The sign screams for attention.
But it’s not an ad for a gym, a suntan parlor or bikini beachwear. The neat, white lettering on the glass windshield advertises a 1955 Chevy two-door coupe for sale.
“Bondo free and ready to restore.”
The car is one of more than 600 Dan Barkley has for sale at Little Valley Auto Ranch’s American Hot Rodz. Barkley and his brother Mike started the business in 1981 when the interest in restoring American classics was in its infancy.
Today it’s a booming international market. Vintage cars suitable for restoration are called project cars in the industry, said Barkley.
Customers come and go in a steady stream.
Barkley grins. There seems to be more interest in classic models that don’t even run instead of new cars made by the Big Three in Detroit, he said, chuckling.
Some can be driven off the lot. Most will go on the back of a trailer or a wrecker.
So why do people buy them?
Barkley said purists restore them to original showroom condition. The hot rod set makes them into super muscle cars.
“They want something to suit their own individuality,” Barkley said. “It’s about having something that nobody else has got.”
Barkley said he has a regular foreign clientele who come to buy. They truck the project cars and parts to the major ports in Los Angeles, Houston and Jacksonville. They are sealed in containers for a flat rate - as much as can be jammed into the crate.
Australians make great customers, he said. They love American classics - even the models American don’t buy much like the DeSoto, he said.
Barkley said the Japanese buy big, bulky classics - like 1958 Buicks and 1968 Cadillacs. They can’t legally drive them on Japan’s narrow streets. So they restore them as art forms and put them into glass enclosures with special lighting.
“It’s a status symbol,” Barkley said.
Barkley said he finds most of his stock online and in trade magazines. Gone are the days when he traveled to little towns poking around in barns.
Amusing things do happen.
About a month ago he bought a 1958 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe in downtown Austin. The seller had built his house around the car 25 years ago to keep it confined and protected. Recently he needed money and wanted to sell it, said Barkley.
“He had to tear part of his house down to get it out,” Barkley said shaking his head. “It’s a project car. But restored it will be worth $50,000 to $100,000.”
Barkley said he provides services such as materials and expert assistance for a fee for those who want to restore a vintage auto at his onsite garage.
He said he takes the most pride in a father-son legacy restoration.
“When my son Dee was born in 1980, I went to Ronnie White’s Gun Smoke Motors in Little River and bought him a 1955 Chevy two-door sedan,” Barkley said.
“I set a goal to restore it for him for his 16th birthday.”
Barkley said it became a conversation piece that he commented about frequently when folks dropped in.
“One day I was talking about it and realized my son would be 16 in just three months,” Barkley said.
He said the whole staff went to work. They frequently worked until midnight. Three days before Dee’s birthday the car was complete and ready for him to drive to Belton High School, Barkley said. The car has had a few upgrades since then. Dee drives it regularly today.
“Not too many people can lay claim to owning a car since the day they were born,” Barkley said.
