Oh no! It’s THE BLOOOOG!!!!

The 1953 Plymouth Fury from Christine, Janet Leigh’s 1957 Ford Custom 300 in Psycho, the 1970 Chevy Nova from Quentin Tarantino’s Deathproof, Charlie Sheen’s prototype Dodge Turbo Interceptor from The Wraith, the 1955 Chevrolet One-Fifty in Sometimes They Come Back are all iconic examples of murderous motors from Hollywood cinema. And that list doesn’t even include the countless examples of killer big-rigs in movies such as Maximum Overdrive, The Hitcher, Joy Ride, and Pet Sematary (Stephen King is obviously a gearhead). Deciding on a single proper Halloween vehicle to focus on is nearly impossible, but Hephaestus must have smiled, because Friday night I stumbled upon a “Trunk or Treat” car show in the parking lot outside the local Chick-fil-A.

There were between 60 and 70 truly amazing vehicles. Mostly American and mostly classics with a few modern machines thrown in, but all fully restored and decked out. There were half a dozen true hot rods, a number of Mustangs, Camaros, Impalas, Chevelles, Chargers, and Challengers from every era. The Bel Airs, Thunderbirds, and classic Stingrays were all on display. One of the real treats was a custom Studebaker Hawk, but I had an impossible time trying to get a picture because of the throngs of onlookers.

Nothing beat The Judge, though.

Clearly the centerpiece of the meet, Mike Blackard’s ‘69 GTO has a blower that stretches higher than the roofline. It’s pro-street-driven, supercharged, tubed, with nitrous, and an absolute sight to behold. Only the photos can really do this car justice.

Blackard, the host of this "Trunk or Treat" car show, helps organize many local car meets for charity. Over the past few years, he has lost three loved ones to cancer, and he has made it his personal mission to put the pedal to the metal on cancer research. When I shared the story of my mom’s passing in 2013 from glioblastoma, he immediately asked me to add him as a Facebook friend and invited me to his regular Saturday car meet.

What started as an earnest moment of serendipity, that my son wanted Chick-fil-A for dinner Friday night, I ended up meeting new friends and discovering new haunts on a truly special Halloween weekend. 

Just, watch what you say about my car. She's real sensitive.

-Trey Fennell