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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semi trucks — email ddewey@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.SALT LAKE CITY — How long do you keep a car? John Bryner still has the Chevelle he bought new in 1971. As of this writing, that's 46 years.
John grew up in modest means in Helper, Utah. When he graduated from the University of Utah he thought he deserved a reward but said he had "no brains" back then. Time has proven the opposite: Although buying a new car will lose money in the short run, when your long run is 46 years, things turn around.
Bryner ordered every option including a rear defroster, the must-have 4-speed and a vinyl top. The only thing he skipped was the 454 engine. He said that at his age the insurance would've been too high and the gas mileage too low. He ordered up a Super Sport with a 350cid, which was so unusual they asked him for a $100 deposit. He paid the rest of the $4,507.37 when the car arrived; that's about $27,000 in today's dollars, and the car is worth much more than that.
He drove the car every day for 18 years, even when a guy dropped off a copy of Hemmings Motor News so he could see what it was worth and encouraged him to garage it. Over the years, he's kept it up, recovering the front bucket seats, getting an engine rebuild, freshening up the paint and top, and adding dual exhaust in the 1970s. He said he's never abused it because he's the one who works on it.
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JCPenney Auto sold him a lifetime warranty on a battery back in the day. They have paid for that dearly in replacements, assuming no one would keep a car more than 46 years.
He said that the 350 Chevelle is rare because most buyers opted for the 454, and he claims to have the only single-owner 350 Chevelle SS in the world. If you think you know of another one, let us know; there's probably a great story behind that one, too.
He has no interest in selling the Chevelle, and this isn't the only item he's kept for a long time. He also bought a 1976 Ford pickup when it was a year old. He still has it. He also restored the Honda 250 he bought when he was 17. And he still has the wife who helped him pick out the Chevelle's colors in April 1971.
Brian Champagne has reported on cars for more than nine years. He holds a master's degree in communications from the University of the Pacific and teaches at Utah State University. Contact him at iaabfl@yahoo.com.
