Gateway Classic Cars opens Nashville showroom

They don’t hold many car shows once winter comes along, so you have to find the old cars where you can. Luckily, St. Louis-based Gateway Classic Cars opened up a showroom in Nashville this year, so you can check out the inventory in indoor comfort. The large, well-lighted showroom offers a nice selection of mostly driver-quality classics, and if you find something you like, they’ll be happy to sell it to you. The inventory is always changing, so just because you see something here doesn’t mean it hasn’t already been sold and replaced. Let’s take a look at some of the stuff that was available during my recent visit.

Late coverage of the Mt. Juliet Chick-fil-A Cruise

I hate to admit this, but I’m so far behind writing these stories that I’m more than a month in the rears on some of them. Unfortunately, that’s the case with this Mt. Juliet Chick-fil-A Cruise coverage, which was all the way back on October 9. That’s not the cruise’s fault, though. There were lots of great cars, fun people, and tasty chicken sandwiches. But don’t worry. Eventually, I get to everything I take pictures of. So, better late than never, let’s get into last month’s jam-packed cruise with the world’s crabbiest D.J.

2015 Nashville International Auto Show

November means auto show season in Nashville, so we headed out to the Music City Center last weekend for the 2015 Nashville International Auto Show. This is one of the smallest new car shows I think I’ve ever been to. It also boggles my mind that Elvis’ Solid Gold Cadillac is on display just down the street from here at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and there was not one trace of Cadillac at this show. There were also quite a few more cars than I have pictured, but I made the determination that they were not interesting enough to feature. If you want to see Hyundais and Hondas and stuff like that, you’ll have to hit this show yourself next year. If you like sports cars and American pickups, you’re in the right place.

So long, Fontanel, until we meet again

I’ve been a little behind on my write-ups here lately, but I’m finally getting around to putting this story together on the final cruise of the year at the Fontanel Mansion. I actually hate it when this one ends. The Fontanel is one of the nicest locations for a car cruise in town. There’s beautiful scenery. There’s plenty of stuff to eat. There’s live music. Even my wife likes going to this cruise. We took the truck out this time, and it turned out to be a great night for it. Unfortunately, my camera finally died forever about half-way through the show, so many of these pictures were taken with my cell phone. You can generally make out car shapes in most of them, so at least they’ll give you an idea.

2015 Hazzard Run from Nashville to Gatlinburg

Who would have guessed that moving to Tennessee would bring me this close to a TV show that I used to watch as a kid in the ‘80s. But it seems like there’s a little Dukes of Hazzard influence all over the place here. Why, just last weekend I took my family to the annual Hazzard Run. Sure, I loved watching the Dukes of Hazzard. But I never owned a General Lee, or a Rosco P. Coltrane police car, or a Daisy Duke Roadrunner. These folks are serious about this. But that’s alright by me. My son and I still enjoy watching this silly, simple show today. And it might be a little nerdy, but we have fun seeing the cars and stars of this little slice of pop culture as they make their rounds of the Nashville area.

28th-Annual McKendree Village Car Show in Hermitage

For 28 years, the Exchange Club has been hosting their annual car show, and when I found out it was at McKendree Village in Hermitage, just five minutes from my house, you can bet that I was in. Not only was it convenient, but it had a bunch of nice cars. And not only did it have nice cars, but it had nice weather. And not only did it have nice weather, but it raised money for the Exchange Club, which helps abused kids. This is the kind of situation that’s impossible to pass up. Of course, if you couldn’t make it, don’t worry. I’ll show you some of the stuff that was there in this story, and you can make sure to attend the 29th-Annual Exchange Club Car Show next year.

Condition rules at Tom's Cruise

Germantown is a nice community north of Memphis that has all kinds of nice stores and restaurants. But unlike many nice communities with stores and restaurants, they also host Tom’s Cruise; a weekly gathering of vintage and specialty cars on Tuesday nights. As much as I like to eat and shop, the cruise is what drew me in recently. As you might expect, I also brought a camera, which means I can share a few of the standouts with you.

The 4th-Annual Nostalgia Nationals in Bowling Green

Car-for-car, some of the best shows in the country are hosted by the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association. Nashville is lucky enough to not only have one downtown, but also an hour-and-a-half away in Bowling Green, Ky. The 4th-Annual Nostalgia Nationals was held at Beech Bend Raceway Park last weekend, and as expected, it had everything you could ever want in a high-profile hot rod and custom car gathering. From show cars to autocross to vintage drag racing, there was a little something for everyone.

