Moonlight Drive

Jason was in his eighties, but he was still the most sought-after mechanic and restorer of elegant and desirable cars at "S & J’s Classic Motorcars” in downtown L.A. Rock stars, politicians, a-list actors, talk-show hosts, etc. all came to S & J’s to get their aging Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Jags, etc. restored to mint condition.

Almost all the clients asked for Jason to oversee their restoration projects. If the result was perfect, some of these cars would be worth several hundred thousand or even millions of dollars. Jason was always busy, and he, co-owner, and founder Shep were very successful.

The building where the restoration work took place was huge. There were several hydraulic lifts and plenty of large drafting tables in conference rooms where design ideas and price negotiations were conducted with customers. Shep and Jason employed dozens of mechanics, specialists with transmissions, fuel injection, painting, interior restoration, and all other aspects of classic car restoration. The biggest projects for the most famous clients were shown as multi-part series on cable T.V. The shows were very popular.

~ ~ ~

Jason had been married once to a young lady named Sue. They were both in their late teens when they tied the knot back in the late sixties, and, according to urban legend, it was a match made in heaven. They were madly in love and inseparable.

They both worked as mechanics at Shep’s original shop, known as “Shep’s Auto Repairs," back in the day. Jason and Sue pooled their resources and bought a used, beat-up, barely running 1967 Corvette Stingray. It was a big-block convertible with factory side pipes. They restored it and tuned it themselves at Shep’s. They painted it metal flake sky-blue. Jason said it was the color of Sue’s eyes. The big-block stinger was painted navy blue. According to the old folks who remember, the car was very beautiful, very loud, and very, very fast.

After the shop closed each day, Jason and Sue drove the Corvette to the Ocean at sunset. After a dip in the Pacific, they would snuggle together under a blanket in the Stingray with the top down and the radio on and watch the stars come out. Their favorite song was “Moonlight Drive” by the Doors. It was an idyllic existence.

Unfortunately, after a few years of married bliss, Sue was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. She succumbed less than a year later. She was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Jason was devastated. He sold the Corvette, stopped showing up for work, and went into a state of deep depression. He spent most of his time drinking in a local bar called "Gearheads." Several of the mechanics hung out there and knew Jason by reputation. They liked Jason and paid for his drinks, the last thing he needed.

Shep, in the meantime, had a vision of turning his small auto repair shop into an upscale Classic and Antique car restoration venue catering to the rich and famous in the Hollywood community. He went down to Gearheads to pitch his idea to Jason. Shep offered Jason a full partnership if Jason would throw in with him. Shep realized Jason was a unique talent, and it would be a shame if he let his skills go to waste. It took several drinks, but eventually, Shep convinced Jason he was right. “S & J’s Classic Motorcars” was born.

Over the next few decades, their reputation grew until S & J’s became the preeminent classic car restoration shop not only in Hollywood and Southern California but worldwide. If you had boatloads of money and a classic car that you loved and needed work, S & J’s was the place to go.

~ ~ ~

One day, Shep pulled into the restoration building in a flatbed carrying a tarp-covered vehicle. He pulled up next to Jason, who was tuning Rod Stewart’s Lamborghini Countach.

"Hi, Jason."

“Hey Shep. What ’cha got there?”

“Take a look, my friend.”

Shep hopped out of the flatbed and pulled a rope. The tarp fell, revealing the shell of a 1967 Corvette Stingray. It was a convertible with factory side pipes and a big block hood. It had no wheels, tires, engine, or transmission. It looked like it had once been light blue, but it was now just a dusty gray.

"Look familiar?" Shep said with a smile.

This was, in fact, the same Corvette Jason and Sue had restored years ago and driven to the beach at sunset each night. Incredibly, the VIN number was still intact, which had enabled Shep to track it down.

Jason walked slowly to the flatbed, lovingly stroking one of the Corvette’s side pipes. “She’s beautiful.” He said, sounding a little misty.

“It’s all yours, buddy. You earned it. You can work on it in your spare time if you ever have any." Shep laughed.

~ ~ ~

After Sue passed away, Jason never remarried or even dated anybody else. He missed Sue to the point that he became obsessed with his work and became a legend in the industry. So, every day after 5 p.m., Jason would spend several hours working on the old Corvette shell Shep had given him.

It took a few months, but eventually, Jason transformed the dusty hulk into a true classic. He installed a 427 big-block V8 with three two-barrel carburetors and 435 horsepower, a vintage four-speed Corvette transmission, and knock-off aluminum wheels. As a final step, Jason painted the Corvette sky-blue metal flake with a navy blue big-block stinger.

At last, the restored classic was ready for its road test. It was late in the day, and the mechanics all gathered around as Jason lowered the car off the hydraulic lift. He got into the driver’s seat and hit the ignition. 435 horses roared to life. The side pipes burbled with unrestrained American V8 power as the mechanics cheered their approval. Jason turned on the radio. One of the mechanics later swore he heard the Doors’ “Moonlight Drive” over the engine noise, but we all knew that was impossible. That song hadn’t been played on any L.A. radio station in over forty years.

Jason put the Corvette in first and left rubber peeling out of the restoration building. The mechanics gave him a standing ovation.

~ ~ ~

Jason didn't show up for work the next morning. Shep was worried and went down to Gearheads to check on him. When nobody there had seen Jason, Shep went to the Police Station and filed a missing person’s report.

Detectives found the Corvette with the top down parked by the Pacific Ocean in the very spot where Jason and Sue had always parked all those years ago. Jason was deceased in the driver’s seat. In the passenger seat was a female corpse. Jason and the corpse were under a blanket locked in an embrace. The female had her head on Jason’s shoulder.

The Medical Examiner estimated the female corpse in the Corvette had been deceased for about fifty years. DNA analysis revealed the corpse was, in fact, Sue, Jason’s former wife. An autopsy revealed Jason’s heart had simply stopped for no reason. No cause of death was given. Jason died with a smile on his face.

Incredibly, a Police investigation revealed Sue’s grave at Hollywood Forever Cemetery had not been disturbed, but when the casket was exhumed, investigators were shocked to find the corpse was missing. Paranormal experts from around the world became fascinated by the case but were never able to explain how Sue’s corpse had somehow been transported to the passenger bucket seat of a restored 1967 Corvette with her head resting on the mysteriously deceased driver’s shoulder.

“Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen.” One grizzled Detective commented.

Jason and Sue’s remains were interred together next to Sue’s original burial site.

~ ~ ~

In Jason’s will he left everything he had to Shep. Shep had the Corvette mounted on a monument in front of S & J’s main restoration building. It became a tourist attraction. Couples came every day to have their pictures taken in front of the Corvette. Shep vowed the Stingray would never be driven again. The inscription on the monument simply read: Jason and Sue; The Moonlight Drive of love.