Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Church car show draws large crowd
BELLA VISTA — Highlands Church held its fourth annual car show for charity Sept. 19 with many people in attendance.
Event co-chairman Ted Lasher estimated around 11 a.m. that there were about 120 to 130 vehicles on display. At the first year’s event there were 40, then 70 the second year and 150 at the third event.
The event raises funds through donations for three charities at Gravette Schools. Lasher anticipated this year’s total would be $12,000 or $13,000.
“We get pretty exceptional money for the three charities, and people get to come out to a free show,” he said. “People just come out and enjoy each other and their cars, and hopefully throw a few dollars in the jars.”
Bobi Merritt of Bella Vista, a recent transplant from Utah, was showing her 1968 Mustang that she has owned for 45 years. She bought it when she was 15 for $500, she said. Her mother was a used car dealer in Utah, and she worked for her mother. A man traded in the Mustang at the dealership, and she bought it and has had it ever since.
Mike Klimek of Bella Vista brought his 1966 Pontiac Catalina convertible to the show. He has had it for 22 years and bought it when he lived in Chicago. He purchased the car restored but has added new wheels and carpeting since then, he said.
“It’s a good cruiser, and on a day like today it’s nice,” he said.
He said his father worked for Pontiac and he has always been a fan of Pontiacs.
He has been to the show before twice.
“I like this show. It’s nice. It has trees. You’re not stuck out in the lot all the time,” he said.
Bob White of Bentonville was beside his 1933 Pontiac, which he said was found in a field by a man from Russellville who totally gutted it and rebuilt it. The four-door sedan has a new crate 350 Chevrolet engine, 700R overdrive transmission, power steering and brakes, CB radio, AM/ FM radio and CD player, leather interior and GPS.
Bob Munro of Bentonville displayed his 1915 C-Cab police paddy wagon, which he built from the ground up. He took original drawings from the original paddy wagon and built it. He has done professional mechanical design engineering, and building cars is his hobby. He worked on it for seven years and has been driving it for 15, he said. It has a V8 engine.
His hobby has earned him several trophies, but his favorite one was the mayor’s trophy at a show in Johnson, which the mayor awarded him because he allowed all the children at the event to climb into the vehicle and take pictures, he said.
Paul Harrill of Rogers brought a 1936 Plymouth to the show.
“I call it my Franken-Plymouth,” he said. It has a 1991 Corvette engine, a Ford front end, a Chevy engine, a Chevy transmission and a Ford rear end, he said. It is House of Color Cobalt Blue and has a Carson removable top.
“I just enjoy driving it,” he said. Bob Johnson of Gravette won a T-shirt for his 1977 Bronco. Although there were no trophies awarded at the show, organizers asked Gravette students to choose vehicles for certain categories such as the car they would most enjoy going cruising in. Johnson’s Bronco was chosen for “most likely to be taken off-road.”
Johnson has owned the Bronco for 32 years. It has multiple upgrades including suspension, motor, EFI, air conditioning, power steering, and a V8 automatic, he said.
“We get pretty exceptional money for the three charities, and people get to come out to a free show. People just come out and enjoy each other and their cars, and hopefully throw a few dollars in the jars.”
— Ted Lasher, Highlands Church Car Show event co-chairman