After 5 Car Collector Series, Part II: Antiques

One can’t help but notice an antique car.

Maybe it’s something about the curve of those fenders. From the elegant Cords and Duesenbergs right down to the most utilitarian Ford Model A, those curves recall a time when the road was new.

And it seems each antique car owner has a story or two to tell.

Take Kristi McConnell, office manager for the Missouri Reading Initiative, who owns several Model A cars that her father, CK Smith, restored before he died in 2003. The cars became something the entire family shared, especially her children.

“We went to parades and they would throw out candy,” McConnell says. “About all they’ve ever known as something to do as a family are those old cars.”

Charlie Ball, the current president of the local Model A club, likes to restore antique cars and share them.

“Most of the time I buy them on the way down, turn them around and drive them in parades,” Ball says. “I’ve driven my 1930 Model A almost 40,000 miles since 2000. We actually drive them on long tours cross-country.”

Ball owns a 1926 Model T Coupe, a 1930 Model A and a 1957 Chevy four-door hardtop, but you won’t find them on the road this season. The earlier December ice storm collapsed the roof on his garage. They all need repairs.

Such an event would be a nightmare for Guy Mace, the owner of Turblex Inc. in Springfield. His cars are an investment, and his collection includes models by Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Austin Healy, Morgan and Cord. They cover every period from antique to modern. Mace says that, treated right, they perform as well as the stock market.

“They’ve got to be maintained, and they’ve got to be kept in a garage,” Mace said. “I spend several thousand dollars a year just in maintenance. You cross your fingers the garage doesn’t burn.”

As a general rule, antique cars are often garage queens. In Springfield, it seems antique car owners simply can’t help but drive them. Mace has people who take care of his cars. Every few days, they put him behind the wheel of another bit of history.

“I just find a car I like,” Mace says. “I’ll go to an auction, a big auction, and a car will strike my fancy.”

His purchases are made at the confluence of availability, opportunity and desire. Mace’s rules for buying seem flexible, but he does a lot of homework on the auction floor.

He is looking for cars with impeccable service records that are in pristine condition. Mace views his cars as a functional investment.

“When you have a busy lifestyle, you have got to have a hobby that is easy and convenient,” Mace says. “This is a good investment and you’ve got to drive. They are all drivers.”

Mace relies heavily on Import Specialists, 2140 E. Pythian St.

Service Manager Frank Stark says working on antiques can be refreshing.

“You just have to dive in and see what’s wrong,” Stark says. “You can’t plug them into a machine and have them tell you what’s wrong. They are kind of neat to work on.”

Stark keeps his staff on the same car as much as possible. They learn the car’s history. They learn its quirks.

For Mace, keeping them on the road means keeping the value up and keeping him behind the wheel. It isn’t a mission of historic preservation.

“You know, the esoteric value of that has not really struck me,” Mace says. “These are just great cars. I collect them and I drive them.”

Car Clubs

Greater Ozarks Mustang Club

Springfield

www.gomc.org

Model T Ford Club of America

Heart of The Ozarks Chapter

2315 S. Rockbridge Lane

Springfield, MO 65809

Ozarks Antique Auto Club

Springfield

www.ozarksantiqueautoclub.com

Route 66 Corvette Club

St Charles, MO

www.route66corvetteclub.com

Show-Me F100’s

Springfield

www.showmef100s.org

Show-Me Ts

Model T Ford Club

1124 W. Swan

Springfield, MO 65807

Southwest Missouri A’s – MAFCA

PO Box 9735

Springfield, MO 65801-9735

Southwest Missouri All VW Club

Joplin

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