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The Iola Car Show started 50 years ago with a group named the Lions Club and local publisher Chet Krause. Krause wanted to see the Lions Club diversify. In the past, the club had taken an interest in collectibles, mostly smaller items like coins. Krause wanted to expand into a much larger collectible: cars. The Lions Club sent invites to local car collectors, inviting them to attend the dinner festivals. Rumor has it, Krause would buy his buddies lunch if they brought their cars. In 1972, the first car show gathered 20 collector cars.
As the years went by, the car show kept growing. New organizations and volunteers had to be brought in to keep up with demand. By the 80s, the car show registered as a nonprofit organization.
Collector Car Maintenance
If you collect cars, they might be fun to take out for a weekend here and there. However, older collectible cars require a lot more maintenance after a weekend out than the 2012 Toyota sitting in your garage.
Old cars need to be kept on a dry floor, to prevent rust (an old car killer!) If your garage or barn can’t guarantee that, a cheap tarp can do the trick to keep moisture out of your frame.
Joe recommends not filling the gas tank before putting it away. If it will likely be a few months before it gets drive again, that gas will be old and could expire. Many car collectors will take out the batteries and store them elsewhere, keeping them freshly charged.
The biggest piece of advice for any would-be car collectors is to invest in climate-controlled storage. There are storage facilities you could investigate, or even some standard storage units might offer this feature. This is a great way to keep your car safe from the elements, but it can also get expensive. So, prepare your budget accordingly!
If you treat your classic car with care, it will be ready for those summer road trips. And hey, speaking of road trips...
Wisconsin Road Trip-Door County
Tucked away in the upper right corner of Wisconsin, sits Door County, one of Joe’s favorite destinations. Door County is a small peninsula and has been called the Cape Cod of the Midwest. It’s known for its cherry, plum, and apple orchards. A fun fact about Door County: Al Johnson’s, a famous Swedish restaurant, has a grass roof! To keep that grass roof in order, they put goats up there in the summer to keep the grass short!
One popular spot in Door County is Newport State Park. This park offers beautiful walking trails, gorgeous canoeing areas, and a variety of lovely picnic spots. The walking trails are the perfect way to stretch your legs while you unwind and think about how lucky you are to live in Wisconsin! What sets Newport State Park apart from other parks is its dark sky viewing sites. So little artificial light reaches the park that you can see just about everything in the sky. It’s a stargazer's heaven!
Listen to the full episode below or read the transcription.
Plover, WI
Medford, WI
Stevens Point, WI
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Weston, WI
Marshfield, WI
Tomahawk, WI
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