MANSFIELD – John Matthes and Dave Paone call themselves “car-oholics.”
Try as they might, the smell of leather seats or the sight of a polished antique car seem to trigger their excitatory neurotransmitters, often leading them to add yet another vehicle to their already expansive collection.
“We have old-car-itis,” 63-year-old Matthes said, “It’s a rare form of collecting vehicles. You can’t stop. There’s no cure, but if they ever find a cure, I hope I’m nowhere near it.”
After a warehouse flood at Johnny’s Mattress & Furniture Superstore forced its owner, Matthes, to make due with less space for some time, he realized new potential for the space, a second location for his longtime friend’s Panoe’s Quality Pre-Owned Dealership.
“The flood caused us to move all of our furniture from the wet side to the dry side,” Matthes said. “And at that point, we had to tear the building apart. Everything was pretty well gutted, except the parts that didn’t get wet.”
In the meantime, he didn’t purchase more merchandise.
“When the building got back together, I didn’t have much of anything to bring over here and put in the new warehouse,” Matthes said.
The three empty rooms looked like an ideal sales offices for a car dealership, and the parking lot outside was unoccupied.
So, he called his friend, who had more experience in that type of business.
“I said, ‘Dave, I’ve got a deal for you that I don’t know how you can refuse it. It’s free rent, free overhead. I’m ready to go.”
Matthes promised to buy the cars if Paone could supply the dealership license.
Earlier this summer, both followed through on their end of the bargain, becoming co-owners of what they call “Paone’s 2.0” at 1512 Ashland Rd. The new dealership is Paone’s second location. His first opened 33 years ago at 3120 Park Ave. West in Ontario.
Their intention is to create a “relaxed” car-buying experience for customers.
“We enjoy what we’re doing and we’re trying to help people,” the 68-year-old Paone said.
Matthes added, “We’re here because we want to be, not because we have to be. Don’t owe a dime on the cars out there.”
In early August, the dealership had about 50 cars for sale. They ranged from $2,500 to $12,000, with most between $5,000 and $10,000 and all under Kelly Blue Book value.
It currently specializes in unusual and antique vehicles, but the owners hope to bring in more 4-wheel drive and SUV options later this year.
List price for every car includes a 3-month or 4,500 miles warranty. Customers can choose to add a 4-year bumper to bumper warranty for an additional cost.
The business is now being run by Paone, Matthes and one part-time, formerly retired salesman, Ed Jonnet, who is known as “Jumpin’ Ed” for a radio commercial he recorded in the 1980s.
“I jumped up and down to create the notion that I was on a pogo stick,” he said.
The 69-year-old man was coaxed out of retirement when he admitted to Matthes that he was bored.
“I said, ‘Well I have the cure for that. I’ll see you Monday,” Matthes recalled the conversation.
Jonnet enjoys the laid-back sales approach or the lack of a “pressure-cooker-like office,” and the dealership owners feel lucky to have him on-board.
“It is real nice to have an organization where you’ve got people working together, and jumping Ed was just like putting the icing on the cake for us,” Paone said.
