CTEK Keeps American Muscle Car Museum Collection Charged

by .Smart Charger February 09, 2021

Interior showroom of the American Muscle Car Museum

Guests who visit the private American Muscle Car Museum can see nearly 350 cars ranging from 1950s classics to today’s sophisticated modern muscle cars. Sharp-eyed visitors may also notice CTEK battery chargers.

Located on a 42-acre site in Melbourne, Fla., the American Muscle Car Museum is a 123,000-square foot completely solar-powered complex that houses the collection of car enthusiast Mark Pieloch.

MXS 5.0 Chargers help maintain museum's collection

CTEK MXS 5.0 Chargers in use at the American Muscle Car Museum

As a private museum, the collection isn’t open to the public at regular hours but does welcome visitors to its numerous non-profit fundraisers, autocross and car club events, and educational tours. With its civic-minded mission, the museum has helped raise more than $4 million for non-profit organizations since 2016.

The cars in the collection are much more than museum pieces. Each vehicle is in driving condition, and to ensure they stay that way, a rigorous maintenance schedule is followed.

On a monthly basis, vehicle batteries and voltage are tested while more major maintenance work is done on a five-year cycle.

Fuel, coolant & batteries are top concerns for collection

Maintenance shop using CTEK professional battery chargers at the American Muscle Car Museum.

“Fuel, coolant, and batteries are the top three things you have to be concerned with when cars are in a collection like this,” said Ed Dedick, the museum’s operations & restoration manager.

CTEK MXS 5.0 chargers are used to charge and maintain nearly all of the vehicle batteries in the American Muscle Car Museum’s collection.

Before using the CTEK chargers, Dedick said monthly battery checks would show “voltage all over the place - there was just a horrible track record with the batteries.”

Since using the MXS 5.0 chargers, Dedick has seen a “world of difference” in the longevity and condition of the batteries.

He also appreciates that the MXS 5.0 is “small and discrete.” Using the CTEK Comfort Connect cables, a car’s battery can be connected to the MXS 5.0 without the need to keep the vehicle’s hood raised.

“We do have visitors who spot the chargers and are curious and ask questions,” said Andrew Mackey, the museum’s event and volunteer coordinator. “They see we have the chargers on nearly all of the cars and say, ‘You must really like these,’”

CTEK's MXS 25EC chargers used in maintenance shop

CTEK professional charger used on a classic car at the American Muscle Car Museum

In addition to relying on CTEK’s MXS 5.0 chargers, the American Muscle Car Museum also uses the professional level CTEK MXS 25EC chargers.

The MXS 25EC chargers are used in the museum’s 15,000 square-foot maintenance shop, and the 25 amp chargers are used as a power supply to support the battery during diagnostic work.

With CTEK keeping the collection’s vehicle batteries charged and ready to go, museum staff can focus on the American Muscle Car Museum’s main objectives: sharing a passion for cars while supporting non-profit organizations and providing educational tours.

The museum has hosted everything from large non-profit fundraisers to Boy Scout pinewood derbies, school tours and car club gatherings.

“Because of COVID, we haven’t had any major events since last March,” explained Mackey. However the museum has been able to host small events and online live streams.

When the museum is able to host charity events and educational tours again, Mackey said he knows visitors will continue to be impressed by owner Mark Pieloch’s collection.

'Something for everyone' at American Muscle Car Museum

Row of classic cars on display at the American Muscle Car Museum.

“The collection has American cars of all types, most are from 1955 onwards,” explained Mackey.

“Visitors love seeing cars in their preserved, original mint condition,” he added.

“For some of the older visitors, seeing the cars brings up memories. They’ll say, ‘Oh I remember my dad had a car like that,’” said Mackey. The more modern vehicles in the collection “are striking because of their high-performance capabilities,” he said.

When students and youth groups visit the museum, “it’s a chance for us to share the passion we have for cars and hopefully keep it alive for the next generation,” said Dedick, adding, “When we do children’s tours, it is amazing how many dads also show up to chaperone.”

The American Muscle Car Museum is more than just cars. In addition, there are vintage balloon tire bicycles, auto-related neon signs, antique gas pumps, jukeboxes, pedal cars, vintage soda coolers, motorcycles, and more.

“There’s such a wide variety of things and lots to look at. There’s certainly something for everyone here,” said Mackey.

Highlights of the collection include more than 50 Indianapolis 500 pace cars and trucks, more than 45 Shelby’s, 40-plus Porsches, a collection of 9 Porsche-diesel tractors, and the most extensive Yenko car collection in the world. The museum also has numerous “one-of-one” one-of-a-kind vehicles as well as more than 125 vehicles with less than 100 original miles on the odometers.

“One of the reasons we rely so much on CTEK is because the chargers help keep all of our cars in running condition,” said Dedick.

For more information about the museum, visit www.americanmuclecarmuseum.com. To view additional images of the collection, follow the museum on Instagram.