Member Profile

    This issue's member spotlight is on Otis Bailey, Jr. Otis is 54 and was married for the first time in 2005 to Lolita Henderson. Otis met Lolita in '02 at a buddy's church. They live in the Clayton area. Otis was born and raised in North Carolina and graduated in '71 from South Iredell HS in Troutman, NC, where he lettered in football, wrestling, and track. He moved to Indiana in 1979 after graduating from A & T State University in Greensboro N.C. with a B.S. in Automotive Engineering Technology. He was a high school teacher in North Carolina for one year after college, and then worked for Allison Transmission for 28 years where he's still employed. He planned to work for GM for 3 years then move to California but obviously that changed and he's happy it did.
  Otis hasn't been seen much lately at club events due to his being busy making home improvements and building a garage/shop for his cars (see pictures and info in the Member Project article). He owns a very pristine '67 Chevelle SS396 as well as the '57 Chevy and '63 Chevy II described below, also a '74 Olds Cutlass he bought new.
  Otis has been a car guy since early childhood. He started building his first car, a '56 Chevy, at age 14. He built it initially as just a driver but couldn't stop there and it ended up being possibly the best appearing car he's ever owned. He re-assembled the power-train from parts he found in local junkyards, including a 283 which was potent at the time. His second car was a '57 Chevy that he drove for 3 years until he started college. The 57 has been stored in his dad's barn since 1973 along with his third car, a '63 Chevy II. The Chevy II was originally a 6 cyl but Otis built a 331 small block for it that made it very successful as a street/drag car for some time. In 2006 he had both the '57 and '63 transported to his home in Clayton. The plans he had for the Chevy II have changed slightly since Lolita has decided that she wants to drive it. He plans to start on the Chevy II this winter after completing some other major projects. The garage

is about 90 % complete but will probably truthfully never be 100% complete as it changes regularly.
  Lolita graduated in '72 from Crispus Attucks HS in Indy. She is an accomplished artist and is an usher at her church. She enjoys baking and reading.  Lolita has been employed at the U.S. Postal Service for 30+ years. Her mother, daughter and a granddaughter reside in Indy.
Otis's hobbies and interests include car building and tinkering, attending drag racing events and watching on television, yard work when he needs to take a break from cars, small engines, cooking fishing, hunting, and people watching.
  Some interesting cars he's owned include: '56 Chevy Bel Air, '57 Chevy Bel Air (still has), '60 Chevy Impala, '63 Chevy II (still has), '67 Chevelle SS396 L-78 (still has), '68 Modified Chevy Van, '69 Camaro big block, '74 Olds Cutlass (1^st new car and still has), '80 Chevy Blazer, '86 Corvette and a '92 Eldorado Touring Coupe

   Florence Collins, Pittsboro

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