Independence Township resident Gerald Scarborough and his 12-year-old grandson Austin Santangelo, are revved up about participating in the 57th annual Murray’s/O’Reilly’s Autorama at Detroit’s Cobo Center this weekend.
‘I’m really excited, I’ve always wanted to go down there and have a car down there,? said Santangelo. ‘I’ve been to it every year for the past 7-8 years, so I know a lot of about it and I’ve learned a lot about cars from down there.?
Scarborough will feature his jet black 1932 Ford Roadster, which Santangelo named ‘The Dark Knight,? after the latest Batman movie.
A few of the car’s features include: Downs chassis and body, 383 stroker with Edelbrock manifold demon carburetor and 425 horsepower, 700 R4 Transmission, and Woolf aircraft stainless steel 2 ? inch exhaust.
Since this was Scarborough’s first time actually showing a car at the event, he said he got a lot of help from his barber Dave Corbin, who has been in it a long time.
‘Of course I bent his ear and he’s given me a lot of insight on what to do and so on and so fourth,? he said.
The car’s previous owners took first place in its class last year at Autorama, Santangelo noted.
‘It was a five-year project and the owner passed away right before it was finished,? he said. ‘The club he belonged to finished it off for him.?
Previous to getting ‘The Dark Knight,? Santangelo said he and his grandpa had their eyes on another car.
‘We were at Southern Motors and we were looking at a yellow ?32 (Ford Roadster) and then a guy who sells cars as a friend of ours got this one in and said it was the best one he had ever seen,? he said. ‘Since we were such good friends, he wanted us to take a look at it and then we went there and we really liked it so we got it.?
They got the car this past August for $75,000, but Santangelo said it was worth at least $100,000.
Scarborough, who grew up in Keego Harbor, said his love for cars came from being a mechanic for 45 years, a trade he learned from his father, who was a mechanic as well. He also got into racing because of his dad.
‘I raced motorcycles first, then I raced Supermodifieds. Dad raced Indy,? he said. ‘So it’s always been racing, cars and working on them.?
The ?32 Roadster is not his first ‘antique car.? He has also owned ?55 and ?57 Chevys and a 1989 Fox body Ford Mustang.
‘I also have a ?77 pickup that I’m restoring,? said Scarborough.
He said he is also a ‘Harley guy,? owning a 1997 Sportster.
‘I drive up to the Clarkston Tap a lot in the summer with either my bike or my Mustang,? Scarborough said.
His favorite part about cars is working on them and driving them.
‘If you work on them to make them go faster, you want to see how fast they go,? he said. ‘You don’t want to build something and let somebody else see how fast they’ll go.?
Santangelo said his favorite part is ‘helping my grandpa work on them and then taking them for cruises on Sunday.?
He said he wouldn’t mind owning a Ford Mustang for his first car when he’s old enough to drive, particularly the 2008-2009 models. He also said he likes car design and has thought about getting into it when he is older.
‘But I may just do it on the side and be like a business man or something,? said Santangelo.
What makes older cars special? Scarborough says ‘not everybody has one.?
‘The new cars have a style of their own, but they don’t have any class. If you seen one, you’ve seen them all,? he said. ‘You take anything from 1970 back, it’s very distinct of what is, and rather it’s General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler.?
Not only is the craftsmanship different but even the ‘fast car mentality? has changed.
‘In 1997-98 when everybody was making money, guys didn’t want to get their hands dirty. They want to put out $150,000, get in it, turn the key and go, put it in their garage and keep it clean, and take it out on Saturdays and Sundays when it’s nice, that was the trend,? he said. ‘Before that, if you wanted something that was a good driver plus went fast, you had to do it. That era is gone, they’d just rather spend the money and turn the key, but you can’t say you did it.?
Scarborough and Santangelo are hoping to hit some bigger car shows this summer, such as the Meadowbrook Car Show and Dream Cruise.
Other locals featured at Autorama include Steve Smith with his 1970 Challenger, and Southern Motors on Dixie Highway will also have a 1932 Ford Roadster and a 1957 Chevy Wagon.
For more information about Autorama, visit www.autorama.com.