OK, so I’m going to all the cruise nights. {Make sure to see the “Updates” below!!}

I want to try and check them all out this year, and I figured I would try and get to as many as I can over a two-week period. The weather has been spectacular these past two weeks, so the time is right.

I live as far North as you can get on Nassau County’s North Shore. It takes me 17 minutes just to get down to the LIE with no traffic. With traffic, about 20-25 minutes. Now up here, the population is sparser and the roads are less congested than on the South Shore and mid parts of the Island. Hardly any congestion at all and far less lights and intersections. But, these are quite often one-lane roads that are twisty and turny. With that, comes the never-fail reality of getting stuck behind school buses, landscape trucks, soccer moms, old folks, and otherwise meandering motorists.

Can you feel the tension building?

But it is pretty scenery up here, and usually a nice drive. That is the trade-off.

Then again, to get anywhere on Long Island …… you have to eventually get on a highway - East to west. The North – South highways are usually pretty open. The further East the better. Meadowbrook Pkwy is heavy and the Cross Island is packed!

Wantagh, Seaford-Oyster Bay, and the Sagtikos usually flow nicely. While the William Floyd is like driving nirvana most of the time. (Yes, I do get around)

So I’m driving on the LIE (Mistake #1), and heading out east to Yaphank to check out the Fire Department’s Tuesday show. During rush hour (Mistake #2). Traffic, traffic, traffic! Ya hafta start out early – like 3PM, to get anywhere via the east/west highways and not get stuck in slow moving masses of steel, plastic, and lobotomized clock-punchers.

More tension building.

So, an hour and fifteen minutes later…I reach my destination. Good turnout, lots of cars, and a Fire Department that goes to great (and successful) lengths to make sure folks are having a good time! FREE admission! There is a Bar-B-Q, girls on roller skates delivering food to those who ordered it, and plenty of cars of all vintages and styles. Easy access about three minutes off the LIE. Exit 66. If you live out that way, or – like me, are a glutton for highway punishment, make sure you check it out!

Back to the “Expressway”. My car – a 2009 Chrysler 300 Hemi AWD, is loaded and has a 10 gig hard drive in it that holds over three thousand songs. As I sat in that horrid traffic, what kept me from getting as hot as some cars’ radiators, was listening to the great stuff on my car’s computer. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Little Feat, Led Zep, Blues Traveller, Los Lonely Boys, Dean Martin, Yes, Dixie Dregs/Steve Morse Band, Zappa, Rockpile, Leon Redbone, Allman Bros, Marshall Tucker, NRBQ, Chuck Berry, Donovan, Van Morrison, and Dave Edmunds, were just some of the tunes to keep me from sideswiping other vehicles in an effort to “get ahead”. (See, I have always had a bit of a problem with patience in traffic). But I kept my cool.

Another thing that kept the trip from becoming a slow decent into a hard right turn off the highway to “Pleasantville”, was a phone call to my cousin. This was entertaining.

My car also has a wonderful “U-connect” hands free device that plays right through the sound system. Great invention!

So, my cousin Gerhardt (Real name withheld for protection from possible FBI prosecution) answered the phone. As I described my traffic situation to him, I heard in the background quite a lot of noise. Like sawing. I asked him what was going on. He replied innocently, “Just sanding something”. Now to bring all you readers up to speed, “Gerhardt” is a car guy, and an all-around problem solver. He builds things. He can fix things, but can also break things when provoked.

So, I said jokingly, “That’s louder than sanding…what are you doing? Sawing your wife in half?”

“Not yet.” He responded with a laugh.

OK.

The conversation went on. I asked him if he’d like to join up with me and enjoy the delightful traffic en-route to exit 66.

He said he couldn’t tonight. Was busy “Cleaning things up.”

OK, { more intrigue }

I said “What are you up to?”

“I have to take “Darlene” to Home Depot” was his reply. (Name also changed for obvious reasons)

“For what?” I asked. Surprised, since “Gerhardt” usually does things by himself.

“I have to get some wood and dirt.” Was his answer.

OK. { now I’m really pondering…. }

So now I am thinking and painting a picture in my head of events to come.

I said “What are you doing? Building her a coffin and getting dirt to bury it in?” “You need her there to take proper measurements?”

