BY IRENE LABOMBARDE
Clark Abel’s first car was a 1927 Chevrolet Coupe in 1956. That was the beginning of a lifelong hobby of collecting and restoring classic automobiles.
“My father said he knew where this ’27 Chevy was for $25. He surprised me on my 16th birthday and bought it for me, said Abel of Bedford.
Abel spent his high school years restoring that ’27 Chevy, which he sold about 10 years ago to make room for storage.
“It kept me off the streets. I sanded it, had it painted, and put on a new vinyl top,” said Abel.
But his love of calssic cars did not end there. He has since added an oversized three-car garage to his home to accommodate his hobby.
“I’m just a motorhead. I’ve always been into cars and fixing small engines.” said Abel.
Now has a dozen cars in his collection, housed in Bedford and Venice, Fla.
Visitors to Abel’s garage are greeted by a floormat that proclaims “My World, My Universe, My Garage.”
Several vintage gas pumps are displayed outside, including a 1956 Texaco pump and a 1953 Mobil pump.
The inside is decorated with hub caps, old signs, a stoplight, and the original bell and horn from the Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad.
Abel also owns a piece of local history. He purchased the air pump from the full-service Texaco station that once stood next to Dunkin’ Donuts on the corner of Back River Road and Route 3.
The pump still works.
“I bought the pump at the Amherst flea market and had it restored. It’s just for decoration though, not for pumping anymore,” he said.
His favorite car, he said, is his 1967 Corvette Roadster, which he drives in Florida. Another is the 1951 Oldsmobile 98, with only 29,000 original miles. His grandfather bought that car brand new, and Abel is the second owner.
He has a 1953 military Jeep that he is in the process of restoring, and a 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday up on the lift. In nice weather, he drives around town in his 1971 Cutlass convertible.
Among the more unusual cars Abel owns are four BMW Isettas from 1959 and 1960. Known as a “bubble car,” there are no traditional side doors. Instead, the entire front end of the car, including the dashboard, is hinged and opens out.
“They’re fun, but you wouldn’t want to get into an accident in one,” he said.
What would he most like to add to his collection? A 1957 fuel injected Chevy Bel Air convertible. Abel’s wife, Barbara, once owned one and she always regreted trading it in for a family car, she said.
Prior to retiring, Abel worked as an industrial and sales engineer with Union Carbide and Ingersoll-Rand, as well as a real estate appraiser. Besides working on his cars and going to classic car rallies, he sells car parts at flea markets, including the one in Amherst.
In keeping with family tradition, Abel said he hopes to pass his collection on to his son, Jeffrey, someday.
Growing up with a father like Abel, the Manchester man spent a lot of time helping in the garage, and now works for an automotive parts company.