Keeping old cars alive: Show and Shine 20th anniversary

Times Reporter    

 

The Strathmore Fun Runners has been around for two decades now, as has their annual Show and Shine event, taking place July 13, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Roughly 150-200 cars and trucks will be on display; the Fun Runners are expecting up to 800 guests.

Show and Shine is run by approximately 40 volunteers of the club, along with their wives and families. Shawn Palendat has been president of the Fun Runners for four years, and is excited at what this year has to offer.

“There’s all kinds of cars, mostly from the 20’s right through to the 90’s,” Palendat said. “We have new Camaros sometimes, new Challengers and that, and Mustangs of course.”

The club is bringing a chassis dyno, to measure the horsepower and torque of the vehicles. However, for guests, the cars are just for looks (no touching, or driving…sorry folks) as “there’s a lot there that have $20,000-$30,000 paint jobs”. 

There will also be a raffle for a BBQ that looks like an engine motor, lots of food, a live band, and fun stuff for the kids (or adults)—face painting and a bouncy house.

Palendat feels that if cars are shown and people are interested, when and if a time comes that the government chooses against these types of automobiles due to emissions, people will take a stand.

“We just want to keep (old cars) alive, so they don’t start regulating, and making it harder for us to drive them,” he said.

Show and Shine will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.