Laughter was heard coming from the Bose speakers in my otherwise un-defiled Chrysler.

“I didn’t say I was picking up lime.” He added.

My turn to laugh. “Perhaps you are just not in a hurry to have the body breakdown. You have some good hiding places in mind out east?” Was my retort.

More laughter through the Bose speakers.

“Yup”.

OK { It’s all tying together now… }

See “Gerhardt and Darlene” are heading out this weekend to a place they have on the South Fork of LI that is surrounded by woods and water. Disposal of something there would be kind of easy. Couple that with “Gerhardt’s current and immediate need for wood and dirt, the sawing noises, and you kind of get the picture.

“You shouldn’t have told me all that.” I informed him. “If I get a call from the authorities asking any questions, now I have to tell them about our conversation!”

Laughter from those crystal clear Bose speakers. “What does that tell you?” he offered.

“That I better be nice to you.” I replied.

Hearty laughter.

“Don’t tell anybody else what you are doing.” I jokingly advised.

“Don’t worry,” He said sarcastically, “I don’t have too many friends anymore. Did away with them.”

{ Uh-oh! }

“Glad you like me.” I reminded him.

Laughter.

At that point the traffic broke (I passed exit 59) and as I accelerated up to 80 mph (to get out that aforementioned tension), our conversation turned.

“Hey, I’m finally moving!” I happily told my cousin. You should have come!”

“Yeah sure.” He said sarcastically. “I’ll see you Thursday.” (We are going to another cruise night)

Our good-natured banter ended. “Gerhardt and Darlene” actually have a great relationship. As guys do, we poke fun at various scenarios and situations. (LI Classic Cars.com in no way promotes or condones spousal, animal, mineral, or vegetable abuse of any kind) And, with that, my car ride through traffic en-route to a cruise night had gladly remained uneventful. The music and the short but entertaining conversation with another classic car enthusiast, made the ride palatable.

I have also been to six other cruise nights in the past nine days. (There’s that glutton for punishment again) I plan on going to three more this week! That will make ten in two weeks. (What is my problem?!)

Maybe I’ll give a report on them in another edition. If any of you have feedback about some of the cruise nights on LI, let us know. Save me some gas money!!

Enjoy the great weather and check out the scene!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1 Editor’s Introduction

2 Automotive Picture Caption Contest

3 Cruise Night Information {Updates galore!}

4 Guest Writers’ Columns

Marty Himes

Sandy Kane

Rich’s Tech Tips

5 My Car Story

5 The Archive

6 Editor’s Closing

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Long Island Classic Cars’

AUTOMOTIVE PICTURE CAPTION CONTEST

Submit your entry along with your name and e-mail address to: newsletter@liclassiccars.com

This contest is open to everyone! (LI Classic Cars.com paid personnel, regular column writers, and business advertisers are not eligible.)

Winners will be notified by e-mail and/or phone.

Please submit all entries by the 20th of the next month. (Ex: for February’s contest the entries are due by March 20th)

No substitutions of prizes will be allowed.

In the event of prize choices, winner will be given the opportunity to select the one they want.

All decisions are final and are made by the paid personnel of Long Island Classic Cars.com

Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of contest end or forfeit the prize to the runner up.

If there are multiple correct entries on puzzle, matching, fill-in, or Q&A contests - winner will be randomly selected from all correct entries.

A few simple rules:

1) Be funny and creative!

2) Keep it somewhat clean!

For the last edition’s contest we had no correct entries! Go figure. The month before we had four of them!

PS – I had two people write me to note that AMC actually had a different model named Rebel in the 1950’s.

It was a Rambler Rebel. Not quite the same car we were talking about, but the name was used.

Thanks to Eddie and Wade for that trivia and notation!

Here is this month’s Picture Caption contest image….

Send in your caption by 8/31/12 and be in the running to win the prize!

( Winner will be randomly selected from all correct entries sent in – if there are any! )

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“EXTRA EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!”

Cruise Nights are BIG attractions all over Long Island!!

2012 Cruise Night location updates:

Thanks to Arlene Swenson for some new info!

…and other folks too! (Art, Tom, Bill)

Monday DOES have cruise nights. Most seem to be held at restaurants. I have been receiving some mixed feedback about attendance and even if they are still going on. Some people have told me yes, others have said no. The four listed below are definitely ON from the multiple sources I gather.

