She got involved with real cars because her grandfather did body work. She later ran her father-in-law's body shop and, as a hobby, built race cars.

So it's no surprise that the former tomboy - "The closest I got to Barbie dolls was G.I Joes," she says - is running her own car repair business in Salt Lake County.

In fact, it's something Hunt and her younger brother, 32-year-old Adam Beazer, have talked about since they were kids.

"We've always had a dream to own our own shop," says Hunt, a 37-year-old single mother of two.

Their shop, A'Dee'Lin Auto, is located at 3875 S. 900 East.

It's hard to find because the shop is down an alley and tucked behind another business.

But Hunt says customers - especially women - who make the effort to get there will be pleased they did.

Hunt says they fix all makes of cars, charge reasonable prices and guarantee all their work.

In addition, Hunt promises to always tell her customers - especially the women - nothing but the truth. She says that's something women can't always expect from male mechanics.

Hunt recalled the time that a mechanic tried to sell her "blinker fluid."

"When you're a female, they see you coming," Hunt says. "We're trying to change that. We're not going to fix something that's not broken."

Most repairs are done by Hunt's brother; her boyfriend, Alahn Schweppe, and her cousin, Don Hensley.

Hunt says she would "love" to hire a female mechanic, but hasn't been able to find one.

Hunt herself performs safety inspections, helps the men when they get behind and works on her own five cars.

"But, for the most part, I boss people around," she says, grinning.

Hensley confides that he has no problem working for a woman. "I don't mind," he says. "Hey, we all take orders from our wives."

The business opened last April with help from Hunt's friend, Linda Hill, a retired computer programmer.

"Linda made it happen," Hunt says. "She did the financing."

Says Hill, "I have the utmost confidence that she can make this work. I've never seen her fail at anything she's put her mind to."

The name of the business - A'Dee'Lin - was formed from the first names of Adam Beazer, Dee Hunt and Linda Hill.

Hunt says the hardest part of running the repair shop has been "the ups and downs," not knowing how much work they will get on any given day.

She says she hopes to remedy that with an advertising campaign and by landing a client with a fleet of cars that need regular service, like a rent-a-car business.

Hunt says the best part of the job is "working as a team" with people she likes.

"It's really kind of a family thing," she says.

shunt@sltrib.com

Editor's note: Dee Hunt is not related to reporter Stephen Hunt.