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Ron and Cory Schumacker leaning against Cory's '69 Chevy pickup. Photo Sophie Braccini
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This year the annual Moraga Community Faire will be held the day before Mother's Day and the organizers will have gifts and treats, large and small, for all the moms in our lives. But the Classic Car Show, as part of the fair, will have a father-son focus: Moraga Motors owner and show co-sponsor Ron Schumacker and his son, Cory, will be showing the '69 Chevy pickup that they have completely renovated over the past six years.
With a mechanic and car repair shop owner for a father, Cory Schumacker has always been around cars and was always interested in learning how they worked. Since the age of 7 or 8 he started taking things apart, starting with his first bike. Ron Schumacker noticed his son's curiosity and started to look for something bigger and more interesting that his son could sink his teeth into.
He spotted the Chevy pickup for sale by the son of the truck's original owner. "My father found it on Craigslist and asked me if I had an interest," says 20-year-old Cory Schumacker, who works with his father at Moraga Motors. "I got my '69 Chevy pickup truck when I was 14."
The classic truck had only 100,000 miles on it, "but it was barely running," remembers the young man with a smile.
Ron Schumacker is quite proud of his son's natural abilities to understand how things work, and by his dad's side, Cory learned quickly by doing. Every weekend, they would come to Moraga Motors where the truck was parked and together they started taking things apart and making both small and big changes.
"One of the first things I did was I lowered it," says the younger Schumacker. He wanted to improve the truck's stability. "With the new suspension it handles a lot better." He also decided to replace the original engine and transmission, although they were still functioning. Since Cory wanted to use the truck as his main vehicle when he turned 16, he wanted a newer engine that would be more gas efficient, and a manual transmission because he likes driving a stick shift.
The Schumackers took the truck to a specialized shop to do all the bodywork, to have the dents removed and to have the truck repainted to its original green. With wood trim along the side and classic side mirrors, the pickup has been brought back to life.
Cory Schumacker also took the seats out of a '97 Chevy Tahoe and drilled some new holes to make new seating very comfortable inside. He uses this as his commuter car, but the '69 Chevy pickup will stay his forever. He still works on it, tunes it, and thinks of new additions. "I always liked the early '60s and '70's cars. I like their style; they are simple and well-made," he says.
As co-sponsors of the car show, the Schumackers will help set up and stage the event, run the contest and hand out 12 trophies. "There is a lot that's involved in the car show," says Ron Schumacker.
The Community Faire will also be ripe with opportunities to learn about locally grown herbs, new recycling options, and other "green" oriented activities. Those taking a bus to reach the busy grounds get a raffle ticket and a chance at prizes.
Local winemakers will be returning to the fair, and Moraga artist Jaya Griggs will be back this year offering watercolor pet portraits while you wait. And in typical country fair style, Mayor Roger Wykle has volunteered to be a target at the dunk tank, as well as other local celebrities.
There will be many games and activities for kids, from a climbing wall to a bounce house and carnival games. Moraga-owned food trucks will be on site for hungry patrons.
The Moraga Community Faire will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9 at the Rheem Shopping Center. For more information, visit moragachamber.org/faire.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA