Sunday, July 14, 2013

Fast Fridays at KC Trends showcases a new breed of car enthusiast

If you think about young car enthusiasts in the early 1950s, images of hopped-up ’32 Fords and modified Model Ts might come to mind.  Kids got what they could afford.  Sometimes they were jalopies; beaters that they bought for $10 out of their neighbor’s field.  Times were different back then.

Or were they?  A couple of days ago I went to “Fast Fridays” at KC Trends in south Overland Park, which takes place every-other-Friday throughout the summer.  And I think that youthful hot rod on a budget thing still exists.  Today, instead of some rusty old Plymouth or Ford, many of these folks have turned to Hondas, Mazdas, and Toyotas.  And like those kids of the past, their cars might not appeal to us old folk, but they mean everything to them.

Let me explain the general layout of this car show.  KC Trends sells high-end auto accessories, including expensive, giant wheels; expensive, gaudy grilles; and expensive, loud stereo systems.  So at the core of this show are expensive, high-end cars.  When was the last time you saw a Lamborghini Murcielago at a weekly car cruise?  This actually might be the first one I’ve ever seen at one.  In fact, there was a handful of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, and Bentleys.  This is an impressive display by any measure.

Circling around that nucleus of carbon fiber and Italian leather is a small contingent of the kind of stuff we’re more used to covering here.  There was a hot rod here; an old Dodge Challenger there.  There were at least two ‘80s Buick Grand Nationals and one T-Type.  Several Camaros and Mustangs dotted the landscape.

And then surrounding everything is the import tuner crowd.  It was kind of like being on the set of Fast and the Furious, because these cars were everywhere.  Some of them obviously had a great deal of time and money spent on them.  Some of them were low-budget-but-loved.  Some of them were unadulterated crap, but don’t forget my example in the first paragraph.  Sometimes you have to go with what you can afford.

The Austin Healey club had a small presence at this event, including a couple of big Healeys and at least three Bug-Eyed Sprites. I liked this cute little guy, which looked ready to go club racing with those dark red stripes and red tonneau cover.  Clearly, Mazda was looking at this car when they developed the Miata, but in spite of a valiant effort, they could never duplicate the charm of the Sprite.

Here’s one of the wildest Buick LeSabres I’ve ever seen.  My mother-in-law had one of these that she traded for her Equinox, but she hadn’t lavished such attention on hers.  This one sat high on dazzling chrome wheels, and it was festooned with vents, scoops, and emblems.  It was now a “Limited Edition SS,” and it was definitely one of a kind.  Even the simulated red convertible top cover seemed to fit with the theme.

Another thing to point out about this event is that is really was more like a party at a night club than a normal car show.  The music was loud and funky, the girls were young and scantily-clad, and the vibe was fun and lighthearted.  The car show was an excuse to get together.  I’m actually sure that I wasn’t cool enough to be there.

There were probably hundreds of cars at this deal, so my 224 pictures don’t even scratch the surface.  But I tried to catch some of the cars I thought were interesting, and you can see them in the slideshow below.  Or click this link for a nicer version.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for including a picture of my 2007 Silver Acura TL Type S!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry I missed seeing you there. Friday nights turn out was pretty spectacular including my first ever, in-the-flesh Consulier!

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LIKE TUNER CARS!!

    ReplyDelete