FAIR LAWN, N.J. — Outraged members of the New Jersey Auto Owners Association (NJAOA) are refusing to back down, staging relentless daily demonstrations since early April — and still going strong in late May — as they blast Samuel Polyak of Polykup Inc. and David Gutwill of Ultimate Car Care for what they call the shameless gutting and exploitation of a defenseless 90-year-old’s prized classic car.
Armed with blistering signs declaring “CHEATING a 90 Year Old? DOWNRIGHT EVIL!!!!” and “Junkyard Flammable Chevy Bolt Batteries in a $300K Car? THAT’S FRAUD,” protesters are chanting “Scammed an old man, shame on Sam” outside Ultimate Car Care and linked locations. They demand to know: “Where are the stolen parts Sam and Dave?”
The scandal exploded after Robert Kerekes, a respected New Jersey collector whose cars have graced the New York International Auto Show, handed over his 2003 Acura NSX for a supposed premium Tesla battery EV conversion. Instead, court filings reveal alleged use of dangerous salvaged Bolt batteries, massive cost overruns, and the car’s return — even after a writ of replevin — stripped bare of its original engine, transmission, and high-dollar factory components.
In Morris County Superior Court (Kerekes v. Polyak, Docket No. MRS L 000015-26) before Judge Frank DeAngelis, the Elder Help Network is slamming the case as potential elder financial exploitation. The sustained street protests have ignited explosive media coverage and public fury, exposing what advocates call predatory behavior that endangers lives and destroys irreplaceable classics. The message from demonstrators is unmistakable: preying on a stroke survivor is unacceptable.
