Antique car show bumper-to-bumper with 1,800 classics

It would probably take more than a quarter-million dollars to convince Ken Pilat to part with his 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, complete with its stock 426 hemi and dual-quad carbs.

Then again, he probably would not make the sale.

The car originally sold for $4,029, according to the sticker. The hemi added an additional $713 to the bill. He recently turned down an offer of $275,000.

Pilat's show-stopping Roadrunner was one of 1,800 classic cars on display at the 43rd Annual Devereaux-Kaiser Antique Car Show, held Sunday at the Westfield Sarasota Square mall. There were acres of classic cars at what has become Florida's largest car show.

Some were notable for their provenance, such as a 1922 Oldsmobile 43A that was once owned by Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th president's son.

Others commanded attention for other reasons, such as the 1941 Willy's "slot grill" Jeep, owned and restored by Dominick DeRosa, which was equipped with a dummy machine-gun mounted in the bed and a Thompson submachine-gun mounted to the dash.

"I wait all year for this show," DeRosa said. "We're lucky to have it here."

Ron Chilton's 1922 Ford Model-T was converted to a pickup long ago by a farmer outside of Allentown, Pa.

Its four cylinders produce 20 horsepower.

It takes some re-learning to drive, Chilton said, since the gas is on the left and it has only two forward gears. Downshifting and a hand brake are the only way to slow or stop.

It takes a few good turns on the cranking handle to start the motor.

"There's no neutral, so if you don't have the brake on when you crank it, it's going down the road," Chilton said.

The truck's top speed of 25 mph is more than sufficient.

"How fast do you want to go on wooden wheels, with no brakes?" he asked.