BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Clint Wilson of Providence took Best in Show and was the overall winner in the Lake Butler Rotary Club’s car show at Lakeside Park on July 5.
Wilson said one of his entries, a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, was a rolling chassis when he bought it from a friend.
“Total rebuild,” he said. “Paint, body, cameras, Detroit Speed suspension up under it, Brake Motor 502, with $700 for an FTI transmission.”
Wilson put vintage air conditioning in the Chevelle.
When asked how many other cars he owned, Wilson responded, “Am I being recorded?”
“Yes,” I answered, while videotaping him with my phone.
“I got about 25 cars.”
John Holt won Best in Show, 8th place and the Best Truck award with a 1953 Ford F-150.
Holt said the Ford was painted when he acquired the truck.
“Bought it from an older gentleman,” the Providence resident said. “He’s dead now. I took it from there and did all the mechanical in it.”
Holt said he is a member of Gainesville Street Rods and owns other cars. However, none are in finished condition. He added that he is a subscriber to the Union County Times.
Tom Jenkins won 6th place for Best in Show. He displayed a 1925 Oldsmobile Model S.
“A hundred years old,” he said of the gold-colored classic. “The cab is all original, but the fenders and running boards are not original.”
Jenkins said a friend discovered the car in a Lake City body shop.
“(The owner) had been working on it for 30-some years,” he said, “and the body shop (owner) said I’m not working on it anymore.”
Jenkins said he modified the 100-year-old car into a hot rod.
“You can ride it 80, 90 miles per hour down the interstate all day long.”
Jenkins said he put in a 94 Z-28 drive train in it.
Jenkins described several other cars he restored. He said he was particularly proud of a 1959 station wagon formerly owned by Billy McGill.
“Billy bought it in Lake Butler,” Jenkins said. “Langford Ford used to be up there on Main Street where the Dollar General is now.”
When asked how he got involved in restoring cars, Jenkins replied, “One car at a time.”
The complete list of winners is:
Overall winner – Clint Wilson, Best in Show- Clint Wilson, Best in Show 2nd place- Carl Bullard, Best in Show 3rd place- John Mills.
Car Show organizer Jody Read noted that Mills travelled from Savannah, Georgia, to attend the event and was considering moving to Union County.
Best in Show 4th place- Tom Jenkins, Best in Show 5th place- Rick Pittman, Best in Show 6th Place- Tom Jenkins, Best in Show 7th Place- Tony Acyuro, Best in show 8th place- John Holt, Best in Show 9th place- Alex Fardales, Best in show 10th Place- Tom Riherd, Most patriotic- Lee LeDux, Best Truck- John Holt.
