Mecum - Indy 2019

May 31, 2019 by JT

Here we go. The big one. Indy Mecum is the largest collector car auction they offer up each year. The thing about this one is the location. When I think fairgrounds, I imagine some various barns and sheds like my local grounds herein Ohio. At the Indiana State Fairgrounds, you get massive brick buildings that look classic and timeless.
Walking in, you are greeted by Dodge and the Hellcat. This has almost become a staple at a Mecum event. The Hellcats take people for quite a ride - I have not done this at Mecum, mostly because I have lived it :)

On to the show floor, staging area and auction. Just like on TV, you see it all. With our media passes we were granted access pretty much anywhere. Thanks Mecum! The event is always fun and even if you aren’t buying, you will see more cars than your local Cars & Coffee. Plus, you hear them start up, drive to the floor and actually see them move. The courtesy is to not touch, but people looking here are potential buyers, so you see way more door opening than you would at the ice cream shop show and shine. Check the video below; it’s me filming all over. Since purchasing a gimbal, I am very excited to do another one of these with silky smooth footage. Enjoy!

Mecum Kissimmee 2019

February 10, 2019 by JT

We’re back at Mecum! I always love attending these events because of the size and variety of vehicles. This year, one of the highlights is a super rare ORIGINAL Ford GT. As reported before, Mecum listed one of the new Ford GT’s last year, which has gotten some media attention. Either way, this was the real deal original from the 60s.

Dodge was back as a big sponsor, allowing us to take rides in the Hellcat’s and various Charger/Challenger models, spinning their way into a fun ride around the grounds. When Kissimmee comes up as one of the Mecum Auctions to attend, I always jump because it is a nice break from our gross winter up here in Akron.

Take a look below at the various image and vehicles - this by no means covers everything at the auction, but you get an idea as to what you can see at one of these events. We will be covering Indy next, which is coming in May. Look for video from this event and also follow my Instagram for live updates throughout the shows.

Mecum 2017

December 11, 2017 by JT

In 2017, I had the pleasure of attending two Mecum Auctions, one being in Kissimmee and the second being in Indianapolis. This was my first visit to an event of this magnitude, only seeing them on TV from time to time. I was absolutely blown away at the amount of vehicles you could walk right up to as they were waiting to go across the block.
For the most part, everything was there for you to open, sit in, look at and experience first hand. The intention is you are planning to bid of course, but for both of these we went to spectate. For the January trip, we followed this up with a quick trip to Disney World to watch my wife run the Disney Marathon. This was very similar to 2016, when I had the Cadillac CTS-V.
Overall, both trips were super fun and I plan to go back again soon. Check out the video below to see what we saw and experienced. Enjoy!

The Henry Ford

August 25, 2015 by JT

During our family vacation this year, we stopped at The Henry Ford in Michigan. I had never been here before so it was definitely high up on my to-do list. I've always heard great things about what you can see there, how they have the car Kennedy last rode in and other artifacts from American history. If you ever want to see something neat for a day or so, this is a great place to visit. The focus of this story will be on the automotive pieces of the museum, but overall I was fully impressed by what I saw and how much I didn't even have time to take in.

We started our tour along a row of presidential limousines. The technology changes over the years was neat to see and I wish they had a current one to compare to, just to ponder how unprotected the presidents used to be. The Henry Ford had some great examples of off the showroom floor vehicles. The early Taurus, a Dodge Caravan from the 80s and even the first gen Prius. Another neat area was the display showing automotive emblems and brochures. The entire idea of the museum is to sort of take you back, as if you were back in time. It feels that way when you can look at a 1986 Chevrolet Truck dealership brochure or a mint condition first gen Taurus, which you never see on the road.

When we think of classic cars, we think of the '57 Chevy, the old F100's - never do we think of a mint condition, never seen daylight Ford Escort as being classic. I would totally agree, but once again, it takes you back in time. You see something that you would most definitely not see nowadays, cars that were just run to death and not many people felt the need to save an Escort. I found this aspect of the museum to be one of the coolest. There also is the opportunity to see a real, Ford GT40 from the 60s. Greenfield Village, which requires almost an extra day to see fully, is another neat aspect of this complex. You can ride around in Model T's, see various homes transplanted from all over the country and just stroll around feeling nostalgic. I found the entire experience to keep me wanting more and researching each and every little aspect I saw there. Great place to take a family or just go by yourself to tour alone. Take a look at the video below, as I showcase the museum portion of The Henry Ford.

