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Off To A Great StartThe 12th Annual Ford & Mustang Roundup at Silver Springs was a Great Way to Start Off the 2006 Show Season From the November, 2010 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords All contributors: Mark Houlahan
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A literal sea of Mustangs... A literal sea of Mustangs and classic Fords greeted us first thing Saturday morning on entering Silver Springs. While Saturday was chilly, people braved the cool weather to wipe down their cars, set up their displays, and pull out the folding camp chairs in preparation for the countless show attendees and their barrage of questions and old stories. The annual Ford & Mustang Roundup held at the beautiful Silver Springs attraction in Silver Springs, Florida, is never a letdown. Year in and year out we see all sorts of rare and interesting classic Fords that we fall in love with and want to take home. Unfortunately the wallet isn't thick enough to bring back a single one. It must be that the Silver Springs show is the first big show of the year and people are itching to get their hot Fords, Mercurys, and other Blue Oval favorites out of the garage and out for some fun. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that National Parts Depot graciously pays for the first 1,000 entries (yes, that's three zeros), or that the Silver Springs show has a laid-back popular-vote style. There's no need to bring a trunk full of cleaning supplies or run and hide to avoid a request to help judge other cars. No, people come to enjoy the weekend, Silver Springs itself, and the over 1,000 great Mustangs, Fairlanes, Torinos, Falcons, Mavericks, Cougars, Comets, Galaxies, Panteras, Cobra replicas, and so much more that are displayed throughout the weekend. Our hats are off to the folks at Silver Springs and NPD for their continued success at one of the best Ford shows in the Southeast. Make sure you keep an eye out for news on the 2007 show right here in Mustang & Fords.  Many national and regional...  Many national and regional groups used the Silver Springs show as an opportunity to hold a mini-meet...  ...We found several groups,...  ...We found several groups, including the Maverick/Comet Club International (www.maverickcometclub.org)...  ... and the Suncoast chapter...  ... and the Suncoast chapter of the Falcon Club of America (www.falconclub.com). A Spring Full of Information
The Silver Springs attraction is the oldest theme park in Florida with over 300 acres of rides and natural attractions. Silver Springs is on the list of Natural Landmarks by the National Parks Service, and people have been enjoying its famous glass-bottom boat rides on the Silver River, where the springs pump out over 550 million gallons of spring water a day, since the late 1800s! Today's electric-powered boat rides allow you to see the natural springs, the world's largest, as well as all sorts of aquatic animals and artifacts. For those that enjoy trivia, Silver Springs was the original filming location for six of the original Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies. Other films included Creature From the Black Lagoon, Rebel Without a Cause, Revenge of the Creature, James Bond's Thunderball, Moonraker, and Never Say Never, and even Smokey and the Bandit Part 3. TV shows filmed here include Sea Hunt, I Spy, SeaQuest, and Steve Irwin's Crocodile Hunter. For more information about Silver Springs and its concert schedule, check out the Web site at www.silversprings.com or call (352) 236-2121.  Silver Springs has a faux...  Silver Springs has a faux mansion set up as a stage for its concert series, where a different model is prominently displayed every year. This year the oh-so-heavenly Ford GT was the recipient of the valuable display location. Two of the cars were untitled dealer models, but the rest, including the ultra-sweet silver one on the end, were driven in by their owners (as many of us stood by drooling).  Walking the show field, we...  Walking the show field, we came across some unbelievable cars, like this '57 Custom 300 of Jim Walters of Athens, Tennessee.  Long gone is the factory engine...  Long gone is the factory engine (whether a six, 272, 292, or 312 V-8, we don't know), and in its place is a 427 FE with dual fours. This is one low-key ride that we're sure moves out in a quick way.  Mavericks are getting hotter...  Mavericks are getting hotter by the day, and we saw some really cool examples at Silver Springs this year.  Check out this '72 two-door...  Check out this '72 two-door owned by Ken Germany of Ocoee, Florida.  The chrome late-model Cobra-R...  The chrome late-model Cobra-R wheels look just right with the yellow topcoat and blacked-out grille work.  There were a few Fairlanes,...  There were a few Fairlanes, including this pristine big-block GT...  ...and this over-the-top '67...  ...and this over-the-top '67 sporting none other than a Boss 429 engine with a huge 8-71 blower perched on top.  These Fairlanes served each...  These Fairlanes served each end of the spectrum as ultra-clean examples of this fine line.  