*photography by: the author
CARS Inc. has been in the business of making factory correct, high-quality interiors and restoration parts for over three decades. It boasts a large line of restoration sheetmetal that’s stamped right here in the USA, and all CARS Inc. interiors are produced at the company’s Rochester Hills, Michigan, facility.
Every year on the first weekend of June, CARS Inc. hosts an open house and car show at its home base in Michigan, that’s open to all makes and models of classic cars. While the majority of the company’s products focus on classic Chevrolet vehicles, the event has a wide open and welcoming door to all classic car enthusiasts. We were actually on hand this year to cover the event exclusively for Timeless Muscle Magazine.
This year’s event boasted vehicles from GM, Ford, Mopar and even Rolls Royce! There was free food, fun and games for kids, tours of the CARS Inc. facility and a chance to win raffle prizes for everyone in attendance. If you’ve never been before, we definitely recommend you plan on attending next year!
Below, we’ve compiled a pretty huge photo gallery of some our favorite cars that attended the show that weekend. It’s quite an eclectic array of hardware that left our mouth watering. And it also goes to show that everyone who was willing and able to attend the event with a classic (or even modern) vehicle was welcome to do so! Check it out!
Part of the event was a tour of the CARS Inc. facility, where people could see how interior components are made. Here CARS Inc.’s Dale Deaton explains the process where vinyl is di-electrically pressed into factory correct style patterns.
One thing the second gen Trans Am had on its Camaro sibling was the big cubic inch V-8 option. While Camaro buyers had to settle for a 402 big-block, Firebird customers could order up a 455-inch plant starting in ’71.
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- Art Ridley had gone down to North Carolina looking for a 4×4 snow plow for winter duty in Michigan when he stumbled across this mint ’72 C10. He’s owned it 20 years and hasn’t touched a thing since buying it.
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- When people hit Chevy dealers in the fall of 1957 to see the new models, the all new ’58 Impala greeted them.
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- Chuck Herkowitz’s ’58 convertible is well equipped, with the 348 tri-power motor, power steering, and power brakes.
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- A radical departure from the ’57 model style wise, it would be the start of almost 50 years of production for the nameplate under the Chevy banner.
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- Buick paced the Indy 500 in 1975, and buyers could purchase a replica “Spirit of America” t-top equipped car from Buick dealers.
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- While the actual pace cars had 455 Buick V-8s, the replicas only came with the smaller 350 Buick engine. This one is owned and was restored by Larry Stevenson.
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- This ’64 Impala belongs to Karl Riebel. It packs a low horse 409 backed by a four-speed for motivation.
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- The car only has 12,000 miles on the odometer, and came out of Massachusetts. It’s rust free, and still has its original spare tire.
Classic full size Poncho!
For those who like rare Ponchos, here’s a ’68 Firebird ragtop with factory air and power disc brakes.
Whether you like the style or not, laying down paint and details like this takes skill, talent, and vision!
Rollin’ gasser style!
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- This is Carrol Hairsine’s survivor ’63 Corvair. She bought the car three years ago after selling her survivor ’58 Impala she’d owned for 27 years. Driving it got to be a bit nerve wracking for fear of someone hitting the car and damaging it
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- The Corvair suited her just right, being a survivor, easier to drive than the Impala, so enjoyable she drives it once a week.
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- Another beautiful example of a Blue Oval at the event was this 64-1/2 Mustang owned by Rick Knight was built in Dearborn and shipped to Mel Burns Ford in Long Beach, California.
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- It is one of only 2,000 Mustangs produced that year painted in Pagoda Green. Under the hood it has a D-code 210 horsepower 289 V-8, power brakes, power steering, and factory A/C.
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- It’s funny how one of the most mundane and utilitarian ’55 Chevys produced is now one of the most sought after by enthusiasts. This 235 powered example is owned by Garel Boots, and even has the sedan delivery only factory bucket seats.
Adrienne Peters wanted to build a sinister looking first-gen Monte Carlo because “no one really builds them”.
She got the car as a rolling missing a quarter panel, with a vision for building a simple but bad ass Monte. She built a 462-inch big-block for power, backed by a four-speed, and narrowed the frame herself to stuff some fat 14-inch rubber in the back. For looks Adrienne installed a ’70 Monte Carlo front end, and replaced the factory dash and gauge assembly with a simple fabricated setup and AutoMeter gauges.
The car that many wish was built!
Disco Nova with a big roots blower anyone?
Probably the most unique and rare car at the show was this 1932 Rolls Royce owned by Max Carthew. Max restored all the car’s mechanicals after it was brought over from London.
Eazy Money nostalgia top fuel funny car owned by Phil Landram.
One of the special show pieces at the event was the famous Lingenfelter Olds Vista Cruiser wagon. Lingenfelter built LS power under the hood, Ridetech air suspension, and a host of other goodies make this way more than your average grocery getter!
Patrick Hill has grown up around the automotive aftermarket, and carries a lifelong passion for performance, racing and automotive nostalgia that spans from the Tri-Five era to the current modern performance market.
