The Last Show!!!!
QUOTE
Gazers galore at car show's last ride
By LEO STRUPCZEWSKI
Courier-Post Staff
MERCHANTVILLE
Chickie Deitz sat behind his 1983 Ford Ranger that didn't exactly look like a Ford Ranger and answered questions from curious spectators.
Deitz -- the owner of the custom-made, cinnamon-red pickup truck -- probably fielded more questions than other car owners at Saturday's car show in Merchantville.
Of the 850 or so cars parked along several of the town's streets Saturday, Deitz's was definitely a talking point.
Originally bought in 1983 by his uncle, the car was used as a delivery truck for an auto parts service. In 2001, after seven years of work, it looked far different.
The middle of the hood is cut away for an engine, which fairly resembles a smokestack; the bed of the truck holds a canister for fuel and a sterling silver spoiler is anchored above the tailgate. It sits just inches off the ground.
"It's pretty wild. I don't know if it's street legal," Dave Hampshire, 50, of Pittsgrove, said. "I have a Dodge Durango. It doesn't look anything like that."
Crowds filled the streets of Merchantville, gazing at custom-made autos, muscle cars and antiques.
Al DiGiamberardino, an Erial resident, walked along West Park Avenue shortly before 4 p.m., gazing at a number of muscle cars.
Most of the cars were restored to their original condition, something DiGiamberardino said takes a lot of effort and money.
"It's nice to see that, rather than them sitting in a junkyard," he said, noting his son owns a 1967 Ford Mustang.
It was the show's 10th and final year, said Kevin Greening, one of the day's founders.
Greening said he never thought the show would grow to its size and the organizers needed more time to spend with their families.
On Saturday, Greening and the rest of the organizers orchestrated the placement of seven DJs, 50 vendors, an Elvis impersonator and a downtown Sock Hop.
"I figured we'd go out with a big bang," he said. "It's a special year."
The logistics of arranging the show took a sea of yellow-shirted volunteers, Greening said, and a number of ever-ringing cell phones. Cars registered for the event on Alexander Avenue and were directed to open spaces throughout town.
Rose DiMatteo, who lives about halfway down the block on Alexander, said her family sat in the front yard and watched the cars roll in, starting at 7 a.m. For her family, the day slowly turned into a party -- one that most people have looked forward to for a while, she said.
People in town were talking about it last week and friends began dropping off coolers Friday for the night's party.
"By the end of tonight, over 100 people will be here," DiMatteo said. "We go from morning to morning."
