Members of Classic Chassis show off their cars.

The largest LGBT car collectors club in North Texas will exhibit at the State Fair of Texas this year

DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com

Cars — old, new and experimental — are always a big draw at the State Fair of Texas. Every year, automakers send their newest models — and often, some concept cars, too — to Dallas where they fill up two huge exhibit halls and then spill over to the nearby areas.

This year on Sept. 29, members of Dallas’ LGBT classic car club, Classic Chassis Car Club of Dallas, will display 14 of their vintage cars at the State Fair, too, although they won’t be there with the new cars.

Classic Chassis will display 14 cars in Corral A, near Gate 8 off Fitzhugh Avenue. That’s the opposite side of the Midway from the Automobile Building where the new cars are exhibited. They’ll be sharing space with the North Texas Mustang Club on the opening Saturday of the fair.

On other weekends, different car clubs from around north Texas will exhibit their classic vehicles.

Classic Chassis Activities Director Patty Irizarry said she wasn’t worried about scratches and dings fairgoers could inadvertently cause: The cars and exhibitors will be inside the corral, and visitors will be outside the corral. But, she said, visitors will be close enough to get a good look, and Classic Chassis members will be on hand to answer questions and relay personal experiences.

Irizarry, who coordinated the exhibit at the State Fair, said the relationship between her group and the fair dates back long before she became involved. In fact, she said, she became involved in Classic Chassis only four or five years ago when she and her partner, Kris, went to an auto auction held in Dallas and ran into longtime Classic Chassis member Paul J. Williams.

Irizarry and her partner have three classic cars: a fully restored 1978 Volkswagon Beetle, 1969 Ford F150 short bed in the process of being returned to its original state and, their newest, a 1966 Plymouth Fury 3 convertible that they plan to start restoring next year.

Not everyone goes into collecting classic cars with the same goals. “Some people want a car as original as possible,” Irizarry said. “Some redo theirs with modern brakes and radios.”
Irizarry said she tries to keep a balance between original and updated.

Classic cars always bring back memories, no matter what the make or model. While cars with fins or other special and iconic details are always eye-catching, Irizarry said she always gets lots of comments about her beetle. “Everyone has a Bug story,” she said.

Irizarry said there’s some discussion about what makes an auto a classic. Does it have to be 20 years old or 25? Then there’s antique car status. Some count that category at 25 years and older, while others say it must be over 100.

Irizarry said those interested in finding their classic should start the same place many people start when buying new cars — online. She said Ebay Autos is a good place to start, and she also recommended BringATrailer.com, where bids for a 1987 Porsche Turbo topped $65,000 with three more days of bidding to go while a 1973 Jensen Healey was going for just under $4,000 with just three hours left earlier this week.
Irizarry said those who want to see cars in person should check out Leake Auto, which has events at Dallas Market Hall on Stemmons Freeway, as does Mecum Auctions at the Dallas Convention Center. In Fort Worth, she recommended Streetside Classics, just north of downtown at 5400 Sandshell Drive. That’s where she found her Plymouth Fury.

Irizarry said that Classic Chassis is a great starting place and resource for those interested in buying their first classic car. Classic Chassis members are always willing to help, she said. Some can help judge how sound a car may be mechanically, while others can help with car value or how difficult it may be to get replacement parts for certain vehicles.

Irizarry said she’s learned a lot about classic cars herself from attending club meetings.

Irizarry said she is excited about Classic Chassis members once again having the opportunity to show off their cars at the State Fair. “The fair was very gracious to bring us back,” she said, adding that an exhibit like this is a great place to go just to admire the cars “appreciate the lines.”

Especially those cars that were designed with those wonderful fins. And grilles. And hood ornaments. And in such a variety of colors.

Today, most cars come in white, black or gray, sometimes a shade of beige or red. But in the 1960s, Irizarry said, car buyers could choose from not just one shade, but a variety of greens, blues, yellows and reds and sometimes even an orange or purple.

And chrome wasn’t just for bumpers — at least not on the fancier vehicles. But, Irizarry said, her Beetle was just the standard classic Bug. But even the standard classic is cooler than a fancy new car, right?

Classic Chassis Car Club meets the first Tuesday of every month (except December) at Ojeda’s on Maple Avenue at 6 p.m. Members gather in the back parking lot to look at the cars before going inside for dinner and discussion.