Dave Rea is a true car guy, the kind of guy that you’d love to have wrenching right next to you in the shop.  He’s also been fortunate to have his talents noticed by national TV and end up on a popular program watching by millions.  From there, his personality and talents were clear to audiences and at this year’s Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, guests will meet the man and his personality, plus enjoy in person his passion for the hobby!

Chrysler weekend runs July 12-14 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds and Rea is no stranger to the show.  He just kind of showed up last year, pretty much last minute and with very little front-end fanfare.  This time around, Rea is coming, and everyone will know about it far enough in advance.  Learn from Rea in person as he will be part of the Restorers’ Roundtable seminar.  Who wouldn’t want to talk one-on-one with a man whose mind is an encyclopedia of car facts!  In addition to the roundtable, Rea will host meet and greets with fans, sign autographs and pose for photos too.  One you meet Dave Rea, you’ll quickly understand that he’s trtuly “just like you,” a Mopar lover and car guy!

In addition to being a TV mechanic, Rea is a true-blue and really good real-life mechanic and restorer too.  Rea is the owner of DB Restorations, LLC, a Mopar only restoration shop in Creswell Oregon that specializes in 1968 to 1972 Mopar muscle cars and trucks.  He is a self taught automotive restoration technician that has 30 plus years of experience in this field.  Those talents took him to TV where he was a co-star on a popular program that ran for 5 years and also helped him fine tune his skills in the field.  Rea is strong in his faith and a true family man.  Finally, he is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys a good hunting and fishing story as well as talking about his favorite topic, Mopars!

The world’s largest all-Mopar event kicks off with a FREE cruise-in and kick-off party on July 11 at the Carlisle Expo Center.  That party is the appetizer to the main course at the adjacent fairgrounds where 40,000+ guests and nearly 3,000 cars come to park and party!  The size of the automotive flea market is unmatched in the hobby and the showfield is beyond diverse, featuring all eras or production.  From the annual Survivor’s Tent to the featured vehicle displays to the anniversary and more, this event has it all.  Speaking of features, 2019 features the M-Code A-Body, plus 50 years of the Dodge Charger Daytona & 500, 50 (and ½) Years of the A12 Road Runner & Super Bee, plus a nod to the automotive Summer of ’69.

Come out to see the cars, meet Dave Rea and check out the event.  Getting involved is easy too.  It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to show, sell or buy tickets, all the details are available at the all-new www.CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.

As the Carlisle Truck Nationals grow with even more trucks and guests, its list of sponsorship support does too.  In 2018, Carlisle welcomed presenting sponsorship from A&A Auto Stores, while also bringing Extang into the mix.  As the calendar flips to 2019, truck weekend will see all-new support, this time from American Force Wheels, a Miami, Florida based company.

American Force Wheels has been named the Official Wheel of the Carlisle Truck Nationals!  No stranger to the truck market, American Force has been in the wheel business since 1995.  Initially, American Force Wheels launched as a wheel builder for small import and domestic vehicles in South Florida but has since focused on truck wheels!  That direction has helped this Miami based company grow leaps and bounds – or as the truck market goes, by 3/4 and 1-ton trucks!  

According to the American Force Wheels web page, their team of experts spend countless hours ensuring wheels which are safe and durable. Only new materials and the latest precision CNC machines are used in manufacturing every wheel, adaptor and accessory. Custom-built forged-aluminum American Force Wheels creations can be described as sleek, stylish and highly specialized. American Force Wheels continues to innovate and is always creating new market-leading products that deliver on its long standing promise of delivering quality, style and function.

This innovation as well as a great line of products will be available for sale at the 2019 Carlisle Truck Nationals.  Guests coming to Carlisle can find American Force Wheels on the midway with a display that will quickly get their attention.  

“The Carlisle Truck Nationals are a huge event with lots of cool trucks,” noted Jason Sandusky, Marketing and Events with American Force.  “Due to the popularity of the show and its mass appeal, it’s only fitting American Force is there representing with the best in the country!  Thanks for having us Carlisle and we can’t wait to see you starting August 2.”

“I’ve worked with this company and their staff going back to their roots and have seen them transition and develop truck product lines with previous appearances here at the Carlisle Truck Nationals,” noted event manager Ed Scholly.  “American Force has positioned itself as an industry leader.  We are always excited to see industry leaders sharing their wares with truck enthusiasts, owners and fans at Carlisle.”

