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Published on 4 Comments on Central Ohio Car Shows, Cruise-Ins, and Meet-ups for September 12 – 18, 2022
2002 Chevy Corvette - Owner: Mick Proxmire

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NEWS AND NOTES

Wednesday Evening Cruise at Grace Chapel

Jeff and Pam Shankle and Dan "Boots" Longenette from Auto Smarts Radio stopped by the Grace Chapel Church in Westerville, Ohio on Wednesday evening for its weekly cruise-in. About 50 cars were in attendance this week. Boots drove his award-winning "burn out" machine.

The Pastor announced that the church will continue to host the Wednesday cruise-in until the end of October. A food truck is on-site most Wednesdays for anyone wanting food and refreshment. Times for the cruise-in are typically 6 - 9 PM.

Der Dutchman Thursday Cruise-In

Attendance is creeping up at the Thursday evening cruise-in at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City, Ohio. Two weeks ago attendance was 302 cars. Last week it was 309 and this week it was 340. With any luck, the 400 mark will be broken before the cruise-in ends in three weeks.

This week's "Unique Vehicle" award goes to Jim R. and his Ultima RS. The car's power plant is GM's LT5 engine which was only available in the 2019 Corvette ZR1. Jim's car is making close to 800 HP to the rear wheels!

Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show

The September Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show in Marysville, Ohio on Friday evening featured 32 cars.

The event was the first car show for Carol and Steve Atwell's 1928 Ford Model A 2 Dr Sedan.

The show raised $210 for the Marysville and Milford Center food banks.

This month's picks were:

1969 Chevy Chevelle - Owner: Cliff Small
1928 Ford Model A 2 Dr Sedan - Owners: Carol & Steve Atwell
1957 Ford Thunderbird - Owner: Jimmy Carmean

Columbus Cars and Coffee Meet at Esoteric

Per usual, the Columbus Cars and Coffee meet at Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing in New Albany, Ohio had another great turnout of cars and spectators Saturday morning.

The meet had a nice mix of classic, muscle, and exotic cars. Just like the Toy Barn show two weeks ago, the arrival of the Lamborghinis attracted a crowd.

To see more from Saturday's Columbus Cars and Coffee meet, CLICK HERE.

Delaware Christian Church Car, Truck, & Motorcycle Show

The Delaware Christian Church in Delaware, Ohio hosted its second annual Car Show on Saturday. Last year the church registered a little over 50 cars. This year the number of registered cars reach 71 with another half-dozen or so attending but not registering. The registration fee was whatever you wanted to donate.

There were door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. Awards were presented to the Top 25 along with three special awards. The special awards were Pastor's Choice, Best of Show motorcycle, and Best of Show car/truck.

The Special Award winners included:

Pastor's Choice Award - 2021 Ford F150 - Owner: Joe Lyons
Best of Show Motorcycle - 2009 Harley Davidson - Owner: Tony Ford
Best of Show Car/Truck - 1964 Chevy Nova II SS - Owner: Diana Chalfant

CLICK HERE to see the rest of the automobiles from the Delaware Christian Church show.

Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride At Columbus Auto Resale

Dan "Boots" Longenette and the Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride crew were at Columbus Auto Resale on Saturday. The show registered 38 cars.

Our good friend Jeff Shankle took Best Interior with his 1950 Ford F1 pickup.

The Best of Show award went to the 1967 Chevy Chevelle of Craig Massie.

Heart of Grove City Patriots Day Car Show

Shaun "Big Dog" Sanders and the C-Town Cruisers were hosts for the 2nd Annual Heart of Grove City, Ohio Patriots Day Car Show.

The show registered a little over 60 cars. The Best Truck award went to Loy Oberer with a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup.

The 1932 Ford five Window of Gus O'Day took home the Best of Show honors.

Lite the Nite Car Show

The big event on Saturday was the 37th Annual Light the Nite Car Show at the Courthouse Square in Newark, Ohio. This year the show registered more than 420 cars.

The event helps support the holiday lighting of the courthouse in Newark and other charities. This year the show also honored the late Jim Matheny who helped organize the Nite the Light show for many years.

The awards were four and six-foot trophies. Dale Pearce used every inch of the truck bed in his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup to bring home his six-foot award.

Wings and Rings Car, Truck, & Bike Show

My original plan was to attend the All Corvette Gathering in Lancaster, Ohio on Sunday. But rain between my house and Lancaster killed that plan. Luckily the showers mainly stayed south and east of my location.

Plan B was to find a dry car show relatively close to home. This turned out to be the Crossroads Events show at the Wings and Rings in Lewis Center, Ohio.

