Collectible cars, cold beer, perfect weather and macaroni salad: for many families, there were few better ways to spend Father’s Day than at the fourth annual Car-B-Q, an Islandwide benefit for the Fallen Firefigher’s Fund held at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown.
“Four years ago, the Gazette [which hosts the event] and the Harbor View came to the firefighters association with this idea,” said Kenny Maciel, a firefighter and chairman of the committee in charge of the day’s proceedings. “And it just kept going from there.” On Sunday, a rainbow of antique automobiles blanketed the back lawn of the hotel overlooking the Edgartown Light, from early 20th century woodies to Mr. Maciel’s bright yellow 2010 Camaro. People could vote on their favorite vehicles.
“But they won’t let me vote for my own,” Mr. Maciel lamented. When asked which car would receive his vote, he replied simply: “The black one.” He was referring to a pristine, 1930 Ford Model A. But the Model A lost to Randy Walpole, who was a double-winner on Sunday. Not only did his turquoise Nash Metropolitan bring home a first-place prize; he won a gas Weber grill donated by Shirley's Hardware in the raffle.
Unfortunately, everyone couldn’t go home a winner. Some cars, like the sea-green 1965 Volkswagen bus with GROOVY on the vanity plate, and Seth Gambino’s $2,000 barn-find, a Rambler Classic 660, were more projects than they were prizes.
“I come every year, but this was the first year I got up early enough to make it on the lawn,” said Mr. Gambino. For him, the prize was getting there.
One car that didn’t need any work was Island native David Grain’s wood-paneled, 1948 Pontiac Silver Streak. Purchased at a Midwest auction in 1950, the car lived in upstate New York before Mr. Grain bought it last year. With only 4,900 original miles, even car experts were in awe of the maroon beauty situated at the back of the lawn.
“We’ve never had anything like it,” said drag-racing aficionado and impromptu event emcee Dick Pratt.
That’s why Mr. Grain needed to have the car. “I always wanted a woodie,” he said, chuckling. The woodie won Mr. Grain the event’s coveted top prize, Best in Show, voted on by the other car owners.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” he said afterward. “Well worth all the maintenance.” Mr. Grain also added that Vineyard residents would see the Pontiac around the Island. “I drive my antique cars almost every day,” he said.
Some who attended didn’t even need to see the cars drive for them to bring back memories. “When I grew up, cars had distinct personalities,” remembered Nick Puner of the Pontiac, between camera snapshots. “This,” he pointed, ‘is a car from my youth. I know, that ages me.”
Mr. Puner used to collect car brochures and at one point had two fully-sorted legal cabinets worth of material. After a house purge, he now gets his car fix from shows like the Car-B-Q. “You see a lot of the same cars if you go to shows,” he said, “but this Pontiac is special.” Clearly the owners thought so too.
Comments
Comment policy »