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Show f i j Sun Advocate Section Tuesday, May 8, 1990 B i I ; It takes know-ho- w and TLC to His dream was a 1972 Malibu By JAN HALLIDAY Staff writer Every young mans dreams eventually turn to cars. Some want souped-u- p hotrods, and others want show off classics. Jason Winters, a from Helper, likes to show off his car. Hes been showing it for two years at places like the Butch Cassidy Days Car Show in Helper. The car is a 1972 Chevy Malibu. Its special to Jason because it belonged to his mother, who died at the age of 27 from multiple sclerosis. He has won a first place plaque at Nephi, a second place trophy from the Rocky Mountain Car Club and several participation awards in other car shows. Jason is the natural grandson and adopted son of Katherine and the late Lester Winters. His grandparents began caring for him when he was nine months old after his mother was diagnosed with MS. They adopted him when make the old new he was eight years old, shortly the College of Eastern Utahs away. A in before his mother passed Jasons interest in show started when his grandfather began restoring the 72 cars Malibu and let him help with some of the work. Mike James is his cousin and the coordina- tor of most car shows in the area. Mike also helped spark Jasons interest. From his interest grew a desire to learn more. So last quarter, Jason was the youngest student to ever take auto body class. He earned an the class. He learned to do welding and take dents out of cars to prepare them for painting. Jason plans to take more classes in auto restoring but, for now, to keep it at a hobby level. His dream is to get a 1956 Ford truck to restore and take to the car shows. But he likes Chevy cars the best. The neatest part of it all is going to the car shows and winning Winters shows off his 1972 Chevy Malibu, which he restored. Stories by Jan Halliday i I and photos Hes not old enough to drive, but thats not kept Jason Winters Ci from restoring his car and winning Perfecting inside jobs keeps Smitty busy with fabric and sewing machine By JAN HALLIDAY Staff writer Forest Smith measures a door panel he will honors at car shows. Known to his customers and friends as Smitty, hes been making the inside of cars look new for about 50 years. Forrest Smith, age 79, has made most of his living doing upholstery work on cars. In 1989 during the Butch Cassidy Days Car Show in Helper, he was given the Master Craftsman Award for his many years of fine work. Bom and raised on a farm near Salt Lake City, Smitty learned the value of working hard and doing the best job possible. During the days of the depression, he worked as a truck driver. In those days, we didnt make much money not like they do today, Smitty said. I had a friend who did upholstery work, and he asked me if I wanted to learn a trade. I said yes, and I liked it. At that Smitty" poses with the sewing machine that has earned him a living time we did body and glass work, too. In 1941, he came to the Price area to work on a road being built near Castle Gate. One of the young guys he worked with took him home for a d meal, and Smitty met his future wife. One thing led to another, and when he went back to the Salt Lake area, he took his new bride. The couple lived there until 1947, when they moved back to Price. Smitty decided to open an upholstery business here, but it was hard going at first. People werent really impressed with the idea of a man doing sewing work, and they didnt think he could do it. I went out and put cards on cars at night to advertise, Smitty said. He finally got his first customer, and word of mouth was the best advertise-men- t for his brand of craftsmanship. home-cooke- He opened an upholstery shop in the building where Dales Motor Clinic on the Carbonville Road is now. In later years, he bought a home two doors down and moved his shop there. Over the years his family grew, along with his business. He has eight children, 25 grandchildren, 30 greatgrandchildren and one Though none of the children pursued a career in upholstery, they all helped out in the shop as they grew up. Some of Smittys trade tools are a heavy-dut- y sewing machine, a tape measure and chalk and whatever fabric the customer wants. He has upholstered everything from Model As and Ts to the newer cars of today. Once I did a Mustang in genuine leather, he said. Though he is retired, Smitty still does an occasional job if he wants to. In the heydays of his shop, time was money. Now he tells a person right up front that he takes his time and hell call them when hes done. Some jobs require redoing the side panels in the car as well as the seats. Each is an individual project, with different materials being used. Choices of fabric range from auto velvet at $26 a yard to cheaper vinyl at $7 a yard. To begin a job, Smitty pulls out the seats and measures them. Then he cuts the fabric to specifications and sews a cover to fit the shell ofthe seat. Its much like making a dress or pair of pants, he said. Then he fastens on the covers and returns the seats to the car. Though it sounds relatively easy, it takes precision measuring and cutting to do the job right. Perhaps thats why Smitty was recognized for his master craftsmanship. as he upholstered car Interiors. I -- Tilii rTfci Iti |
