Judith Gately turned the town teal. Terri Shibles of Ocean Ave. died of ovarian cancer in 2013. Judith working with Terri's husband John Shibles and Terri's friends, had Borough Council declare September Turn the Town Teal Month, and teal ribbons decorated structures around town. A Boardwalk stroll remembered Terri, raised money and brought the community together. Terri was also responsible for one of the most rare buildings in town, John's Backdoor Garage.
John, a top commercial real estate broker and SVP at Sitar Agency, owned an office building on rt.71 and Brooklyn Blvd. He was a car buff and had been restoring muscle cars from the 50s. As he became more dedicated to the hobby, he sought out the more rare cars of the 1930s. Terri encouraged John to do it big. And he did. Some of his cars cost over $1 million before restoration, and the quality of cars John acquired sell for tens of millions at auction.
John with one of his projects. (Shibles Garage)
John whose house at the foot of Trenton Blvd had a pirate peering off his oceanfront deck, created an amusement park of sorts for car enthusiasts in the little garage. In addition to room for at least 12 cars, every wall in the garage was decorated. Kevin Hammell created a 1930s downtown scene for John. Some of it a nod to Sea Girt with a Guinco's market, an Esso Station and throwback character cutouts. There was a movie theater to celebrate the Hollywood history of the ‘29 Dusenberg he was working on, and a wall of Sea Girt history. There was a platform set up like a man cave. He upgraded his cars to world-class, one-of-a-kind restorations. His goal was to be invited to the Concourse d’Ellegance, at Pebble Beach, California, the Super Bowl for vintage automobiles.
Guinco’s had a spot in the 1930s town
John Estelle, his curator and head restoration expert, knew exactly what judges were looking for. Not only was he invited, but three of Shibel’s cars in the garage won first-place awards at Pebble Beach, “The world’s premier celebration of the automobile since 1950”.
The lineup of cars in ‘23
The Backdoor Garage welcomed Sea Girt neighbors who wandered in, and the cars were part of Sea Girt’s many classic car shows. Sea Girt Library sponsored several open houses at the garage to view the collection.
John’s beach wagon was often at the house on Trenton
John married Jill Devlin, an art and auto enthusiast, in 2020, and they continued together in the hobby until John Shibels passed away in 2023 at age 75. Jill continued to share the collection with the town. When John Estell passed in 2024, the collection seemed destined to be broken up and sold off.
