For an event billed as one of "The Least Significant Car Shows," Billetproof's second annual Florida Free-For-All drew a huge crowd of spectators to see an even larger field of traditional hot rods, Kustoms, preserved originals and you-have-to-see-to-believe-its to the show field next to the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing near Ocala, Florida this past Saturday.  

 Though the participant vehicles were largely Blue Oval and Bowtie in one way or another, there were plenty of vintage Mopars and Mopar-powered stuff.


You just had to look for 'em. Or in the case of this vintage A/Dragster (either A/FD or A/GD, depending on what fuel it ran), this one fired up around the time that we walked in, in order for it to be driven to its show spot next to the A-7 on display outside the Museum.

It was powered by an early Chrysler "FirePower" Hemi with six Stromberg carburetors on top. A hot set-up then, and still competitive in vintage drags today.

There were more than a few early Hemis on hand. Under the patina of rust & time is a De Soto "Firedome Eight" Hemi, in the engine bay of this hot rod:

These valve covers turned more than a few heads. Ma Mopar made Hemis at its Trenton (Michigan) Engine Plant for industrial applications, like generators, etc.., and this rodder either found a complete engine that way, or at least the "Chrysler Industrial" valve covers.

(By the way...There's another "Industrial" Hemi coming up!)

Later Hemis were few, but noticeable, like under the hood of this '64 Dodge Super Stocker.

 Not all Mopars at Billetproof's "Florida Free-For-All" were Hemi-powered. Christine's sister seen here (a '58 Plymouth) had a dual-four-barrel-equipped 301 Poly under that louvered hood.

And not all Mopars on hand were oxide coated. Here's a '40s-vintage Dodge pickup that looks factory fresh....

 ...and a "Job-Rated" Dodge panel from the early '50s that looks good in a coat of "suede."

And some cars on hand were even painted, like this '33 Plymouth coupe.

The show's producers definitely don't go for store-bought award hardware. Take a look at some of the hand-crafted trophies they presented to their winners....

The show welcomed pre-'65 rods and Kustoms, which made this '63 Dart sedan delivery one of the newer rides on the show field. (Wonder why Dodge didn't make this body style back then? One guess: the A-100 van....)

Just as on the West Coast, old wagons are cool. That includes flathead-six-powered '49 Plymouths, too.

Ever see one of these in person? Ever HEAR one? Here's one of the latest projects out of Big Daddy's resto shop: the Chrysler "Victory" air raid siren, built from 1952-57 at Trenton Engine. Yeah, it's got a Hemi.

The story behind this Victory Siren. When they fired it up, it kinda freaked out the "snowbirds" heading north on nearby I-75!

And here's your correspondent, with "Big Daddy" Don Garlits (who was having a "garage sale" that weekend of vintage race-related stuff in his garage next to the Museum).