ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES

Car show is a family affair

By Samantha Yale Scroggin/Staff Writer/syale@theadobepress.com

Buy this photo now
At the 24th annual Pismo Beach Classic car show last Saturday, custom, classic and antique cars from across the state lined Price Street. / Phil Klein/Contributor

The antique coupes and muscle cars that dotted the streets of downtown Pismo Beach on Saturday had meaning beyond their flawlessly painted exteriors and souped-up engines.

For some, the 24th annual Pismo Beach Classic car show was an opportunity to spend family time together on Father’s Day weekend doing something Dad loves.

For others, it was a chance to show off the result of thousands of hours of hard work that went into restoring an old car to a gleaming masterpiece.

Custom, classic and antique cars from across the state lined Price Street and surrounding streets and parking lots Saturday, drawing a sea of people from near and far to the free event.

Those strolling the rows of purple, orange, green, flame-decorated and zebra print-upholstered cars included the Malaro family of Manhattan Beach.

Maggie Malaro said she and her son, 8-year-old Alex, surprised their husband and father, Tony, by taking him to the show for Father’s Day.

“He’s a car buff,” Maggie Malaro said.

Tony Malaro hoped to see a California Special, which is a limited edition 1968 Mustang, while Alex wanted to see a Lamborghini and a Ford Torino.

“I do have a model car of a Ford Torino,” said the youngest Malaro, a car buff-in-training.

Grover Beach resident Jeremy Fletcher displayed his 1923 Ford T-Bucket at the show.

“You don’t see usually too much older,” he said of the car.

“Everything on it my dad and I did,” Fletcher added. His father, Nipomo resident Tim Fletcher, joined him at the show.

Jeremy Fletcher said he bought the car in Paso Robles about four years ago, and estimated that $16,000 had been spent fixing up the coupe.

“There’s probably a couple thousand man-hours in it,” Fletcher said.

Working on the car together was a chance to spend time with his dad, he added.

“It’s about my dad and I getting something that we could do together.”

The three-day car show that kicked off Friday typically draws about 100,000 spectators.

Festivities Saturday included an evening cruise along Price Street featuring about 200 automobiles and a live charity auction at the Hot Rod Bar & Grill, with proceeds benefiting injured war veterans.

Attendees Saturday squeezed their vehicles into every available parking space close to the show, and many parked a substantial distance away and walked.

Glen Weaver of Exeter came to the show with his wife, three children and others to celebrate his son’s eighth-grade graduation.

Weaver, who used to show cars, said his family also has a house in Shell Beach

“I like old coupes,” he said, admiring a yellow 1934 Ford Coupe painted with flames.

San Jose resident Marvin Sakamoto showed his black 1970 Pontiac GTO.

He purchased the car new for $4,000 when he was 21 years old and earning $2.50 an hour.

“My whole paycheck went to the car,” Sakamoto added.

In 1999, he redid the entire car and has been showing it for five years.

Sakamoto said he has been coming to the Pismo car show for three or four years.

“We love it.”