Chicagoland Mopar Connection car show, Downers Grove Illinois

[JH27N0B]

The Chicagoland Mopar Connection is hosting its annual spring car show on June 4th at Cozzis Corner in Downers Grove Illinois. This Mopar car show and swap meet is happening at this location for the 3rd year, and the first two events were very successful with around 170 cars on display. If weather cooperates, this years show will be even bigger! 30+ classes for awards, raffle prizes and a DJ.
https://www.facebook.com/Chicagolandmoparclub/
Here are my pictures from last years show-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111914442@N04/albums/72177720299562957

[Duodec]

I haven't been to a CMC show in probably 20+ years; it was at the Belvidere assembly plant then.  Life kind of stopped all the fun (along with the end of Skippy's car shows and swap meets).

How is the swap meet there?  And what's parking like for visitors?

Thanks...

[JH27N0B]

I was disappointed when CMC moved the spring show to June at the same weekend as Mopars in the Park.
The show was always in May, since back in the 90s at Koller Dodge, but it often seemed to have bad luck with weather, that is why they moved it later. So far, the move has paid off, as the weather has been perfect the first two years at Cozzi Corner in June.
The CMC summer show in Belvidere got moved up a week last year, after Carlisle got moved back a week, in order to not conflict the two show dates.
Now all but one of CMCs shows happen within a month and a half timeframe instead of occurring over a 2 month period.  I'm not happy with that, but for now it is what it is....

[JH27N0B]

I haven't been to a CMC show in probably 20+ years; it was at the Belvidere assembly plant then.  Life kind of stopped all the fun (along with the end of Skippy's car shows and swap meets).

How is the swap meet there?  And what's parking like for visitors?

Thanks...

Skips shows! Those shows in Grayslake bring back a lot of old memories, after I bought my convertible in '97 I attended those shows religiously.  They used to be really big, with a dedicated Mopar class, and a nice swap meet.  I remember a traffic back up on 120 sometimes with so many people trying to get into the parking lot.
Sadly after the county sold the fairgrounds and built a new fairgrounds south of the old location that had a layout that wasn't very conducive to car shows, the Skips shows moved to Woodstock, where it died a slow death a shadow of what it was like at Grayslake in the late 90s and early 2000s 
The swap meet at the CMC show is decent, nothing huge, but all Mopar.  I used to go to Jefferson once or twice a year, and even though Jefferson has 1500 spaces or maybe more, its huge, you'd spend all day going through the place to find the dozen or so vendors there selling Mopar stuff.  There may only be 12-20 vendors at CMC in Downers Grove, but there's as much Mopar goodies there as there is at at a typical Jefferson! 
Belvidere is better but even that show is only maybe 40-50 vendors each year.
Spectator parking at CMC's show at Cozzis is great.  Cozzis is a fast food restaurant in a little strip mall area along 75th street at the periphery of a half abandoned shopping center.  Just park in the lot of the closed grocery store or K Mart or whatever it was closest to where the cars are displayed and walk 5 minutes south across the parking lot and over a median making up the boundary of the strip mall.  Actually the swap meet part of the show is in the parking lot of the abandoned grocery store or discount store, so you park right by the swap meet!

[Duodec]

Thanks for the info.  So Belvidere is still an event too... nice to know.  I rejoined CMC last month so hopefully will get the notifications.

Also nice about parking.  I bought an 8-3/4 pumpkin at the Koller Dodge swap meet once, had to carry it back to the truck (a long way) in a 5 gallon bucket.  My hands took a while to forgive me.  Parking closer is better.  I never got around to buying a cart or wagon to drag through the old swap meets either though I could borrow a hand truck from work.

Really looking forward to June!  Although I already know the parts price shocks are going to be major...

[RzeroB]

Belvidere is still happening even though Mopar announced they were closing the plant??

[JH27N0B]

CMC moved the July car show to the Boone County fairgrounds years ago, maybe close to 20 years ago.  It has no connection to the Belvidere assembly plant that recently closed.

[Duodec]

Ah, I misunderstood from your earlier message about the Belividere date being moved.

Hopefully I start hearing from CMC soon (or else please post here!) about upcoming shows.

Thanks

[JH27N0B]

Here is a link to all the CMC's shows
https://www.chicagolandmopar.com/event
WPC is having a show this weekend at Larry Roesch in Elmhurst.  It is nice they are bringing it back, however no swap meet this year.  And to add insult to injury its supposed to be a high of 48°.
I got my Magnum out of hibernation last Saturday so I'd be ready to go, I am not sure how enthused I'll be about taking it to the show if its that cold.

[Duodec]

First swap meet, and first MoPar car show I've been able to go to in 20 years... I'm kind of excited!

A little embarrassed to be driving a Ford there though...

[JH27N0B]

Weather is looking pretty good for the show.  Looking forward to it!

[kdcarman]

I am planning to be there with my 70 Cuda 440-6, TX9 Cuda.   

[Duodec]

There were some NICE cars there.  I find my old bad habit of noticing minor flaws over how just beautiful the car is has been left behind (I had already the STFU, they already know lesson long ago).  Couple cars there that are representative on my lottery list (surprisingly not E-bodies) were there.   Just stunning.

I didn't end up finding anything at the swap meet that I needed; there were some '71 Challenger parts but they're items I already have.  And some general tools, but not 'necessary'. And I still need to refresh/update my memories on parts, prices/etc and find my Govier casting and ID books that are buried somewhere.  We'll see what comes in Belvidere.

Need more Mopar...

[PLUM72]

A few photos from the Chicago Mopar Connection show on Sunday 6/4.

[RzeroB]

Thanks for the pics!! Love that Nash Metropolitan with the blown Hemi in it!!