Shared passions can often connect strangers in unforeseen places.
In the case of Teresa Greiner of Wernersville and Craig Schaffer of South Heidelberg Township, their enthusiasm for the famous orange-red car of the popular 1980s television series “The Dukes of Hazzard” resulted in an unexpected meeting at a supermarket parking lot in recent months.
However, the story about their “General Lee” starts a few years before. At the time, Greiner and her husband Rob, both muscle car enthusiasts, decided to rent a Dodge Charger for a weekend trip to see if they would like to purchase the car.
“I liked driving it,” Greiner said, who lived in York County at the time. “We contacted a Dodge dealership in Lancaster and told them we wanted a similar car, but in orange with black stripes.”
The dealership located an orange and black 2012 Dodge Challenger with only 100 miles, and the Greiners bought the car in May 2012, trading in their Jeep and two-seater BMW Z4.
“Rob wanted to add the Confederate flag and 01 on the door,” she said. “I like ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ but I am not a flashy person, so I told him when I can wear ‘Daisy Dukes,’ you can put those decals on the car.”
Of note, the General Lee in the television series was a 1969 Dodge Charger. However, today’s Dodge Charger is a four-door sedan, whereas the Dodge Challenger is the sports coupe. Despite the differences, both are considered powerful muscle cars with plenty of horsepower to outrun Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.
A few months after purchasing the car, the Greiners moved to Georgia where Rob started a new job in January 2013.
“Rob was born in the North, but it always seemed like he belonged in the South,” she said, noting that their car was a good fit with their new environment, especially since the Dukes of Hazzard was set in Georgia.
As the Greiners settled in, however, a crash claimed Rob’s life in August 2013. Following his death, Teresa returned to Pennsylvania to be closer to her family.
“I still had our car, but I discovered it was not good to drive in the snow and the winter of 2013-14 was challenging,” she said.
Since she could not afford two cars, Greiner contacted Eric Savage of Freedom Toyota in Tilden Township to sell the car and lease a Toyota RAV-4.
“It was hard giving up the car, because it had a lot of sentimental value, and Rob loved it,” she said. “After selling it, I always wondered what happened to it.”
A few months ago, she found out.
“I was at the dry cleaner’s in Spring Township, and I saw this orange Dodge Challenger with black stripes and darkened windows, and I just had this feeling that it might be the car,” Greiner said.
She followed the car into the Giant parking lot and pulled up behind it.
“I was thinking this person must think I lost my mind, but I learned from my husband’s accident that you need to seize the moment and not wait for another day,” she said. “So, I approached him and asked him where he got the car.”
Schaffer confirmed that he purchased the car from the Tilden Township dealership in August 2014. He previously owned a Hyundai Elantra, but he was in a car accident and needed to purchase a new car.
As an avid “Dukes of Hazzard” fan, Schaffer was happy to find such a car and transform it into a General Lee.
“I did research on the internet and found the measurements for the decals for the car,” said Schaffer, who is an illustrator and columnist at the Reading Eagle.
After creating the decals, he sent his computer files to SignPros in Blandon to create magnetic decals. Schaffer applies the decals on weekends and for car shows, but he doesn’t use them all time.
“I’ve made some small modifications to the car, adding a shift knob and Dixie horn,” he said. “My 8-year-old son loves it, and my wife, Kristen, couldn’t say no after we test drove it.”
When Schaffer met Greiner, he did not have the decals on the car, but told her about them. She gave him a second key fob she had kept for sentimental reasons and showed him her husband’s obituary.
Schaffer invited Greiner to his house, so she could see the car with the General Lee decals. Coincidentally, they only live several miles apart.
“I’m thrilled that someone purchased the car and loves it as much as we did,” Greiner said. “It means a lot to me that Craig loves the car as much as Rob did.”
Contact Diane VanDyke: drive@readingeagle.com.
