The loss of sleep brought on by daylight savings time was not enough to stop the waves of gearheads flocking to Pierce College to check out the cars on display this Supercar Sunday. From muscle cars to JDM, patina to luxury, hot rods to showroom new, there was a build for every preference on exhibit.
Supercar Sunday is as much a staple of Pierce life as the founder—and former Brahma—himself. Founded by Pierce alum Dustin Troyer more than 20 years ago, the car show has taken on a life of its own as enthusiasts from all walks of life congregate to Lot 7 each Sunday to show off their rides in partnership with Porsche of Woodland Hills.
Vehicles can be more than just a machine to get their owners from A to B, they can also hold sentimental value—Todd Tapia’s forest green 1955 Willys Jeep, complete with classic army markings, is used to honor his family’s military service.
“My grandfather served in World War 2, so I painted his serial number on the side of the hood,” Tapia said. “Then a couple of years ago we lost my uncle to a stroke, he was in the Air Force, so we put his serial number on the other side. It will probably stay in the family a long time.”
To those in the car enthusiast community, meets like these are much more than the sum of its parts. To some, lasting relationships can trace their beginning to a shared interest in the automotive community.
Jim and Dianne Baldwin came to the event to show off their LS swapped 1952 Jaguar Mk VII Saloon two toned in brilliant white on top and fiery orange on bottom. They met after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
“I had a house with no furniture, and she had furniture with no house,” Jim Baldwin said.
Dianne Baldwin drives a 1969 Chevy Camaro with a 4-speed manual transmission. When Jim Baldwin bought the Jaguar, it did not have an engine. He bought a 2000 GMC Yukon, ripped the LS1 V8 out and installed a suspension from a 1984 Corvette, all in his own garage with basic tools.
“I am not an engineer by any form of the imagination,” he said. “It’s a lot of ‘Hmm, how am I going to make that fit?’”
Ady Gil stood by his white 1947 Rolls Royce convertible as he greeted and joked with passersby. He bought his car through Mecum Auctions, a classic car auction organization, and was drawn to it in particular.
“You look around and you think ‘Which car would I like to have? Which is the most unique?’ You can’t get another on Craigslist or Bring a Trailer,” Gil said.
