Repairs and classic muscle cars

LIME ROCK — Northwest Classic Cars is not your typical used car shop. For starters, the showroom sits right across the street from Lime Rock Park, making it very convenient for race fans to stop by between heats.“I may not get a lot of business from people who walk in from the track, but I get a lot of word of mouth referrals from it,” said owner Christopher Little. “People come in and see the type of operation we run, the mechanical skills Rick [the maintenance manager] has and all the equipment we have, the quality of cars we have, they spread the word.”In the showroom is a collection of muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s.“We specialize in 100 percent driver quality muscle cars,” Little said. “A lot of the cars here are very collectible.”As an example, he pointed out a restored 1960s Pontiac GTO.“This GTO, fully documented, numbers all match, lots of provenance, restored by Jim Mott, very well-known in Pontiac circles,” he said. “This car won Jim the 2001 nationals for restored Pontiacs.”The GTO is one of the most expensive cars in the shop, with an asking price of $85,000. But Little said it is a gem.“This car is worth all the money because of high options, condition of the car, the quality of the restoration and the fact it won the nationals,” he said. “If you look down the side of it, it is a true mirror finish.” His “crown jewel” is a rare 1969-1/2 Dodge Super B with an A12 446 package. “My father [Will Little, one of the owners of The Lakeville Journal] and I personally own this car,” Little said. “Though it is my pride and joy, it would be for sale for the right price.”But not every car in the showroom is marked at luxury prices. Little is asking $19,500 for a 1960s Lincoln with four “suicide” doors.“I have very high-end cars but I also like to have more affordable cars available,” Little said.Since opening the showroom on Memorial Day, Little said business has been good. In July he opened a service department.“People always have to keep their cars running,” he said. “We’ve had a steady flow of service work. Car sales are a little less constant.” Northwest Classic Cars specializes in mechanical restoration, repair and maintenance of early American muscle cars. They also do service for late model foreign and domestic cars.Northwest Classic Cars is located at 438 Lime Rock Road. For information, call 860-596-4272.