Antique car fits enthusiasts to a Model T

Nort Pickett started his 1923 Model T and the familiar "putta, putta, putta" of the engine sounded as he steered it down the driveway Wednesday and into the street.

"Here we go," Pickett said as he took a spin up and down the block. "I bought this thing when it was a pile of junk. It was being stored in a potato cellar on a ranch in Yerington and I bought it for $300. That was 46 years ago."

Pickett, 79, of Carson City, said the car's been in at least 50 parades over the years, and was the car former Assemblyman Joe Dini rode in for several Nevada Day parades.

"It's been in parades all over Northern Nevada," he said.

Pickett said it took him about three years to restore it to its current condition. Most of that time was spent on the wooden-spoked wheels being dismantled, sanded and refurbished. He did the body work himself.

"This car is probably worth $15,000 now, easily. But it's not for sale," he added.

For Pickett, a member of the Carson City Model T Club, the satisfaction he gets from his Model T is the challenge he undertook to restore it.

"It takes a lot of time and a few dollars," he said. "Though it will take a few more dollars now."

Wendell Newman of Washoe Valley is treasurer for the club, which was established 21 years ago. He said they have a broad range of people who've had cars a very long time, but the club's concern is getting others interested in them to continue the legacy of not only the club, but the car itself.

"We need to keep it alive and viable," Newman said. "We need to get some youngsters interested."

Newman, 75, who has a Ford convertible for every decade of the past century, has two Model Ts " neither running. He admits it just takes focus and time to restore them.

"The Model A was a more viable car on the highway," Newman said. "The Model T is not. They just can't compete in traffic, which is why there's more Model A's still on the road.

"But what each person finds out, you just don't restore a car and park it outside. You have to care for it."

More than 15 million Model Ts were produced from 1908 to 1927. The Model A took over from 1928-1931. In 1932, Henry Ford introduced his last engineering triumph, the "en block," or one-piece V-8.

A man who revolutionized the auto world with the Ford Flathead V-8 was Eddie Meyer, of one of California's most famous racing families. The family included Eddie Sr., Eddie "Bud"Jr., Louie and Harry Meyer. Louie won three Indianapolis 500 races; Bud was the first man to go 100 mph in a race boat. The men also took to racing the flats of Bonneville setting land speed records.

Bud Meyer, who has a home in Sparks, recently visited John Johnston III of Mound House.

"He just wanted to visit some of the old timers who are Ford nuts like himself," Johnston, 89, said. "Us old guys get together and talk cars for hours. Bud's still sharp as a whip."

Johnston has a 1924 Model T in his shop.

"I've been working on this about two years," he said. "The popularity of these cars was the first step after horses. You could buy the Model T in the $300 to $400 range. You couldn't buy a good horse for that."

Club members get parts from each other and by going to swap meets. According to Johnston, a person assembling a Model T for themselves can pay one-third the cost than if they were to buy a Model T already restored.

"If you're interested in these cars, get yourself in a group or club that is generous and many will donate parts or swap you for what you might have," Johnston said. "Model T clubs are nationwide."

For information on the Carson City Model T Club, call Newman at 721-7949.

Contact Rhonda Costa at rcosta@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.