Sunday, June 26, 2016
By Sean Barron
CANFIELD
A close look at the rear of Paul and Ginni Heinselman’s narrow, bright-yellow Crosley station wagon shows a logo that says simply, “Mighty Mouse,” but what is less obvious is the paradox pertaining to the vintage vehicle the two words represent.
“Originally, I wanted “Bad to the Bone” with a big dog bone. But Ginni said, ‘Mighty Mouse,’ and eight years later, it dawned on me,” the Austintown man said with a chuckle, referring to the need to find a succinct phrase that captures his vehicle’s small, 500-horsepower engine that produces a lot of power.
The couple’s two-door classic car, assembled in Marion, Ind., also produced a lot of looks from many people Saturday afternoon who inquired about its features or were simply curious.
The Crosley was among the estimated 3,000 muscle cars, street rods, imports, T-buckets and other vintage vehicles dating to the 1920s that were the attraction of the annual Steel Valley Supernationals car show and cruise at the Canfield Fairgrounds.
The show, which began Friday, continues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the fairgrounds and at Quaker Steak & Lube, 5800 Interstate Blvd., in Austintown. A traditional car cruise is set for 3:30 p.m. today from the fairgrounds to QS&L, noted Brian Caiazza, an event promoter.
On Saturday, many car enthusiasts took part in an informal cruise along U.S. Route 224 to Chili’s Grill & Bar on Market Street next to Southern Park Mall. As of late Saturday afternoon, traffic appeared to be normal along the busy thoroughfare.
This weekend marked the Supernats’ return to Canfield after having been at Quaker City Motorsports Park in Salem since 2006. The event also brought car aficionados from at least 12 states and more than 100 vendors who sold everything from vehicle parts and accessories to food and T-shirts, Caiazza said.
Heinselman, who enjoys building muscle cars, including a 1933 Chevrolet Coupe, noted that Powell Crosley Jr. was an industrialist and entrepreneur who built his brand of vehicles from the late 1930s to the early ’50s.
Heinselman’s car includes a modified 327 cubic-inch engine and gets roughly 18 miles per gallon. Its odometer reads about 10,000 miles, many of which were racked up driving to car shows, including an event near Charlotte, N.C., he continued.
“It took over four years and 4,000 hours to build it,” Heinselman said. “I was working on it every day.”
Alexis Devine of Canfield wasn’t shy about discussing a variety of features of and interest in her 1970 and 1971 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles.
“My brother, Steve Bagnoli, was a big influence. He was always working on cars in our driveway when I was growing up,” Devine recalled, adding that her late brother, Rick, also was a role model. “I was more interested in hot rods than in Barbie dolls.”
The older car, which came from California, has the original 300-horsepower, 350-cubic-inch engine, power windows and air conditioning. It also offers a smooth ride and is ideal for road trips, Devine explained.
The butternut-yellow 1971 Malibu had the same type of engine but is “more of a hot rod” and has more power than her other car, she said.
“It’s more to turn heads and have fun with,” added Devine, who came with her husband, Sean Devine, and her father, Alex Bagnoli, along with sons Dusty, 6, and Andy, 9.
A sample of other vintage cars at the show included a yellow 1957 Chevrolet with a 427-cubic-inch engine; a gray 1961 Oldsmobile 88 two-door model with an AM radio; a lime-green 1975 F-100 pickup truck; a maroon 1940 Master Deluxe and a bright-orange two-door antique vehicle.
“This was a great idea. It’s been a huge success,” said Dick Frost of Austintown, director of the Sunday night car cruise at Quaker Steak & Lube and a lifelong car enthusiast.
He added the annual show is an economic boon for the Mahoning Valley.
For his part, Frost brought to the show his 1993 Pontiac Firebird and 1999 Mustang GT convertible.