Chapter 38: I Received My First Restoration Commission
Chapter 38: I Received My First Restoration Commission
“Heritage Classic, senior editor…?”
Heritage Classic was the most famous classic-car magazine in the United States and Europe.
The latest issue could be found displayed at prestigious classic-car dealerships across the United States, concours events in Italy and Britain, private collections in Germany, and classic-car auctions in France.
(Translator’s Note: Concours d’élégance — French for “competition of elegance.” These events originated in France as displays of prestigious horse-drawn carriages and later became competitions judging rare automobiles for design, condition, presentation, provenance, and authenticity.)
There was only one reason the magazine possessed such enormous influence and reach.
Its strict selection of articles could never be compromised by trends, public attention, or even requests from advertisers.
That was why automobile restorers, classic-car dealers, and collectors all desperately wished to see their names printed in its pages.
That alone was like receiving a highly credible business card that would remain effective for at least ten years.
“Please, just call me Elena. Do you have time for a short interview? We can simply have a conversation if an interview makes you uncomfortable.”
Elena asked with a gentle smile.
Perhaps because she was an editor for an internationally renowned magazine, she knew how to put people at ease while still projecting a subtle air of professionalism.
“Come inside first.”
Dusty had begun whining about the heat, so I quickly opened the warehouse door and went inside.
He immediately approached his water bowl and noisily lapped up some water.
“Your puppy is adorable. What’s his name?”
“Dusty.”
I handed her a folding camping chair as I answered.
“Hehe. He’s so white, yet his name is Dusty. Hello, Dusty.”
“Grrr!”
Elena greeted him kindly and extended her hand, but Dusty pretended not to see it and pressed his body tightly against my leg.
“Dusty? What’s wrong with you?”
“Oh my. Hehehe. In any case, so this is what it looks like inside. It’s cleaner than I expected.”
She sat with her legs together in the most elegant posture anyone could possibly achieve in a camping chair and looked around.
“Yes, well…. But how did you find this place?”
“Ah, the truth is that Ray Sullivan is my uncle. He kept insisting that I come and find you. He almost never behaves that way, so I became personally curious as well.”
“Ray Sullivan?”
It was a name I had never heard before.
I dragged over another camping chair and sat across from her.
“Uh… You really don’t know him? He’s the NCRS Judging Chairman and fairly famous in the restoration industry….”
My reaction was apparently unexpected.
She briefly looked troubled before slowly continuing.
“In any event, you should receive a call soon. The Corvette you restored is expected to receive Top Flight at the Phoenix judging.”
“Top Flight? Is that true?”
“Hehe. You’re finally showing a reaction. You were indifferent when you heard the name of our magazine, and you looked completely lost when I mentioned Ray Sullivan. I can’t tell you how confused I was.”
She chuckled in amusement at the mixture of joy and surprise on my face.
If what she said was true, Gary must have entered the Corvette in the NCRS judging.
The final scores were usually announced about three weeks after judging ended….
If he had entered it at the beginning of September, the result should be coming soon.
Donnelly will be thrilled.
My heart began to pound.
I wanted to call him immediately.
“Now that some of your questions have been answered, may I begin mine? Judging by your reaction, it seems you haven’t been in the restoration business for long. Somehow, that makes me genuinely more interested.”
Elena twisted the cap from an expensive-looking pen.
“Yes, certainly. Though I doubt I have any particularly interesting stories.”
Once the interview began, the sociable smile completely disappeared from her face.
Instead, she began firing questions I had never considered myself.
How had I started restoring cars?
What vehicles had I worked on?
What did I consider most important in restoration?
What car did I most want to work on someday?
“Hmm. Your story is surprisingly ordinary compared to the quality of the cars you produce.”
Elena crossed one leg over the other.
“I told you that from the beginning.”
“Hehe. I’m not criticizing you. Besides, there’s something else I truly want to know.”
Elena stared directly at my face and continued.
“Thanks to my uncle, I also saw the Corvette you supposedly restored. It really was better than I expected, just as I had heard. In particular, I had never seen an engine in that condition outside specially preserved Ferraris or Lamborghinis. So… did you perhaps discover a hidden treasure warehouse?”
