By: Maria Allard | C&G Newspapers | Published October 2, 2025
METRO DETROIT — Warren resident Paul “Pauly G” Gutkowski is not only a bona fide car buff, but he also has a soft spot for animals.
During the classic car cruise season, he organizes the weekly car shows from 5 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday at Sandbaggers Sports Bar and Grill in Center Line. Jerry and Fran Czapski built Sandbaggers, and son Dave Czapski is the current owner. Gutkowski, owner of a 1968 Mercury Cougar, also holds fundraisers at other car shows to raise money for the I Heart Dogs Rescue & Animal Haven in Warren. Gutkowski is a member of the Burnouts Detroit car group.
The group, along with the Center Line Festival Foundation, held a charity car show during the Center Line Beer Fest at the city’s Memorial Park Sept. 13, which raised $1,832 for the animal shelter. Money was raised through registration fees, charity raffles and 50/50s. At the Sept. 17 Sandbaggers car show, Gutkowski presented a check to Cindy Yankley, events director for the I Heart Dogs Rescue & Animal Haven.
“That can pay a lot of medical bills for our dogs,” Yankley said. “We’re so grateful to Paul because he’s been doing this event for us at the Center Line car show. He has made a really big difference in the lives of a lot of dogs. We’re so grateful to him and to everyone else.”
In addition to the $1,832, the nonprofit animal shelter had a table at the beer fest car show, which brought in $600 in donations, and one dog was adopted out. I Heart Dogs Rescue & Animal Haven will hold a dog and cat adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 4 at its shelter located at 22415 Groesbeck Highway in Warren. For more information, go to iheartdogs.org or email bark@iheartdogs.org.
Every week at the Sandbaggers car show, Gutkowski and his wife, Michelle Gutkowski, set up a canopy where they sell miniature toy cars and Gutkowski serves as the unofficial disc jockey, playing classic rock music for the crowd.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out again tonight. This lets people know about events in the city,” Gutkowski said. “I grew up with Dave and Sandbaggers.”
Gary White, of Warren, brought his 1958 Chevrolet Impala to the event. White, 73, has owned the white Impala for almost five years. His son knew he wanted an Impala and found one through an online marketplace site.
“I immediately got in touch with the guy. I went the next morning and bought it,” White said. “I drove it home. It was a rough drive home. It needed a lot.”
To give it a smoother ride, White and his son changed the engine, transmission, altered the brakes and more.
“It’s got air conditioning, power steering and power brakes. People see it and think it’s the ‘American Graffiti’ car. I had a blue one when I was about 19. I had it for about two years. All the old cars are fantastic. They’re all fun,” White said. “That’s back when you bought a car for $200. Cars were cheap back then — not anymore.”
Back in the day, White and his buddies cruised Eight Mile Road, stopping at the Big Boy in Hazel Park. Other times they’d hit Woodward Avenue and would meet up at another of their favorite Big Boy restaurants.
“It was fun,” White said. “We were out looking for girls.”
Doug Thompson, of Royal Oak, brought his red 1978 Ford F-700 Hahn pumper fire truck to Sandbaggers. He’s never been a firefighter, but he enjoys driving the vehicle to restaurants and cruise and car shows. It’s always a conversation piece with strangers.
“I’ve taken it all over the place. It’s just a good riding truck,” Thompson, 72, said. “It’s just like a big red truck with lots of shiny stuff. I have so much fun with it. People are drawn to it. They ask so many questions.”
Thompson often runs into retired and current firefighters.
“The old firefighters, they look at it and it brings back memories,” he said.
That includes viewing the manual controls once used to fight fires.
“The older firefighters taught me how to use them,” Thompson said. “They give me hints. I learn from their experience.”
Thompson purchased the fire truck from the small town of Sedan, Kansas, which he said is known as “Tornado Alley.” He even hung a sign on the side of the truck that reads “Tornado Alley 1978 Ford F700 Hahn Pumper Sedan, KS.”