Hidden away in sociology professor Edward Shihadeh’s garage sit his three “mistresses.”
At least that is how his wife refers to his black 1969 Jaguar XK3 convertible, his Big Bird yellow 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 454 and his rust-colored 1976 Cadillac El Dorado convertible.
Shihadeh is just one of several professors whose passion lies underneath the hood of classic cars.
Shihadeh’s love for cars started when he was 15 years old.
“Back then it was the girls, now it’s just pure fun,” he said.
He buys his cars half restored because he is not the kind of collector who restores cars from the “frame up.”
“I’m too old for that,” Shihadeh said.
With two young children and a wife to support, he owns two green minivans for practical reasons.
One of these minivans would be the first thing a passer-by would see in front of his house.
No one would guess he has three collectors’ items stashed in his garage. He just finished building the garage that protects the three cars, he said.
Jim Ottea, an entomology professor, has completely redone his red 1966 Ford Mustang.
Ottea’s wife bought him the Mustang in 1999 as a Father’s Day gift, he said.
He had four Mustangs throughout high school and college.
“The first thing I noticed was the interior smelled just like the ones I drove in high school and college,” he said.
The smell of the car brought back many good memories, he said.
No matter how much he enjoys driving the Mustang, he said the allure remains in rebuilding the car.
Ottea’s wife paid $5,000 for the Mustang, and now it is worth $9,000.
Shihadeh bought his first “mistress,” the Jaguar, four years ago, he said.
“As a sociologist, each car reflects the different cultures,” he said.
While gazing at the beautiful machine, he said he thinks the Jaguar represents style, grace and the cleverness of British mechanics.
This model is so rare, Shihadeh bought the only one for sale in Louisiana.
“You don’t really get in this car, you put it on,” he said.
He has redone the entire interior of his Jaguar.
Shihadeh has put $25,000 into the Jaguar, and now it is appraised at $40,000.
He bought the Cadillac blind — without seeing it in person before buying it — in Colorado and had it shipped down to Baton Rouge in December. It arrived on his birthday, he said.
This model Cadillac was from the last year that car companies made big convertibles, he said. The El Dorado measures 20 feet long and weighs three tons.
“It’s heavier than an SUV,” Shihadeh said. “It’s just about the longest car ever made.”
The El Dorado’s engine is about three times the size of his minivans’ engines, he said. The engine gets 10 miles per gallon.
The El Dorado represents “in your face American excess,” he said.
This car spells out luxury down to the electric trunk-closing mechanism.
“I stole this car,” Shihadeh said.
He paid $4,000 for it and put another $4,000 into it, he said. Now it is worth $15,000.
The car has the original paint job, so to remove the dents Shihadeh had to use a special dent removal process that does not harm the paint, he said.
Shihadeh reconditioned the interior and kept the original white walls on the tires, he said.
“Originality is a huge thing,” he said. “It makes a huge difference in the value of the car.”
Shihadeh compared himself to a museum curator making sure all the parts are authentic.
While his father insists the Cadillac is “where it’s at,” Shihadeh’s neighbor thinks the Corvette is “where it’s at.”
Shihadeh drove his third “mistress,” the Corvette, home from Atlanta last month and later had to see a chiropractor because the seats are so stiff, he said.
It has the original motor — 1970 was the last year Chevrolet made such a powerful motor, he said.
Culturally, the Corvette represents raw power and shows how Americans solve their problems with pure brute force, Shihadeh said.
“It’ll shake the earth,” he said.
The 400 horsepower engine gets nine miles per gallon.
Shihadeh paid $25,000 for the Corvette, and now it is appraised at $30,000.
He has put no more than 500 miles on each of the cars because he has special low-rate insurance for collectors that would be invalidated if he were caught running errands with any of the cars, he said.
Besides, Shihadeh would not feel comfortable going to lunch, for example, in any of the cars without parking it where he could see it, he said.
He cannot bring them to the movies because they would attract too much attention and would be unattended for two hours, he said.
His cars are meant for circular expeditions, such as Sunday drives, not driving to work, he said.
There is something for everyone in each of his cars.
“With each car, it’s a lifetime of exploration,” he said.
Shihadeh considers his cars investments — more reliable than the stock market, he said.
“But if I buy one more, it has to come with a divorce lawyer,” he said.