Head-turning wheels
8/2/2023While some of us dream about one day owning that fresh-off-the-showroom-floor vehicle with its spotless exterior, dust-free dashboard, brand-new smell and scuff-free wheels, others are looking for something quite different — potential. Where we see a rusty, broken-down or past-its-prime set of wheels, they see what will be after the repairs, cleaning, fresh paint, and hours of labor, frustrations and gratification. They see a dream car in the making.
Zack Wiese
The Flaming Wagon
Zack Wiese can’t remember a time when he wasn’t into cars.
“I’ve been into anything with wheels for as long as I can remember. When I was little, it was remote control cars and model cars. Then it went to bicycles, and, when I got permit to drive, it was always cars from then on.”
He says he enjoys the satisfaction of fixing them up to make them even better than they were from the factory, and he learned quickly it was much cheaper to figure out how to do the work himself than pay someone else to do it.
“My main project has been the ‘Flaming Wagon,’ which is a 1991 Oldsmobile custom cruiser wagon. I bought it a few years ago to have something older that was big enough to cruise around with my kids. Last year, I put a newer engine in it and have been upgrading all the drivetrain to be more current with the times and safer for my family.”
Next up on the car restoration project list is a 1978 Toyota Corolla sport coupe.
Source: Johnston Living, July 2023; by Ashley Rullestad
Robert Cunningham
A unique find
The 1932 American Austin Bantam Roadster car. Have you heard of it? Have you seen one? Have you ridden in one?
If the answer is no, you’re not alone. However, there is one of these special antique cars in West Des Moines, and it is owned by Robert Cunningham.
The rarity of the vehicle is one reason Cunningham purchased it. It’s also one of the smallest cars ever made.
The car’s top speed is 42 mph. The 13 horsepower engine makes for a leisurely ride. Cunningham declares that a riding lawn mower probably has more power. In comparison, a Toyota Prius is 121 horsepower, while a Ford pickup truck boasts up to 400 horsepower.
“There’s only about 100 left in the world and only about 50 on the road,” he explains.
Cunningham purchased the car initially because he wanted one he could manually push.
“When I was younger, I bought and sold antique cars. They nearly always broke down, and it was difficult to push a car when it broke down. I decided to find the smallest car I could,” he recalls.
Source: West Des Moines/Jordan Creek Living, July 2023, by Jackie Wilson
PJ Mayfield
Partial to Mustangs
PJ Mayfield used to work at a car dealership, but these days, instead of selling cars, she spends her time cruising around in her Mustang.
Her black 1965 Ford Mustang — she named it Betty — has a stock 289 motor and is a classic-looking car with a pinstripe and stark black paint. She has owned the car for seven years and recently had to restore it — again.
“Last October in Ankeny, a girl on her phone hit me from behind doing about 20 miles an hour as I sat at a red light,” she says.
The accident caused more than $20,000 worth of damage to PJ’s beloved Mustang.
PJ and Chuck have had many Mustangs over their 44 years together. Their last Mustang was a 2015 Anniversary Edition GT 6 speed.
“He bought me Betty to drive because he wouldn’t let me park the 2015 at the grocery store,” she laughs.
Chuck didn’t mind PJ driving it, but he did not want her to park it anywhere it could get dinged.
“He bought me Betty as a daily driver,” she says.
Source: Urbandale Living, July 2023, by Chantel Boyd
Shawn Frank
British invasion
Shawn Frank’s obsession with cars began at age 4 when he discovered an old jalopy sitting in the dark corner of his babysitter’s garage. He spent his days playing inside the car, using his imagination to take him to all sorts of places or pretending to be Captain Kirk or Mario Andretti.
When the babysitter’s family decided to move, and Frank worried his favorite toy would move with them, his dad bought the long-neglected 1962 Jaguar XKE from them and began restoring it. Shawn’s interest in cars, specifically British imports, continued.
He’s had a lot of people ask him how he knows what he does about cars, and he answers: “I know how to repair cars because I’ve owned a lot of pieces of junk. Now that I own and work on old British classics, my skills are growing because a Triumph will make a mechanic out of anyone.
“This car helped me get up in the mornings when battling cancer, has been an adventure the entire time, and has allowed me like-minded lifelong friends,” he says.
Source: Ankeny Living, July 2023, by Ashley Rullestad
