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Dewight Smith of The Hillbilly Shop will be holding a Customer Appreciation Day from 5 p.m. until the food runs out on Saturday, August 9, as he celebrates being in business for right at a year. He will have pork and brisket. If you want something to go with it you can bring it. Dewight says he doesn’t have to have much excuse to barbecue and everyone is welcome.
The Hillbilly Shop is open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to dark. Dewight works construction in the city during the week.
Dewight buys used golf carts in the city and brings them to his shop, located at 601 North Main, the north end of Gallatin, where he services them, does custom paint jobs, refurbishes them, and adds lift kits to elevate the frame, and whatever else is needed to get them in working order.
He’s not limited to pre-owned models. He can buy brand new golf carts wholesale from a company in the city. E-Z-GO brand sells from $5,500 to $6,500, depending on what you want and what equipment is on them. He can also get Bad Boy Buggies. These are a battery run, four-wheel drive utility cart.
"Everybody is looking for a cheap golf cart, but there is no such thing," Dewight said. "You can spend $500 for a cart, but then have to add another $1,000 to make it road worthy."
Prices vary. He has presently available in his shop a 1992 electric E-Z-GO for $1,400. His most expensive is a 2003 gas model for $2,950.
Dewight can customize a golf cart any way you want it, from traditional basic models to deluxe versions to souped up hot rods. He can add an air conditioner or he can put on cold weather covers and heaters for winter driving. The options are pretty much endless <197> CD players, lift kits, big wheels, fancy hubcaps.
"What you can do to a car or a pickup or a motorcycle is what I can do to a golf cart. It’s however deep your check book goes."
He takes pride in his work.
"I’m not a good salesman, so I have to let the golf cart sell itself," he said.
Dewight offers free delivery and pick up and gets a lot of business from the Daviess County Country Club. He can go to Lake Viking after 5 p.m.
The Hillbilly Shop has both electric and gas run golf carts. Electric golf carts are limited to 12 miles per hour. Dewight says you can get four hours of riding time before you have to charge the battery for eight hours. On the gas models you can get four hours of riding time for about $3 worth of gas.
He can take more work and walk-ins are welcome.
This winter, after he is laid off from his construction job, he’ll be open at the shop from dusk to dawn. It’s a good time to take your cart in for service. The Hillbilly Shop also takes consignments, if you have anything for sale. Dewight also offers portable welding.
Dewight says he’s not sure when a golf cart becomes ‘street legal.’
"I’m a simple kind of guy," he said. "When it comes to the legalities, I’ll leave that up to somebody smarter than me."
He does understand from talking to city officials that there is a gray area between four wheelers and golf carts and that state law is in limbo on the matter.
He says he has no problem if the city does want to pass an ordinance and enforce safety standards.
"I have no problem with that; I’m all for making them safe," he said. "Now, banning golf carts, I’d have a problem with that."