This was the second show at the restaurant this year. Both this show and the previous show have faced less-than-ideal weather. A final show of the season is scheduled for October 9th. Hopefully, "third times a charm" will kick in and give them a beautiful day of weather.

With 23 cars, trucks, and bikes in attendance, the Best of Show awards went to Steve Barry with a 1999 Harley Davidson Heritage Springer and "DW" Warren Dorilen with a 2014 Maserati Ghibili.

Riverside Dairy Car Show

The Riverside Dairy Car Show in Mount Vernon, Ohio was originally scheduled for August 21st but was postponed to Sunday because of the weather.

The show registered 45 cars. Awards were presented for 3rd place, 2nd place, and Best of Show for both cars and trucks. Not only was there a trophy for each award winner but also a cash prize. The Best of Show winners received $100. Second and third place winners received $75 and $50 respectively.

Best of Show Car went to Harry Squires with a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS.

Steve Andrix's 1948 Chevy Pickup received the Best of Show Truck award.

Jeff Shankle's 1950 Ford F1 received the 2nd Place Truck award so drinks are on Jeff this week.

Other Area Shows:

  • The Empty Pockets Cruisers had over 120 cars in attendance for its Patriots Day Car Show in Hilliard, Ohio on Saturday
  • Despite the rain, 200 plus crazy Corvette owners turned out for the All Corvette Gathering in Lancaster, Ohio.
  • Our good friend Dale Pearce took home the Mayor's Choice and the Kid's Choice awards at the 17th Annual Gahanna Community Church Car Show

Whew! That's it for this week. A big thank you to Jeff Shankle, Dale Pearce, and Mark Mitchell for their help in preparing this week's report.

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Published on 4 Comments on Central Ohio Car Events for September 20 – 26, 2021
1964 Chevy Corvair Monza
Owner: Dave Albers

Here are the events scheduled for this last weekend of September. Once again it's a big one! If past history is any indication, the two biggest shows of the weekend will be the Sunbury Lions Club Country Cruise-in and the North Hills Car and Bike Show. Both are on Sunday.

CLICK HERE to skip the News and Notes section and go directly to the list of events.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Der Dutchman:

The Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City, Ohio held two cruise-ins this week. Their weekly cruise-in on Thursday evening attracted 347 cars. It turned out to be a wonderful evening to hang out with friends.

Saturday morning the restaurant hosted its annual Coffee and Donuts cruise-in. More than 80 cars stopped in for a cup of coffee and a famous Der Dutchman donut. By 11 AM everyone was experiencing a pretty good sugar and caffeine buzz.

To see more from the Thursday and coffee and donuts cruise-ins, CLICK HERE.

Farrow Hot Rods and Handlebars:

Saturday evening the Farrow Harley Davidson Dealership in Sunbury, Ohio hosted their second Hot Rods and Handlebars Car and Bike Show of the season. The event was sponsored by Rabid Customs, Ricart Automotive, and of course, Farrow Harley-Davidson.

The Parking lot was divided into two sections, one for the motorcycles and the other for the cars. Two food trucks and a beer garden provided refreshments. A live band (sorry, don't know the name) entertained the crowd.

Entry to the show was free for spectators and motorcycles. If you wanted your car included in the judging for a trophy, a $10 donation to charity was requested. With the $10 donation also came a 16 oz bottle of Jax Wax Hawaiian Shine, microfiber towel, and air freshener. Not a bad deal.

On the car side, there were trophies for the top 25, third and second place, and Best of Show. I believe there were three awards for the motorcycles.

The car registration forms were not numbered so I don't have an accurate count of registered cars. I'm guessing somewhere around 100 cars with another 50 that showed up but didn't register. All I can say about the bikes is there were a lot of them! I didn't spend much time in the bikes section. There was a lot to keep up with the cars. I did, however, discover (as did many others) a "Legends of Rock" themed bike that was absolutely amazing. You'll have to check it out on the show's PHOTO PAGE. Let me know how many rock legends you can name.

Here are the top three award winners from the show:

THIRD PLACE AWARD
1932 Ford Model 18
Owner: Ed Young
SECOND PLACE AWARD
1957 Chevy 3100 Step Side
Owner: Bill Reno
BEST OF SHOW
1966 Ford F100
Owners: Chad & Diana Wills

Coughlin Chevrolet of Pataskala Car Show:

Coughlin Chevrolet of Pataskala, Ohio held its 12th annual car show on Saturday. Advertised as "Ohio's Best Free Car Show", the event registered close to 200 cars.

The show attracted mostly Corvettes with maybe 40-50 cars being other makes and models. Trophies were presented to the Top 100 cars. There was no Best of Show award.

To see more from the Coughlin show, check out the show's PHOTO PAGE.

