Every year as Old Man Winter makes the trek across the country, classic Fords are put away for their seasonal slumber and aren't seen again until spring. As the last car shows and cruise nights of 2006 dwindle away in early fall, most everyone turns their concentration to the holidays; traveling, shopping, decorating the house, and holiday parties take up the majority of our time. But there are many of us who can't wait to hear the sound of a Ford starter spinning, signaling it's time to head out for the spring show and cruise circuit.
 Silver Springs is all about...  Silver Springs is all about the family. From kids' play areas and petting zoos to Lost River glass-bottom boat rides, shopping, and food, there are plenty of activities for all ages. Oh, and there's about 1,000 way-cool cars to drool over, too, when the family's not looking. |  From mild to monster, there...  From mild to monster, there are all sorts of interesting rides on display each year at Silver Springs. We came across this wild '66 Mustang coupe of Tomas Amalbert from Orlando, Florida. |  It seems just about any Mustang...  It seems just about any Mustang in decent shape is getting to be a shiny penny for those just getting into the hobby, but one way to enjoy the classics and not completely destroy your retirement nest egg is to start with a coupe. This '69 coupe of Curtis Smith from Bradenton, Florida, is just such an example. |
That's exactly how the Silver Springs Mustang & Ford Roundup got its start 13 years ago. People from various Mustang clubs across Florida couldn't wait until February or March to hit their first show, so they started holding one in January in Central Florida. Over the years, the show has grown steadily, with attendance records broken each year, and it's now looked upon as the event to start the East Coast car-show season. It doesn't hurt that the fine folks at National Parts Depot (with corporate headquarters in neighboring Ocala, Florida) came to the show several years ago with the generous offer of paying for the first 1,000 registrations, which include two tickets to the Silver Springs attraction.
This year, we were once again on hand to see all the great rides at the Silver Springs Mustang & Ford Roundup. Many people like to use the Silver Springs show as a debut location for their latest project build completed over the winter, so we always see plenty of great, new rides every year. Unlike last year, when it was quite brisk and jackets were the norm, the '07 show had mostly fine weather. Although there was a short rain shower Saturday afternoon that had people clamoring to roll up windows, the rest of the weekend was beautiful. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have one of Florida's most natural and historic backgrounds for a show site, either.
 Another sharp-looking coupe...  Another sharp-looking coupe was this '68 of Bob Fallin from St. Cloud, Florida. It featured a slew of performance goodies underhood, a nicely done performance-suspension package with late-model Bullitt wheels, and a striking green topcoat with white stripes. |  Allen Shepley of Mustang Central...  Allen Shepley of Mustang Central in Byron, Georgia, drove the company's latest custom build for everyone to peruse. Allen built a nice restomod with a blown EFI small-block in a Shelby clone wrapper with upgraded suspension, brakes, and wheels. |  We've heard of seeing double,...  We've heard of seeing double, but triple? No, it's not your eyes-it's Dave Williams' '64 1/2 pace car display, which included a go-cart and a pedal car. Now Dave, of Fayetteville, Georgia, just needs to build a 1/10-scale RC pace car and find a pace car die-cast to have all the popular sizes covered. |
Next year's show will be January 12-13, 2008, with a Mustang Monthly Pony Trail on Friday, January 11. There will also be a portable dyno available at NPD's showroom on Friday for anyone who wants to see how well his or her car performs. So come on down to see the sights of Silver Springs and the 1,000-plus classic Fords, Mercurys, trucks, and more. Just be sure to check the weather first and pack lots of film, batteries, and comfortable shoes. We'll see you there!