Hendersonville Cruise has it all

Friday night is cruise night in Hendersonville, and as usual, a huge gathering of cars showed up behind the Indian Lake shopping center. If you haven’t been out to this cruise lately, you should go there. It is definitely worth it. BHo and I made the trek last week, and without moving the car, we managed to check out a great cruise, we had dinner, and we caught an evening showing of Ant-Man on the big screen. Now that’s a productive evening! And even though you’re probably hoping for an Ant-Man movie review, I think we’ll talk about some of the cars instead.

Relaxing at the Fontanel Cruise

It was Thursday night in the summer time. That means it was time for the weekly car cruise in the prettiest location in Nashville. The Fontanel Mansion hosts this event, and they always do a nice job. As usual, there was live music, food to eat, and beautiful, tree-covered hills in the shadow of Barbara Mandrel’s old house and amphitheater. Cruise participation has been a little light lately, which seems strange to me considering the enjoyable location and nice weather. But the car owners and their families that did show up were all having a nice time.

Feel the fame at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg

If I didn’t have to work to pay for the electricity to run my television, I would spend a lot more time sitting around on my couch watching old car shows and movies. I don’t care about deep storylines and strong plots. Car jumps, crashes, and explosions are where it’s at. So when we went to the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, Tenn., I knew I was in the right place. Sure, this is a touristy area full of questionable attractions designed to suck your wallet dry. But if you like cars, especially famous cars, this museum was actually worth the price of admission. This review is so action-packed, we’re going to take it on two wheels!

2015 AACA Car Show at the Wilson County Fair

The Wilson County Fair in Lebanon, Tenn., has something for everyone. You like looking at fuzzy chickens? They’ve got them. You like smelling pigs? Take a whiff at the fair. Chocolate-covered bacon? Yep. Want to be so violently spun around on a ride that you puke? Tell your friends to stay clear of projectile corn dogs. Personally, I wanted to go there for the same reason I want to go anywhere—for the cars. The Mid-Tenn Regional Car Club hosted a big, one day car show, and it was a good one. More than 200 cars greeted visitors right at the entrance of the fair. It almost made me forget to check out the world’s tiniest woman in the carnival area.

Floyd Garrett’s Muscle Car Museum. We need to go back there!

We were headed down to Dollywood for a little family fun, and as we passed through Sevierville, Tenn., I blurted out, “Floyd Garrett’s Muscle Car Museum. We need to go back there!” It’s a good thing we did, because this place is the real deal. This is a pretty well-known collection of cars, so stumbling across it like we did was a major stroke of luck. The museum claims to have 90 muscle cars worth a total of $8-million. If they told me they were worth more, I’d believe it. There were plenty of big engines, unusual options, and rare vehicles in this bunch. If you like vintage iron, you won’t be disappointed here.

Tuesday night at Tom's Cruise in Germantown

I’m spending more time in the Memphis area for work lately, so  last Tuesday night I checked out Tom’s Cruise in Germantown. As is the norm these days, it was an incredibly hot day, which may have had an impact on attendance. That being said, there was still a good number of nice cars at this cruise, and most of them stayed there for quite a while. High heat isn’t enough to keep real car folks at home. They just pack a few more bottles of water. Let’s take a look at some of the rides they packed that water in.

2015 ISSCA Nationals in Bowling Green

Most people don’t really consider the mid-1990s to be a high-water mark in the history of the automobile. It’s an era of bland, jellybean-shaped appliances and soulless Toyota Camrys. V8, rear-wheel-drive performance cars were out, and the word “horsepower” was being replaced with “fuel economy.” Luckily, General Motors was quietly building cars under the radar that bucked the trends of the time. The 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was a holdout from another era. It was big. It sat on a full frame. It had a 260-hp V8 when 100-hp four-bangers were the norm. Its sinister, monochromatic looks were like a big middle finger to the wheezy turd-mobiles with which it shared the road.

2015 Southeastern All-Chevy Truck Nationals in White House

Chevy trucks. You gotta’ love ‘em. And there was a lot of love to go around on Saturday when 125 shiny Silverados, shimmering C-10s, beautiful Blazers, and awesome Apaches packed the Municipal Park in White House, Tenn., for the Southeastern All-Chevy Truck Nationals. There was a Chevy truck for every taste and style (I even found three Fords in the adjoining parking lot), plus a robust Chevy truck parts swap meet. I took the old HMC ’63 C-10 out there and snapped a bunch of pictures. Of course, the one thing the pictures don’t show you is how hot it was. I’m no meteorologist, but I would estimate that it was 125 degrees out there with 275% humidity. And even under those conditions, the show staff ran things off smoothly, and everyone still seemed to have a good time.

Mt. Juliet Chick-fil-A Fourth of July Cruise

2015 marked our second-annual tradition of bringing the old truck out on the Fourth of July to watch the Mt. Juliet fireworks show. It was also Saturday night, which meant the Chick-fil-A in Mt. Juliet was holding their weekly car cruise. The turnout was light, partly because people were celebrating the Fourth elsewhere, and partly because a massive thunder storm was moving in. There were still some nice cars before the sky opened up, so let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

14th-Annual Muscle Car Mayhem Auction in Murfreesboro

There was a rumor last weekend that a bunch of nice old cars were going to be offered for sale at the Dealer’s Auto Auction. Naturally, we had to head to Murfreesboro to check it out. And guess what? The rumor was true. Saturday was the 14th-Annual Muscle Car Mayhem event, and about 100 muscle cars, specialty cars, and classics were sent across the block in search of new owners. There was a little rain, which could have been a bit of a downer. I actually enjoyed it, because there were less people standing around the cars that I had to dodge to get pictures. There was a pretty good selection here. Check these out.

3rd-Annual Man Cave Party and Auto Show in Kansas City

Last weekend, I was able to make a quick stop in Kansas City, so of course I had to stop at a car show along the way. This time it was the 3rd-Annual Man Cave Party and Auto Show, which was held at the Wyandotte County Fairgrounds. There was a threat of rain throughout the day, which likely had an impact on the show car count. But with live music from the Good Sam Club Band and Dead Man’s Hand, several food vendors, and bounce houses for the kids, everyone seemed to be having a great time. Here are a few notable cars.

2015 Vette City Classic Collector Car Auction in Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Ky., is the location of the factory that builds the new Corvette Stingray. That should be enough to draw any car guy to the Bluegrass State. But last weekend there was an even greater incentive, as the Vette City Classic Car Auction rolled through Bowling Green’s ABC Auto Auction. Auctioneer Phillip Traylor presided over 100 specialty cars, trucks, tractors, and motor homes during this one-day event. Naturally, I went up there and took some pictures. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

Cars enhance the beauty at the Fontanel

With lush, green trees, rolling hills, and a burbling creek, the Fontanel in Whites Creek is one of the prettiest places in the Nashville area. It’s even better on Thursdays, because they hold their weekly Concert Car Cruise out on the lawn. The weather was a little cool and overcast last week, so the cruise only drew in about 20 cars. That’s an anomaly though, because usually they bring in 100 cars or more. Nevertheless, it was a nice night to eat at the Italian restaurant, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and check out the cars that were there.

10th-Annual 2015 Goodguys Nashville Nationals at LP Field

Goodguys celebrated their 10th anniversary in Nashville at LP Field over the weekend. Unfortunately, on-and-off rain showers put a damper on what is normally the biggest car show of the year. That didn’t prevent many people from bringing their cars anyway, as there were still hundreds of cars on the show field. I went out on Sunday, which is typically not as busy as Saturday, but there was less rain, and they allowed newer cars to share the spotlight. So there were still plenty of nice rides beneath the shadows of downtown Music City. Let’s check a few of them out!

Fun stuff from the Mt. Juliet Chick-fil-A Cruise

Mt. Juliet is the place to be every Saturday night, because the Providence Chick-fil-A hosts a weekly car cruise. It’s an interesting venue, because they get tons of participants, but it’s in one of the busiest areas in town. ’57 Chevys share space with ’95 Tauruses. Car lovers dodge Dodge Caravans trying to bomb their ways through the drive-thru. The D.J. competes with the traffic. If you’re looking for a relaxing, casual cruise, this isn’t it. But if you like looking at a diverse and interesting selection of hot rods, classics, and muscle cars, this is definitely where you want to go.

2015 NSRA Appreciation Day at T&M Steering Column Repair

Saturday was sort of a strange day for our car show adventures. We got a late start, but we set out to the event at Lincoln Technical College. It was supposed to end at 2:00, but when we got there right at 1:00, everyone was making a mass exodus. So then I called ahead to the NSRA Appreciation Day Show, which was taking place at T&M Steering Column repair. We were told they would be there until 3:00, but about the time we started taking pictures, things were wrapping up and everyone started bugging out at about 2:00. Let’s just say, we had to click fast.

