Those of us living in the Sunshine State get to enjoy our cars year-round. Unlike snowbound enthusiasts in Minnesota, Floridians never have to garage rides for the winter. Better yet, we usually have a choice of multiple car shows every weekend. One of the biggest and best of those choices is Florida's second largest show of the year, (following the legendary Turkey Run), the Daytona Spring event held every March. While it is not a Ford-specific event, there is always an amazing collection of Blue Oval favorites to enjoy. Mustangs typically dominate the choices with restored originals, restomods, Pro Streets, KR's and Shelby GT's on display in the infield. An equally large number were in the Car Corral, with many owners looking to trade.
 The Sunshine State Cougar...  The Sunshine State Cougar Club brought out dozens of examples of their favorite ride with original and custom versions in the line up. |  From Ormond Beach, Florida,...  From Ormond Beach, Florida, Bill Dean displayed his '69 Mach 1 with a long list of modifications, not the least of which was the 351 Windsor bored out to 408. The 17-inch Coy wheels do a great job of filling the wheel wells. |  Lots of interesting cars were...  Lots of interesting cars were for sale in the Car Corral like this '65 K-Code with only 55,000 miles. The asking price was $27,900. |
While Mustangs may be popular, the real key to this show is the variety. Ford pickup trucks ranged from rat rods to land speed record holders with everything in between. From F-100s to Rancheros, every color and style of Ford utility vehicles was on display. There was an equally fascinating gathering of camouflaged Fords ranging from '86 Thunderbirds masquerading as 1950 Ford Shoe boxes to a '65 Mustang convertible using late-model Miata underpinnings. An old favorite, there was a sizable number of kit Cobras were on hand as well. If you're into exotics, you could even see pristine examples of DeTomaso Mangustas and Panteras in the infield. However, if something from the Fifties was more to your liking, radical Mercury lead sleds and conservatively customized early Fords brought back memories for those of us drawing on Social Security.
 Featured at the Vicari Motorsports...  Featured at the Vicari Motorsports Auction, this '70 Mustang Mach 1 restomod was equipped with a 351 a Windsor and five-speed transmission. It was loaded with options and rolled on 17" & 18" Cobra wheels. |  Pristine examples of performance...  Pristine examples of performance cars from the sixties were on hand, like this Shelby GT 350. |  We couldn't find the owner...  We couldn't find the owner but based on the roll cage inside and the rear tires with separate ZIP codes, this Pro Street Mustang must really move. |
In addition to the thousand vehicles on display in show field, the almost nine hundred vehicles in the Car Corral, and the vehicles in the Vicari Motorsports Auction, the Daytona Spring show is also famous for its huge collection of vendors-this year more than eight hundred-selling thousands of new and used parts needed for that restoration project back home. Once you found what you needed, parts-hauling golf carts made it easy to transport your treasures to the parking lot. Many of the vendors and manufacturers at the event used Mustangs to showcase their products, recognizing the popularity of the cars. The final good-time essential for spectators was the endless variety of food available, ensuring your tank never ran on empty.
If a full weekend of enjoying a beautiful collection of Ford vehicles is your goal, put both Daytona events on your calendar now. For more information, check out the web site www.daytonabeachcarshows.com.
 Blue and white fastback. No...  Blue and white fastback. No data. |  Mike Liddell displayed his...  Mike Liddell displayed his clean '72 Mustang equipped with a 302 and automatic. The low mileage car was priced at $11,500. |  This clean '73 Mustang Mach...  This clean '73 Mustang Mach 1 was equipped with a 351 Cleveland and automatic, selling for $15,900. |