In this episode of My Classic Car, Dennis Gage and the crew travel to Plainfield, Wisconsin to meet with Jess Ruffalo and look at his outstanding collection of 1950s and 1960s classic automobiles. S09E26
I've been to the Iola Old Car Show more than once and while there are ACRES of cool cars, nothing compared to Jess Ruffalos cars for sheer perfection and outrageous style.
That 57 Meteor Niagara version of the ranchero was built in Oakville and the really rare one is the 1958 because of the poor sales for 57 where FORD pulled the 1958 version in late October 1957 where just 52 were built. Of those, only 12 had the V8 . www.oldcarscanada.com/2010/04/1957-8-meteor-ranchero.html
It's great to see Jess's fabulous collection from around 2005. Sadly he passed about two years after this episode was released. A couple of corrections regarding the 1959 Dodge. The air cleaner is supposed to be red, not gold. Valve covers should be silver. The engine is a 326, not a 318. Also, the fabric on the seats is not correct for 1959 Dodge Coronet and knight's head on spinners is not supposed to be gold.
Trashed Out Garage definitely a big loss to you and your family....he seems like someone you could hang out with all day with....wash car's and drink lemonade with....he was definitely a car guy.....hopefully your family was able to hang on to some of his car's and continue to share with others the great family stories
Hi Trashed Out Garage, my Dad knew your uncle well (through the trucking business) and I have shown my car at Iola since 1981. The last year Jess was there, my Dad and I stopped and had a really nice talk with him about that beautiful Chrysler Imperial he had so meticulously restored (a '59, I believe) and he was telling us about having to remold the steering wheel because there were no others out there. I was very sad to hear of his passing, since guys like him are becoming such a rarity, and such great knowledge passes with them. A strange coincidence, in 2016 when the Hot Rod Power Tour went to Texas, it was my chance to take my GTO back home to where it was sold new. The dealer and his wife had become good friends of mine after I tracked them down from an ad in Old Cars Weekly, so they offered to have us come and stay with them. When we got there, Frank and his wife had a "field trip" day planned for my husband and I. One of our opportunities to view great old Pontiacs was following Frank out into what seemed like nowhere, and meeting a gentleman by the name of Ken. We went back into his buildings, and found a FABULOUS collection of all things Pontiac with one familiar old friend......the pickup I believe Jess went to the cemetery in.....the 1958 GMC Fleetside! I recognized it from its years at Iola, and Ken said yes, he'd acquired it from Wisconsin....etc. We looked in the glove compartment and sure enough, there was paperwork with Jess's name on it. As many of you know, the GMC was powered with a 347 Pontiac engine, thus it is considered a Pontiac "relative". Now, forward to 2020 and Ken is hoping to come to Iola this July; I am the new Director of the Blue Ribbon Concours there, so I have him fired up to come to Wisconsin if we can get through this covid19 stuff in time! Because of the theme, he is hoping to bring a rare '71 GTO Judge he owns. I think we can get him hooked on the show, and my next move will be to ask him to bring the GMC home for 2021. I think a lot of old friends would stop by to see the truck, like an old friend. "). And, I have to say, Jess's family chose well when the trucks was placed with Ken. He is the kindest gentleman, and he absolutely treasures this truck. He wanted one like it since he was a teenager. There is a wonderful article about him and the truck in the May 2014 POCI publication "Smoke Signals" and a ton of great pictures of the truck. Check it out! Hope you make it to Iola this year. Our theme is "The 70s Show" and we have a GREAT show planned for everyone. Stay safe and well, everyone!
looking at these old cars I was just thinking. Imagine 70years from now there will not be any 70 year old cars with such beautiful styling. I guess they will collect cars of the present era for the electronics in them? It is so sad.
Shawn Raye ......Definitely not an Invicta . Many Mopar from those year’s had the rectangle steering wheel but I’m willing to bet this was a 61’ Plymouth Fury. Definitely a Mopar
We had a '61 Plymouth Belvedere and it had a different steering wheel. I learned to drive in that car and with its huge tail fins, it was awful, but it could lay some serious rubber!
It's not a Chrysler Imperial, its just an Imperial. It was its own brand and shared nothing with the Chrysler except the engine. Completely hand built cars.
Studebaker-Packard tacked on similar fins as that pink 59 Godge in 58, but not as smoothly as Dodge. People make fun of those, while the Dodge is quite similar. Love that Mercury Ranchero. That 62 Dodge of sooo ugly.
