Paul & Millie Johnson
Paul & Millie w/their '75 Eldorado Paul & Millie at '04 Sunday Brunch
Millie @ Mancinis, Spring 2005 Paul @ Mancinis, Spring 2005 Paul sunning in Apache Junction AZ in '05
The '57 Vette was traded for the '70 Eldorado w/just 12,000 miles on it, + a boat load of cash, in late 2004
A story on Eldorados ran in the April 2004 Herald. Click Here to see that issue.
Paul & Millie Johnson, a really handsome couple, are both car enthusiasts, and fortunately for us, that includes Cadillac’s.
It also includes:
A 1925 Maxwell 2-door sedan Paul’s owned for 54 years. He got from his dad who bought it from Paul’s mother’s cousin for $25. It’s awaiting TLC, in the meantime it is being well guarded in a corner of the Lester Building by steamer trunks and assorted other treasures.
Next is a fully restored ’57 Fuel Injected Corvette that rated 97 points of a possible 100 by the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS). Paul has owned this car since 1967, over 37 years. Besides being a Fuelie, the Vette also has the super rare electric window option. Paul is a recognized authority on Corvettes, receiving many phone calls and e-mails from fellow enthusiasts across the country daily. Who knew?
A Motor Home and dingy tow car are the most recent additions to their fleet as they plan to travel even more now that Millie has joined Paul in retirement. The motor home is a 36.5 foot Itasca Horizon with a Banks Turbo Charged Cummins 350HP Diesel eng. The dingy in tow is a 2004 Olds Alero. It has the unusual feature of being able to be flat towed (all for wheels on the road) with an automatic transmission and without modifications.
There’s also an assortment of parts cars, trucks, trailers, a skid-steer loader and lawn tractor to support their fleet, special interest and acreage. Oh, don’t miss Millie’s father’s ’48 Ford F-1 pickup, all original and with plenty of patina. It was last licensed 30 years ago, in 1974. A wonderful street rod in the waiting.
Besides their own treasures there are plenty of friend’s and relative’s collectibles stored in Paul & Millie’s 55 x 80 clear span Lester Building. What a candy store for the eyes.
As for the Cadillac’s, they include:
A beautiful ’48 Fleetwood 4-door Sedan owned by Paul for 14 years. It has a 500CI Cadillac motor with a Turbo 400 Trans., electric windows, modern AC with the evaporator in the trunk. It’s FOR SALE for about $3 a pound, it weighs over 5000#.
Then there’s a ’48 Convertible in restoration, a twelve year project, so far, with a ’66 429CI Cadillac eng and Turbo Hydramatic. It’s been sub-framed with a ’66 Cadillac so it has power steering and brakes, otherwise it’s an original rust free car.
Their touring vehicle, a super clean ’75 Eldorado drop top, was bought new in Springfield, MO. Paul & Millie bought it 3.5 years ago from the owner of 4 Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. He had it at his Palm Desert home where it was too hot for a convertible. When Paul & Millie got it there were 16,000 clicks on the odometer. They have had it to 3 Grand Nationals and the 2004 CLC National Driving Tour in CO. Except for a new top, tires, belts & hoses the Jennifer Blue Eldo is original and now shows 30,000 miles. It is affectionately known as Jennifer.
And finally there’s Millie’s 1996 Seville STS daily driver.
One of the uniqueness’ of this story is that Millie is the one who claims to be the “Hot Rodder” in the family, at least prior to 1st meeting Paul at a GSTA (Gopher State Timing Assoc.) Show. Paul was there as voluntary help in the “Headers by Ed” booth. They were both Hot Rodders at that point. Millie used to drag at Minnesota Dragways in Coon Rapids. Millie drove a “C” Modified FORD. She drove from a lawn chair behind the steering wheel. Paul also dragged at Minnesota Dragways in the early ‘60’s with his ’61 Chev Impala 2-door post with a 348CI and 4-speed. The time slips show he made it down the track in the 14’s and in the low 90MPH range.
Later, Millie interviewed with Paul for a change in departments, much to their surprise they both worked for the same company and had many common interest. Paul hired Millie to work in data processing for Northwestern National Life Insurance. Millie retired from there recently, after over 40 years.
Paul and Millie are lifetime MSRA (Minnesota Street Rod Assoc) members, NCRS members, AACA (Antique Auto Club of Amer) members and have been Cadillac LaSalle Club members for the last five years. Paul & Millie not only are active CLC members, but are board members of our NorthStar Region, plus they host our Club’s Annual Fall Tour. Oh, by the way, they collect Mansions too. In their travels they search out, and tour, Mansions.
The first NorthStar Region event they attended was the driving tour to Clear Lake, IA in the spring of 2001. Since then they have hardly missed a club event. One of the reasons they got, and stayed, active was, and is, the friendly nature of the people. The Johnson’s are part of the great people that make CLC what it is. Meet and greet them at your next CLC event.
by Roy Boone, Herald Columnist & Club Webmaster