You’ve heard of Hot Rods, but how about Vette Rods? Yes, it’s really a thing and in fact, it’s a BIG THING! Vette Rods are becoming THE way to customize a Corvette from the past, with present day mods and make it even more futuristic! At the 2018 Corvettes at Carlisle weekend, presented by Corvette America, the Corvette world will see plenty of the best examples of this hybrid genre of Corvette. It all happens during the weekend of August 23-26 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds.

Vette Rods are powerful and unique looking, yet in many cases stay true to the original design of the car itself. There are customizations that have been done, be it the engine, the interior, the exterior or all of the above. If a Corvette goes fast, Vette Rods go faster and if the sound of a standard Corvette engine makes you turn your head, you’ll get whiplash enjoying the purr of a Vette Rod motor! In short, the main point of resto mod Corvettes that makes them so awesome is the simple fact that an owner can have the styling of an old classic with the drivability, performance, handling and all the luxuries of a brand-new Corvette.

One of the featured Vette Rods at the show in August is owned by Jason Lemek. Today, Jason is a 39-year-old enthusiast who has been part of the Corvette scene his entire life. According to him, it’s a “family hobby,” that he’s happy to be involved with. Lemek’s ’63 is a show-stopper that started as a simple convertible salvaged from his dad’s scrap yard.

“My dad didn’t have any ’63 coupe bodies, so I got the ’63 convertible, but at that point I figured that I wouldn’t be putting the car back to original,” said Lemek. “The original motor was long gone, along with all the factory parts, so I decided to build something that I wanted to enjoy and make it look more like a ’67.”

While Lemek got a ’63 body, he didn’t get much more. From a bare shell with missing front clips, doors and fenders to the black and red beauty that will be on display in Building T in August, the process was lengthy and included many great friends, family members, companies and overall support.

Today, the car is driven, has some blemishes because of it, but most important, it’s a project that Lemek is proud of. It’s also something that anchors the Vette Rod display that is the basis of Chip’s Choice in 2018! Vette Rods are rapidly becoming a way of life within the Corvette community too and judging by sale prices at a recent nationally televised broadcast, their values are starting to exceed the value of a similar Corvette in its original form.

“Vette Rods are becoming more and more mainstream by the day,” says Lance Miller, co-owner of Carlisle Events and event manager for Corvettes at Carlisle. “Many people love the old body styles, but would prefer having all the current everyday amenities a new car provides. A Vette Rod is just that… something that looks old but has all new components to make it feel like you’re driving a new car,” continued Miller. “We’re excited to showcase some of the best Vette Rods in the country! If you have one, please be sure to submit a picture and description of your car on our website. We’re thrilled about this year’s Chip’s Choice and hope you are too!”

Complete details, including a link to buy tickets or pre-register for the show are available at www.CarlisleEvents.com. Adult tickets start at $20, with kids 12 and under getting in FREE.

Buick boldly took on the large luxury crossover segment in 2007 with its 2008 Enclave (now a mid-size), replacing its truck-based Rainier, the minivan-based Rendezvous and the Tarraza minivan. Now, during an era when three-row crossovers have seriously eroded minivan sales, Buick has evolved its Enclave for the first time in 10 years -- though it received a facelift in 2013, it remained in its first generation.

The second-gen, 2018 Enclave has been completely redesigned and introduces the Avenir sub-brand as the highest expression of Buick luxury, offering unique styling cues and an extensive set of standard features and premium materials.

Enclave upgrades for 2018 with new design architecture that exhibits a balanced, athletic appearance, and new proportions that give the sports-ute a sleeker look with aerodynamic benefits for efficiency. Enclave also shows off a lower roofline, sharper windshield angle and longer wheelbase to present a more dramatic stance. The 2018 Enclave also gets extensive use of LEDs, including bi-functional LED projector headlamps and LED tail lamps.

Buick also touts Enclave’s premium suspension with continuously variable real-time damping on its up-level Avenir, for a smooth, comfortable ride, with enhanced body control and handling in Sport mode. And you get Buick’s signature quiet ride with QuietTuning that includes new active noise cancellation feature, to further reduce, block and absorb noise.

The new Enclave shows off elegant design cues and its Avenir’s five-sided black-mesh grille, character lines and sleekness are encompassed in a generation than is longer and lower than Gen-One, at 204.3 inches long (2.4 inches longer), 78.8 inches wide (0.2 inches narrower) and 69.6 inches high (0.4 inches lower) on a 120.9-inch wheelbase (2 inches longer) for a curbweight of about 4700 lbs.

