|
Iowa Fords By David G. Hack Freelance Writer C.R. Widow has family link to Henry Ford According to Mary F. Gray, widow of prominent Cedar Rapids lawyer Bill Gray, the Gray family had a direct link to the Ford family in Michigan. Living across the road from the Fords and the Edsels, Bill Gray’s grandfather, John Gray, went to school with Henry Ford’s mother. The Grays eventually left Michigan, but when John and his brother George returned for a visit in 1910, they were warmly received by none other than Henry Ford. During their visit, this photo was taken. The car in the background is one that Henry Ford used to take visitors around the Ford factory. Left to right: Henry Ford, John Gray, George Gray and an unnamed associate. 1903 Runabout – Leland Votroubek Sometimes a passion passes from generation to generation as easily as a material object. Such is the case for Leland Votroubek of Cedar Rapids. Since the late 1960s Votroubek and his father, Leonard, have rebuilt hundreds of old Fords. The personal connections with Fords go back to a 1915 Model T Touring car that was Votroubek’s grandfather’s first automobile ride. In 1967 Votroubek’s uncle knew the farm where that very car had been used to power a grain elevator. Votroubek eventually bought it and with seven years labor he and his father had restored it to running condition. Today, the Votroubek’s have no less that eight Fords in various stages of restoration. The pride of their collection, however, is a 1903 Ford Runabout. Found in an old garage in Waterloo, the rebuilding of this gem was a labor of love as Leonard Votroubek found parts to return this car to its original condition. According to Votroubek, this is one of possibly only 35 running 1903’s and this red beauty stands out in testament to the beginning of the vision of Henry Ford for a mass produced automobile accessible to everyone in America. 1915 Model T Speedster Runabout – Bob Schillig Bob Schillig’s 1915 Ford Runabout was delivered in a dump truck. When the pile of rusted metal was dumped in his driveway, Schillig’s wife Carol was not sure Schillig knew what he was doing. However, she was patient and supported his passion as he sought and found precisely the right parts to rebuild the old car. Schillig worked from a parts list provided by Ford Motor Company and collected pieces for four years. After seven years of rebuilding, Schillig had a working 1915 Model T Speedster Runabout in his basement where he had worked to be free from variable weather conditions. All he then needed to do was take it apart and reassemble it in the garage to take it for a test spin. One feature that makes this a rare car is that 1915 was the last year that Ford used brass for the trim instead of stainless steel or chrome. Another is that none of the parts used in rebuilding are reproductions; they all have the parts numbers from the original production line of 1915. 1930 Model A Coupe – William Ackermann Like many members of the Antique Auto Club, Amana’s William Ackermann’s enthusiasm for working with antique Fords can be traced back to boyhood memories. However, his interest has taken him one step further as he has been a judge of antique autos for over thirty years. To be a judge, Ackermann has to attend a judging school once a year to keep his skills updated. He is tuned in to the finest of details as he inspects autos for authenticity. This attention to details has carried over into his own restorations. Ackermann’s 1930 Model A Standard Coupe has won two 1st places at National Judging Meets. This makes it eligible for judging at the Grand National Event coming up this August at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids. 1938 Ford 2Dr Sedan DLX – Bill Gerlich In 1990 Bill Gerlich of Marion found a rusted out body of a 1938 Ford in a Cedar Rapids garage. It had no firewall, no floorboards and no future, except that Gerlich saw exactly the car he had built models of when he was a kid. For six years Gerlich located parts and worked to bring the old body back to life. He went to swap meets, car shows and talked to countless other enthusiasts in pursuing his passion. He even found a one piece windshield that meets the safety code by answering a small magazine ad placed by a builder in Mexico. Gerlich has learned that patience and attending to detail are what it takes to produce a fine show car. Whether it be forming 109 louvers in the hood or spending 30 hours of labor fashioning the dashboard, quality craftsmanship can’t be rushed. 1955 Thunderbird – Bob Schillig When Bob Schillig of Robins first saw the sleek, black 1955 Thunderbird in the showroom of Hearn Stephenson Ford in Cedar Rapids, he decided he would own that car. He inquired and learned he could buy it for around $3700. He agreed even though he couldn’t take possession of the car for six months. It seems that the car he fell in love with was a limited production prototype designed for dealer showrooms and couldn’t be sold until the new Thunderbirds were produced for public sales. Then Schillig was able to drive the prototype from the dealer showroom. Schillig still owns that car and it remains in nearly pristine conditions with only 9000 miles on the odometer. He attributes the condition of the car in part to the fact it was stored in a temperature and moisture controlled underground garage for nearly 30 years. One feature that makes this a one of a kind vehicle is the chrome “Fairlane” stripe running the length of the car. This stripe was a controversial design element and was omitted when the car went into production. 1977 Mustang II Cobra – Mark Heacock Mark Heacock of Iowa City has always been a Ford fan. When the Mustang was introduced, he thought it featured some of the best elements of Ford design, especially the front suspension. Then the fuel crisis hit in 1974 and the Mustang V8 was replaced with a four cylinder engine. Its popularity dipped because as Mark says, “Everybody knows a Mustang should have V8 power.” The V8 was reintroduced in 1976 and Mark’s 1977 Mustang II Cobra is a prime example of the new era. Powered by a 302 CID engine developing 375 hp, this beauty took two years for Mark and his son to rebuild from the rusted out wreck Mark bought for son Nick’s 16th birthday. Cedar Rapids Gazette Special, "Fords Last Forever," June 29, 2003 Services | Resume | Clips | Contact | Links |
|
