From Back Yard Junker to Show Winner

            Not too long ago Liz Radewonuk of Brick, NJ, wrote me and told me about a car she and her friend, Joe Caudill, had restored. “And oh boy,” she said, “this car definitely has a story.”

            It began a few years ago when Joe was doing a tile job and decided to take an old rusted out car that had been sitting in a back yard for years in lieu of his pay. So began the journey that he and Liz undertook in restoring a 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint.

            “It started as a hobby, just for something to do in our spare time,” said Liz. “Low and behold it took a total of five years to complete it so it was good enough to put on the road.”

            Liz admitted that they had a hard time finding parts but said they had a lot of luck finding what they needed at Dearborn Classics and through a few catalogs. Still, not having a lot of money to put into the car caused them to not only shop around for the best deals but also to do a few cost cutting measures during the restoration.

            “With not having a lot of money to actually in in the car, we spray painted the bumpers and a lot of the trip in silver because the chrome dip was way beyond our budget,” Liz said.

            People haven’t seemed to notice or mind though as the car has shown very well.

“Actually we weren’t going to show the car but after the five years of restoration I told my roommate to give it a show,” said Liz. That first show they won a trophy. “We now have 13 to be exact!

            “I think it’s just fun to go to the shows to be able to converse to other car owners,” she added. “They all in some way have a little story to tell. Some car owners bought their car as is. Lucky them!”

            Liz is a self-proclaimed car lover. “I was raised around three gas stations which my father had when I was growing up,” she said. “Old Sinclair stations, which I jocked around many a car beginning at the age of 10 to 12. I still love to hear that sound of the lugs going on with the air gun on a tire change.”

            Another car memory is brought back each time she and Joe get in their 1964 Falcon. “We take it for pleasure rides on the weekends to just ride around and enjoy,” she said. “The actual radio still plays those oldies but goodies on the local radio station. Doo-wop all the time.”

            If you’re around New Jersey this summer, keep an eye out for this wonderfully restored car. And don’t forget to snap your fingers to the doo-wop.