Students begin restoring 1928 Model A Ford

By Willis Patenaude | Times-Register

Almost a century ago, the Ford Motor Company introduced the Model A, designed to replace the outdated Model T and compete in a modernizing automobile industry. It was an innovative car with a three-speed sliding gear transmission, four-wheel mechanical drum brakes and a top speed of 65 miles per hour.

Its historical significance is also noted by the fact it was the first Ford to carry the now famous blue oval logo, and it played an outsized role in expanding the middle class through its affordability. As Henry Ford put it, the vehicle would “wipe the slate clean” and usher in a new era of evolution at the company and in the industry. While in production, over 4.8 million units were sold by 1932, when the Model A was eventually replaced by another evolution.

Since then, the car has become a fixture in Hollywood movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Seabiscuit and O Brother, Where Art Thou? while also becoming a highly sought after piece by collectors and museums, including Elkader’s own George Maier Rural Heritage Center and Museum. The museum recently came into possession of a 1928 Model A in need of some restoration, and naturally, board member Roger Thomas once again turned to Central students in Clayton County BEST (CCB) to handle the job.

CCB students have completed several projects for the museum over the years. Seniors Carter Krugger and Jacob Cook and juniors Max Fettkether, Kabrien McDonald and Braden Taylor were willing to continue that partnership and take on the task of restoring the old Ford. Along with needing copious amounts of work due to the normal wear and tear of the decades, the car also needed a cleaning job—but not just any cleaning. According to group members, the previous owner used the car to haul calves, so there was a build up of manure. A simple vacuum over the floorboards wasn’t going to cut it. 

Nevertheless, they signed on for the project. McDonald thought it “sounded cool,” and looked forward to the opportunity to fabricate, build and refurbish the car. Taylor heard the details and latched onto the project with a goal of making it presentable for show in the museum, and maybe even getting it running. Fettkether previously interacted with Thomas while building frames for the shelter house, another project brought to CCB by Thomas.

“He asked me if anybody in CCB would be able to work mechanically or if they were mechanically inclined. I told him there were several students who would be interested in this,” Fettkether said.

Fettkether noted he enjoys things with a mechanical nature. While he’s done work on family cars, like changing the oil, cab lights, headlights, new starters and thermostats, he’d never worked on an “antique vehicle,” unless you count the time he did a body swap on a 1977 Ford 150 with his brother.

Taylor has some experience with oil changes and shocks and trying to get a 1983 Yamaha 540 snowmobile running, but he was looking to expand his horizons and liked the “sky is the limit” aspect.

For McDonald, it’s as  simple as “enjoyment” for working on cars, something he has done extensively outside CCB with his dad and others, including a 1993 F250, 2007 Dodge Dakota combined with a 2008 model, a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 that was fully restored and a 2000 F350 7.3 Liter Diesel. Not to mention all the effort he’s put into his own truck, a 1996 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie SLT, where he’s put on an all new front end, new suspension, airbags and speakers, while cleaning up the interior, adding a CB radio and custom light work, doing engine work and putting on new wheels and tires.

The group first got a look at the Ford a few weeks ago at the museum.

“We talked about how our first focus was going to be the interior because that’s pretty bad, and we discussed fabrics. We also talked about how we had to weld up the fenders so no one would get injured working on it. They were cracked and cut, so it was easy to catch yourself on it,” Fettkether and Taylor explained.

But before a welding torch could be used, the first step was rolling the Studebaker at the museum out of the way, getting the car on the trailer and transporting it from the museum to the school, where the students put it on jack stands.

Part of the brainstorming session was assigning roles for the project. Taylor was put in charge of the interior, cleaning and removing the seats and flooring, as well as reupholstering the seats. Fettkether is working on the ignition and starter, trying to figure out if they need to get a new starter or rebuild.

“We also can’t get the key to turn, so we need to see if we have bad keys or if we need a new ignition,” Fettkether said. He’s also in charge of making hubcaps out of sheets of aluminum, which he described as a “process of trial and error.”

“I am essentially working on fabrication for the vehicle. For me, that means I’m going to need to weld the fenders, work on the floor, do any patch work on the body that needs done,” McDonald added.

Though the project is in the early stages, the group has accomplished quite a bit already—aside from clearing out the leftover manure. They’ve taken the wheel off and taken out the seats and floor panels that are made of wood and were broken and dirty.

“We are currently working on sweeping out the rest of the floor, all of the crevices,” Taylor said.

They’re also working on the ignition and fenders, getting the interior reupholstered and dealing with the challenges of rust and time constraints.

“Bolts are seized often, so they are breaking off when we try to take them off or they end up stripped. This happened when we were taking off the fender and the floor. We will end up replacing the bolts and fabricating the floor,” Fettkether explained. 

Speaking about the time issue, Taylor added, “We really only have 45 minutes each day and 32 on Fridays, and some of this time is taken up due to other class activities. Even with this, we feel we’ll still be able to get it done.”

Aside from the initial challenges of the project, part of CCB is about learning. Through the early stages of the project, much has been learned, both about automobiles and teamwork. 

Taylor has found little tidbits about the Model A interesting, such as the fact “the car uses the engine’s heat to heat the cab, and there’s a pipe that runs to the cab,” while also improving his teamwork abilities.

“We all work together as a group and are able to provide insight to each other even if we aren’t specifically assigned a role of what to work on,” he said.

Fettkether pointed out that, despite the antique nature of the car, it was easier to work on because there are fewer electronics and more space to work. “It’s not as packed as modern vehicles, and the sides of the hood open up, which creates more room as well,” he said.

The project has allowed Fettkether to work on his communication, since he was given the role of “communicator of the project.” He is in charge of communicating with Thomas and other group members, discussing meeting times and Thomas’s vision for the Model A.

McDonald learned the defrost on older vehicles like the Model A was essentially just a fan. Like Fettkether, he highlighted the simplicity of working on them. 

“I’ve definitely learned that working on these types of vehicles is much easier in comparison to newer ones as well. Things were just built more simply,” he said.

Though the project itself was enough to capture their attention, the historical aspect is not lost on the students. There is a respect for history and preserving it for the “modern generation, so they can understand how automobiles have changed over time,” Fettkether said.

The Model A isn’t just a car. It’s a “piece of history,” Taylor said, that “represents a period of time in America.” 

It was a transitional time in the automotive industry, when Ford made a car for the “great multitude.” Although the great multitude can’t drive a Model A today, they will be able to see it at the Rural Heritage Museum when it’s cleaned up and fixed up. With any luck, instead of pushing the Model A around the Studebaker, they could drive around it.