All-original 1961 Corvette bridges the gap between the early years and the Stingray style

For many years, Jim Hover (the author's dad) refused to take his '61 Corvette to a car show. “I hated having people tell me I should restore it,” he grouses. “This car will never be restored as long as I'm alive.”

Jim has managed to keep his Corvette original for 32 years now. That's how long ago he bought it from an Omaha, Nebr., used car lot for the princely sum of $4,500. And today, the gleaming white beauty sits in pretty much the same condition as it was purchased. Far from perfect, but with a charm and history that's hard to duplicate at any cost.

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Get behind the wheel and enjoy a car show, cruise, or race in Kansas City. July 30, 31, August 1

Sometimes, you just need to get out of the house and enjoy a little car culture. And that’s where we’ve got you covered. There are several family-friendly car shows, car cruises, and car races all over the Kansas City area this weekend. So get out there and go someplace! You’ll be glad you did.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL WEEKEND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Build up your car memorabilia collection at an antique mall. We visit the Brass Armadillo

Even though we cover quite a few automotive events here, there are days that a car show, cruise, race, or swap meet just might not be scheduled. Great--then what are we supposed to do? Well, take a deep breath, we'll get through this together.

One way to spend a rainy day is to hit the local antique mall. Automotive memorabilia is pretty common within the rows of vendor spaces at most of these stores, and if you keep a sharp eye out, sometimes you can find some real treasures.

To illustrate that point, we went to one of the biggest antique malls in the Kansas City area, the Brass Armadillo in Grain Valley, Mo. The Iowa-based Brass Armadillo is actually an antique mall chain, with five locations throughout the country. The Kansas City store is a monster, with more than 42,000 square-feet and 500 dealers.

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Vintage Thunderbirds of Kansas City flock to Thoroughbred Ford for high-flying T-Bird display

People generally tend to visit Thoroughbred Ford in northern Kansas City to look at current model cars and trucks. But last Saturday, the attraction was a car that Ford doesn't even produce anymore--the iconic Thunderbird. The Vintage Thunderbirds of Kansas City (VTKC) club was on hand with a nice little display of examples from various points in the car's history. And while a '56 T-Bird has little in common with a '96, they still enjoy getting together and enjoying the legacy of one of Ford's most recognizable nameplates.

The Thunderbird first appeared in 1954 as a ’55 model as Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s Corvette. But aside from having two seats, the T-Bird was quite a bit different from its cross-town rival.

Unlike the Corvette, the T-Bird didn’t try to be a purebred sports car. It was more of a personal luxury vehicle. It had the heavy, chrome-drenched feel of the full-sized ’55 Ford, and in fact shared many of the same components.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE A PHOTO SLIDESHOW FROM THE SHOW HERE

Joplin, Mo., driver McMurray puts Ganassi Chevy in Brickyard victory lane. ORP and local results

Sometimes, nice guys can finish first. It happened Sunday at the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That's where Joplin, Mo., driver Jamie McMurray took the checkered flag in one of NASCAR's biggest events of the year driving a Chevrolet Impala out of the Chip Ganassi racing shops. He also helped make some serious racing history for himself and his car owner.

For McMurray, he became only the third driver in the History of NASCAR to win what are arguably the two biggest events in the same year--the Brickyard and the season-opening Daytona 500. For Ganassi, his teams were the first to win the Brickyard, the Daytona 500, and the coveted Indianapolis 500 with Dario Franchitti all in the same year. Pretty heady stuff for a former Kansas City-area Modified driver.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE AND SEE THE PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Touch of "Glass" Corvette Show at Hooters was the place to go for heat, horsepower, & chicken wings

The Touch of "Glass" Corvette Club of Kansas City was out in force over the weekend for their annual visit to Hooters in the Legends area and a big show and shine. Corvettes lined up all round the building, making an impressive display of fiberglass and forward-hinged hoods for those that passed by.

This show was heavy on the late-model Corvettes. But that probably was somewhat due to environmental conditions. With temperatures reaching the century mark, and no relief in sight, driving something with modern air conditioning seemed like a pretty good idea. In fact, there were no first-generation Corvettes on display whatsoever, and they were the only era where air conditioning was not available from the factory.

