Coffey Park man vows to bring back to life vintage Chevy damaged in wildfire

As the Tubbs fire tore through Steve and Wendy Johnson’s Coffey Park home last October, it took everything: Their house, their photographs, the brand-new laptop Steve Johnson had bought a couple weeks before.

It took the building out back that served as his shop, along with all of his tools, racing memorabilia plastered on the walls, rare Schwinn Krate bikes and Hot Wheels collections, and the vintage cars he lovingly worked to restore over the years, including a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 427, 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix and 1968 Corvette Roadster.

The fire tried to take his black 1956 Chevrolet 210 Gasser, too, but Steve Johnson wouldn’t let it.

As his wife doused their home with water from the garden hose, he quickly pulled the car out of his shop and parked it in the driveway - giving it what he thought would be its best shot at surviving the oncoming blaze. The heat shattered the Gasser’s windows, melted its headlamps and seriously damaged its paint job, but it made it.

That car, fire damage and all, was parked in Santa Rosa’s Juilliard Park on Sunday, one of 400 on hand for the 24th annual Father’s Day Show and Shine Car Show. The event drew spectators from all over the North Bay, including a handful of people who lost their cars in the October fires, organizer John Bly said.

With a painted “Rising from the Ashes” sign perched on its windshield, the Johnsons’ car was parked in the shade of a giant oak tree Sunday.

“That’s a Coffey Park survivor right there,” said Steve Johnson, 51.

“It was burned, but it wasn’t burned so bad that I couldn’t bring it back to life. … I just love it.”

The car, he said, tells its own story now.

Throughout the day, strangers walked up to ask about the Chevy, nicknamed “Ratso,” and to share photographs they had taken of it in the past, recognizing it from previous car shows.

After taking stock of their losses, Wendy Johnson, 51, got started on the home-rebuilding process right away.

They plan to be back in their home on Kona Place by Thanksgiving.

Until then, the husband and wife are living in their trailer, parked on property owned by Steve Johnson’s boss.

Ratso is living at his friend’s shop. It took until this spring for Steve Johnson to muster the mental strength to work on the car he so loved, and that he estimated used to be worth about $75,000.

“I couldn’t even look at it,” he said. “I was depressed. I was distraught. … To see it look like 75 cents now, it’s tough.”

About two months ago, he decided it was time. He replaced the rear tires and the engine. He rebuilt the carburetors and put in new seats and a new fuel system.

“I refuse to let it die,” he said. “That’s kind of who I am. I’m never going to give up.”

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.