Classic Cars Coming Out of Hibernation

Bob Sovis will never forget his very first ride in Fenton.

He drove his 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Town Sedan to Fenton for a date with his current wife, Diane.

Fast-forward to today, and with the weather warming up a bit, Sovis can finally get his classic car back on the road.

He's not alone.

Fenton residents are waking up their collector vehicles. The covers come off, fluids are checked, a spit shine is done and off they go into the sunny streets of Fenton. Collector car owners are like kids in a candy store as spring approaches. They enjoy cruising the streets, visiting with people, sharing their stories and attending shows.

Sovis, of Fenton, owns five original collector vehicles. In addition to his 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Town Sedan, he has a 1973 GMC Glacier motor home, a 1986 Chevrolet Chevette Diesel CS four-door Sedan, a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier convertible and a 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza sport sedan.

He drives his vehicles in the quiet, peaceful subdivisions and on less traveled, paved rural roads. He also likes to visit local restaurants such as Mega Coney Island.

Fenton resident Steve Hobson remembers one of his first stops well: Uncle Ray’s. His family also likes to drive to the marina on Lake Fenton where they keep their boat.

“There is nothing better than driving to Café Aroma on a sunny morning to have a cup of coffee," he said.

Hobson owns a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 and a 2004 Corvette. 

Phil and Anne Bubin, of Fenton, won't drive their classic car in the spring until they are sure the salt is washed off the roads.

“The feeling you get during the first drive of the season is refreshing and there’s lots of heads turning and waves from absolute strangers that appreciate a good-looking classic car," Phil said.

The couple owns a 1970 classic Chevrolet Z-28 Camaro known as Zingo. Purchased by Anne’s father in 1970, Zingo was stored in a barn near Grand Blanc for 20 years and was eventually passed down to him and his wife.  

The couple said the barn floor was dirt and often wet, so the underside of the car was coated in a layer of rust. They weren’t sure it was salvageable, but the car was a family heirloom so they knew they had to try—and they were successful.

“We feel proud to know that we took the car from junkyard candidate to show car,” Phil said. “The car was one of only a few chosen for the General Motors 100-year celebration a few years ago, so we were really proud when we were chosen to hit the bricks of downtown Flint to be part of the fun and show everyone the great cars GM makes.”

The couple's daughters, Stacie and Miranda Bubin, love it when their parents drive Zingo to their favorite pit stop at Uncle Ray’s or when they take them to or from school in the Lake Fenton district.

Fenton residents Steve and Kathy Ruggirello start itching to get their vehicles out as soon as the weather warms up. They own a restored 1931 Coach named Amanda and an original 1989 Mustang. Both vehicles are like a family member, according to Steve.

“We don’t own these cars; we are just the caretakers for the next person,” Steve said.

Fenton supports collector vehicles in numerous ways. The community is participating in a on Aug. 11. Mo Doggie’s and host classic car shows during the summer. hosts a free car cruise the third Tuesday of May, June, July and September from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is open to everyone, and vehicles from any year, make and model can participate. The event has proved popular and had a record participation of at least 300 vehicles at one show.

“I would really like to see Fenton do the same thing that Otisville does and arrange a car cruise/show in the downtown area right near all the shops," Bubin said. “Similar to downtown Flint, the parking spots are perfect for backing in a car and propping the hood to show off shiny chrome and big, powerful engines."

Hobson and Bubin said that Fenton residents could encourage younger generations to keep collector vehicles alive by taking children to car shows and maybe someday they will look forward to the spring when they can take that first cruise.

“Their vehicles may be too new to many collectors, but we must realize that our collector vehicles were once a lot younger and not considered collectible," Sovis said.