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THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | friDAY, julY 3, 2015

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A merican R ides Goodguys 18th PPG Nationals July 10-12 • Ohio Expo Center 1949 Ford Convertible See page 3

1956 Ford Thunderbird See page 4

1966 chevrolet corvair See page 5

Editor’s Note: A big thanks to all who entered their classic cars for consideration to be featured in this special section. There were some wonderful vehicles — and great stories to go along with them. We hope you enjoy these convertibles representing the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

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THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section Section |Friday, 2015 ■■ Special Advertising frIDAY, July jULY 3, 3, 2015

Hot rods, customs and horsepower come to Ohio Expo Center The Goodguys 18th PPG Nationals will be held July 10-12 at the Ohio Expo Center

The Columbus landscape is about to explode with horsepower, hot rods and custom vehicles — more than 6,000 of them. The 1972 and earlier hot rods, classics customs, muscle cars and tricked-out trucks will cruise into Columbus to be on display, compete for the nation’s top awards and mingle with their peers at the Goodguys 18th PPG Nationals July 10-12 at the Ohio Expo Center. The Goodguys PPG Nationals is the largest automotive event held in the Buckeye State and third largest in the country, bringing together preregistered classic cars and car people from 39 states. The grounds are filled to capacity for the Goodguys Nationals to create enough energy, color and fun that it should require its own ziP code.

More than just thousands of vintage cars, the event features more than 400 exhibitor and manufacturer booths, a Goodguys AutoCross competition (electronically timed road course) with some heavy hitters like two-time indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. and Robby Unser. in addition, there will be special awards, a giant swap meet and carsfor-sale corral, how-to seminars, live entertainment, model car show, arts

and crafts, Friday Nite Vintage Drag races at National Trail Raceway and much more. The world’s top street machines (1955-1972 modified muscle cars) will compete Friday and Saturday for the 2015 Street Machine of the Year title as will street rods (1949 and earlier rods) for the 2015 Street Rod of the Year title. These cars, some valued at more than $1 million, will come to Columbus from all points of the U.S., as well as entries from

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THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | friDAY, july 3, 2015

1949 Ford Convertible

An original restoration: A 1949 Ford Convertible just like Ford made it By Carolyn Dix Remer Dispatch Media Group Tim Halter started his 1949 Ford Convertible and grinned proudly as the engine roared to life. “Now this is the sound of a Ford flathead engine.” Cars don’t sound like that anymore, he noted, but then, there aren’t many cars around like Halter’s ’49 Ford. Not just because it’s a classic car, but because every inch of it — including the 239 flathead V-8 engine — is exactly as it was when the car first rolled off the factory line more than 60 years ago. Pop open the hood, and you’ll notice that some of the screws aren’t painted. That’s because they weren’t painted when the Ford Motor Co. originally manufactured the car, he said. Restoring his ’49 Ford to its original glory — down to the last screw — was no easy feat. For starters, it was in poor condition when he bought it in 1978 from a man who lived on Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island. The sea air had taken its toll on the car, and it was rusted everywhere, Halter said. The previous owner had welded the doors shut in order to drive it, he added. Halter towed the car to Columbus and set out to restore it. When he pulled the body off the frame, it broke in half. He had his work cut out for him. His journey to restore his car took him all over the country, including California, Texas and Florida, in search of original parts. When he needed a new cowl (the frame around the windshield), Halter bought a 1954 convertible just to cut out its cowl to use on his own car. Halter was adamant about doing all of the work himself. He said the

Tim Halter is proud of his self-restored 1949 Ford Convertible.

About the car: Make/Model: 1949 Ford Convertible Color: Black Engine: 239 flathead V-8 engine, 90 horsepower Extras: • Built in August 1948 • Glasspack mufflers with dual exhaust • Engine is a Sears-rebuilt flat head engine (rebuilt in 1953) • Purchased for $2,200 • Ford-Holley two-barrel carburetor • Wheelbase is 114” • Every accessory in it is an accessory Ford had when it was built local library came in handy in helping him research how to refurbish his car. He is a certified welder, but said sheet metal is a lot different to work with. He enlisted help from others to explain how to do the work when

needed, but he still was the one who got his hands dirty. And, “what I couldn’t find, I had to make,” he said. It took him 10 years to complete the restoration. In 2000, his hard work was recognized when he received the Senior Award from the Antique Automobile Club of America, he said. The award is given to the car that best represents how it was originally manufactured. “It’s a part of history,” he said. Restoring his ’49 Ford Convertible was a hobby for Halter. He did it on the side while owning other businesses, but now his hobby has turned into a new business venture. When Halter had to manufacture parts he couldn’t find including the top castings. He recognized that if he wasn’t able to find certain

Photos by John Knouff

parts, others wouldn’t be able to find them either. So, he created an online business and now sells top castings for 1949-1951 Ford Convertibles. He gets requests for his top castings from all over the world. He recently received a request for two from a man in Spain who needs them for his 1950 Ford.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | friDAY, july 3, 2015