All Enclave models are powered by a direct-injected 3.6-liter V-6 engine mated to a Hydra-Matic 9T65 9-speed automatic transmission. The system hums out 310hp and 266 lbs.-ft. of torque and is EPA estimated at 17mpg/city for AWD and 25mpg/highway for the AWD version with a huge 21.7-gallon tank. I got about 19mpg during my mixed-use tests.

Acceleration is good for a heavy luxury crossover, with best increases at speed during hill climbs. Enclave is a bit reticent off the line, and passing requires a bit of strategy at times, but the vehicle will get you there and hold a line doing it. From a stop, my Enclave finished off a zero-to-60mph dash in 6.9 seconds – more than a half-second faster than my last test in a Gen-One Enclave), and completed the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds.

On the road, the ride was refined and Buick quiet, though my test vehicle exhibited marked understeer from the hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering during quick turning maneuvers.

The MacPherson strut independent front suspension with hydraulic control arm ride bushing and hollow stabilizer bar worked well with the five-link independent rear with auxiliary spring aids and hollow stabilizer bar frame to smooth out most road irregularities, and keep the sense of luxury intact. Additionally, a Premium front suspension with continuously variable real-time damping and Premium rear suspension with continuously variable real-time damping are available on the Avenir.

With seating for seven, the new Enclave presents a 10-percent increase in overall interior space, including hidden underfloor storage. Enclave is accommodating inside with 41 inches of front row headroom, 39.9 inches in row two and 37.6 inches in row three (moderate gains in the first two rows); legroom is a stout 41.2 inches up front with 38.9 and 33.5 for rows two and three (increased for rows two and three).

The lavish and intuitive cabin is packed with a cornucopia of amenities and tech and includes standard tri-zone automatic climate control and an available, new air ionizer that eliminates odors and provides higher air quality. A frameless eight-inch-diagonal Buick infotainment system is standard on all models.

Standard safety features include a rear vision camera, rear park assist and seven air bags, including a front center side airbag.

The 2018 Buick Enclave is available in four time levels starting with the 1SV at $40,990. The Essence trim adds leather and safety tech and starts at $45,295. Premium trim adds a premium entertainment system, heated steering wheel and ventilated seat for a $49,095 base and my top-of-the-line Avenir upgraded with unique upper and lower grilles, wheels and front door badging, exclusive Chestnut/Ebony interior color including seat stitching and piping, Avenir embroidered head rests and floor mats, bold Avenir script sill plates (all four doors), premium film decor accents, real Mahogany wood steering wheel, Infotainment with Navigation, wireless charging, Surround Vision with Rear Camera Mirror, five exterior colors and more … and based at $54,495.

My test Dark Slate Metallic 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir added AWD for $2,300; and the Avenir Technology Package cost $2095 for unique exterior/interior styling, Buick Infotainment System with Navigation, wireless charging, a power dual moonroof with rear fixed skylight, 8-inch diagonal reconfigurable driver information center, Surround Vision with full display inside rearview mirror, 20-inch cast aluminum wheels with Pearl Nickel finish and a premium ride suspension. Destination freight charges of $995 put the sticker price of $58,890.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

Good weather goes a long way in making an automotive event successful, even when that event is primarily indoors. That was the case recently as Carlisle Events kicked off its 2018 season with Auto Mania, Pennsylvania’s largest indoor and heated swap meet. The Allentown Fairgrounds came to life for its first big event of the season January 19-21 and in doing so, also hosted the largest swap meet footprint ever for this event.

Indoors is never an issue at Allentown, after all, Ag Hall has heat…lots of it, but with unseasonably warm temperatures for January, the outdoor area expanded once more to meet demand. With that growing footprint, combined with the always sold-out indoor area, the 2018 edition of Auto Mania got things going properly for the Carlisle Events team.

While gates opened at 12 p.m. on Friday January 19, there were vendor to vendor sales happening well before that. In fact, the first transaction was spotted sometime after 6 a.m. during a time when a handful of vendors were in early setting up. Talk about not wasting any time. 99% of the rest of the weekend’s transactions happened during normal hours. Between buying and selling automotive pieces and parts, the on-site and farmers market concessions and ticket sales – Auto Mania was once again a smashing success.

