From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
August 17, 2017
Last Friday, my friend Bob and I walked out of International Delight Cafe where we had dinner, and plunged into the tide of cars, motorcycles and fellow walkers heading to the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show at the Bellmore LIRR Station parking lot.
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- UPDATE: see 2019 Schedule for Friday Night Car Shows at end of post
Bellmore, NY, USA. August 11, 2017. Shown is hood ornament of 1938 Pontiac 2-door sedan at the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Before long, we were in a colorful sea of parked cars and enjoying the breezy evening. Then we met up with friends and started to explore.
As usual, I spent most of my time lingering at just a few cars, so I could pay careful attention to them, and chat with their owners when possible.
- Click on each photo below for larger view
Bellmore, New York, USA. August 11, 2017. Red RAM lifted underlit truck drives past onlookers at the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
1958 Oldsmobile “Bugmobile”
“Bugsy” is embroidered on FRANK MARTOCCI‘s green cap, which matches the color of the 1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 4-door sedan he fondly calls his “Bugmobile.”
Bellmore, NY, USA. August 11, 2017. FRANK MARTOCCI, of Bellmore, owns the green Bugsmobile 1958 Oldsmobile at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry, Ann-Parry.com)
What first drew my attention to Martocci’s classic Oldsmobile were the colorful plastic cheeseburger, ketchup and mustard bottles on the food tray suspended from the passenger window partly rolled down – but it just as easily could have been the colorful plastic bugs strewn on the car’s exterior and top of the cheeseburger.
Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Chrome hood ornament is seen closeup of green 1958 Oldsmobile, owned by Frank Martocci, of Bellmore, at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. Martocci calls the classic car his Bugmobile. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
The Bugsmobile is the first and only car Martocci has ever had. He used it for his driver’s license Road Test, and by next month, September 2017, he’ll have had it for 40 years.
Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. To fill tank with gas, chrome piece swings open on left tail light of 1958 Oldsmobile owned by FRANK MARTOCCI, at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show (© 2107 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
1967 Volkswagon Wunderbug Woody
MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, is the artistic owner of the 1967 Volkswagen Wunderbug Woody Wagon that drew lots of appreciative attention from visitors.
Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. At right, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, owner of 1967 Wunderbug Volkswagen, and BRYAN RICHHEIMER, a bird sculptor from Vermont, chat at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Woodys, with their golden warm panels, are innately handsome vehicles, and Radomski customized his with flare.
The wooden roof luggage rack carries three surfboards with natural wood finish. He told how a man so loved this look during an earlier car show that he asked if Radomski would bring the wagon to the man’s beach party.
Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. At Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, owns Wunderbug Woody Volkswagen. Elevated tracks of Bellmore Long Island Rail Road station are in background. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Radomski covered the Wunderbug hood in colorful floral fabric of earthy red yellow and greens. And I was fascinated by the trumpeting angel hood ornament he handmade from three silver forks, a 10-penny nail and a washer!
Bellmore, NY, USA. Aug. 11, 2017. MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, the owner of 1967 Wunderbug Volkswagen, made angel hood ornament. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
And, yes, the Woody Wagon got to go to the beach party :)
Going & Coming
Around 8:30 pm, we left to head back to IDC for some homemade gelato, and passed the ever-alert volunteers from the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and the Nassau Auxiliary police guiding the steady stream of cars into the parking lot.
Bellmore, New York, USA. August 11, 2017. Members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and Nassau County Auxiliary Police wear safety vests as they guide cars into LIRR Bellmore Train Station parking lot for Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
We each had the fun challenge of choosing one of the 80 or so flavors of gelato. For me, chatting with new and old friends while eating a scoop of chocolate chip gelato on a gluten-free waffle was a great way to end that summer night in Bellmore.
Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Motorcyclist locks up her parked Harley Davidson motorcycle parked with other motorcycles across the street from Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, in parking lot of LIRR Bellmore station. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Just the Facts
WHEN: Weekly meets from MAY 12 to OCT. 6, 2017, from 6 PM – 10 PM (weather permitting)
WHERE: Bellmore LIRR parking lot on Sunrise Highway (between Bellmore Ave. & Bedford Ave.)
INFO: bellmorechamber.com (516)-679-1875 – The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and the Town of Hempstead host Friday Night Bellmore Car Shows
UPDATE: 2019 Schedule
Weekly Friday meets from MAY 3 to OCT. 4, 2019, from 6 PM -10 PM (weather permitting)
2017 Bellmore Friday Night Car Shows: GALLERY