Main St. East Rockaway has been going on for a while and is a good spot. The street is closed off and merchants give discounts! Food service at your car!

Kodiak’s has bar discounts on Mondays for the car folks, and the last Monday of the month is a free Bar-B-Q night!

At Ragazzi’s they offer a free appetizer for all folks with a classic car! This is a weekly event too!

They do the same at Pomodorino but the cruise-in is only held once a month –1^st Mondays.

There are a couple of other Monday locations that are starting up this coming week. (Farmingville and West Babylon). We have made it a policy here to list viable spots that have attendance already since so many cruise nights have started and disappeared quickly over the last five years.

Supposedly one at Barrington’s in Hauppauge – I have left several msgs there to get info about it, but no one has returned my calls.

Stop & Shop in West Islip – but I have been told by people that one is over and done. (There’s that conflicting info again)

I would appreciate info, feedback, and comments from you folks that have actually been to there places recently. Please let me know.

MONDAYS: Main St. (Between Front & Atlantic) East Rockaway, NY

Sponsored by the Pizza place – FREE

THURSDAYS: Wendy’s Shopping Center. Montauk Hwy and Locust Ave, Oakdale, NY

Sponsored by Still Cruisin’ Car Club. FREE

THURSDAYS: Kings Park Plaza-Located on Indian Head Rd & Meadow Rd. Kings Park, NY

Sponsored by Kings Park Chamber of Commerce and Professor’s Diner. FREE

THURSDAYS: Bridge, Glen, & School Streets. Glen Cove, NY (Seems to be closed! They do not return phone calls at the FD either!)

Sponsored by the Glen Cove Fire Dept. & The Downtown Business District. $5

THURSDAYS: Atlantic Avenue between Merrick Rd and Sunrise Hwy. Lynbrook, NY (June-August)

Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce for “Community Chest” soup kitchen. $? to charity.

THURSDAYS: Main St. Peconic River Front, Riverhead, NY

Sponsored by The Chamber of Commerce. FREE (June-August)

FRIDAYS: Bellmore Train Station. Sunrise Highway. Bellmore, NY

Now run by…?.. some local group now charging $3

FRIDAYS: Massapequa Train Station. Sunrise Highway. Massapequa, NY

Sponsored by Massapequa Chamber of Commerce. Two cans or more of food – to charity. (July - August)

FRIDAYS: Meschutt Beach @ The Beach Hut. Canal Rd. Hampton Bays, NY.

Public Gathering. FREE after 5PM

SATURDAYS: Bob’s/McDonalds Shopping Center. Sunrise Highway, West Islip, NY

Sponsored by the Long Island Road Gents. FREE

SATURDAYS: Pep Boys Shopping Center. Waverly Ave & Sunrise Highway, Patchogue, NY

Sponsored by the Impressive & Aggressive Motor Club. FREE

SATURDAYS: Cedar Beach @ The Beach Hut. Ocean Parkway, Cedar Beach, NY

Public Gathering. FREE

SATURDAYS: Super Stop & Shop. Rt 25 (1/4 mile east of the Bull), Smithtown, NY

Permission from Stop & Shop. FREE

SATURDAYS: Aliano’s Shopping Center. Rt 25A. Miller Place, NY

Public Gathering. FREE

SUNDAYS: *AM Cruise* Ocean Pkwy, Captree Beach thru May, then at OBI. Babylon, NY

Public Gathering. FREE

If anyone knows of any other cruise locations that are fully up and running and not in danger of being cancelled please let us know so we can post them for all to see - here and in the EVENTS section of the website. Minimum 30-40 cars attending.

What about Brooklyn and Queens?

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Guest Writers’ Columns

Marty Himes returns with another in his series of articles on long-gone racetracks of our area. This time, he tells us about one of the most famous ones we have ever had on Long Island. Don’t “slip up” and miss reading about this one! Great history!

Sandy Kane is back with his annual contribution regarding a car show that is for the benefit of all men out there! Most of you probably know of Sandy, or at least of his show. It has grown tremendously since its beginnings about six years ago. Cruizin’ For A Cure is not only a charitable event, but also a great show with fantastic entertainment and a huge amount of cars attending!