In addition to the additional vending spaces outdoors, guests were treated to a dozen or so cars for sale by owner. This is always an added bonus because on nice warm winter days, sometimes car enthusiasts simply want to drive a classic “right now” and take a break from the restoration project they may be working on.

As always, Saturday was THE day for shopping and camaraderie in Allentown! The full day of fun ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and for the tens of thousands of guests who made the trip, it was the best outlet for parts buying, picking, flipping and just a generally fun day out of the house. Sunday helped wrap the weekend and guests that came had one final shot at deals within the swap meet and one last chance to connect with old friends before saying goodbye until “the next time.”

Speaking of the next time, Carlisle Events' next offering is in a much warmer climate, Lakeland, Florida. Winter AutoFest 2018 takes center stage February 23-25 and offers a three-day swap meet and car corral as well as a two-day collector car auction. The auction is the first of five slated for Carlisle Auctions in 2018 and as always, is powered by the FREE UNLESS SOLD guarantee as well as other great conveniences related to being part of a Carlisle Auction. A complete rundown of this event and others that follow it are available online via the Carlisle Events’ web page; www.CarlisleEvents.com.

It was only a matter of time before Carlisle Auctions added another date to its schedule; it was just inevitable. Since the launch of the brand in 2012, 21 auctions have been promoted and after years of success and multiple sold out events, it is time to expand. Carlisle Auctions proudly announces a BRAND-NEW DATE and auction event, taking place in June at the Carlisle Expo Center.

Taking place on Saturday, June 16, the Carlisle Auctions Summer Sale offers a full day of classic car excitement. Preview hours start at 8 a.m., with the auction slated to begin at 11 p.m. The day features a 200-car collector/classic car auction backed by Carlisle Auctions. All bidders that are part of the upcoming Carlisle Auctions offering at Spring Carlisle in April will be invited back, at no additional cost, plus, with the hot demand for collector car events such as this, bidder registration is now open for everyone interested in being part of Carlisle Auctions’ new summer classic as well as its other four events in 2018!

The entire event is open to the public and the auction will carry Carlisle Auctions’ world famous FREE UNLESS SOLD guarantee (consignments 25 years or older). The ability to consign or register as a bidder is available now by calling 717-960-6400 or via the web at www.CarlisleAuctions.com. Pre-registration as a bidder entitles its holder to discounts, VIP perks and more. All passes will be available for pick up at the venue’s auction office. The Carlisle Auctions team will also have a special offer available as it relates to the Fall Carlisle Auction, but this offer will be available only to those who register in advance for the first-ever Carlisle Summer Sale.

With the dog days of summer just weeks away from this event, it’ll be a great time to beat the heat and enjoy a day out immersed in millions of dollars worth of classics and collectible cars crossing the block as well as like-minded enthusiasts, all passionate about the car hobby. Spectator admission for the day’s fun FREE.

In addition to the auction excitement, guests will experience a food court of sorts, featuring specialty catering trucks and craft brews from some of the area’s finest establishments.

There is much excitement within the hobby as this event is added to the Carlisle Events/Carlisle Auctions season schedule. This much is very clear from the comments made by Carlisle Events co-founder and co-owner Bill Miller, Jr.

“As the auction business continues to expand for us at Carlisle Auctions, we’ve found that events are selling out and would be consignors and bidders are missing out on opportunities to be involved,” noted Miller. “At Carlisle Auctions, we like to give every auction buyer and consigner the proper time to buy and sell their vehicles and that’s why we are adding this event,” continued Miller. “There couldn’t be a better time of year than June 16 to add a 200-car, stand alone auction at our Carlisle Expo Center. Enjoy the summer weather, enjoy our air-conditioned auction facility, have fun with friends and buy or sell that special car of your dreams.”

Again, registration is now open for anyone wishing to be part of the auction. The auction contact details are listed above and June 16 will be here before you know it!

I seldom drive minivans – I prefer smoking musclecars, powerful trucks and more versatile crossovers/SUVs -- but when out-of-town family came to town for a holiday-season visit, I needed a seven-seater and I asked for a 2018 Dodge Grand Caravan to test. While sales have slipped in the genre to just under 500,000 vehicles sold in America last year, Grand Caravan dominates the segment with about 125,000 vehicles sold in 2017, only 1.9 percent fewer than in 2016.

