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$400,000 Mustang brings in Q-C crowd

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By Christine Mastalio | Sunday, January 21, 2007 1:01 AM CST | () comments

Signs marked “Muscle Car Dr.” and “Memory Lane” divided the QCCA Expo Center into streets and classic oldies blared over the loud speaker Saturday at the 24th annual Rod and Custom Show in Rock Island.

The big draw this year was the 1967 Mustang KONA, according to event organizer Glenn Rohm whose company is based in Coal Valley, Ill. The Mustang, built by Ring Brothers of Wisconsin, is worth about $400,000 and has graced two gearhead magazine covers. The owner, a friend of Rohm’s, never reveals his identity due to the high-dollar value of his collection.

“The quality of the cars and the vendors keeps getting better and better every year,” Rohm said.

The annual Quad-City event kicks off the car and motorcycle show season and featured more than 80 vehicles this year.

“People get together over a pop or a beer and talk about what they did over the winter, what’s coming out next,” he said.

Alongside the big-ticket items like the Mustang KONA, were several local show cars.

“Some people put $200,000 to $300,000 into these cars and are afraid to drive them,” Brian Buckley of Milan, Ill. said, standing next to his 1955 Ford Fairlane. “(With these cars) you can enjoy them.”

Dennis Fortune of Geneseo, Ill., did not show his own cars at the event, but proudly whipped a picture of his 1953 Chrysler Convertible out of his wallet. Both he and his brother dated their wives in that car about 50 years ago.

“One of the nice things I’ve found is that people associated with cars help each other,” he said. “It’s like a community, a brotherhood.”

Tom Gilroy of Rock Island brought one of the world’s best airbrush artists over from England to do the artwork on his special construction motorcycle. Everything from the frame to the paint-job is custom-made.

Gilroy met Alan Booker, who also painted Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason’s helicopter, while working at a lettering shop in Moline in the 1970s.

“Different people have different skills,” Gilroy said. “I know my limitations and always look to the best available.”

The $40,000-value bike matches a custom-made snare drum set that Gilroy and Booker worked on over a decade ago.

Gilroy’s daughter Beth also showcased her special construction rod at the event.

“She’s always been a gearhead,” he said. “She’s been riding bikes since she could run.”

Another family display featured a 1946 Ford Coupe, original except for the engine, and a 1948 Chevy Coupe, which has been de-chromed and shaved.

Bill Johnson of Colona, Ill., sold the 1948 Chevy to his son, who is interested in traditional streamlining processes, and recently purchased his dream car: a 1946 Ford Coupe.

“There’s nothing better than putting something together from scratch and getting in it and having it run,” said Bill Johnson II, who drove the Chevy to the show on its maiden voyage.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.