Students enjoy restoring classic cars to former glory
By: Amanda Shaff
Issue date: 9/25/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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While some students prefer the MTV route of "Pimp My Ride," other students seek a mode of transport that is a little more James Dean-inspired and a little less Xzibit.
The trend toward retro rides is strong with a number of students on campus owning classic cars. For Martin Diaz, a sophomore electrical engineering major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who owns a 1968 Ford Mustang, advantages to owning an older car exist, especially from the customization aspect.
"I had the freedom to pick every detail, such as the paint, which I designed and taped out myself, instead of having to settle for what a newer car would have," Diaz said.
Gas mileage and reliability are often concerns for owners of older cars. Diaz said that though these can be problems, the ability to correct something if it does go wrong is much greater.
"Everything under the hood of a newer car is hidden or covered with plastic to the point that if something goes wrong, you have to take it to the dealership or a professional to have it repaired, but in an older car like mine, everything is visible and within reach," Diaz said.
Ryan Henrickson, a junior architecture major, said reliability is a major issue with his car, and several times he's been stranded and had to do a roadside fix himself.
Those same problems can also be part of the joys of owning a classic car as well. Older cars that don't have warranties and require various amounts of restoration could prove to be an overwhelming prospect, but for others it is a welcome challenge.
Henrickson described risks associated with his type of vehicle as part of the overall hobby of classic cars, and without the surprise element of reliability, it would be the same as any other car.
Owning a classic car can be different from owning other types of cars in that the work they require turns into a hobby.
Henrickson said his dad was the first one to take him to a car show, and eventually his family and friends' interest in older cars eventually turned into his.
"When I was in the sixth grade, my brother just got his first car, which was a 1970 Chevrolet Impala. It was a boat, but man, it was cool," Henrickson said. "Just the idea of old steel for some reason appealed to me."
Diaz said his mom's husband, who is currently working on a 1953 Ford and races a 1971 Chevelle, also got him interested in cars by taking him to shows.
Besides getting advice about his car by going to local car shows, such as Culver's weekly car nights and 104.1 The Blaze's "Thunder and Chrome," Jason Lowe, a senior mechanical engineering major, said he found a remarkable reference in an online forum, DigitalCorvettes.com.
Henrickson even started his own car club, called Pushrodders in his hometown.
"The group (consists of) a bunch of friends from Norfolk, and we all have classic car shows and work on them," Henrickson said. "We go to car shows and cruise around."
For some, car shows and automotive clubs can be a way to socialize with others with similar interests and learn more about specific types of cars.
UNL has its own auto club, Lincoln Nights. Nathan Olson, a UNL alumnus, founded the club in the spring of 2004 after realizing the need for it.
"I wanted to gear it more toward a learning experience and not something stereotypical of a bunch of guys talking in a parking lot," Olson said.
Olson said there are approximately a dozen consistent members in the club, the majority of which are in the College of Engineering. Ironically, the last few members to join do not even own cars.
Olson said responsibility of being the group's leader for individual meetings rotates from person to person in order to maintain a learning experience that focuses on the interests of everybody and to get people involved.
Some members of Lincoln Nights have participated in autocross racing, which entails racing through a course outlined in cones. Others have gone to car shows, such as Americruise, at the State Fair Park in July.
Olson said there are other great resources for car enthusiasts, such as Speedway Motors in Lincoln.
"Speedway Motors is the oldest continuously run speed shop in the U.S.," Olson said. "They have a great museum, free of charge, loaded with millions of dollars worth of cars."
Olson said he has a number of goals for the club such as getting more members, getting a higher attendance for its third annual car show, and entering a competition through Grassroots Motorsports, a sports car magazine.
Also within the city are car nights for Culvers and Sonic restaurants. For the Culvers' locations, the car nights are Tuesdays at 14th and Old Cheney streets, Fridays at 70th and Pioneers streets and Saturdays at the North 27th street location.
Brianne Hermanson, the crew leader for the Pioneers location, said that during summer nights there are sometimes 100 or more classic cars. Sometimes there are disc jockeys, and raffles are held during these nights as well.
Sonic hosts classic car nights at all three locations every Friday after 5 p.m. during the summer. Dane Lovelace, the general manager at the Holdrege Sonic, said sometimes the store will hold special promotions for certain car clubs.
"Every once in a while if there's a particular club, like a Corvette club, we'll highlight their car and give them 50 percent off any order when they come in with a classic car after 5 p.m. on those Friday nights," Lovelace said.
In terms of restoring a car from a different era, how important is it that the different elements and features remain original?
Diaz changed his Mustang's V6 engine to a new 302-cubic-inch displacement V8. He also got a surprise when he attempted a new paint job of silver racing stripes on top of an indigo color.
"When we began to take off the old paint, we found that it had at least three previous paint jobs where they had just painted over the layer before," Diaz said. "This caused the peeling and cracking of the outer paint. It was originally candy apple red."
Lowe rounded out his general interest in mechanics when he became interested in classic cars in high school. He said it took three years to search and save for a car, and when he found his 1969 black Corvette during an Internet search, he drove three days to California to get it.
Lowe said maintaining the original engine of a classic car makes it more valuable. He has mostly done preventative maintenance on his 1969 Corvette, as well as worked on the suspension and steering.
Besides his 1994 Firebird Formula for daily driving, Henrickson owns a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, what he describes as the "epitome of a muscle car," and also a 1966 Oldsmobile Delta 88, what he considers his "parts" car.
"The parts I take from it will be transformed into the driveline on my 1927 Model 'T' Coupe, similar to the one seen on the 'Rides' TV show."
Henrickson said that it is vital that his 1970 Oldsmobile remain exactly as it was intended to for reasons of value and also to maintain its rarity.
"The 442 is right now a 'numbers matching car,' which means it's the same as it was the day it left the factory floor, and it will remain that way because it's actually 1 of 600 cars ever made," Henrickson said.
One might wonder then how much the fixing up will cost the owner besides the time put into it.
All three of the classic car owners agreed it is more expensive overall to purchase and restore such a vehicle than buying an initially more expensive car that does not require any work. They also agreed on the final product being worth the time and money spent.
Diaz said that he put about $8,000 into his Mustang. Lowe has spent $3,000 on suspension equipment alone this summer, but he knew what he was getting into when he bought the car.
"I knew it was going to be expensive, but I also enjoy it," Lowe said. "It's worth it to me."
Lowe goes home to his parents' house in Lincoln to continue work on the suspension a couple mornings a week, as well as the weekend. Henrickson's work on his car is for the most part finished, but it was an important project to him in high school.
"Throughout high school I spent just about every weekend on it," Henrickson said. "It is what I would have to say kept me out of trouble in those days."
With the investment of a great deal of time and money put into these cars, vandalism and inclement weather pose real threats.
Vandalism is one of the main reasons Diaz didn't bring his car to Nebraska, but weather was also a concern.
Henrickson said other people's motives could be a fear in driving his classic car. Lowe agreed and said he hadn't planned on his Corvette being his main mode of transportation.
"There's always a little nervousness to park it because I take a lot of pride in it. I wouldn't park it on a street on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, but for the most part I'm not too worried."
For Henrickson, though, all of the possible problems that come with owning a retro ride are balanced out with the positives of driving it around every day.
"The looks you get when you are driving, it's the definite attention and the fact that you are completely different than everyone else on the road," Henrickson said. "It's just the feeling you get when its 70 degrees with a cool breeze and the windows down that you don't get in a new car. It's indescribable."
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