Category: Automotive News

Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar

The next Caffeine &Octane is set for 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, at The Avenues mall at 10300 Southside Blvd.

This one features a special display from The Brumos Collection, the December First Coast Car Council Car Club of the Month: Mercedes-Benz Club of America Southern Stars Section, plus sponsor displays and a toy drive for Wolfson Children’s Hospital! Bring your toy and drop it off at the checkered tent.

Gentle reminders – All vehicles parked in the Central Lot must remain in place until the show concludes. If you cannot stay until then, please park in the exhibit lot. Please park in the exhibit lot if you need to leave prior to 11 a.m. Those parking in the Exotics Lot and the Porsche Corner are free to arrive and leave at any time.

Recent events:

The Jacksonville Car Culture’s 4^th annual Jekyll Island Holiday Lights Adventure saw dozens of classics, exotics and just interesting rides travel north to see – 1.5 million total light bulbs on 350-plus light displays, including 45,000-plus on the biggest tree near the 1888-vintage Jekyll Island Club. The cars cruised the huge light display, then were shown in a Caffeine & Octane display the next morning, all led by Chris Brewer, family and volunteers:

Then we collected toys for kids at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, filling up this Porsche 911:

Upcoming events:

Jacksonville Corvette Club 2nd annual Toys for Tots and Safe Harbor Boys Home Cruise: 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Classic Car Museum in St. Augustine, at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway S. Entry fee day of show is an unwrapped toy or $20 per vehicle. Open to all cars, trucks, motorcycles.

Limelight Toy Drive Car Show: 10 a.m. Saturday at Autobahn Indoor Speedway & Events, 6601 Executive Park Court N., just south of Butler Boulevard off Philips Highway. Admission: $20 cash or toy donations valued at $20 or more. Spectators are free.

North Florida Domestic Car Club Holiday Toy Drive: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at CrossRoad Church, 100005 Gate Parkway. Free for spectators and show vehicles – bring a new unwrapped toy. Benefits Daniel children’s home.

Cruisin’ and Crossin’ 4 Kids Car, Truck, Rat Rod and Motorcycle Show: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at WW Ranch Motocross Park, 1439 Otis Road. Spectators are $5 per person, and $25 per show vehicle – bring a new unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.

Benefit Car and Truck Show with Santa: 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Jordan’s Auto, 10844 County Road 125 in Glen St. Mary. Free for spectators and $25 per show vehicle. Proceeds benefit Isaiah117 in Baker County.

The Winter Showcase at The FIRM: noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke. The track day ($150 per vehicle) and car show ($50 for cars and $45 for bikes).

Nothing But Trucks Off-Road and Street Show: 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at 4930 Spring Park Road in Jacksonville.

The FIRM (Florida International Rally and Moto Park): Open Track Days held most weekends at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke.

All the Cruise-ins…

Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.

Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 8 to 11 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.

***New cruise in: Sunshine State Chevelles: 4 to 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at 1937 Spirits and Eatery, 1842 Kings Ave in the San Marco area.

Pharaohs of St. Johns NEW cruise-in: 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, and the first Saturday of each month at Adamec Harley-Davidson at 380 Outlet Mall Blvd. in St. Augustine.

Saturday Morning Cruise-and-Chill: 9 a.m. to noon every third Saturday at Big Boy Airbrush in a neighborhood at 7822 Fox Tail Lane.

Caffeine and Gasoline: 8 to 11 a.m. each first Saturday of the month at J-Tech Institute at 8813 Western Way in Jacksonville. House rules – “respect the property.” And J-Tech will be holding events to coincide with C & G with staff on site to give tours of the campus.

North Florida Domestic Car Club’s cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month at the Crossroad Church UMC, 10005 Gate Parkway.

Gripping Gears Car Meet: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month at Adamec Harley-Davidson at 380 Outlet Mall Blvd. in St. Augustine, presented by Jacksonville Headturners.

Cruise-in: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday at Boston’s Pizza at 13070 City Station Drive.

Car Show Market and Music: 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday August 5 at The Cove Plaza at 1415 S. Orange Ave, in Green Cove Springs.

Abandoned Treasures Thrift Store cruise-in: 5 to 8 p.m. each first Friday at 7358 Florida 21 in Keystone Heights.

Wings & Wheels Cruise-in: 2 to 6 pm. each first Saturday at Dicks Wings & Grill at 6055 Youngerman Circle.

Rides and Coffee: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every fourth Sunday at Detail Garage, 9390 Arlington Expressway.

First Coast Car Council: All cruise-ins postponed.

Callahan Cruisers: 4 to 7 p.m. every second Saturday at Hardee’s at 542309 U.S. 1 in Callahan.

