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Ever daily drive a car from 1928? Cash does. And his golden retriever rides in the rumble seat.
Doug and Christian sit down with Cash and Chris from McPherson College's automotive restoration program, and what starts as a conversation about classic car education becomes something much deeper. There's a reason Cash bought his 1928 Model A sport coupe right after high school and made it his everyday driver. There's a reason everyone fights over who gets to sit in the rumble seat on 500-mile road trips. And there's definitely a reason Chris has seen hundreds of incredible cars but still stops dead in his tracks when he sees a Duesenberg.
Want to know what "car camp" really means? Curious why the rumble seat is actually the best seat in a Model A? Wondering what it's like to restore vintage cars while learning the craft at one of America's most prestigious automotive restoration schools?
This episode takes you inside McPherson College's renowned restoration program through the eyes of a student and instructor who live and breathe vintage car culture every single day. Cash and Chris share what makes McPherson's summer restoration institute special, why students travel from across the country to attend, and what it really takes to become a restoration expert.
Want to Learn more about McPherson College's Automotive Restoration program? Listen to our episode with McPherson alum, Mason Ball - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/17426714-record-speed-model-t-build-to-wayne-carini-mcpherson-grad-s-path
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_04 (00:02):
Welcome back to All the Cars I've Loved For, your
authoritative podcast onAutomotive Nostalgia, where our
guests are unique.
Each auto has an era, and everycar tells a story.
So you know it's time to plug ina little grease under the nails.
Clip on the favorite car theme,car themed t-shirt, hat or
(00:25):
jacket.
Speaking of, let's bring in myco-host with the almost.
He's got all the options.
Hey, it's on most cylinders someof the time, which I think is
can be true of many of us.
Our man with the half-make plan,Doug.
How are you, buddy?
Welcome.
Doing great?
Doing good.
What's the weather up there?
How you how you how you doing?
SPEAKER_02 (00:45):
Uh doing well.
Weather uh over the weekend itgot to the 80s, but 80s.
SPEAKER_04 (00:51):
80s heat weather.
Today, like high 60s.
Well, let me ask, over theweekend, was the weather good
weather for test driving an oldcar?
Not an old, old car.
That's for our guest today, butan older car.
SPEAKER_02 (01:09):
It was reasonable.
I would say walking up to thatarea in DC to visit it reminded
me of our walk in uh our walksin San Francisco where my God,
it was just up crazy hills, butit's the Trinidad neighborhood
in DC, which I've never been tonear Gallaudet University.
(01:29):
Lovely, lovely place, Gallaudet.
Indeed, indeed.
So since you brought it up, Idid test drive the second one
I've driven, but this one was a1992 Suzuki cappuccino.
SPEAKER_03 (01:43):
Mmm.
SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
And uh wasn't as nice as in the pictures,
unfortunately.
SPEAKER_04 (01:48):
But well just like online dating, finding cars, the
pictures are seldomrepresentational.
Yeah.
So you've you've driven how manyof these?
Two.
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (01:59):
Okay.
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (02:00):
And uh I don't think I'll be driving any more for a
while.
I think I'm gonna change myfocus back to my uh 90, 300zx
and get that painted.
Hopefully, uh our our friendMatt is gonna paint it.
SPEAKER_04 (02:14):
And how many cars have you bought this week?
Zero.
Is it still at zero?
Okay, is it gonna be a struggleto keep it there, you think?
Nah.
Yeah.
Um okay, so so uh so on thecappuccinos.
The first one was nice, secondnot so nice.
They were prized about the same.
And tell let's get into tell theaudience just a minute or two
(02:38):
about these about these JDM.
SPEAKER_02 (02:40):
Yeah, so uh it falls into uh what the Japanese call a
K class, KEI, which was a carlimited in size, weight um
horsepower, limited to about 63horsepower, 64, and uh engine
displacement about uh 660cc, sounder one liter.
(03:02):
Under smaller than and uh Ithink they're all three
cylinders, smaller than your GeoMetro that you had, which was a
whole one liter.
But um this muscle car.
Suzuki had a turbo.
Yes.
Yeah, Suzuki had a turbo.
This they all do, Suzukicappuccinos.
This one had a aftermarketturbo, it was noticeably more
(03:23):
powerful than the other one.
SPEAKER_04 (03:25):
Oh, yeah, you drove uh a non-turbo.
SPEAKER_02 (03:29):
No, they're they're all turbos, but just stock
versus aftermarket turbo.
Oh you know, the car weighsnothing.
And uh they're itty bitty.
Just to add, it's uh yeah, it'sa it's a coupe, it's a
convertible, it's a T top, it'suh Targetop.
It does all those differentthings.
So it's a really neat, it's areally neat car.
(03:50):
It's like a mini Miata.
SPEAKER_04 (03:52):
Okay, but we're just gonna go with, we're gonna let
those let those pass to the nextperson out there.
SPEAKER_02 (03:58):
So hey, if you're interested, uh they are, I'm
sure they are available.
There's a huge thing with theJapanese K car culture in this
country or any JDM cars, theysay Japanese domestic market
cars.
SPEAKER_04 (04:13):
So this is Ukikara, uh the Autosom, all of these
with the very sharp-lookinglittle cars.
Oh, yeah, that was another one.
That was another.
There's one for sale at the atthe interesting lot down the
road from me.
They cannot get rid of it.
So I don't know.
I think he's asking a littlemuch, but yeah.
Fun cars, small cars.
(04:34):
Well, thank you for the update.
You're welcome.
And before we go ahead, did youwant to say something else?
No.
I said welcome.
Before thank you, before wepivot to our guest today, a
little bit of a call to actionhere.
Carslove.com.
Please visit.
Uh we've always done uh or wejust did some work to the
website.
Let us know.
(04:55):
Visit reviews, pictures.
You can stream shows there, Ibelieve.
And that's actually, I I wassurprised that we're heard
around the world.
So I think a lot of people,that's how they listen to us,
okay?
Just go to the website, check itout.
All the episodes are archivedthere.
Uh you want to give them thelink tree real quick?
(05:15):
Sure.
L-I-N-K-T-R dot E slash CarsLoved.
Absolutely.
So if you like what you hear,tell a family member, a
coworker, a friend, because youknow what we do.
We bring bring people togetherfrom all over the world, cities
here in the United States,countries, all over the globe.
We know because we have thedata.
(05:38):
All right.
And so as we uh march on herecloser and closer to our guests
who are gonna tell us about someold, old automobiles.
Today's theme, by way of aprologue, uh, is what is the
future of history?
What is the future of history?
Is there a future in history?
(05:58):
As our guests will show today,there absolutely is.
So I'm gonna toss it over toDoug.
And how did today's guests findtheir way into your virtual
garage?
SPEAKER_02 (06:09):
Yeah.
So um, you know, I I've been Iwatch a lot of YouTube, and uh
we have talked to some other umcollege colleges.
We've had uh a couple uhinstructor student duos before,
and um McPherson College inMcPherson, Kansas had been on my
list.
Uh I was able luckily able toreach out to uh Tina and she
(06:34):
connected me with these twogentlemen.
But more more background, uh,they have an automotive
restoration program.
I saw a great piece on CBSSunday morning, and uh I think
you watched the same piece, andit was incredible.
SPEAKER_04 (06:49):
Fantastic viewing, yeah.
For our if you found thepodcast, the show notes will
have links to both their uh thethe information on the McPherson
website, as well as probably alink straight to the CBS Sunday
morning piece.
And it it it is lovely, it is sowell done.
So we would like to welcome inuh Chris and Cash.
(07:11):
Chris is a teacher at McPhersonand Cash is a student.
Good afternoon.
How are you gentlemen doing?
Good, good, very good, glad tobe here.
We're thrilled to have you.
Thank you for making the timetoday.
So, can you tell us a littlebit?
Uh, let's ask Chris first.
Tell us a little bit about theprogram, how you found your way
to it, and then we'll bring Cashinto the discussion and say what
(07:34):
attracted him to what y'all aredoing there.
SPEAKER_00 (07:38):
Uh sure.
So uh the McPherson CollegeAutomotive Restoration Program,
uh, this is our 49th year.
We are getting ready tocelebrate our 50th anniversary
next year.
It was started in the mid-70s uhby a local entrepreneur who
collected cars.
Um, and uh surprisingly, maybe alittle ahead of his time, he was
(07:58):
complaining he couldn't findanybody to help him with his old
cars that was that was notalready old.
He said, We gotta get youngpeople, you know, and that's
something we hear now, but hesaw it 50 years ago.
So uh he got together withMcPherson College, which was
started in 1887, and said, If Igive you cars and and some
money, what would you do withit?
And here we are 49 years later.
(08:21):
Um, it's a full four-yearbachelor's degree program.
So students come uh for fouryears and and join the rest of
campus.
We're just one program on on thecampus.
Uh we've got other other majors,um, so we're we're kind of fully
integrated.
Um and students go through, uh,take a little bit of everything
(08:43):
uh as far as uh car projects.
We we only work on vintage cars,uh beginning of time, um, so to
speak.
Right.
Really the the mid-1970s uh isabout as new as we'll work on.
SPEAKER_04 (08:58):
Yeah, that's so interesting that you mentioned
that.
Now, if you really want to put asmile on your face, go to okay,
I'm saying McPherson is thepreferred pronunciation
McPherson.
SPEAKER_00 (09:08):
It is McPherson.
SPEAKER_04 (09:09):
Perfect.
Thank you.
Now I know.
Hey, if you go to the go to thewebsite, if you go to catalog
catalog.mcpherson.edu, you cansee all the courses that they
offer here.
And under the this is theautomotive restoration.
Is it okay to call it a major?
Yeah, yeah.
Okay, lovely.
And it it's it's so fascinatingbecause there are core courses,
(09:34):
just like any college, and thenthere are emphases that you can
step into.
So the some of the core courses,I'm not gonna read them all out,
but just the more interestingones.
Okay, engine rebuilding, drivetech train restoration, sheet
metal restoration, fundamentalsof woodworking.
Hmm.
That is curious.
So so why would I need to knowabout woodworking when when
(09:58):
restoring a vintage car?
Why would that be important?
SPEAKER_00 (10:02):
Uh believe it or not, most uh cars built before
the mid-1930s were what we callcomposite construction uh in the
bodies, kind of a wood frameworkor wood skeleton with either
sheet metal, uh steel oraluminum on the outside.
Some were vinyl, some wereleather, but uh many before the
(10:22):
mid-1930s were uh had had woodin the bodies, if not
constructed completely of wood.
SPEAKER_04 (10:30):
That is so amazing to think about.
So let's let's uh pivot to cash.
Cash, how did you first learnabout this program and and what
attracted you to it?
SPEAKER_01 (10:40):
Okay, so similar with Doug, um, I went down the
YouTube rabbit hole and found itthat way, and the same thing.
Yeah, so I remember the night ithappened.
Um, so I grew up on a ranch innortheast Colorado, farming
family, ranching family, youknow, cattle alfalfa, all of it.
And so I was in a dinner onenight going down YouTube and I
found Tom Carter's barn fighthunter video where he donated a
(11:04):
car to the college.
And I remember looking at mymom, and I was like, Well,
scratch that.
I think I'm gonna go to collegeto restore cars.
And she looked at me and goes,You're crazy.
We're not doing that.
So I convinced her my senioryear of high school to come down
here with me.
We toured the college,absolutely fell in love when I
met everyone here, saw theplace.
(11:26):
I knew that there was no otherplace for me.
Um, and like I said, I grew upfixing old vehicles on the farm.
Like we had a 53 Ford, that wasour water truck.
So that's how I kind of knewabout this old stuff.
And um, like I said, mom and Itoured it, loved it.
I was only seven hours away fromhome, and then I here I am
today, junior in the program.
(11:46):
Junior.
SPEAKER_04 (11:47):
Fantastic.
And before we toss it over toDoug here so that he can uh step
us back into the past and walkthrough them, I was gonna ask,
where do you find these cars?
And in in and before you answer,this is why we say the theme of
this show is what is the futureof history?
Because as we move forward intime, m first off, more and more
(12:10):
cars are going to become older.
We do a better job at takingcare of things, but you're going
to take this just really uniqueknowledge and be able to go out
and and do this kind of uniqueniche thing in the field.
But where do these cars comefrom originally?
(12:30):
Where do you find these?
And I'll just offer this to toeither of our guests.
SPEAKER_00 (12:35):
So I I at the college here, uh, all of the
projects we work on have beendonated to us.
I see.
We're in a really fortunateposition that the college owns
the vehicles.
So if it doesn't get done thissemester, that's okay.
It will finish next semester.
You know, there's no customerwaiting for their car back.
Um, which is, and and as theprogram's gotten to be better
(12:57):
known, uh, we've been reallyfortunate to get some great
donations uh to have studentswork on.
Um and having said that, uh, youknow, it it it also sort of
limits us.
I mean, we have certain carsthat we'll be out looking for,
but um, yeah, we we've gottensome some great projects and and
great cars donated to us thatthat we work on.
(13:20):
So they they just come in fromhere and there.
SPEAKER_04 (13:23):
Yeah, it could take years to finish a car, right?
So once it comes to you, if it'sbeen weathered or rodents have
been in it, and you really haveto pull it apart, I I would
think that that happens with alot of these.
You're talking upholstery.
It has to be pulled apart.
Uh any any springs in theupholstery, uh, the the the
(13:46):
chassis, the wood, all that kindof stuff.
So you really have to start fromthe oh, you mentioned donations.
So could I ask uh uh uh are arethere any celebrities, let's
say, any former talk showcelebrities that have had
anything to do with your story?
SPEAKER_00 (14:05):
Uh yeah, um certainly uh Jay Leno um is
probably the the most notable.
