Hamilton Journal-News

If you like cars, then the parking lot of the K-Mart at 4480 Indian Ripple Road in Beavercreek is the place to be on Friday evening. There is virtually something for everyone at the weekly event, sponsored by the Greene County Antique and Classic Car Club.

Hot rods, street rods, muscle cars, classics, sports cars — you name it, it's there.

On a recent Friday evening, there were more than 150 cars parked before 7 p.m. There is no cost to bring a car or wander the lot; it's just gearhead heaven.

Rich Kemp of Beavercreek was sitting in his chair beside what he, and anyone else, would call the "classic hot rod;" a 1932 Ford two-door sedan, sporting a flat-black primer paint job, mohair seats and the ultimate flathead V-8.

"I bought it about 10 years ago. It was mostly in pieces, but the neat thing is, it's all original. I changed out the transmission to get better gearing for driving, and added hydraulic brakes and newer wire wheels, but after that, it's pretty much stock. Not too fancy, but she'll cruise all day at

70 mph," Kemp said.

In sharp contrast is the brilliant red 1969 Camaro SS of Ed Whittaker.

"It's got a 468-cubic-inch V-8, a Holley four-barrel carb and a 400 Turbo slapstick transmission in it. It'll go, that's for sure. My son and I took it to Kil-Kare and turned an 8.49 in the 1/8th mile run. If we'd had cheater slicks, we'd have run better, but I was really pleased," Whittaker grinned.

Moving on through the parking lot, there were pickups, sports cars, customs and one outstanding radiator that caught nearly everyone's eye.

Fred Wantz of New Carlisle had cruised south in his 1923 Ford T-bucket rod, the gleaming brass radiator glowing in the evening sun.

"Polishing, yep, that's about all I do. The radiator is always in need of some more cleaning; I worked on it a couple hours this afternoon. And with all the chrome on the engine, that's about all I do is polish, and polish and polish some more," he said. "I'm out two or three times each week — cruise-in here, car show there. I'm gone every Saturday and a couple of evenings. I put over a thousand miles on it each summer, and I don't really go far out of the area," Wantz added.

The weekly cruise-in will continue on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. until Sept. 28. For more information, go online to www.greenecountyantiqueandclassiccarclub.com.

To nominate your special vehicle for Wheels of the Week, contact us at: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409

or via e-mail at arollins@coxohio.com. Include your name, daytime telephone number and a photo of your vehicle.

Read this story and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.