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A team of eight turned 15 scattered vehicle parts into a running 1926 Model T Roadster pickup in just 12 minutes and 11 seconds, providing a dramatic highlight at Chantilly’s annual Antique Car Show.
When the announcer shouted “Go,” the group hauled a 377-pound engine to a bare truck frame at Sully Historic Site. They added the axles, wheels, drive shaft, steering column, running board, fenders, radiator and seats before revving the sputtering engine to life.
The June 15 Father’s Day event featured the demonstration known as the “Take Apart Car,” though announcer Ford Chinworth acknowledged that the name only tells half the story.
“It’s really a put-it-together event,” Chinworth said. The traditional name remains because, he joked, “In the Model T world, things don’t change very much.”
The Nation’s Capital Model T Ford Club holds five such events annually. The three remaining demonstrations this year are scheduled for July 26 in Berryville, Virginia; Aug. 30 in Charles Town, West Virginia; and Sept. 20 in Manassas, Virginia.
Rows of automotive history
Drizzly weather did not stop visitors from exploring roughly 200 carefully maintained vehicles displayed across the grounds. The collection ranged from antiques and muscle cars to foreign models and a 1924 paddy wagon. A flea market offered vintage oil cans, license plates and other automotive memorabilia.
Woodbridge resident Harry Dinch brought his 1969 Pontiac Firebird convertible, whose windward blue finish sparkles in sunlight. Dinch has restored several Firebirds, driven by what he described as a lifelong passion for cars.
Marc Lieberman of Herndon displayed a 1995 Corvette pace-car replica associated with one of two cars made to lead the Indianapolis 500. Jim North traveled from Amissville in a right-hand-drive 1973 Rolls-Royce that he rebuilt after buying it in pieces. His restoration included the dashboard and wood trim, while the finished car retains a minibar behind the driver’s seat.
A shared enthusiasm for Mazda Miatas brought Tasha and Mike Pablo of Mount Vernon together at the Mazda Sports Car Club of Washington. Now married, they own two: Tasha’s is black and Mike’s is red.
“It’s nimble and quick,” Tasha said. “I feel connected to the road when I drive it. You and the car are one.”
Samuel Reid of Fauquier County paid $300 for his white 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car and restored it to running condition himself. The car gets about eight miles per gallon and features a cowhide interior that Reid said reflected the height of automotive luxury, unlike the synthetic leather and extensive plastic found in many newer vehicles.
For other owners, vintage cars preserve deeply personal memories. Tom Hyden of Falls Church has kept his factory-ordered, Viking blue 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass for 53 years. The car has bench seats, which preceded the model’s later bucket seats.
A Model T journey on back roads
Chinworth drove his 1927 Model T to Chantilly from the U.S. 1 area, following county back roads and completing the trip in one hour and six minutes. With a top speed of 38 mph, he said, the vehicle is not safe for interstate travel.
Starting and operating it is also far more involved than driving a modern car. Chinworth walked visitors through a 13-step starting process and joked that it takes “five hands and three feet” to drive.
Guests spoke with owners and examined vehicles from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Alexandria resident Lou Pecora said the show illustrated how much more variety cars once offered in their colors and designs.
Susan Koscis was struck by the owners’ devotion to their vehicles, describing the polished classics as pieces of fine jewelry. Although modern cars offer advanced technology, she said, they cannot match the older vehicles’ design and detail.
Sarah Oberther of the Fairfax County Park Authority called each automobile “a piece of history.” Laura Grape, the authority’s division director for resource management and interpretation, said the turnout despite the rain demonstrated how recreation and education can strengthen community connections.
The 12:11 Model T assembly was impressive, but it fell well short of the record. Chinworth said the fastest team has completed the job in 7½ minutes.
The Fairfax County Park Authority presents the annual show with the George Washington Chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America.