Um he's been a supporter for along, long time.
Um, and and we're certainlygrateful for his support over
the years.
SPEAKER_04 (14:20):
Lovely, lovely.
And as was mentioned in the CBSSunday morning uh piece, as I
kind of ramp down here, uh let'stalk about a 1953 Mercedes and
how that really uh helped theprogram just over the past two
years gain national visibilityand prominence.
SPEAKER_00 (14:41):
Um yeah, I I I can speak to that a little bit.
So um it was about 12 years agonow that uh we set out on a new
strategic plan.
Uh and that was to compete towin at Pebble Beach, which um
some people scoffed at.
How are you gonna, you know, howis this little school in Kansas
gonna do that with a bunch ofquote kids?
(15:04):
And um we went out and we foundthis 1953 Mercedes 300S
Cabriolet, um, which was alooked like a pretty good solid
old car.
Um, and we took it down and hadstudents restore every single
piece of it with the goal inmind, which I think is just a
huge part of um where somepeople have trouble with their
(15:27):
project.
They don't know what they wantit to be.
We knew from the beginning wewanted to make it as perfect as
we possibly could.
Um and so just spent seven yearsuh doing a total having working
with students, but having themdo the total restoration.
SPEAKER_04 (15:43):
And so you have that that car is still on campus
again, it's still owned, ownedby the university.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
Yep, yep, it's uh uh shown at Pebble Beach and it's
been shown at at several otherevents since then, and it is
owned by the college, and Ipresume or or hope will be
continue to be owned by thecollege for years, so we can
continue to display what uh whatsome some students have done.
Got it, got it, lovely.
SPEAKER_04 (16:08):
Now, is there I didn't see this on the website,
but is there a kind of a museumon the school grounds where you
can see these or I don't know,do you want to um there's not a
museum associated with theschool.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Uh we do have a town museum um that they do.
One of our teachers here, LukeChannel, he's on the board and
he'll do rotating automotivedisplays.
And like my freshman year, Iworked at the museum here in
town, so I helped set up some ofthose automotive displays.
And um, the one currently goingis German automobiles.
Um, but most of the cars thecollege owned are stored in a
(16:48):
storage facility where all thesame students store their cars
too.
So, but there's showrooms in theTempleton that we display them
and all and tasteful, lookreally good, impress everyone.
Nice, nice way of doing it.
SPEAKER_04 (17:01):
Fantastic.
And do you have cars?
I don't know how to say it, butcars from all over the world.
You have uh is it all domestics?
Do you take an imports too?
Will you take anything you canget your hands on?
SPEAKER_00 (17:14):
Um so uh we we do not take anything we can get our
hands on.
We we do say we say no to quitea few projects, whether they
have a and and that soundsalmost counterintuitive.
Somebody wants to give yousomething, but but we um we've
we've got quite a few cars.
We're certainly glad to talk toanyone that that has something
(17:35):
in mind that you know thatthey'd like to potentially
donate to us.
Um we do try to have a littlebit of everything.
Uh we've got mostly US andEuropean, actually entirely US
and European cars, um, but butquite a spread from Europe, um
uh Mercedes.
Got it.
(17:56):
Um I don't know, uh Triumph,yeah, Austin Healys.
Um so we've got, and then ofcourse, all a lot of US stuff
also.
Lovely, got it, thank you.
SPEAKER_04 (18:07):
All right.
Well, here's the time.
I I just uh here's the time ofthe program where I sort of toss
it over to Doug, who likes to go88 miles an hour and flame back
to the future, so to speak.
So let's go back in time, Doug.
Yeah, and let's chat with thesegentlemen about what they have,
what got them started, so tospeak.
SPEAKER_02 (18:26):
Yeah, so um, you know, it's it's interesting to
hear uh hear Cash talk aboutworking on growing up on a farm.
We've had we've had severalpeople grew up on the farm and
people I've known personally,and they you have to fix
everything, right?
SPEAKER_04 (18:41):
And their first cars were tractors, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (18:43):
Yep, though that was one of our guests, yeah.
Yep.
So it just comes natural, right?
And it's a necessity, right?
There's nobody else to go fixit.
You gotta go do it.
So so cash, your first car was a1970 Volkswagen Beetle.
Bright yellow, bright yellow,bright yellow.
SPEAKER_04 (19:03):
They're always yellow.
Why are they yellow?
SPEAKER_01 (19:06):
Everyone knows where you go.
I think it was a thing so thatway if I got in trouble, they
could spot me in the small townthat I grew up in, like that
dang kid.
We're giving cash a car, butit's gonna be the loudest car in
the village.
SPEAKER_04 (19:18):
It was cool, man.
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
It was the loudest and the brightest, yeah,
slowest, but how how'd you getthat car, Cash?
So this one is kind of aninterest interesting story.
Um, my mom, when I was aboutready to turn 16, like I said,
grew up on a farm.
So we we had a bunch of farmvehicles.
Um, but my mom had a 2011Hyundai Elantra, just one of her
(19:44):
like random cars, and she goes,Cash, here's something reliable
you can have for high school.
Um, I'll sign it over to you.
That way, you know, you neverbreak down.
And I said, Thank you, but I'mgonna trade that instantly.
And so as soon as I got it in myname, I went and traded it for
that Volkswagen Beatle, and sheliked it.
You know, she drove a manual.
(20:05):
Um, my grandfather, one of hisfirst cars was a Volkswagen.
So it was a good adoption to thefamily.
And then about two months afterI got it, um, I decided to be
pretty cool and drive it on thehottest day of the year and blew
the engine out of it.
So, real quickly, learned how torebuild one.
Um, and then after that, my carsnowballed and changed, and now
(20:29):
I'm in a pre-war and all that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:33):
Nice.
Yeah, and I I could tell whenyou were uh for those who are
watching when they get to seeit, I could tell you were
started smiling thinking aboutit, and what a you know, you
went from uh here's a reliable2000 series car to uh hey, let's
get this 1970 Beatle.
SPEAKER_01 (20:51):
Oh, I never hear the end of it from my mom.
If she was here today, you guyswould hear it all too.
SPEAKER_02 (20:57):
Yeah.
So well, and you might not bewith us if you hadn't made that
bold choice, right?
Exactly, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
Like I said, it put me on a completely different
track and one that I'm happyfor.
Yeah, especially driving, uhdriving on the hottest day of
the year, right?
Exactly.
I've had my fair share oftractors too, so luckily now
I've got the cars that go alittle faster.
SPEAKER_03 (21:17):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:17):
And every everybody seems to have a Volkswagen
story.
SPEAKER_02 (21:20):
I I can't even think of how many people we've had on
talking about Volkswagens.
It never ends.
With good reason.
Yeah, great cars.
I mean, love mine to death.
Yep, icon iconic.
So we're gonna ask Chris abouthis first car, which is a little
bit older than yours.
SPEAKER_00 (21:39):
Um, well, so it's kind of a I guess a tricky
question.
My first daily driver was a 1976MGB.
Um blue, so it wasn't the brightyellow of a Volkswagen, but it
was still slow.
And when people saw me aroundtown, you know, you couldn't get
away with anything.
It was the only thing in town.
(21:59):
Um, but the same time I got thatto be my quote, practical daily
driver, uh, I started restoringa 1914 Model T.
Um, both about 15 years old.
Uh the Model T took me a coupleof years to restore.
And uh a lot of fun and stillhave it, still drive it.
(22:20):
Um I'm glad the car, I'm gladcars can't talk because the
story that poor old car wouldhave um would would uh fill a
segment.
SPEAKER_02 (22:31):
But well, and that's and that's part of our podcast.
We think every car tells astory.
So even the even just what youcan tell us.
SPEAKER_00 (22:42):
Um so that that model too, that's I guess sort
of a sort, not sort of, it is anunusual choice for a yeah.
I I didn't grow up on a farm.
I I was really lucky to grow uparound early collector cars.
Um, I'm the third generation ofmy family to be interested in
(23:02):
pre-1916 or brass era cars.
Uh it was always a hobby for us.
Um my father got his first ModelT when he was 12 or 13 years
old.
And so our growing up, even Ithink starting at five years
old, our family vacation was ahorseless carriage or a brass
(23:23):
era car tour somewhere with agroup of friends that we only
got to see once a year becausethey lived in other parts of the
country or even Canada, and andwe got together once a year and
toured for a week in some area.
And so um actually, the the Iwas I can remember, I was told,
been told that the first tour wewent on, I was five years old.
(23:43):
I've got a younger brother.
Um, he's three and a half yearsyounger.
We couldn't go the year beforebecause he was still in diapers,
and my parents decided they didnot want to be changing diapers
while driving around in a ModelT.
So we waited until he was twoand I was five, and and then off
we went.
So when I got to be 15, um, Ihad been driving uh my my
(24:04):
father's cars and my parents'cars, Model T's and and other
early stuff for for years, andso I'd like to get one of my
own, and having no money um thatkind of made it easy.
My father said, Well, we havesome pieces and we're active in
in the local car clubs.
I bet other people, you know,when they hear a 15-year-old
wants to put a Model T together,they'll uh they'll give some
pieces.
And so here we are.
(24:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (24:28):
And fast forward many years later.
And not that many.
SPEAKER_00 (24:31):
Well, yeah, it's been yeah, it's been many years.
SPEAKER_02 (24:33):
A few a few, a few decades.
And uh, yeah, and so how far didyour family drop travel in the
Model T to go to these on thesevacations?
Just curious.
I was yeah, I was so curiousabout that.
SPEAKER_00 (24:47):
So usually uh we would we would trailer them.
We you'd pick up a trailer, andokay.
Um I grew up in New Jersey, uhjust outside New York City, but
we had uh a group that toured inin Ontario, Canada, and every
two or three years we'd go upthere.
Um now uh being in Kansas sortof makes it easier to travel to
(25:07):
well, easier but more difficultto travel to both both coasts.
So um we've we've toured alldifferent areas.
But when I was 17 or 18, had theModel T finished, and that year
our group was gonna tour RhodeIsland.
Uh, New York to Rhode Island isonly three or four hours by car,
but by Model T, it's a lotlonger.
(25:27):
Being 17, I didn't have a pickuptruck or a trailer.
My parents were using theirs.
So a couple of us got togetherand said, well, let's just
drive, you know.
So we jumped in the Model T'sand and left a day earlier than
everyone else, but drove upthere, did a five-day tour in
and around Rhode Island, and andthen drove home and spent nine
days driving the Model T.
SPEAKER_04 (25:47):
Dumb, dumb question.
What how fast would you go init?
I'm not asking top speed, butwhat what what's a reasonable
speed if you're gonna go, youknow, for a few hours in one of
those cars?
SPEAKER_00 (25:59):
Um, usually in a Model T, I usually say 35 or 40
miles an hour.
Wow, okay.
If you're driving a stock ModelT, I mean, if you there's all
sorts of period performancemodifications, but if you're
driving a stock one and youdrive 35 or 40 miles an hour,
you're not hurting it, it willjust go forever.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (26:17):
Interesting.
And would you do anything to thesuspension to handle potholes of
the modern era?
Because you can be going veryflat road and out of nowhere,
especially up there where youwould get um, you know, the
freeze thaw cycle would justtear up the roads and you get a
pothole out of nowhere.
(26:38):
Did would you modify thesuspension?
No, you just kind of deal withit and pay extra attention to
the road.
SPEAKER_00 (26:42):
Some people do modify them.
I have not, I um I feel likedriving a car like that, and I
think Cash will agree, makes youa better driver.
You just learn to anticipateeverything and watch for
potholes.
And really, if you think abouthow bad the roads were 100 years
ago or 110 years ago.
SPEAKER_04 (27:02):
If there were roads, if there were roads at all.
SPEAKER_00 (27:04):
If there were roads, so even the occasional pothole
today is better than anythingthey had back most of anything
they had 100 or 110 years ago.
Good point.
You know, they they were madefor it.
SPEAKER_04 (27:16):
Fantastic.
Okay, Doug, I'm doneinterrupting.
That's just too interesting.
I'll be quiet.
SPEAKER_02 (27:21):
Well, here's a little fact, and it's um, I've
seen it a few times.
It's in the uh Smithsonian uhAmerican History Museum in DC,
not far from me.
So the first car to travel, yougot me thinking, uh, Chris, the
first car to travel across theUS was a 1903 Winton, Vermont.
(27:44):
And it was driven by a doctor,and I had never heard of Winton,
and uh he brought his dog withhim, and it was the first car in
1903.
So not only was it a 1903, butin 1903 he made it happen.
SPEAKER_00 (28:01):
Yeah, um, if if it's a fascinating story, it is uh
yeah, 1903.
So Winton's, not to don't havean old one.
SPEAKER_02 (28:11):
Figured you might have one lying around somewhere
at the in the shop or in thesheds.
SPEAKER_00 (28:17):
No, but uh Winton's, they were they were built in
Cleveland, Ohio, um from thelate 1800s into the 1920s, so in
business um about 25 years, andin 1903, really a pretty
high-end US-built car.
And I believe it was a bar betof all things in San Francisco.
(28:39):
And uh the the doctor, uhHoratio Jackson, he said, Yeah,
I'll take that bet and drivefrom San Francisco to the East
Coast and eventually to his homein Vermont.
Yeah, and uh he the trip costhim, I believe, thousands of
dollars, but he won that$50 bet.
Yeah, he did.
You know, in the process gets uhcredit for first cross
(29:00):
transcontinental uh drive.
SPEAKER_04 (29:03):
So so there were dozens of car companies 110, 15,
20 years ago.
There were did the and now we'vegot what half a half a dozen,
depending upon how you count.
So did the depression really dothem in?
Was there I I know that theywere just kind of bought up by
rival companies.
