Whittington & Associates, LLC

North Florida Doctor (June 2008)
Doctors Set a "Classical Tone" with Car Picks

By R.P. Whittington

Whether its sentimentality, the enjoyment of taking things apart and putting them together again, the love of a fine looking vehicle or a combination of all three, there are many area doctors who are finding a lot of joy – and getting a lot of looks – as they cruise in classic cars.

For many, the fascination with antique vehicles started when they were young.

But for some like Christopher Roberts, M.D., the hobby came upon him when he was older and out of medical school.

"I had no idea I would ever get into a hobby like this when I was young," said Dr. Roberts, an anesthesiologist (interventional pain management) who has lived in Jacksonville since 1998. "I was raised in a family that owned many unique cars, so I always had an appreciation for their look and style."

Roberts estimates he has purchased and restored about 13 vehicles so far, which includes newer model vehicles and classic cars as well. He currently owns a 2005 Rolls Royce Phantom, a 1972 convertible Corvette, a 1994 Jaguar convertible, and a mid-‘80s Porsche 944 production vehicle.

He's actually had so many vehicles come and go from his garage that he has trouble remembering his very first restoration effort.

"I think the first one was a Jaguar, but I'm really not sure what started all of this," he said. "I always have a few cars on hand in varying stages of restoration. It's a never-ending process. But the part I enjoy most is taking them apart and putting them back together. It's like a miracle when you break down and reassemble an engine and they are running again. It's also great to trick them out, you know, customize them with flames sometimes, things like that. It's just a lot of fun."

Dr. Roberts says when each vehicle restoration is completed, he typically drives the vehicle for a few years and then sells it and moves on to the next project.

While Dr. Roberts focuses on a wide variety of cars from the mid-1960's to present, others like Robert T. Bass, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville Beach, spends his time on Chevrolet Corvettes.

"When they first came out in the early 60's, Corvettes had a very unique, radical design for the day," Dr. Bass explains. "It was like a Hot Wheels ® car on the road. Like most car collectors, my fascination with them began when I was a kid. I used to put together model cars and, as I got older, that turned into working on motorcycles."

Dr. Bass says he was further "forced into car mechanics" while attending medical school.

"I didn't have much money in those days, so I had to work on my own car to keep it on the road," he said with a laugh. "All that mechanical work helped me out with my hobby."

Today, Dr. Bass owns two Corvettes, which he drives often around the beaches at to work at Baptist Medical.

"I think they fit the beaches lifestyle," he said. "I look at them as rolling art work."

For Mark W. Thorpe, M.D., who works with Concentra Medical Center on the north side of Jacksonville, his childhood memories came full circle when he picked up a 1960's-era Volkswagen Van in May of last year.

"As far as classic cars go, I've owned a couple of Audi GTs, but when I was young my parents owned a VW bus that we camped with a lot," Dr. Thorpe said. "I was always intrigued with it as a kid. It also proved to be a very practical and reliable vehicle in those days."

Now with a wife and two children of his own, who are five and eight years of age, Dr. Thorpe's says his family owns a pop-up camper that they use for their own excursions. So last year, he decided to bring his old childhood experiences back for his children as well, searching on the internet and purchasing a VW bus he found for sale on E-Bay.

"The bus was already partially restored when it arrived," he said. "It had a new paint job and a new engine. When it arrived, we did some further work to it, adding a stabilizer bar, new carpet, a new stereo and new tail lights. Most of the work so far has been customizing the van a bit and adding some accessories here and there."

The Volkswagen bug also bit Thomas Peters M.D., a kidney transplant surgeon at Shands Jacksonville, who owns a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle purchased back in 1999.

"I call it my 50/50 car," he said. "It looks great from 50 feet and when it's going 50 miles an hour."

Dr. Peters bought the car after another Volkswagen Beetle he owned, a 1957 Bug with a slide roof that he had fully restored, was stolen.

"It was about two years after that when I purchased the second one, this time for my daughter who was attending the University of Florida at the time," he explains. "She drove it for about two years and then my son drove it for about three years. Everyone seems to outgrow it except me."

Dr. Peters says he does most of the maintenance and upkeep on the bug except when a lift is required.

In addition to the VW, which Dr. Peters drives to and from the hospital about three to four times a week, he also owns a 1930 Model A.

"It was owned by my aunt and uncle who bought it in 1951, drove it for five or six years then put it on blocks and parked it in their barn up in Indiana," he said. "As they got older, I kept thinking I needed to get the car and restore it before something happened to it – it got bought and chopped up. My aunt said she wouldn't accept money and she would give it to me instead. I started talking around town here with some other car buffs and they said if I didn't go get it I was crazy."

While he's been interested in cars his whole life, Dr. Peters said he wanted this particular car for sentimental reasons, since it had been in the family for more than 50 years, as well as an investment. After shipping the car to his home in Jacksonville in 2000, he sent it to a shop in Palatka, Florida for a $5,000 restoration. Once back at home, he drove the Model A back up to Indiana for a very special day.

"We took it to Aurora, Illinois and we drove it in a parade there," he said. "I and an old high school friend sat up front, and my wife and my aunt, who was then 92 years old, rode in the rumble seat. We had a great time, and my aunt was very impressed with the restoration work."

For C. Cameron Greene, an OBGYN who works in Jacksonville Beach, it was the old family truck that got him into vehicle restoration.

"My dad owned a 1952 Chevy 3100 half-ton pick up that had been parked in his back yard for about six years," Dr. Greene said. "He had been doing some things to it here and there, and I finally said let me have it and I'll get it done for us."

Greene took the entire truck apart and rebuilt it piece by piece, working with another local mechanic and car restorer, Gary Brown, on the finishing work.

"Although it looks like it was restored to its original condition, I did add power steering, power breaks and air conditioning, and moved the shifting mechanism – moving the four-on-the-column to a four-on-the-floor," Greene explains.

Greene also decided to "trick it up" a bit, as well.

"It was originally painted red, and when we were preparing to repaint it Gary said ‘everybody's got a red truck. Let me try something new on this one and if you don't like it, we'll go with the original color.'"

Greene was happy with the results – a two-tone truck painted white on the top and sporting a butter cream-colored bottom half.

"It really pops," he says proudly. "It looks more like a beachy kind of truck."

While the '52 Chevy Truck was his first restoration project and was driven more by the sentimental value rather than an infatuation with trucks, he says he will definitely do it again.

"As I did the work, I really started having fun with it," Greene said. "But my next restoration project will have to be on a vehicle that's unique like this one."

Like many of the other doctors who deal with classic and antique car restoration, the novelty of the vehicles certainly lead to many conversations with friends and strangers when they are on the road.

"Nearly every time I drive it somewhere, someone will stop me and ask me all about it," Greene said. "I recently met a guy who was restoring a 1950s truck. He was planning to put a 357 engine in it and make it a muscle truck. I explained to him that I was trying to get mine as close as possible to the original – an in-line six that looks new, but still drives like it used to. I'm drawn into conversations like that all the time. It's one of the best parts of the entire experience."

Media Contact: Ron Whittington (904-563-0402)