There’s something magical about classic cars. They’re irresistible, timeless and undeniably cool.
“I’m a gear head and I love classic cars,” says Josh Deason, a self-proclaimed car guy and Purchasing Agent at Car-Mart of Siloam Springs, Ark. So, it’s easy to see he’s in the perfect spot as a car buyer.
“It’s a dream job for a car guy,” Josh says. “It’s slowed me down on wanting different cars all the time. I get to drive something different all the time. It’s a fun job. I don’t mind getting up every day and going to work.”
Reared by his Grandfather, Dee, a diesel mechanic, Josh spent hours in Dee’s garage as a kid. The number one rule in the garage was ‘never move a truck without asking about Josh’s whereabouts’ as Josh liked to scoot around on a car creeper between and under the trucks.
“My grandpa and I were always tinkering on something,” Josh smiles. “I was just as comfortable in the shop as in the house. I felt at home in my grandpa’s garage.”
A family partial to Chevy’s, Josh, with Dee’s permission, bought his first vehicle at age 16 – a 1974 Ford pick-up truck. Dee matched Josh dollar for dollar and together, they transformed the truck into a hot rod. “So, yeah, I was the black sheep in the family for a while,” says Josh, who remembers spending a lot of time just looking at and admiring his new electric blue truck. Dee told him he was ‘going to watch the paint off it.’
But like all car enthusiasts, Josh had his eye on his next classic car. “I’m kind of a horse trader and traded it off – back to the guy I originally bought it from. I traded for an engine. It was a win-win for both of us,” Josh smiles, while adding that the 421 small block engine was placed into a 1978 El Camino.
“Sentimental journey”
Looking back over a lifetime of accumulating cars, it’s easy to see that Josh is a classic car guy. He’s owned a 1969 Chevy Pick-up truck before moving onto another project, a 1970 short wide pick-up, which he plans to give to his son when he’s old enough to care for it.
“I don’t know why I like classic cars so much. I’ve always just liked the way they look and sound over newer cars. I like driving them because of their power. They make kind of an adrenaline rush,” says Josh.
His current ‘daily drive’ is a 2000 Chevy pick-up ‘hopped up a little bit.’ “I guess I’ve always been a pick-up guy,” says Josh.
However, he doesn’t have a favorite classic car. “I don’t know if I can pinpoint just one. I’m such a car lover,” says Josh. “I once had a 1977 Vega. I never did fix it up. Man, that car is so ugly. I liked the Gremlins, too. I like anything that is fast. I liked older Camaro’s. I like the Chevelle’s. I like any GM muscle car.”
And, he’s on the lookout for his next classic car – a four-door so his family of five can travel in comfort to ‘cruise night’ events. Josh and his cousin are currently working on a 1970 Chevy pick-up that Josh drove in high school.
Speaking of Chevy’s, Josh named his son, Chevy. A girl would have been named ‘Chevelle.’
From Grandpa’s garage to Car-Mart
Surrounded by car people all his life, Car-Mart is familiar territory. He started as a Detailer in Siloam Springs. After two years, he applied for a purchasing position within the company. While he didn’t get that job, he moved into other roles – Sales, Assistant Office Manager and Service Manager. In 2015, his goal became a reality when he was named Purchasing Agent for Car-Mart of Siloam Springs. “I’ve always wanted to be a buyer,” says Josh. “My attention to detail on classic cars has helped me at Car-Mart.”
When Josh hand selects vehicles for Car-Mart, he applies the same formula as if he was looking for his next classic car. “I’m looking for cars with good bones,” says Josh, and that’s a lesson he learned from his grandfather.
“He’s taught me everything about life in general and not just cars,” says Josh. “My grandpa has always been there for me. He’s my mom, dad, and best friend. And, now, my son thinks the world of him.”
That’s classic!
Want to know how Car-Mart buys vehicles for you? Check out our blog How Car-Mart buys vehicles for its valued customers.
