fact, this car is actually exactly the same as it was when new. Even the interior is original, and it looks positively unused. The lines of the car take a fairly squareish design and melt it into something that really flows. Seeing a car this old with so little evidence of decay is absolutely mindblowing.

Best Modern: 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10

For the final award, we have this track-ready Viper SRT-10 coupe. There were a handful of modern cars on display, with this white monster being my personal favorite. The V10 in this car is simply massive, and it sounds wild. This particular car has the ACR suspension package, and is fairly exclusive in that it's 1 of only 4 coupes to be built in this color scheme. All in all, this Dodge has more than enough power to satisfy any adrenaline junkie.

This was such a good show. A little of this and that, a lot of nice people, and a spectacular museum that I'll be covering in a future post. As the car show season kicks into high gear, be on the lookout for plenty of show coverage, right here at Shifting Gears.