Classic cars are just.. so.. cool. From meticulously restored models with matching numbers and all original pieces, to fully customized hot rods, I love checking out old cars and trucks at car shows in Montana. During the summer months, it's not hard to find some type of car show happening in parking lots around the state nearly every weekend.

Photo by Dean Purcell/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Purcell/Getty Images
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A show for everybody.

Various collector groups will often have their own model-specific shows. For example, the Corvette club may be having a 'Vette show, or the old Ford Model T club will have a car show with exclusively antique Ford vehicles. I generally prefer checking out the "open" car shows, with all makes and models represented. I love looking at a funky, rustic, Model A rat rod as much as I enjoy viewing a pristine Olds Cutlass 442.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Collecting cars as an investment.

Car collecting is a perfect business for hindsight. My dad wishes he would have kept his first edition Mustang, and I wish he would have kept his early 70s Gran Torino. I still remember riding around in the cavernous backseat of that car when I was a little kid. I also wish I would've held on to the 1976 New Yorker (2-door!) that was my first car. Clean examples are now listed for $12 grand or more. I think we bought our big, ugly, brown, land-yacht New Yorker for well under $1,000.

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Photo by Uljana Maljutina on Unsplash
Photo by Uljana Maljutina on Unsplash
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Predicting the next "hot" collector car is all part of the game.

Will a 2010 Honda Accord ever become a collector car? Probably not. However, one dude in Colorado is hoping to sell his "rare" 1991 Subaru Justy for $4,000. The tiny little econobox hatchback sold for under $8,000 brand spanking new in 1991. So, I guess anything is possible. It wasn't that long ago that rust-bucket 1970s Ford pickup trucks sitting in farmers' fields could be had for pennies on the dollar. Good luck finding a cheap one (in rough condition) anywhere nowadays.

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
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Bid on your favorite collector car in September at MetraPark.

One of the biggest collector car auctions in the state will be back in Billings this September (Labor Day Weekend) as part of the Burn the Point Car Show and Cruise events. We've got a sneak peek at some of the vehicles set to hit the auction block later this summer. Keep scrolling to check them out.

20 Sweet Classic Cars Found Near Billings, MT

From sleek to swift to just plain cool, these vintage cars near Billings, Montana are just too sweet not to take a look at.

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