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Long Island Cars Car Show and Swap Meet

By Caroline O’Callaghan

It was a sunny day on May 18 for the first Flowerfield car show of the season, which shuffled in droves of visitors. The St. James fairgrounds off Route 25A ceremoniously showcased dozens of modern and vintage vehicles alongside their proud owners, vendors and musicians on its lawns. The car show and swap meet event was one of many held there every year by Long Island Cars. 

Some of those in attendance were auto enthusiasts looking to downsize, like Ken Sitterley, who came there to sell his preloved 1950 Chevrolet Deluxe among other things. Sitterley, who is currently trying to purge his load of around 20 cars, reflected on his time with the Deluxe. “I drove this car for many years, went to different events with it, just as you see it — believe it or not,” said Sitterley. As he spoke, a man purchased the car, “I came out today to sell all this stuff. And I’ve sold the car to this gentleman over here,” Sitterley confirmed. 

Many car owners sparked discussions with one another based on similar interests. Thomas Galicia and Don Heitner parked their muscle cars next to each other and the rest was history. Both of them expressed gratitude for the freedom their cars have brought them as they’ve gotten older. Galicia, who drives a 2017 Dodge Challenger GT, loves its convertible feature. 

“It was the first way I could get back into having a muscle car because I had kids. When my last child got her license, it was time to go back to a two-door car,” said Galicia. He was elated over the unconventional terrain that the fairgrounds provides for car shows.

Galicia continued, “I love Flowerfield, it’s great. It’s nice being able to walk around a grass field as opposed to walking around an “asphalt jungle” where most of these car shows are. When you get to be my age, it’s a lot easier on your knees to walk around in the grass.” 

Heitner, with his 1995 Camaro Z28 6 Speed Convertible, spoke of the beautiful weather at Flowerfield, “Today is one of the best days of the year, and there’s not that many of them that line up with the car shows, so, today’s a good day.” 

Although Heitner said his Camaro is “a little low to the ground,” he doesn’t mind getting in and out of it as it “keeps him young.” 

There were trucks on display as well. Helen and Robert Mayer came with their black 1949 Dodge Pickup decked out in memorabilia from its original era. As it turned out, the truck was a family heirloom for Robert. 

Helen described the valiant history of the truck, “[Robert’s] father bought it new, and his father died back in ‘65. So, it’s been out of the woods for the last 30 years, at least. And we started [rebuilding the truck] at our house over several years ago.” 

She then pointed to a board in the trunk which contained photos of the truck at various phases of its restoration and a description of the Mayer family’s rich history with the vehicle. For Ben Piecora, the Flowerfield car show goes back generations, as his father brought him to the show when he was growing up. “I’m always gonna vote for more car shows. I’ve been coming to Flowerfield since I was little, so I’ve been coming here for about 10 years,” said Piecora. 

Piecora drove his refurbished 1989 Chevrolet Corvette — the same car that his father showed at Flowerfields when he was a child.

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Debbie Moro and John Brown stand alongside their 2019 Polaris Slingshot. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Flowerfield Fairgrounds in St. James was transformed Sunday, Aug. 20, into a parking lot for some of the most unique cars on Long Island during the Long Island Cars Car Show and Swap Meet.

Visitors walked through lines of gleaming muscle cars, rusted antiques, military vehicles and cars of the rarest variety. Circling cars that piqued their interest, perhaps stopping to ask about a modified engine or to compliment the paint job, visitors learned about and admired vehicles from the past century. 

Tom Friday, the original owner of a 1974 Dodge Charger, has been bringing his car to shows for years. “Whenever you go, you see something different,” he said. “It’s a good day,” adding that his car is a special edition, with only eight others known to exist. 

Ted Broutzas with his 1987 Buick

Many owners became interested in cars early in their lives. Some were drawn to building up broken-down vehicles, while others preferred to “cruise and coast,” as veteran of the car industry John Stuaek put it. Others gravitate toward collecting and searching for rare cars to add to their store.

Bill Douglas is one of the former. Surrounded by pristine hot rods and muscle cars, Douglas showcased his “rat rod,” a custom car made from a motley of different parts. He bought the stripped-down 1929 Ford through Facebook Marketplace and worked on making it his own.

“I buy project cars, spend a year [and] a lot of money,” he said of the process of building a car. “I like building more than driving.”

Visitors weren’t the only ones examining the cars, however. Judges were also visiting each vehicle, analyzing its cleanliness and workmanship. The judges evaluated the wheels, engine, manuals and body exterior, among other factors. 

Douglas said he likes how “tight, helpful and nice” the community is. “Everyone’s got a story,” he said. Owners are often eager to share their car’s background.

Multitime competition winner Ted Broutzas, who owns a 1987 Buick, said the film “Star Wars” heavily inspired his all-black car. He underscored this by putting toys and mementos from the franchise in his trunk. 

The car was discontinued soon after its release, making it valuable to collectors. Broutzas said his car is like “the left side of his body,” and he doesn’t have plans to sell.

Several people complained about the negative image the community can have among those who are unfamiliar with it. “They think we are just a bunch of hot-rodders racing down the street,” said Frank Coppola, one of the show’s organizers. “But we get guys who have cars that are like part of their family.”

“Long Island Cars has done a lot” to “change the way people think about older cars,” he added.

The car community may be expensive and competitive, but the community is also a resource to its members. Coppola said he frequently connects people with others who may be selling what the other is buying. 

Parts can sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Coppola recalled an instance when a friend of his, having wrecked the fender of his 1927 Chevy convertible, bought a car just for the part necessary to fix his convertible.

“Sometimes the part is worth more than the car,” he noted.

As shown by the turnout at the show, the price is worth it for these hobbyists. “I don’t make a heck of a lot of money but have a heck of a lot of fun,” Stuaek said.