(29:24):
Is that largely what because Iknow you can get uh a small plug
here.
You can get one of the it linesof emphasis in this major is is
auto restoration history, whereyou can learn about all this
stuff, teach it, talk about it,write about it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:40):
Yeah.
So that's I feel like I can comein because that is my emphasis.
SPEAKER_04 (29:46):
Um, I was gonna ask you per earlier.
SPEAKER_01 (29:50):
You talked about um history is a future.
Well, so um back in high school,I was gonna either become ag
sales or a history teacher.
So when I found out aboutMcPherson and their emphasis,
well, they had a history one.
So I was like, all right,perfect.
Um, so I came here, we for ourhistory department, um, it's so
(30:10):
interesting now that I'mactually minoring in it too.
But we have uh classes such ashistory of the automobile, um
history of automotive design,things like that.
So you learn all of it.
And like I said, when I came tocollege, I was mainly interested
in 50s cars, something likethat.
Um but then I came over I had acouple pre-war automobiles, but
(30:30):
now and talking about how yousaid about the Great Depression,
my whole life emphasis and whatI'm going my career is going to
be into is orphan cars, carsthat are no longer in business,
they're companies.
Um so now I own two of them,Marman and a Franklin, who are
lost to the depression.
And so you learn all of it.
And that's being at this programreally shifted me something into
(30:54):
liking history, like I said,enough to make it a minor and
like these old cars.
And I mean, I spend my weekends.
There's some college kids whospend their spring breaks, you
know, going to beaches andpartying.
I spend mine in the library andwatching documentaries on my
couch about Horatio's Drive, umthe Lincoln Highway, stuff like
that.
SPEAKER_04 (31:14):
So, yeah, so so to be clear here, as we were
talking about before.
Sorry, I said I wouldn'tinterrupt, but I can't interrupt
these guys.
Great question.
Great questions, great answer.
Now he now, uh, Cash, you stillhave to take the core courses,
40 to 41 hours, introduction torestoration, engine rebuilding,
(31:36):
all this good stuff.
I mean, you've got to jumpstart, as we said, fundamentals
of woodworking, automotiveelectrical systems, what else?
Chassis restoration, right?
Paint.
Yeah, exactly.
And the core core, the historycore courses are uh introductory
methods for historical analysis,social history of the
(31:57):
automobile, technology andsociety, colloquium of
historiography, and then yourthesis.
But then the electives are allsorts of interesting things
here, too.
American history since 1877.
Automobile had a ton to do withhow that changed.
Modern Europe, social history,political history.
So have you taken any of thosecourses yet?
(32:18):
You mentioned you were junior.
SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
Uh I've taken every single one you've mentioned.
So um the one dropped.
Yeah.
The one thing I love aboutMcPherson College, I'll give a
little shout out there, is so Icome from a small school.
My graduating class was 18.
So when I came to McPherson,which people say is also small,
I fell in love with it becausenot only is the AR program
amazing, the general educationprogram is amazing.
(32:42):
So I've taken, I was a fortunatefreshman.
I probably took three or four umautomotive classes in my
freshman year, engines, uh,paint, I think chassis.
I took a lot of them, intro torestoration that Chris teaches.
Um, and then after going intothat, like I said, I wanted to
do the history emphasis.
So I took all the historycourses our college has to
(33:03):
offer.
Um, and now I've done advancedpaint, because we have several
advanced courses as well, too.
Um so as a junior, I've luckilybeen able to take a lot more
than the core and just dive intoanything.
So that is fantastic.
SPEAKER_04 (33:19):
All right, Doug, I'm done interrupting.
I promise.
Over to you.
Until we end the show, I'm gonnakeep it.
SPEAKER_02 (33:24):
No, no, no, no, you're fine, you're fine.
So um what's great about um yourguys, well, actually, I'll ask
you about your what happened toyour first cars.
I think you both well, at leastChris still owns his, but uh
I'll I'll let uh Cash tell usabout what happened to his first
car and then we'll get into thesecond cars.
SPEAKER_01 (33:47):
Um my first car is still sitting at home in our
shop.
So mom reminds me of it everytime she goes out there because
it's collecting dust.
Oh, it's still there.
Drive it.
Yeah, and all of them running,but now I probably filled that
car with about five more or setshop with about five more cars,
and I still get those calls frommom saying, You gotta do
something.
So they're there.
SPEAKER_02 (34:07):
Yeah.
And uh Chris, I think youmentioned you still have the
Model T.
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (34:14):
Yeah, I still have uh, you know, and at this point,
uh I I can't get rid of it.
Um and and maybe the good partis it it runs great, uh usually.
Um, but it but it's it's uh I'vegot so many memories and it's
led a pretty hard life.
It's it wouldn't at this point,I guess I'm lucky, wouldn't be
worth selling.
(34:34):
It's worth more to me than itwould be to anybody else.
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_04 (34:38):
I love the way you just put that.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:40):
I uh I I have two daughters, one uh in high school
and one in college now.
And you know, I told thembecause I mean they kind of grew
up the same way I did, antiquecar tour somewhere in the
country, you know, and I thinkthey figured out they've they've
ridden in or driven a Model T oranother early car, I think in
about 30 or 32 different statesat this point that they've seen
(35:01):
growing up, and um told themboth when they can reach the
pedals, they can dry.
So we're lucky in Kansas here,there's lots of dirt roads.
Um, and we'll just go out on adirt road at when they were
eight or ten years old, and hereyou go.
They can, you know.
So my first car was also the thefirst Model T they've driven.
And um, my my oldest daughter'snow uh in college, but she
(35:22):
restored her own Model T whenshe was in high school before.
And so that that Model T that uhthat I saw, yeah, my first car,
but we're we're still using it,and everybody gets to drive it.
SPEAKER_02 (35:33):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's that's awesome.
So yeah, you guys both stillhave it.
Oh, the MG.
SPEAKER_00 (35:40):
Uh it it because it was my daily driver, I drove it
for a few years high school andthe beginning of college, and
then uh it needed to go.
I needed something a little bitmore practical.
SPEAKER_02 (35:51):
Yep, yep, got it, got it, especially in the
northeast rust and all thatstuff.
Yeah, and uh you both um maybe acoincidence, but your second
cars were both Ford Mustangs.
Purely coincidence, yeah.
Yep, yep.
So so Cash, tell us about yourabout your Mustang, what led to
(36:13):
it.
Obviously, you didn't sell theuh first car.
unknown (36:17):
No.
SPEAKER_01 (36:18):
Uh so I kind of acquired two cars about the same
time, but the Mustang was abouta day before the other one, so I
put it.
Um the it was a 95, so an SN95.
It was red five speed withconvertible top.
So just what a high schoolerneeded, you know, to get in
trouble.
And I got that car.
(36:38):
It was actually my aunt's, andshe had it, she was the second
owner, put it in a storage shedfor about 13 years.
Um, she came back home one dayand she's like, Have you heard
about my Mustang?
And I was like, No, I I don'tthink I have, and told me about
it.
Of course, as a high school kid,I was like, Okay, well, I think
I want to know what speed is.
So I went and bought that carfrom her.
(37:01):
We dug it out of the storageshed and I put a new top on it.
It only had 40 to 50,000 mileson it.
Um, and it performed really wellfor me.
I had it for several years, andthen um the actually way I
acquired it is a funny story,and I tell people all the time.
Growing up on a ranch, I grew updoing team roping, showing
(37:24):
horses at the county fair.
And so to buy that car, Iactually sold a horse.
So I tell people I sold aMustang to buy a Mustang.
Nice, I love that.
That's my catchphrase.
That is that is a first, andthat's a terrible.
SPEAKER_04 (37:36):
Christian, that needs that will be the title of
his autobiography.
It must must be.
SPEAKER_02 (37:43):
Yes.
Yeah.
No, Christian, uh, your middleson has a 94 Mustang.
That's his first carconvertible.
Um 04.
No, 04.
40th anniversary.
Yeah, I'm close.
SPEAKER_04 (37:55):
It's it he thinks he is way cooler than I ever was.
Fact.
SPEAKER_02 (38:01):
Yes.
Yeah.
And so Chris, your first car, oryour second car, pardon me, or
or third, depending on how youlook at it, was uh was also a
Mustang.
Tell us about it.
SPEAKER_00 (38:13):
It was uh kind of I guess nondescript.
It was a 1984 Mustang uh withthe five-liter engine, a lot of
fun.
Uh similar to cash, not I I wasin college when I got it, not
what a college student needed.
Um glad I didn't get into anymore trouble with it than I did.
(38:33):
Had it for a couple of years, itwas just my daily driver.
And uh actually, when I came outhere to Kansas as a student, I
needed something a little morepractical.
And so the the Mustang went, andthat that was the end of the
Mustang.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (38:48):
Yeah.
And um just looping back to uhlooping back to cash, what was
the big difference that youremember besides convertible
between the Volkswagen and theMustang?
SPEAKER_01 (39:00):
Um, well, comfort was a little bit.
I had those nice leather seatsum in the Mustang.
And like I said, I could theVolkswagen to 1600 dual port,
but I feel like in the Mustang Icould really hit highway speeds,
um, get in a little moretrouble.
But I was always well with them.
(39:20):
Um they're both in really goodshape.
So, but the Mustang to me waskind of my first jump towards
independence and stuff likethat, and be like, okay, this is
my first, my first car that Ipurchased.
Yep.
Um, and you know, typical otherthings, like I always had to
change the thermostat on myMustang and never had to do that
(39:40):
on the Volkswagen.
So yeah, because I was like,well, now I've got to deal with
this funny little water thing.
SPEAKER_00 (39:47):
Right.
Oh one of the one of the thingsfor me, uh I'm sorry, if I can
jump in.
No, no, please, please do.
This is your show.
Because I had such a differencebetween my collector car and my
daily driver, I I enjoyedworking on the Model T or early
cars.
I didn't like working on mymodern car.
I still don't.
(40:07):
I mean, I'll do maintenance, butyou know, I I guess it sort of
gave me that mindset.
If I only have a certain numberof hours to work on something, I
want it to be something old andmaybe something I understand
more.
So you know, I'll do basicmaintenance, but you know, to
me, like the the even the MG,but the certainly the Mustang
and everything after, it's beena daily driver, you know, and
(40:29):
and so I never beat on them realbad because I didn't want to
have to fix it.
I didn't want to have to spendthe time fixing it.
So I kind of always tried totake care of stuff and and uh
work on old stuff if that's whatI got time for.
SPEAKER_02 (40:42):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, you made your hobby yourcareer, right?
And that's pretty awesome.
So I'm I'm gonna jump around alittle bit, but I I god, I just
want to get to um both of youruh current cars or most recent
cars.
Um both cars, um definitelyCash's car I had not heard
(41:05):
about, but tell us about it,Cash.
SPEAKER_01 (41:08):
Um my 1917 Franklin that most recent purchased.
So uh it all began when I was afreshman here.
Um and there's this club calledthe Franklin Club.
They're amazing.
If you haven't heard about them,look into them.
Um they're like I said,automobiles from I believe 02 to
1934, air-cooled.
Um and they competed higher endum with upwear by Marmons, maybe
(41:35):
Pierce's, stuff like that.
Um, and so in I went to the backto freshman year.
I went to this Franklin Trekbecause I got a scholarship to
go to it.
It's a week-long event inupstate New York, and you just
have fun.
You know, it's kind of likedaycare for all these
scholarship kids.
We just get to drive these oldcars around.
And they it's a great clubbecause if there's kids who
(41:56):
really like these cars, they'llalways find the right car for
the right kid.
So since kids have gone therefor several years, um, a lot of
them acquired Franklin's, andthen I being the next victim.
Back in October, I had a pe acouple people reach out to me
saying, Hey, I think I know thisone Franklin for sale.
And the owners were like, Yeah,we might sell it.
And finally we became reallygood friends.
(42:17):
Um, and I purchased it.
It's a 1917 Franklin Clover LeafCoop.
Um, it's got a really specialhistory behind behind it.
Um, it was a California car itswhole life, has a California top
on it.
They say it's probably one ofmaybe two left with this top.
Um wow.
Really good special features.
Currently not running.
(42:38):
Um, I've had it like when I gotit, it was probably in about 40
unlabeled boxes.
I got a few.
I've been putting it together.
Um, and like I said, it'saluminum-bodied, air-cooled,
wooden frame.
It's really a buggy.
So I sold my horse, now I'mgoing to horseless carriages.
SPEAKER_04 (42:59):
So um aluminum in 1970 would have made it a very
high-end, desirable automobile,correct?
We think of it as nothing now,but yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:13):
And I it's every time I look at it and work on
it, I have it sitting next to myMarman.
But you look at this Franklinfrom years, 11 years earlier,
and it was a high-end car.
It's comfort, it's goteverything.
I mean, it's got 25 horsepower,so I'm not bragging about that,
but that's why I'm braggingabout all the other features
it's got.
Um, you know, and speed now,speed's not my thing.
(43:35):
So these cars are amazingvehicles to be around.
I'm honored to be its nextcaretaker.
SPEAKER_02 (43:42):
Yeah.
Do you do you uh I meant to askthis uh a few minutes ago about
the Model T's and Model A's, butum how far back history?
Um, Chris, you kind of broughtit up, but how many owners can
you trace back on some of thesecars?
Oh wow.
Have you been able to do that,or has it been this car has had
(44:02):
12 owners, like provenance ofthe car, like beans of art
almost?
SPEAKER_01 (44:07):
Hmm.
So, yeah, that's my favoritething about it.
So that's why I chose thehistory of it.
History.
Yeah.
And we do classes here thatChris teaches, and he shows us
kind of how to research yourcars, you know, going through
newspapers, stuff like this.
And um my Franklin, it's alwayshad a neat history.