All Oldsmobile Car Show and Swap Meet:

On Sunday, the Mid-Ohio Chapter of the Oldsmobile Club of America held their 34th Annual All Oldsmobile Car Show and Swap Meet at Quaker Steak and Lube in Columbus, Ohio.

The club registered 75 Oldsmobiles. Trophies were presented to the Top 20 cars as voted on by those participating in the show.

Even though I don't own an Oldsmobile, the first car my wife and I bought as a married couple was a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme so I have a little soft spot in my heart for the brand. Unfortunately, I only saw one 1977 Cutlass. It was a 442 not a supreme.

To see more from the All Oldsmobile Show, CLICK HERE.

Other Area Shows:

Reports are the Jax Wax Car Show on Saturday registered close to 400 cars. Steve Andrix and his 1954 Chevy Bel Air received the Best of Show award.

The turn out for Pepsi's Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride at Columbus Auto Resale on Saturday was between 50 and 60 cars.

The Cupola Classic Car Show in Johnstown, Ohio on Sunday had 160 cars in attendance.

If you have any information on other shows in the area from this past weekend, please feel free to post it in the comments section.

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Published on 7 Comments on Central Ohio Car Events for August 2 – 8, 2021
1953 Ford F100 Pickup
Owner: Dave Mohler

This week Central Ohio has a jam-packed Friday and Saturday line-up of events. Twenty-three events are on the schedule between those two days.

The marquee events this week are the Vettes, Rods, and Classics Car Show in Gahanna, The Vance Outdoor Car Show in Obetz, and the Powell Cruize-In and Pig Out in Powell.

NEWS AND NOTES:

Rain on Thursday dampened the Der Dutchman Cruise-In in Plain City, Ohio. I received word that only 26 cars braved the scattered thunderstorms and showed up last week.

Shaun "Big Dawg" Saunders and the C-Town Cruisers partnered with the Pharisburg United Methodist Church in Marysville, Ohio for a car show/cruise-in on Friday evening.

The show registered 50 cars. A free-will offering 50's style diner was served.

The Best of Show Award went to Janice and Sam Foos and their 1957 Ford Skyliner.

For the other award-winning cars and trucks and more photos from the Pharisburg United Methodist Church show, click here.

The Vanity Gentlemen's Club in Columbus, Ohio was the scene of the Heels & Wheels Car Show on Saturday afternoon. As you can guess by the location and name, it was not your traditional car show.

The Gentlemen's Club registered a total of 55 vehicles. The $15 registration fee also included a door prize ticket. I've got to say those were some of the better door prizes I've seen this season.

Everyone who registered a car got a chance to vote on awards for their favorite Vanity dancer. Since this is a "G" rated website, I won't list the name of the awards. I'll leave that up to your imagination.

The dancers did all the judging. Their pick for Best of Show was William Brown's 1979 Ford Mustang Pace Car.

To see the other award winners and more cars from the Heels & Wheels show, Click here,

At the other end of the spectrum from the Heels & Wheels show was the Purple Door Cruise-In at the Grove City Methodist Church.

The show busted its previous attendance record of 135 cars by registering 174 vehicles on Saturday.

Best of Show honors went to our good friend, Jeff Shankle, and his 1951 Ford F1 pickup.

See more photos from the Purple Door Cruise-In (thanks Dave Bratton).

The Life City Church in Pickerington, Ohio registered 80 cars on Saturday. Registration and everything else I'm told was free.

On Sunday the Buckeye Rod Builders hosted the 41st Annual Poor Man's Nationals at the Pastime Park in Plain City, Ohio. Just like in 2019, the event was free and open to all makes, models, and years. In other words, it was a big cruise-in. And big it was with over 245 cars. Just goes to show trophies aren't necessary to attract a large gathering of cars. Just offer some door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, refreshments, a good location, and some nice weather and they will come.

Click here for more photos from the 41st Poor Man's Nationals.

And finally, The C-Town Cruisers were out at The Point on Main Sunday afternoon for their monthly show at the restaurant. The Cruisers registered a little over 60 cars.

Steve Kidwell received the Best of Show award with his 1965 Pontiac GTO. Charlie Seymour and his 1967 Nova took the Ladies Choice honors.

If anyone has info from the Cardo's Pizza show in Pickerington, please feel free to post it in the comments section.

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The awards presentation at Saturday's Vettes, Rods & Classics show at Creekside in Gahanna, Ohio took a surprising twist when my Camaro was announced as the Best in Class winner for C7 Corvettes 2017 - 2019.

While my car and C7 Corvette Z06 do share the same engine, I doubt many would get the two cars confused.

