Wheels and Wings Show 2022

8/6/22 to 8/7/22

Sam: Well here we are back up in Owl's Head for the 2022 Wheels and Wings show! There were a few "familiar faces" and some new finds here. Unlike the previous year, I decided to spend more time looking at and just generally enjoying the cars than I did photographing them. I made sure to include all of them in group photos, but there aren't as many individual photos as there have been in years past. I know, I'm getting lazy, but after all, this was supposed to be my vacation.

Wheels and Wings Day 1

Above: Day 1 at the Wheels and Wings Show

Wheel Horse 854 Mini Tractor

See Non Cars too!

Restored Lamborghini 350GT

This was a really rare find at the show. Lamborghini 350GTs are extremely rare cars nowadays, so finding one out in the wild at an outdoor car show in rural Maine is an uncommon occurrence, to say the least! This car received a frame-off restoration to return it to showroom condition. Only 120 of these cars were built between 1964 and 1966, so this is an example of a once-in-a-lifetime sighting!

Above: A Blue 1969 Plymouth Valiant 200 Survivor and a White 1966 Valiant Sedan

Here we have two of the three Valiants that were at the show, all of which were four doors! You know that it makes me excited to see these old sedans getting some appreciation and care after years of being regarded as "parts cars." The blue valiant was a little bit rough around the edges, but the owner appeared to be in the midst of redoing the interior. I can't say I agreed with the lighter blue he chose for the repaint, but it might look better once all the door panels and dash are one color. The white Valiant was very mint, and its red interior had fared pretty well. The hood was down, but I assume it had the leaning tower of power, just like the blue '69.

1951 Plymouth Cambridge

Another cool sedan was this '51 Plymouth Cambridge, parked next to the '66 Valiant. This car was in exceptional shape for its age. I think it's been restored, or at least received a repaint. Second to 60s iron, I've always liked this era of cars. In fact, I might have mentioned this before, but the first car that really got the idea of owning a classic stuck in my head was a 1950 Plymouth Deluxe sedan. But more on that at a later time on my Impala blog.

Above: 1987 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible w/ 5MT

Sam: This is another car local to Thomaston. This very clean Saab 900 was on display at the show, and I actually saw it parked at a house near us later during the trip. Who can miss that yellow? During my third and final trip to Maine for 2022, I spotted it again out on the road.

David: This is a gorgeous Saab. It's painted in Monte Carlo Yellow, which is a pretty uncommon color for these cars.

1966 Dodge Charger

Here we have a nicely-preserved Dodge Charger. If that's not a repaint, the original black is in fabulous shape. I believe the interior was original, though, which leads me to believe this car is unrestored. That or they could have reused the original interior during the restoration.

1968 Ford Falcon w/ 200 CI Straight Six Engine

Another young owner with a rolling restoration-style project like my '65 Impala. The owner of this car had driven all the way up from Massachusetts on I-95. I was surprised when he told me the car did fine on the highway, despite it only being equipped with the 200 inline six. I think its ability to keep up was due to the C4 four-speed auto coupled too it, which was able to hold its own at highway speeds unlike the Ford-O-Matic that preceded it. This car is a real stripper, as most Falcons were: manual steering, manual brakes, the only real options were the chrome door edge guards and an AM radio. Nevertheless, this is still a cool car in my eyes because you just don't see these anymore. Everyone was saving the V8 Mustangs and Camaros and other fast cars that they forgot about these. It's cool to see another guy like me who's taking care of a weathered classic.

1988 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat

This truck was on display at the show, and I have to say it's the cleanest OBS Ford I've ever seen. everything on it, including the interior and engine bay looked brand new. This is a very rare example of a very common vehicle.

Above: 1949 Dodge Pilothouse Stakebed Truck

Here we have a 1949 Dodge Pilothouse truck. The Pilothouse name refers to the two extra side windows on the back of the cab. This truck had had some recent work done to it, as it was sporting a new bed and fairly fresh paint job. You can tell from the cowl and inside of the hood that it was red at on point in its life. Somewhere along the line, it was also converted to power brakes. You can see the modern brake booster and clutch reservoir in the back of the engine bay. I don't think this was a complete swap, as there was still a straight six in the truck.

1996 Chevy Caprice Classic Sedan

Again, I had to acknowledge my Impala lineage by photographing this sedan. The sign on the windshield said it was a driver project. I hope the owner has lots of fun cruising and bringing this car back to its former glory (although it's still in good shape to being with).

1954 Buick Special

This '54 Buick Special was another neat find at the show. I don't think the paint is a factory color, but it still looks nice on the car. You can't beat the smoothie-styled wheels, either. This car has an aftermarket 60s AC unit, which is also pretty cool. I don't know what's under the hood, but it made a nice sound when the owner took off at the end of the show.

Above: Left to Right: WWII Legends: P-40 Warhawk and a P-51D Mustang

You can also see a Fokker DR-1 Triplane to the right of the Mustang, which is part of the museum's collection. The other two planes were visiting for the show.

