Steve Hawkey’s collection of classic cars includes nine Pontiacs and a Corvette.
Submitted photos | The Lima News
LIMA – A few years ago, Steve Hawkey took a count of all the cars he has owned and restored.
He cannot remember the exact number, but “it was well over 100,” the 56-year-old Allen County man said.
And today, that list continues to grow.
Hawkey is living a car lover’s dream … a mostly Pontiac dream at that.
He has 10 cars now – four GTOs (1965, 1969, 1970 and a 1970 Judge); three Trans Ams (1970, 1973 and 1978); a 1968 Firebird; a 1973 Firebird Formula; and a 2008 Corvette.
It’s no coincidence nine of those 10 cars are Pontiacs. It’s a sentimental thing. He was 14 when he purchased his first car – the same 1973 Firebird Formula that sits fully restored in his shop today.
“When I was just a young kid, I began saving my money … mowing grass, working at a golf course, even baby-sitting — anything I could do to make a buck to buy a car,” Hawkey recalled. “I paid $775 for it. It was an old hot rod that had been used and abused. It needed a lot of work, but when you were a kid back then, you would take anything you could get.”
When he turned 16, a part-time job put a steady $140 a week in his pocket. “And every penny of it went into that car, including about $100 on fuel – and that’s when gas was cheap, around 80 cents a gallon,” Hawkey said.
When his high school graduation rolled around in 1985, Hawkey knew exactly what he wanted to do – own a car shop.
“I went to Apollo vocational school and took up auto mechanics. I learned a lot there. Shortly after graduation, I started my own shop,” he said.
He eventually took a factory job in Celina, where he could earn more money to buy and restore muscle cars. “I had friends helping me with some of the mechanics and painting. You never quit learning when you work on cars. That’s half the fun of it.”
In the four decades of buying and selling cars, one thing has remained constant: his garage always had a parking place for that 1973 Firebird Formula.
It’s become special for Steve and his wife, Tami. Their son, Chad, married Madi Christy a year ago and used it as his wedding day car.
“That car has been with me since day one,” Hawkey said. “It has too much history in it to let it go.”
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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