On Sept. 9, about 60-70 shiny vintage vehicles parked on Sunnyvale’s Old Town Murphy Street for the Sunnyvale Police Activities League’s (PAL) second annual “Show & Shine Car Show.”
Vehicles on display included a 1925 Chevy Superior K, a 1950 Ford Coupe and a 1966 Ford Thunderbird. Admission was free and open to the public. Attendees admired the cars, studied their interiors and mingled with vehicle owners as the music of DJ Thumpz and The Hitmen played through the street.
“We want to raise money for the kids in our program,” said Steve Gorshe, Sunnyvale Public Safety Officer and show organizer. “We also want citizens to be aware we have this program. We raise money through car admissions and donations at this event. The Sunnyvale PAL is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit and we host events throughout the year. We have over 1,000 youth that we assist through numerous programs such as field trips, flag football, Junior Giants Baseball, soccer camps, fishing trips and college and work site tours.”
Gorshe credited the Sunnyvale Downtown Association for helping with logistics for the event. He also thanked Tim Casarez, owner of Santa Clara’s All Classics & Customs car restoration shop, for being the Sunnyvale PAL’s go-to individual for assistance with the event planning.
Gorshe emphasized that both custom and classic cars were welcome in the show.
“Customs include every year of car up to modern day cars,” Gorshe said. “We welcome modern cars that are highly modified. A custom could be a 2017 model with a blower or headers or a supercharger, and it’s made to be a custom for that person. A classic car is a car that has enough historical interest to be a collectible and is worth preserving. We look at all types of interesting cars — for example, a Volkswagen bus or a lifted pickup truck or a lowered vehicle. Last year, Fremont High School brought a half-built car built in a class in the auto shop program.”
Many cars at the show had signs on their windshield with warnings such as, “Please don’t touch. I’m not that kind of car!” Nonetheless, at least one local couple warmly invited children to sit in the front seat of their tangerine orange 1946 GMC pickup truck.
“Back in the day, in the ’60s, they used to deliver milk to your house,” said Joyce Shannon, who owns the pickup truck with her husband. “This was a truck driven by mechanics who fixed the delivery trucks that broke down on the road. In the ’60s, my husband Mike’s dad bought this truck to use as a family vehicle. The truck is lowered and it makes cool engine noise. Mike and I dated in this in the 1960s. So it has sentimental value. In the front bench seat, we could sit next to each other.”
Visit www.SunnyvalePal.com for more information about the Sunnyvale PAL.