The cars and crowds — including a 1968 Chevelle called ‘Red’ — return to Gearhead Classics 2nd Annual Fall Car Show
By: Kristina Kardum | October 26, 2025
Gearhead Classics in Sherman, Texas held its 2nd Annual Fall Car Show this past Saturday, October 4, 2025. Rumbling motors and screeching tires were heard in the distance up State Highway 56 and led spectators into the event. Staff waved cars into the parking lot and separated them by competitors or spectators. The sunlight reflected off the cars’ shiny clear coats as owners backed them into their places. The low and steady sound or large motors hummed throughout the air. Exhaust was the aroma. Owners opened hoods and trunks, and staged A-Frames. Adults and children filled the parking lot by 10:30 am. A live bands strumming guitar and vocals played in the background and a snow cone and taco stand satisfied afternoon appetites.
In 2024, Owner, Ken Kelley (father) and Owner and Marketing Manager, Kaleb Kelley (son), both of Sherman, Texas, held Gearhead Classics 1st Annual Fall Car Show with over 1,000 people who attended. Considered a success, the duo decided to host another car show this year. Ken Kelley said about 100 cars registered for this year’s event and an estimated 600–700 people showed up.
“We are planning another toy run for this coming season,” Ken Kelley said.
“We are also planning a Spring Car Show and a [3rd Annual Fall Car Show] next year.”
Gearhead Classic’s doesn’t just restore aging classics but renews their purpose, continues legacies and connects communities. The Kelley’s are in the business of selling and rebuilding cars "for car people, by car people." Kailer Jones, 24, a Web Developer for Choctaw Nation from Durant, Okla. returned to this year’s event with a family classic, a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 called ‘Red.’ Gearhead Classics beautifully restored the car, and Kailer Jones shared the story.
The Kelley’s support their local community and all the proceeds from last year’s annual fall event went to Grayson County’s Children’s Advocacy Center (GCCAC). They also host annual Hot Rod Toy Runs to gather Christmas gifts for the children at GCCAC; they’ve been doing this for over a decade. Proceeds from this year’s annual fall event will go to True Options Pregnancy Center (TPOC). Advocates with TOPC represented the nonprofit by selling raffle tickets for prizes to raise additional funds. TOPC supports local mothers and fathers who need its services. Ryder Ortowski of Collinsville, Texas, and owner of non-profit Mental Drive Inc., sold merchandise and race simulator time playing Grand Theft Auto (GTA) to raise additional funding 1 Gearhead Classics 2nd Annual Fall Car Show for TOPC. His non-profit offers assistance for mental health needs through the shared connection of cars and community.
Co-owner’s Ken Kelley and Kaleb Kelley purchased Classic Car Liquidators (CCL) in 2016 and recently changed the name to Gearhead Classics. Ken Kelley is a former Marine who served from 1985–1991, he said, and he was a guard for President Ronald Regan during that time. Kaleb Kelley is a professional photographer and does the marketing for Gearhead Classics. This entails videography, writing, managing social media content, advertising and event management. Kaleb Kelley also owns ShortShift, which offers these services. Both assist customers through the car buying, consigning and rebuilding process. Their business has several reviews of its custom rebuilds and sales from throughout the U.S and its Gearhead Classics | Facebook page has 1.1M followers.
Judging the classics (left photo above) began by 11:00 am and the crowd had some difficult decisions to make with an estimated 100 cars registered to compete. Pictured above is a ground-level view of some spectators winding their way down a row of classics. Gearhead Classics custom fabricated the trophies assigned to ten award selections registered in six main registered classes.
A group of people waited in line at The Red’s Snow Shack for a free snow cone (right photo above). Children entertained themselves with games on the asphalt while waiting for adults. The Red’s Snow Shack always had a line on the sunny afternoon.
I came across a highly positive review of a Gearhead Classics restore of a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 called ‘Red.’ Before the event I spoke with Kaleb Kelley and asked him if he knew if the owner would bring Red the event.
