The 63-year-old former drag racer belongs to an underground league of mechanics and identifies with an old-school creed that requires do-it-yourself fix-ups and uncompetitive showmanship.
Bertoloni, a retired machinist from Daly City, keeps his muscle-bound hot rod safely tucked away under lock and key, unveiling it only on special occasions. Sometimes he sneaks a proud peak or, in rarer cases, resurrects it for a showing alongside old friends.
 Spectators admire the classic cars at Pillar Point Harbor during the inaugural Cool Harbor Nights in November. The event returns Thursday and organizers hope it becomes a staple at the harbor. |
“For a first time, this is outstanding,” he said.
“This is a local traveling crowd,” said Montara resident Skip Walsh, sidling up to Bertoloni. “We’re all friends and we’ll make it out to support each other.”
Princeton Seafood Owner Mary Botham put out the word for the car show debut in order to draw classic car owners to the harbor for a few hours of wholesome community fun. Cool Harbor Nights, which Botham plans to be a monthly event in the harbor parking lot, is the manifestation of her idea to tap into an underground body of Coastsiders while attracting crowds to her restaurant. The holidays and weather squelched her plans for a December follow-up, but the November turnout, she said, demanded a reaction.
“It was awesome,” Botham said. “It exceeded my expectations.”
The first event steered more classic cars to the parking lot than had registered for the show and stole the attention from passersby of all ages. Harbormaster Dan Temko caught the buzz, wandered down the parking lot and was pleasantly surprised.
“I was very impressed by the cars that were there,” he said. “It seemed like everyone enjoyed it. It put a smile on my face and made me want to own a hot rod.”
More than a gathering of gearheads and their rides, the event brought in roughly $800 in raffle ticket sales and donations to the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside, a practice Botham plans to continue.
As long as the shows endure, Bertoloni, Walsh and others say they’ll come out with their cars for another trip down Memory Lane.
The next show is set for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, and will run until sunset. Car owners interested in registering for a future show can contact Mary Botham at mary@coastalcarshow.com or (650) 868-2383.
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