Caliterra holds car show

PHOTOS BY JOHN PACHECO/CENTERY NEWS

Caliterra and the Caliterra Home Owners Association held a “Custom, Classic & Exotic Car Show” this weekend at their Event Barn and park area.

In the classic 1960s muscle car genre, Lee Reed brought his beautifully restored 1969 Chevrolet Camaro which took 16 months to restore. “It’s a true SS model. A guy at another car show offered me sixty-five thousand dollars for it, but I told him no sale,” Reed said. “I bought it five years ago from Bama Brown (the KVET disk jockey) at a reasonable price, and then had Bobby Max help me restore it. Notice the paint? It’s called ‘candy paint- hell fire.’ It changes color in the sun depending on your angle. I also had most the engine chromed. I’ve been working on cars since I was a boy. My father was a mechanic by trade and I sort of picked it up as a hobby.”

But looks are not all Reed’s car has, it also has power.  “The engine is a 383 stroke, with 350 board out, and a four-speed transmission,” Reed said.

Probably the most unusual entry at the car show was James Bisett’s 1942 Army Jeep. “I bought it in 2017, and I’m still working on restoring it. It’s an ongoing effort,” Bisett said. “My grandfather fought in World War 2 and left me his war stuff, since then I’ve been adding to the collection and the Jeep just fit in with my interests in all things military.”

In addition to the 1942 jeep, Bisett also brought some of his military collection, which included an 81mm mortar tube. “This mortar tube was the largest made for the infantry in World War 2,” Bisett said.

Back to the traditional, what would a car show be without a Ford Model A? Tom Phillips of Dripping Springs proudly displayed his Ford Model A Victoria. “The Victoria is an unusual model so I jumped on it when I found it. It took me two years to restore, and I did most of the work myself,” Phillips said. “I’ve been collecting and working on cars since high school, so I can tell you this car is sturdy. My wife and I drove it to Big Bend about to 2 years ago in the month of April. It has a 260 V8 engine with four on the floor, but what it does not have is air conditioning.”

Dripping Springs fixture JB Lamb showed up with his 1979 Trans Am, dressed up as “The Bandid” Burt Reynolds. When he saw two school boys admiring the wheels, he invited them “to take a seat inside the car.” Lamb has been to various events around Dripping Springs, dressed up as The Bandit, and particularly enjoys interacting with young people who “wow” at the car. “I get a big kick out of it,” Lamb said. He’s also a very big fan of the actor Burt Reynolds who played the role, which is what inspired him to buy and restore the Trans Am.

In addition to unique cars, the event also had food trailers, a bounce house for children, and live music by classic rock and blues band Black Cat Choir.

In the Caliterra Welcome Center, Dripping Springs’ Juan Chan of Le Muse Coffee, also stocked up with Mexican pastries, breakfast tacos, and assorted beverages for attendees and a good time was held by all.

-By John Pacheco, Editor