Shelby car show bridged decades with shared stories and history
By David Jacobs
Editor's note: This feature looks back at the people and vehicles that made this year’s car show one to remember.
For car and motorcycle owners gathered downtown for the summer's Shelby Car Show & Cruise-In, the vehicles were a reflection of personal history, mechanical perseverance, and shared passion.
Michael Curry, of Mansfield, brought his 1966 Chevrolet C10 pickup, a vehicle he has owned for four years and customized the way it rides.
“I’ve done all the work on it myself, lowered it, got it riding right,” Curry said, also noting the pickup's rims.
Curry emphasized its original 327 engine and three-speed column shift.
“It was all original, so I customized the way it rides, lowered it, put some rims on it,” he said. “It’s a really nice show for a small town.”
Curry attended with his girlfriend, Misty Hall of Plymouth, and a group of friends.
“I got six or eight of my buddies over here with me, and we’re just having a good time enjoying the weather,” he said.
Brian Studer, a Shelby resident, arrived with his 31-year-old Jeep Wrangler, originally from Arizona.
“It’s very rust-free, so it’s an all-original vehicle, so it still drives very much like a new one,” Studer said of the classic built at the Toledo Jeep manufacturing plant.
Studer enjoyed the atmosphere of the Shelby show.
“It’s working out really good, being down here downtown, and that’s what everybody wanted," he said. "Everybody is happy."
He added, “I am a big Jeep fan, so yeah.”
Steve Fellows, Shelby car show president, noted the increase in participation. “We’ve got double the cars we had last year,” Fellows said of the June 21 special event. "That is exactly what I was shooting for."
He described this special event as one where "everyone is having a good time."
"Good conversations are happening," he said. "It is very family-oriented."
All participants were happy that they were able to cruise this year, as opposed to staying in place in a parking lot aside from the parade.
"That was the biggest thing," Fellows said of cruising in historic downtown Shelby.
"They were able to drive around, show off a little bit,” added Fellows, the owner of the Dove Candle Bar, 45 E. Main St.
Car and motorcycle enthusiasts came from throughout a wide region, including Ashland-Wooster and Bucyrus.
For Bob Stinemetz of Perryville, his white 1970 Volkswagen Beetle is a source of pride.
“I bought it in 2011 and it took me a year and a half to get her on the road,” he said. "I have been showing it ever since."
The car’s sunroof is a notable feature.
“They are very rare to find one," Stinemetz said. "It was manufactured that way. They only did so many of them. That’s why I picked it up because it’s a little rare.”
Stinemetz bought it from a resident of Centerburg. "He did everything on it. He replaced all of the pans on it and painted it."
Stinemetz did additional work on the Beetle that was built in Germany.
"I did a wiring harness in it, all new brake lines, gas line, everything new on it," he said, also noting interior work and the engine.
"The engine I had rebuilt," Stinemetz said. "It's a high-performance 1776, putting out about 82 horsepower" -- significantly higher than what it normally would put out.
Over the years, Stinemetz has owned a 1961 VW Beetle ragtop, as well as 1965 and 1968 versions.
"That is how I got it into my blood," he said. "I couldn't get it out."
Frank Tag, of Crestline, owns a 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 that drew attention with its color-shifting paint.
“It’s got the chameleon stripes on it. They change colors as you walk by,” he said. “The interior is diamond-point tucked. It's all beautiful. It’s got a 390 horsepower motor in it and sidepipes, which you don't see any longer on anything."
Tag's had the Galaxie for about six years, a car he describes as good all-around and one similar to the vehicles he drove in that era.
"It's good driving," he said. "It's got the speed. It’s got everything I wanted.”
Adding motorcycles to the mix this year was a highlight for Joshua Fellows of Galion, who rode his 2011 Harley-Davidson Street Glide.
“I actually tried to get him into doing it,” he said, referring to his father, Steve Fellows, car show president. “Last year we attended the car show, I was like, ‘Man, you can get some bikes in here. Shelby is a big bike community, too.”
Joshua Fellows’ Street Glide stood out.
“Mine is all done out in chrome. I’ve got aftermarket speakers in it, probably a $3,000 stereo system, stage one kit in it,” Fellows said. “It’s a touring bike. I can go long distances, be comfortable, see everything I want to see, just travel and check everything out, and be free about it. It’s awesome.”
Joshua Fellows told his father he would try to attract as many motorcycles as possible to the Shelby show.
“It was awesome he was able to get that done for us this year,” Joshua Fellows said of his father.
The younger Fellows noted the wide variety of motorcycles, including Yamaha and Kawasaki brands, parked along Main Street outside the Shelby Eagles. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were numerous.
“Shelby’s big on the Harley community, definitely. It’s always kind of been that way,” he said. “My one uncle’s got the ‘31(Ford) Model A down there, so it’s a big family thing. Anytime family tries to put this stuff together, we all try to bring our stuff down here and help support it and help support the community.”
He said the diversity among entries stood out.
“You don’t see stuff like this every day,” he said, including the variety of “done up” motorcycles.
“Looking at them, not one of them is the same,” he said.
“So everybody’s got their own tastes, and it’s just cool to see how people have a different eye on stuff,” Fellows said.
Reporter David Jacobs can be reached at davidjacobs@shelbynewsreporter.com
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