Smithfield Classic Auto Sales Show

7/20/23

Sam: Having finally fixed my Impala to the point where it was reliable(ish) to drive, I decided it was time for it to make its grand debut in a car show. But which show should I take it to? Being later in the Summer, most local car clubs had already held their large shows, leaving a somewhat sparse schedule. The remaining big shows for the season were either further away than I wanted to take the car (no highway driving until the back window gets fixed) or got rained out at the last minute. Fortunately, I was able to find a small show at a local classic car dealership, Smithfield Classic Auto Sales. If you'd like to see some of the cool rigs up for sale, you can check out their site here. The show went well, other than my poor timing/carb adjustment that resulted in the car stalling when I tried to put it in reverse. That's why it's facing the opposite direction of the rest of the cars in the show. I didn't get a ton of photos of the show, mostly because I spent the time talking to the other attendees. I learned the owner of the Ford next to me was slowly restoring the truck from the shell he received it as, and I have to say he's done an amazing job so far. Well, enough chitchat. Let's get to the cars, already!

The Impala Attends its First Show

Here's a shot looking down the row of classics, with my Impala in the foreground, breaking the parking trend. This wasn't a very large show, with roughly the same number of cars on the opposite side of the parking lot. However, there were a few classics out back that were awaiting some work before being put up for sale.

1978 Chrysler LeBaron

Someone obviously doesn't like this car, from the cardboard sign they left on it. Or maybe they see it as a term of endearment, since they decided to include a smiley face. This car had some rust in the quarters, but aside from that, the side-firing exhaust, and the white letter radials, it appeared to be in original condition.

1960 Ford Thunderbird

Next to the LeBaron was this '60 Thunderbird. This car was in a bit better shape, with the only visible cosmetic issues being the mis-matched tires and dirty wheels. The sticker on the windshield revealed the car had been off the road for a significant time, I think ten or fifteen years. It's time this old bird returned to the road once more.

1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet Convertible

This sleek Valiant convertible was another one of the "backyard" dealership finds. This one also looked to be in good shape, but the paint job was bubbling up around the rear quarters. If you took care of that, you'd have a great little cruiser. This car had a more recent inspection sticker than the T-bird.

Ford Mustang II

For some reason, most of these cars photographed better than they actually were. This Mustang II had some paint loss on the roof that had been touched up, but I've expertly angled the camera so you can't see it. Regardless, the car is still in nice shape. While these aren't my favorite rigs, it's cool to see one still around, and I can appreciate it for its historical (in)significance.

1971 Buick GS Convertible

This was actually a late arrival to the show, not another dealership car. The owner had just purchased it and put it back on the road after some years of sitting idle. This was one sweet ride, and I was glad to see it before I left the show.

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