MY BIRTHDAY

from My Cook Magazine -- July 2021

MY ART

BIRTHDAY

Doris Baldree, celebrated her 90th birthday on June 20, 2021 with lunch at her home, prepared by her children, grandchildren and their families. Submitted by Jan Godwin.

Essie Mae Allen’s 81st birthday party at her home in Adel. Submitted by Jacqueline Allen. Summer Reddick celebrated her 5th birthday on the first day of summer 2021 at home with her cousins. It was a frozen party and she dressed up as Elsa. Submitted by Jaycey Reddick.

By Charles Shiver

Y O MMO O TO R R O TO D

lan “Syko” Simmons is a longtime resident and owner of Syko Fabrications (“SykoFab”) in Cook County.

Syko provides a unique service to those residing in Cook County. He also provides services to those in the surrounding areas and to out-of-state clients by creating one-of-a-kind customizations for a multitude of different modes of transportation, along with collision repair.

He owns his “SykoFab” shop on Val-Del Road, where he does custom body work and adds adjustable suspensions and hydraulics to vehicles for friends and clients alike, building his brand. “SykoFab is not like some run-of-the-mill body shop,” he said.

Syko has recently been working on vehicles from Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., Colorado, and Florida. One vehicle is currently en route from Pennsylvania to Tampa, Fla., and it will end up in SykoFab for custom work. He offers services that are otherwise unavailable in this area.

Syko has worked on a custom paint job for a race car that competed at South Georgia Motorsports Park. “I do enjoy going out there,” he said. “I think it’s good that the drag strip is there.”

Syko explained that he does no advertising, and relies on positive word of mouth to draw new clients.

Syko takes pride in giving back to his community by purchasing supplies locally. He also mentors and trains young men in automobile bodywork and customizations. Currently, he has two apprentices who are learning the trade, Kyrin Howard of Valdosta and Dalton Sumner, 16, of Cook County. Syko hopes to hire them on eventually as his full-time shop employees.

Syko supports multiple charities and agencies. In 2017, he participated in a car show benefit at the Mitchell Street fairgrounds in the wake of the deadly tornado that swept through Sunshine Acres mobile home park on Caulie Harris Road. He also has participated in Toys for Tots, a huge event in Valdosta at the end of the year. A couple of years ago, all the gifts were stolen from Toys for Tots. Syko and other organizers conducted a toy drive and were able to collect the equivalent of about 80 percent of what was stolen, so the children could have a merry Christmas.

Syko also creates togetherness within the community through monthly car meets. Syko coordinates two events in Valdosta. Each month, weather permitting, a “Cars and Coffee” event is held in the parking lot of Wendy’s on Ashley Street in our neighboring community.

Syko would like to plan similar events in the Adel area.

One of his goals with the shows is to get young people interested in the cars and the work done on them, so future generations will be interested in continuing the hands-on tradition. All the events that Syko stages are kid- and family-friendly.

Syko is a native of Chicago, Ill. His father, the late Stephen Alex Simmons, was from this area. Syko’s dad retired as the longest employed person at Acme Steel in Chicago, having worked 44 years for the industry. Syko’s father and mother, the late Petra Simmons, first met in Chicago after Mr. Simmons was honorably discharged from the military. Syko’s uncle, the late Byrd Simmons, lived in this area. Syko is proud of his daughter, Katie Simmons of Tifton.

Syko has always had a passion for working on vehicles. He painted his first vehicle when he was 16.

Syko’s first Lincoln was a 1979 Mark V. It sparked his love for Lincolns as his No. 1 car. In January 2008, he bought his dream car, a “suicide door” 1962 Lincoln Continental (the door is hinged at the car’s rear rather than at the front). He immediately began reworking the Lincoln to suit his own predilections. A fresh coat of paint, some interior work, and new tires had “Black Sunshine” up and running. Since then, his car has become the world’s most driven 1960s Lincoln Continental with more than 100,000 miles since being built.

Syko travels to car shows all over the South to meet new car enthusiasts and build his client list, as well as to enjoy the friendly atmosphere and participate in show festivities.

Syko also created a club for fellow 1960s Lincoln Continental lovers named “Suicide Slabs,” which has members all over the world. Updates on the club may be found on Facebook (“Suicide Slabs”) and Instagram (suicide_slabs).

The club runs a magazine featuring members’ builds and tips on how to care for their cars. Syko said he is looking for a new publisher for the magazine so new issues can be released. He hopes that the next issue will be published either later this year or the first of 2022.

A new coat of paint was all “Black Sunshine” needed to become “The GoldShlager” to welcome the golden age of “Suicide Slabs” and SykoFab.

Syko is currently working on one of his most unusual projects, a 1984 American LaFrance fire truck. In South Carolina, he acquired the chassis truck, once a pumper-tanker used by the New York City Fire Department. There is no doubt the truck responded to fires and helped save lives in the Big Apple. Syko is redesigning the truck as a vehicle hauler for his and his client’s cars.

Another usual project has been a “super rare” 1956 Continental Mark II (which is not a Lincoln). Only 4,000 of these cars were ever built.

Syko keeps a low key approach, but a truck that Syko worked on was featured in the “Low Rider” national magazine in the late 1990s. He has made friends with some notable car custom work entrepreneurs over the years while visiting the shows, including Jeff Davy with Devious Customs in California and the Parker Brothers, who are known across the globe as custom motorcycle and custom car builders.