(Translator’s Note: Lamborghini — An Italian automobile manufacturer founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini on May 7, 1963. Ferruccio had previously built a successful tractor-manufacturing business before entering the luxury sports-car market.)
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
However, I could also sense the sharpness of a magazine editor concealed behind it.
“Is that an official question from the magazine?”
“Hehe. Would your answer change if I said it was merely personal curiosity?”
She skillfully turned the question back on me.
Fortunately, she did not appear to be asking because she actually knew anything.
“…Let’s say I discovered a treasure warehouse.”
Even in the United States and Europe, warehouses filled with NOS parts fifty years old or older were occasionally discovered.
(Translator’s Note: NOS / New Old Stock — Genuine period components manufactured long ago but never previously sold, installed, or used. NOS parts are especially valuable in factory-correct restorations because they are original rather than modern reproductions.)
They were usually the estates of private collectors or owners of related parts businesses.
Such warehouses were often sold in their entirety through what was known as an inventory buyout.
That was the type of “treasure warehouse” Elena meant.
“As expected, you aren’t going to tell me easily.”
Elena pouted in disappointment.
“Parts-sourcing routes are among a restorer’s most important trade secrets.”
Whether or not someone had found a treasure warehouse, no one freely revealed their restoration techniques, parts-sourcing routes, or lists of potential buyers.
The classic-car industry in particular was practically a gathering of entrenched old hands.
The higher one climbed, the more deals and information circulated only within private circles and personal networks.
“Haa, all right. I suppose I’ll retreat for today. Ah, how much photography will you allow? Perhaps a photo of you leaning beside the lift?”
She stood and carefully smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt.
“You may photograph anything else, but I’d rather not have my face appear in the magazine.”
I lightly scratched the back of my neck as I answered.
“I expected you to say that. I’ll just take one photograph of the sign.”
I did not understand why she had bothered asking, but I nodded.
“Then thank you for your time today.”
With Dusty and me seeing her off, she climbed into the SL 320 parked outside the warehouse.
The open-top Mercedes and Elena’s short black hair created an understated yet sophisticated image.
Vroom—
The smooth startup of the naturally aspirated inline-six engine filled the surroundings.
“Ah, I’m telling you this because you probably don’t realize it, but you should prepare yourself. You’re going to become very busy soon. I’ll be going now. Goodbye, Dusty!”
“…Sniff!”
Vroooom—
Her car drove down the unpaved road in front of the warehouse, raising a small cloud of sand.
Her departure was as sudden and clean as her arrival.
I was actually interviewed by Heritage Classic….
As I stared blankly at the disappearing rear of the Mercedes, the reality of it finally struck me like an aftershock.
Of course, I would not receive a feature article.
At most, I would probably get a few lines in a small corner of the magazine’s least popular page….
Still, Donnelly will be delighted.
Ah, right.
Donnelly.
This was no time to stand around.
I quickly pulled the phone from my trouser pocket.
Ring, ring—
“Jason, what brings you to call at this hour? You should be busy working….”
The phone had barely rung before Donnelly answered.
I could immediately tell from his cracked voice that he was not feeling well.
“Donnelly, I called because I have good news today.”
“Oh, really? Something besides winning that Charger with the Rambler?”
“Haha, yes. Something much bigger. It appears the Corvette we sold was entered in NCRS judging. And today, I happened to learn its expected score…. Apparently, it’s going to receive Top Flight!”
“What? Top Flight? Don’t you need a score of at least ninety-four percent for that?”
Donnelly asked in disbelief.
“Yes, that’s right. And even better… it’ll be a Single Flight.”
Single Flight meant earning Top Flight on the first attempt.
In that case, the achievement received considerably more recognition even with the same score.
That was probably why Ray Sullivan, the Judging Chairman, had referred Elena to me.
“Heh-heh-heh. Jason, this makes me truly happy. I knew from the beginning that you were no ordinary man!”
Donnelly laughed.
It was a lively laugh I had rarely heard even during our frequent phone calls.
“Heritage Classic also came to interview me about it. They’ll probably contact you soon too. I introduced you as my co-restorer.”
