Classic cars dispayed at Union Point Park

Neuse River water and more than 70 classic cars sparkled in the sun Saturday at Union Point Park.

Owners drove their cars into the park, raised the hoods and looked for shady spots to sit. They told stories about their cars' histories at a show sponsored by the First Capital chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

"Leader of the Pack," by the Shangri-Las and other oldies played on speakers in the park. People reached into many of the cars to honk horns, touch old leather seats and read speedometers.

The fenders on Roger Janson's 1970 Mercury Cougar and the hood on John and Sue Baldwin's 1961 Studebaker shone in the sun.

The trunk of John Wiesneski's red 1976 Cadillac Eldorado shone. Wiesneski lives in Washington, N.C. and said he bought the car 10 months ago at an estate sale.

"There are only 10 of them made, according to a plaque on the dashboard," he said. "There are only two of them running. I have one, and the other one is out in California with Miss Jennifer Lopez."

A man walking by said he remembered Burt Reynolds driving one of the Eldorados in the movie "Smokey and the Bandit." Another man said he had never seen one of the Eldorados, so he took a picture with Wiesneski and the car.

"There's three things I won't give away," Wiesneski said. "They are my wife, my dogs and this car. Not necessarily in that order."

Jim Hauser said he wanted to make sure spectators knew his blue 1974 Corvette Stingray was not for sale. The side mirrors of the car sparkled in the sun. Hauser, who lives in Fairfield Harbour, bought the car six years ago from a painter in Maysville.

He said he's owned a handful of Corvettes in his lifetime, including 1978 and 2003 models.

"I used to race them, and I was in the trucking business for 40 years," Hauser said. "Driving 18-wheel trucks qualifies me to drive this four-wheeler. I'd like to use it every day, but I have a pickup truck that's more useful. This Corvette is pretty heavy on gas."

Charles Wells said his 1959 Pontiac Bonneville, which has the original shoreline gold paint color, only gets 10 to 14 miles per gallon. Wells said he uses the car only for shows and Sunday drives around the block.

The windshield wipers shone in the sun on Saturday. Wells' teeth shone as he smiled and talked about the car. When he was 16 in New York, his first car was a 1959 Bonneville.

His friend, Lou, called him four years ago about the car he now owns. Lou said he had found a Bonneville in a car magazine.

"A person who worked for a judge had it," he said. "I was in law enforcement, so we hit it off. She had three offers for the car, but she told me she would send me some pictures. That was history."

Wells had the car shipped to him from Topeka, Kan. He said it arrived at his home four years ago on a sunny Father's Day.

Matt Tessnear can be reached at 635-5673 or at mtessnear@freedomenc.com.