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South Charleston man puts scrap to good use

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By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer 6:42 PM Saturday, November 21, 2009

URBANA — Area students, and those who have attended local parades recently, may have noticed a small, antique paddy wagon often used by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office that draws long lines of children.

But the wagon, which was given to the sheriff’s office years ago, is just one of several similar vehicles Dennis Klontz has designed over the years in his South Charleston garage.

Many who live in South Charleston are likely already familiar with Klontz and his hobby. In the past, he’s turned heads when he cruised down the street in a coffin he had converted into a motorized vehicle.

Among his other inventions in recent years, he’s designed a miniature fire truck and a small jeep he created from spare parts of an all-terrain vehicle.

“A lot of people say they come by my house just to see what’s on the corner,” Klontz said.

A former truck driver, Klontz isn’t sure exactly where he developed his aptitude for designing and modifying vehicles. Generally, the machines are designed from scrap metal that he buys. Sometimes, friends and neighbors have donated spare parts as well.

“I just start thinking of things to do and it just sort of evolved,” he said of his hobby.

Some of the projects have been complicated, but once Klontz starts a project, he said it’s hard for him to stop until it’s complete.

While Mackenzee Rose Klontz, his granddaughter, liked the coffin, Klontz said he was particularly proud of the jeep, which can travel as fast as 40 miles per hour.

He doesn’t make much money from selling the machines after buying the scrap metal, but he enjoys the work, Klontz said.

“I’ve got a snow blower that would just blow you away,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.

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