Cars of Yesteryear and Modern Day

Front to Back: 1914 Ford Model T, 1920s Model T, and a VW Jetta Mk. II

Quite the contrast here! First, we have a couple real old-timers: pre and post-war Ts. Then, there's the 80s Jetta next to them. You've got to love the variety like this that you find at car shows. The early T had a restoration sometime in the past and was still wearing it well, while the 20s T was completely original, right down to the cracked and alligatoring lacquer paint. I'm sure Henry Ford would be proud to see these cars still around a hundred years after they were made. The Jetta was in nice shape, too, and it was also an unrestored original car.

1955 Ford T-Bird

Here we have a nice, clean example of a 1st-gen T-Bird. This car also hails from Massachusetts, as per the license plate. These are really sweet cars, in my opinion, and I'd love to own one myself one day. I'm already eyeing the two at Firth's.

Above: Close Up Shots: Saab 900 Turbo Convertible and a 1984 Jeep J-10 Truck

Here we have a couple closeup shots to change things up. This was towards the end of the show, so people were starting to pack up and go home. Both the Saab and Jeep were in great shape.

1967 Chevy Camaro next to a 1994 Chevy Corvette C4

Here we have a restomod Camaro alongside a C4 'Vette. The Corvette was for sale for $13,700. I don't know prices for these cars too well, but that seemed a bit high to me. I believe the Camaro had been LS-swapped. And with that, we end the first day of the show.

Wheels and Wings Day 2

Day 2 at Wheels and Wings

From Left to Right: Mazda RX-7 FC (Black), 1970 Plymouth Satellite (Green), 1969 Valiant (Blue), 1960s GMC Suburban (Black), and Rover 3500S V8 (Red)

Here's a row shot of the next day's cars. Mostly new faces, but the '69 Valiant made an appearance again.

Above and Left: 1964 Shelby AC Cobra 427

Wouldn't you know it? Another Cobra makes an appearance at a Wheels and Wings show. This is a different car from the one I spotted last year, but it's equally as nice. With 427 cubic inches of power at its disposal, this thing is ready to rock!

Above: Two Chevy Icons: 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 and a 1961 Chevy Corvette C1

Here we have two more classic GM cars. This Chevelle sports a factory 396 big block, along with power steering and power brakes. Even rarer is the C1 Corvette. These cars are hard to find in any condition, but this one (according to the window tag) is mostly original, having only received one repaint over the course of its life.

Mercedes Benz 500SL (R107) Convertible

Here we have an 80s 500SL convertible. These are cars you still see on the road occasionally, and we've photographed plenty of them throughout this blog. Still, it's nice to see another one out on the road getting enjoyed like it was meant to.

1985 Jeep CJ-7

Here we have an '85 Jeep CJ-7 next to a rat rod pickup. Though it's relatively young compared to most of the cars here, this one was well-preserved.

Chrysler Lebaron Sedan

Is it really a car show if there's a K-car? David and I would both have to say yes. These cars are old enough now to qualify as classics, although this one may be cutting it close. Plus, if it weren't for the K-platform, Chrysler as we know it today might not exist.

1946 Ford Deluxe Coupe w/ Flathead V8

Further down the row was this '46 Ford Deluxe with its original (or a period replacement) flathead V8 engine. This was looked to be a period mild hotrod, with chrome studs on the heads and a mini chrome air cleaner on top of the carburetor. Also take note of the "hi-tech hood stick" that's being used to prop the hood open. I'm not joking, it actually said that on the stick. In a way, it modernizes the car, since most cars today use their own "hi-tech hood sticks" to hold the hood.

1961 Chevy Corvair Lakewood 700 Wagon

While nowhere as valuable as the Lamborghini from day one, this Corvair Lakewood wagon is almost as rare a sight today. Almost. The Lakewood wagon was manufactured from '61 to mid-year of '62, with the former year being the most popular (20,451 Lakewoods produced). So, it's technically nowhere as rare as a Lambo 350GT, but you still hardly ever see these cars anymore. This example was in amazing condition, with nice paint and a good interior. Behind it, you can see the original owner '67 Camaro that was at last year's show. I didn't document the cars from last year's show as much since they were more or less the way I found them a year ago.

Above: 1973 Chrysler New Yorker Sedan

And last, but certainly not least, we have this beast. Man, is this car big! being a '73 model, it sits right in the shadow of the longest production car (a '73 Imperial, no less). Dropping down a level from the Imperial lost you 4.5 inches in length, but at 230.8 inches, this barge is still large and in charge. I wonder if they were trying to fit all of New York City in the car when they made it, hence the name. Just kidding! All joking aside, this was a great example of a survivor car. It had a bit of bubbling in the rear quarters as well as under the back edge of the vinyl top, but the interior and paint were in great shape. All in all, it's weathered the last 49 years well.

Above: Close Up Shots of the New Yorker

Some shots of the lettering and hood ornament on the New Yorker. Since this was the last car I photographed at the show, I decided to take some artsy shots.

And with that, we come to the end of the 2022 Wheels and Wings show! Stay tuned for more car madness when I go junkyard hunting (again!) for Impala parts.

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