Glasgow Daily Times, Glasgow, KY

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October 10, 2008

Likens revs up for show

By GINA KINSLOW

GLASGOW — Wayne Likens will be among many car enthusiasts to participate in the Cruise Into Fall car show Saturday on Glasgow’s Public Square.

Likens, of Glasgow, has been showing vintage cars since 1968.

The first antique car he bought was a 1938 Ford. He purchased the vehicle soon after completing his three year-tour of duty with the U.S. Army in 1963, but admits he has always loved old cars.

“In high school, an antique was the only thing I could afford,” he said.

Likens owns 15 cars he shows. His favorite is a candy apple red 1961 Chevy Impala convertible.

“I always wanted a ’61 convertible, but I could never afford one,” he said

That was until 1981, when he was able to purchase it from a good friend, Steve Arnett, of Tompkinsville, who had bought it from a Tompkinsville auto dealer who bought in Louisville and had stored it in a garage for 17 years.

Likens questioned Arnett about the car, but Arnett told him he would never sell it.

Two weeks later, Arnett visited Likens and said he would sell it for $2,500. Likens immediately wrote Arnett a check.

“A few weeks later he found out what it was really worth,” Likens said.

The car is now worth $50,000, he said.

Likens does some of the restoration work on the vehicles in his collection. He typically has the cars painted and upholstered by someone else, but does the rest of the work.

“I like to take a piece of nothing and make something out of it,” he said.

The number of car shows across the state has grown over the years.

“When I started, there were only five car shows in the state of Kentucky,” Likens said. “Now there is one every Saturday. It’s a good, clean family sport that you can have a lot of fun with.”

While Likens has won close to 300 trophies at car shows, he says he doesn’t do it for the competition.

“I do it for the fellowship,” he said.

Likens has made many friends through the car shows. Some he keeps in contact with on a regular basis.

“We have a lot of fun with it,” he said.

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