The Full Story

Shawn started professionally in the car industry at 18, way back in 1993, but his affinity for classic automobiles began in 1979 with a junkyard 1968 Camaro that his dad literally dragged home. It had no doghouse, front suspension, or window glass, so it was a frame and shell with a rear end. He and his father worked on it

The Full Story

Shawn started professionally in the car industry at 18, way back in 1993, but his affinity for classic automobiles began in 1979 with a junkyard 1968 Camaro that his dad literally dragged home. It had no doghouse, front suspension, or window glass, so it was a frame and shell with a rear end. He and his father worked on it for several years, trading for parts, using a tree as a cherry picker to install the motor, and scouring local junkyards for parts to restore it to its former glory. Remember, there wasn't eBay or Amazon back then!

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As with anything in the 1970s and 1980s, the coal business was very volatile. It was basically feast or famine. His dad (Richard) sold the car for $900 to pay the bills after he was laid off for an extended period and to feed his family until the mines reopened. 

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Shawn spent years after he finally purchased a classic searching for the car. That search ended in 1999, when it was finally found, only to have been wrapped around a tree in Tennessee the month before. 

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​Fast-forward to 2014, and Shawn met Ms. Cyndi. After spending a year talking her into marrying him, they traveled the South managing dealerships and setting up shop in Bowling Green, KY, home of the Corvette. Cyndi provides day-to-day support with billing and appointment scheduling and generally tries to keep Shawn in line. ​​

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The hunt for the car invigorated Shawn. He's owned well over 400 classics over the years. He's bought and sold at Mecum, Barrett Jackson, and GAA Classic Car Auctions, as well as many local and regional sales. He's been a used car director, used car manager, general manager, general sales manager, and business owner for well over 35 years now. 

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After hearing the many horror stories from friends of friends being scammed out of deposits or even complete payments for vehicles that have never existed, he decided to launch ACA Appraisals; not only does this company do insurance appraisals and virtual inspection reports, but we also provide physical inspections for potential buyers across the country to provide a solution to the modern-day scams. It's well worth spending a few hundred dollars to potentially save thousands of dollars on a vehicle that doesn't even belong to the person "selling" it.