2004 "Start-Up" Car
for Missouri Valley Region

6/7/04 -- Acquired recently by Mark Schenberg on ebay, this Model "A" will be the 11th Model "A" Ford started at Terry Oberer's annual summer start-up party.

Start-Up Party July 18th
by Terry Oberer 636.677.7201

By popular demand there will be an eleventh annual Start-Up party at my home in Byrnes Mill. Member Jack Rehagen is co-coordinating the event and has the sign up sheet. Please call him at 314.423.1959 before Wednesday July 14 if you plan to attend. He needs to have an accurate head count to assure a smooth running event.

This year we will start the activities at 11 am as I believe it will take some time to get the 1930 Fordor that Mark Schenberg recently purchased just for this event ready to start.

The car is in very ROUGH condition with no cylinder head and a burned exhaust valve. It last ran in 1953 and sat since then, minus the head in a dirt floor garage. Time and neglect took its toll on the car. The engine was severely seized when Mark and I unloaded it at my home. After an hour's toil including the use of a 6 foot pipe on a breaker bar and a 12 pound sledge on the pistons, along with a liberal amount of "Liquid Wrench" the engine now turns. The remaining work is left for the party! I believe this one will be our greatest challenge.

So, those of you who want to participate in bringing life into this long dormant relic, wear your work clothes and learn what it takes get it to run and drive. Everyone else is asked to enjoy the antics and spend an afternoon of fun and games including a tour of Byrnes Mill in our antique cars.

Dress is casual (very) appropriate for a warm July afternoon. Bring a covered dish, or dessert (or what ever your specialty is) along with lawn chairs. The club will furnish the drinks (beer and soda) and a barbecue. Model "A's" will park in my front yard and we'll hide the modern irons in the woods or at the neighbor's driveways. This has always been a fun and popular event so please drive your "A" and see if we can create a traffic jam of antique cars out here. The party goes till nightfall.

July 18, 2004 -- It runs!
(and has been sold on ebay)

Excerpted from the owner's description on ebay:

This is a 1930 Model "A" Ford Town Sedan; it is a complete running, drivable car, with a valid title. It will require extensive rust repair, as well as fenders & aprons to restore body. It does have some "choice" pieces such as the original radiator, many good glass and door parts and complete driving chassis.

It's a Briggs body car originally painted Washington blue. The hood is good, but not shown in the picture. Please note, this is no cream puff. It will require lots of TLC to make this car pretty again.

The chassis is complete, very original and very rusty. Many people I have talked to say it would make a fine street rod. You decide. It has 16" 1935 Ford wheels on it now. There is some original upholstery, but nothing worth saving, except perhaps the seat springs. Feel free to e-mail me (from ebay) with questions, I will be out of town from Thursday on, so I will do my best to respond as soon as possible. Again this vehicle can be driven onto your trailer & towed to its new home. Good Luck!

Start Up Party
by Mark Schenberg 314.991.2277

The startup party was fantastic; I want to thank the "Guru," Terry Oberer for presiding over the surgical procedures and providing CPR to "Tootsie" the 1930 Model "A" Sedan. Tootsie was last run in 1952. I purchased her just for the startup party, which went off without a hitch ...

Thanks to all of the operating room staff we had Tootsie up, and running up and down, Traci Lane in a mere 47 minutes.

In that time we installed a cylinder head, water pump, belt, generator, distributor, spark plugs, battery, radiator hoses, fuel supply, ignition wiring and a temporary fuel supply. We timed the engine, filled the radiator and capped it off with a Bud Light can. Then, with a cloud of smoke she came to life!

We did have a leaking artery (water pipe), but patched it up with a Tootsie Roll.

I want to add special THANKS to Jack Rehagen for spearheading the party -- and our fine staff of cooks!

I also want to thank Phil Ierardi for providing the party cake, and all of the club members, family and friends who brought such wonderful eats.

Terry, lets do it again next year!

A footnote about Tootsie: She was too rough to restore the way I wanted. So, she went back on eBay.

A fine gentlemen purchased her and she is now home in Rochester MN. Her new life will be for parades as a "Tobacco Road" car -- one that's rough, with chicken crates and other stuff hanging off her.

When it came time for trip to her new home, Tootsie started right up and jumped on the trailer. She's the perfect car for her new role.

For more neat old ford stuff, click here:
www.grantmaclaren.com