Like I said, the first owner umwas a rich alfalfa farmer from
(44:28):
California.
He actually ran away during1917, lied about his age, bought
this car, and then went andfought in World War I.
And then after that, I went to aschool teacher in Los Angeles,
and then another couple in LosAngeles, and then to me.
But like some of my other carsof different stories, I've got a
26 Model T that was sold brandnew from my family's Ford
(44:50):
dealership.
And I actually wrote letters toall the previous owners and
bought that car back.
So it just depends on what thecar is.
And right, so sometimes it'shard, I will say it's very hard.
But Chris is kind of aprofessional now, so I can hand
it to him.
He knows.
SPEAKER_00 (45:06):
Um, uh for me, so that first model T I have there,
there is no history.
I um I started with an engineblock uh that I know where it
came from, but it was just ablock, and you know, it was just
uh when I gathered pieces andand put it together.
Um actually I shouldn't saythat.
The it's a pickup truck, and thepickup bed uh came off of my
(45:29):
father's 1910 Model T touringcar, wow, um, which he still
owns.
Uh and we know that his car wassold new in New York State, and
my father has all the originalpaper registrations.
It was a touring car until 1917when it was a 10-year-old car.
And then on the registrations,it was a uh they owned a farm,
(45:49):
so then it was converted to apickup truck.
SPEAKER_02 (45:51):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:52):
He got the car about 1980, it was still a pickup
truck.
So we took that bed off and andhe built the touring car, but
anyway, that's kind of wherethat one came from.
Um, I have another model too,1910 touring car, similar to my
father's.
That um Ford still has theoriginal build sheets on some
early cars, so I know it wassold new to Maine.
(46:12):
I know what dealership it wentthrough, and it then appears.
I've got a uh photo, actually amagazine article from 1937, that
this 1910 Ford was being used inan anti-car event in 1937, so it
was already a collector antiquecar uh in the 1930s, and I know
(46:34):
what's what's happened sincethen.
SPEAKER_02 (46:37):
And then uh yeah, uh it kind of goes on and on, but
yeah, no, that's that's amazing.
And and you mentioned one ofyour daughters has a Model T as
well, right?
SPEAKER_00 (46:46):
Yeah, yep, and uh it similarly like to mine, it was
just pieces.
Um don't don't know where any ofthem came from, right?
SPEAKER_02 (46:54):
And the history, correct me if I'm wrong, about
pickup trucks and why they'recalled pickups is uh they didn't
come as pickups.
You company sold the bed for it,and you would go to the train
station, I think, the rail yard,and pick up the bed for the
vehicle, and that's where theterm pickup truck came from.
SPEAKER_00 (47:17):
Am I right?
Um yeah, and and like the thepickup bed that's on my car, um
it it was that it was older, itwas an aftermarket.
SPEAKER_02 (47:26):
It's newer, sorry.
Yes, yep, yep, exactly.
So I bet you didn't know that,Christian.
Did not.
Great question.
Yeah, yeah.
So um so we want to hear aboutthe Auburn as well, Chris.
So we're competing here.
We've got a 1917 Franklin andwe've got a 1910 Auburn.
(47:47):
I I am curious if you guys wouldrace who would win, but tell us
about well, his doesn't runright now, so I'm gonna say I
would win.
SPEAKER_04 (47:57):
I can't push that beat.
We could push it and it wouldwin.
Yeah I'm gonna tell.
SPEAKER_00 (48:03):
I'll I'll say this week I win, no doubt.
Um so the the Auburn, um, itcame uh into our lives.
I'll I'll say our lives, it's afamily car.
Um, we bought it about five orsix years ago.
Um, always had model T's andBuicks and other early cars, and
then decided we wanted somethinga little bit bigger, um, but
(48:27):
also early.
And this was a car we had seenyears and years ago, it was uh
somewhat local near Wichita,about an hour away from us, and
kind of tracked it down, foundout it was still there, um, and
uh were able to buy it.
Um it had been uh actually, it'sanother car.
We know the the history back tonew.
(48:47):
Um, got it, and then I did aquick uh search on uh newspapers
online and found an article in1953 on that car um when it was
being restored.
And it mentioned the originalowner's name and who owned it
then, and uh we we know thehistory since then, but uh it
was restored in the in the 50sor 60s, um kind of uh pretty
(49:12):
well done, but had been sittingsince then.
It hadn't run in 40 years untilwe got it, so we decided we were
gonna re-restore it.
Uh and that's what we did.
SPEAKER_02 (49:21):
Nice, nice, beautiful, beautiful.
So how many uh I'm um jumpingahead in my mind, but I just
can't stop.
Who has more cars and what's theuh what's the number for each of
you?
SPEAKER_01 (49:35):
Uh probably cash.
Uh I don't like to count thisbecause um I think currently I
counted the other day because Ijust got one the other day.
Um I'm at double digits now, sowe hit 10.
Oh boy.
Okay.
So congrats.
Thank you.
You could imagine how my familyfeels.
SPEAKER_02 (49:53):
So yeah, I was gonna say if you don't want to count,
your mom would probablyvolunteer that number.
So tell me about it.
It reminds you.
SPEAKER_00 (50:02):
Uh for me, it's it's a lot less.
Um I've got two Model T's, Ihave a 1913 Buick, and then the
the Auburn is a family car.
My father and I are are kind of50-50 partners in that.
Um, did the restorationtogether.
Um, so that only counts as half.
So that that makes me feelbetter.
(50:22):
Um, and then we've got uh acouple other cars also, but
nowhere near double digits.
SPEAKER_02 (50:29):
Yeah, that guy cash has a problem.
Cash has a has a good problem,but it's an addiction.
Yeah, and um, I know uh Chris,you love all your cars.
You really don't have uh haveone that you've hated, but I I
find uh or dislike, I find thecar uh cash mentioned, which is
(50:50):
so out of character for him.
What was the car that youdisliked the most that you told
us about at least?
SPEAKER_01 (50:57):
The one I dislike the most is one that I own
because I have to work on it.
Uh is a 1994 Saab 900, uh TurboCabriolet.
And when you look at mycollection, um, that's the one
my friends make the most fun ofbecause it doesn't fit in.
Uh bright red, and like I said,I dislike it the most.
(51:17):
It's got a good history as mygrandmother's.
I bought it from her.
Um, low mileage, greatcondition, grandmother car to
the max, um, if you can imagineone.
But working on it sucks.
It's those funny little foreigncars, and I just I can't wrap my
head around it.
SPEAKER_02 (51:34):
So yeah, I remember like that the Saab convertibles.
I think like in the 90s, 80s,that was like if you were a
lawyer, that was like the caryou had to get, along with the
BMW probably, but more so thesobs.
SPEAKER_01 (51:50):
They're great cars.
I look, I mean, I've had thewindow sticker and all that from
mine when it was sold brand new.
It was a in 1994 a$42,000 car.
Yeah.
Leathered seats, heated seats.
It's got all the bells andwhistles, and it's still a great
vehicle from for me, but it'sjust if I have to work on it,
I'll turn it away for a coupledays and be like, all right,
(52:11):
we're gonna we're gonna thinkabout this.
SPEAKER_02 (52:15):
Wow.
Yeah, so so there's uh you ofall the cars you've owned,
you've gotten rid of very few ofthem, it sounds like.
SPEAKER_01 (52:24):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (52:24):
Yep, yeah, yes, it depends on the car.
SPEAKER_03 (52:27):
Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_02 (52:28):
And uh, I want to ask you both.
I I think you guys have somedream cars already, but what
would be your dream car?
SPEAKER_00 (52:37):
Uh for me, uh I don't know.
There probably gonna be somelisteners that are gonna have to
go look this one up andcompleting.
Um so for me, my my dream carwould have to be something
early, uh, just because that'swhat I'm into, but probably a
circa 1910 Simplex automobile.
Um, because I grew up close toNew York City, uh, these were
(53:00):
built in New York City and justa really, really high-end car in
that 1910 era.
Um the the uh I'll say themid-sized model was a
four-cylinder, uh, six roughly600 cubic inch engine.
Um today, top speeds of 60, 70,80 miles an hour.
(53:21):
Um for me that that'd be the thedream car.
I'll I'll uh settle for withsettle with the Alburn for now,
which is uh no comparison atall, but um we're we're good
with that.
SPEAKER_02 (53:34):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (53:35):
And cash?
Uh for mine, I'd love I like toshoot really high and what takes
up the most amount of garagespace.
Um, I'm really interested in theearly vehicles pre-World War II,
so and higher end stuff, orphancars, of course.
So I would love to just settlefor a Duesenberg Model J.
Um, probably a Phaeton.
(53:56):
I like the Model A's, you know,because they're really
impressive.
Um they're not cars, they'repieces of engineering.
That's just beautiful.
Um the Duesenberg line hasalways been amazing.
Um, and so that's the one carthat if I'm at I've been to a
lot of shows and I see themthere.
If I just see one driving down astreet or collections I've
worked in, a Duesenberg willalways draw my attention to it
(54:20):
and blow me away.
They're striking looking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They just and you can't stoplooking at them.
All 10 miles of them.
SPEAKER_04 (54:29):
So good deal.
Well, uh, thank you guys forspending some time with us.
I think you have uh I think youhave an interested student here.
Is would you take Doug?
I know uh talking about yoursummer programs.
He wanted to can he just kind ofsit audit a class or just sit in
on?
Does it still have to beadmitted?
(54:49):
Do you allow that sort of thing?
SPEAKER_00 (54:51):
So uh to to come into the program as a student
throughout the year, uh, youwould have to be admitted.
Um I bet I could pull somestrings and uh see what see what
I can do for you, Doug.
Um but yeah, so uh and and we dohave a process to come as a
traditional student.
Um but then yeah, we do we offersummer classes in June, which
(55:13):
are uh one week, um several oneweek sessions.
Uh you pick a subject, you comehang out with us.
A lot of our participants callit car camp.
Um we do evening activities,it's it's only uh these uh what
we call uh restoration instituteclasses.
It's the only thing going onthat week.
(55:34):
So we all go to the the dininghall together.
Um wow.
You know, a lot of a lot of theparticipants stay in in the
dorms.
We clean out uh you know the ournewest dorms and put put uh
people in there, and they'rejust hobbyists from around the
country that uh come and andspend a week or two or three
with us.
SPEAKER_04 (55:52):
Doug is just coming out of his skin with happiness.
I can just feel it radiatingfrom you.
SPEAKER_02 (55:59):
I can see more cars in my future if I go to one of
these.
SPEAKER_04 (56:02):
Oh boy, yeah.
Start start stacking up thecash.
Well, gentlemen, this has reallybeen wonderful.
Thank you for making it up.
I got one last question for youon the way out.
And really, it's just more of astatement of mine.
Uh I find the concept of arumble seat fascinating.
It's a bucket list of mine tofit in a rumble seat in a car.
(56:23):
One that's even redone would beeven more fantastic.
So, what is a rumble seat?
Why does it exist?
Was it ever used?
Was it sort of a vanity thingback there?
Do you see them come through onany of your cars?
Have you restored any and dothey work?
SPEAKER_00 (56:39):
A lot of questions.
SPEAKER_01 (56:44):
Okay.
So um, yeah, I'll jump inbecause I have a 1928 Model A
SportCube.
Okay.
Um and it does feature a rumbleseat.
No well.
So it was restored in 1994through 1997.
Um I purchased it in about 20,right after I graduated high
school, 2022, because it was aplace I worked in high school.
(57:05):
They had a bunch of cars and umbought it from them, and it is
one of the best seats in thehouse.
You know, it's I drive that car,it's pretty much my daily
drivers at Model A.
But um, the Rumble seat is themost comfortable place to sit.
There's more leg room backthere.
You can actually, you know, geta little bit of a couple of
things the opposite.
SPEAKER_04 (57:26):
I would have thought the opposite.
Oh no.
You're saying there's there'smore space to sit.
So oh, maybe up front it's alittle more crowded with uh with
not as much leg room.
Okay, okay.
You actually have to drive yourcar if you sit up front.
SPEAKER_03 (57:40):
See now, if I sit in the rumble seat, very good
point.
Um, very good point.
SPEAKER_01 (57:43):
And there's there's one time, my freshman year of
college, where we drove my ModelA and Model T from Colorado to
here 500 miles, and every houror so we switched out someone in
the rumble seat because everyoneargued to sit there.
Absolutely.
It's the like I said, the bestseat in the house.
I love mine.
(58:04):
Um, how is it in the rain?
I've also been in it in therain.
It's for a car that's going 40miles an hour, you're gonna get
a little wet.
So enjoy the ride.
Um, leather seats, so you justwipe it off when you're done.
I actually, my dog, I've got agolden retriever.
When we take the Model A out, hesits in the rumble seat and
(58:24):
everyone loves seeing him backthere.
He stays back there and he justit's amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (58:29):
No, who is cooler than this kid cash?
Nobody is cooler than this guy.
I gotta tell you what.
Well, thank you for thatexplainer.
And I tell you what, pal, if Iever make my way out to where
you are, I will buy you a tankof gasoline if you take me
around the block in a rumbleseat.
Do we have a deal?
You've got to spot my caranytime.
Fantastic, fantastic.
(58:50):
Again, thank you, gentlemen,both for making some time in
your schedule.
This was an extreme pleasure forus.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
You guys, and thank you.
All right.
Well, you have just heard thehigh revenue, low mileage, late
model, maybe early model ofearly models, heard around the
world authoritative podcast onautomotive nostalgia.
He's Doug.
Reach him at Doug atCarsLove.com.
(59:11):
I am Christian.
Reach me at Christian atCarslove.com.
They were Cash and Chris.
This was so much fun.