“Good grief, why would you do something so unnecessary? You practically did all the work yourself…. Still, thank you. Because of you, I’ve gained an enormous number of things to boast about in my final years. So, what vehicle are you planning to restore next?”
Donnelly took a great interest in my work.
Had I repaired the Chevy truck properly?
How had I modified the Rambler?
What car was I planning to work on next?
“Well… honestly, I’m not sure yet. I may purchase another base vehicle and restore it myself.”
I tried to remove as much anxiety as possible from my voice.
Restoring and reselling a car I had purchased myself was very different from receiving a vehicle through a formal restoration commission.
In the first case, the identity of the restorer mattered less than the fact that a buyer had found a vehicle they wanted.
A rare model, for example, could sell easily even when its condition was poor.
A commissioned restoration, on the other hand, depended entirely on the restorer’s skill and reputation.
I had never received a formal restoration commission.
“Hmm, I see. Don’t rush. You’re still more than young enough. Besides, a reputation built too quickly can collapse just as quickly. Taking things slowly, one step at a time, is best.”
Donnelly always gave me exactly the advice I needed and no more.
He had no idea how much that helped me.
Honk, honk—
“Woof! Woof!”
Just then, I heard a short horn from the front of the warehouse, followed by Dusty barking.
“Donnelly, it seems someone has arrived. I’ll call you again.”
“All right. Go and see who it is.”
I quickly ended the call and went out to the driveway.
Who is it? Did Elena forget something?
However, the vehicle parked outside the warehouse was a practical Saab 900 hatchback, the complete opposite of the roadster Elena had driven.
(Translator’s Note: Saab 900 — A Swedish car introduced in May 1978 and sold beginning with the 1979 model year. The original “Classic 900” remained in production through March 26, 1993, with 908,817 examples built.)
“Hello. Is this an automobile-restoration shop? Oh, there’s a puppy too. Hello!”
“Woof!”
Dusty barked in response while wagging his fluffy tail.
The person who stepped out of the car was a blond young man who appeared to be around my age.
He looked between the large sign hanging on the front of the warehouse and the lift visible inside.
“Yes, it is. How did you find this place?”
This was already the second time I had encountered a similar situation today….
“I saw the sign from a distance and came over just in case. So it really is a restoration shop! My name is Ethan. Do you accept vehicle-restoration commissions?”
For someone who had simply come to commission a restoration, Ethan looked extraordinarily excited.
His entire body radiated the anticipation of a child standing at the entrance to an amusement park.
“I’m Jason. Yes, I do accept commissions. However….”
I shifted my gaze toward the Saab parked behind Ethan.
There was some sand and dust across its body, but it did not appear to have any significant problems affecting its operation.
That meant he had another vehicle he wanted restored.
“I’ll need to inspect the vehicle before I can tell you whether restoration is possible.”
I answered conservatively.
If I eagerly accepted my first commission after opening the shop, I might end up burdened with a disaster beyond my ability to handle.
“Oh! Thank you. Could you come and look at it with me right now?”
The man did not hesitate, apparently because he was in quite a hurry.
Still, his straightforward manner suited me far better than someone who dragged things out indecisively.
“Yes. Lead the way.”
I connected the trailer to the Chevy truck and followed Ethan’s Saab.
Despite his urban appearance, he led me away from cities such as Tucson and into the Arizona outskirts.
After approximately thirty minutes, we arrived in a quiet, remote area not very different from the neighborhood around my warehouse.
Several farmhouses were scattered across the surroundings.
Ethan parked in front of one and confidently led me deeper onto the property.
“This land belongs to my grandmother. There used to be a lot of cattle and goats here, but it has mostly been abandoned since she grew older.”
He stopped in front of a large barn that did not appear to have been maintained at all and pulled apart the two door handles.
Creeeeak—
The wooden doors opened to both sides with the grinding of old hinges.
The accumulated sand and dust rose into the sudden flow of outside air and scattered into a hazy cloud.
At the same time, what I discovered inside the barn was—
Baaah—
An old car abandoned without even a cover and a goat chewing on something beside it.
“Ethan, don’t tell me….”
“Yes. This is the car I want you to restore.”
Ethan answered with a radiant smile.