Movement isssues? Rich’s Tech Tips gives some tips on “How to Roll”. No – not down a hill like a little kid, nor on a tumbling mat like our Gymnastic teams are doing right now in the Olympics, but – how to roll down the road with a proper fitting set of wheels and tires! Sounds easy right? Well, there are some things to consider before you match up those rims and rubbers!

In the My Car Story section James Pugliese shows us his super-rare “Dale Earnhardt Hall of Fame Edition” Camaro. This car caught my eye at a recent car show, quite a unique look to it! Great colors too and I had never seen one before. When I spoke to James – he had a very interesting tale of how he got it. Here it is…

Enjoy!

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Keeping Track: Islip Speedway

By Marty Himes

Before becoming a racetrack, Islip Speedway was the site of the Islip Airport, Long Island’s first municipal airport, which officially opened on Saturday, August 4, 1928. The celebrations of “Opening Day” included airplane races and in later dates, offered an air circus and a model airplane display. The airport served Long Islanders through the early 1940’, after which Ted Whilden, owner of the Islip Radio Manufacturing Corporation, purchased the property. (To the right is the track in 1962)

In 1946 Ted began the yearlong project of building Islip’s 1/5^th mile racetrack and became the track’s first promoter. In preparation for its construction, the land was surveyed by midget race driver Jimmy Knowlan. The track layout was designed by midget racers Andy Devercelly and Ed Schaefer, specifically with midget racing in mind. They all got together after WWII to pool their ideas and create the ideal track. Islip speedway, the world’s fastest 1/5^th mile track, was therefore the result of the combined efforts of some of the best midget racecar drivers in the United States. The asphalt surfaces and banked turns allowed for then unheard of short track speeds under the safest conditions of the time. Later, when stock car racing became popular, the track proved to meet the requirements of the “Big Cars” as well. Later on, Islip Speedway also had a 1/8^th mile asphalt drag racing strip.

On August 2, 1947, Tony Martino of Levittown, NY had the honor of winning the first race at the “Islip Stadium” as it was known in the early years. Tony was driving a V-8 Ford midget owned by Tommy Wenzel. The car was #63. Islip later hosted three 500-lap midget races which were all won by Freeport’s Johnny Coy. Johnny went on to win many auto racing championships in his career. The site was also host to car shows, boxing and wrestling matches, go-kart racing, auto thrill shows, animal/circus shows, and 4^th of July events. Just about anything on wheels ran at the Islip track, including Grand National stock cars and modified sportsman cars.

English: #140 Don Royce of Islip, NY and #33 T...

In the 1950’s Islip was one of the first tracks to allow women drivers. Some of the top ones were Maggie Heckler of Islip, Marie Miller of Hicksville, Barbara Gamache of Bay Shore, and Dot Gladis of Florida. Over the years the track had several promoters: Ted Whilden, Eric Theiss, Jake Kedenburg, Ed Hawkins, Hank Phlhorst, Larry Mendelsohn, Yale Gerber, and Barbara & Jim Cromarty – who also promoted for Riverhead Raceway.

Larry Mendelshon ( a good friend of mine) started the All –Star Racing League which brought together the top drivers from many tracks in the Northeast to compete at Islip and other venues. There were many 500 lap races at Islip, and in 1963, Larry brought Parnelli Jones and many other stars to race midgets in a 50-lap race. He also brought the NASCAR cars in with drivers such as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Wendell Scott, the only black driver in the Grand National circuit at the time.

Under Larry’s direction, ABC TV’s Wide World of Sports featured the World Figure 8 Championship and the World Championship Demolition Derby on its primetime broadcasts, live from Islip Speedway! The last stockcar race at Islip was held on September 8, 1984, and was won by Bob Park of East Northport. Bob drove car #19, a modified class racer. Park is the father of Winston Cup superstar Steve Park, driver of the Pennzoil #1. The site of the former Islip Speedway is now occupied by the solver Lake Cookie Company. The Speedway provided great entertainment for the whole family, employed many people, and helped keep youngsters off the streets.

(Marty- so many LI tracks have gone by the wayside. It’s a shame.) Pete

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By Sandy Kane

DID YOU ATTEND LONG ISLAND CRUIZIN’ FOR A CURE 2011??

