From the April 2004 issue:
AACA REGIONS SHARE A SATURDAY @ Al’s & Don’s:
What a day...if your tastes are varied then this was eclectic heaven. Local AACA sympathizers joined up with like minds from the Volusia Region of AACA who were making a road trip.
In late morning, we descended on AL’s Roadside Relics, a ‘Used everything’ business in Gainesville. Our array of old cars seemed new by comparison with the relics that we found in AL’s back lot. Most of us had never been there and were in for a real shock. There were 100's of rusting hulks from the 1920's up to about 1970. There were rows of 50's Caddies and Fords plus a large mix of very unusual and seldom seen vehicles. How about 3 or 4 Jeepsters and 2 Jeep Wagons? Some had trees growing through them, some were barely recognizable, some were difficult to see, but virtually all had seen their better days. Most cars were accessible, and there were still some useable parts, but mostly these are a step away from the crusher.
AL’s building is also crammed with other ‘better’ cars and old gas pumps, soda crates, cash registers, tin signs and all kinds of memorabilia. If you can peer through the dust and use some sparkling imagination there are ‘pots of gold’ to be found. But, then we tend to be weird people.
From AL’s we drove to High Springs to have lunch at Floyd’s Diner, a popular 50's style restaurant. After parking the ‘show’ cars on the front lawn of the diner, we had a delicious meal in the patio area underneath the big canopy.
The group then trekked through High Springs to Don’s Coach Builder facilities. After a demo and walk thru concerning the new Corvette project we were given the tour of Don’s private collection. There are about 40 cars tucked away, including a Bentley, a Golden Hawk, a Delorean, bunches of 50s-60s Oldsmobiles, a ‘41 Lincoln Continental, a 300 F Chrysler, a ‘32 Pontiac and much more. Most are AACA seniors.
TOUR ADDS DR. CADE’S WILD COLLECTION:
From Coach Builders, most of the group went on to Dr. Cade’s Studebaker ‘farm’. There are probably more Studebakers here than any place but the namesake’s museum in South Bend, Indiana. I’m not sure, but there can’t be many places that have well over a 100 Studebakers in one place. Even though some don’t run, and they go from basket cases to museum pieces, there are about 60 that are "runners". And, the parts warehouse is large, overflowing and must have more Studebaker items than almost anywhere else. Folks...we are talking truckloads!
Dr. Robert Cade, a long time prominent urologist at the University of Florida is also known as the inventor of the sports drink "Gatorade", but in our circles he’s known as Mr. Studebaker.
Dr. Cade loves to talk about his cars and show everyone around the buildings and yard which are nestled in a farm like setting a few miles outside of Gainesville. He likes to reminisce about his first Studebaker, a 1957 station wagon and a 1951 that he bought for $10 because he needed quick transportation to New York. It came with a tank of gas and a big can of oil which he found useful when it was discovered that it used about a quart of oil every 25 miles. But, the car got him from Florida to New York and back; thus started his long time passion for this brand.
LIVE OAK SHOW GETS BIGGER & BETTER:
Our brethren in the Kingdom of the Sun Region of AACA (Ocala) did a good job of putting on the old car section of this show. While this is primarily a horse and carriage event of some magnitude, the antique car portion adds another dimension to the show. Cars must meet AACA criteria for entry, and there were some very high quality vehicles amongst the 130 registered.
It’s a beautiful setting, with lush grass and large oak trees providing a tranquil rural backdrop for the costumed riders, horse drawn carriages, and ...of course, our old horseless carriages.
Our Region furnished Mike Whyte, Suzanne Kirk, Don & Donna McCullen, Jim Schmidt & Sally, Larry & Judy Compton, and Frank Wheelus. Jim Schmidt carried off the "Best of Show" award for his immaculate 1930 Lincoln (the gorgeous green machine). Don took his class with his 1966 Riviera, another fine work of art.