Many of us have special memories of our dads.  Fishing trips, family vacations, great conversations about the world, adventures, bad jokes, and words of wisdom we know we’ll never forget.  Often there are extra special things about our dad that just make us smile because we know we share the same interests – and for some of us that’s the love of cars.

April Lewis is our photographer here at Eckler’s Automotive.  Besides being talented and a great member of our team, she comes by her love and appreciation for classic cars honestly because of her dad.

“My dad taught me a lot of what I know about cars,” says April. “From the inside of the engine to the best way to get that particular shine, I know what it takes for a classic to be a classic. I fell in love with classic cars as a child. Every time my dad and I would go for a ride he would point out the make, model, types of engines and other details of the vehicles we shared the road with.  My upbringing around cars has helped me in my job at Eckler’s as the photographer.”

Andrew Lewis is April’s dad.  A disabled Navy Veteran and avid Corvette enthusiast, Andrew once owned a blue ’69 Corvette T-Top on which he performed a full restoration.  After owning his first Corvette, Andrew was hooked and for years to come he dreamed of owning another Corvette. In August 2019 his wife Christina said it was time to stop talking about it and to go find one. That was the beginning of the search for his dream car – a 2007 Corvette Coup with a manual transmission.   Why a 2007? According to Christina, “The 2007 model has the legroom that Andrew needs for his tall build. It's reliable, fast, and roomy, handles exceptionally well, especially in the rain, has power, has ample trunk space and is a great daily driver.”

It only took a few days until he found exactly what he wanted and brought it back to their home in Wellington, Florida.  It was perfection, with an incredible blue paint job and that undeniable, head-turning classic Corvette style.  Unfortunately, after taking the time to swap the black rims for chrome rims and upgrading the brakes, it was during a test run when the end link on the torsion bar broke, causing the wheels to lock and sent the car into a tree and bushes. While the car was totaled, Andrew walked away with minor scratches.

While Andrew lost his Corvette, he didn’t lose the determination to own his dream car.  Two short months later Andrew found a beautiful Monterey Red 2007 Z51 Corvette Coupe.

Now, we all know those classic car owners who baby their vehicles and barely let a blade of grass touch the wheels.   Christina says that when Andrew first got this car, he did think of keeping it in the garage, but after driving it he knew he needed to get it out of the garage and on to the streets. “Owning the car is a joy,” she says, “but owning and driving it is the ultimate joyful experience.”

Over time Andrew made a few modifications to his Corvette.  Besides swapping out the rims, he changed the headlights from amber to LED lights. There are a few other upgrades he would still like to do down the road, but he wants to maintain the originality of the car.

Andrew’s exceptionally high standards prevented him from entering his Corvette in regional shows until January 2019. After taking the time to make sure everything was of show quality, Andrew eventually entered his Corvette into the Camaro Club of West Palm Beach 4^th Annual Open Car and Truck Show and brought home a trophy for Top 100 Class Winner!   He recently entered the car into a local show and is looking forward to entering more car shows in the near future.  Even though this is Andrew’s daily driver, you can bet he keeps this beauty in show condition.

There is nothing like driving a classic car; we can all agree on that.  Andrew and his wife often take long rides in their classic Corvette, attending events in Daytona Beach like the Turkey Rod Run and Spring Turkey Run.  Even Andrew’s 17-month-old grandson lights up when he sees the big red Corvette pull up!

You can imagine how April feels every time she sees a Corvette go by.  “I can’t help but think of my dad! I am so grateful to have this opportunity to showcase my father’s prize possession, his Corvette, for Father’s Day. Thank you, dad, for teaching me these things that will benefit me for a lifetime. I’ll never forget it. Happy Father’s Day!”