Model T club accelerates forward in Erie County

ouriel@sanduskyregister.comOXFORD TWP.A shared passion for a classic car drove several area residents together to honor an automobile associated with Americana.About a dozen community members now belong to the newly formed Firelands Timeless Ts Ford Model T Club.After paperwork processes in a couple of weeks, the Firelands chapter should become officially recognized by the Model T Ford Club International organization.With about 4,000 members worldwide, recognized clubs provide a home base for Model T enthusiasts located near one another to gather, share experiences, work on cars and, of course, drive together.Firelands members already seemed overjoyed about driving their retro rides in packs to local parades, festivals, car shows and on random days when no special occasion is needed.No other recognized club exists in the Sandusky or Erie County areas. In fact, the closest one is in Elyria."We've never had one in this area," said Russ Herner, a Bellevue resident who owns a 1914 Model T. "This is going to be great: getting a half-dozen Model Ts together on a Sunday afternoon, drive around and get an ice cream."Greenwich resident Tom Dupee, who owns a 1926 Model T Fordor, agreed."I belong to a chapter in Akron, and that is a long ways for me to go," Dupee said. "I don't attend the meetings, but with a chapter closer to home, I'm going to attend more meetings."The Firelands group hosted its first meeting on Wednesday morning at Mike Parker's Taylor Road home. Parker, an Oxford Township trustee, owns three Model Ts himself: a 1924 Tudor, a 1926 Tudor and a 1927 truck."You don't even have to own a car to belong to the club," Parker said. "We have so many people right here in our area that have an interest in Model Ts that we thought we could start a club. We're going to promote the hobby and the history of Model Ts (along with) repairing, restoring and driving around in them."Six of the 12 members showed up to Parker's house, each rolling in with his own Model T."A club will be great to troubleshoot some problems when fixing the cars," said Jim Riedy, a Sandusky resident who owns a 1926 Model T.The cars also offer opportunities for people to tinker underneath their hoods."The Model T gives the option for younger people to work on automobiles," Herner said. "The Model Ts are simple, and the mechanics inside of them would be very interesting to all generations. You can work on a car like this and not with others."Groton Township resident Tim Wrenn, who owns a 1913 and 1915 Model T Touring, encourages anyone to join the club."It's not just for retired old people," Wrenn said. "Anyone who is interested in cars can come."Anyone interested in joining Firelands Timeless Ts can email mgparker@bex.net or call 419-366-7826. A history of the Model TOn Oct. 1, 1908, the first production Model T Ford is completed at the company's Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. From 1908 to 1927, Ford would build some 15 million Model T cars.It was the longest production run of any automobile model in history until the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed it in 1972.Before the Model T, cars were a luxury item. At the beginning of 1908, there were fewer than 200,000 on the road. Though the Model T was fairly expensive at first — the cheapest one initially cost $825, or about $18,000 in today's dollars — it was built for ordinary people to drive every day.But by the 1920s, many Americans wanted more than just a sturdy, affordable car. They wanted style — for many years, the Model T famously came in just one color: black — speed and luxury, too. As tastes changed, the era of the Model T came to an end, and the last one rolled off the assembly line on May 26, 1927.Source: History.comDave Smith, 90 of Norwalk, looks at one of the many Ford Model T cars on display Wednesday morning with his granddaughter Audrey Smith at the home of Mike and Mary Ann Parker of Oxford Township. Tim Wrenn of Groton Township fills a canister with calcium carbide rocks which provide the gas to the headlamps of his Ford Model T car on Wednesday morning during a meeting of the soon to be Firelands chapter of the Model T Ford Club International organization. A group of Ford Model T vehicles sit next to each other at the home of Mike and Mary Ann Parker of Oxford Township during a meeting of the soon to be Firelands chapter of the Model T Ford Club International organization. The hood ornament also doubles as a temperature gauge for some versions of the Ford Model T automobile. The Model T was in production for nearly 20 years from 1908 until 1927. Members of the soon to be Firelands chapter of the Model T Ford Club International organization, from left, Tom Sloma, Tom Dupee, Mike Parker, Russ Herner, Tim Wrenn and Jim Riedy. Jim Riedy of Sandusky shows off the simplicity of his Ford Model T automobile on Wednesday morning. Mike Parker, left and Tom Dupee discuss the mechanics of the engine inside Parker's Ford Model T work truck Wednesday morning during a meeting of the soon to be Firelands chapter of the Model T Ford Club International organization. A group watches as one of the Ford Model T automobiles pulls out of his spot among other similar cars Wednesday morning in Oxford Township. The contents of a basic maintenance kit provided with every new Ford Model T automobile sit on display. Tim Wrenn takes one of his Ford Model T autos for a drive Wednesday morning near his home in Groton Township.