Billed as a multi-purpose vehicle, Grand Caravan was introduced in December 2008, and is still in its first generation, though the pioneering Caravan itself, began life for the 1984 model year, and has lasted five generations.

Priced at $20,000 less than the No.2-selling minivan – Dodge’s Pacifica – Grand Caravan is built at Dodge’s Windsor, Ontario, Canada assembly plant and comes in four trims, six exterior colors and two interior colors, and is powered by a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine.

Standing pat for 2018, Grand Caravan adds only a new color -- IndiGo Blue – after few changes in 2017 that included reducing trim levels from six to four; upgrading all trim levels with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a backup camera, and SE Plus trim minivans were afforded Dodge’s popular Blacktop appearance package (17-inch aluminum wheels, black exterior detailing, and an all-black interior) as standard.

My test SXT came with a class-exclusive Stow N Place® roof rack system, dual power sliding side doors, power liftgate, leather-wrapped shift knob, black cloth seats with silver accent stitching, Uconnect® Voice Command and Bluetooth® Streaming Audio, a six-speaker audio system, third-row Stow 'n Go® Seating and storage system featuring class-exclusive tailgate seating, and body-color door handles and side moldings.

Constructed with unitized steel with hinged front doors; sliding left and right side doors — power available and rear liftgate with gas props — power available, Grand Caravan measures 203.7 inches long, 78.7 inches wide and 69.0 inches high on a 121.2-inch wheelbase. Curbweight is a stout 4510 lbs.

Inside, the minivan was roomy enough for five adults and two children, as well as eight airline bags. Headroom seems more accommodating than its 39.8 inches in the first row, 39.3 inches with captain’s chairs in row two and .37.7 in row three. Legroom is generous at 40.7 inches in front, 36.5 in the intermediate seats and 32.7 in the rear, and shoulder room comes in at 63.7 inches in row one, 64.1 in the middle and 62.0 in the back row.

The interior really hasn’t been updated significantly since 2008, and its design (intuitiveness) and overuse of plastic seem outdated, but for the price saving, and with the excellent high-seating sightlines, the cabin is adequate.

Grand Caravan’s transverse front engine, front-wheel drive layout features a V-6 engine mated to a six-speed, adaptive electronic control transmission with an electronically modulated torque converter clutch. The system puts out 283 hp and 260 lbs-ft of torque

Rated at 17mpg/city and 25mpg/highway with a 20-gallon tank, Grand Caravan gave me excellent range, as I averaged 22.9mpg in mixed-use driving.

In track tests, as well as on the highway, Grand Caravan was slow, but steady, with enough power to pass at speed. My test mini finished off a zero-to-60mph dash in 7.9 seconds, en route to a sleepy 16.3-second quarter-mile.

Performance-wise, Grand Caravan is front-wheel drive, and in winter snow and many uphill grades, we really could have used all-wheel-drive. In today’s car world, I prefer AWD when available, as you give up little in fuel economy and gain tons in response and control, particularly north of the Mason-Dixon Line in winter, but even down South in rainy and muddy conditions.

The independent MacPherson strut front suspension with coil over gas-charged shock absorbers, stabilizer bar with isolated suspension cradle, works with a twist-beam axle rear with coil springs, track bar, gas-charged shock absorbers (self-leveling shock absorbers are optional). The suspension successfully masks most road irregularities, but potholes and deeper ruts jar passengers. Road noise was apparent, but acceptable, and the power rack and pinion steering was surprisingly compliant, with less body roll and top wobble than I would have thought.

Safetywise, Grand Caravan includes more than 55 available safety and security features including standard front seat-mounted side air bags, a driver-side knee blocker air bag, three-row side-curtain air bags, electronic stability control, tire-pressure monitoring, daytime running lights and remote keyless entry. The available Safety Sphere Package of features includes ParkSense rear park assist, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection system

The base Dodge Grand Caravan SE starts at $25,995; the SE plus starts at $28,760 and my SXT trim started at $31,495. The top-of-the-line-up GT trim starts at $34,395. The Driver Convenience Group was added for $995, with second-row window shades, 3-zone automatic temperature control, cup holder with overhead illumination, heated front seats and steering wheel, overhead ambient surround lighting and storage bins and illuminated front door storage. My test ride did not have Navi – part of the $995 Single DVD and Video Entertainment Package that was not included. Destination charges of $1095 brought the sticker to $33,585, but incentives may be available to cut the price further, so check with your dealer.


> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.