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HOPEWELL VALLEY: CHS car buffs hold auto show

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   It was strictly heaven for lovers of vintage cars. There were scores of restored and modified vehicles dating back to the early 1920s.
   Many of the cars had been made to look brand new again. There were Corvettes convertibles from the mid-1950s, several 1955 Chevies, a Maserati, a Triumph Spitfire, Model A Fords and sedans from the 1930s with running boards.
   Scene of all this nostalgic automotive joy was Saturday’s fourth annual Hopewell Valley Car Show, put on by Central High School’s Auto Enthusiasts Club. The club is led by Lou Carnation, who teaches auto shop at the high school
   The show drew a good turnout and prizes were awarded to cars judged best in show. The show raises money by charging entry fees to those who show their cars and selling refreshments (the pulled pork sandwich was excellent).
   ”Money raised from the show is used to help build a race car the Enthusiasts Club is working on,” Mr. Carnation said. “We’re hoping the show will grow into a real community event. That happened in New Hope. Their car show started on a small scale and is now a really big event. If that happens here, hopefully we would be able to donate some of the proceeds of the show to community organizations that deserve support.”
   The show drew vintage cars from a wide radius, including several from the Hopewell Valley area.
   Joe Sedor of Hopewell Township, brought the 1929 Model A Ford his family inherited from his late uncle, Richard McCoy, of Mercerville. This modified convertible has bright flames painted on the hood and looks fantastic. “My uncle passed away last year,” said Mr. McCoy. “He left it to the family, and we’ve kept showing it, to make use of all the work he did on it.”
   Mr. Sedor said he also drives the car in and around the Valley occasionally. “It’s great to drive around,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a real head-turner.”
   Pennington resident Trevor Harms brought his military 1942 Willys MB to the show. “It was used in World War II, but probably stayed in the states and was used for training,” he said. “Most of the Jeeps that went overseas stayed there when the war ended.”
   Mr. Harms bought the Willys in 1986. It was on the road in 1999. “I did a lot of work on it,” he said. “I took it all the way down to the frame and painted it. I had to buy quite a few parts for it. That was a problem sometimes, until I was able to start using the Internet. That made finding parts a lot easier.”
   This Jeep still sees plenty of active duty. “I drive it in town. I drive it in the woods,” Mr. Harms said. “That’s what it was meant to do, and I really enjoy it.”