Renninger's Car Show And Chili Cook Off, June 27, 2010.

Last night after the show at Harley Davidson I cooked up some contest winning chili to bring up to Mt. Dora today for the car show at Renninger's Antique Mall. However, upon arrival at the show the lady looked at me as though I had 3 eyes when I said I was there for the Car Show and Cook Off. I had found out about this event on "The Muscle Car Network", and it seems as though the information was not exactly accurate. The lady I had originally talked with had her supervisor talk with me, she felt bad for the mix up and waived my fee for the show today and gave me a V.I.P. card for when they DO have the cook off in October. She explained that the guy that organized the event was way to premature on advertising the event, and was unable to make it happen. October seems a much better time for a chili cook of anyway, so I went in to enjoy the show and share my chili with new friends.

Renninger's property seemed massive, with many things going on at once. There was an indoor area with permanent antique shoppes, People selling their junk a swap meet outside, and a car and bike show every last Sunday in the back area. Further back there appeared to be bleachers, after investigating I learned they have demolition derbies, tractor pulls, and all manner of motorized events.

There were about 50 cars in attendance, mostly classic like usual with some Late Models scattered here and there. When I arrived I parked under some trees to get the shade, but that quickly went away for the car. I set up my spot back under these great live oak trees draped with Spanish Moss. I swear I should have been drinking mint juleps and eating some fried green tomatoes. About an hour after I arrived 3 other Mustangs showed up and parked right by me, they got to partake in the chili I had made.

For being such a HOT day I was surprisingly comfortable, a combination of the great shade of those live oaks and a pretty constant breeze made it quite bearable.

The show was judged, and trophies for "Best GM", "Best Ford", and "Best Mopar" in pre and post 1970. Also, there was "Top 25", "Best of Show", "Best Paint", and "Best Interior". I ended up with a "Top 25" trophy for the day, and should have had a "Best Chili" win too.

I am looking forward to October when my Chili and my Car will win awards for the day, it will be a fun day I am sure...

Motorcycles And Muscle Cars, June 26, 2010.

Harley Davidson East-Orlando had a car and bike show today, with free food, free beer, and free music. They were even handing out wall plaques to people that preregistered for the show, usually it's just a dash plaque (always a nice touch).

It was a small show with some very nice cars and bikes, and aside from the 110 heat index it was a great time. There was a pretty large group from the "Central Florida Cruisers" out for the day, it was nice to see those folks. Wanting to spend most of my time in the shade of the tents I was a little light on the picture taking today. I just photoed my car with a great bike, and a selection of my favorites scattered about.

The food was pretty good, even better because it was free. Though BBQ pork is usually done with Butt not Loin, but can you really complain if it's free? They had beer, soda, and water for free as well, though I didn't have any of the beer (I am sort of a beer snob).

The band, also free, was not bad at all for a cover band. They sang rock and roll songs from "Van Halen", "The Cure", and I think I even heard a "Flock Of Seagulls" song too. They weren't too loud, it was a perfect volume where we were sitting, we could hear them but still talk over them.

For all the show had to offer, and 90% of free (there was a liquid nitrogen ice cream maker for $5), it was worth being out for the show. Braving the 101 degrees with 76% humidity for a heat index of 110 degrees, and a UV level of 8, was easier because the show was a lot of fun. Shade, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are your best friends on days like today...

Fern Park Friday Night Cruise-In, June 25, 2010.

Every Friday night in the parking lot of Bob Evans near Fern Park Rd in Casselberry FL there is a cruise in. Mostly classic cars with a dash of late model offerings scattered throughout the lot. Attendance varies from week to week, normal factors effect how many people come out. Tonight there were approximately 40 vehicles with their owners sitting proudly either in front or behind their cars talking with friends. Seeing friends is nice when they show up, but meeting new folks can be just as fun.

You don't have to have a "show quality" car to attend a cruise-in, you don't even have to have a car. Just going to look at the vehicles being displayed can be thrilling. The Fern Park Cruise-In is a fine cruise-in to attend, with many different cars to see, and in a great location.

Really, the "Cruise-In" is a get together where people chat and show off their cars to people that appreciate that sort of thing. Personally, I love to take pictures of the cars, and see the quality of my photos improve with every show/cruise-in that I attend.

1st Annual Windermere Car Show

Got up this morning bright and early to go meet some Members of the MFMC for breakfast.



After the good eats, we trailed over to the Windermere car show, put on by Windermere, FL and "The Muscle Car Network". We had 8 cars at breakfast and another 2 were at the show later, so 10 members showed up the the show. The spots filled up quickly at the show, we were among the first to arrive at 8:05am, so after last minute detailing we watched all the cars pull in. There was a little of everything at the show from Mustangs, to classics, and some exotics too. A few of my favorites were:

A 1965 "Rolls Royce Silver Cloud"


A 1969 "Cord"


A 1942 "Packard 180"


And This 1956 Cadillac.


It was pretty warm out there, but we were able to stay in the shade for most of the morning and afternoon, and a free scoop of ice-cream helped a bit too. Of course all the cars too take pictures of, and hanging out with my MFMC mates, made it all worth it. Aside from a few glitches, and not having enough classes to satisfy the crowd (late model muscle not really included AT ALL), they put on a pretty good show. I bet if this show happens again nest year, they will have worked out all the kinks...

2011 Mustang GT 5.0 Liter V-8, June 6th, 2010

Went to test drive the new Mustang today, and I must say I liked it quite a bit. The difference in HP was noticeable, and she was a little more throaty than my 2010. The red line is set at 6800 RPM, I was pushing 100 in 3rd on the back roads by the dealership with her growling the whole time. The 6 speeds are easy to shift between with the short throw shifter, though the clutch was way too loose for me, but that could be tweaked. The power assist steering and stiffer suspension were very nice sliding through the corners at 30. The salesman told me to drive it like I stole it, and appeared oddly comfortable when I did just that.

I was quite tempted to trade my car in today, and pick up the new one tomorrow. They made it very easy, no money down and $10,000 left to pay at around $150.00 a month. I have to tell you I turned into a little kid at the candy store at this point. However, I would lose the convertible and my great sound system, as the new car would have been a coup without the shaker 1000. The cons outweighed the pros (with a little help from my wife), and I decided it was better to stick with my original idea. To make the car I already own (free and clear) more mine than ever, using the money I would spend on the new one. Then, in 3 years when it's the 50th anniversary of the Mustang think about a new one, I am sure there will be something special for that.

So, in the end I drove home in the car I truly love, grinning from ear to ear at my little test drive in the brand new 5.0...