The event day started out warm, sunny and muggy and then got overcast and it rained briefly at 2:00PM, which effectively closed the event down an hour early. We were at a new venue and we held the event on September 11^th (on the tenth anniversary). In spite of these “obstacles” we set new attendance records for our collectibles car show – 535 registered exhibitor cars and 1,800 paid walk-in guests.

Most important, we provided 286 PSA tests with 15 tests returning with elevated levels. Early detection led these men to seek medical attention, and they are alive today! We will once again have a hospital lab facility (North Shore-LIJ Health System) set up on the event grounds providing free PSA tests. This is a simple thirty second blood draw (and nothing else) that is used for the early detection of Prostate Cancer. Just walk over to the PSA testing tent, fill out the information form and get tested. It is easy and fast and it could save your life, as it has for thirty two men so far!

For the fifth consecutive year we had Still Cruisin Car Club of Sayville handling the day of event car exhibitor registration and Boy Scout Troop 3 from Smithtown providing scouts (who received merit badges for community service) and their parents as volunteers. Both groups will be returning to help again in 2012. Not to be forgotten are our other hard working volunteers, many of them Prostate Cancer survivors, who have been with us since our first show in 2006.

For the mechanically minded we had a hands on demonstration with the DaVinci surgical robot, a $2.5MM robot used in more than 1,000 hospital operating rooms around the country to perform Prostate Cancer surgery. The Robot will be back again in 2012, on the event floor and available to everyone to come over and actually operate.

NOW FOR THE “CAR STUFF”!

THE “HOW TO CLINICS”, half hour presentations on car care/restoration, were a tremendous success and will be returning in 2012 with Automat, Rallye Collision/Dupont Auto Paint, Sears Auto Center/Goodyear Tire and Resto Trim making presentations on various aspects of car care and restoration during the morning of the event.

OUR “PUT YOUR RIDE ON THE EVENT TEE SHIRT” raffle drew more than 60 entries and the results can be seen on the newly designed 2012 shirt. We will be holding the raffle again this year for the 2013 tee shirt.

THE EVENT IS BEING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 9^TH with no rain date. We are back at the Sears Auto Center in Hicksville on Routes 106/107 across from the Broadway Mall - meet your club members/friends there and caravan in so that you can park together!

FOR THE KIDS (AND DADS) we have just added a Radio Controlled Model Car race track from Island Raceway on the event grounds. Try your expertise “driving” these model racecars around our 50’ x 50’ track!

WANT TO SELL YOUR CAR?? Our car corral will be returning in a special area marked with pennants. Rather than put your car in with all the other exhibitor cars, park in the Corral and have it showcased. There is no charge for this special parking, just be sure to tell our volunteers parking the cars on the event ground when you enter and they will direct you to the Corral.

BRING YOUR FAMILY!! We have great food – from hot dogs and hamburgers to fried oreos and zeppoles and everything in between, jewelry and handbags for the women, and a separate amusement area for the kids.

WANT SOME NOSTALGIA? We have Fonzie and ChaChi (not the originals but still really good) to spin the oldies and play some audience participation games as you walk by the bandstand and a doo wop concert with the Tribunes and Stardust at 2:30.

NEED A REGISTRATION FORM? Log on to www.licruizinforacure.com and click on EXHIBIT YOUR CAR. If you are among the first 250 to pre register you will get a recyclable reusable goody bag with an event T-Shirt, great discount coupon offers and some other “stuff”.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? Email me at info@licruizinforacure.com or call our show hotline 888-LICRUIZ (542-7849) and leave a message. You can also use the phone hotline and check www.liclassiccars.com to check if there are any changes in the event.

Long Island Cruizin’ For A Cure is a New York State registered Not-For-Profit Corporation and is all volunteer – no one is compensated. Money raised (after expenses) is used to provide basic cell research into Prostate Cancer at Cold Spring Harbor Labs here on Long Island.

(Always a great event Sandy! See you there!) Pete

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RICH’S TECH TIPS

By Rich Fiore

WHEELS AND TIRES ....HERE'S THE SKINNY

The theory and numbers behind wheels and tires may seem like a mystery to most, but in reality is not all that difficult once explained. You might be looking to fatten those skinny tires and go with a wider wheel for aesthetics and handling. You may also need to find the proper bolt pattern for your car if going with a new wheel.

