It pays to listen. Tom and Kathy Fields have owned this 1976 Camaro Rally Sport for 45 years. When the sports car became too small for hauling around their family, they put the vehicle in storage – recalling how their fathers told stories about wishing they had done that with cars they once owned.
Submitted photo
BENTON RIDGE – After listening to the stories from his father and father-in-law about the cars they’ve owned in the past, Tom Fields was determined not to make the same mistake.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my dad and father-in-law talk about the 1956 and ‘57 Chevies they once owned, and how they wished they never would have sold them,” Fields said.
Enter the pride and joy of Fields’ automotive pleasure – a 1976 Camaro Rally Sport.
He’s owned the vehicle for 45 years, purchasing it as a young 18-year-old from Snyder Auto Works in Findlay. The Camaro was just 2 years old at that time and had just 7,000 miles on it. He and his wife, Kathy, drove it as their family car until it became too small to meet their needs.
“Instead of trading it or selling it, we parked it until seven years ago when we had the entire car redone,” said Fields.
Brian Pitts, of Carey, Ohio, painted the car while Fields handled much of the other work. Since the completion of the restoration, the car has never been touched by snow. Fields keeps it tucked away in a garage at his home in Benton Ridge, a village of 271 people eight miles southwest of Findlay on state Route 12.
“If the weather’s nice on a weekend, we’ll likely take it out. We enjoy going to car shows with a group of vintage car enthusiasts,” Fields said.
Among his favorite shows?
“We really enjoy Findlay’s monthly downtown cruise-in. Going up and down the streets brings back memories. Upper Sandusky also has a good car show. It’s hard to pick one show over another. They’re all fun.”
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News, 3515 Elida Road, Lima, OH 45807.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
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