There are some vital questions to ask yourself before buying a classic car, and one of them is whether you really know how to care for them (and/or whether you can find a mechanic who can). Decades-old vehicles can be very different beasts to work with than their modern counterparts, as Jeff Snook of the sadly-closing Snook’s Dream Cars knows all too well.
Snook’s Dream Cars is a fascinating museum located in Bowling Green, Ohio. It’s home to a fleet of classics covering four decades of auto history, dating as far back as the 1930s. Represented within the collection are models from the British Triumph, Japan’s Datsun, U.S. icons like Ford and Packard, and many more. Even more impressive than the models themselves is the fact that they aren’t just stunning museum pieces, but they’re all functional. Owner Jeff Snook even reported on the museum’s website that he considers it “a living museum” for this reason, noting, “I drive one or another of them around town on a regular basis, weather permitting.”
This policy, of course, has meant that a mechanic with the experience and expertise to work with these old models has been essential. Terry Stetler had been that mechanic for Snook’s Dream Cars, and Stetler’s recent retirement has indirectly led to the upcoming closure of the museum in October 2026. Snook explained to the Toledo Blade, “I think it’s harder and harder to keep old cars on the road without qualified, skilled, professional mechanics.” In his eyes, newly qualified mechanics “don’t know about carburetors and old car stuff,” and in the absence of another mechanic he trusted to take on this considerable responsibility, Snook’s Dream Cars and Snook himself are also set to retire.
The past and the future of the Snook’s Dream Cars collection
There will always be a huge passion for classic cars, and there will always be more models that become classic cars. The further back you go, though, you’ll see how different the components may be, and the more hands-on, analogue, and specialized the work to maintain them is. In February 2026, Emily-Sianne Cox, manager at U.K. car restoring specialist Clayton Classics, told The Financial Times that “there is a large demand for certain types of classic car work, but not enough specialists in the industry to handle the work.” Snook’s Dream Cars was particularly well equipped for some of this sort of work, with its dedicated bays for classic restoration. Sadly, without the expertise of Terry Stetler, nobody else could be found to work them.
The museum has run for 24 years, displaying its collection lovingly against carefully curated backdrops that fit each era of vehicle, such as a replica 1960s racetrack scene. The end result was one of many wonderful U.S. car museums. This is unsurprising, because Jeff Snook and his father Bill (the elder Snook having been an avid auto enthusiast who collected the vehicles himself) had adored cars and everything associated with them since collaborating to bring a Model A Ford back to working life over sixty years ago.
Though their museum may be closing, models from the collection are being auctioned by Hagerty. At the time of writing, the 15 auctions currently underway include a 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-Speed (bidding at $30,000), a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible (bidding currently at $48,000), and even a Kaiser Darrin Roadster Pedal Car (the bid currently stands at $1,900). This move by Jeff Snook helps to ensure the vehicles will continue to be enjoyed.