Mac’s Antique Auto donates parts, labor to ‘Overhaulin’ ’ project

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DOUG BENZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
DOUG BENZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

November 7, 2006

BY TASHA KATES The Tonawanda News Tue Nov 07, 2006, 02:35 PM EST

America loves cars.

“America consumes cars,” said Rick McIntosh, owner of Mac’s Antique Auto Parts Inc.. “Baby Boomers are reminiscing, going out and buying old cars.”

The average Mac’s customer takes 2 1/2 years to rebuild their classic car. But when something like TLC’s “Overhaulin’ ’’ comes along, it can speed up the process.

The television show takes people’s classic cars and hot rods without their knowledge to fix them up. During tonight’s episode at 9 p.m., that process will include McIntosh and his Lockport business.

“It’s sort of amazing,” McIntosh said. “They can fix a car up in a week.”

This is not the first time the show’s staff has contacted Mac’s. McIntosh said they had called about other cars a few times before, but they were requesting parts for obscure cars.

Mac’s carries parts for Ford and Mercury products, including parts for the Model T, some Thunderbirds, Mustangs and even an Edsel or two.

A few employees were assigned to the task of collecting about 700 parts to use on the 1967 Ford F-100 that “Overhaulin’ ” was planning to fix up. About $3,000 worth of parts “from headlight to tailgate with all kinds of parts in the middle” were shipped.

Parts weren’t the only thing Mac’s sent to California. The show offered to let a Mac’s employee fly over to work on the truck, an opportunity McIntosh decided to take with his friend Doug Stolzenberg.

The pair arrived on Sept. 11 and got right to work with the rest of the mechanics, who had been working on the car since Sept. 6.

“From the moment we arrived, we were asked to dive in to help out,” McIntosh said. “During the first night, we were there until 1 a.m.”

The truck, which is owned by “Dancing with the Stars” winner Drew Lachey, was in pretty good condition to start with. McIntosh said the star had intended to fix up the truck but didn’t have time so his brother Nick turned to “Overhaulin’ ” to see if they could help out.

Automobile designer Chip Foose, who McIntosh said is a legend in the car business, sketched the transformation process. Lachey’s truck received a new paint job, more height and some modern touches like a CD player. Under the hood, the crew installed a 351 Windsor engine.

“They took it from a stock look to a real nice truck,” McIntosh said.

Drew was touched by what had happened with his classic automobile. His brother Nick also was around to see his reaction to his truck. McIntosh wanted to get a picture with the more famous Lachey, but settled for taking them from afar rather than asking him to separate from his entourage. Nick was a lead vocalist for the boy band “98 Degrees,” and was married to pop singer Jessica Simpson.

McIntosh has no idea what footage made tonight’s show.

“Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll be on for 15 seconds,” he said.

Contact Tasha Kates at 439-9222, Ext. 6241.

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