Dad's old Model T Ford remembered
Published Friday July 18th, 2008
Helen Waun reads CarStory in the Strathroy (Ontario) Age Dispatch:
"I love these car stories. Keep them coming!
"My dad owned a Model T Ford when I came along. It was black with front and back seats and side curtains to snap on when the need arose.
"It had a crank that hung down in front below the radiator and a little wire to pull to give her some gas. It would snort and burp as Dad cranked and cranked. Finally it began to 'purr.'
"No gear shift, controlled with a foot pedal, also a brake pedal and emergency brake. The gas was controlled (very carefully) by a lever under the steering wheel.
"Dad never drove it in the winter. It was stored in the garage with water drained and blocks put under the axles to keep the weight off the tires, never to appear again till late spring when the muddy roads dried up.
"Sis and I loved to get in for a ride. Dad didn't take us kids to town but gave us a short ride down the road, then let us out and we walked home (big deal!). Later on, we got to go to town with brother Bob.
"Around the corner and over the bridge and half way up the big hill, we had to push it and push it with a block behind the wheel until we reached the top, jumped back in, and yelled 'Arkona, here we come!' I think Sis and I may have had a nickel or dime to spend.
"One day I asked my brother to let me drive. He did, and I did, over a flower bed, stones and all. He got her stopped before we hit the fence. Never again!"
That Model T that Helen drove through the flower bed was one of over 15 million built by Henry Ford from 1908 to 1927. The story continues . . .
"Later on, Dad traded the Model T for a new Model A (built from 1928 to 1931). Boy, was she nice! She had a gear shift. Dad didn't know how to drive it so Bob took him out to the hay field and taught him how to shift gears.
"The highlight for us kids each summer was our trip to Ipperwash and Kettle Point. We had no bathing suits and wore our dresses in the water. Mother packed a delicious lunch, which we ate along with the sand. Then the long way home, usually one flat tire, maybe three, but we always made it.
"Later, I got married and left home, only to learn my father-in-law had a Star car (built by Durant). But that's another story . . ."
* Bill Sherk is an automobile historian who has had a passion for the topic since his days pumping gas as a teenager. We want to say thank you to our readers who send in their stories. We are giving a copy of Bill Sherk's book, 60 Years Behind the Wheel: The Cars We Drove in Canada 1900-1960 to each reader whose story is published in Car Story. To share your stories or photos e-mail bill@carstory.com or write Bill Sherk, 33 Oak St. E., P.O. Box 10012, Leamington, ON N8H 2C3.
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