Many years ago ( 40's and 50's ) wheels came in 14",15" and 16" diameters. 13" came along later. They were 5" or 6" wide and for bolt patterns all you needed to know was the vehicle make. The options back then were steel wheels in the color of the car or basic black with hub caps or full wheel covers.

So lets say you are looking at a wheel and you wanted to determine its wheel diameter. You would start by measuring across the diameter ... edge to edge. Then you must subtract the height of the wheel bead times two. The beads ( that raised band of metal which keeps the tire on ) are usually 1/2" - 1" tall. So if the bead is 3/4 " tall and you had a measurement of 16 1/2" you subtract 1 1/2" and you would have a 15' wheel.

If you wanted to determine a tires wheel diameter without looking at the sidewall you simply measure the inner circle. If looking at the sidewall simply look at the last 2 digits. For example a P235/60 R15 is a 15" tire. As far as the other numbers go the "P" stands for passenger tire. The 235 is the tire width when inflated on the wheel but not installed on the car. The 235 mm in this case converts to 9.3". The 60 would be the aspect ratio. Aspect is the height of the tire as measured from the mounting bead to the top of the tread ... in relation to the width of the tire as a percentage. So for easy math if a 60 series tire was 6" tall ( from bead to tread )the tread would be 10" wide. R simply means radial.

Wheel width is the part of the wheel that is simply measured in between the tire beads. One must use a particular size tire for a given wheel width. A wheel that is too wide or narrow for a given tire, will prematurely wear out a tire on the outer edges or on the center. It will also tend to either bulge out on the edges if the wheel rim is too narrow, or not look proper if the tire is to narrow for the width of the rim it sits on.

Wheel offset is another thing to consider. It is simply the location of the wheel mounting plate relative to the centerline of the wheel .... inboard or outboard. So if the mounting plate is dead center it would have zero offset. If you move the mounting plate towards the inboard tire bead, the wheel would have a negative offset. This is known as a "deep dish" or "chrome reverse" type of wheel. Moving it outboard would have a positive offset. Some like pushing the tire outboard since it gives the vehicle a wider stance ( good for handling ) and that great deep dish look. Keep in mind moving the wheel out could affect bearings and ball joints. On front wheels the steering wheel could jerk back coming out of a turn.

Another thing to look at when replacing the wheels is the bolt pattern. To figure this out you can simply measure from the center of one of the wheel studs to the center of the one that is furthest away. The same can be done when measuring the lug holes on a wheel. Also measure the center hub to make sure it is not larger than that of the new wheel.... so it will fit.

The final items to look at would be tires and their age. To figure this out look on the sidewall and locate the DOT marking. Usually below it there will be 3 or 4 numbers. Pre year 2000 tires will have 3 numbers and post 2000 tires will have 4. So if there were 3 digits and they read 126 ... the tire was manufactured in the 12th week of the 6th year of the decade ( hopefully you know which decade is correct! ). If there are 4 digits ( again post 2000 ) and it showed 2509, it would mean the 25th week of 2009.

So that's the breakdown on wheels and tires. Not so bad once you know how it works .... eh skinny?

Quick and Dirty : Have you ever checked the dates for when your tires were manufactured ?

(Great tip Rich. I did not know about the tire dating!) Pete

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My Car Story

James Pugliese: 2010 Chevy Camaro

Dale Earnhardt Hall of Fame Edition

I met Pete from LICLASSICCARS.COM at the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society Car Show at David Lerner Associates in Syosset, Long Island. I am a member of the NY5THGEN CAMARO CLUB. The car we are talking about is the 5^th generation Camaro that I own. It is a 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS “Dale Earnhardt Hall of Fame Edition”. This car was one of only ten Camaros that were built honoring Dale Earnhardt’s induction into the Nascar Hall of Fame. Dale Earnhardt was one of the first five (first HOF class) inductees to enter into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This occurred in May of 2010.

