MARCH 2023 MUG SHOTS WINNER
ALLEN PHELPS - 1973 TRIUMPH GT6 MK3
Apr 3, 2023 - Welcome to ‘Mug Shots’, where we take some time to get to learn more about the spectacular vehicles attending Mesa Cars & Coffee!
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For our March Mug Shots winner, we bring you something from ‘across the pond’ as they say. This 1973 Triumph GT6 MKIII owned by Allen Phelps is an eye-catcher, with fastback rear-end styling in an overall small sports coupe package, the GT6 MKII would be the end of a seven-year run for the tiny British sports car.
While development began in 1963 for a GT styled concept that was based on the successful Triumph Spitfire convertible, it didn’t really catch the public’s interest until the body styling started showing up on the racetrack after being adapted to the Spitfire racing program in 1964 for its aerodynamic advantages. When production began, the added final bodywork weight on the car deemed it underpowered with a 4-cylinder engine, so a 2.0L six-cylinder was added instead (which the ’6’ in the car’s naming gives nod to).
Allen’s car is a 3rd generation (MKIII) and among the last produced. He purchased his GT6 only a year ago, citing that his automotive interests were delayed in life giving him his late start. “It wasn't until about ten years ago when attending the Porsche factory tour in Stuttgart, Germany that I really became obsessed with cars. Ever since then I can't get enough.” Said Allen. His exposure to European cars led him to the Triumph brand. “I lived in Scotland for a couple of years and became obsessed with the culture there, including the cars. The GT6 is just a beautiful car that is fun to drive and although its value has gone up in recent years, it remains a very affordable British sports car from a classic era.”
Since Allen is a business owner, he tends to stay busy. Thankfully he’s brought his Triumph to Arizona where he can enjoy taking it out to car shows whenever he gets a little free time. “I’ve been attending them for years but am new to bringing my own car.” Admits Allen. His company, Dose Moving & Storage has been helpful in making sure his car is transported and stored securely while he’s away. When we caught up with Allen at Mesa Cars & Coffee he was all smiles as people were checking out his car. “I love meeting other people with the same passion and love of vehicles that I have!” exclaimed Allen. That’s the spirit, old chap! Thank you for bringing us such a great car to enjoy at Mesa Cars & Coffee, and cheers to your Mug Shots win.
FEBRUARY 2023 MUG SHOTS WINNER -
JOSEPH FREDERICKS - 1949 PONTIAC SILVER STREAK
Feb 28, 2023 - Welcome to ‘Mug Shots’, where we take some time to get to learn more about the spectacular vehicles attending Mesa Cars & Coffee!
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This month’s winner is a true classic American car. Although the Pontiac brand was discontinued in 2010, its popularity brought many great nameplates to the automotive world for decades. The 1949 Pontiac Chieftain Silver Streak was born in an era of explosive technological and aerodynamic achievements. It was released as a completely restyled vehicle for that year, a steep departure from the pre-war styling of past models which brought with it sleeker, more attractive body lines to the new sheet metal. That attractiveness is what has kept them in so many collectors’ eyes to this day. And we are lucky to have the chance to see this one up close when the owner makes it out to our events.
Joseph A. Fredericks is the proud owner of this car. While he’s retired now, he worked previously as a printed circuit designer in the aviation industry. He fell in love with cars at a very young age. His dad owned a 1947 Pontiac fastback sedan, which is likely why he gravitated towards this car. When asked if this was his favorite he replied “I’ve owned many cool cars, but the best was a 1927 Willys-Knight 7 window sedan”.
It may not be the favorite, but it’s still plenty of fun driving the ’49 around. Joseph’s Pontiac was purchased from a classic car dealer in Illinois. “I don’t know much about the history of my Pontiac.” Admitted Joseph. “I bought it sight-unseen, and when it arrived in my driveway the truck driver told me that it leaks fluids and has no brakes.” Joseph went to work shortly after delivery of the car by installing new brakes, suspension, and upgrading the original 6-volt electrical system to a more reliable 12-volt one. Where some owners might go hot rod wild under the hood, Joseph kept his car more original with the inline 3.9L 6-cylinder and manual 3-speed transmission still in place. Lots of bodywork was done on the rear fenders, the chrome removed, and fresh paint added to the body to make it presentable for all of the Arizona car shows Joseph takes it to.
