PITTSBOROUGH — When Chris Teige and wife Debbie Zastokki moved from New Jersey to Chapel Ridge two years ago, they rented a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon with white trim. I brought you a precious 4-door bright blue.
When Shane O'Neill asked neighbors through the Chapel Ridge newsletter if they would be interested in starting a classic car club there, Tige and Zastokki (she first got a driver's license) (who has owned a '57 wagon ever since) jumped at the opportunity.
“We were able to get about 20 interested people via email,” says Tighe. “I mean, this is basically on track.”
The Chapel Ridge Classic Car Club met for the first time just before Thanksgiving. O'Neill said it provided an opportunity for classic car owners within the community to connect about their shared interest in vintage cars.
"We counted somewhere around 15 classic cars at Chapel Ridge, which is a pretty good core to start with," says O'Neill. “A lot of people were there. There were people who had classic cars and drove them there. I wanted to know how it worked."
Classic cars are considered as such by their age: at least 20 to 25 years old. may go to great lengths to repair it.
Restoring these cars requires a certain level of expertise that your everyday mechanic (upholsterer, specialty mechanic, etc.) typically does not have. Tighe said that's why his classic car club is so important. Above all, because it allows members to share who they go to when they need help with the repair process.
“We never take collector cars to our local dealers for repairs,” says Tighe. “Most of the new mechanics are new to these older cars, so it's important to find a good old mechanic who knows these cars, otherwise you can do most of the maintenance and repairs yourself. increase."
When it comes to Bel Air wagons, Zastocki says he has many fond memories of driving and riding in them. Restoring it was something she and her husband wanted to accomplish.
“I grew up with this car and have many memories of going to the New Jersey coast on weekends,” Zastokki said. "I drove this car to high school and then to the University of Rhode Island and back and forth in New Jersey."
The four-door wagon needed a complete restoration, and Tighe and his wife were willing to invest time and over $100,000 to make it happen.
Tighe began restoration in the fall of 2011 with the help of a professional auto restorer in New Jersey. Eight months later, the wagon was restored to like-new condition. Since then, Tighe has taken his Chevrolet to classic car shows around the country, even after moving to North Carolina.
But the nearest show or classic car club was over an hour away, pushing the boundaries of the old Chevrolet.
“There's a local car club in Raleigh that's too far away.
The lack of a classic car club nearby was a major factor in O'Neill's decision to explore potential interest in starting the CRCCC.
"North Raleigh has a car club, and Sanford has a car club, but it's a pretty good hike to stop there just for a meeting," O'Neill said. “We saw so many cars in our neighborhood that we decided to open our own club here.”
The CRCCC has scheduled a second meeting in January to finalize membership details (meeting frequency, meeting times, shows, etc.).
Tighe says car clubs and shows have allowed him and his wife to meet other classic car enthusiasts.
"My favorite part of doing this is meeting people. That's what it's all about," he said. "It's just about helping people. If they're having problems with their cars, help them."
O'Neill wants the club to bring people in his community together and aims to extend the invitation to other Chatham classic car owners interested in participating in the CRCCC.
"It's a lot of fun to be with people who have the same passion as you," he said. "It's all about sharing the experience of these very unique cars."
O'Neill said the club may consider hosting its own car show in the future, but for now, members are working to finalize details for other organizations.
Tighe also hopes the club will help connect with neighbors and new communities.
"I want people to get involved and just have fun with their car," he said. "We want to share that experience with others."
Reporter Taylor Heeden can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter at @HeedenTaylor.