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Ever since he was able to lean over the hood of a car, John Miodowski has been pulling wrenches and up to his elbows in engine grease.
“I was six years old,” he said, “and even put myself through college working at a service station all through high school.”
At 14 he started working at the Irving garage in Pooles Corner, where he pumped gas and worked as a self-taught mechanic until he went to Holland College for a diploma in electromechanical engineering.
Now 63, the New Perth resident has amassed a collection of vehicles that would make any car enthusiast’s motor hum.
Parked in his yard is a shiny blue 1947 International truck. Sitting alongside it, a canary yellow 1929 Essex three-window coupe that boasts no less than 445 horsepower.
“I rebuilt the ‘29 two or three times over the years,” Mr Miodowski said, adding that each rebuild entailed about 600 hours of labour.
In storage he also has what he considers his family car - a 1947 Oldsmobile sedan he rebuilt when his children Paul and Kelly came along. And there’s even a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro that’s been in hibernation since he stopped driving it in 1975.
“Ten years ago I said I’d have (the Camaro) ready for my wife’s birthday and it’s still not done,” he said with a chuckle.
Mr Miodowski’s passion for cars was something he knew he shared with many others in eastern PEI. So he and a few friends joined forces and formed the PEI Street Rod Association.
“I was one of the original members that started the first (car) show we ever had,” Mr Miodowski said of the annual Show & Shine, which celebrates its 35th year this weekend in Brudenell.
The annual event, which now hosts up to 400 rigs, came from a humble beginning.
“The very first show was held in David MacKinnon’s back yard, up the road here in New Perth,” Mr Miodowski said, pointing west with a black grease-stained finger that serves as an emblem of his hard work over the years.
“There was between 17 and 20 of us in the association at the time and I think there was about 12 cars at it,” he said, adding that they just decided to get together one weekend. “That was the first real show. And then it just took off.”
From there, the event evolved into the three-day long Show & Shine show that is widely recognized today.
“It leaves a lot of money in this area,” Mr Miodowski said of the show that attracts visitors from as far as Ontario, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine and has donated much of its profits to many different charities over the years.
“The restaurants, motels, gas stations, grocery stores ... they all get business from the show. It’s good for the economy all around.”
For years, the car show was held at the former Lobster Shanty grounds in Montague. Then, when the Shanty switched ownership, it moved to the old Brudenell Park.
“Brudenell is an absolutely beautiful spot for it,” Mr Miodowski said, referring to the area’s scenic water view. “It’s just phenomenal.”
Mr Miodowski has never missed a show and said he enjoys seeing some of the same familiar faces year after year.
“You meet a lot of great people and I’ve made a lot of friends over the years.”
Although he’s no longer a member of the fully-incorporated PEI Street Rod Association, Mr Miodowski said he plans to get involved again.
“I was in it for a lot of years but when we amalgamated school districts, I just didn’t have the time to devote to it,” said the retired Property Services Manager for the Eastern School District. “But I think I’ll get back at it next year.”
Until then, Mr Miodowski said he’ll continue turning wrenches and attending shows for as long as he’s able.
“It’s just been a fun life-long hobby and I still enjoy it as much as the day I started.”
Anyone interested in joining the PEI Street Rod Association is encouraged to contact Charlie Moore at 838-4834 or Wayne MacLeod at 569-3033.
Photo: John Miodowski, one of PEI Street Rod Association’s original members, stands between his 1947 International truck and the 1929 Essex coupe he restored from the ground up. Mr Miodowski has attended every Show & Shine car show for the past 35 years, and says he has no plans to stop. Melanie Jackson photo
First appeared in The Eastern Graphic July 3, 2013
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