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1956 Ford Thunderbird When it comes to their wheels, the Grindrods keep them all in the family By Carolyn Dix Remer Dispatch Media Group Jeff Grindrod remembers the first time he laid eyes on his 1956 Ford Thunderbird. It was 2013, and he had gone to Lake Orion, north of Detroit, to see the car he had found on Hemmings, an online collector-car marketplace. When the garage door went up, “It was like Christmas morning for me,” he said. But it wasn’t just the 1956 Ford Thunderbird he was excited to see. It was seeing it in all its Thunderbird Green glory. Out of the 15,631 ’56 Ford Thunderbirds manufactured, only about 4 percent were painted Thunderbird Green. It was a real — and rare — treat, he said. But, it wasn’t just Jeff’s car for the driving. He and his older brother, Gary Grindrod, had been on the hunt for a 1956 Ford Thunderbird they could share. And while Gary liked the idea of a 1955 Thunderbird — the original — Jeff liked the Continental kit that the 1956 model offered, with the spare tire on the back of the car. And, Jeff liked the nontraditional Thunderbird Green color because it was different and “screams the ’50s.” Even better, the car was in pretty good condition, though the Grindrods have had some work done on it to correct various issues. Today, the Grindrod brothers share custody of their Thunderbird. Jeff lives in Newark, and his brother Gary lives on Hilton Head Island, S.C. They each get the car six months out of the year. The car travels north to Ohio on

Jeff Grindrod shares ownership of this 1956 Ford Thunderbird with his brother, Gary.

Photos by John Knouff

About the car: Make/Model: 1956 Ford Thunderbird Color: Thunderbird Green Engine: 312 ci, V-8, 4 barrel carb (225 horsepower) Extras: • Built Nov. 13, 1955, in Dearborn, Mich. • Original Price: $3,151 • Interior: Green and white vinyl • Fordomatic transmission • Power steering, windows and seat May 1 for the summer, and then hits the road back to South Carolina on Nov. 1 for the winter. And while Jeff describes it as a “riding” car that he enjoys driving around Newark and parking at Rita’s Ice (to the “oohs” and “ahhs” of its patrons), a professional service transports the car back and forth between the two states.

You might think the brothers would miss their Thunderbird during those long six months without it, but Jeff said it’s not so bad, because each has a car to “fall back on.” Jeff has a 1964.5 Mustang, while Gary has a 2013 Porsche Boxster. “So far it’s worked out very nicely,” he said. When Jeff retired from being a high school teacher and football and track coach, he said his wife wasn’t sure what he was going to do with himself. He

decided to start attending car shows, first with his Mustang and later with the Thunderbird. “I’ve met so many really interesting people” going to car shows, he said. “I had no idea this world existed.” He said he loves meeting others who are also passionate about cars and that everyone is very informative and willing to help if you have questions about your car. “It’s a very welcoming community,” he said. And, it was at a car show in South Carolina where Jeff had a chance to meet none other than John Samson, one of the original designers of the Thunderbird. Samson signed the inside of the hood and dash of the Grindrod brothers’ Thunderbird.

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THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | friDAY, july 3, 2015

1966 Chevrolet Corvair

A love affair with the Corvair By Carolyn Dix Remer Dispatch Media Group Have you seen a Corvair lately? You’re not likely to see many on the road these days, as the sporty Chevrolet model was only manufactured from 1960-1969. But if you do happen to spot one in the Columbus area, it might be David Bartosic behind the wheel. Bartosic has always been passionate about cars. “I was born with car keys in my hand,” he joked. He fondly remembers going for joy rides in his aunt’s convertible as a kid in Wisconsin. When he was 10 years old, his neighbors would pay him to wash their cars, but better for Bartosic, they let him back their cars out of the garage to do so. Little did his neighbors know that for the chance to simply back their cars out of the garage — and turn them around to wash the other side — Bartosic would have washed them for free. “I wanted to wake up 16 and get my driver’s license,” he said. But his love affair with the Corvair began when his neighbors across the street purchased a 1965 Corvair. It would be several more years before he finally owned his own Corvair, but in 2008 he bought himself a red 1966 Corvair convertible that he found on eBay. It was a present to himself for quitting smoking. When he first saw the car, he said it had a 10-foot paint job. “It looked great from 10 feet away,” he laughed. He towed the car to Columbus from where he purchased it in Iowa, had it painted a deeper red and had the roof replaced. He said that he’s always been attracted to the Corvair because it’s different. Those differences are also the reason Bartosic surmised the Corvair went out of style — and production.

David Bartosic fell in love with the Corvair in his youth.

Photos by John Knouff

About the car: Make/Model: 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Color: Red Engine: 110 flat-6 engine Extras: • One of the first cars available with a turbocharger and an independent suspension • Automatic with two speeds. “It shifts once, and it’s done.” • AM deluxe push-button radio • It doesn’t have park. You have to put it in neutral, and pull on the emergency brake. • The air-cooled engine doesn’t require antifreeze, a radiator or water pump. • Manufactured December 1966 at General Motors’ plant in Willow Run, Mich.

One of the biggest differences? Its rear-engine design. Unlike most cars available in the 1960s and today,

you’ll find its revolutionary air-cooled, all-aluminum 110 flat-6 engine in the trunk. “You should see people’s faces when I put groceries in the front” of the car, he laughed. He also loves its sleek design, a far cry from the boxier cars available in the ’60s. He said he thinks people in those days wanted a smaller version of the larger cars, and the Corvair looked too different for their tastes. It also didn’t help the Corvair’s popularity when Ralph Nader included the Corvair — as chapter one — in his 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile. Corvairs had originally been designed with a swing-axle suspen-

sion, and Nader claimed this would make the car flip over. And while the Corvair had been redesigned and no longer had the swing-axle suspension, the damage to its reputation had been done, according to Bartosic. Chevrolet sold just shy of 10 million Corvairs, far less than the company had projected, he said. Between the number of cars made and the number of years since they ceased production, Bartosic said these days, you just don’t see them around. So when he is out and about, “it draws a lot of attention,” he said. “It’s a very fun car to drive.”

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section |Friday, July 3, 2015 ■

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