Crime & Safety

Labors of Love at Warminster Community Park

Hundreds of restored classics drew a large crowd to the Warminster Police Benevolent Association's inaugural Car Show.

Car enthusiasts throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties gathered at Saturday afternoon for the Warminster Police Benevolent Association's (WPBA) inaugural Car Show.

Automobiles of all makes, models, colors and sizes lined the back section of the old runway as attendees perused the classic cars whose owners spent years restoring and detailing.

"It took me two years to restore it to this condition," said Huntingdon Valley resident Rich Brigidi of his 1966 Olds convertible. Brigidi originally owned the car in '66, sold it in 1970, then bought it back in 1980. "I missed it," he said.

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After spending 1991 through 1993 restoring the vehicle, Brigidi has only needed to perform routine cleaning and maintenance to keep it in perfect condition.

"There only 240 of these left. It has it's own, temperature-controlled garage," said Brigidi. "It's in my will."

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And, the Olds is not just for show. During the summer, Brigidi likes to take it on the road and stretch its legs.

"I kick its ass," said Brigidi. "Every time I get in it, the horsepower is just as responsive as the first time I bought it."

Planning for the car show began in May, when Warminster police officer Nick D'Eletto came up with the idea to raise funds for the WPBA. A regular at area car shows for the past year, D'Eletto knew that such an event would draw a big enough crowd to help the organization.

"We've got a larger turnout than we expected," said D'Eletto. "There's an unwritten code that car shows try to abide. The judging has to be fair and the set-up well-organized. People want to just show up, put their cars out and not have to worry about anything else."

D'Eletto started frequenting the car show circuit after he finished restoring his blue, 1982 Chevy C-10 pickup truck. He spent three years working nights and weekends to get the step-side truck into stock condition, along with the help of his father-in-law and technicians at Automotive Training Center.

"There are basically two styles of restoration," said D'Eletto. "Stock means you get the vehicle back to its original, factory condition. The other kind is where you see detailing with more personal style, like fancy paint jobs or larger tires."

Walking among the large muscle cars that invoke memories of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, attendees also got a quick taste of the future when they came across Mark Calhoun's compact 2008 Smart Car. Vice president of board of trustees for the Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum (JCSM), Calhoun recently had the vehicle re-painted to promote the museum and spent his time at the car show talking up the JCSM and dispelling a lot of the myths surrounding the Smart Car.

"There's a lot of misconceptions about the car," Calhoun said. "It's completely gas-powered, it has no trouble accelerating and keeping up with traffic. I take it to work in Princeton every day, and it doesn't get knocked over by passing tractor-trailers. There's a little buffeting, that's it. I've driven it as far as Cape Cod for vacation.

"As far as space, someone just came by, over six-feet tall, andgot in the driver's seat and fit perfectly fine. I can fold down the passenger seat and fit a six-foot long coffee table."

The car show was free, but there were plenty of tents selling refreshments and raffle tickets, with the proceeds assisting the WPBA in its charitable efforts.

"The PBA is there to help officers and their families when they need it," said D'Eletto. "We also donate to several charities throughout the year and host Easter and Christmas parties for needy kids."

D'Eletto and the rest of the WPBA are grateful for the support of the sponsors, donors, registrants and spectators that helped make the event a success.


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