VIDALIA, La. &045; Mike Garretson and his father, Lee, are doing more in their backyard shop than helping Mike’s son, Quentin, build his first car.

They’re passing on a family tradition &045; their love of classic and custom cars, and of building projects from the ground up with their own two hands.

And in the process, they’re building shared memories that may last even longer than the vehicles they rebuild with loving care.

Stepping into the front door of Mike’s backyard shop, one only sees the frame of what will be 16-year-old Quentin’s first car, a rebuilt 1984 Chevy truck.

But Quentin can tell you what it will look like when it’s through. &uot;Two-toned, with gray on the top and black on the bottom, and a red pinstripe running between the black and the gray,&uot; he said, running his finger down an imaginary pinstripe in the air.

If his voice betrays a hint of excitement about a custom-built car, he got it honest &045; from his father, Mike, who estimates he’s rebuilt about 12 vehicles in his time. Those have included a ’57 Chevy, El Caminos, dune buggies, a couple of Harleys and even a circa 1950s Cushman motor scooter.

But Mike’s pride and joy was a 1946 Ford Coupe whose 383 Chevy engine he couldn’t resist revving before gently backing it out of the garage of their home just outside Vidalia.

Outside, the black finish shined like patent leather Sunday shoes. The red interior &045; not quite finished, Mike said &045; featured touches such as an 8-ball doubling as a gear shift handle. The Coupe also has modern touches such as cruise control and a Sony stereo that can play up eight hours of MP3 tunes &045; perfect for traveling to the car shows they frequent throughout the region.

&uot;Most of what you’ll hear on it are classic rock, oldies and classic country,&uot; Mike said.

As you might expect from a classic car buff.

The Coupe is an example of teamwork among the three generations.

Lee, a welder and fabricator by trade, did his share of that work. Quentin’s tasks included helping his dad work the dents out of the car’s roof. &uot;It had been stomped in,&uot; Mike said, glancing over at a roof that showed no sign of dents.

In the shop, Mike said it costs $5,000 to $6,000 to rebuild a car, while a decent used one could be found for half that price. &uot;But every piece of this will be either new or restored,&uot; Mike said. &uot;It’s a chance to show my son what goes into (rebuilding) a car. … And it’s something we can do together.&uot;