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2011 Silver Springs Mustang & Ford Roundup - Hope Springs EternalMother Nature cooperated for the 17th annual Ford & Mustang Roundup From the June, 2011 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Mark Houlahan Photography by Steve Baur
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There’s always an abundance... There’s always an abundance of variety at the Silver Springs Roundup. From concours to modified, from street driven to trailered drag racer, and from classic to the latest model, you’ll see it here. One style that we always see at least one of is an Eleanor (or a version of said car), and in this instance it was Steve Richmond’s ’67 fastback take on the popular theme. One of the most anticipated arrivals of each New Year has been the annual Ford & Mustang Roundup in Silver Springs, Florida. The show, historically placed in the first few weeks of January of each year, is home to nearly 1,000 show cars of all years and models. Many show goers look to the Silver Springs show, held at the famous Silver Springs park, as the launch party for the annual car show season. It certainly doesn’t hurt the fact that National Parts Depot has generously stepped in for over a decade now to cover the cost of the first 1,000 car entries, which includes two tickets for the park and all of its attractions as well. The annual show draws attendees from throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as international visitors every year. Included in the weekend event is a Friday car cruise that begins at NPD’s Ocala, Florida, location (this year 134 cars participated), a midway with key suppliers to NPD’s catalogs, product demonstrations, awards, and more. You’ll find Mustangs of all... You’ll find Mustangs of all sizes at the Silver Springs show. Every year we spot something different. From radio controlled Mustangs made up to match their owner’s fullsize cars to Mustang go-carts. This year we spotted this slick-looking Texaco gas station display replete with classic Mustangs, service parts, and a wall full of license plates! The one downside of having a car show event so early in the year, even here in Florida, is that you can sometimes get saddled with some not-so-car-show-friendly weather, including low temperatures, high winds, and rain. This certainly has been the case the last several years for the Silver Springs Ford & Mustang show, even to the point that there was a discussion amongst organizers about moving the show into February after last year’s show saw 20-degree weather and light snow! The January time slot ended up being the only workable solution for the event, as Silver Springs plays host to numerous music concerts throughout the year. No matter if the car came... No matter if the car came from the next town over or from the next state over, every once in a while we spot some car trouble on the show grounds. We've seen NPD come to the rescue with emergency parts, too, in the past (NPD doesn't sell parts at the show, but its showroom is only 20 minutes away). This year, we spotted a few overheating cars, but this poor fellow had to pick up a carburetor rebuild kit to fix his leaking accelerator pump. So once again the Ford & Mustang Roundup was held in January. Matter of fact, the event was moved up to the first weekend in January this time. But Mother Nature gave us all a break and this year’s event opened on a perfect weekend with sunny weather, no rain, and hundreds of Fords and Mustangs to drool over. Once again we were proud to be a part of the event, not just by covering the show with the photos you see here, but by sponsoring awards and bringing project cars out for show goers to see in person what they see on these very pages. So check out the event coverage that follows, and be sure to mark your calendar for January 7-8, 2012, when NPD will once again host the Silver Springs Ford & Mustang Roundup. We’ll be there, and we hope you will too, no matter what Mother Nature has in store for us. NPD 17th annual Ford & Mustang Roundup Car Show Winners
| Balloted Awards | Name and Model |
| '64-'66 Mustang | Dana Bowers, '66 Mustang fastback |
| '67-'68 Mustang | Craig and Fran Mitchell, '68 Mustang GT fastback |
| '69-'70 Mustang | Gary Schmidt, '69 Mustang Mach I |
| '71-'73 Mustang | Tim Hermanson, '73 Mustang Mach I |
| '74-'86 Mustang | Ed Gribble, '83 Mustang |
| '87-'93 Mustang | Dennis Gonzalez, '89 Mustang |
| '94-'98 Mustang | Brian Erickson, '97 Mustang Cobra Shinoda |
| '99-'04 Mustang | Susan and Jose Rodriguez, '04 Mustang GT |
| '05-up Mustang | Bob and Sandy McIntyre, '07 Mustang GT/CS |
| Pantera | Bill Zinssar, '72 Pantera |
| '65-'70 Shelby | Stephen Horvath, '67 Shelby GT500 |
| '06-up Shelby | John Knighton, '11 Shelby GT350 Anniversary Edition |
| Saleen | Rudy and Betsy Beyer, '07 S281 |
| Falcon/Comet | Charles Winters, '65 Mercury Comet Cyclone |
| Exotic | John Leonard, '66 GT-40 |
| Cobra Replica | Peter Leonard, '65 Cobra coupe |
| '48-Earlier Ford | Eddie Wheeler, '30 Model A Roadster |
| '49-Later Ford | Steve Clary, '59 Skyliner |
| Street Rod | Wayne and Judy Newkirk, '35 Tudor sedan |
| Truck '48-'79 | Jack Griner, '56 F100 |
| Truck '80-Present | Jason Abrams, '01 Lightning |
| T-bird '55-'57 | Eric Clippinger, '55 T-bird |
| T-bird '58-Present | Mike Evers, '62 T-bird Roadster |
| Cougar | Jim Broady, '69 Cougar XR7 |
| Maverick/Comet | Glenn Townsend, '72 Maverick |
| Roush | John and Martha Ehrle, '10 427R Convertible |
| Best Mustang | Dave Pollard, '65 Mustang |
| Best Ford | Jimmy Polk, '67 Fairlane GT |
| Best of Show | Rick Barkley, '65 Mustang K Code convertible |
Vendor Awards
| Eaton Detroit Spring | |
| Just Because Gift Certificate for a set of leaf springs | Virgil McKee, '63 Ford Falcon Futura |
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| Heacock Classic Insurance | Best Preservation Award |
| Ford | Steve Clary, '59 Skyliner |
| Mustang | Roger Parks, '70 Boss 302 |
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| TMI Interiors | |
| Best Classic '65-'73 Mustang Interior | David Garton, '68 fastback 428 CJ |
| Best Fox '79-'93 Mustang Interior | Nick Kirby, '93 Cobra |
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| Classic Instruments | |