When we asked Joseph what he loves best about coming out to Mesa Cars Coffee he replied “I love Mesa Cars & Coffee shows because they give me and other enthusiasts a chance to meet and exchange ideas and become friends. I love hearing some of the older people explaining to their kids about the memories they get from seeing my old car and having them share their own stories of their memories with me.” Congratulations Joseph on taking this month’s Mug Shots feature and thank you for sharing your 1949 Pontiac Silver Streak with us!
JANUARY 2023 MUG SHOTS WINNER -
TOM BURRIS - 2013 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT 60th ANIV
Feb 4, 2023 - Welcome to ‘Mug Shots’, where we take some time to get to learn more about the spectacular vehicles attending Mesa Cars & Coffee!
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It should be no surprise that we have another Corvette to crown as a ‘Mug Shots’ winner. It’s 2023 and the Corvette is celebrating 70 YEARS of automotive history! Now as GM prepares to send the nameplate into an entirely separate line of vehicles, the American badge holds onto strong heritage with enthusiasts, so much so that it’s hard to look the other way and not find several at any car show in The U.S.
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This 2013 Corvette Grand Sport celebrates 60 years of that heritage with a special anniversary package and is 1 of only 355 produced. Tom Burris, of the local car club East Valley Corvettes, gets to enjoy the sounds and thrills that this machine projects when not sitting idle. He has owned the car since around 2018 and gets it out around town to cool down with the very ‘chill’ Artic White exterior and silver racing stripes.
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The LS3 6.2 liter V8 is just fine for 438 horsepower, with a 6spd auto paddle shift transmission to save some left foot work. The removable top will let all the Arizona sunshine in on the comfortable Blue Diamond leather sport seats, which have embroidered headrests as part of the 60th Anniversary package. Wheels are a 5-spoke aluminum staggered setup with 18”x9.5” front and 19”x12” rears to eat all the asphalt up.
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Tom has enjoyed cars since he was kid, having acquired a 1968 Pontiac Firebird as his first car at age 15. It’s clear he’s stayed a General Motors guy that whole time. Tom has worked as a Job Site Superintendent for the last 21 years at Copperstate Fire Protection, and when he’s off on weekends you might find his car among a row of amazing East Valley Corvette members at Mesa Cars & Coffee. When we asked Tom what he liked best about heading out to our events he replied “I enjoy going to Mesa Cars and Coffee for the variety of cars, meeting other car enthusiasts, as well as going with our group is always a fun time.” We congratulate Tom for winning this month’s ‘Mug Shots’ feature and for sharing his Corvette for everyone to enjoy as well!
DECEMBER 2022 MUG SHOTS WINNER -
JACK MORRISON - 1970 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK
Dec 24, 2022 - Welcome to ‘Mug Shots’, where we take some time to get to learn more about the spectacular vehicles attending Mesa Cars & Coffee!
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The Ford Mustang launched an era of high-performance machines in the mid-60’s. By 1970, the nameplate had forged quite a following in America, spanning many variants and engine choices. This rare Grabber Green colored 1970 Mustang Fastback was found in a storage shed in 2008 and bought on sight. Now owned by Jack Morrison of Gilbert, Arizona, he told us the car had to be trailered home in pieces. Two weeks after buying it though, he ended up winning its first local car show, taking top Mustang for the category!
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Jack has kept things mostly stock with just a few tweaks. Some exterior items have been removed like the front turn signals and the radio antenna to give the car a smoother look. The front suspension was upgraded from a Boss model, and the rear end is a Ford 9” with disc-brakes. Power comes from a 302ci V-8 with a hand-built Toploader Transmission. “It’s so much fun to drive” says Jack. “It’s been on most of Old Route 66. I really enjoyed bringing it to Mesa Cars & Coffee for the first time recently, too.” Jack spends time taking his car out on weekends when not working as the foreman for Williamsfield High School.
