For one Skaneateles native, this Sunday's Fillmore Glenn Auto Show and Flea Market will be a chance for him to show off his 1953 Oldsmobile 98 four-door sedan while supporting a good cause.

Charles Paddock said his parents had owned a similar car when he was a child and that it was the first vehicle he had ever driven. After doing an eBay search in 2003, Paddock found an identical car and decided to purchase it.

“I never expected to find it,” Paddock said. “The car was in good shape, and they are pretty scarce. They don't make Oldsmobiles anymore, which is part of the reason why I picked it.”

Adding to Paddock's joy of cars was his love for public service, which will merge with Moravia's auto show.

“A lot of the organizations that host these kinds of events give the money to charity,” Paddock said. “I get a great satisfaction out of participating in that.”

Gary Fickeisen, an organizer for the car show, said the event usually makes more than $6,000 from raffles and donations, most of which is given to local organizations such as the food pantry or library.

Those who do come out to support a cause while enjoying more than 500 old and new cars alike will get to see Paddock's vehicle, which has the same parts as the day it came out of the factory, Paddock said. Because the car is a factory production car, it will be entered into the stock car category, which is one of 31 classes that are eligible for an award at this year's show.

Anytime he worked on his car, Paddock said he would research old service sheets and build specs from the manufacturer's archives to ensure that everything - from the trim to the nuts and bolts - were the same as the day the car was shipped to the dealership.

“I like them like they were back then,” Paddock said. “Cars are worth more if you keep them stock if you ever want to sell them.”

It also helped the car remain a relic of the past, which was why people liked going to events such as the car show in Moravia, Paddock said.

“A lot of older people, when they had these cars, they were exactly like this,” he said. “It brings back a lot of memories. I take this car to some of the senior citizen houses, and they really get a kick out of it.”

Paddock's efforts to make his Oldsmobile historically accurate also got the vehicle featured in the upcoming movie “The Express,” which is about Ernie Davis, a former Syracuse University football player who became the first black man to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis died in 1963, shortly after being drafted into the NFL.

“Universal Studios needed some authentic cars from 1948 to 1959, and my car fit the bill,” Paddock said. “Four cars in that movie are from central New York, including mine.”

Nate Robson

253-5311 ext.248

nathan.robson@lee.net

If you go.

What: Fillmore Glenn State Park Auto Show and Flea Market

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31

Where: Fillmore Glenn State Park, 1686 State Route 38, Moravia

Cost: $4 parking and $1 donation per person at the gate

Info: Call 730-3215