2015 AACA Wilson Bank Car Show

I saw the sign promoting the upcoming car show at the Mt. Juliet branch of Wilson Bank for a week. I sort of figured it would be ten or twenty cars that the bank staff rounded up. Actually, this was an event for the Middle Tennessee Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), and there were not only a large number of cars, but there was a large number of good cars. I noticed the same phenomenon when I lived in Kansas City, too. Overall, I think the AACA draws an older crowd that not only can afford nice cars, but have enough experience in the hobby to really understand them.

2015 Spring Redneck Rumble

Last fall, the Redneck Rumble Car Show at the Wilson County Fairgrounds had such a great turnout that promoter Both Barrel Productions decided to add a spring date for 2015.  The turnout might not have been quite as enormous as the fall event, but it was pretty substantial. The weather was nice, and they were dealing with lots of other events, including a traditional hot rod show at the Opryland Hotel. I kind of liked having fewer cars there better, because it was easier to get around and take pictures, and there was less of a chance that you would be run down by a bicycle, golf cart, go-kart, tractor, or motor scooter. The possibility was still there, but at least you had room to dive out of the way.

2015 Gallatin Square Fest Car Show

The annual Gallatin Square Fest is a fun event for the whole family. All around the historic downtown square you’ll find food trucks, craft booths, and live musical acts. There’s going to be something there for everyone. Of course, in my case, that something was the Gallatin Square Fest Car Show, which draws in a nice assortment of old iron to a parking lot adjacent to the actual festival. This year, the weather forecast was a little ominous, which no doubt kept a few participants home. But in reality, the rain stayed away, and it was a perfectly nice day for this popular gathering.

Goodlettsville Cruise was a nice little gathering

Saturday night, I made a quick stop at the Goodlettsville Cruise in the Publix/Firehouse Subs parking lot. I say “quick,” because there weren’t many cars there to photograph. Now that’s not really a reflection on the cruise itself. I’ve been to this same location when you would consider yourself lucky to find a parking spot. Unfortunately, they were right up against the new Cruizin’ Hendersonville event going on 15 minutes away. I think that was their biggest challenge. But I guess as a car guy, having too many cruise options seems like a good problem to have.

Cruizin' Hendersonville is a success right out of the gate

Car cruise season is officially underway in Nashville, so I decided to start out my coverage at the brand-new Cruzin’ Hendersonville event near the Hendersonville police station. I was actually surprised at how strong the turnout was, especially for a first-time gathering. This thing was well promoted and organized, with a DJ, door prizes, and other perks. The only thing I didn’t like was the position of the sun, because it sort of screwed up the quality of my pictures. But if you can bear the glare, let’s take a look at some of the notable participants.

Inside the Coker Tire/Honest Charley Museum

We recently went on a little Spring Break trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. There are lots of fun things to check out there, including restaurants, caves, trains, and scenic mountain views. But for me, one of the highlights was the Coker Tire Museum, which houses the private car collection of vintage tire mogul Corky Coker. This is a pretty serious collection of mostly rare and unusual vehicles on display in an old factory. Oh, and no off-ball tires purchased at the local farm implements store here—everything sits on the perfect-style tire. Former Hot Rod Magazine writer Steve Anderson gave us the grand tour.

Let's hook up at the International Towing and Recovery Museum and Hall of Fame

There are people who love every kind of vehicle. Take the tow truck. In theory, this is just a tool to clear wrecks and drag inoperable cars from one place to another. But there’s more to it than that. Tow trucks have a lot of character. Their operators form a bond—a passion—for their trucks and everything that has to do with the towing industry. For some, operating a tow truck is more than just a job. It’s a way of life. And so, it should come as no surprise that there is an International Towing and Recovery Museum and Hall of Fame. We checked it out during our visit to Chattanooga, Tenn., so I wanted to show you some of the interesting trucks that were on display inside.

Bailey Roddy Benefit Car Show packs 'em in at the Snow White Bar-B-Q

When I saw the announcement that there was going to be a car show at the Snow White Bar-B-Q Drive-In in Lebanon, Tenn., I was expecting ten guys sitting in cars eating lunch. When we got there, I was quite surprised to see an event so huge it required the police to be there to direct traffic. This was a benefit for Bailey Roddy, a 7th-grade girl who had brain surgery for arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a disease that affects the flow of blood from the heart to the brain. It’s nice to see such a big turnout of car people for such a worthy cause.