All of the truck themed excitement commences August 2 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds and not only features great vendors like American Force Wheels, Extang and A&A Auto Stores, it’ll feature cool custom vans, big rigs, competitions, special displays and more.  Complete event information is available online at www.CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.  

Hey Bandit, this is the Snowman – you got your ears on?  CB talk, fast cars, Coors beer, southern charm, handsome stars – Smokey and the Bandit had it all in the Summer of 1977.  Bring the family to the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds in June, because 42 years after the now iconic Bandit Trans-Am took flight, the Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals and Northeast Ohio Dukes will replicate something NEVER seen before by anyone at Carlisle.

The “Bandit Jump” is coming to Carlisle as part of Chevrolet Nationals weekend, June 21-22.  The Jump itself takes flight on June 22.  This isn’t just a family friendly jump, this is something you’ll want to involve your friends with too.  In fact, go knock on a neighbor’s door right now and tell them that Carlisle is hosting the “Bandit Jump.” 

As a tribute to Mr. Reynolds who passed away in September of 2018 as well as a nod to one of the most iconic cars and car movies of all time, a Bandit Trans Am will FLY THROUGH THE AIR at the Chevrolet Nationals.  Saturday afternoon, June 22 the professionals from Northeast Ohio Dukes will put the pedal to the metal, the thing to the floor, they’ll wind it up and let it roar!  As the Bandit would say, “it ain’t never been done before” and it sure ain’t never been done before at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds!  At 1 p.m. the wheels will leave the ground; the car will set sail and your heart will pound as you witness this spectacular stunt in person. 

A can’t-miss Saturday at the fairgrounds for the family, Carlisle Events is offering a VIP Family 4-Pack of tickets for just $69.  This price point includes general parking, entry for 4 and entry into the coveted VIP jump zone for the best lines of sight, photos, video and more.  This package is the only way to enjoy VIP access to the jump.  Watch from up close as the Bandit takes flight!  VIP Packages are limited and will be sold on a first come first serve basis. 

The jump is one of many great features coming to Carlisle and the Chevrolet Nationals.  Planned is a 60^th Anniversary celebration of the El Camino, the 50^th Birthday of the Blazer, the 50^th birthday of the GTO Judge and more!

In addition, Carlisle hosts Hurst branded cars as part of a special Hurst Showcase.  The showcase welcomes Hurst specific showfield classes, a featured vehicle display under a tent, Hurst products and memorabilia on display, seminars, special guests and more.  Speaking of guests, we can confirm that five men with ties to Hurst are slated to appear.  Those guests include Hurst Engineer Don Glover, Jim Kerr, an original Hurst Customer Service team member, Steve Weiner, a Sales Engineer, Marky Danko from Hurst Production/Engineering, Don Lane, a Hurst Engineer/Designer and others to be announced once confirmed.

Joining the Hurst Showcase will be an all-new Chevy Trucks feature.  The all-new show within a show called Chevy/GMC Truck Madness comes to Carlisle and will celebrate all Chevy and GMC Trucks from 1947 to 1987.  This special judged event takes place June 21-22 and includes 21 new classes as part of a professionally judged showfield.  This includes special categories for classic Chevrolet Cameos, GMC, Suburbans, NAPCO Four-Wheel-Drive trucks and more! 

Further details about the jump are forthcoming, so be sure to follow the Chevrolet Nationals on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChevroletNationals/ on online at the all-new www.CarlisleEvents.com.  Tickets for this amazing “Bandit Jump” at Chevrolet Nationals weekend can be purchased direct at store.carlisleevents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.  That same store page also offers access to register for the NPD Showfield, so don’t miss out! 

We Gone! 

Carlisle Auctions hosted its first of five auctions in 2019 and did so with a level of success that sets the bar high for the remaining four going forward.  Spanning two days and offering 400+ consignments, the Winter AutoFest auction in Lakeland, Florida welcomed an international audience of bidders, plus a wealth of consigners looking to move product…and move product they did!

Of the 400+ lots available, more than a dozen were Corvettes.  This feature tied in perfectly with the overall theme for Winter AutoFest, that being the Corvettes coming to Lakeland!  In fact, America’s Sports Car proved so popular that it held the top two spots for overall sales.  Both ‘65s that sold went for over $60,000, including the top seller for $72,760.  The full top 5 rundown is noted below.  There was a non-stop buzz in the arena, with a charity tie-in Friday and a special guest speaker on Saturday.  The two charity vehicles, a 1988 Camaro Convertible and a 2007 Precision Cycle Chopper tallied $9,000 for Wheels from the Heart out of Del Ray Beach, Florida.