“[Kailer Jones] said he’s going to bring [Red],” Kaleb Kelley said.
“You’re texting him right now?” I replied. “That’s great!”
It wasn’t hard to spot Red, just halfway down the main row of classics, with Kailer Jones sitting in a chair behind her. His grandfather was the late Tom McKinney, Red’s original owner.
“30 years ago, he stopped driving it (…) and it sat and rusted,” Kailer Jones said.
“People gave him offers to purchase it from him and he turned them down.”
Some people wish they’d kept their first car for sentimental reasons, he said, like [my] grandfather did. Kailer Jones plans to keep his car, a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro he named ‘Morgan,’ which was purchased for him when he was 10 years old. Tom McKinney kept Red with the intention to restore it one day, but time passed by, and his health declined with Alzheimer’s. The family took the car to a mechanic for restoration, but it sat for several years without progress. Then, Kailer Jones’ mom, Brandee McKinney Jones, had Red hauled away, which was in pieces, to Gearhead Classics (then CCL) and they helped the family through a restoration plan.
The restoration of the ‘68 Chevelle took a few years to complete but Gearhead Classics worked as fast as they could. The family and Gearhead Classics wanted to surprise Tom McKinney, who was in nursing home care by that time (2019), with his beloved Red, restored.
“We were blessed to get it in time before Tom just didn’t recognize the car at all, you know,” Kailer Jones said.
“We got it back, got it to his nursing home, it was a good day, everybody was happy. (…) It was worth it.”
Kailer Jones said Tom McKinney was sitting on the front porch of the nursing home in his [rocking chair] on delivery day. At that time, he needed assistance to walk. When Tom McKinney heard Red roaring up the road, he knew it was her. He stood up and walked briskly down the steps toward Gearhead Classics driving the car up the road. The family hadn’t seen him move like that in a while. Then Kailer Jones and Tom McKinney went for a drive.
The family had this A-Frame made so the public could read some of Red’s backstory. Red wasn’t just a car to Tom McKinney. Kailer Jones shared some family pictures of his grandfather and Red. Tom McKinney had purchased the then big-block, four-speed new, proposed to his wife, Jan McKinney, in the car and even drove Red with friends to go fishing.
Gearhead Classics masterfully restored the ’68 Chevelle’ for the family. Bradley Iger, author, and Kaleb Kelley, photographer and article contributor, published the remodification process and specifications in Holley.com — which included equipping the “overhauled 396-cube Chevy big block engine with Hedman headers, HyperSpark ignition and a Sniper EFI system,” Iger and Kelley wrote. Red also has a Ridetech suspension system and was swapped to Tremec TKO five speed with a Centerforce clutch — and so much more. Gearhead Classics spoke with Jan McKinney and family about their story and published the video here on YouTube.
The smell of dusty concrete floors, oil and metal filled Gearhead Classics interior showroom. This low angle captured a man and woman talking about the antique Corvette in front of them. You can see the bustling of people moving around as voting neared deadline submission.
Gearhead Classics showroom wasn’t shy of vibrant paint work, either. Each car had been buffed — although the crowd was also looking for what was under the hood and inside the cabin to cast their vote. A contract judge (wearing a black Gearhead Classics t-shirt) walked around making her selections, too.
As the event wound down, people moved through the sales office to meet with Kaleb Kelley or Ken Kelley, play GTA, talk on the couch or just check out the nostalgia. Neither of the Kelley’s relaxed at the event, though. Kaleb Kelley was walking the parking lot and worked at his desk with clients who were supposed to pick up a restored vehicle that same Saturday. Ken Kelley moved in and out of the office working the event and planning for the clients. Amid award announcements, the out-of-town clients wanted to pick up their vehicle — something the Kelley’s had been preparing for during the week before the event. Business must still go on, even while entertaining.
For all the “Smokey and the Bandit” fans out there, this classic is for you. Pictured above, this 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am won one of the award categories and is about to drive off the parking lot as the event ended. You can see the owner’s red chair reflecting on the glossy clearcoat while they are packing items away.
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