Classic car festival revs up the foothills Saturday

Gary Moskowitz

It took William Dickson five years to fully restore a 1933 Chevy

Eagle from a pile of old parts to the shiny, slick, classic car that

it is today.

It was a labor of love for Dickson, who had wanted one of his own

Chevy Eagles ever since his dad drove one before World War II.

Dickson, a Santa Clarita resident, was one of hundreds of people

with a common love for classic cars and trucks and hot rods who

attended the 1st annual Foothill Festival of Cars on Saturday at

First Baptist Church in La Crescenta.

“Ever since my dad sold the car I have wanted one, so I had been

looking for years. When I found one all in parts, I just decided I

was going to do it,” Dickson said. “She was missing upholstery, had

no distributor and no carburetor, but now look at her.”

More than 100 cars were on display at the event. Cars featured at

the show varied from cars like a 1927 Ford Track “T” Roadster or 1964

Pontiac GTO to a 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible, 1951 Chevy

half-ton truck or 1947 Studebaker convertible.

Many members of the Glendale Bel Airs -- a car club made up of

former Hoover High School students from the late ‘50s -- attended and

reminisced about dragging on Glenoaks Boulevard and driving to Bob’s

Big Boy back in high school.

Car owners from Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and Simi Valley came

to the event, church Men’s Ministries Committee member LeRoy McNees

said.

“We thought at first it would just be our little car show, but we

extended invitations to the whole nearby community,” McNees said.

“I’ve always loved cars, ever since I was a little kid.”

Funds raised at the event will benefit summer and winter camps for

children at First Baptist Church in La Crescenta.