Lisa EndressBob Shultz and Al Maybee, two residents of Messiah Village, have known each other since the 1960s when they both worked for the now defunct Atlantic Oil Refinery. Fueled by a shared passion for antique cars, their lives have been filled to the brim with restoration, innovation, and community.
Growing up with a mechanic father who wasn’t eager to talk shop after a long day, Al’s fascination with cars blossomed on its own. One of his first projects involved swapping out the engine of his 1950 Mercury on his parents’ front lawn with an engine sourced from the local “junk man.” “As long as I can remember, I’ve loved cars,” he says. Although his career, first at Atlantic Oil Refinery—where he met Bob—and then in medical supply sales, had little to do with cars, Al’s knack for fixing things never waned. Over the years, Al became an active member of the Gettysburg and Hershey antique auto clubs, meeting car enthusiasts from around the globe.
To this day, Al’s love for classic cars continues. In the warmer months, you can find him cruising around town in his 1978 25th Anniversary Corvette, nicknamed Silver Bullet, which he jokes gets 12 miles to the gallon downhill. Although he doesn’t have a big project on the horizon, there’s always a list of ways he can care for his car, including improving the exhaust on his Corvette. For aspiring antique car hobbyists, Al advises learning to “turn your own wrenches.”
Bob’s current car of choice is his 1967 Chrysler convertible, but his memories begin with his first car, a 1947 Studebaker and then a 1936 Dodge coupe he equipped with a V8 engine—and, as he chuckles, “ran into the ground.”
In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, Bob put his mechanic skills to work serving as a jet engine mechanic for the Air Force, during which time he deployed to Japan and even worked on Air Force One. After his service, he worked at Atlantic Oil Refinery, where he met his wife, Dottie, in addition to Al.
Even though he misses the garage lift that his previous home had before moving to Messiah Village in 2019, Bob finds joy in his basement tinker shop, woodworking, and restoring cars donated to the Antique Automobile Museum in Hershey. Bob is also involved with the Gettysburg Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America, and is proud of his work restoring the club’s Model T.
Whether they’re out for a cruise ride or making improvements to their cars, Bob and Al’s passion for antiques have proven that some friendships—and hobbies—only get better with time.
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