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You’ll notice Jack’s car quickly if you see it. The Grabber Green stands out against other cars vividly and is sometimes accompanied by a similar colored fellow named “Gumby”. The name is quite fitting for the car too! We thank Jack for sharing his cool Mustang with all of us and congratulate him on his Mug Shots recognition!
NOVEMBER 2022 MUG SHOTS WINNER -
STEVE BRONER - 2017 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06
Nov 27, 2022 - Welcome to ‘Mug Shots’, where we take some time to get to learn more about the spectacular vehicles attending Mesa Cars & Coffee!
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If you come to Mesa Cars & Coffee you are bound to find a few cool Corvettes spanning many generations, but Steve Broner’s 2017 Z06 Convertible is a great example of one of the last front-engine Corvettes produced and the perfect cruiser for our incoming cooler Arizona weather! A retired Navy veteran, Steve has always had a love for cars since he was a kid.
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He purchased his Z06 Convertible in the Spring of 2021 and immediately began attending local car shows with it. When asked what he enjoyed most about coming out to Mesa Cars & Coffee, Steve replied “I enjoy seeing the cars and talking to the owners, spending time with like-minded people, and making new friends.” We thank Steve for bringing his Black Rose Metallic C7 Corvette out for everyone to enjoy and congratulate his win as November’s Mug Shot!
OCTOBER 2022 MUG SHOTS WINNER -
EVAN POLASKY - 1976 PLYMOUTH FURY PATROL CAR
Oct 21, 2022 - Welcome to ‘Mug Shots’, where we take some time to get to learn more about the spectacular vehicles attending Mesa Cars & Coffee!
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Our first ever Mug Shots feature has probably seen a fair share of them since it’s a real retired police car. Evan Polasky’s 1976 Plymouth Fury is a piece of moving automotive history. Originally a detective car in Oregon, the car now looks exactly how Scottsdale Police Department's patrol cars looked in the 1970s. Since Evan is a Crime Prevention Officer with Scottsdale Police Department, he had help from old photos and retired officers to make sure his recreation is as accurate as possible. Most of the equipment on the car is even original!
This Fury has an original police equipment package to help it outpace the goons. "It's got a cop motor...cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters, so it'll run good on regular gas." Said Polasky. After the car made its way to Arizona from Oregon Evan began the process of repainting the car from green to blue and white, the colors used for Scottsdale Police Department during the 70’s.
He’s owned the car for a decade now and loves seeing the joy it brings when people catch it at local car shows, along with hearing and sharing stories. While we’re sure a few of our Mesa Cars & Coffee friends may have seen a car like this in their rearview decades ago, this one won’t write you any tickets for checking it out up close!
ENTER YOUR RIDE FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED AS THIS MONTH'S 'MUG SHOTS' WINNER!
Submit your own unique cruiser for a chance to be featured as this month's 'Mug Shots' online feature and win a free Mesa Cars & Coffee mug to sip on your sweet success! We'll give a short write-up on how cool your ride is to put here on the website, plus we'll even save a parking space for you up front at the next Mesa Cars & Coffee event... AND Brix Films will be sure to snap a great photo to commemorate the win!
Please email mesacarsncoffee@gmail.com and include ALL of the following info/answers:
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Owner First & Last Name
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Phone Number
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Email Address
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Occupation/Career
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Year/Make/Model of Vehicle
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How many years have you owned your vehicle?
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How long have you loved automobiles?
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How long have you been going to car shows?
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Is there any special history for your vehicle? (please keep relatively brief)
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Are there any special modifications to your vehicle? (please limit to the best highlights, not every nut & bolt)
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What you love most about cruising your vehicle to Mesa Cars & Coffee?
Make sure to also attach 2-5 really good images showcasing the vehicle. The monthly winner will be selected by our season sponsors and notified prior to the next event. Good luck!