From his earliest memories, Gary Aafjes has always had an interest in automobiles of all types, owning many different cars over the years- antique, collector, muscle cars and street rods.

“I started out with Ford Falcons in the early 70’s,” says Gary. “They were inexpensive and easy to work on. As I saved money from my youthful budget, I bought a ‘65 Mustang Convertible and commuted to high school.”

Gary says that he appreciates all sorts of cars, and he has owned many different specialty vehicles throughout his time in the hobby, including: a 1953 Buick Super, 1965 Mustang Convertible, 1967 GTO, (2) 1970 Mustang Mach 1s, a 1972 Cutlass Convertible, 1970 Olds 442, 1981 Z 28, 1939 Pontiac Street Rod, a chopped 1951 Chevy, 1939 Chevy Street Rod, 1988 Pontiac Fiero, 1934 Ford Sedan Hi Boy and several others.

“I bought and sold the cars as my financial and family obligations evolved over the years,” he explains.

The only special interest cars Gary currently owns are his 1934 Ford Sedan Hi Boy (steel body, 350ci Chevy engine, 4 speed, 9” Ford rear, dropped front axle, trips) and a 2005 Mustang.

“The 2005 Mustang was the first year of the new body, and so many of the styling elements reminded of the early Mustangs,” he says. “I had to have one.”

Gary says that he bought the pictured ‘34 Sedan “sight un-seen from e-Bay.”

“You always take a chance buying a car this way but it worked out well for me,” he says. “The car was mostly complete at the time of purchase. My efforts to get the car road worthy included the installation of disc brakes, drive shaft, shifter, clutch work, and numerous general safety inspection and maintenance work. The overall look of my car is very nostalgic. The rat rod look has become very popular in recent years. I certainly appreciate rat rod cars but the general public doesn’t fully understand their appeal. The nostalgic look of my car is more widely appreciated by everyone.”

Gary makes note that the Hi Boy style of street rod was just recently allowed by the state of Pennsylvania.

“A fender-less car in P.A. is still pretty unique and my car gathers a great deal of attention when on the road,” he adds.

Gary’s car also gets special notice when he attends car shows.  He says that he always attends the Wheels of Time Jamboree at the Macungie Fairgrounds, in August.

“It is a terrific, well run show at a nice facility. When my schedule will allow, I also try to attend local shows and Cruise Nights during the summer months,” adds Gary.

“While attending cars shows, there are always a number of people that start their conversation with ‘I remember when’ type comments,” he says. “It is fun to hear stories and talk about their interests- the cars they have owned- the events and memories that shaped their love of cars.”

“The collector car hobby is a great deal of fun,” continues Gary. “I can appreciate all sorts of cars that represent a wide range of values. Everyone enjoys striking up a conversation- reminiscing about his or her life experiences while owning a particular car.” 

Story edited by: Becky McLaughlin