Good Weather, Classic Cars, and Good Company; Hundreds rolled in for Tioga State Bank’s annual car show in Waverly

By Wendy Post —

Things were revved up on July 9 for Tioga State Bank’s 20th annual car show, held at East Waverly Park in Waverly, New York. Rolling onto the grounds under cloudy skies and with temperatures in the high 70s, conditions were perfect for drivers and their automobiles, and the guests who arrived to get a glimpse of some mighty fine vehicles on display.

During the 4 p.m. set up, Kim Depew, Senior Community Development Advisor at Tioga State Bank, stated that 117 cars were pre-registered for the event; approximately 80 showed up on the day of the show.

“I think we hit two hundred,” Depew exclaimed, mid-show, noting a near-record turnout for the event.

The venue also offered two food trucks and a DJ for guests; a 50/50 benefiting a local charity took place, as well as trophies awarded. It was three hours of muscle, nostalgia, classic moments, and a journey back in time, auto-wise.

Dana Parkhurst, who brought two cars to the show – a ‘64 Corvair Van and an ‘83 Nissan 280ZX, attends car shows whenever he can. The Waverly resident and Navy veteran left a third car at home, a ‘72 Pontiac Lemans Sport Convertible that is undergoing some transmission work.

Patrick Ayres, former mayor of Waverly who has attended the TSB car show for over five years, arrived with his ‘72 MGB with overdrive, a feature that Ayres made special note of.

A car collector of sorts, Ayres has owned the ‘72 MGB for two years. Prior to that, he had a ‘65 Midget, but then sold it and bought an MGB GT, which he also sold. In his garage at home, however, Ayres has a Mazda Miata that he enjoys as well.

Ayres was enjoying Wednesday’s show alongside his longtime friend and fellow ROMEO member, Charlie Trudeau of Chemung. Arriving in his 1975 Triumph TR6, Trudeau ended up with a fourth-place trophy at the end of the show.

Trudeau noted the excellent turnout for the event and added that it was his first time attending.

Linda Pyhtila, of Barton, pulled in with her 1953 Ford F100 truck, equipped with a 1989 Penske Racing engine.

Linda attends the Friday night car shows at the mall in Elmira and was planning to participate in the recent show at Hickories Park in Owego.

Linda was married to Roger Pyhtila for 54 years, and that brought her into the world of classic and antique cars and the shows. And although Roger passed away in February 2022 from Agent Orange, she continues to maintain the cars and attend the shows.

“On our first date, he [Roger] took me to the Kohler car lot in Sayre,” said Linda, adding, “We were checking out the cars.”

The rest was history. Now, Linda has six vehicles tucked away in her garage and a Corvette!

Dave Ferris of Apalachin attended his very first car show with his 1969 Plymouth GTX.

Polished up and ready to show, Ferris noted that he was initially looking for a Plymouth Road Runner, but found the GTX instead. After changing some hoses, belts, and fluids, and putting in a new interior and sound system, Ferris is ready to “Rock and Roll,” and found that car shows are the perfect avenue for this!

“There is a good vibe here, and good people,” said Ferris of last Wednesday’s show.

The O’Toole’s arrived with a 1969 pumper that was retired from the Waverly/ Barton Fire District in 2009 and sat for 16 years until they purchased it in February of this year.

Dylan O’Toole noted that the transmission went out two days before the show, but he was able to fix it on time.

Of special interest, a 1941 Cadillac owned by Kit Molyneaux of Spencer had several interesting stories behind it. Kit’s car earned a first-place trophy at the show, to no surprise, with Molyneaux’s son, Elias Molyneaux of Ithaca, describing the car, or project, as a “lifetime achievement” for Kit.

Built and then redesigned between 1940 and 1941 by Harley Earl, this pre-war car was the cheapest option available to the military at that time, according to Molyneaux.

Also, according to industry accounts, following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cadillac, like other American automakers, significantly reduced civilian vehicle production and retooled its factories for wartime production.

Cadillac’s robust V-type engines and Hydra-Matic transmissions, which were standard in its luxury cars, were adapted and used extensively in various military vehicles, including tanks and howitzers.

Twenty years ago, Molyneaux was fortunate enough to find this classic through a friend in Van Etten, New York.

“I’ve been working on it ever since,” said Molyneaux, who described how he has spent his time replacing parts and fabricating them with stainless steel from water-softener tanks. He specifically pointed to the stone guard on the driver’s side in the rear, where a stainless steel guard was polished, a fitting contrast to the exterior’s solid black and gray allure and clever pin-striping.

Kit’s son, Elias, mentioned that he attends the shows with his dad, following him along the way in his own vehicle.

“I haven’t driven the Cadillac,” Elias added, of his father’s adoration and devotion to this 1941 beauty.

And at the conclusion of the show, Molyneaux took home the first-place trophy.

The second-place trophy was awarded to Tyler Doane with his Acura RSX; Dawn Oppici took third place with her Mercury Montclair; Charles Trudeau took fourth with his Triumph TR6, earning a win for the foreign models; and Michael Dunn came in fifth with his Chevy Impala.

Trevor Wheeler was the winner of the 50/50 raffle, with half of the proceeds benefiting the Valley Food Pantry, which received $154.

Overall, with the car show season in New York in full swing, the show provided a great night for all.

You can fine more photos and video from the show at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062215736057.