Page 48 - midland

“We’ve always done everything together,” Billie adds. “Car shows, swap meets, and collecting became family activities.” As Jim surveys the large room that he and Billie planned, organized, and decorated together, he smiles at his wife and says, “I couldn’t have done it without her.” He then asks with mock seriousness, “Do you know the only thing that will make a collector sell a classic car? A divorce!” Certain pieces hold special meaning for the Huckabees. A Gulf gasoline pump, for instance, came from Jim’s hometown of Bonham, Texas. Other car collectors who were willing to share their expertise taught Jim how to restore the vintage cars. He, in turn, has shared his skills with anyone interested in the hobby. “The hardest part about restoration,” Jim confdes, “is the patience you must have. You can’t give up or get in a hurry and use just any part when you’re restoring something. It has to be exactly right. But I enjoy doing my own restorations.” Billie describes her husband as a “perfectionist.” “He won’t stop until something is perfect”, she says proudly. Jim explains that quality restoration increases the value of an item. “A classic car which has been restored to its original condition can end up worth fve times what it was worth unrestored, and that’s if you pay someone else to do the restoration.”

Jim and Billie have learned to buy cars that they refer to as “milestones” (ones that are sure to increase in value). “That way we don’t lose money,” explains Billie. Convertibles are particularly desirable, (“If the top goes down, the price goes up!”) and a red vehicle always stands out from the crowd. “Resale Red” is a familiar expression to collectors. The trophies that line the walls of their living room are sparkling testaments to what judges in numerous car shows thought of the Huckabee’s classics.

The frst car Jim can vividly recall is the original 1953 white Corvette on display in a showroom in Lubbock. The frst of its kind, the Corvette sold for about $3,500. A brand new Chevy pickup sold for about $1,800 at that time. Perhaps this is what prompted Jim to purchase his frst classic car in l984, a l957