I suspect my car was accidentally entered into the computer as a Corvette during registration. Someone saw the "Z" on my registration card and thought Corvette Z06 instead of Camaro ZL1.

Anyway, the Capital City Corvette Club handled the error with grace and presented my car with an Award of Excellence plaque. I just feel bad that someone with a very nice 2017-2019 C7 Corvette didn't receive an award.

Aside from the award mix-up, the 5th Annual Vettes, Rods, and Classics show continued to carry on the tradition as one of the best car shows in Central Ohio.

This year the Capital City Corvette Club got the city of Gahanna to agree to close the streets in the Creekside district an hour early - 11 AM instead of 12 Noon. The hour change appears to have made the initial rush of vehicles into the show area a lot smoother than it had been in previous years. I overheard two participants discussing how smooth the parking was this year. I arrived around 11:30 AM and lucked into a "Premo" parking spot at the corner of Mill Street and Ogden Aly.

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Published on 2 Comments on Vettes, Rods, and Classics Heat Up Creekside

The sweltering heat on Saturday didn't stop more than 300 cars from turning out for the Vettes, Rods, And Classics show at Creekside.

It was so warm that at least one participant had to be taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.  I'm pretty sure I lost 10 pounds of water weight just cleaning up my car for the show.  Water and shade were definitely your best friends on Saturday.

This is the 4th year the Capital City Corvette Club has hosted the show at the Creekside business district in Gahanna, Ohio. The district is a great venue for a car show.  Along with plenty of restaurant and shopping choices,  the area also includes a beautiful plaza and adjacent park. In four short years, this show has become one of the premiere car events in Central Ohio.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of 2017

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, It's a good time to take a moment to look back at the 2017 car show season.  I had planned to write this year-end recap  back in November, but family commitments, Thanksgiving, my spouse convalescing from a total knee replacement, and updates to the website delayed this by a few weeks.

Now that things have started to settle down a bit, let's look back at the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2017 season.

I managed to attend 80 events from January through November.  Of the 80 events, only six did I attend as a non-participant.

The list below reflects my opinion of the events I attended. In no way does it encompasses ALL the events that took place in Central Ohio during the season.  If you attended a show or cruise-in not on my list that you thought was exceptionally good or bad, please share it in the comments.  Feel free to also post a comment if you disagree with any of my choices.

Ok, so let's get started with the Good.

BEST REGISTRATION FEE CAR SHOWS:

  1. Champaign Cruisers 4th of July Car Show at Skelley's Lumbar Company in Urbana, Ohio.  You can tell the Cruisers have been doing this for 20 years.  The show is extremely well-organized. The club even goes as far as to mark off parking areas in the grass with spray paint.  There were plenty of food vendors,  nice door prizes, a unique venue, and great mix of vehicles from Ohio and Indiana.
  2. Vettes, Rods and Classic Car Show at the Creekside district in downtown Gahanna, Ohio.  Hosted by the Capital City Corvette Club, this show has grown steadily every year.  The Creekside district makes a unique venue for a car show.  There are plenty of restaurants in the district to meet most everyone's culinary tastes.  Judging is based on a point system, and awards are presented in two categories, one for the Corvettes and the other for the rods and classics.
  3. Cruisin' for a Cause at the Discover Church in Dublin, Ohio.  This show raises money for a different cause each year.  This year the cause was Duchene Muscular Dystrophy.  In addition to the cars, there's also a craft show and model car contest going on simultaneously.  Each year the show offers unique custom hand-made trophies.  All vehicles are thoroughly judged and awards are based on a point system.

Honorable Mention: The Purple Door Cruise In at the Grove City United Methodist Church, Spring Fling All Corvette Show at the Polaris Parkway Quaker Steak and Lube, and Cabela's Charity Car Show and Cruise In at the Cabela's store on Gemini Place in Columbus, Ohio.

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Published on 6 Comments on Creekside in Gahanna Overflows with Vettes, Rods and Classics

On Saturday, the Capital City Corvette Club once again hosted their Vettes, Rods and Classics Car Show at the Creekside district in downtown Gahanna, Ohio.

This is the third year the club has organized the show. The number of registered cars has steadily grown each year. With weather about as perfect as one could ask for, this year's show set a record with 309 registered vehicles!

Much of Mill Street and the adjacent parking areas were closed to the public starting around 10 AM Saturday until the end of the show.  The street and parking areas were reopened at noon for show parking only.  Cars arriving before noon were able to park in several designated lots until parking opened for the show.   I arrived around 11:40 AM and was parked and off to the registration tent about 30 minutes later.  Next year I plan to arrive after show parking is officially open to avoid all the traffic congestion at the beginning.   All in all, I have to commend the club for the job they did getting all the cars parked. It didn't look easy.

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