Martin Pena of Rapid City doesn’t know if his Ford pickup gets 2 miles to the gallon when driving on the highway or in the city. Looking at the gleaming black rebuilt 1940 truck, he simply shrugs his shoulders.

“When you spend five years of your life rebuilding something like this, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

The sleek truck with a polished wood bed, red spoke wheel hubs, white interior and power windows was one of the 160 automobiles at the 11th annual Counts of the Cobblestone Car Show.

Show manager Tom Goergen said the car club was formed in 1957, with club members initially interested in hot rods. The club began their annual show 11 years ago as a way to showcase their cars.

Show proceeds benefit charities, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, Rapid City Cadets and the Care & Share Food Drive.

What brings people to the show is as varied as the individuals walking through the door, Goergen said.

“Some might have had their first date in these kinds of cars, or their grandparents owned one and took the whole family to the drive-in movies in one of these cars,” Goergen said. “There are really a lot of memories that are stirred up from seeing these cars.”

Show organizers said the majority of cars featured at the show are limited productions from the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Club member Kurt Deisinger of Rapid City estimated that 7,000 people will visit the civic center during the three-day show, which began Friday, to view a variety of refurbished automobiles.

Deisinger cautions fans not to expect any cars built after the early 1970s; manufacturers’ designs left a lot to be desired after that, he said. “Except for the ’78 Buick.”

Deisinger said it isn’t unreasonable for hot rod owners to spend $75,000 to $150,000 on a show car.

American cars -- classified as muscle cars, hot rods and classics – are plentiful, but there are foreign cars, too, including Toyotas and Hondas. Called “tuners,” they’ve drawn more young adults to the show.

“They’re inexpensive and easy to change out,” Deisinger said.

Gene Jobgen of Rapid City began refurbishing cars as a hobby, but in 1987, he decided to do it full time.

On Saturday, he had 18 finished cars, a motorcycle and two projects at his A & A Restoration Booth.

“Every client is different. It’s called custom for a reason. Some people want horsepower, some flash and show, and others want everything in between,” Jobgen said.

Not all car owners can do the welding and fabrication that Jobgen does, which makes them willing to shell out a small fortune to create their classic rides.

This includes Jobgen, whose 1933 Henry Ford was literally torn in half before he began chopping it down and creating his vision. As far as cost, he simply grins.

“I don’t keep track. You spend to get what you want, and everyone’s level of spending is different,” he said.

Jobgen did some of the work on Pena’s pickup. he couldn’t recall how much was spent on it.

Pena, too, said he doesn’t recall how much it cost.

“I don’t know, but it was the best looking pickup Ford ever built, and it was a labor of love,” Pena said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.