Slide Show: Cruise Night car of the week Q & A

Bob Borrusso, 51, of Manorville owns the the Riverhead Cruise Night car of the week for July 21. Scroll down to see what he had to say about his 1956 Ford Thunderbird convertible with continental kit and 312 cubic inch engine. Paint color is gun metal gray.

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1) When did you get the car?
I got the car around four months ago. A friend of mine, Marty Weinmiller, had it for 11 years and I’ve been helping him work on it. One day he asked me if I knew anyone who would want to buy it. I said I did.

2) What shape was it in?
When he got it it needed paint, tires, engine work and suspension — the usual car stuff. It was basically in this condition when I bought it. I did a couple more things to the engine.

3) What was the biggest challenge in restoring it, and did you do the work yourself?
The motor work. We did it in his garage without any fancy equipment, just backyard mechanic stuff.

4) What’s your favorite thing/feature on the car?
That’s hard to pick out. I just like the way the whole car looks. When he got it painted we found the color code and had the paint matched.

5) What was the first car you owned, make and model?
The first car I ever owned was a 1956 GMC pickup, stepside with factory four-wheel drive. It was forest green. I bought it in 1979 for $500 and sold it in 1988 to my brother Joe.