Clinton Township

Locals make classic cars a family affair

By Nico Rubello
C & G Staff Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by David Schreiber Pete Tzianis poses in front of his Clinton Township home with his 1969 Chevy Camaro and his children, Tony, 14, and Nikki, 13. The Camaro can be viewed at Meguiar’s Autorama from Feb. 24-26 at the Cobo Center in Detroit. Photo by David Schreiber Pete Tzianis poses in front of his Clinton Township home with his 1969 Chevy Camaro and his children, Tony, 14, and Nikki, 13. The Camaro can be viewed at Meguiar’s Autorama from Feb. 24-26 at the Cobo Center in Detroit.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — When Jimmy Cochenour brings his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle to Meguiar’s Autorama in Detroit later this month, he’ll be bringing more than three decades of family history with him.

Jimmy’s father, James “Mike” Cochenour, bought the Chevelle in 1980. Since then, three generations of Cochenours have taken the car through a continuous restoration process. Today, that includes Jimmy’s son, 12-year-old “Little Jimmy.”

“I don’t think I’ve missed an Autorama in 30 years,” said Jimmy Jr., who bought the car from his dad in 1998. “My dad took me as a young kid, and then I started going myself after I could drive.”

Throughout his high school years, Jimmy would help his father, Mike, restore the car.

Now, this year, his second showing the Chevelle in the spectacle that is Autorama, he’ll bring Mike and twin children, Little Jimmy and Julia. Julia likes going for rides in the car, he said, and Little Jimmy in particular seems to have picked up his dad’s passion for fixing it up. That may not come as a surprise to Jimmy, who used to put the twins in a playpen in the garage while he worked on the car nearby.

Come Feb. 24-25, the Cochenour’s Chevelle will enter the show through Lafata Auto Body in Roseville and Sled Alley Hotrods in Clinton Township. Sled Alley is a custom auto shop specializing in metal work for hotrods and muscle cars.

“It’s got to be a top-notch car,” said Sled Alley owner Matt Gurjack of the application process. A selection panel turned down hundreds of cars this year.

In all, 10 Clinton Township residents will be showing cars at Autorama, an event that fills the Cobo Center with hotrods and muscle cars every year. This year, about 1,000 cars will fill the Cobo Center in Detroit during the show, a Mecca for antique car enthusiasts.

In the weeks leading up to the show, the process of getting the cars show-ready can be a little hectic, Gurjack said. But once there, many businesses, like Sled Alley, put their workmanship on display.

“People come around and see our work and quality,” Gurjack said. “It’s a good place to meet customers. Everyone’s coming there for the same reason.”

While Autorama events are held around the U.S. every winter, “the Detroit show is the biggest and oldest in the country,” said Autorama spokeswoman Linda Ashley. “It’s really eye candy. When you walk into Autorama, it’s full of color and chrome. It just tickles the imagination. It’s amazing what these people can do.”

Judges distribute awards in a number of different car categories. The most prestigious award, the Riddler Award, which is awarded to the best car never seen before in the show, regularly attracts car owners from around the U.S. and Canada to the Detroit Autorama.

Pete Tzianis, another Clinton Township resident, will be showing his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this year, accompanied by his 14-year-old son, Tony, and 13-year-old daughter, Nikki.

Pete and Tony restored the muscle car together.

“He follows right after me,” Pete Tzianis said. “He’s been (into cars) ever since he was 5 years old.”
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Nico Rubello at nrubello@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1118.