Sterling Heights

Friendship drives Sterling resident to restore 1929 car

By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Sterling Heights resident Jim Zivkovich’s 1929 DeSoto will be among more than 1,000 vehicles exhibited Feb. 24-26 at the Autorama at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. Zivkovich has owned the vehicle for 40 years, but began restoring it two years ago. Sterling Heights resident Jim Zivkovich’s 1929 DeSoto will be among more than 1,000 vehicles exhibited Feb. 24-26 at the Autorama at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. Zivkovich has owned the vehicle for 40 years, but began restoring it two years ago.

For decades after he purchased it, Jim Zivkovich’s 1929 DeSoto two-door coche lingered in limbo.

“I’ve had the car 40 years,” said the Sterling Heights resident. “It’s hard to believe. I bought it in ’72.”

Urged on by his childhood friend, Ronnie — with whom he drag raced in the late ’50s and early ’60s, when they were car aficionados growing up in Cleveland — Zivkovich had grand plans of restoring the vehicle.

But it wasn’t until Ronnie passed away a few years ago that Zivkovich, spurred on by his friend’s memory, took the first steps toward overhauling the DeSoto.

Now, the crystal red metallic car will get its proper induction into automotive society circles with its upcoming appearance at the 60th annual Meguiar’s Detroit Autorama at Cobo Center Feb. 24-26.

Produced by Championship Auto Show Inc. and sponsored by the Michigan Hot Rod Association, the celebration of classic and custom cars features the vehicles of local residents and celebrities alike, tallying more than 1,000 exhibits.

“It’s a great history, and it’s a great tradition for Detroit,” said show spokeswoman Linda Ashley. “This year, we have more calls coming from across the country than probably ever before.”

This year’s Autorama boasts four “legendary vehicles” belonging to Kid Rock, as well as such highlights as a 1960s Bubbletop Mantaray designed by Dean Jeffries, a BASF 1957 Mercedes Gullwing customized by Chip Foose and the Chevrolet Camaro from “Transformers 3,” among others.

The Drag City USA section will feature vintage race cars. The Cavalcade of Kustoms will spotlight 10 specially selected ’50s custom cars, and the Cowboys Cadillac display will focus on Rancheros and El Caminos.

The 100,000-square-foot Detroit Autorama Extreme 1953, a collection of more than 200 ’50s-inspired rods, customs and bobber bikes, will dominate Cobo’s lower level.

“It’s kind of what the new generation of hot rodders is into,” said Ashley, describing the segment’s retro look and sound, supplied by rockabilly bands. “It’s a whole different kind of vibe.”

Enthusiasts displaying their impressive original vehicles will vie for the prestigious Ridler Award and $10,000 in cash.

About 75 percent of the entries belong to “everyday people” from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and beyond “who have been working on their cars all year, getting ready for the summer cruise season, and they are anxious to get their ‘auto fix,’ if you will, and show off their car during the winter at Autorama,” said Ashley.

Candidates submit photos of their cars’ exteriors, interiors and engines, and complete applications outlining what makes their vehicles special, she said.

Zivkovich said he fell in love with the DeSoto’s rare nature, impeccable condition and unique appearance when he bought it from a Shelby Township resident all those years ago.

“It was different,” he said. “Everybody and their brother’s got a Model A, Fords and Chevys. You don’t see too many DeSotos, especially a ’29. And it was a two door, not a four door, which I liked.”

According to Zivkovich, the DeSoto was introduced in 1928, at the same time as Plymouth, but production didn’t start until August, and the first models were titled 1929.

Originally considered a step below a Dodge, DeSotos eventually rose in quality to assume the middle ground between a Dodge and a Chrysler, which not everyone could afford, explained Zivkovich.

“They didn’t make many of these,” he said, noting that the car was last produced in 1961. “Most common were the four doors and the coupes, because it’s easier to get in the backseat.”

While Zivkovich initially intended to restore his DeSoto to original condition, he abandoned those plans when he realized the steep costs and the fact that it would preclude him from installing modern amenities, such as air conditioning, a must-have for his asthmatic wife.

Instead, in February 2010, he stripped down the car, sold off the parts and went in a different direction, performing some of the work himself and enlisting professionals to handle the rest.

The vehicle now sports a buckskin leather interior, a rebuilt engine, a 700r4 transmission, power windows, teardrop LED taillights and a ’32 Ford radiator “because the original radiator was really ugly,” laughed Zivkovich.

There are no fenders or running boards; the only chrome appears on the grille, the handles and the headlights, he said.

“It’s like old school,” he said.

A few weeks prior to Autorama, Zivkovich said there were only a few small tweaks remaining, including swapping out the existing wheels for whitewalls.

After all this time, he said, it feels surreal that it’s almost ready for its public debut.

“It’s just amazing,” he said. “It’s just so hard to believe I’m getting it almost done.”

Admission at the gate for Autorama is $18 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12; children 5 and under are admitted for free. Discount tickets — $16 for general admission, $4 for children ages 6-12 — are available in advance at O’Reilly Auto Parts.

For more information, visit www.autorama.com or call (248) 373-1700.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Cortney Casey at ccasey@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1046.