Downtown Kingsland Cars & Coffee: 9 a.m. to noon each second Saturday at the Historic Downtown Kingsland Homegrown Market at U.S. 17 and Georgia 40.

Cruise Fruit Cove: The Sunshine State Chevelles’ cruise-in hours are 1 to 5 p.m. (winter hours) every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.

New cruise-in: 1 p.m. every third Saturday at Hardee’s at 6852 Wilson Blvd.

Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach. The Amelia Cruizers Car Club will stage a cruise to the ice cream store, staging at 2 p.m. in the parking lot next to the closed Krystal’s (2020 Sadler Road), then make an informal parade along the ocean and on Centre Street through downtown to end at Cold Stone.

Yulee Cars and Coffee: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every third Sunday at the Sonic Drive-In at 463939 Florida 200 in Yulee.

Clay County Cruzers’ events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd.; 3 to 6 p.m. every second Saturday at Dick’s Wings Fleming Island at 1803 E. West Parkway;  New – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every third Saturday at Mr. Chubby’s Wings at 2349 Village Square Parkway in Fleming Island; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Hooter’s/Miller’s Ale House at 1756 Well’s Road – replaces Freddy’s; 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at the OP Dreamette at 1177 Park Ave. in Orange Park; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.

Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine monthly cruise-ins: St. Augustine Cruiser’s “Cruise In” from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday, and Cars and Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth Saturday. Both cruise-ins are at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.

Cars and Coffee Fleming Island: 8 a.m. every fourth Sunday of the month at 2310 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island.

New cruise-in: 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Mission BBQ, 8440 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville, hosted by Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville.

New cruise-in: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every fourth Saturday at the Rockin’ 50’s Eatery at 3501 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine.

New cruise-in: Vaughn Motorgroup’s “Cars & Coffee Reunion” is 8 to 11 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month at dealership at11350 San Jose Blvd. First Come First served on indoor parking.

Show and Tell: 6 to 9 p.m. every fourth Thursday at Advance Auto Parts at 10014 Atlantic Blvd.

Azalea City Cruisers: Monthly cruise-in from 5 to 8 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Velchoffs Corner, 105 N. 2^nd St. in Palatka.

Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.

And …

Photo courtesy of SEMA

Andy Leach won the 10th anniversary SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish competition with his 1960 Buick Invicta Custom “X-60” at the 2023 SEMA Show. It took Leach nine years to build the Invicta out of his Cal Automotive Creations shop in Bennington, Neb., as he worked to maintain the car’s original intentions, including details originally lost to budget constraints.

“I’m very honored to be the 2023 Battle of the Builders winner. It’s a dream come true; I’ve been chasing this award for nearly a decade,” said Leach. “The Buick was a labor of love, and I’m glad all our hard work and effort has been recognized, especially against all the stiff competition we faced. The Buick Invicta Custom ‘X-60’ embodies every inch of its potential and evokes emotions in the spirit of what this car stood for in 1960.”

Inspired by the Jet Age B-52 (or Boeing B-52 Stratofortress), the X60 Invicta features sleek lines. Wedged sections are present only in the front of the car, its brass trim CAD designed and precision machined, with one-piece, precision-machined rear bumper.

In designing the interior of the car, the goal was to keep the look and feel of the 1960 Buick, while elevating and polishing the visual experience. The interior is built around the iconic Invicta hardback bucket seats and center console, featuring custom logos and pockets. Custom-made pearlized leather and woven aircraft carpeting brings everything together for a seamless and aesthetically appealing ride.

The X60 Invicta is outfitted with the same factory-correct 401 Nailhead engine block featured in the 1960 Buick. Featuring a crank-driven supercharger with custom-made bracketry for the blower, as well as power-steering, A/C and an alternator with a custom-made front drive, it will be featured in the “SEMA: Battle of the Builders” TV special that will air in January on the History Channel. For more information, visit www.semabotb.com.

The Amelia concours d’elegance returns for its 29th iteration from Feb. 29 to March 3 of 2024. Multi-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Chairman/CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group Rick Hendrick is next year’s honoree – and that will include a special display of vehicles from Hendrick’s collection including the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that was prepared for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. Special concours classes include Japanese performance cars of the 90s, Porsche: 911 The Original Owners Club, Cars of Pike’s Peak, Bugatti Type 57 as well as two classes featuring Ferrari 250 Competition and Grand Touring Cars

Kicking off The Amelia weekend is Classic Motorsports Magazine’s Amelia Island Kickoff presented by Sunoco at Fernandina Beach’s Main Beach Park, set for 1 p.m. on March 1. Spectator entry is free – Vehicle entry price is $45, and all cars must pre-register online – no registrations will be accepted at the show gate. Joining the Classic Motorsports Amelia Island Kickoff, the Concours d’Lemons is free for spectators – registration is just $20