GREENFIELD— Mike Weimer spritzed the wheels of his lime green 2019 Dodge Challenger on Saturday morning and gave them a quick shine.
He and his wife Susan have gained quite a following for their Grinch-themed muscle car, which features the Grinch’s furry face on each side and a full array of Grinch-themed characters painted beneath the hood.
The Greenfield couple’s car was among 75 or so on display June 15 at the fifth annual Brandywine Car Show hosted by Brandywine Community Church, at 1551 E. New Road in Greenfield.
Hot rods, muscle cars and vintage roadsters filled the church parking lot from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., when car enthusiasts and curious onlookers stopped by to see the cars and chat with the owners, who were more than happy to share all the details of their collectible cars.
Like many of the owners, Steve Wilkinson of Greenfield posted a sign in front of his 1937 Ford Five-Window Coupe listing some of the details about his vintage ride.
“The color is military green, which is the original color,” said Wilkinson, who also owns a silver 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport.
The avid auto enthusiast said car shows are a great way to build connections and friendships with fellow car lovers.
“The car community is good people. I can probably look around here and see 50 to 60 people I know,” he said Saturday, as the sun shined down on the wide assortment of classic cars and trucks.
Vehicles ranged from the Weimers’ 2019 Dodge Challenger to a 1919 Model T Ford with a wood truck bed and floorboards, owned by Carl Crock of Greenfield.
The car show also featured food and live music provided for a freewill offering to benefit the World Renewal ministry in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, in memory of former church member Nick Fiano, who died in April after battling Stage 4 colon cancer.
The ministry was near and dear to Fiano’s heart, said his friend, Tim Hamilton, who serves on the church’s men’s leadership team.
The annual show typically benefits a different cause each year, said Hamilton, one of the organizers this year.
Hamilton said the car show also provides a fun event for the community while hopefully drawing some new people into the church, which was open to the public on Saturday.
Doc Brewster of Maxwell appreciated the opportunity to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon with fellow auto enthusiasts while showing off his cherry red 1965 Ford Mustang.
He bought the car about six years ago from a friend he met in the military.
“I’m the fourth owner, and I’ve known all the owners but one,” said Brewster, who added that the pristine Mustang had spent the majority of the past eight decades in Honolulu.
He and his wife Alma enjoy driving the Mustang around town, which always elicits a number of appreciative comments from passersby.
The Weimers also enjoy driving their “sub-lime” green Grinch-mobile around Greenfield and neighboring towns.
The couple knew they wanted a purple or green Dodge Challenger, and went all in on the Grinch theme when they landed on a bright green model.
On Saturday, Susan Weimer was sporting bright green toenail polish while her husband was sporting a bright green polo shirt, sunglasses and tennis shoes.
“I think half my closet is green,” he said with a grin.
The couple recently returned from a five-day car show in Pigeon Forge called Meet in the Mountains, and were happy to reconnect with their local car community.
While their tricked-out ride with custom graphics has won awards at car shows in the past, they say their focus now is not on winning prizes but simply making people smile.
“I’ve won the trophies and that was fun but it’s not as good as seeing the kids,” said Mike Weimer. “Seeing the smiles on their faces is what it’s all about.”
