Pass the Timing Light: How a Cedar Crest Car Show Connects Generations of Restorers

CEDAR CREST — East Mountains Cars and Coffee show does not smell like the high-stakes, billionaire garages of Southern California. It smells like exhaust, fresh coffee, and shared community history.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary season in 2026, the monthly gathering in Cedar Crest has evolved into an intergenerational classroom and a sanctuary for automotive purists who value a vehicle’s story far more than its price tag.

For Mitch Berger, who moved to the area from North San Diego County about 1.5 years ago, the contrast between the coastal car scene and New Mexico’s mountains is stark.

“California car culture is all about money,” Berger said, reflecting on his 60 years of collecting automotive memorabilia, stretching back to the Matchbox cars of his childhood. “Who has the nicest, fastest, loudest, and the clothes to go with it. Out here, it’s all about coming with something that is a love. It’s a hobby. You clean your own car, you work on your own engine.”

Berger, who spent decades attending high-end events where multi-millionaires parked Ferraris inside private airport hangars, prefers the modesty of the East Mountain crowd. Here, a pristine classic sits comfortably next to an old pickup truck held together by little more than history and regular maintenance.

“Out here, you’re all friends, you’re all here for the same love,” Berger said. “Nobody cares. It’s just an enjoyment.”

That lack of pretension creates a unique environment where mechanical wisdom is passed down across engine bays. On the asphalt lot, classic timing lights and dwell points still matter, and the older generation of restorers holds the answers to keeping vintage steel on the road.

Felipe, a restorer from Albuquerque who brought his 1977 Jeep CJ-7 to the show, spent the morning hovering over a vintage Pontiac Firebird owned by fellow regular Bill Constantine. Felipe is currently restoring his own 1969 Firebird and found himself seeking advice from someone who had already navigated the nuances of the classic engine.

“I’m seeing a lot of different things that are different than mine,” Felipe said. “I’m kind of just curious how everything works. I was able to ask him to start up the motor and see how smooth it is, because mine wasn’t running that great. I was like, ‘Okay, that’s the level I need to get mine.'”

Constantine, a retired U.S. Air Force chaplain who has been showing cars for 11 years, views the regular social interaction as an extension of his life’s work. He bought his Firebird online years ago—a risky gamble that remarkably paid off with a beautiful, smooth-running machine.  For Constantine, welcoming curious onlookers and answering technical questions comes naturally.

“I was a chaplain, and so it’s part of your ministry,” Constantine said of his approach to the car community.

This philosophy of openness is what keeps the culture thriving across generations. While some collectors place strict “do not touch” boundaries around their vehicles, the prevailing attitude in Cedar Crest leans toward inspiration.

Berger actively encourages young children to climb behind the wheel of his vehicles, hoping a single morning at a car show might spark a lifelong passion.

“Life right now is about experimenting with everything,” Burger said. “If you’re an old guy that opens up your car, your hobby, to some kid, he’s going to grasp it. He’s going to really want to be part of that, and he’s going to say, ‘God, I remember that old guy when I was 8 years old, let me sit in his car, and now look what I am.’ To me, it was always a dream to be able to have a car that I could share.”