Family selling restored classic cars in memory of late relative

GRAND BLANC, MI – Mike Wissinger has restored cars his whole life, but some of the most meaningful work was done helping his family-friend Paul Magee repair a 1949 Chevrolet 3100 and 1953 Bel Air Chevrolet.

Over a year after Magee passed away in 2022, at the age of 87, Wissinger – with the help of Magee’s wife of 61 years, Arita, son Bob Magee, grandson Adam Hayden and Arita’s brother Richard Zuber – is selling the cars in his honor.

Both Chevys were parked at The Hot Dog Stand in Grand Blanc the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 16, during the first Back to the Bricks rolling cruise of 2023. Paul Magee’s loved ones sat around the vehicles, spending time together as they watched cars roll up and down the street.

Arita Magee said they’re looking to re-home the cars so someone else can “enjoy” them the way her late husband did. She said Paul attended the car show each year and the couple watched the rolling cruises together.

Wissinger, a Grand Blanc native, said it took about two years to restore each car. The process began when Paul Magee brought Wissinger a set of wheels to be powder coated at his business.

“We got talking … and I said, ‘well, if you tear the truck apart, piece by piece, I’ll do it at my house one piece at a time,’” Wissinger said. “Then it turned into, ‘well, look, they brought everything over on the pallet, and we sent it all out for acid dip,’ and then we got it back, and I went to Paul’s garage one day, and I just said, ‘I’ll just do it here.’ And I never left.”

The Bel Air was completely restored with color coding, a stainless-steel red exterior and brand-new handstitched interior. Meanwhile, the 3100 received frame-off restoration and stainless-steel green exterior. Its engine, transmission and rear ends were also rebuilt.

“He spent his lifetime collecting parts to these cars,” Wissinger said. “As I was building them, he was bringing parts out of his basement, going ‘hey, let’s put this on.’ And they were brand new parts, that were original parts, that he’s collected for years. That says something. These cars were built with dedication, and they were spot on.”

Wissinger said he comes from a “family of automotive people” who taught him what he knows about building cars. Wissinger added he and Paul received help from both of their families and friends during the restoration.

“If I needed something, I would go to a friend and go ‘hey, I need this’ or ‘can you help me here?’ Or, you know, ‘can you help me get this on a trailer?’” Wissinger said.

Since restoring classic cars can be a tall task, Wissinger said some projects are never completed, but Paul always saw his through.

“You never think you’re going to finish it,” Wissinger said. “Paul was like, ‘what do you need?’ … Once he bit his teeth into something, he wouldn’t let go. He just would not let go. He wanted to see it done.”

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