Day: June 10, 2021

Tesla might be opening a showroom and service center in Mishawaka

By Michael J. Moody 5 days ago

With an undisclosed “high-end” electric car maker looking to open a showroom and service center in Mishawaka, some nearby residents think all the signs point to one company: Tesla.

The Mishawaka Plan Commission voted 4-3 this week in favor of a proposal by a Chicago-based developer to convert the former JC Penney Home Store, at Grape and Cleveland roads, into a 36,000-square-foot automotive facility.

Chris Sotos, a representative of Key Development Partners, told the commission his company has a contract to buy the site from its local owner and lease it to the auto company.

Sotos did not name the prospective tenant but described it as a “high-end electric automobile, solar power and renewable energy” company.

A rendering of a proposed electric car showroom and service center planned for Mishawaka.

When The Tribune asked whether that tenant would be Tesla, Mishawaka City Planner Ken Prince said the developer had not disclosed that information to the city.

But some aspects of the plan are consistent

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Found! 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger With 904 Automatic Transmission Intact

By Michael J. Moody 5 days ago

Nikki Dart—a classic car and vintage big-rig enthusiast, automotive mechanic, and truck driver—locates her dream car.



000_Dodge Dart Swinger_engine bay-ryan-lugo


© Nikki Dart
000_Dodge Dart Swinger_engine bay-ryan-lugo

During some late-night perusing of the online classifieds, Nikki Dart abruptly stopped scrolling when she came across a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger with the original slant-six and 904 automatic transmission intact. By the next afternoon, she was handing over a deposit to hold the vehicle (which still boasts the OG paint and sheetmetal) until the next day when she could get it evaluated. While the evaluation went off without a hitch, the journey home was a little rocky, as the Swinger stalled a handful of times on the 45-minute drive to Montreal, Canada.



a person standing in front of a car parked in a parking lot


© Nikki Dart


This, however, did not deter Nikki, a longtime gearhead who has had an affinity for vehicles since she was little. “It started when my father bought his 1974 Corvette when I

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