Old man winter has a pretty tight grip on the Midwest this time of year, but that does not stop the car scene totally in Ohio. Having a car show in January is a great way to scratch that car itch. There are several big indoor car shows this time of year and the KOI Cavalcade of Customs is one if the bigger shows in the state.
The 2014 edition is the 54th for the Cavalcade and it shows no signs of slowing down. This year’s show ran from January 10-12th at the Duke Energy center in downtown Cincinnati Ohio.
The show is more than just cars, you can sign up to take technical classes, meet celebrities, and even seen an indoor FMX Freestyle show. Being a large and diverse show helps keep the crowds coming to check out some great custom rides.
The diversity of the show hits the second you walk into the main show floor. Stuffed into about every square inch are high quality custom cars, trucks, bikes, and even boats. The cars at the show are some of the best in the Midwest. There are several different sections to the show featuring the different cars.
This 1937 Ford Roadster was one of the cars that really jumped out. It mixes classic lines with a killer stance.
The “Drag City USA” area of the show had some great nostalgia race cars that were totally period correct. New muscle cars were not left out either, in “Performance World” you could see some top level new generation performance cars that were built to the hilt.
Drag City USA and Performance World provided a great mixture of new muscle and all out race cars.
One of the coolest areas was “Survivors Alley”. In this section you found old gassers, traditional hot rods, barn finds, and cars that have been restored to their period correct glory. There is even an entire second level to the show in another exhibit hall that had even more cars.
Bringing out these old school rides made the show have a well rounded feel.
This show brings more than just great custom cars. Out on the main floor there were all kinds of different vendors selling all things performance automotive from detailing products, killer clothes, to tools and other shop solutions. Another big component to this show are the automotive classes you can sign up for.
This 1968 Firebird had one of the best overall looks at the show.
Something for everyone
Technicians had options to learn about different car systems, owners could sign up for automotive business classes, and body shops could get caught up on the newest industry trends. There seemed to always be something going on the show floor with demos by Gene Winfield on customizing cars, a pin up model contest, the FMX Freestyle show, and special guest appearances.
Having a quality indoor show in the dead of winter is awesome, but a show with this much going on takes it to the next level. The cool thing about the Cavalcade is the amazing exposure it brings to the car scene.
Walking around the show there are people from all walks of life, all age groups, and all areas of the car world. Supporting your local scene is vital to keeping the culture alive. It was really rad to see having fun checking out what others have done to personalize their ride and that’s what it’s all about.
Be sure to check out the huge gallery below for some more pictures of custom cars from the show!