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Gary Lehocky, of Freedom, Pennsylvania USA has done a lot of work to get his 49 P18 Deluxe Convertible ready to show. Gary says that the experience of redoing the car certainly has been both rewarding and quite a challenge. He started in ’93 with barrels of enthusiasm which was quickly lost when he relied on an unreliable person to do work on the car. After trying for 5 years to encourage, persuade and threaten him to finish the car, Gary just decided to bring it home and sell it. The car had been taken completely apart but progress had stopped there. It was in baskets and a real piece of junk. No top, a few bolts holding on the fenders, hood, trunk and other parts. No wiring or chrome, just boxes of rusted jumbled odds and ends. Gary brought it home, just slapped it together and sprayed it with cans of flat black primer. That was the beginning of his restoration eduction. His goal was just to make it reasonably presentable and sell it. But, of course, no one wanted to take on a task of that size so there was little choice but to give it a go himself. Gary is neither a mechanic nor is he a body person but he has the one quality needed to take on a project like this - he is a hard worker - so the journey began. About a year and a half later, and after some help from his son Craig (pictured below) and other friends, the car is nearing completion. Gary now feels really good about the entire experience. He went from just wanting to get rid of the monster to really enjoining working on it. Along the way he says that he has met a gang of great people (some met thru OldPlymouths Registry) who not only helped with parts but gave him encouragement and much technical advice. The trip has lasted about 11 years now (as of Nov. 2004)and has really been worth it.
This story parallels that of Bill & Betty Ward and many others - especially the part about the body & paint man. Patience and perseverance are absolute necessities when building a beauty like this.
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The photos above show the massive rust problems Gary faced in the beginning. The photo immediately below and to the left shows some of the floor patches. "You've come a long way baby!"
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