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Fathers, others enjoy vintage car display in North Lima
Photo
13 month old Kalli Stephens, of Ravenna, smiles after her taking a drink of her father, John Stephens', beverage during the annual Fathers Day Car Show at Springfield High School on Sunday afternoon. John's stepfather's 1955 Silver Cheverolet can be seen in the background and to the left of that sits John's 1967 Blue Ford Truck.
By Sean Barron
NORTH LIMA - “It’s a labor of love.”
That summed up John Stephens’ attitude on the 11 years he invested in building his 1967 Ford F-100 Step-side truck.
Stephens, of Ravenna, used to own an auto accessories shop in Florida and was used to performing custom work and window tinting on his customers’ vehicles. Eventually, though, the time came when he wanted to do such work for himself.
The finished product was out for all to see during Sunday’s fifth annual Father’s Day car show at South Range High School.
Sponsoring the four-hour show was the Beaver Township Ruritan Club.
“I resurrected it from the ground up,” Stephens said, adding that he spent between $25,000 and $30,000.
Next to Stephens’ eye-catching vehicle was a rebuilt gray 1955 Chevrolet owned by his father-in-law, Bob Smith of Poland.
It took Smith about eight years and $60,000 to give an all-modern look to his vehicle, which he completed in 2005. That included a new engine, four-speed transmission and disc brakes.
“I did it all myself, except for the paint work,” he added. “The car was in a million pieces before I built it.”
The show was a family affair for the two men. On hand were Stephens’ wife, Shelly, and their 13-month-old daughter, Kalli, as well as Smith’s wife, Shirl.
Perfect weather greeted attendees, who leisurely strolled the grounds and extolled the virtues of numerous vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles. A sampling included a bright blue 1956 Ford convertible, a cream-colored 1955 Chevrolet truck, a 1967 Firebird with a 285-horsepower engine, a green 1964 Volkswagen Buggie with raised headlights and a 1957 Cushman Eagle trike.
For the complete story, see Monday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.