Couple Spends Years Restoring a Buick, Wins Award
The world is full of niche fandoms populated by immensely passionate people who spend countless hours obsessing over their respective passions. The automotive world is no different. For proof, look no further than the midwestern couple who spent nearly five years painstakingly restoring a 1958 Buick Caballero and eventually won an award from the Antique Automobile Club of America for their efforts.
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A busted Buick
In 2014, Joe and Julie Tonietto purchased a run-down 1958 Buick Caballero estate wagon that hadn’t been officially registered since the early 1970s. To put it generously, it wasn’t in the best shape. The Caballero had spent the previous 14 years sitting stationary in the New Mexico desert and had substantial damage to all of its lower body panels due to previous ill-considered to off-road use.
Did I mention that it was missing the transmission as well?
A Buick reborn
Nevertheless, the Toniettos saw it as a diamond in the rough and spent four and a half years restoring it to its former glory. According to a report by ClassicCars.com’s Larry Edsall, the final product was born of an “effort that employed some professionals, a few trusted friends and a lot of their own work.”
Ultimately, they decided to put the 1958 Caballero in the running for the AACA’s Zenith Award, which began in 2016 as a way to “recognize magnificent restorations.”
An awarded automobile
Held in Gettysburg, Tennessee, on Aug. 22 — at a location where participants could safely adhere to proper social distancing guidelines — the AACA Grand Nationals competition for Restoration of the Year was fierce. After being selected from hundreds of vehicles nationwide, the Toniettos’ Caballero faced off against nine other models, including a 1967 Pontiac GTO, a 1971 Oldsmobile 442, and a 1931 Ford Model A convertible, among others.
1967 Pontiac GTO
Photo: Sicnag via CC
1971 Oldsmobile 442
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen via CC
1931 Ford Model A
Photo: Jack Snell via CC
Of course, the Buick ultimately reigned supreme, taking home the top prize. Tom Cox, the AACA’s vice president and the person who came up with the award in the first place, said, “Despite tough competition from each of the vehicles nominated, the Buick Caballero station wagon exemplified the Zenith Award as the finest restoration of the year and will wear that title well.”
That just goes to show you: if you put your heart into something — no matter how damaged it is by the desert or how few transmissions it has — dedication can pay off in a big way.
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