Cars In the Park at Deer Park

This year's Cars in the Park at Deer Park car show was held under threatening skies and that limited the number of cars that showed up. While there was an abundance of pick-ups, espceially Chevy pick-ups, there were also a few other interesting cars on display at Chamberlain Park.

In addition to those pick-ups, other cars on display included a chopped 1933 Ford, a 1955 Chevy Bel Air station wagon, a 386 Turbo Jet Chevy Super Sport and a C3 Corvette.

Modern Luxury From a Bygone Era

One look at this Zimmer Golden Spirit Coupe and you are drawn to think of the luxury automobiles of the pre-War era. The lines and amenities hearken back to a time when coach built bodies adorned the most fabulous machines, a time when both driver and passenger was draped in every extravagance. But while this magnificent machine may look as though it is from the early years of the last century, the car is actually a child of the 1970s.

Paul Zimmer wanted to build cars that captured the elegance of those halcyon days of old but fill them with modern conveniences and power. In 1978 he created the Zimmer Motorcars Corporation in Syracuse, NY and started building custom automobiles at a factory in Pompono Beach, FL.

The Golden Spirit was the first of these neo-classic cars to be built with the first rolling off the line in 1978. Zimmer used a Mercury Cougar chassis and drive train on those original cars. The following year when the Cougar became a front wheel drive automobile, Zimmer was forced to switch to a Ford Mustang chassis and drive.

It would be incorrect to say that the Golden Spirit was a huge immediate success but sales actually outdid expectations. By 1984 Zimmer decided to add a mid-engine automobile to his stable. Based on the mid-engine Pontiac Fiero, the Quicksilver started production in 1984.

In 1988, after his son sold his portion of the company, Zimmer suffered a heart attack. The company seemed to follow suit. Despite being profitable, the company was forced to file for bankruptcy. There it sat dormant until 1966 when Art Zimmer (no relation) who turned it into the Art Zimmer Neo-Classic Motor Car Company. He builds the cars to order based on two trims. The four door version is built on a Lincoln Town Car chassis while the two door version is build on that of a Ford Mustang.

The Golden Spirit seen here is a 1987 model.

The Last From Cruise-A-Palooza

Today will be my last post from this year's Cruise-A-Palooza car show held annually on the river at Coney Island. Today's offerings are as varied as the ones from previous posts. Included here today is a second generation Ford Thunderbird, a Cadillac, a 1966 Dodge Dart, a 1962 Chevrolet Pick Up, Tim Klein's Dodge Coronet 500 (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/tihs-ho.html), a Ford Falcon, and a pair of Rancharos. 

Car Clubs at Coney

There were a number of car clubs at this year's Cruise-A-Palooza car show at Coney Island. There always is. In fact the local chapter of the Fastiques served as the judges. The clubs that tend to show up, though, are not car specific. Since I am posting the pictures for this show as I saw them wandering through the park there has been a pretty good mixture of cars for me to post.

This post for some reason is a little heavy on the Chevys with a couple of Novas, a Malibu and a Chevelle. But there are also a couple of Pontiac GTOs, a Ford Bronco, and a Meteor shining in the sun.

The End of Summer Show

Though these posts are showing up in November, the Cruise-A-Palooza car show at Coney Island is held each year over Labor Day weekend. When the weather is good like it was this year this show has a good eclectic turnout. Fortunately for the past couple of years the weather has been good but this show has a bit of a history of being hampered by the weather and even being washed out with thunderstorms one year.

Some of the cars in this post include a really cool Ford Deluxe Woody, Some Camaros, a C2 Vette, an Edsel (there were two at this show), a 1960 Cadillac, a Chevelle, and a Pontiac GTO.

Week Two of Cruise-A-Palooza

 Welcome to week two from the Cruise-A-Palooza car show held each year at historic Coney Island (the other one). Coney Island is a beautiful setting for a show. As you have probably seen the cars are all resting on grass and there are trees all over. Add to that all of the food booths that are at the park and great oldies music coming out of a giant juke box and what more could you ask for?

 You could ask for some brilliant and often seldom seen cars such as the Chrysler TC by Maserati at the top of this post. Other cars on display included the obligatory first generation Ford Mustang, a pair of Chevy Galaxie 500, a 1973 Pontiac LeMans, a 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS, and a Chevy Nova.