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Trucks, Thunderbirds, and tradition. Kansas City car shows and races for July 23, 24, 25

Another weekend, another great calendar of car events around Kansas City. What kind of sports car do you like? Thunderbirds will be at Thoroughbred Ford. Corvettes will be at the City Market. The Show 'n Shine at the Agricultural Hall of Fame is always a fun time in a neat setting. And in addition to a full schedule of local racing events, NASCAR gears up for one of their biggest events of the year with the Brickyard 400 at Indy. It's a great time to be a car lover!

SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS BY CLICKING HERE

Independence 76 Firefest had a great car show, fun for the kids, and impressive vintage fire trucks

Sometimes when we see cars and trucks parked neatly in rows at a car show, the only assessment we can make is on how they look. Without driving them or seeing them in action, it's hard to appreciate just what these vehicles can do.

This point became obvious this weekend during the Firefest event, sponsored by the Independence 76 Fire Company, in the parking lot of the Independence Event Center. This was a free event with a car show, raffles, fire hoses spraying water for the kids, muster games, and several vintage fire trucks.

SEE THE FULL STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

2010 Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National Convention was in Kansas City. Part 1: 1960 and older

In 1902, Henry Leland founded was has become the most successful luxury car brand in American history--Cadillac. While fine cars from Packard, Duesenberg, Pierce Arrow, Auburn, Imperial, and others have come and gone, General Motors' flagship continues to produce world-class cars to this day.

This weekend, the 2010 Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National event, hosted by the Cadillac Club of Kansas City, was held in Overland Park, Kan., and some of the finest examples of this storied nameplate gathered at the Doubletree Hotel for an extraordinarily impressive display.

Because there were too many beautiful cars to do justice in just one slideshow, we're splitting this article into two parts to give you as many pictures as we can.

For this part, we'll look at Cadillacs built before 1961. This break-off point was chosen because 1960 was basically the last year of the excessive, chrome-drenched models stereotypical of early Cadillacs. By '61, there was much less chrome, the famous fins shrunk quickly, then disappeared, and public tastes became more restrained.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY AND A FULL PHOTO SLIDESHOW

2010 Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National Convention was in Kansas City. Part 2: 1961 and newer

This weekend, the 2010 Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National event, hosted by the Cadillac Club of Kansas City, was held in Overland Park, Kan. The Doubletree Hotel near Corporate Woods was loaded with some of the finest examples of GM's flagship brand in the country.

In the first part of this story, we studied the opulent Cadillacs from the first 60 years of the company's existence. In this segment, we'll look at the more restrained cars from 1961 and on-up-through the 1980s.

We chose 1961 because this was a transitional year for Cadillac styling. Harley Earl, Cadillac's legendary design chief, retired in 1958. His successor, Bill Mitchell, was a big fan of clean lines and simple elegance. Of course, the 1959 Cadillac was among the most gloriously garish vehicles ever conceived, but Mitchell's influence started to show with the slightly less overwrought '60 model, and was even further realized with the completely redesigned '61.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY AND A FULL PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Edwards punts Keselowski for Gateway Nationwide win. Harvick takes NASCAR trucks. I-35 winners too

Was it justified? Whenever a driver decides to bump another driver out of the way in a car race, that driver usually feels like it was the right thing to do. So in his mind, it was justified. Of course, one driver's feelings aren't the only factor at work. Was it justifiable to the other driver? Will the fans think it was justified? Will the sanctioning body and rules makers think it was justified? Was the collateral damage worth taking that action?

There are a lot of opinions surrounding the finish of the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway. Opinions that may linger for years after that infamous final lap was completed.

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Platte City Friends of the Arts Summer Concert Series featured a Righteous Rides downtown car show

Sometimes, a nice, easy, small town car cruise is a great way to relax. The Platte City Friends of the Arts had the July installment of their Summer Concert Series last Saturday night, and the Righteous Rides Car Club brought out a select group of members and friends to attract a few gear heads to the free performance.

Local performer Matt Snook performed some easy-going country favorites under the Platte City Courthouse steps, while the Platte County Historical Society provided free ice cream to the hot crowd.

READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

NASCAR, car shows, cruises, and Cadillacs. Kansas City automotive calendar for July 16, 17, & 18

As the summer gets hotter, the car events also begin to heat up in Kansas City. Sure, there are the usual cruise nights, car shows, and car races around town this weekend, but there are also a couple of nationally recognized events worth noting. First of all, the Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National will take place in Overland Park, and this is a good opportunity to see some of the most stylish cars ever built. Also, the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series’ will be at Gateway International Speedway near St. Louis this weekend, so it might be worth the road trip to see some top-level NASCAR action.

FOR THE FULL WEEKEND CALENDAR, CLICK HERE

Independence Bass Pro Shops Cruise Night was crowded with cool cars when the sun set on Saturday

Over the summer, we've reviewed car cruises around town that were very successful, and a few that probably could have used a little more publicity. But the monthly cruise night in the parking lot of the Independence, Mo., Bass Pro Shops was an out-and-out monster. There were so many cars, they almost couldn't find enough space for them all. Now if you're a promoter of a car cruise, that's a good problem to have.

Part of the reason for this event's success is that it is hosted by the Camaro Club of Kansas City. They get people to come to their events, because they have members that participate in everyone else's events. It's hard to go to any car gathering in town that you don't recognize someone from the Camaro club. These guys and gals are passionate about their cars, and they love to bring them out and talk to people about them.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY AND A PHOTO SLIDESHOW OF THE CARS

Chryslers and AMCs from all over the nation hit the 26th Annual HPAC Midwest MOPAR Family Reunion

For the 25 years, the High Performance Auto Club (HPAC) of Kansas City has been drawing in the nicest examples of MOPAR vehicles from all over the United States, and they did it again with the 26th Annual installment of this highly anticipated event.

The big car show had been scheduled to take place at the E.H. Young Riverfront Park in Riverside, Mo., as it had in year's past. But the heavy rains and high water level of the Missouri River forced a last-minute relocation across the street in the parking area at the swanky Briarcliff Village shopping area. The new diggs didn't seem to hurt the show, however, as there was plenty of secure space available for folks to bring out their prized Chrysler products.

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Vineyard Grand Classic Car Show at the Vineyard Church brought cool cars to God's parking lot

"Thou shall park here." Those were the words on the signs that directed spectator cars at the 2010 Vineyard Grand Classic Car Show at the Vineyard Church.

The turnout was well over 100 cars, and they was everything from nice originals to super high-end customs. Corvettes seemed to be the dominant model, but there was still a nice variety all over the parking lot.

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Reutimann and Busch win NASCAR in Chicago, Dillon in Iowa, Lakeside winners and I-35 double features

For fans of stock car racing, the Midwest was not only in the middle of the country, but it was also the middle of the racing action this past weekend. Cars were circling tracks in Chicago, Iowa, and of course, right here in Kansas City.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series were the headliners in the Windy City, and this is significant to us, because Chicagoland Speedway is very similar to the mile-and-a-half oval at Kansas Speedway, so this could be a preview of things to come.

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'60 in scale. Dealer promo model cars from 1960. Can't buy the real car? Try a promotional model.

1960. Charlton Heston won an Academy Award for Ben Hur. The Flintstones first appeared on TV. And Elvis Presley returns from Germany after a two-year stint in the Army.

In the automotive world, designs were starting to get a little cleaner, a little more understated than the last couple of years. They're still big, chrome-encrusted, and glamorous, but you can see the impetus of the subdued '60s starting to take hold. Think about a '60 Cadillac. It's still very big. It still has big fins and a heavy chrome grill. But compared to a '59 Cadillac, it's a pretty sterile design.

If you like the transitional style of 1960, but can't afford a huge warehouse full of cars, there's a way to collect the year's greatest hits in the palm of your hand.

Dealer promotional models were given out or sold at dealerships as sales tools. For adults, they represented a three-dimensional, tangible reminder of that station wagon that they might have been on the fence about. They illustrated colors, models, and body styles in a way that a brochure never could.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY AND SEE A SLIDESHOW OF SEVERAL RARE MODELS

Kansas City car shows, cruises, & races for July 9, 10, 11; National Collector Car Appreciation Day

This Friday, July 9, is National Collector Car Appreciation Day. This resolution was actually passed by the United States Senate. That means it’s our civic duty to attend a car show sometime this weekend. Our country depends on it!

