It was a beautiful day at the 52nd Grinnell Show & Shine
J.O. Parker
Car show fans couldn’t have asked for nicer weather to attend the 52nd Grinnell Show & Shine Car Show held in and around Central Park on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Temperatures hovered around 75 degrees with a light breeze on a beautiful partly cloudy day.
Paul Jones, who moved to Grinnell from Marshalltown, was home and decided to get out of the house for a while.
“I come down here to Central Park,” he said as he checked out a beautiful blue 1964 Chevrolet convertible with his son. “I didn’t realize there was a car show. I went back home and got my son. I just love classic cars.”
This year’s show drew an estimated 240 cars, trucks and motorcycles from originals to custom garage-built creations. And about every type of vehicle was featured from Ford to Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, Dodge, Plymouth, Mercury, AMC, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Studebaker, Model Ts and a few creations on four wheels with engines.
Also featured were a large number of motorcycles from racing bikes to touring models and more.
The Grinnell Show & Shine was founded in 1973 by four Grinnell business owners who loved old cars and decided to form a club.
They included Bob Latting, who is still involved in the show to this day, and the now late Don Matthews, Fred England and Art Wells.
The four men held the club’s first car show that year by the high school. There were seven or eight cars on display, all owned by club members.
Today, the show is under the direction of Bud Cox and his wife, Kelley, with the Grinnell Vintage Auto Club.
“I think the show went very well,” said Bud. “It was a really nice day for a car show. It was beautiful outside.”
Numerous trophies and honors were handed out and a 50/50 raffle was held with door prize drawings. And breakfast this year was served to 80 plus people by the Grinnell Optimist Club with the Grinnell Car Club serving lunch.
Bud said the car show wouldn’t have been a success without the help of five area high school students. They were: BGM, Jacksyn Bullers, Olivia Bullers, Cayden Shook and Averee Krebill; and North Mahaska, Ruby Wallerich.
The car that came the furthest distance to this year’s show was from Hiawatha.
Monte Wenger, a Victor-based DJ who does car shows around the state, was on hand to provide the tunes and serve as the show emcee. And that evening a concert was held with “The Electric Cars,” an 80s tribute band from Chicago belting out the tunes.
Doug Johnson of Pleasant Hill bought his late dad’s customized 1937 Ford pickup to the show.
“My dad, Mel, bought it used in the early 1970s,” recalled Johnson. “It was a farm truck. We did chores in it and we’d take hay and feed to the animals and drive through corn fields.”
Johnson said the old truck had a fan mounted to the dash.
“We used it as an air conditioner in the summer and defroster in the winter,” he said.
Johnson said the old truck was all beat up and in 2013, he took it to Roger Burman, owner of Lakeside Rods and Ride in Forrest City, to have it rebuilt.
He had worked with Burman in 2011 on a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette that was owned by his dad and liked his work.
“When I rebuilt it (the Corvette), I did it as a tribute to my son who passed away in 2008,” said Johnson.
Some years back, Johnson and his vehicles were featured in a local newspaper article in the Pleasant Hill area. He had the newspaper clipping taped to the windshield of the old truck.
Johnson said he has lots memories of his dad and the old truck.
“Hopefully I will get to pass the truck on to my grandkid,” he said.
Johnson said he attends from 12 – 14 car shows a year and had last been at the Grinnell show in 2023.
Richard and Connie Akery of Blairstown brought their one-owner 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS to this year’s show. The couple bought the car new from Shaull & Ullerich Chevrolet in Blairstown.
“I ordered a 327 with four on the floor,” recalled Richard. “They sent the car with bucket seats. We had a baby coming and I wanted a bench seat so we could put the baby seat in the car.”
Richard said the dealer found an aftermarket bench seat with removable baby seat and he bought it and had it installed in the Impala.
The car license plate says, “4EVER39. The couple purchased the tag in honor of comedian Jack Benny, who claimed to be 39 Forever when anyone asked his age.
The couple had the car restored and repainted Aztec bronze color in recent years. Richard had a photo album in the car showing the work.
The couple enjoys taking the Impala SS to car shows, visiting with friends and show attendees while reliving the memories.
Matt and Nicole Erickson brought their 2019 Jeep Wrangler to the Grinnell Show and Shine. The bright orange Jeep features tiger eyes in the headlights and a black and white American Flag in the grill. Their license tag is “JONNJUN,” for Johnny and June Cash.
They affectionally call the Jeep “CASH 3.0,” which is decked out with Johnny and June Cash memorabilia and ducks.
Yes, ducks, which they give plastic ones away to those who stop to check out their ride. Nicole said people always ask what the big deal is with Jeeps and ducks.
“It’s a movement that was started in Canada as an act of kindness and its spread across the United States and Mexico,” she said.
“I’m just passing along a smile,” said Nicole, who was wearing a T-shirt with the Jeep Wave, another outreach she and Matt are involved in.
When asked about the name of the Jeep, Nicole said, “We were going to call it “Orange Blossom Special,” but went with “CASH 3.0,” instead.”
Nicole said this is the couple’s third Jeep.
“We worked our way up the chain.”
“I enjoy seeing all the old school cars,” said Josh Burns of Grinnell. “I brought my late grandfather’s 1968 Coronet 440 to show others. I’m just trying to make him proud.”
“Thank you to everyone who participated and all those who attend the show,” said Bud.