Track Day in a Z06

Nelson Ledge Road Course

June 22, 2015 by JT

So the first track day of the season for me took place a few weeks ago. Finally got a minute to edit together the footage. The C5 Z06 is an absolutely insane car, it just is. You can drive it around daily in moderate comfort and then rip apart the track all in the same breath. For the people that have C6 Z's, Hellcats, or anything else more insane - I really can't imagine... I talk you through the morning of and also share some track footage. This being a Z06, you'll notice the in car audio is much noisier compared to other videos. The Z06 has thinner glass, less sound deadening, louder tires and of course the titanium exhaust. All of this helps save weight, which is exactly what you want. After having this Corvette for an entire track day, and the hour or so of driving to and from the track, it really makes me wish I had the space (and money) for a third vehicle. Such a neat automobile. Enjoy!

Nelson Ledges Race Complex Track Day

May 02, 2015 by JT

Nelson Ledges is a legendary place for many reasons. From the classic races that have been held here for decades and more recently the classic cases of disrepair and hatred. There has been a changing of the guard in the last year, which seems to be good news for all of us drivers. Tons of upkeep and improvements have been evident recently, which is awesome! I stumbled upon this place two years ago, attending my first track day in an LS1 Camaro. Pretty much, I'm hooked as this is some of the most fun I've had in my car since I've owned it.

Last year, my dad picked up a showroom new C5 Z06 and brought that to the track. So our time here has been increasing with each year. Each winter it seems like the anticipation builds and I think more and more about what I can do with my car to make it just a little bit faster around Nelsons. From what I can gather, numerous changes have occurred since our last visit back in September. The new owners are serious about maintenance and upkeep. You really could go track your car anywhere, including Mid-Ohio which is only about two hours away and has a great surface compared to Nelson Ledges. The fun thing about going here though is simple: You can see neat cars, you only drive 40 minutes from Akron and you don't break the bank when you pay your track day fee.

This footage below is my first time using the GoPro at a track event, so don't hate on it, I'm sure somebody will though. I learned some good mounting spots and bad, but overall it's crazy fun to watch your day back once you get home to relax. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll meet you at the track this year!

Stan Hywet 57th Classic, Antique & Collector Car Show

June 20, 2014 by JT

The Father's Day Car Show at Stan Hywet has been a tradition for 57 years. This was the first time I have attended since I was a little kid, so this really was a fresh and new event for me. From what I have heard, the show is usually filled with old classics that have more sheet metal on them than everything made in the past 20 years combined. After a short ride on the shuttle bus, as there is no onsite parking, we arrived at the beautiful Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.

This is a ticketed and paid entry car show that has over 300 vehicles along with tons of activities for the whole family. We were greeted with displays from the local BMW & Ford dealerships. That was a nice start because who doesn't want to see a new M3 or Raptor sitting on the grounds of a historical landmark.

The big theme this year was Mustang turning 50, and this event really showcased the entire history of the model. We were able to see pretty much everything Mustang has been over the past half century. There were some great examples from every end of the Mustang spectrum. The photos from this event really came out amazing, and the vehicles attending the show are to thank for that.

The show had a great mixture of old and new. One end of the grounds had a showcase of early Model Fords. You could then walk a few hundred feet and see a Ferrari 458. We even were able to see an entire group of Chevrolet Corvairs. Stan Hywet really had a great showing of automotive history from the past decade. We really enjoyed seeing what was around the corner in each row of vehicles. Stan Hywet is such an amazing and historic site, I plan to take a tour here very soon. If you are into the "finer" type of car shows, they have their Concours D'Elegance show coming up in September. For more information on everything they have to offer, check their website - http://www.stanhywet.org

2014 Cleveland Auto Show - IX Center

March 19, 2014 by JT

The Cleveland Auto Show is right in our neck of the woods, but at the same time doesn't usually make you super excited. They usually get a Corvette, maybe a nicer Mustang and that seems to be about it. The smaller shows like Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are pretty basic, lacking the excitement of a New York, Detroit, or LA show.

This year was very different though. We visited on Media Day and on another random weeknight, but towards the end of the day for both. This was our first experience with Media Day. The show looked like it was having the finishing touches put on and the displays were not fully functional. The narrators and PR people weren't present to discuss concepts and show cars. This was very nice because we could look at just about anything without being interrupted. If this is what the Detroit Auto Show media days are like, sign us up for 2015. We were able to film some of the displays with the new GoPro Hero 3+ and also take some great photos.