Near the Thunderbird and Falcon...  Near the Thunderbird and Falcon displays we spied this dynamic duo of a '69 Talladega and '69 Cale Yarborough Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II. They look just as they did the day they came off the Atlanta assembly line 36 years ago.  We've always been partial...  We've always been partial to Torinos too, another one of Ford's great sales stories. The redesigned '70 Torino might not have been the great NASCAR success the '69 model was, but the car was a good deal for people looking for a mid-size Ford with a long list of options. The '70 Torino even took home Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" award.  This '70, complete with 351...  This '70, complete with 351 Cleveland, side stripes, and corporate caps, is owned by Jim Logan of East Ellijay, Georgia.  While there were plenty of...  While there were plenty of nicely restored Mustangs and hot late-models, we concentrated our cameras on the restomod Fords...  ...and this sweet little '65...  ...and this sweet little '65 fastback owned by Mike Akins of Madisonville, Tennessee, is just the ticket with its 5.0 EFI drivetrain swap, shaved emblems, and other detail work.  The Silver Springs show isn't...  The Silver Springs show isn't just '60s and newer cars. We spotted everything from post-war Lincolns to Model As and Ts. Being the huge ZZ Top fan that I am, I had to stop for a minute and admire the '34 three-window seen here. What's more classic than a six-mile deep black paint job and flames? I just hope there was a small-block Ford engine under the three-piece hood on John Roppolo's St. Augustine, Florida rod.  There were plenty of rides...  There were plenty of rides for the Ford truck fans to admire as well, as evidenced by this eat-off-it clean 390-powered Fairlane Ranchero (notice the late-model Ranger pickup wheels)...  ...'69 F-250 Custom Cab,  ...and this one-of-a-kind...  ...and this one-of-a-kind early-'50s C-500 with a Cummins 8.3L turbo diesel under the hood and custom sleeper cab.  There were also plenty of...  There were also plenty of early Broncos, Falcon Rancheros, and more in the truck area.  Now here's something you don't...  Now here's something you don't see every day: an old-school flathead powering a custom bike. We've seen the Boss Hoss motorcycles before, but they're all GM powered...  ...I guess this guy decided...  ...I guess this guy decided to make his own and had to have Ford power. Can you blame him? Trick billet bits and air-ride suspension cap off the details.  As a show sponsor, Mustang...  As a show sponsor, Mustang & Fords magazine was responsible for choosing two awards. We chose the '64 Fairlane 500 of Wayne Jeffers from Winter Park, Florida, for Best Modified Classic Ford.  The Fairlane features the...  The Fairlane features the rare and drool-inducing 427 Cammer engine, which in itself is jaw-dropping, but this Cammer is also fuel injected! Add a perfect stance sitting on altered-style wheels, and Wayne has one righteous Fairlane.  And we chose the '65 Mustang...  And we chose the '65 Mustang of Carlos Caraza from Coral Springs, Florida, for Best Modified Classic Mustang.  Carlos' Mustang is no slouch...  Carlos' Mustang is no slouch either with a built 5.0, Tremec T-5 five-speed, nine-inch, Mustang II frontend, power leather seats, custom body mods, and much more. We hope to bring you features on both cars in the future.  If you're a replica fan, the...  If you're a replica fan, the Cobra owners were out in style with at least one copy from each of the major replica companies, including Factory Five (this beautiful Mark 1 donor built roadster), ERA, Everett-Morrison, and others.  No matter the brand, all of...  No matter the brand, all of the replica owners hung out together and had a great time.  Tucked away in a shady spot...  Tucked away in a shady spot along the Silver River was another group of famous Ford-powered two-seaters: the Sunbeams. A good half dozen were parked together, along with a few TR6s with Ford V-8 swaps, enjoying the weekend. Mark 1 donor built roadster), ERA, Everett-Morrison, and others. No matter the brand, all of the replica owners hung out together and had a great time.  Mustang Monthly and Mustang...  Mustang Monthly and Mustang & Fords magazines jointly awarded the Young Owners Club award to Joe Raimonda for his hard work bringing this '67 Mustang back to life.  At just 16 years old, Joe...  At just 16 years old, Joe has done an admirable job of building this 347 stroker-powered hardtop.  For those that attended, a...  For those that attended, a real treat of the weekend was the public display of these two very rare Fords. The first car (left) was an ultra-rare '631/2 Galaxie lightweight factory drag car...  ...while the other (right)...  ...while the other (right) was none other than a '64 Thunderbolt. Who would have thought that two real big-block factory drag cars with such a famous history of battling for Ford's drag racing supremacy during the Total Performance Era would be sitting at the same show? See what you missed?
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