BETHEL — Frank Severance is starting over.

After losing his home and job at a West Paris restoration shop, the auto restoration professional and Gulf War veteran is starting his own business in a friend’s garage off East Bethel Road.

At his new venture, Fast Dreams Auto Body, Severance said he hopes to use the reputation he’s built up in recent years. The owner of the garage is Echoo Corliss, who brought her 1982 Pontiac Trans Am to Severance early this year when he was working for Mason Restoration.

“I wasn’t an easy customer to deal with,” Corliss said. She said she visited the shop every day to check on her car. Severance stripped the paint off, filled in the dents, repainted the car and buffed it. Corliss said the car picked up first prize at a show in North Conway, N.H., and third prize in Andover.

Severance has started over before. Two years ago, the 23-year Army veteran was working and living at the Trinity Men’s Shelter in Showhegan, and working on the side for a trucking company.

He helped build the two-story shelter, which is next to the Trinity Evangelical Free Church, after the church was told it couldn’t house people anymore. He was a staff member, and calls Pastor Richard Berry his friend and spiritual adviser.

Last week, Severance proudly showed a photo album of Corliss’ car, pointing out each step of the restoration process. She created the album to document her car’s restoration from the dented, dull blue thing it was a year ago.

Severence said he hopes the reputation he’s built up over the years will help him.

“I’ve got a lot of promises on work, but it’s real slow,” he said. “I’m just hoping more and more people will come.”

treaves@sunjournal.com

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