And you’ll be proud to be an American when you see all the great car events around Kansas City. Whether you attend the big HPAC MOPAR meet, a local cruise night, or a car race at the local dirt track, there are plenty of fun automotive activities all over town. God bless the U.S.A.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL WEEKEND CALENDAR OF CAR EVENTS

Long live the King! Elvis braves the Cold Missouri Rain at the July Blue Springs Car Cruise

Missouri rain keeps pouring down, and up ahead's another town … that I'll go cruisin’ through, with the rain in my shoes, searchin’ for you, in the cold Missouri rain!

With wall clouds all around, and fireworks shows being cancelled all over town, you might not have expected a large-scale car cruise to be taking place in the Kansas City area. But that’s just what happened in historic downtown Blue Springs with the July installment of their monthly summer car cruise. As usual, there was another strong turnout, and even a surprise or two in store for the diehards that braved the ominous weather Saturday night.

Elvis was alive and well in Blue Springs, as a young impersonator belted out the King’s tunes throughout the night.

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ADRL Drag Races at Heartland Park Topeka were high-powered free fun for the whole family

Last weekend, we had the chance to take in the Hardee's Independence Day Drags IV for the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) at Heartland Park Topeka. We are sure to mention Hardee's specifically, because their sponsorship made it possible for everyone in the stands to get a free ticket to the event.

There really weren't that many spectators there for qualifying on Friday, but the ones that made it saw a great show. Watching the drag races at Heartland Park can be a positive experience even if you do have to buy a ticket, because your grandstand ticket generally gives you full access to the pit area as well.

Having never attended an ADRL event before, and armed with the olds adage, "you get what you pay for," the experience was a pleasant surprise.

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41st Annual Parkville Days Riverfest Fourth of July Parade brings the car show right to you

Normally, when this column covers a car show, we walk around and find the cars that we want to include in the pictures. But when it came to the 2010 Fourth of July Parade in Parkville, Mo., all we had to do was sit on the corner in front of the American Legion Hall, and all the cars just drove on by.

This parade was hosted by the Main Street Parkville Association, and was a part of the 41st Annual Parkville Days Riverfest activities in historic Downtown Parkville, Mo.

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Harvick survives Sprint Cup Daytona derby, Dale, Jr., takes #3 to victory lane, and Lakeside

The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway was less of a race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and more like a high stakes demolition derby.

Oh, it started on a slow note. After an hour-and-a-half rain delay, everyone seemed to be content driving in a very close, but fairly controlled freight train. But as the night wore on, the carnage grew.

READ THE FULL RECAP AND SEE A PHOTO SLIDESHOW HERE

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., takes the #3 Wrangler Chevrolet to an emotional victory at Daytona

Sometimes, real life really is like a movie script.

We have mentioned here before the significance of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driving the #3 Wrangler Jeans Chevrolet this weekend at the Nationwide Series event at Daytona. That was his dad's number. That was his dad's paint scheme. Daytona was the track at which The Intimidator lost his life. This was an historic event.

And this was an historic finish. Dale, Jr., hadn't won a Nationwide Series event in four years. Until tonight. But as if it were written in Hollywood, the most popular driver currently in NASCAR, son of the most respected driver in NASCAR history, put the vaunted #3 in Daytona's victory circle.

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Get your Fourth of July weekend off to a bang with car shows, races, and fireworks in Kansas City.

Gear up for your long holiday weekend with some high-octane car events around the Kansas City area. While many communities are giving up their fireworks displays, racetracks like Lakeside Speedway are keeping the tradition alive with professional fireworks shows of their own after the races. Or take in a car show or cruise. Whatever your automotive preferences, there’s bound to be something for you in Kansas City this Fourth of July weekend.

There will also be several parades around the area, and you’ll often be surprised at the cool cars and car clubs that find their way into those slow processions down Main Street U.S.A.

SEE THE FULL WEEKEND SCHEDULE HERE