One of the best displays was by Chevrolet. I am very performance oriented and prefer the more exciting and powerful models when looking at new cars. The Chevy setup had two ZL1's, the 2015 Z06, a Chevrolet SS, Camaro Z28, and some "regular" Corvettes. Quite the lineup for performance enthusiasts. We found out later that the Z06 was a last minute addition that basically was just the shell. You could see this on a few different cars at the show because they lacked a complete interior. Chevrolet really brought everything they had and you could tell their product line has really been perfected over the past few years.

The fun didn't stop there though when looking through the IX Center. Nissan had a GT-R and Nismo 370Z in their display. Ford had a pair of ST's, the new Mustang, a Raptor, and a Shelby GT500. SRT brought the Viper and Fiat had an Abarth. This was probably the best display I've seen in Cleveland over the past ten years of visiting. The automakers really stepped up and didn't just bring their moneymakers and beige boxes. This was a fun show to visit and hopefully they can keep the momentum going like this each year. The Cleveland Auto show will never be Detroit or LA, but if they can scratch the surface of the larger tiered shows and bring Northeast Ohio their best products, you can plan to see Hoagies Garage attending each year.

FYI: Be sure to check out our different pages and accounts. We will be sharing videos on YouTube and also Pinning our photos. Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter will all offer updates and the latest news like usual.

2014 NAIAS - Detroit, Michigan

January 25, 2014 by JT

The North American International Auto Show happens each January in downtown Detroit. Depending on the weather, it can be a real nightmare getting up there to look at the newest concepts and models the automakers have to offer. This year, we have been stuck in this frozen arctic blast so the weather wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either. Detroit has a nice public transportation system which keeps you fairly warm during your travels downtown to the Cobo Center.

In the past ten years, the NAIAS has seen a number of changes. My first trip left me with an entire suitcase full of handouts and freebies. A few years back, the show almost didn't happen. There was even a year I remember where the show was so bland and boring that the Cleveland Auto Show was equal in excitement. Heading up this year though, I expected to see a good showing. The models released were some of the most anticipated and most powerful ever. Sales of many automakers have been way up the past year, which would result in a great show floor. We decided to visit during the first public day. This proved to be a pretty big mistake because the show was as busy as I have ever seen. Most of the photos I planned to take didn't happen and the ones I did grab show you just how busy everything was. At certain times, we couldn't even see a car because the crowds were five people deep.

Surprisingly, the most crowded manufacturer was Chevrolet. The new Corvette Z06 was almost impossible to get near and I actually had to wait in line to sit inside a new Sonic of all things. One of the most exciting "normal" cars we saw in the GM display was the new Colorado. It looked very clean and gives you hope that the small truck market is coming back. For some reason, I miss seeing the Rangers, S10s, and Dakota's driving around town. GMC also had their version on display as well. The Canyon looked like a miniature version of the Sierra we tested a month back.

Another crazy busy booth was Tesla. If you don't know who Tesla is, google them right now. They are a smallish California based company which makes only electric cars. They had their Model S which we couldn't even see upon walking up to it. Also on display was their chassis setup which houses the drivetrain and batteries. I am kind of surprised they have such a small space, but they were handing out tote bags to anybody who wanted one.

Finally, let's discuss the negatives. The automaker that had the slowest and easiest display to walk around was Kia. We could sit in pretty much any vehicle we wanted with no wait and also didn't feel claustrophobic. This was a big change from a few years back when the hamsters were all over and it was a big dance party. Scion was busy due to the FR-S, but they had what I feel is the worst car I've ever sat in. To put this into perspective, this means current and new vehicles. Obviously the 1977 Pontiac I rode in ten years ago was built much worse, but by today's standards this vehicle takes top honors. I am talking about the Scion iQ. The iQ is a super small mini car that has four seats and no trunk. It does have a hatch to open, but that only fits a piece of paper as cargo. The front end is a horrible squared shape, the interior is super ugly and is built worse than an early 90s Chevy. From our perspective, it was cheap and looked awful, end of story.

The North American International Auto Show was very impressive for 2014. If you go by the crowds, this should be a very good year for the automakers. Tons of new technology was showcased and the public seems to be in the market for infotainment, electric/hybrid, great design, and new models. All of these ideas were shown by many of the car makers. From what we can gather, it looks like they are listening to the public and giving them what they want. If the different manufacturers can continue doing this, we feel that cars in general over the next five years will be more exciting than ever.