For the Spanish version of this article, click here/Lee aquí la traducción de Daianee
As the weather begins to warm in Denver, gearheads are taking their one-of-a-kind vehicles out and displaying them at car shows throughout the city. Collectors, hobbyists and admirers gather in parking lots most weekends throughout the summer to appreciate each other’s hard work and build community. Many cities host similar events, but Colorado’s car culture differs in a key way: The melting pot of backgrounds brings a diverse mix of cars like lowriders, trucks, imports, vintages and American muscles.
“I like to come to these [car shows] to be around like-minded people,” said Merrill Moon, a car enthusiast. “My shop is just across the street and I saw this car show and said, ‘It’s just down the road I’m going!’”
Moon is the owner of a 1969 big block engine Chevy Camaro. The metallic tangerine-colored muscle car was parked at the Wheelz Bar and Grill season kick-off car show in Englewood on May 19. The parking lot of the locally-owned tavern showcased over 15 classic cars last weekend as enthusiasts perused the eye-catching automobiles under the hot sun. A 1950s Chevy Bel Air, a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere and a 1932 Ford Window Coupe were just some of the classics and vintages parked in the lot.
Standing next to his hot rod, Moon shared that he started building his car four years ago, but after a cancer diagnosis, he was forced to put a pause on his project. Now, years later he is cancer-free and has taken his Camero out again. While he is not ready to start working on it just yet, he still enjoys driving it around town as much as possible.
“The problem is when you’re young you don’t have the money. It was everybody’s dream at our age to have a hot rod growing up, but nowadays we have the money, so we do it. We are living out our youth,” Moon said.
For other car enthusiasts like Arturo Mendoza, who has been buying and selling cars since he was a teenager, the shows are a big part of his networking. Aside from his passion for the machines themselves, Mendoza visits car shows to find parts for his current projects. He said he enjoys rebuilding cars and turning them into beautiful showpieces.
“I’ve been doing this for quite a few years. I sell a lot of cars, but I have my collection of nine,” Mendoza said. “I fix them, find the right buyer and they go fast. A lot of guys come from California; they love buying our cars, as well as people from Japan and China who love classic cars.”
Mendoza displayed a 1941 Chevy Special Deluxe coupe, one of his current projects. He said the car has taken him a while to finish but he has completely rebuilt it, adding air conditioning, power steering and other modern features. While his Chevy coupe is unfinished, Mendoza guarantees it will be one of a kind after a few modifications.
“I know it looks rough right now but it’s going to be beautiful when I’m done,” Mendoza said. “I enjoy them, have fun with them and when I’m ready to sell I have a little bit of change in my pocket.”
During the car show, Mendoza was continuously stopped and greeted. He said he’s been doing this for so long he knows a lot of people after many years in the business. One acquaintance, Ruben Guerra, stopped to chat for a moment to catch up.
“I’ve always known of him because I know his company Dino’s Custom Cycles,” Mendoza said. “I would see him at car shows, he is a great car guy, but we know so many people from the past and it’s always good to keep in touch with them.”
Guerra has worked in the motorcycle business for years and is one of the state’s leading builders. Like Mendoza, he attends car shows for the love of the machines and to network. The two enthusiasts said they’ve met people from all walks of life who own various car-related businesses. Whenever they need work done for current projects, they know who to call.
“So, what it comes down to is networking. One guy can be good at upholstery and this guy is good at another thing, so we kind of help each other out. Sometimes you have to pay others to help you with your projects but that’s just the nature of the business,” Mendoza said.
At the end of the day, the common denominator for those who attend the shows is their love and passion for cars. Guerra, who grew up with a father who was in the car business, has had a passion for the machines since he was a teenager.
“[My father] never cared, it was just a profit center for him. But for me, I got mostly attached to them. I hate seeing cars under trees, rotting away and stuff like that. It’s sad,” Guerra said.
Guerra considers himself a car rescuer and loves getting them back on the road. He doesn’t mind knocking on people’s doors, or stopping people and asking them about any unused cars they might have in their backyards or driveway.
“If you are a real car guy, sometimes, we care more about the car than the money,” Guerra said. “We just want to see the car go to someone who is going to really appreciate it and not only care about its worth.”
Like Moon, both Mendoza and Guerra take pride in the vehicles and motorcycles they build as well as displaying their hard work and dedication at car shows. Although they don’t always enter the contests, they take the opportunity to enjoy each other’s work, revisit and continue to build their network over an appreciation for cars.
“We have compassion for them,” Mendoza said. “We love them, we see what they could be and what could come out of them. I appreciate any vehicle, it’s just the car culture.”