Highlights from the 39th-Annual Hunter's Custom Auto Show

The 39th-Annual Hunter’s Custom Auto Show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds marks the last big car show in the area before the calendar flips over to spring. 2015’s event featured four buildings worth of customs, muscle cars, and classics to suit the tastes of any car aficionado. And even though the festivities took place indoors, the weather was still nice outside. It was a great weekend for both participants and spectators alike. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

The Class of 1957

Not long ago, I put up an article about the cars of 1947. It wasn’t the most dazzling time in automotive history, as most of the cars featured were rehashes of cars that originally appeared on the market before World War II. I thought it would be interesting to jump ahead ten years and take a look at 1957. In just a decade, there was an immense change in the automotive landscape. Gone were the drab, muted designs of the ‘40s. Suddenly, things were brighter, more colorful, and more stylish. It was one of the most extroverted, optimistic periods in automotive history. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

400 Shades of Grey

Sometimes when I haven’t been to a lot of car events, it’s hard for a little brain like mine to come up with things to write about. All the movie links on my Facebook feed have had a lot of stuff about the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. I haven’t actually seen it, or read the books, but I do know something that comes in several shades of grey—cars! You might think everything you see at a car show is red, but I actually compiled a huge collection of grey and silver cars for my slideshow. Let’s take a look at a few.

A tale of two Impalas

You are looking at a pair of 2014 Chevrolet Impala sedans. Both are finished with Crystal Red Tintcoat paint. Both are top-level LTZ models. Both are currently being built and are sold in the U.S. And yet, there is very little else about these cars that are the same. You see, the one on the left is an Impala Limited, the previous-generation Impala that GM only sells to fleet customers. The one on the right is the newest version of the Impala. Let’s do a little comparison of the two.

The Class of 1947

I don’t write about my mom that much on here. She’s not really that into cars, and this is obviously a car-themed website. She certainly lived through some great times in the history of the automobile, though. Mom was born in 1947, and she was there for the futuristic ‘50s, the muscle cars of the ‘60s, the broughaminess of the ‘70s, and the technology of the ‘80s. The difference between the cars that are built now and those that were out there when she was born are immense. So, in honor of my mom, I’ve decided to take a quick look back at the cars of 1947.

Stuff from the Stone's River Car Club Swap Meet

It’s still winter in Nashville, but that doesn’t mean that people have given up on their automotive projects. There are cars in various states of readiness all over the city. Now’s the time that people are searching for parts and pieces for their pride and joy. Swap meets are happening on a pretty regular basis right now, and one of the best swap meets was the Stone’s River Car Club event at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. How’s about we take a look-see at some of the more interesting stuff out there.

24th-Annual Nashville AutoFest breaks up the winter blues

Car show season screeches to a halt during the winter, but for two-dozen years, enthusiasts have met in Nashville in January for the big AutoFest Car Show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. The 2015 installment was a nice mix of show cars and swap meet vendors, meaning that there was something to see for every type of automotive interest. This was my first AutoFest, but several people told me this was the one to go to. I’m glad they did, because as you will see below, there was quite a bit of great stuff there.

Monster Jam hits Nashville's Bridgestone Arena

For almost 30 years, I would go to the monster truck show in Kansas City right around my birthday. Now that I’ve moved to Nashville, it looks like the tradition can continue, albeit a month early, as Monster Jam does the exact same kind of show in Bridgestone Area that they had in the Sprint Center. This event might even draw in a better-known selection of trucks. BHo and I went and checked out all the action last weekend, so I will share that experience with you now.

4th-Annual Tennessee Motorama keeps car show season alive

I moved to Nashville from Kansas City, and so far, the winter is considerably milder. Sure it gets pretty chilly, but I haven’t seen the snow, slop, and misery. The thing is, car show season gets over as soon, if not sooner here than it does in KC. Why not have some car cruises on through November and December? Come on, guys, let’s do this! Anyway, I was happy to see an announcement for the 4th-Annual Tennessee Motorama, which took place last weekend in Murfreesboro. This was an indoor event, although the rain probably kept some show cars away. But it was still a fair little car show and swap meet, and it was definitely something fun to do after a slow couple of months.

The top five most popular stories on Hover Motor Company for 2014

This has been one of the craziest years I’ve ever had. When 2014 rolled in, I had no idea that my life was going to change so drastically. We were humming along, hitting the usual Kansas City-area car shows and events in my old truck, when suddenly, General Motors offered me a job. And just like that, our house was sold, and the Hover family was off to Nashville. So the top-five stories of 2014 represent a little of the old and a little of the new. Let’s look back at the most popular stories on Hover Motor Company as calculated by Google Analytics.  By the way, if you click on the story title, it will take you to the story.