On the way home from Mini Golf, we stopped in Hanover Park for a quick car show. Turnout was similar to some of the bigger cruise nights, with a few interesting standout vehicles. Sadly, no original Shelbys or new GT350s - bring them out of hiding already.
What's this? A 1980 Corvette? This one looked remarkably stock, right down to the dual snorkel air cleaner. Khaki would not be my first choice of color, but in period, with a matching safari suit, it probably made the gold chains around the driver's neck really "pop."
This Corvette had the 4-speed manual from the factory, which was rare indeed. 1981 also had an available manual, but anyone who selected that option had to make due with a measly 305, compared to the bigger 350 engine which was only paired with automatics that year. The manual trans was gone for 1982, and would reappear again for 1984 in the form of the Doug Nash 4+3 (4-speed with overdrive).
Clay's favorite vehicle at this show was this quite imposing mini monster truck. Ideally suited for car shows, cruise nights and drinking gas. And that's about it.
A standout for me was this 2004 Mustang Cobra with Mystichrome paint (also pictured in title image). Although it must be a nightmare to keep looking good, this example was spotless. And the color shift from purple to blue is still as eye-catching as ever. "Terminator" Cobras had 390 hp from the factory, with independent rear suspension. That made for a package that could do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds - impressive, even for today.
Speaking of car show fodder, the Polaris Slingshot seems to be everywhere this summer. I'm sure the 20K price tag makes it an easy upgrade from other weekend playthings like side-by-side ATVs and jet skis. A truly strange vehicle designed for looks. And car shows.
Factory fresh GTX with a 440 six pack and a 4 speed - yes please!
This 1968 Dodge Charger looked like it stepped right out of the movie Bullitt. Iconic and imposing.
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat. All 707 horses of it. Here is a car that will populate car shows from now until they stop selling fossil fuels. I don't think I'd want to own one, but I wouldn’t mind ripping around in one for a weekend. That's about how long my driver's license would last...
No car show is complete without a hot rod Beetle. This one sported the fenderless look well, with an aggressive roof chop and a nice rake. A solid front axle would secure even more style points though.
A very nice Meyers Manx buggy. It's no wonder this simple design inspired an entire industry. A simple design solution using commonly available parts in a lightweight, fun package. The world needs more ideas like this.