Car shows these days have started to dwindle down, and we’re seeing fewer and fewer attendees. It’s become a burden for car clubs and event promoters and organizers to make a car show more appealing. When you think of a car show, you realize that cars arrive, they park on a lot or a lawn, and the owners break out the folding chairs and sit for a few hours.

But car shows are far more than just sitting for hours on end until the show winners are announced. For starters, it’s a chance to socialize with hundreds of others who share in your hobby. It’s also place to get great ideas for your own project (or to stir up some envy when others see your car with the mods they want to do). But the best thing about a car show is when it’s for a good cause.

Inland Mopars has been putting on one of those “good cause” shows for more than a decade, with proceeds that benefit the California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSDR). Quite often at these shows, we get to see the kids out there enjoying the dozens of classic and modern musclecars, as well as manning some of the booths and sharing their crafts with us.

Though we’ve had some odd weather out here in California as of late, we couldn’t have asked for a better day at CSDR. The fear of rain dwindled down to nothing, and the slightly overcast day meant no sun bearing down on us all day. We headed out again, with our own Mopar, to visit Mopars In May, the annual show from Inland Mopars, at CSDR and we’re showing you some of our favorites from the show.

A regular for the past couple years, but one that never wears out its welcome, is the flame-throwing Chevrolet Wild Thang. This car fires up, gets warmed up, and then shoots flames into the sky. We chuckled at the couple people who whispered in front of us, “What a waste of fuel” when Wild Thang spat flames. We revoked their gearhead card on the spot and asked them never to come back. Well, on the inside we did.

At this year’s show there were quite a few modern Mopars – probably more than we’ve seen in past years – but our focus for this show is going to be on the old school Mopars. The turnout was good, the weather was great, and the entertainment was even better, especially when Wild Thang fired it up again for us. It’s always a crowd pleaser, and it does draw a good size crowd.

There was an interesting mix of classic Mopars with modern mills, and some that were full restorations with attention to detail on nuts, bolts, and just the right amount of overspray – just like they did on the factory line. For some, classic Mopars is about building them up, and for others it’s about preserving them to the smallest detail. Either way, it’s all good, and whether you’re into restorations, restomods, or over the top customs, you could find them all at the Inland Mopars annual car show.

Our Top Five Picks From The Show

While Inland Mopars had their own judges who went throughout the show to pick their favorites in several categories, we always like to add our own favorites that are based on several factors. One of the most important factors for choosing our favorites is the immediate appeal to us. Sometimes that appeal might not be immediate, but when we find out some details it may become even more interesting. So here are our favorites from the show.

First Pick: 1969 Dodge Daytona

Even if you’re not into the winged cars, this 1969 Daytona was probably the one car that made us drool the most. It was about perfect (we’re not official judges, so we have to say “about”), and it had everyone’s attention. The 426 Hemi notwithstanding, the color and the can’t-miss-it white wing and extended nose cone were real attention getters.

It’s hard to believe that these cars were once considered ‘ugly’, and often times the wings and nose cones were removed at dealerships so they could sell the car. Without those two components, it became a Dodge Charger 500 – a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. Owners Janice Sutherland and Larry Snow had one of the most beautiful cars out there.

Second Pick: 1969 Plymouth Barracuda

When we first walked up to Chad Bonneville’s Barracuda, it simply looked like a nice, clean A body car with some serious rubber in the rear. Then he opened the hood and we saw what all the fuss was about. Talk about getting someone’s attention, that ProCharger was more go than show.

Running between 10 and 15 pounds of boost, Chad told us that the small-block 340 was putting out close to 800 horsepower, thanks to the help of a Scat Crankshafts rotating assembly and Comp Cams camshaft. It was clear that this old Barracuda was all business and wickedly fast.

Third Pick: 1963 Plymouth Belvedere

Here’s another car that can be a bit of a sleeper. We liked this car because of how clean it is, and how it gives off that Mayberry RFD look with Hell on wheels appeal under the hood. Cleyon Loonsfoot has one of the nicer classic B bodies from the show, and it’s an original Max Wedge car.

If you’re an old school Mopar enthusiast, you’re probably one of those people who is aware of the push-button transmission. This car is just such a car, and it still retains the buttons on the dash looking just like they did when this Belvedere rolled off the line. And that battery in the trunk wasn’t just to make room for the 426 Max Wedge – it was there for weight distribution, and you know what that means.

Fourth Pick: 1949 Dodge Coronet

What’s so special about a 1949 Coronet, you ask? Well, for starters, it has a 383 under the hood instead of the expected inline six-cylinder. Oh, and then there’s that McCulloch supercharger forcing air into the FiTech EFI throttle body. Can you say “Ultimate Sleeper”? We knew you could.

When we walked up to talk to Bill Clark about his sleeper, he was about as quiet as the interior on this beauty. He’s an older gentleman who loves driving his car, and undoubtedly surprises a few of the younger kids who think this old Coronet is just a slow tank on the road. Wait ’til he mashes the throttle and leaves you in his dust. We call that check, and mate.

Fifth Pick: 1972 Plymouth ‘Cuda

When we first walked up to this ‘Cuda, it looked pretty cool and it was clean. While many enthusiasts are not fans of the monochromatic paint themes, this one had just the right shade and all the right touches. We talked to car owner Salvador Caudillo about the look of the car because we thought it was very unique in a sea of Crayola box Mopars.

“This is a real 340 ‘Cuda,” he told us. “We didn’t believe it at first because they’re all floor shift models. But we looked it up and the original owner ordered this car with a column shift.” That, in itself, made it pretty unique and interesting. Though we have seen the three-on-the-tree shifters on E body cars, the column shift automatic was rare indeed – especially on a 340 like this. Add to that the larger steel wheels that look like they came on the car, giving it a no-nonsense weekend racer look.

Special Pick: Gil Losi’s Beautiful 1956 Plymouth Belvedere

What can you say that hasn’t been said about this multiple show winner? Although Gil has been at much bigger, national shows, like the Sacramento Autorama – where his stunning 1956 Belvedere won Custom d’Elegance – he’s not shy about driving this immaculate convertible to smaller, local shows either – winning Best in Show at the Murrieta Rod Run.

To say that Gil has a couple of nice cars is an extreme understatement, as he’s got a stable of show winners in his humble Murrieta, California, garage. We featured one of his other cars, a twin-turbo 1961 Impala, after we made a run on our Dynojet. Aside from the mile-deep paint and the flawless interior, this classic sports a 6.1L gen III Hemi under the hood that was dressed up to look more like an old school first gen Hemi backed up by the five-speed automatic. It’s easy to see why this car is a big-time show winner, but it still looked right at home at the Inland Mopars show.