GARLAND, TX AUTO SHOW
5th Annual Garland Auto Show Reigns In Spectators
By Eugene Scott
Alternative Insurance Solutions
What a GAS. The fifth Annual Garland Auto Show that is. For a few hours the Texas rain gods cooperated and didn't open and rain all over their parade. With all of the rain and floods, there were a number of brave souls who brought the pride and joy out of its nice dry shelter.
Even though the number of entrants was down, there were a lot of unique vehicles for the many spectators to look at and to OOOOOOOOhhhh and AAAAAAAhhh. One of the most unique cars was a 1986 Pontiac Fiero that was an electric car. That is right, electric. No, GM did not build an electric Fiero but in 1992 an enterprising person converted over 20 of them to electric.
The owner of his unique jewel belongs to an electric car club in North Texas. Don't let the solar panels on the hood(?) and on the trunk(?) fool you. Those are primarily for looks but at one point they actually worked. The car has 18 (eighteen) 6 volt batteries being distributed almost evenly between the front and the rear. The owner says the cost of operation is 1 penny, 1 cent, 10 mills, per mile. When he lived in Missouri, the state of Missouri fined him $80 per year for not paying any highway tax. He said Texas doesn't have such a fine, yet.
For the Blue Oval fans, there was a large contingent of late Model Mustangs present. They consisted of a Roush, SVT, and a Boss.
Not to be out done, the Corvettes were out in force. They even had one of their inboard/outboard models present. That is not a brief moment of brain fade when I say inboard/outboard as they are an early version of the ZR1. That was the one where GM farmed out the manufacture and assembly of their all aluminum overhead cam motor. The tolerances had to be so close in their casting and assembly that it took Mercury to assembly a four cycle outboard. Just kidding you ZR1 fans. The ZR1 is really quite unique in its overall design and construction.
Check out that gorgeous 1956 bathtub Porsche. What a beautiful piece. Oh, did I forget to mention that it is a replicar. The body and chassis were made by Vintage and then assembled by its proud owner. Boy, has the replicar, aka kit car manufacture come a long ways since the Fiberfab Valkerie age.
These are just to mention some of the really unique vehicles that you just don't see at most car shows and cruise ins. There is always a good representation of restored and modified classics and muscle cars. The brave hearted street rod owners, usually with no tops, windows, wipers, etc., are always present at a car show no matter what the weather may be.A good time was had by all, and then the heavens opened. Rain, rain, go away, come back again some other day, or however that old rhyme goes
If you would like extra copies of this issue, call 304-884-7799, Ext. 1#. If you would like more information on upcoming car shows, visit our website www.Auto-Roundup.com
WE PUBLISH YOUR CLUB'S EVENTS FREE! -Email us your club's Events Free of Charge in our Events Listings both on our website and in our magazines!
LIST YOUR CLUB ON OUR WEBSITE FREE! - Email us your club's contact information, and we will add you to our Car Club Listing's Map on our website!
ASK US FOR DONATIONS! - We support OVER 200 Car Shows every year by donating Free Sample Magazines for your Goody Bags!