Vanderbilt Cup Races

You have done a wonderful job with this site.  The collection of historic photos offers a fantastic look at how the area developed around the Motor Parkway.  I really appreciated the photos of the bridge abutments within Bethpage State Park from the 1980’s.  As a kid growing up in the area in the 1970’s and 1980’s, we called that “The Wall”.

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

what a fine choice for town historian. Howard will do a fine job but will probably mandate the use of only pre 1930 vehicles on town roads. Howard always has a smile and the desire to make history come alive. I applaud his appointment. Bravo to the Town Board of North Hempstead.

From Newsday and Patch: Kroplick Appointed Town Historian

I have seen the Clark Gable Packard while I was exhibiting my art at Classic Car Club of America, and at the Glenmoor Gathering where Gable’s 1942 Harley bike (owned by Joe Hassett) was displayed next to it.  The car has been owned lately by Thomas Moretti, if I am correct, and he may have put it up for auction recently.  Gable is a favorite subject of mine, in my paintings (working on a Gable/Harley painting right now), and the photo you shared is classic! Thanks Howard.

From Cars of the Stars Part II

Congratulations Howard!

From The Black Beast at the Amelia Island 2012 Concours D'Elegance

Lee, I have added a Bing map of the location of the Melville Sand Pit Motor Parkway Bridge. Please send the jpeg to me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Thanks!

From The Last Intact Motor Parkway Bridge in Suffolk County

Do you have a google map view on where the bridge would/should be ?

I recently was on a commercial flight and I have a picture taken of that area. I’m not sure ..but maybe my picture could help. Let me know I can send you the.jpg. It was taken from my cell phone camera..so I wish it was clearer.

From The Last Intact Motor Parkway Bridge in Suffolk County

Nice and glad at least some of it is being preserved and not covered over. Good stuff!

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

You could just take out enough of the fill to expose the parkway.

Good job on the research.

From An Old Bethpage Mystery Solved at the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society Meeting

Great research, Howard.

From An Old Bethpage Mystery Solved at the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society Meeting

Very cool findings. Are the plans to leave it alone, or to someday excavate the rest of the Motor Parkway under that hill? Since the old incinerator is now obsolete and out of use, they could demolish the smokestacks now anyway.

From An Old Bethpage Mystery Solved at the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society Meeting

Absolutely beautiful car.  And what a great story.  Congrats and Brava to you!

From A History of Coachbuilder LeBaron

I found some interesting stuff but still confused a bit about the exact route there myself. If you go off the suspected ROW, you can find old trees that still have rusted out supports to prevent a storm from ripping them out, they are very old and could have been installed when efforts to landscape the ROW were made. I’m sure I can still find them if i get over there.

From Will the Motor Parkway Mystery In Old Bethpage Be Solved by Al Velocci Tonight?

Truly amazing!

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

I’ll definitely check this area out ( during my annual LIPA patrols of course. ) This is really good news.

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

The area to the south is largely owned by the village, but I forget if it is Mineola or Westbury. It would be nice if they cleaned it up. I don’t recall seeing the pipe railing north of Westbury Ave, but it was probably overgrown last time I was in there. It looks a lot cleaner now and much more visible pavement!

From The Motor Parkway North of Westbury Avenue on the Carle Place/Mineola Border

I have to get over there and see this. We just rode it back in late January and it was untouched.  I just found out this week that construction started from someone at DOT… I was under the impression that they were still reviewing bids!!!

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

South of Westbury Ave the old roadway is clearly visible in an area owned by the town of Westbury.It’s overgrown and has been used as a dump by the town.

From The Motor Parkway North of Westbury Avenue on the Carle Place/Mineola Border

Assuring to hear that the majority of expert input feels the current plans bode well for the preservation of the Vanderbilt. That said, it still seems as if the actual “preservation” and “modern usage” efforts put in to the bike path in the Alley Pond and Cunningham portions in Queens placed higher regard on the original location and direction of the historic roadway.

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

GREAT PICTURES

From Bikeway Construction Uncovers the Motor Parkway in Bethpage State Park Buried for Over 50 Years

Amazing story.  I’ve heard the names of some of the great ‘body builders’ / coachmakers many times from my father and at antique car shows, but the only one I knew anything about at all was Brewster, since we had 2 cars which probably had Brewster bodies.

FYI, I grew up in Northeast PA sort of surrounded by antique cars.  For a while, my father had some Packards - 733 coupe with rumble seat, a 243 Touring (which I still own here on Long Island), and an 1103 said to have a Spahn body (triple windshield wiper, syncromesh transmission, brake and ride adjustment on the console, power brakes.  It was a convertible sedan with a limo type glass.  The car had been pulled from a junk yard and while it needed a good going over, especially paint, it was an amazing car.

We also had 2 Springfield Rolls Royce cars.  28 limo that a good mechanic would have had in full operation in a couple days.  As a teen I did my best to take care of it but the nuances of such things as accurate carb settings were over my head.  But I did keep it running, and my huge regret is that I never got to drive it.  The other was a very worn out 29 Riviera Town Car that had apparently been owned, and driven into the ground, by the founder of Time Magazine.  Easily one of the most beautiful and elegant cars ever built, but my father was too busy to get it restored.  One huge difference between this and the 28 - this one had an aluminum head engine.

From A History of Coachbuilder LeBaron