Getting back to the vehicle, it is a 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS with a 6.2 liter engine with 426 horse power. The color of the car was originally all black. These cars were then built/prepared by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet in Newton, North Carolina. The dealership took ten all black SS2 Camaros and converted them into beautiful two-tone vehicles. The car is candy-apple red and black, with black and silver pin striping. The interior of the car is all black leather seating with black and candy-apple red accenting. Dale Earnhardt’s wife Teresa, as well as all of his children (son’s Kerry and Dale Jr. and daughters Kelly and Taylor) have all autographed the interior of the car. Additionally, Chocolate Meyers, his gas guy on his No. 3 Sprint Cup car crew for 20 years has also signed the car. The car has a really cool hologram of Dale on the front hood, and when you open it up, there are red candy-apple accents on the engine block. The rims on the car are two-tone silver and black with a No. 3 on each. One additional thing that was done to the car was an airbrushing of Dale and his No.3 Nascar under the hood.

Back in early April of 2010, my son Stephen saw on the internet that Dale’s dealership “Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet”, which was still in existence, was making a special edition Camaro in his honor. Dale was being inducted into the first class of honorees to go into the Nascar Hall of Fame, which is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It took several years to construct this massive facility, which now honors Nascar greats, such as Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt and others. Well I was interested, but thought that I couldn’t afford the car. The next thing I did was find the telephone number of Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet and rest is history. I did not have to bid on the car nor did I have to put my name on list of prospective buyers.

What I did was phone the dealership and I spoke with Rick Hargett the salesman who was handling the sales of the special edition Camaro. I asked Rick if the dealership had any of the special edition Camaros left, since they were only making ten of them. Rick said that they still had eight of them! Only the first had been purchased and they were in the process of selling number 2. He said he would e-mail me pictures (16 of them) of the car showing the front, rear, sides, hood and trunk as well as the inside of the vehicle. After looking at the pictures I called Rick right back. I asked him if any of the remaining eight was an automatic, since I could only drive an automatic. Rick said he still had four manual and four automatics left. He told me the price for the manual transmission was $46,990 and the automatic was a $1,000 more - $47,990. At that point I told Rick I wanted to purchase one of the automatics. I then inquired as to what we needed to do to start the ball rolling. Rick said he would require a $3,000 deposit on a charge card from me. I also mentioned to him that I wanted to trade in a car. The car in question was 2008 Chevy Malibu. The balance due on the vehicle I paid in cash.

Over the next six to eight weeks Rick would send me pictures via e-mail showing me the progress of the work that was being done on the car. On June 16^th, 2010 the car was picked up at the Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet dealership by Plycon/Plycar Auto Transport. This transport company, which is located in Kings Park on Long Island, ships and delivers new and exotic vehicles in closed carrier transports to people’s homes or business all over the United States.

On Saturday June 18^th, 2010 at approximately 7 p.m. the transport shows up in front of my home in Massapequa. This transport is the size of a Nascar rig (an eighteen wheeler with a large cab all in polished silver with their name emblazoned on it). My car was stored in the transport along with five other vehicles. The car was stored on the upper level of the carrier over a new Bentley. It took the driver approximately a half hour to remove the other vehicles before he could get my Camaro down and off the carrier. I now have the Hall of Fame Camaro over two years. It has approximately 4,300 miles on the odometer. This mileage has accrued from driving the vehicle from show to show over that period. As of now, all ten of the Camaros have been purchased and I think I am the only person in the Northeast that has one. From what I was able to ascertain, the other purchasers were from North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Las Vegas.

As part of my purchase, Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet supplied additional things: a Legend Pass for me and my family for one year to the Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina; two tickets to attend a luncheon and the induction ceremony for the second class going into the Hall of Fame, which was in May of 2011. There I was able to meet in person and secure the autographs in a book supplied by Nascar of Ned Jarrett, Bobby and Donnie Allison, David Pearson, Maurice Petty, Bud Moore and Junior Johnson. Lastly, in my honor - a 12x12 brick implanted in section 10 outside the front of the Hall of Fame before you enter it.

I was an avid Nascar fan, more specifically a Dale Earnhardt fan. He was my sports idol. I still follow Nascar even after Dale’s death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. I now follow the career of his son Dale Earnhardt Jr.

(Really beautiful car Jim. Thanks for sharing the story!) Pete

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The

Pete Giordano

Editor

Long Island Classic Cars.com