Taking local beauties on a road trip

Fallbrook/Bonsall area classics shown at Goodguys Car Show

Some of Fallbrook and Bonsall's best eye-candy rolled into the 16th annual Goodguys Car Show held April 1-3 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Gerry Sivigny of Bonsall took his better-than-new, two-tone 1963 Chevy Nova SS for spectators to enjoy. The Nova sports a Chevrolet LS1 aluminum block, fuel-injected engine backed by a four-speed overdrive transmission.

While it is a Nova model, the body is the same as the Chevy II cars from the early 1960s. What’s Sivigny's favorite thing about the car?

“It's a perfect car for two-tone paint,” said Sivigny. “It has a nice cut line, and although Chevrolet never offered a two-tone option from the factory, the SS model has a chrome trim strip on the edge of the body that offers a perfect transition from the black-to-red color scheme.”

Sivigny has only owned the Nova five months; he sold a previous car in November. He bought the car by live phone bid at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas after finding it in the online auction listings. He registered for the auction and the rest is history.

Remote bidders have live Internet access to the auction and contact with a representative by phone during the auction and can instruct the rep to bid on cars. Sivigny already had a limit in his mind and was able to purchase the car for $5,000 less than that. Sivigny arranged to have the Nova shipped to his home and it was love at first sight!

Sivigny is a member of the Fallbrook Shafters Car Club, reportedly the second oldest club in the country (1949). The club is known for its regular support of Wounded Warriors and holds car shows on Camp Pendleton.

Local contractor Joe Janikowski was also at the Good Guys Show in Del Mar, with his 1935 Ford 'Humpback' two-door sedan. Janikowski has owned the Ford eight years.

“Hot-rodding is a family pastime,” said Janikowski, who attended the show with his wife, Kim, daughter Jordan and son Jake. The family brought three cars to the event.

Of the 1935 Ford, Janikowski said, “This car came to me. I was looking for something for us to do as a family and had a friend helping me look for a car with one criteria – it needed to have enough room for the whole family. He found this car in Temecula and it had an interesting history."

“It was built by the guy who started the Temecula Stampede and finished in 1984, but he became ill and eventually passed away,” continued Janikowski. “His family had it covered and stored but needed to sell it in 2008, so we bought it. My favorite part of the car is the front grille. I have always liked the look of the 35s.”

This led Janikowski to get his family involved in competition, something he could do with his daughter when she was just a freshman at Fallbrook High School.

“I did it as a bonding experience, something we could do together,” said Janikowski. “The competition is 'autocross' racing, which is a closed circuit course timed event.”

The father-daughter duo built a red and black Ford truck during Jordan’s high school years while she was also heavily involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA), raising prize steers for the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar.

Not to be left behind, Jake got the bug watching his father and sister and is now the proud owner of a shiny black 1966 Mustang Fastback GT, which generates lots of power with a 'period correct' Paxton Supercharger.

“Jake worked hard to save up cash to buy this car,” said Janikowski. “Car stuff is really a family thing.”

Enthused about what hot-rodding has done for his family, he said he is looking forward to October when he will be promoting the inaugural Country Car Show at the Grand Tradition Estate and Gardens, an event to raise money for the Fallbrook Ag Boosters.

“The thing about car shows is all these high dollar cars – there's no entry level,” said Janikowski. “We are offering a 'Junior Class' for owners age 21 and under with their own rules, judging, and awards. I have never seen a car show with an entry level for the kids and let’s face it; they can't compete against the professionals.”

To stay abreast of information pertaining to that show, visit www.fallbrookcountrycarshow.com.

Fallbrook resident Victor Risling also shared his 1955 Ford Sunliner convertible with spectators at the Good Guys Show earlier in the month. The car has a 'Continental Kit' (a spare tire mounted behind the trunk) which was an extra option in the 1950s.

Risling, originally from Canada, has owned the car for eight years. His experience, “You buy a car that's 80 percent done and finish it with your 20 percent. It takes three to four years and lots of work.”

The Ford Sunliner is outfitted with a five-liter Cobra engine and transmission, Tru-Spoke wire wheels, and a new aftermarket air conditioning system. It has also been completely rewired and a modern interior installed.

“My favorite thing about this car is the fact it's a 1955 Ford,” said Risling. “I was 13-years-old when this car came out and when I first saw one I said, ‘Boy, someday I want a car like that!’”