John Riesland preps his '57 Chevy for MATO

For John Riesland, deciding which of his classic autos to take to Midnight at the Oasis is a dilemma of love.

The Dome Valley man currently has seven restored cars in his farm's garage, all with a unique story to tell. He said he's shown them all at one point or another. It's always hard for him to pick which of his rides to show off.

He's worked on cars since he was 15 years old, from his first rebuild of a 1957 Hillman panel wagon to his more recent work on vintage Ford Mustangs, roadsters and coupes.

"They're all my favorites. I love my cars," Riesland said.

This time he finally decided on his black 1957 Chevrolet. He bought the car just a little more than a year ago and has been rebuilding it, inside and out. He said the paint job is about the only thing on the car he hasn't redone.

But it's the car's original story he's most interested in sharing.

That Chevy came to Yuma by chance in the 1960s.

Riesland said its driver stopped for gas in town on the way to Los Angeles, and Riesland's friend, Jeff Kottenbrook, was instantly captivated by the vehicle. As Riesland tells it, Kottenbrook wanted to buy the car then and there, but the owner still had to get to L.A.

"Jeff gave him a ride and bought the car from him," Riesland said.

The Chevy was used as a local racing car in the '60s and '70s. It was eventually sold to a Somerton man. Riesland said he had his eye on the car for a decade. Last year, he finally managed to buy it.

He's worked to restore the car to racing form and he said it's still one heck of a ride. Along with his other restoration work he's put in a brand-new blown, injected, big-block Chevrolet engine.

"It's wild ... the whole combination. The engine with the aluminum fly wheel and the five-speed transmission," he said.

He said he hopes those who see the Chevy at Midnight at the Oasis will enjoy it as much as he does.

"To me, this car had a neat story to tell. It wasn't so much about me as about the car," Riesland said.

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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at

sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.