Helping hands and showing off hot rods

Monday, October 18, 2010
Beau Green and Tim Matthews work on the Habitat for Humanity house located at 208 S. Third St. in Bainbridge. Banner Graphic/JOSH GARVEY

BAINBRIDGE -- The car is over-the-top opulence, with swooping body lines and over done 1930s style. Three pipes come out of either side of the body.

"I just found parts that fit," said Dick Evans, the owner of the car.

The car is based on a neo-classic kit car from the 80s called a Gatsby Cabriolet 34.

He took the frame from a 1981 Crown Victoria, the body from a 1970 MG Midget and began modifying them.

Evans spent five years, from 1984 to 1989 building the car. He put in more than 2,000 hours of time on it.

"For five years, my wife always knew where I was," Evans said.

Evans and his Gatsby recreation were in Bainbridge on Saturday for the Habitat for Humanity Building Dreams Car, Truck and Bike Show held at the town's community center. The event raised money for Putnam County Habitat for Humanity, specifically a building project that is currently ongoing in Bainbridge.

Dick Evans sits behind his home made version of the Gatsby Cabriolet, which is based on a car kit from the 80s. Evans spent more than 2090 hours over five years on the car. Funding from the car show is going toward building the house. Banner Graphic/JOSH GARVEY

The show drew a variety of cars, some as far back as the '20s and one as recent as 2009 -- a special edition Dodge Charger.

Chris Scott, the president of the Putnam County Habitat for Humanity said there were 36 cars at the event, which is the first of its kind for the Putnam County Habitat for Humanity.

"It's pretty nice for our first one," he said.

Board member Brian Lathrop said he hopes to build on this for next year. He said he thought the event was well done for the short notice on which it was put together, but sees some areas for improvement.

"Next year we want to have more ads, to start earlier and to really broadcast about it statewide," Lathrop said.

He said most of the cars were from local owners, but there were a few travelers from further away.

South of there, at 208 S. Third St. in Bainbridge, volunteers continue to work on the latest Habitat house.

Ron Price, one of the volunteers at the house, said there have probably been 50 volunteers who worked on the house at different times.

Price said members of the North Putnam varsity football team had put in a lot of time on the project, as well as DePauw students and Bainbridge residents.

"It's been a really nice community effort," Price said.

For B.J. and Nancy Phillips of Crawfordsville, this is their first car show. They have a 1970 Dodge Dart they are in the process of restoring and refurbishing.

"We've had it four years and we're just now getting it on the road," B.J. Phillips said.

In addition to engine work, they've redone the interior of the car, replacing everything except the dash. The car also has a handmade hood.

B.J. Phillips said they have put more than $12,000 into the car.

"It's more than the car is worth," B.J. Phillips said. "I should just install a funnel to pour the money into."

Despite jokes about the expensive nature of the project, the Phillips' said they enjoy the car quite a bit.

They are both fond of a sticker that came on the car, a crossed out 55, signaling opposition to the national speed limit cap of 55 miles per hour passed in 1974.

B.J. Phillips said he drives it to work now whenever it's not being worked on in the shop. This is the fourth Dart he's owned, and both he and his wife have a lot of affection for the vehicle.

"I've really fallen in love with the vent windows," Nancy Phillips said.

Comments
View 4 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • Must be nice to have all of this recognition! Can I ask one question though? How come there is a man living in Roachdale, who for one is paralyzed, and habitat keeps giving excuses as to why they don't have the time to build his wheelchair ramp for him to get out of his house?????? The supplies have been sitting there for 6 weeks now! And, Habitat expects him to wait until next year!?!?!?

    I could see if it was someone who didn't need something fixed real quick. But, He is in a w/c! Please pray that there is no fire, otherwise this man could be screwed.

    Sounds to me like the Habitat doesn't have their priorities straight! Since when is showing a car more important than potentially saving someone's life???

    -- Posted by amkedu on Mon, Oct 18, 2010, at 8:32 AM
  • Habitat builds homes. They are not responsible for maintaining the home. If the supplies are there why don't you build the ramp?

    -- Posted by headlettuce on Mon, Oct 18, 2010, at 12:02 PM
  • To amkedu......if you are that concerned then get off your butt, gather your friends & build that ramp. What's keeping you? Sounds like you just want to b****.

    -- Posted by Jerri2111 on Mon, Oct 18, 2010, at 12:07 PM
  • Imagine that, I posted my follow up comment & it mysteriously disappeared! Guess the truth hit to close to home! Putnam County Motto: "Just sweep it under the rug & maybe no one will notice"

    -- Posted by amkedu on Tue, Oct 19, 2010, at 8:17 AM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: