MANCHESTER – The township has seen its share of car shows in recent months but Pines Village, a FellowshipLIFE Community, recently held its second annual community car show that featured a resident who is a noted expert of a popular car model.
Jay Katz, 91, and his wife Helen are residents of Pines Village. Katz spoke to The Manchester Times about his knowledge and passion for Corvettes and 1950s cars during the “Shine at Pines Village Car & Truck Show.”
He recalled that when he was a teenager his father worked at a car dealership. “He let me drive (a new Chevrolet Corvette model) back to the showroom. That was my one experience with a Corvette. I always wanted a Corvette but with nine children you don’t have a Corvette.”
“My father was a salesman for Chevrolet and that is how I got interested. I still like the older ones. The newer ones that have come out are absolutely unbelievable. I watched them come along with all the changes. Every time I see one I just light up.”
He added, “The cars of the 1950s, that was when I was a teenager, and they appeal to me an awful lot. The last time they had a car show here they had an early Lincoln that was huge a beautiful black car.”
When asked what he’d pick out now if he had the opportunity he responded, “I’d take a new Corvette if I had the opportunity. The Chevrolet that I really liked was the ‘57 with a tail because it had the two-tone colors at that time, red and white. I particularly like red cars.”
He tries to get to area car shows. “They had one at the shopping center here a few years ago. It was a pretty good size and they had some newer cars. When we lived in Pennsylvania they had a Corvette show in Elizabethtown, all Corvettes.”
What he loves about Corvettes is “the design, the style – they are just above all the other cars that were created no question about it. They set the pace for those kinds of cars. My father also repaired cars and I have a son who has his own shop in Pennsylvania and rather than a Corvette he has a red Mustang convertible that he keeps in the garage.”
The event was put on by Jersey Shore Car Shows. Al Dompieri coordinated it. “This is the second annual event here that we have done. We already have the date picked out for next year. Pines Village is part of FellowshipLIFE which is a non-profit organization and this facility here has a wonderful campus. They just remodeled everything it is beautiful inside.”
“This is a great opportunity for the residents to come out, enjoy the cars, reminisce about days gone by and enjoy the old time feeling and nostalgia. We have about 70 cars here,” he added.
Dompieri, who is the executive director of Jersey Shore Car Shows said, “There is something for everybody here. You got hot rods, muscle cars, custom vans. There are a lot of different vehicles out there. Trucks and modern muscle cars and older cars like ‘57 Chevys and a lot of different entries.”
“This is actually my 38th year doing car shows. Everyone loves to come out and look at the old cars. It is a great activity for families and for everybody,” he added. “A lot of people have a story and remember the cars and the times and it just gives them a good feeling.”
“We have around 35 trophies that we are giving out today. There is the top 20 cars and we have some specialty awards as well, director’s choice and best in show and a few others,” he said.
“We try to do fun stuff: ‘life in the fast lane,’ ‘beat but neat’ for those who come in with a car that isn’t quite finished yet, they get something. The whole idea is that everybody who comes and drives in here should feel like they could win something,” he said.
For more information about Jersey Shore Car Shows e-mail Info@JerseyShoreCarShows.org or call 732-344-0614.Volunteers are needed.
Pines Village, formerly The Pines at Whiting, provides various services at their facility including assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, wellness programs, social activities and events. The assisted living development is located at 509 Route 530, Whiting.
