Alex Slitz/Daily News Erick Wimpee, of Alvaton, examines a 1985 Mustang converted into a state trooper vehicle Saturday during the Mustang Mania car show at Kentucky Downs in Franklin.

FRANKLIN — Until last fall, Mike Golliver of Alvaton raced his 1965 Mustang, but now he shines it up only for shows.

A near accident at Beech Bend when he had it up to 132 mph convinced Golliver he needed to stop racing.

“I took the nitro off and now it’s street legal,” said Golliver, who had one of the 90 vehicles participating in the Mustang Mania car show Saturday at Kentucky Downs.

He had just returned from a show in Jacksonville, Fla., where he showed another Mustang he owns.

“It won here last year, so I decided to bring this one,” he said.

The white Mustang he brought Saturday has seven national titles, Golliver said.

Even with fluctuating gas prices, Golliver said car show enthusiasts aren’t deterred.

They are in it knowing it’s an expensive hobby, he said.

“It takes him a day or so to get his cars ready for a show,” Golliver said. “But I could be pickier than some, since I’m a judge.”

Golliver is a certified judge for Mustang Club of America and said as shows go, the Franklin one is pretty good.

“It’s nice and growing,” he said.

Steve Thurmond – executive director of the Franklin-Simpson County Chamber of Commerce, which organized the show – said the first year they had just 64 entries.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about the location,” he said.

The cars have a paved lot to be shown in and the participants have grassy areas and shade trees to sit under.

Ray Patterson of Cave City and some of his buddies were sitting under those trees as one of the few breezes of the day came through.

Patterson brought with him a retired Kentucky State Police 1985 Mustang.

“It was a pursuit car to catch speeders and write tickets,” he said. “It could go as fast of any of the cars in its time.”

The vehicle, still sporting KSP decals, was retired from work in 1995. Patterson bought it several years later.

Patterson said the decals are for show only. When he takes the car on the road, he covers them up.

“Otherwise it would scare people,” he said.

Seven-year-old Keaton Johnson of Bowling Green was eyeing the cars, having just run over to a bright blue one.

“Cool,” he said, looking inside.

But Keaton said it’s not his favorite.

“I like that yellow one with the black stripe,” Keaton said. “It reminds me of the car the bumble bee Transformer has.”

His mom, Paula Johnson, was tagging along with her fianc/, Kevin Graves.

“Maybe we will have one someday,” she said.

Keaton said he’d like to have a Mustang like the yellow one when he starts driving.

That news didn’t surprise the vehicle’s owner, Jim Iafrate of Evansville, Ind., who said the color on the 2007 GT Mustang is actually called grabber orange.

“I have a 7-year-old granddaughter and she says it’s going to be her car when she starts driving,” Iafrate said.