Cruise-quality classics at Maple Motors

I might not be completely with it as far as the car show scene here in Nashville yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find some interesting old rides to look at.  Last night I stopped in at Maple Motors in Henersonville, and there were quite a few things to check out at this family-owned business.  For some 30 years, Jim Fite and his family have been selling affordable, driver-quality classics from this location.  You might not find many councours-quality rides here, but if you’re looking for a fun car to take to the local cruise-ins, this is your place.

Take this ’74 Chevy C-10 long bed.  I thought this was a pretty sharp looking rig with its bright orange paint and tube grille.  Most of these trucks were already rusty when they were two-years-old, so it’s nice to see one this well-preserved today.  This one had the Rally wheels you want, all the side moldings, and a nice-looking seat cover.  And with an asking price of $6,950, it was pretty affordable too.  There are a bunch of people out there that are in to old trucks these days, and they could do a lot worse than this one.

This ’73 AMC Javelin was interesting.  You don’t tend to see too many of these, so you’d stand out over the more common Mustangs and Camaros.  This one was dead original, which was both good and bad.  I liked it way better than a half-baked, painted over “restoration”, but it did have some rust issues and the interior left something to be desired.  You could fix some of the major issues, keep it a little crusty, and have a great conversation starter.  Or if you wanted to restore it, at least you have a good starting point.  $5,500 takes it home.

Here’s a ’66 Caprice.  I’m usually a big fan of these cars, and this one had a few things going for it.  The biggest plus is that there was a 396 big block under the hood, which they claim is numbers-matching.  It also had several desirable options, like factory air conditioning and power steering and brakes.  There are a few minor things you could do to really make this car a standout, but as it is, it would be a fun driver (if you could afford the gas).  They were asking $17,900.

This ’67 Skylark two-door sedan was pretty decent.  It still had its ugly old fender skirts, and the interior was good-looking and in great condition.  It also had factory air and a nice set of 14-inch Buick Road Wheels.  The “Mastercraft Avenger GT” tires didn’t do it any favors, but those are easy to deal with.  These aren’t as desirable as a Malibu of the same vintage, but luckily, they’re also cheaper.  You could have this one for under $10,000.

This is a ’54 Chevy Bel Air two-door sedan.  They didn’t have Impalas or Super Sports or any of that in 1954, so this was the top trim level.  This one has been upgraded though, because all ’54 Chevys came with an inline six, but this one has a V8.  This car wasn’t exactly done the way a hot rod would have been done in the 1950s, but it’s kind of like how someone would make a ‘50s diner in their basement today.  The turquoise and white interior was pretty nice, and it had the requisite chrome wheels with baby moons and dummy spots.  You could go back to the ‘50s for $16,900.

There was a whole parking lot full of vintage and specialty vehicles at Maple Motors, and you can see pictures of them in the slideshow below.  Or, of course, you can click this link for a nicer version.