| Best Modified Award | Wayne and Judy Newkirk, '35 Tudor sedan |
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| Marti Auto Works | |
| $50 gift certificate | Aaron Levin, '68 Mustang fastback; Bill Dismuke, '67 Fairlane |
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| Classic Auto Air | |
| Complete Fox Mustang A/C system | Ryan Kelly, '93 Mustang LX |
NPD Choice Awards
| Best Mustang | Devon Moore, '70 convertible 428 CJ R code |
| Best Ford | Betty Uptagraft, '65 Falcon |
 Of course, Silver Springs...  Of course, Silver Springs isn't just about Mustangs, as this row of Fairlanes, Galaxies, and Torinos suggest. With 930 cars in attendance this year, you'll not only see hundreds of Mustangs, but plenty of Ford power from just about every decade Ford has been in business.  The Falcon guys always have...  The Falcon guys always have a great turnout of cars at the Silver Springs show (as do the Maverick and Cougar faithful). Virgil McKee's '63 Falcon Futura convertible was but one of several Falcons that caught our eye at the show. Virgil's drop-top features a 347 stroker with EFI, backed by an AOD transmission and a 9-inch rear, and it made the trek down from Lenoir City, Tennessee.  Due to the volume of cars...  Due to the volume of cars entering the show, the NPD staff parked them in the main area on a first come/first parked mentality. This mixes up the Mustangs, which we feel is a great way to experience all the Mustangs Ford made. For the smaller car count groups, NPD has set up specific parking areas over the years. Groups like the Thunderbirds, Mavericks, Cobras, trucks, and others are directed to their specific parking areas.  Editor Baur thought enough...  Editor Baur thought enough of Guy Willis' '68 Mustang coupe that he bestowed his Editor's Choice award to Guy's efforts. The '68 features a Dart-block-based 351 Windsor stroked to 427 ci, and backed by a built C4. The 9-inch out back runs 4.11 gears, and along with the long-tube headers and 3-inch exhaust, you know this car was built for the track. Guy had it dyno tuned and it made 632 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, which is ably handled by the Mickey Thompson ET Streets out back.  Speaking of trucks, you'll...  Speaking of trucks, you'll find something to like in the truck section, we guarantee it! For us, it just happened to be Bill Erskine's '55 F-100 this year. The black-over-silver scheme is a classic in our books, and the dual-quad equipped FE under the hood means this truck can move too!  A show is a great place to...  A show is a great place to get build ideas, see paint colors/paint schemes, wheels, and more on finished cars. Then you take them back and apply them to your work in progress (we know, we've done it!). Always wondered what it would look like to have your Le Mans style stripes in the engine compartment to match? Well, if you were at Silver Springs this year, you could have seen them on this '65 Mustang convertible of Boyce and Yvonne Sharon. Of course, it helps that they own their own body shop in Plaquemine, Louisiana.  One look at Brian Cole's '65...  One look at Brian Cole's '65 fastback and you know restomod is alive and well.  The fastback features classic...  The fastback features classic touches like a Shelby front valance and hood up front, and Shelby taillights out back, but they are mixed with some updated rolling stock and a detailed, chrome-laden small-block wearing Edelbrock induction.  If you're a history buff,...  If you're a history buff, especially motorsports history, you'll certainly find something of interest at Silver Springs, too. Each year, we spot a historical race car and enjoy talking to the owner to learn more. From early NASCAR to the Total Performance and Ford Drag Team era, there are always historical vehicles with knowledgeable owners willing to share their car's history.  We brought out our Generation...  We brought out our Generation Gap project for everyone to see the latest work. While we didn't make our deadline for color, as it sits here, the fastback was in DP-50 epoxy primer with all bodywork completed and the car blocked and just about ready for paint. At next year's show, we not only plan to have the car completed, but drive it to the show!  As in years past, NPD invited...  As in years past, NPD invited some of its key product suppliers to the event, including TMI Products, Classic Auto Air, Classic Instruments, Stainless Steel Brakes, and Eaton Detroit Spring, to display their latest products, hand out promotional materials, and answer tech questions. We took this photo before the show opened, which was about the only break these guys got all weekend.  Each year, NPD celebrates...  Each year, NPD celebrates a special model or a model's anniversary on the main concert stage of the show grounds. Oftentimes, a request will go out for specific cars (in the past there have been Saleens, Ford GTs, and more on display). This year, NPD didn't have to go any further than its own collection for the grouping of '56 Lincoln Mark IIs, arguably one of the most expensive cars on the road at the time (Ford lost money on each one sold). They are truly a classic.  Where else but Silver Springs...  Where else but Silver Springs Ford & Mustang Roundup would you see a Pro-Street-style Mustang fastback parked right next to a concours quality Baby Bird? We thought so! You've got to come check out this show, as you never know what's going to show up.  How's this for an interesting...  How's this for an interesting find? A real Hertz Shelby GT350, originally an automatic, it's been converted to a four-speed. It's being displayed by Classic Creations of Central Florida (www.classiccreationsfl.com) for a customer's estate, and it's for sale! Come on Florida Lottery!  While we unfortunately didn't...  While we unfortunately didn't get the owner's info, this had to be one of the cleanest engine bays of the whole show. The small-block in this Mustang is finely detailed, all of the wiring is hidden, and you could eat off of the thing. Love it or hate it (we love it!), the body color engine bay definitely makes an engine stand out in a classic Mustang.
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