Marciano’s shop is a haven for South County classic car
aficionados
Bill Marciano’s childhood friends originally dubbed him “Rocky” because he shared a last name with the famous boxer. But it didn’t take long for his nickname to morph into “Rocket.” By his teenage years, Marciano was showing up at school every few months with a fast new car he bought from his father’s dealership. He would drive it a few months, then sell it and buy another.
“I was a car guy from the beginning,” Marciano says, reflecting on his lifelong passion.
He still is a “car guy,” though the automobiles he paid a few thousand dollars for in high school are now worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Marciano knows their value better than most. In November, he opened Checkered Flag Classics, a showroom in downtown Gilroy where he sells classic automobiles. Some are his, others he sells on consignment for various owners.
“They coined a phrase that ‘my cars are over the top,’ ” Marciano says, meaning they arrive in perfect or near-perfect condition. A quick glance around his showroom bears him out. Overhead lights gleam on the perfect finishes of eight cars spread across the checkered floor. Lift up the hood of a silver and black Chevrolet Camaro and a gleaming chrome engine stares back at you. Mint condition is standard for Marciano, who avoids selling cars that need more than minimal touch-ups.
“You can’t make money if you restore the car,” he said. “It costs a lot of money to fix them up. People who sell here know that and they’re not necessarily looking to make huge profits on a car. Usually, they’re hobbyists looking for money to put into their next project.”
So far, Marciano is developing a solid relationship with local car enthusiasts. Carl Epolite, former president of the Santa Clara Valley Thunderbird Club, said one of the club’s members purchased a classic T-bird from Marciano. He said the business is a perfect fit for South County.
“There’s a big need for it and it’s nice to go to somebody that can find cars for you,” Epolite said. “There is a heavy interest in classic cars in South County. You’d be surprised at all the classic cars you’ll see in people’s garages.”
Checkered Flag Classics is no standard dealership. If it’s not Marciano’s car, don’t expect any on-the-spot negotiating over price. Marciano has to pick up a phone and ask his seller if there’s any wiggle room. You also can’t hop into a car and take it for a test drive. Typically, the test drive occurs at the last moment, after someone has passed a credit check and committed to buying the car as long as it drives smoothly.
And he has no shortage of sellers or buyers. Although just a few months old, his business already draws about 80 walk-ins each week, and he sells two or three cars a month. If it’s a consignment car, he charges $150 monthly fee to advertise and show the car, plus 6 percent commission on the sale price.
“Unlike other places that jack up the prices, I’ll take the price that a seller wants,” Marciano adds.
He also loans out cars for events. In coming weeks, he’ll drive a silver-blue 1958 Corvette – price tag $73,000 – to a San Francisco photo shoot for a Victoria’s Secret advertisement.
“The car’s got more chrome on it than any other Corvette,” Marciano explained. “You turn it on and you can’t hear it.”
The car originally cost $3,875 in 1958. Now he’s selling the one in the showroom for $73,000. Price is a function of condition and rarity, among other factors, Marciano explains. The fewer cars produced, generally the higher the price tag. Plus, he factors in whether or not the car has original parts.
Only 16,758 Dodge Challengers were made in 1970, Marciano said, pointing to one of the most expensive cars in his showroom. The yellow and black convertible costs $235,000. In three years, the car will sell for more than a million, he predicts.
Marciano knows his cars. After all, he’s been in the business all his life. Born and raised in Willow Glen, his first job out of college was at a Saturn dealership on Stevens Creek Boulevard. He quickly worked his way up from the sales floor and eventually became a manager. He stuck with auto sales until moving to Gilroy in 2000, when he tried his hand at the mortgage business.
“I couldn’t stand that,” he said. “I hated it. I’m a car guy.”
In January 2006, Marciano decided to get back into his lifelong passion, but this time on his own terms. He spent more than a year getting his dealership license and in November opened his showroom, on Lewis Street just east of Monterey Street.
Nowadays, his only regret is not getting enough space in his showroom to keep up with demand. The Gilroy region is full of classic car lovers, Marciano said, and he expects business to pick up in May, the traditional start of the auto show and car run season.
In the meantime, Marciano is focusing on the walk-ins he gets each week and an eight-page list of people looking for specific cars. If one passes through Marciano’s showroom, he connects them with it.
And customer cars aren’t the only ones Marciano is on the prowl for. Corvettes are his passion – he’s owned models from ’57, ’65, and ’66 –- and he’s looking to replace a yellow and black ’67 he sold recently for $125,000. The car was his favorite, but after driving it for six years Marciano needed a cash infusion for his new business. It’s only a matter of time before he gets his hands on a new favorite.
“It’s going to be the same one, but it’ll be convertible,” Marciano says. “When I get that car, it’s going to be perfect.”
The Way of The Road Goes Through Gilroy
Classic cars aren’t just fun to drive. For Carl Epolite and dozens of other local car club members, they’re a way of life.
“I like the enjoyment in displaying the car, the pride and joy in ownership and keeping it restored,” said Epolite, former president of the Santa Clara Valley Thunderbird Club. “Also the camaraderie of our get-togethers and getting to talk to other people who love cars. There are a lot of nice people involved.”
Epolite, 70, and his wife have been a part of the Thunderbird Club for 17 years. The group is pretty inclusive – the only membership requirement is a passion for the “classic bird” or “little bird,” a couple of the various names attached to Thunderbirds sold from 1955 to 1957. The classic two-seater varied across the three years, though each model sported rounded headlights and chrome grills and bumpers.
The club has about 100 members and 40 to 50 cars in running condition. And life as a member means showing off your pride and joy – or watching others do so – whenever possible. The Thunderbirds are mainstays of the Gilroy Memorial Day Parade, and have also participated in the Tet Parade and other events across the county. They also display their cars at shopping centers, high school homecomings and sporting events.
And then there are the car shows. From the Gilroy City Fun Run in July to Hot August Nights in Reno, car club members do plenty of trekking across the region to check out each others’ rides and show off their own. The South Valley Street Rods, a smaller group of about two dozen members, has itinerary that leads to Bakersfield; Pueblo, Colorado; Sacramento; and Pismo Beach, not mention events in Gilroy, Hollister and Morgan Hill.
Carl Swank co-founded the South Valley Street Rods about eight years ago. The club has a higher bar for membership than the Thunderbirds. You have to either own or be working on a classic car that was sold in 1967 or before. Other than that, there’s a broad range of cars that fit the requirements, including muscle cars and “rat rods,” which are made to look dilapidated on the outside but often have upgraded engines, transmissions and brake systems.
For Swank, classic cars are a family affair. He owns a 1929 Ford Sedan Delivery, his wife has a 1934 Ford Sedan, and his son has a 1946 Chevrolet pick-up.
It took Swank five years to restore his sedan. He admits, though, that he could not have done it alone. One of the virtues of the car club is the wealth of knowledge and expertise members are willing to share. Swank had help welding parts and performing other work he never could have done alone. At the end of the day, though, most members perform the majority of the work themselves.
The payoff comes when you drive the car out of your garage for the first time.
“It’s quite a thrill,” Swank said. “It’s exciting, a feeling of achievement, accomplishment … You waited so long and it puts a smile on your face.”
