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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 27, 2015)
A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015 FROM PAGE A1 ENDERS: HAWKINS: continued from page A1 Well, that’s kind of where I’m at. I really enjoy what I do.” Enders owns about eight vehicles, including some project cars that are not finished. He said his favorite is a ’57 Chevy pickup he bought six months ago that is about “ready to hit the road.” He completely tears down some vehicles and works on them from the frame up, but he said the pickup was actually in good con- dition when he bought it. The largest project he has ever done was us- ing three cars to create a highly customized ’46 Mercury Coupe. “It was a pretty elabo- rate project,” he said. “It took us about a year to get it done. Most conversions or street rods or whatever take anywhere from six months to a year. It just depends on how fast the customer wants to shell out money buying parts and paying for labor.” These projects range in price from $8,500 to $50,000 or even more de- pending on what the cus- tomer wants, he said. Enders said one of his favorite jobs was working on a Ford Mustang — for two different custom- ers. The first wanted the car set up for racing, and the second purchased it without a motor and had continued from page A1 SEAN HART PHOTO Jerry Enders admires the trophy he won for Best Muscle Car at the A.C.E. Car Show Saturday in Echo. Enders entered a 1962 Ford Falcon Ranchero, a car with a pickup bed, which he said was not actually a muscle car. Enders return it close to stock. “I got to do it both times, so that was pretty fun,” he said. “I already knew the car.” Despite years of work- ing on many top-notch gas-powered automo- biles, Enders said his fa- vorite car to drive was actually a Tesla Model S electric vehicle. He was able to drive one last year A.C.E. Car Show Best Muscle Car Jerry Enders won Best Muscle Car at the A.C.E. Car Show Satur- day in Echo with his ’62 Ford Falcon Ranchero. He said the “car with a pickup back half” isn’t really a muscle car, but it was able to hold up a soapbox-style cart he outfit- ted with a small engine. Enders said the Ranchero was a “$300 piece of junk” when he bought it. After about 400 hours straightening the body, rebuilding the front suspension and transmission, working on the motor, painting it and applying a bed liner, he is now selling it for $6,500. “It’s just a fun rig to drive,” he said. “There just isn’t that many of them left. They’re really kind of rare.” at a weeklong electrical vehicle conversion con- vention in Missouri, and he was impressed. “It’s quite an automo- bile: all electric, no gas, no sounds, just absolute acceleration and about a 250-mile range,” he said. “They’re an amazing au- tomobile. They’re also horribly expensive. I’ll never own one, but it was fun to drive one.” Enders said the con- vention was a unique ex- perience, and he eventu- ally hopes to convert one of his street rods to elec- tric power. “I’ve been a gearhead all of my life and certain- ly have been a proponent of gasoline-powered ve- hicles, but I really think it’s time we took a look at where we’re going and what we’re going to leave for the next group of peo- ple that are going to in- herit this mess,” he said. “Electric is a pretty good alternative.” SATURDAY MAY 30, 2015 ROY RALEY PARK, PENDLETON, OR PACKET PICK UP STARTS AT 8 AM COLOR DASH STARTS AT 9 AM is the car that I’ve always had, and this is what I’ve done with it and how I’ve taken care of it and just wanted people to see it and enjoy it, because I enjoy it.” Hawkins said he cleaned the car up for the show and has only made a few minor re- pairs through the years. It still has its original paint and seats, and he said he only has to maintain it to keep it in good shape. He stores it in a shop with a car cov- er, he said, but drives it several times a week. “I go down (High- way) 395, and people are thumbs-upping and saying, ‘Nice car,’ ” he said. “What use is it to have a car like this if you don’t go and drive it? You can put a $10,000 paint job on it and sit it in the shop and look pretty, but unless you can get out and drive it, how do you enjoy it? Every time I get into this, it brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of some younger times, but it also gives an ap- preciation for something that has lasted 43 years, and you don’t ¿nd that a lot.” Hawkins said his cus- tom model features fac- tory cruise control and air conditioning, and he bought the car from a coworker in 1985 for $2,300. He said he SEAN HART PHOTO Perry Hawkins explains what’s under the hood of his 1972 Pontiac Le Mans GT Custom Saturday at the A.C.E. Car Show in Echo. SEAN HART PHOTO Perry Hawkins has owned this 1972 Pontiac Le Mans for 30 years, but the A.C.E. Car Show Saturday in Echo was the Àrst show he has entered. would probably never sell it and plans to enjoy it as long as he can. “I love classic cars, and I love muscle cars,” he said. “That’s the era I grew up in. When I was in junior high, the muscle cars were it. The GTOs, the Le Manses, the Char- gers, the Challengers, you know, even the big block Camaros — they had the style, they had the body lines, and that’s what appealed to me was how they looked, how sleek the design was on them. Even to this day, you can see a lot of these cars are going back to those old-style looks.” Hermiston Cinco De Mayo Inc. Committee would like to thank the following sponsors in making this year's a successful event. City of Hermiston Tom Denchel Ford Country Fiesta Foods Radio La Ley Umatilla County Commissioners Anderson Hansell PC Cottage Flowers Hermiston Chamber of Commerce Umatilla Electric River Point Farms Hale Farms Bob Levy Simmons Agency Wal-Mart Distribution Center Lifetime Vision Center JSH Farms Bellinger Farms Eagle Ranch Windy River Farms Heller and Sons La Voz Hispanic Newspaper Without sponsors like you, this home town community event would not have been the success that it was. THANK YOU! PRESENTED BY McKay Creek Estates presents: SAFETY Join us as we host a lecture series to increase safety awareness on fall prevention, common home injuries and provide solutions to keep you and your loved one safe! S FIRST SafetyMan says “Always be Safe to Ensure an Active & Independent Lifestyle” Healthy Back Habits for Caregivers - C O N C L U D E D TUESDAY, MAY 26, 3:30PM Many adults spend a considerable portion of their week caring for aging parents, relatives, friends, or other adults. According to the results of a recent study, the stresses and strains of providing care to an ill loved one may take a considerable toll on the mental and physical health of care- givers — including their back and spine health. Learn healthy back habits to keep you safe. Elder-Friendly Living: Modifying Your Home for Safety TITLE SPONSOR: PROCEEDS BENEFIT PENDLETON SWIM ASSOCIATION PENDLETON PACKET PICK-UP/REGISTRATION: 8 AM MAY 30 AT ROY RALEY PARK PRICE: $35 TEAM $40 INDIVIDUAL $85 FOR FAMILY* *FOR 3, $15EA ADDITIONAL (UP . TO 6) | ALL PRICES $10 MORE DAY-OF REGISTER AT: CDK5.COM TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 3:30 PM No matter when the older person’s home was built and regardless of whether it is modern or traditional in style, it likely was designed for young adults and their families. As adults age their homes also grow older, but most are not updated to accommodate the resident’s changing needs. Home adaptation or modification can provide friendlier elder living so older occupants may continue to life safely in the comfort of their home. Know Your Numbers TUESDAY, JULY 28, 3:30 PM Are you at risk for diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases? Learn about the numbers and what they mean for various screenings to stay in control of your health. We will talk about cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) numbers and more. For more information or to RSVP, call us at (541) 276-1987 or visit us today! McKay Creek Estates 1601 Southgate Place Pendleton, Oregon 97801 www.PrestigeCare.com