Woodstock Shows Off Its Classic Cars

On a thankfully sunny day in Woodstock this weekend, car enthusiasts and collectors gathered from miles around to attend the Classic Car Show in honor of the Help Gabriel Foundation. Coloring in the parking lot of the with music, games and a fleet of vintage automobiles, a small society of restorers spent the afternoon parked out together for a good cause.

Hank Doss of Woodstock was one of these. He and his wife, Faye Doss, set up a pair of chairs behind their immaculately polished 1965 Ford Mustang, a vision in cobalt and chrome.  A vision that used to look more like a nightmare, Doss shuddered. 

"It sure wasn't pretty when I got it," Doss insisted, "It was a total disaster. No engine, no transmission, no interior. It was completely gutted."

In fact, the car's condition was so deplorable that its former owner didn't even require cash for taking it off his hands. The thrifty Doss was able to arrange a trade of cabinet doors, valued at around $300, for this iconic set of American  wheels, now valued at over $18,000.

The mammoth task of getting it there took him more than three years, a labor of love he's happy to say was more hands-on than similar undertakings from some restorers.

"I did everything myself, everything," Doss said with a proud smile.

With so many models to choose from when rebuilding a classic, deciding which will be your first can be a daunting prospect. Doss, however, spared very little time in deliberation. Not only was there a sense of nostalgia because of his mother once owning an old Mustang, but Doss has a particular fondness for that year in history.

"I was born in 1965, this car is a 1965, and I collect everything that says 1965," he explained, a quirk that will likely play a large role in growing his stable of vintage automobiles.

"Right now, I've got only the one, but I want a collection," Doss said.  "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I've actually [restored cars] for a few other people, and if I'd do it for them, I'll do it for myself. I just love it."

Of course, the focus of the day wasn't all on chrome rims, refurbished interiors and layers of eye-catching paint. The entire event was pulled together at the charitable hands of local business owners, each pitching in to create a day of fundraising for the Help Gabriel Foundation.

Born in 2010 to the Sierra family, Gabriel has spent most of his young life battling a . Countless surgeries and treatments have been administered to combat the illness and return him to health. Because of the generosity of the town's businesses and citizens via Help Gabriel, his parents have been able to remain permanently by his side since diagnosis.

Gabriel appears to be having more good days lately than bad. Although the family can expect at least another 30 weeks of treatment, Dave Soumas, Woodstock's Fire Chief and Gabriel's grandfather, said current test results show nothing but improvement.

"They have done tests, and there are no signs of tumors or tumor cells," Soumas said.

No doubt, this is the best news the Sierra's could have hoped for, as they continue Gabriel's physical therapy and work with his nutritionist to nurture the strong, healthy boy inside who has just been waiting to emerge.