As noted above, the auction welcomed a special guest speaker.  Taking the podium Saturday morning was Mr. Wes Wong.  Mr. Wong is a retired FBI agent and was one of the first on-scene for rescue efforts as part of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  His story brought some to tears, while leaving most with goosebumps.  At the conclusion of the speech, Mr. Wong accepted donations for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and was also presented with a gigantic banner of thanks and recognition via Carlisle Events.
Overall, Carlisle Auctions tallied $3 million in total sales.  Bidder count was up over last year’s event too, as well as the overall quality of consignment.  This combination helped amass an unmatched energy in the room.

As top five selling cars go, the list is as follows:

1) 1965 Corvette $72,760
2) 1965 Corvette $60,990
3) 1969 Mustang Boss 302 $51,360
4) 1967 Camaro Restomod $45,475
5) 1967 Mustang $43,870

"Fantastic weather and great cars made for another outstanding sale in Lakeland," noted Director of Auction of Operations Tony Cline.  “We look forward to returning for two more days of fun February 21-22, 2020.”

Another piece of news coming out of the show was Carlisle Auctions announcement of a two-day auction only event in Sarasota, Florida.  Suncoast-Carlisle spans November 8-9, 2019.  More details will be released on this event in the coming weeks, but complete info on the auction, including results can be found at www.CarlisleAuctions.com.  

February in Florida is a dream for most; sunny skies, warm temps and cool cars – lots of them!  All that and then some came together for Winter AutoFest in Lakeland.  Spanning February 22-24, 2019 at the SUN ‘n FUN Campus, the event proved to be the best Lakeland offering yet for Carlisle Events.  The event success was due in part to a dedicated core of automotive enthusiasts within the Sunshine State and beyond.

 

Winter AutoFest was billed as a Friday through Sunday show, but people showed up Thursday jonesing for an automotive fix.  While some got an early jump on the automotive flea market shopping on set up day, it was the Friday through Sunday morning offerings that really brought show-goers out. 

 

When gates opened Friday at 8 a.m., there were lines of anxious enthusiasts, proving that the demand for an event like this is real.  Once on grounds, the lines snaked past hundreds of cars parked within the FREE cruise-in as well as vendors who set up in the blue field.  Waiting for these same guests past the tree line at SUN ‘n FUN were hundreds more vendors, thousands more pieces, parts, merchandise and collectibles, plus nearly 1,500 cars spanning the auction, car corral, free cruise-in, NCRS Winter Regional event, Corvette Fun Field and Imperial Mustang Club of Polk County Mustang showcase.  Of that estimate, the Corvette and Mustang camps were able to boast over 300 cars each.  Of course there was a hearty line of people at the food stands too, enjoying the unique fair-style offerings.

 

Saturday ushered in even more guests and cars for a full day of festivities.  GM Certified Technician Paul Koerner returned for another day of tech sessions and tech talks, former FBI agent and 9/11 first-responder Wes Wong spoke at the auction, while the Fly Adventure team from St. Augustine was up and down all day with their vintage Stearman Bi-Plane offering rides high above the facility.  Speaking of the aforementioned auction, it offered yet another entertainment option with two days of live fun.  The top seller was a 1965 Corvette, going for $72,760, with the top 5 overall garnering $274,455.  All dollar amounts include fees applicable to the sale.

 

Other highlights included seminars from Kevin Mackay of Corvette Repair Inc, Corvette vs. Cobra from Fabulous Restorations and a Resto Mod talk from Extreme Mid-Years LLC.  There was also a special screening of The Quest, a Corvette documentary film directed and produced by Michael Brown.  Brown, Mackay and Lance Miller were also on hand to sign copies of the DVD following the screening with monies benefiting the Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation.

 

As the show wrapped on Sunday, guests had one last chance to pick up a little something within the automotive flea market, make a deal on a car corral sale or work with the auction team on a Still for Sale consignment. 

 

Another piece of news coming out of the show was Carlisle Auctions announcement of a two-day auction only event in Sarasota, Florida.  Suncoast-Carlisle spans November 8-9, 2019.  More details will be released on this event in the coming weeks, but complete info on Winter AutoFest can be found at www.CarlisleEvents.com, while auction news comes via www.CarlisleAuctions.com.  Save the date, because Winter AutoFest 2020 returns to SUN ‘n FUN February 21-23.