Car enthusiasts tell their stories

August/September 2016 winner

Stewart L. Werner

Executive Director, Conflict Minerals Compliance, Tenneco Inc.

The vehicle

1957 Chevrolet BelAir

• 355in³ small block V-8, 335hp, 440 lb-ft torque
• Holley 670cfm Street Avenger 4-barrel carburetor
• Complete powertrain upgrade in 2015
• Disc brake conversion (front)
• Chrome and powder coated under the hood and front suspension

When did you get your classic Chevy?

As a teenager I had the fever for a car of my own. I was always drawing cars and the ’57 Chevy was a favorite. When the opportunity arose to buy the car from my girlfriend’s uncle I jumped on it without telling my parents… who were not the happiest with me at that moment.

What’s your favorite memory from the car?

It was also the car my wife of 47 years (that girlfriend) and I dated in by ourselves and double-dated with friends. We put street slicks on the car even though it could not smoke them like I would have wanted. On one occasion, we were out for a daytime ride and decided to park under a big oak tree on a sandy lane. We got stuck on flat ground due to the slicks not have any biting tread.

Has your appreciation of the classic cars changed since you were a teenager?

When I bought my first ’57 Bel Air four-door hardtop, I didn’t have the money or know-how to do anything more than drive it. As an adult, way past raising my kids, it was time to relive the thrill of owning and driving a classic, so I restored the one I have now. I am now the Midwest membership ambassador for the American Tri-Five Association which is devoted to the ’55-’57 Chevy’s (the Tri-Five’s).

To enter the contest, visit www.TodaysMotorVehicles.com/MyFavoriteRide and fill out the entry form. Only completed forms will qualify.

The entry deadline is Sept. 9, 2016, with winners announced in the October issue.

Have fun, and good luck!

For a full set of rules, please visit www.TodaysMotorVehicles.com/MyFavoriteRide.