If you like what you've heard,please follow and tell a friend,
leave a review.
Try out carslove.com where youcan do so in our link tree,
which is at L-I-N-K-T-R dot Eslash Cars Love.
SPEAKER_02 (59:33):
That's why we keep him around.
If if anybody wants to be aguest, wants to recommend a
guest, wants to send us someautomotive trivia, ask a
question.
You can do that all on ourwebsite.
Send us an email.
SPEAKER_04 (59:50):
We're very approachable, and Doug has had
most of these shots.
Yes.
I am sure we will see you at thenext local car show, showroom,
race trip, or concur.
We appreciate your listening andwe will see you next time.
Welcome back to All the Cars I've Loved For, your
authoritative podcast onAutomotive Nostalgia, where our
guests are unique.
Each auto has an era, and everycar tells a story.
So you know it's time to plug ina little grease under the nails.
Clip on the favorite car theme,car themed t-shirt, hat or
(00:25):
jacket.
Speaking of, let's bring in myco-host with the almost.
He's got all the options.
Hey, it's on most cylinders someof the time, which I think is
can be true of many of us.
Our man with the half-make plan,Doug.
How are you, buddy?
Welcome.
Doing great?
Doing good.
What's the weather up there?
How you how you how you doing?
SPEAKER_02 (00:45):
Uh doing well.
Weather uh over the weekend itgot to the 80s, but 80s.
SPEAKER_04 (00:51):
80s heat weather.
Today, like high 60s.
Well, let me ask, over theweekend, was the weather good
weather for test driving an oldcar?
Not an old, old car.
That's for our guest today, butan older car.
SPEAKER_02 (01:09):
It was reasonable.
I would say walking up to thatarea in DC to visit it reminded
me of our walk in uh our walksin San Francisco where my God,
it was just up crazy hills, butit's the Trinidad neighborhood
in DC, which I've never been tonear Gallaudet University.
(01:29):
Lovely, lovely place, Gallaudet.
Indeed, indeed.
So since you brought it up, Idid test drive the second one
I've driven, but this one was a1992 Suzuki cappuccino.
SPEAKER_03 (01:43):
Mmm.
SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
And uh wasn't as nice as in the pictures,
unfortunately.
SPEAKER_04 (01:48):
But well just like online dating, finding cars, the
pictures are seldomrepresentational.
Yeah.
So you've you've driven how manyof these?
Two.
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (01:59):
Okay.
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (02:00):
And uh I don't think I'll be driving any more for a
while.
I think I'm gonna change myfocus back to my uh 90, 300zx
and get that painted.
Hopefully, uh our our friendMatt is gonna paint it.
SPEAKER_04 (02:14):
And how many cars have you bought this week?
Zero.
Is it still at zero?
Okay, is it gonna be a struggleto keep it there, you think?
Nah.
Yeah.
Um okay, so so uh so on thecappuccinos.
The first one was nice, secondnot so nice.
They were prized about the same.
And tell let's get into tell theaudience just a minute or two
(02:38):
about these about these JDM.
SPEAKER_02 (02:40):
Yeah, so uh it falls into uh what the Japanese call a
K class, KEI, which was a carlimited in size, weight um
horsepower, limited to about 63horsepower, 64, and uh engine
displacement about uh 660cc, sounder one liter.
(03:02):
Under smaller than and uh Ithink they're all three
cylinders, smaller than your GeoMetro that you had, which was a
whole one liter.
But um this muscle car.
Suzuki had a turbo.
Yes.
Yeah, Suzuki had a turbo.
This they all do, Suzukicappuccinos.
This one had a aftermarketturbo, it was noticeably more
(03:23):
powerful than the other one.
SPEAKER_04 (03:25):
Oh, yeah, you drove uh a non-turbo.
SPEAKER_02 (03:29):
No, they're they're all turbos, but just stock
versus aftermarket turbo.
Oh you know, the car weighsnothing.
And uh they're itty bitty.
Just to add, it's uh yeah, it'sa it's a coupe, it's a
convertible, it's a T top, it'suh Targetop.
It does all those differentthings.
So it's a really neat, it's areally neat car.
(03:50):
It's like a mini Miata.
SPEAKER_04 (03:52):
Okay, but we're just gonna go with, we're gonna let
those let those pass to the nextperson out there.
SPEAKER_02 (03:58):
So hey, if you're interested, uh they are, I'm
sure they are available.
There's a huge thing with theJapanese K car culture in this
country or any JDM cars, theysay Japanese domestic market
cars.
SPEAKER_04 (04:13):
So this is Ukikara, uh the Autosom, all of these
with the very sharp-lookinglittle cars.
Oh, yeah, that was another one.
That was another.
There's one for sale at the atthe interesting lot down the
road from me.
They cannot get rid of it.
So I don't know.
I think he's asking a littlemuch, but yeah.
Fun cars, small cars.
(04:34):
Well, thank you for the update.
You're welcome.
And before we go ahead, did youwant to say something else?
No.
I said welcome.
Before thank you, before wepivot to our guest today, a
little bit of a call to actionhere.
Carslove.com.
Please visit.
Uh we've always done uh or wejust did some work to the
website.
Let us know.
(04:55):
Visit reviews, pictures.
You can stream shows there, Ibelieve.
And that's actually, I I wassurprised that we're heard
around the world.
So I think a lot of people,that's how they listen to us,
okay?
Just go to the website, check itout.
All the episodes are archivedthere.
Uh you want to give them thelink tree real quick?
(05:15):
Sure.
L-I-N-K-T-R dot E slash CarsLoved.
Absolutely.
So if you like what you hear,tell a family member, a
coworker, a friend, because youknow what we do.
We bring bring people togetherfrom all over the world, cities
here in the United States,countries, all over the globe.
We know because we have thedata.
(05:38):
All right.
And so as we uh march on herecloser and closer to our guests
who are gonna tell us about someold, old automobiles.
Today's theme, by way of aprologue, uh, is what is the
future of history?
What is the future of history?
Is there a future in history?
(05:58):
As our guests will show today,there absolutely is.
So I'm gonna toss it over toDoug.
And how did today's guests findtheir way into your virtual
garage?
SPEAKER_02 (06:09):
Yeah.
So um, you know, I I've been Iwatch a lot of YouTube, and uh
we have talked to some other umcollege colleges.
We've had uh a couple uhinstructor student duos before,
and um McPherson College inMcPherson, Kansas had been on my
list.
Uh I was able luckily able toreach out to uh Tina and she
(06:34):
connected me with these twogentlemen.
But more more background, uh,they have an automotive
restoration program.
I saw a great piece on CBSSunday morning, and uh I think
you watched the same piece, andit was incredible.
SPEAKER_04 (06:49):
Fantastic viewing, yeah.
For our if you found thepodcast, the show notes will
have links to both their uh thethe information on the McPherson
website, as well as probably alink straight to the CBS Sunday
morning piece.
And it it it is lovely, it is sowell done.
So we would like to welcome inuh Chris and Cash.
(07:11):
Chris is a teacher at McPhersonand Cash is a student.
Good afternoon.
How are you gentlemen doing?
Good, good, very good, glad tobe here.
We're thrilled to have you.
Thank you for making the timetoday.
So, can you tell us a littlebit?
Uh, let's ask Chris first.
Tell us a little bit about theprogram, how you found your way
to it, and then we'll bring Cashinto the discussion and say what
(07:34):
attracted him to what y'all aredoing there.
SPEAKER_00 (07:38):
Uh sure.
So uh the McPherson CollegeAutomotive Restoration Program,
uh, this is our 49th year.
We are getting ready tocelebrate our 50th anniversary
next year.
It was started in the mid-70s uhby a local entrepreneur who
collected cars.
Um, and uh surprisingly, maybe alittle ahead of his time, he was
(07:58):
complaining he couldn't findanybody to help him with his old
cars that was that was notalready old.
He said, We gotta get youngpeople, you know, and that's
something we hear now, but hesaw it 50 years ago.
So uh he got together withMcPherson College, which was
started in 1887, and said, If Igive you cars and and some
money, what would you do withit?
And here we are 49 years later.
(08:21):
Um, it's a full four-yearbachelor's degree program.
So students come uh for fouryears and and join the rest of
campus.
We're just one program on on thecampus.
Uh we've got other other majors,um, so we're we're kind of fully
integrated.
Um and students go through, uh,take a little bit of everything
(08:43):
uh as far as uh car projects.
We we only work on vintage cars,uh beginning of time, um, so to
speak.
Right.
Really the the mid-1970s uh isabout as new as we'll work on.
SPEAKER_04 (08:58):
Yeah, that's so interesting that you mentioned
that.
Now, if you really want to put asmile on your face, go to okay,
I'm saying McPherson is thepreferred pronunciation
McPherson.
SPEAKER_00 (09:08):
It is McPherson.
SPEAKER_04 (09:09):
Perfect.
Thank you.
Now I know.
Hey, if you go to the go to thewebsite, if you go to catalog
catalog.mcpherson.edu, you cansee all the courses that they
offer here.
And under the this is theautomotive restoration.
Is it okay to call it a major?
Yeah, yeah.
Okay, lovely.
And it it's it's so fascinatingbecause there are core courses,
(09:34):
just like any college, and thenthere are emphases that you can
step into.
So the some of the core courses,I'm not gonna read them all out,
but just the more interestingones.
Okay, engine rebuilding, drivetech train restoration, sheet
metal restoration, fundamentalsof woodworking.
Hmm.
That is curious.
So so why would I need to knowabout woodworking when when
(09:58):
restoring a vintage car?
Why would that be important?
SPEAKER_00 (10:02):
Uh believe it or not, most uh cars built before
the mid-1930s were what we callcomposite construction uh in the
bodies, kind of a wood frameworkor wood skeleton with either
sheet metal, uh steel oraluminum on the outside.
Some were vinyl, some wereleather, but uh many before the
(10:22):
mid-1930s were uh had had woodin the bodies, if not
constructed completely of wood.
SPEAKER_04 (10:30):
That is so amazing to think about.
So let's let's uh pivot to cash.
Cash, how did you first learnabout this program and and what
attracted you to it?
SPEAKER_01 (10:40):
Okay, so similar with Doug, um, I went down the
YouTube rabbit hole and found itthat way, and the same thing.
Yeah, so I remember the night ithappened.
Um, so I grew up on a ranch innortheast Colorado, farming
family, ranching family, youknow, cattle alfalfa, all of it.
And so I was in a dinner onenight going down YouTube and I
found Tom Carter's barn fighthunter video where he donated a
(11:04):
car to the college.
And I remember looking at mymom, and I was like, Well,
scratch that.
I think I'm gonna go to collegeto restore cars.
And she looked at me and goes,You're crazy.
We're not doing that.
So I convinced her my senioryear of high school to come down
here with me.
We toured the college,absolutely fell in love when I
met everyone here, saw theplace.
(11:26):
I knew that there was no otherplace for me.
Um, and like I said, I grew upfixing old vehicles on the farm.
Like we had a 53 Ford, that wasour water truck.
So that's how I kind of knewabout this old stuff.
And um, like I said, mom and Itoured it, loved it.
I was only seven hours away fromhome, and then I here I am
today, junior in the program.
(11:46):
Junior.
SPEAKER_04 (11:47):
Fantastic.
And before we toss it over toDoug here so that he can uh step
us back into the past and walkthrough them, I was gonna ask,
where do you find these cars?
And in in and before you answer,this is why we say the theme of
this show is what is the futureof history?
Because as we move forward intime, m first off, more and more
(12:10):
cars are going to become older.
We do a better job at takingcare of things, but you're going
to take this just really uniqueknowledge and be able to go out
and and do this kind of uniqueniche thing in the field.
But where do these cars comefrom originally?
(12:30):
Where do you find these?
And I'll just offer this to toeither of our guests.
SPEAKER_00 (12:35):
So I I at the college here, uh, all of the
projects we work on have beendonated to us.
I see.
We're in a really fortunateposition that the college owns
the vehicles.
So if it doesn't get done thissemester, that's okay.
It will finish next semester.
You know, there's no customerwaiting for their car back.
Um, which is, and and as theprogram's gotten to be better
(12:57):
known, uh, we've been reallyfortunate to get some great
donations uh to have studentswork on.
Um and having said that, uh, youknow, it it it also sort of
limits us.
I mean, we have certain carsthat we'll be out looking for,
but um, yeah, we we've gottensome some great projects and and
great cars donated to us thatthat we work on.
(13:20):
So they they just come in fromhere and there.
SPEAKER_04 (13:23):
Yeah, it could take years to finish a car, right?
So once it comes to you, if it'sbeen weathered or rodents have
been in it, and you really haveto pull it apart, I I would
think that that happens with alot of these.
You're talking upholstery.
It has to be pulled apart.
Uh any any springs in theupholstery, uh, the the the
(13:46):
chassis, the wood, all that kindof stuff.
So you really have to start fromthe oh, you mentioned donations.
So could I ask uh uh uh are arethere any celebrities, let's
say, any former talk showcelebrities that have had
anything to do with your story?
SPEAKER_00 (14:05):
Uh yeah, um certainly uh Jay Leno um is
probably the the most notable.
Um he's been a supporter for along, long time.
Um, and and we're certainlygrateful for his support over
the years.
SPEAKER_04 (14:20):
Lovely, lovely.
And as was mentioned in the CBSSunday morning uh piece, as I
kind of ramp down here, uh let'stalk about a 1953 Mercedes and
how that really uh helped theprogram just over the past two
years gain national visibilityand prominence.
SPEAKER_00 (14:41):
Um yeah, I I I can speak to that a little bit.
So um it was about 12 years agonow that uh we set out on a new
strategic plan.
Uh and that was to compete towin at Pebble Beach, which um
some people scoffed at.
How are you gonna, you know, howis this little school in Kansas
gonna do that with a bunch ofquote kids?
(15:04):
And um we went out and we foundthis 1953 Mercedes 300S
Cabriolet, um, which was alooked like a pretty good solid
old car.
Um, and we took it down and hadstudents restore every single
piece of it with the goal inmind, which I think is just a
huge part of um where somepeople have trouble with their
(15:27):
project.
They don't know what they wantit to be.
We knew from the beginning wewanted to make it as perfect as
we possibly could.
Um and so just spent seven yearsuh doing a total having working
with students, but having themdo the total restoration.
SPEAKER_04 (15:43):
And so you have that that car is still on campus
again, it's still owned, ownedby the university.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
Yep, yep, it's uh uh shown at Pebble Beach and it's
been shown at at several otherevents since then, and it is
owned by the college, and Ipresume or or hope will be
continue to be owned by thecollege for years, so we can
continue to display what uh whatsome some students have done.
Got it, got it, lovely.
SPEAKER_04 (16:08):
Now, is there I didn't see this on the website,
but is there a kind of a museumon the school grounds where you
can see these or I don't know,do you want to um there's not a
museum associated with theschool.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Uh we do have a town museum um that they do.
One of our teachers here, LukeChannel, he's on the board and
he'll do rotating automotivedisplays.
And like my freshman year, Iworked at the museum here in
town, so I helped set up some ofthose automotive displays.
And um, the one currently goingis German automobiles.
Um, but most of the cars thecollege owned are stored in a
(16:48):
storage facility where all thesame students store their cars
too.
So, but there's showrooms in theTempleton that we display them
and all and tasteful, lookreally good, impress everyone.
Nice, nice way of doing it.
SPEAKER_04 (17:01):
Fantastic.
And do you have cars?
I don't know how to say it, butcars from all over the world.
You have uh is it all domestics?
Do you take an imports too?
Will you take anything you canget your hands on?
SPEAKER_00 (17:14):
Um so uh we we do not take anything we can get our
hands on.
We we do say we say no to quitea few projects, whether they
have a and and that soundsalmost counterintuitive.
Somebody wants to give yousomething, but but we um we've
we've got quite a few cars.
We're certainly glad to talk toanyone that that has something
(17:35):
in mind that you know thatthey'd like to potentially
donate to us.
Um we do try to have a littlebit of everything.
Uh we've got mostly US andEuropean, actually entirely US
and European cars, um, but butquite a spread from Europe, um
uh Mercedes.
Got it.
(17:56):
Um I don't know, uh Triumph,yeah, Austin Healys.
Um so we've got, and then ofcourse, all a lot of US stuff
also.
Lovely, got it, thank you.
SPEAKER_04 (18:07):
All right.
Well, here's the time.
I I just uh here's the time ofthe program where I sort of toss
it over to Doug, who likes to go88 miles an hour and flame back
to the future, so to speak.
So let's go back in time, Doug.
Yeah, and let's chat with thesegentlemen about what they have,
what got them started, so tospeak.
SPEAKER_02 (18:26):
Yeah, so um, you know, it's it's interesting to
hear uh hear Cash talk aboutworking on growing up on a farm.
We've had we've had severalpeople grew up on the farm and
people I've known personally,and they you have to fix
everything, right?
SPEAKER_04 (18:41):
And their first cars were tractors, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (18:43):
Yep, though that was one of our guests, yeah.
Yep.
So it just comes natural, right?
And it's a necessity, right?
There's nobody else to go fixit.
You gotta go do it.
So so cash, your first car was a1970 Volkswagen Beetle.
Bright yellow, bright yellow,bright yellow.
SPEAKER_04 (19:03):
They're always yellow.
Why are they yellow?
SPEAKER_01 (19:06):
Everyone knows where you go.
I think it was a thing so thatway if I got in trouble, they
could spot me in the small townthat I grew up in, like that
dang kid.
We're giving cash a car, butit's gonna be the loudest car in
the village.
SPEAKER_04 (19:18):
It was cool, man.
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
It was the loudest and the brightest, yeah,
slowest, but how how'd you getthat car, Cash?
So this one is kind of aninterest interesting story.
Um, my mom, when I was aboutready to turn 16, like I said,
grew up on a farm.
So we we had a bunch of farmvehicles.
Um, but my mom had a 2011Hyundai Elantra, just one of her
(19:44):
like random cars, and she goes,Cash, here's something reliable
you can have for high school.
Um, I'll sign it over to you.
That way, you know, you neverbreak down.
And I said, Thank you, but I'mgonna trade that instantly.
And so as soon as I got it in myname, I went and traded it for
that Volkswagen Beatle, and sheliked it.
You know, she drove a manual.
(20:05):
Um, my grandfather, one of hisfirst cars was a Volkswagen.
So it was a good adoption to thefamily.
And then about two months afterI got it, um, I decided to be
pretty cool and drive it on thehottest day of the year and blew
the engine out of it.
So, real quickly, learned how torebuild one.
Um, and then after that, my carsnowballed and changed, and now
(20:29):
I'm in a pre-war and all that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:33):
Nice.
Yeah, and I I could tell whenyou were uh for those who are
watching when they get to seeit, I could tell you were
started smiling thinking aboutit, and what a you know, you
went from uh here's a reliable2000 series car to uh hey, let's
get this 1970 Beatle.
SPEAKER_01 (20:51):
Oh, I never hear the end of it from my mom.
If she was here today, you guyswould hear it all too.
SPEAKER_02 (20:57):
Yeah.
So well, and you might not bewith us if you hadn't made that
bold choice, right?
Exactly, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
Like I said, it put me on a completely different
track and one that I'm happyfor.
Yeah, especially driving, uhdriving on the hottest day of
the year, right?
Exactly.
I've had my fair share oftractors too, so luckily now
I've got the cars that go alittle faster.
SPEAKER_03 (21:17):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (21:17):
And every everybody seems to have a Volkswagen
story.
SPEAKER_02 (21:20):
I I can't even think of how many people we've had on
talking about Volkswagens.
It never ends.
With good reason.
Yeah, great cars.
I mean, love mine to death.
Yep, icon iconic.
So we're gonna ask Chris abouthis first car, which is a little
bit older than yours.
SPEAKER_00 (21:39):
Um, well, so it's kind of a I guess a tricky
question.
My first daily driver was a 1976MGB.
Um blue, so it wasn't the brightyellow of a Volkswagen, but it
was still slow.
And when people saw me aroundtown, you know, you couldn't get
away with anything.
It was the only thing in town.
(21:59):
Um, but the same time I got thatto be my quote, practical daily
driver, uh, I started restoringa 1914 Model T.
Um, both about 15 years old.
Uh the Model T took me a coupleof years to restore.
And uh a lot of fun and stillhave it, still drive it.
(22:20):
Um I'm glad the car, I'm gladcars can't talk because the
story that poor old car wouldhave um would would uh fill a
segment.
SPEAKER_02 (22:31):
But well, and that's and that's part of our podcast.
We think every car tells astory.
So even the even just what youcan tell us.
SPEAKER_00 (22:42):
Um so that that model too, that's I guess sort
of a sort, not sort of, it is anunusual choice for a yeah.
I I didn't grow up on a farm.
I I was really lucky to grow uparound early collector cars.
Um, I'm the third generation ofmy family to be interested in
(23:02):
pre-1916 or brass era cars.
Uh it was always a hobby for us.
Um my father got his first ModelT when he was 12 or 13 years
old.
And so our growing up, even Ithink starting at five years
old, our family vacation was ahorseless carriage or a brass
(23:23):
era car tour somewhere with agroup of friends that we only
got to see once a year becausethey lived in other parts of the
country or even Canada, and andwe got together once a year and
toured for a week in some area.
And so um actually, the the Iwas I can remember, I was told,
been told that the first tour wewent on, I was five years old.
(23:43):
I've got a younger brother.
Um, he's three and a half yearsyounger.
We couldn't go the year beforebecause he was still in diapers,
and my parents decided they didnot want to be changing diapers
while driving around in a ModelT.
So we waited until he was twoand I was five, and and then off
we went.
So when I got to be 15, um, Ihad been driving uh my my
(24:04):
father's cars and my parents'cars, Model T's and and other
early stuff for for years, andso I'd like to get one of my
own, and having no money um thatkind of made it easy.
My father said, Well, we havesome pieces and we're active in
in the local car clubs.
I bet other people, you know,when they hear a 15-year-old
wants to put a Model T together,they'll uh they'll give some
pieces.
And so here we are.
(24:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (24:28):
And fast forward many years later.
And not that many.
SPEAKER_00 (24:31):
Well, yeah, it's been yeah, it's been many years.
SPEAKER_02 (24:33):
A few a few, a few decades.
And uh, yeah, and so how far didyour family drop travel in the
Model T to go to these on thesevacations?
Just curious.
I was yeah, I was so curiousabout that.
SPEAKER_00 (24:47):
So usually uh we would we would trailer them.
We you'd pick up a trailer, andokay.
Um I grew up in New Jersey, uhjust outside New York City, but
we had uh a group that toured inin Ontario, Canada, and every
two or three years we'd go upthere.
Um now uh being in Kansas sortof makes it easier to travel to
(25:07):
well, easier but more difficultto travel to both both coasts.
So um we've we've toured alldifferent areas.
But when I was 17 or 18, had theModel T finished, and that year
our group was gonna tour RhodeIsland.
Uh, New York to Rhode Island isonly three or four hours by car,
but by Model T, it's a lotlonger.
(25:27):
Being 17, I didn't have a pickuptruck or a trailer.
My parents were using theirs.
So a couple of us got togetherand said, well, let's just
drive, you know.
So we jumped in the Model T'sand and left a day earlier than
everyone else, but drove upthere, did a five-day tour in
and around Rhode Island, and andthen drove home and spent nine
days driving the Model T.
SPEAKER_04 (25:47):
Dumb, dumb question.
What how fast would you go init?
I'm not asking top speed, butwhat what what's a reasonable
speed if you're gonna go, youknow, for a few hours in one of
those cars?
SPEAKER_00 (25:59):
Um, usually in a Model T, I usually say 35 or 40
miles an hour.
Wow, okay.
If you're driving a stock ModelT, I mean, if you there's all
sorts of period performancemodifications, but if you're
driving a stock one and youdrive 35 or 40 miles an hour,
you're not hurting it, it willjust go forever.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (26:17):
Interesting.
And would you do anything to thesuspension to handle potholes of
the modern era?
Because you can be going veryflat road and out of nowhere,
especially up there where youwould get um, you know, the
freeze thaw cycle would justtear up the roads and you get a
pothole out of nowhere.
(26:38):
Did would you modify thesuspension?
No, you just kind of deal withit and pay extra attention to
the road.
SPEAKER_00 (26:42):
Some people do modify them.
I have not, I um I feel likedriving a car like that, and I
think Cash will agree, makes youa better driver.
You just learn to anticipateeverything and watch for
potholes.
And really, if you think abouthow bad the roads were 100 years
ago or 110 years ago.
SPEAKER_04 (27:02):
If there were roads, if there were roads at all.
SPEAKER_00 (27:04):
If there were roads, so even the occasional pothole
today is better than anythingthey had back most of anything
they had 100 or 110 years ago.
Good point.
You know, they they were madefor it.
SPEAKER_04 (27:16):
Fantastic.
Okay, Doug, I'm doneinterrupting.
That's just too interesting.
I'll be quiet.
SPEAKER_02 (27:21):
Well, here's a little fact, and it's um, I've
seen it a few times.
It's in the uh Smithsonian uhAmerican History Museum in DC,
not far from me.
So the first car to travel, yougot me thinking, uh, Chris, the
first car to travel across theUS was a 1903 Winton, Vermont.
(27:44):
And it was driven by a doctor,and I had never heard of Winton,
and uh he brought his dog withhim, and it was the first car in
1903.
So not only was it a 1903, butin 1903 he made it happen.
SPEAKER_00 (28:01):
Yeah, um, if if it's a fascinating story, it is uh
yeah, 1903.
So Winton's, not to don't havean old one.
SPEAKER_02 (28:11):
Figured you might have one lying around somewhere
at the in the shop or in thesheds.
SPEAKER_00 (28:17):
No, but uh Winton's, they were they were built in
Cleveland, Ohio, um from thelate 1800s into the 1920s, so in
business um about 25 years, andin 1903, really a pretty
high-end US-built car.
And I believe it was a bar betof all things in San Francisco.
(28:39):
And uh the the doctor, uhHoratio Jackson, he said, Yeah,
I'll take that bet and drivefrom San Francisco to the East
Coast and eventually to his homein Vermont.
Yeah, and uh he the trip costhim, I believe, thousands of
dollars, but he won that$50 bet.
Yeah, he did.
You know, in the process gets uhcredit for first cross
(29:00):
transcontinental uh drive.
SPEAKER_04 (29:03):
So so there were dozens of car companies 110, 15,
20 years ago.
There were did the and now we'vegot what half a half a dozen,
depending upon how you count.
So did the depression really dothem in?
Was there I I know that theywere just kind of bought up by
rival companies.
(29:24):
Is that largely what because Iknow you can get uh a small plug
here.
You can get one of the it linesof emphasis in this major is is
auto restoration history, whereyou can learn about all this
stuff, teach it, talk about it,write about it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:40):
Yeah.
So that's I feel like I can comein because that is my emphasis.
SPEAKER_04 (29:46):
Um, I was gonna ask you per earlier.
SPEAKER_01 (29:50):
You talked about um history is a future.
Well, so um back in high school,I was gonna either become ag
sales or a history teacher.
So when I found out aboutMcPherson and their emphasis,
well, they had a history one.
So I was like, all right,perfect.
