EDIT: I’m catching up on blogging. This one was supposed to come out late July, but I never got around to finishing it. I guess better late than never.
My nephew’s son is 13, and is car-crazy. Ethan has this idea that he wants to find an old car and rebuild it. He thinks he would have it completed by the time he is of age to actually get a drivers license. My nephew, Chip, suggested that he just get a lawnmower and try to rebuild that, as a start. That doesn’t keep Ethan from drooling over just about every cool car he sees. With that in mind, we paid a visit to Classic Cars of South Carolina near Gray Court, or, as Chip and Ethan called it, “The Car Cemetery.”
I had passed by this place for years. They always had some very cool cars out front, the type that catch your attention from the Interstate. When Chip was in college they had a DeLorean parked out front that he really wanted. It seems only fitting that his son should be able to pay the place a visit. Owner Ron Ayers decided that it was time to retire, so we knew we wouldn’t have very many opportunities to explore.
Chip made an appointment for us to meet at Classic Cars at 11:00. Sadly, this was also one of the hottest days of the summer, with temperatures closing in on 100ยบ. Even so, we headed on down to the lot and started exploring.
Classic Cars has cars spanning just about all vintages, and in just about any condition, from street ready restorations to bits and pieces. The cars in the best condition are up front, for obvious reasons.
The further back you go, the less drivable the cars become. There were two old Rolls that had signs saying they would make good wedding cars if restored. I told Chip that if I were to buy it, it would become a divorce car.
Chip said that this one comes with its own terrarium.
Ethan found the car he wanted. It was the rusted hulk of a Fiat Spider, but at least it had an engine and wheels.
The property seemed to go on and on. There was much more acreage than what appears from the road.
Even though the cars weren’t complete, there were some cool details.
We even found a Ford transit van with an old piano inside.
The heat was really starting to get to me. I left the Florida boys to continue exploring while I headed back to the car and AC to cool down. Soon Ron Ayers himself came out to chat with us.
Ayers told us how he had started his business in Fountain Inn, but the neighbors didn’t like his growing collection. He found this property in the 1990s and moved here. Honestly, it seems that it’s been here longer than that. He was giving out sheets with his current inventory and on the back were some of his philosophies of life.
We left Classic Cars and made a stop for lunch, but we weren’t through with automobiles. After lunch we headed up I-85 to the BMW Zentrum. Chip and I let Ethan explore the classic BMWs on display there.
This one was my favorite with retractable doors.
The display also includes the original Z3, the first one off the line. This car made a brief appearance in James Bond’s Goldeneye.
There were some even older cars on display.
We had a great day out exploring automotive history.
