Jack and Joyce Baldwin pose in front of one of the classic cars that was renovated at their shop.[/caption]
Although Angel’s Auto Center is known for restoring classic cars to their original luster, the first project for owner Jack Baldwin was restoring the shop itself.
Today, Jack’s shop is filled with classic cars, such as a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, 1965 Shelby AC Cobra and his personal car: a 1938 Chevrolet Businessman Coupe he bought in high school. The original building needed major renovations to its interior and windows when Jack and his wife, Joyce, purchased it more than two decades ago.
“I know what he’s going to say before it comes out of his mouth,” Joyce said. “He says, ‘Joyce, we’re going to go look at this place, but I want you to keep an open mind.’ That means it’s a dump. I wouldn’t even use the bathrooms [there].”
The Baldwins opened Angel’s Auto Center in Cypress in 1991. In 1995, the couple moved the shop to its current location near Hwy. 290 and Skinner Road. Since the shop opened 25 years ago, repeat customers have continued to fuel growth at Angel’s Auto Center. Now the children of their original repeat customers are frequenting the shop.
“When we first started they were just little [kids]; now they’re driving and bringing in their cars,” Jack said. “I’m trying to see how many generations I can outlive.”
Angel’s is a full-service repair shop that offers tune-ups, brakes and engine repairs, but Jack said he prefers restoring older model cars. For cars built more than a few decades ago, there is no owner’s manual or place to purchase spare parts. Jack and his employees often build parts from scratch, he said.
While restoring his 1938 coupe, Jack’s son, Chris, built a new transmission that helps power the vehicle today. Jack rebuilt the coupe in the early 1990s after it had been rotting away in his parents’ backyard for years. The Baldwins gave the coupe a bright yellow paint job and a restored interior. Jack drives it a few times each week.
Restoring older cars to their original splendor has been a labor of love for Jack, Joyce said. The strength of their marriage and the success of the business come from the same source of dedication, she said.
“As you see, he keeps things for a while,” Joyce said.
25425 Hwy. 290, Cypress 281-373-9508 www.angelsautocenter.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed Saturdays and Sundays