Um, so I came here, we for ourhistory department, um, it's so
(30:10):
interesting now that I'mactually minoring in it too.
But we have uh classes such ashistory of the automobile, um
history of automotive design,things like that.
So you learn all of it.
And like I said, when I came tocollege, I was mainly interested
in 50s cars, something likethat.
Um but then I came over I had acouple pre-war automobiles, but
(30:30):
now and talking about how yousaid about the Great Depression,
my whole life emphasis and whatI'm going my career is going to
be into is orphan cars, carsthat are no longer in business,
they're companies.
Um so now I own two of them,Marman and a Franklin, who are
lost to the depression.
And so you learn all of it.
And that's being at this programreally shifted me something into
(30:54):
liking history, like I said,enough to make it a minor and
like these old cars.
And I mean, I spend my weekends.
There's some college kids whospend their spring breaks, you
know, going to beaches andpartying.
I spend mine in the library andwatching documentaries on my
couch about Horatio's Drive, umthe Lincoln Highway, stuff like
that.
SPEAKER_04 (31:14):
So, yeah, so so to be clear here, as we were
talking about before.
Sorry, I said I wouldn'tinterrupt, but I can't interrupt
these guys.
Great question.
Great questions, great answer.
Now he now, uh, Cash, you stillhave to take the core courses,
40 to 41 hours, introduction torestoration, engine rebuilding,
(31:36):
all this good stuff.
I mean, you've got to jumpstart, as we said, fundamentals
of woodworking, automotiveelectrical systems, what else?
Chassis restoration, right?
Paint.
Yeah, exactly.
And the core core, the historycore courses are uh introductory
methods for historical analysis,social history of the
(31:57):
automobile, technology andsociety, colloquium of
historiography, and then yourthesis.
But then the electives are allsorts of interesting things
here, too.
American history since 1877.
Automobile had a ton to do withhow that changed.
Modern Europe, social history,political history.
So have you taken any of thosecourses yet?
(32:18):
You mentioned you were junior.
SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
Uh I've taken every single one you've mentioned.
So um the one dropped.
Yeah.
The one thing I love aboutMcPherson College, I'll give a
little shout out there, is so Icome from a small school.
My graduating class was 18.
So when I came to McPherson,which people say is also small,
I fell in love with it becausenot only is the AR program
amazing, the general educationprogram is amazing.
(32:42):
So I've taken, I was a fortunatefreshman.
I probably took three or four umautomotive classes in my
freshman year, engines, uh,paint, I think chassis.
I took a lot of them, intro torestoration that Chris teaches.
Um, and then after going intothat, like I said, I wanted to
do the history emphasis.
So I took all the historycourses our college has to
(33:03):
offer.
Um, and now I've done advancedpaint, because we have several
advanced courses as well, too.
Um so as a junior, I've luckilybeen able to take a lot more
than the core and just dive intoanything.
So that is fantastic.
SPEAKER_04 (33:19):
All right, Doug, I'm done interrupting.
I promise.
Over to you.
Until we end the show, I'm gonnakeep it.
SPEAKER_02 (33:24):
No, no, no, no, you're fine, you're fine.
So um what's great about um yourguys, well, actually, I'll ask
you about your what happened toyour first cars.
I think you both well, at leastChris still owns his, but uh
I'll I'll let uh Cash tell usabout what happened to his first
car and then we'll get into thesecond cars.
SPEAKER_01 (33:47):
Um my first car is still sitting at home in our
shop.
So mom reminds me of it everytime she goes out there because
it's collecting dust.
Oh, it's still there.
Drive it.
Yeah, and all of them running,but now I probably filled that
car with about five more or setshop with about five more cars,
and I still get those calls frommom saying, You gotta do
something.
So they're there.
SPEAKER_02 (34:07):
Yeah.
And uh Chris, I think youmentioned you still have the
Model T.
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (34:14):
Yeah, I still have uh, you know, and at this point,
uh I I can't get rid of it.
Um and and maybe the good partis it it runs great, uh usually.
Um, but it but it's it's uh I'vegot so many memories and it's
led a pretty hard life.
It's it wouldn't at this point,I guess I'm lucky, wouldn't be
worth selling.
(34:34):
It's worth more to me than itwould be to anybody else.
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_04 (34:38):
I love the way you just put that.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:40):
I uh I I have two daughters, one uh in high school
and one in college now.
And you know, I told thembecause I mean they kind of grew
up the same way I did, antiquecar tour somewhere in the
country, you know, and I thinkthey figured out they've they've
ridden in or driven a Model T oranother early car, I think in
about 30 or 32 different statesat this point that they've seen
(35:01):
growing up, and um told themboth when they can reach the
pedals, they can dry.
So we're lucky in Kansas here,there's lots of dirt roads.
Um, and we'll just go out on adirt road at when they were
eight or ten years old, and hereyou go.
They can, you know.
So my first car was also the thefirst Model T they've driven.
And um, my my oldest daughter'snow uh in college, but she
(35:22):
restored her own Model T whenshe was in high school before.
And so that that Model T that uhthat I saw, yeah, my first car,
but we're we're still using it,and everybody gets to drive it.
SPEAKER_02 (35:33):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's that's awesome.
So yeah, you guys both stillhave it.
Oh, the MG.
SPEAKER_00 (35:40):
Uh it it because it was my daily driver, I drove it
for a few years high school andthe beginning of college, and
then uh it needed to go.
I needed something a little bitmore practical.
SPEAKER_02 (35:51):
Yep, yep, got it, got it, especially in the
northeast rust and all thatstuff.
Yeah, and uh you both um maybe acoincidence, but your second
cars were both Ford Mustangs.
Purely coincidence, yeah.
Yep, yep.
So so Cash, tell us about yourabout your Mustang, what led to
(36:13):
it.
Obviously, you didn't sell theuh first car.
unknown (36:17):
No.
SPEAKER_01 (36:18):
Uh so I kind of acquired two cars about the same
time, but the Mustang was abouta day before the other one, so I
put it.
Um the it was a 95, so an SN95.
It was red five speed withconvertible top.
So just what a high schoolerneeded, you know, to get in
trouble.
And I got that car.
(36:38):
It was actually my aunt's, andshe had it, she was the second
owner, put it in a storage shedfor about 13 years.
Um, she came back home one dayand she's like, Have you heard
about my Mustang?
And I was like, No, I I don'tthink I have, and told me about
it.
Of course, as a high school kid,I was like, Okay, well, I think
I want to know what speed is.
So I went and bought that carfrom her.
(37:01):
We dug it out of the storageshed and I put a new top on it.
It only had 40 to 50,000 mileson it.
Um, and it performed really wellfor me.
I had it for several years, andthen um the actually way I
acquired it is a funny story,and I tell people all the time.
Growing up on a ranch, I grew updoing team roping, showing
(37:24):
horses at the county fair.
And so to buy that car, Iactually sold a horse.
So I tell people I sold aMustang to buy a Mustang.
Nice, I love that.
That's my catchphrase.
That is that is a first, andthat's a terrible.
SPEAKER_04 (37:36):
Christian, that needs that will be the title of
his autobiography.
It must must be.
SPEAKER_02 (37:43):
Yes.
Yeah.
No, Christian, uh, your middleson has a 94 Mustang.
That's his first carconvertible.
Um 04.
No, 04.
40th anniversary.
Yeah, I'm close.
SPEAKER_04 (37:55):
It's it he thinks he is way cooler than I ever was.
Fact.
SPEAKER_02 (38:01):
Yes.
Yeah.
And so Chris, your first car, oryour second car, pardon me, or
or third, depending on how youlook at it, was uh was also a
Mustang.
Tell us about it.
SPEAKER_00 (38:13):
It was uh kind of I guess nondescript.
It was a 1984 Mustang uh withthe five-liter engine, a lot of
fun.
Uh similar to cash, not I I wasin college when I got it, not
what a college student needed.
Um glad I didn't get into anymore trouble with it than I did.
(38:33):
Had it for a couple of years, itwas just my daily driver.
And uh actually, when I came outhere to Kansas as a student, I
needed something a little morepractical.
And so the the Mustang went, andthat that was the end of the
Mustang.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (38:48):
Yeah.
And um just looping back to uhlooping back to cash, what was
the big difference that youremember besides convertible
between the Volkswagen and theMustang?
SPEAKER_01 (39:00):
Um, well, comfort was a little bit.
I had those nice leather seatsum in the Mustang.
And like I said, I could theVolkswagen to 1600 dual port,
but I feel like in the Mustang Icould really hit highway speeds,
um, get in a little moretrouble.
But I was always well with them.
(39:20):
Um they're both in really goodshape.
So, but the Mustang to me waskind of my first jump towards
independence and stuff likethat, and be like, okay, this is
my first, my first car that Ipurchased.
Yep.
Um, and you know, typical otherthings, like I always had to
change the thermostat on myMustang and never had to do that
(39:40):
on the Volkswagen.
So yeah, because I was like,well, now I've got to deal with
this funny little water thing.
SPEAKER_00 (39:47):
Right.
Oh one of the one of the thingsfor me, uh I'm sorry, if I can
jump in.
No, no, please, please do.
This is your show.
Because I had such a differencebetween my collector car and my
daily driver, I I enjoyedworking on the Model T or early
cars.
I didn't like working on mymodern car.
I still don't.
(40:07):
I mean, I'll do maintenance, butyou know, I I guess it sort of
gave me that mindset.
If I only have a certain numberof hours to work on something, I
want it to be something old andmaybe something I understand
more.
So you know, I'll do basicmaintenance, but you know, to
me, like the the even the MG,but the certainly the Mustang
and everything after, it's beena daily driver, you know, and
(40:29):
and so I never beat on them realbad because I didn't want to
have to fix it.
I didn't want to have to spendthe time fixing it.
So I kind of always tried totake care of stuff and and uh
work on old stuff if that's whatI got time for.
SPEAKER_02 (40:42):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, you made your hobby yourcareer, right?
And that's pretty awesome.
So I'm I'm gonna jump around alittle bit, but I I god, I just
want to get to um both of youruh current cars or most recent
cars.
Um both cars, um definitelyCash's car I had not heard
(41:05):
about, but tell us about it,Cash.
SPEAKER_01 (41:08):
Um my 1917 Franklin that most recent purchased.
So uh it all began when I was afreshman here.
Um and there's this club calledthe Franklin Club.
They're amazing.
If you haven't heard about them,look into them.
Um they're like I said,automobiles from I believe 02 to
1934, air-cooled.
Um and they competed higher endum with upwear by Marmons, maybe
(41:35):
Pierce's, stuff like that.
Um, and so in I went to the backto freshman year.
I went to this Franklin Trekbecause I got a scholarship to
go to it.
It's a week-long event inupstate New York, and you just
have fun.
You know, it's kind of likedaycare for all these
scholarship kids.
We just get to drive these oldcars around.
And they it's a great clubbecause if there's kids who
(41:56):
really like these cars, they'llalways find the right car for
the right kid.
So since kids have gone therefor several years, um, a lot of
them acquired Franklin's, andthen I being the next victim.
Back in October, I had a pe acouple people reach out to me
saying, Hey, I think I know thisone Franklin for sale.
And the owners were like, Yeah,we might sell it.
And finally we became reallygood friends.
(42:17):
Um, and I purchased it.
It's a 1917 Franklin Clover LeafCoop.
Um, it's got a really specialhistory behind behind it.
Um, it was a California car itswhole life, has a California top
on it.
They say it's probably one ofmaybe two left with this top.
Um wow.
Really good special features.
Currently not running.
(42:38):
Um, I've had it like when I gotit, it was probably in about 40
unlabeled boxes.
I got a few.
I've been putting it together.
Um, and like I said, it'saluminum-bodied, air-cooled,
wooden frame.
It's really a buggy.
So I sold my horse, now I'mgoing to horseless carriages.
SPEAKER_04 (42:59):
So um aluminum in 1970 would have made it a very
high-end, desirable automobile,correct?
We think of it as nothing now,but yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:13):
And I it's every time I look at it and work on
it, I have it sitting next to myMarman.
But you look at this Franklinfrom years, 11 years earlier,
and it was a high-end car.
It's comfort, it's goteverything.
I mean, it's got 25 horsepower,so I'm not bragging about that,
but that's why I'm braggingabout all the other features
it's got.
Um, you know, and speed now,speed's not my thing.
(43:35):
So these cars are amazingvehicles to be around.
I'm honored to be its nextcaretaker.
SPEAKER_02 (43:42):
Yeah.
Do you do you uh I meant to askthis uh a few minutes ago about
the Model T's and Model A's, butum how far back history?
Um, Chris, you kind of broughtit up, but how many owners can
you trace back on some of thesecars?
Oh wow.
Have you been able to do that,or has it been this car has had
(44:02):
12 owners, like provenance ofthe car, like beans of art
almost?
SPEAKER_01 (44:07):
Hmm.
So, yeah, that's my favoritething about it.
So that's why I chose thehistory of it.
History.
Yeah.
And we do classes here thatChris teaches, and he shows us
kind of how to research yourcars, you know, going through
newspapers, stuff like this.
And um my Franklin, it's alwayshad a neat history.
Like I said, the first owner umwas a rich alfalfa farmer from
(44:28):
California.
He actually ran away during1917, lied about his age, bought
this car, and then went andfought in World War I.
And then after that, I went to aschool teacher in Los Angeles,
and then another couple in LosAngeles, and then to me.
But like some of my other carsof different stories, I've got a
26 Model T that was sold brandnew from my family's Ford
(44:50):
dealership.
And I actually wrote letters toall the previous owners and
bought that car back.
So it just depends on what thecar is.
And right, so sometimes it'shard, I will say it's very hard.
But Chris is kind of aprofessional now, so I can hand
it to him.
He knows.
SPEAKER_00 (45:06):
Um, uh for me, so that first model T I have there,
there is no history.
I um I started with an engineblock uh that I know where it
came from, but it was just ablock, and you know, it was just
uh when I gathered pieces andand put it together.
Um actually I shouldn't saythat.
The it's a pickup truck, and thepickup bed uh came off of my
(45:29):
father's 1910 Model T touringcar, wow, um, which he still
owns.
Uh and we know that his car wassold new in New York State, and
my father has all the originalpaper registrations.
It was a touring car until 1917when it was a 10-year-old car.
And then on the registrations,it was a uh they owned a farm,
(45:49):
so then it was converted to apickup truck.
SPEAKER_02 (45:51):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (45:52):
He got the car about 1980, it was still a pickup
truck.
So we took that bed off and andhe built the touring car, but
anyway, that's kind of wherethat one came from.
Um, I have another model too,1910 touring car, similar to my
father's.
That um Ford still has theoriginal build sheets on some
early cars, so I know it wassold new to Maine.
(46:12):
I know what dealership it wentthrough, and it then appears.
I've got a uh photo, actually amagazine article from 1937, that
this 1910 Ford was being used inan anti-car event in 1937, so it
was already a collector antiquecar uh in the 1930s, and I know
(46:34):
what's what's happened sincethen.
SPEAKER_02 (46:37):
And then uh yeah, uh it kind of goes on and on, but
yeah, no, that's that's amazing.
And and you mentioned one ofyour daughters has a Model T as
well, right?
SPEAKER_00 (46:46):
Yeah, yep, and uh it similarly like to mine, it was
just pieces.
Um don't don't know where any ofthem came from, right?
SPEAKER_02 (46:54):
And the history, correct me if I'm wrong, about
pickup trucks and why they'recalled pickups is uh they didn't
come as pickups.
You company sold the bed for it,and you would go to the train
station, I think, the rail yard,and pick up the bed for the
vehicle, and that's where theterm pickup truck came from.
SPEAKER_00 (47:17):
Am I right?
Um yeah, and and like the thepickup bed that's on my car, um
it it was that it was older, itwas an aftermarket.
SPEAKER_02 (47:26):
It's newer, sorry.
Yes, yep, yep, exactly.
So I bet you didn't know that,Christian.
Did not.
Great question.
Yeah, yeah.
So um so we want to hear aboutthe Auburn as well, Chris.
So we're competing here.
We've got a 1917 Franklin andwe've got a 1910 Auburn.
(47:47):
I I am curious if you guys wouldrace who would win, but tell us
about well, his doesn't runright now, so I'm gonna say I
would win.
SPEAKER_04 (47:57):
I can't push that beat.
We could push it and it wouldwin.
Yeah I'm gonna tell.
SPEAKER_00 (48:03):
I'll I'll say this week I win, no doubt.
Um so the the Auburn, um, itcame uh into our lives.
I'll I'll say our lives, it's afamily car.
Um, we bought it about five orsix years ago.
Um, always had model T's andBuicks and other early cars, and
then decided we wanted somethinga little bit bigger, um, but
(48:27):
also early.
And this was a car we had seenyears and years ago, it was uh
somewhat local near Wichita,about an hour away from us, and
kind of tracked it down, foundout it was still there, um, and
uh were able to buy it.
Um it had been uh actually, it'sanother car.
We know the the history back tonew.
(48:47):
Um, got it, and then I did aquick uh search on uh newspapers
online and found an article in1953 on that car um when it was
being restored.
And it mentioned the originalowner's name and who owned it
then, and uh we we know thehistory since then, but uh it
was restored in the in the 50sor 60s, um kind of uh pretty
(49:12):
well done, but had been sittingsince then.
It hadn't run in 40 years untilwe got it, so we decided we were
gonna re-restore it.
Uh and that's what we did.
SPEAKER_02 (49:21):
Nice, nice, beautiful, beautiful.
So how many uh I'm um jumpingahead in my mind, but I just
can't stop.
Who has more cars and what's theuh what's the number for each of
you?
SPEAKER_01 (49:35):
Uh probably cash.
Uh I don't like to count thisbecause um I think currently I
counted the other day because Ijust got one the other day.
Um I'm at double digits now, sowe hit 10.
Oh boy.
Okay.
So congrats.
Thank you.
You could imagine how my familyfeels.
SPEAKER_02 (49:53):
So yeah, I was gonna say if you don't want to count,
your mom would probablyvolunteer that number.
So tell me about it.
It reminds you.
SPEAKER_00 (50:02):
Uh for me, it's it's a lot less.
Um I've got two Model T's, Ihave a 1913 Buick, and then the
the Auburn is a family car.
My father and I are are kind of50-50 partners in that.
Um, did the restorationtogether.
Um, so that only counts as half.
So that that makes me feelbetter.
(50:22):
Um, and then we've got uh acouple other cars also, but
nowhere near double digits.
SPEAKER_02 (50:29):
Yeah, that guy cash has a problem.
Cash has a has a good problem,but it's an addiction.
Yeah, and um, I know uh Chris,you love all your cars.
You really don't have uh haveone that you've hated, but I I
find uh or dislike, I find thecar uh cash mentioned, which is
(50:50):
so out of character for him.
What was the car that youdisliked the most that you told
us about at least?
SPEAKER_01 (50:57):
The one I dislike the most is one that I own
because I have to work on it.
Uh is a 1994 Saab 900, uh TurboCabriolet.
And when you look at mycollection, um, that's the one
my friends make the most fun ofbecause it doesn't fit in.
Uh bright red, and like I said,I dislike it the most.
(51:17):
It's got a good history as mygrandmother's.
I bought it from her.
Um, low mileage, greatcondition, grandmother car to
the max, um, if you can imagineone.
But working on it sucks.
It's those funny little foreigncars, and I just I can't wrap my
head around it.
SPEAKER_02 (51:34):
So yeah, I remember like that the Saab convertibles.
I think like in the 90s, 80s,that was like if you were a
lawyer, that was like the caryou had to get, along with the
BMW probably, but more so thesobs.
SPEAKER_01 (51:50):
They're great cars.
I look, I mean, I've had thewindow sticker and all that from
mine when it was sold brand new.
It was a in 1994 a$42,000 car.
Yeah.
Leathered seats, heated seats.
It's got all the bells andwhistles, and it's still a great
vehicle from for me, but it'sjust if I have to work on it,
I'll turn it away for a coupledays and be like, all right,
(52:11):
we're gonna we're gonna thinkabout this.
SPEAKER_02 (52:15):
Wow.
Yeah, so so there's uh you ofall the cars you've owned,
you've gotten rid of very few ofthem, it sounds like.
SPEAKER_01 (52:24):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (52:24):
Yep, yeah, yes, it depends on the car.
SPEAKER_03 (52:27):
Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_02 (52:28):
And uh, I want to ask you both.
I I think you guys have somedream cars already, but what
would be your dream car?
SPEAKER_00 (52:37):
Uh for me, uh I don't know.
There probably gonna be somelisteners that are gonna have to
go look this one up andcompleting.
Um so for me, my my dream carwould have to be something
early, uh, just because that'swhat I'm into, but probably a
circa 1910 Simplex automobile.
Um, because I grew up close toNew York City, uh, these were
(53:00):
built in New York City and justa really, really high-end car in
that 1910 era.
Um the the uh I'll say themid-sized model was a
four-cylinder, uh, six roughly600 cubic inch engine.
Um today, top speeds of 60, 70,80 miles an hour.
(53:21):
Um for me that that'd be the thedream car.
I'll I'll uh settle for withsettle with the Alburn for now,
which is uh no comparison atall, but um we're we're good
with that.
SPEAKER_02 (53:34):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (53:35):
And cash?
Uh for mine, I'd love I like toshoot really high and what takes
up the most amount of garagespace.
Um, I'm really interested in theearly vehicles pre-World War II,
so and higher end stuff, orphancars, of course.
So I would love to just settlefor a Duesenberg Model J.
Um, probably a Phaeton.
(53:56):
I like the Model A's, you know,because they're really
impressive.
Um they're not cars, they'repieces of engineering.
That's just beautiful.
Um the Duesenberg line hasalways been amazing.
Um, and so that's the one carthat if I'm at I've been to a
lot of shows and I see themthere.
If I just see one driving down astreet or collections I've
worked in, a Duesenberg willalways draw my attention to it
(54:20):
and blow me away.
They're striking looking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They just and you can't stoplooking at them.
All 10 miles of them.
SPEAKER_04 (54:29):
So good deal.
Well, uh, thank you guys forspending some time with us.
I think you have uh I think youhave an interested student here.
Is would you take Doug?
I know uh talking about yoursummer programs.
He wanted to can he just kind ofsit audit a class or just sit in
on?
Does it still have to beadmitted?
(54:49):
Do you allow that sort of thing?
SPEAKER_00 (54:51):
So uh to to come into the program as a student
throughout the year, uh, youwould have to be admitted.
Um I bet I could pull somestrings and uh see what see what
I can do for you, Doug.
Um but yeah, so uh and and we dohave a process to come as a
traditional student.
Um but then yeah, we do we offersummer classes in June, which
(55:13):
are uh one week, um several oneweek sessions.
Uh you pick a subject, you comehang out with us.
A lot of our participants callit car camp.
Um we do evening activities,it's it's only uh these uh what
we call uh restoration instituteclasses.
It's the only thing going onthat week.
(55:34):
So we all go to the the dininghall together.
Um wow.
You know, a lot of a lot of theparticipants stay in in the
dorms.
We clean out uh you know the ournewest dorms and put put uh
people in there, and they'rejust hobbyists from around the
country that uh come and andspend a week or two or three
with us.
SPEAKER_04 (55:52):
Doug is just coming out of his skin with happiness.
I can just feel it radiatingfrom you.
SPEAKER_02 (55:59):
I can see more cars in my future if I go to one of
these.
SPEAKER_04 (56:02):
Oh boy, yeah.
Start start stacking up thecash.
Well, gentlemen, this has reallybeen wonderful.
Thank you for making it up.
I got one last question for youon the way out.
And really, it's just more of astatement of mine.
Uh I find the concept of arumble seat fascinating.
It's a bucket list of mine tofit in a rumble seat in a car.
(56:23):
One that's even redone would beeven more fantastic.
So, what is a rumble seat?
Why does it exist?
Was it ever used?
Was it sort of a vanity thingback there?
Do you see them come through onany of your cars?
Have you restored any and dothey work?
SPEAKER_00 (56:39):
A lot of questions.
SPEAKER_01 (56:44):
Okay.
So um, yeah, I'll jump inbecause I have a 1928 Model A
SportCube.
Okay.
Um and it does feature a rumbleseat.
No well.
So it was restored in 1994through 1997.
Um I purchased it in about 20,right after I graduated high
school, 2022, because it was aplace I worked in high school.
(57:05):
They had a bunch of cars and umbought it from them, and it is
one of the best seats in thehouse.
You know, it's I drive that car,it's pretty much my daily
drivers at Model A.
But um, the Rumble seat is themost comfortable place to sit.
There's more leg room backthere.
You can actually, you know, geta little bit of a couple of
things the opposite.
SPEAKER_04 (57:26):
I would have thought the opposite.
Oh no.
You're saying there's there'smore space to sit.
So oh, maybe up front it's alittle more crowded with uh with
not as much leg room.
Okay, okay.
You actually have to drive yourcar if you sit up front.
SPEAKER_03 (57:40):
See now, if I sit in the rumble seat, very good
point.
Um, very good point.
SPEAKER_01 (57:43):
And there's there's one time, my freshman year of
college, where we drove my ModelA and Model T from Colorado to
here 500 miles, and every houror so we switched out someone in
the rumble seat because everyoneargued to sit there.
Absolutely.
It's the like I said, the bestseat in the house.
I love mine.
(58:04):
Um, how is it in the rain?
I've also been in it in therain.
It's for a car that's going 40miles an hour, you're gonna get
a little wet.
So enjoy the ride.
Um, leather seats, so you justwipe it off when you're done.
I actually, my dog, I've got agolden retriever.
When we take the Model A out, hesits in the rumble seat and
(58:24):
everyone loves seeing him backthere.
He stays back there and he justit's amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (58:29):
No, who is cooler than this kid cash?
Nobody is cooler than this guy.
I gotta tell you what.
Well, thank you for thatexplainer.
And I tell you what, pal, if Iever make my way out to where
you are, I will buy you a tankof gasoline if you take me
around the block in a rumbleseat.
Do we have a deal?
You've got to spot my caranytime.
Fantastic, fantastic.
(58:50):
Again, thank you, gentlemen,both for making some time in
your schedule.
This was an extreme pleasure forus.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
You guys, and thank you.
All right.
Well, you have just heard thehigh revenue, low mileage, late
model, maybe early model ofearly models, heard around the
world authoritative podcast onautomotive nostalgia.
He's Doug.
Reach him at Doug atCarsLove.com.
(59:11):
I am Christian.
Reach me at Christian atCarslove.com.
They were Cash and Chris.
This was so much fun.
If you like what you've heard,please follow and tell a friend,
leave a review.
Try out carslove.com where youcan do so in our link tree,
which is at L-I-N-K-T-R dot Eslash Cars Love.
SPEAKER_02 (59:33):
That's why we keep him around.
If if anybody wants to be aguest, wants to recommend a
guest, wants to send us someautomotive trivia, ask a
question.
You can do that all on ourwebsite.
Send us an email.
SPEAKER_04 (59:50):
We're very approachable, and Doug has had
most of these shots.
Yes.
I am sure we will see you at thenext local car show, showroom,
race trip, or concur.
We appreciate your listening andwe will see you next time.
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