Minges Creek Auto in Battle Creek, Michigan was asked to restore this 1949 Chrysler Town & Country for Mr. Bud  Popke.



Although Bud was a lifelong admirer and collector of
antique automobiles, this project wasn’t for his personal reward, it was (and  is) a true legacy rewarding students. 
The reward, a promise of higher education and a chance to go to college  for many students who otherwise couldn’t afford  tuition.
 
Bud Popke, along with his sister Ruth, established the Popke Family Otsego High School Scholarship Fund, which provides college scholarships for graduates of  Otsego  High School in Otsego,  Michigan.

Upon the completion of the restoration, this fabulous woody will be sold, with proceeds add to the $2 million scholarship fund.

The estimated completion date of the restoration is late Spring of this year.  
 
When the woody first came to Minges Creek Auto, it was evident that the wood craftsmanship was true to the times it was built.  The wooden parts for the Town & Country came from Pekin Wood Products in Helena,  Arkansas.  They were shipped to Chrysler’s  Jefferson Avenue plant in Detroit for assembly, where the wood craftsmen would  simply just grab the next board in the “pile”, not paying much attention to the fact that the wood grain or color on the door matched up with the wood on the quarter panel or adjacent panels.

At Minges Creek Auto Restoration we wanted the wood to be extraordinary.  We wanted and achieved the feat of  matching the wood grain up to each different panel to effectuate the look of the wood “flowing” through the car as if one tree were used.
 
Actually, 80% of the wood on this T & C is original while only 20% of the wood is new.  The wood on the upper doors and body were several boards glued together with the grains going in all different patterns and directions.  
Other boards used were dark, some were light, and some boards had a red or green tint to them.

With over 30 years experience in the classic automobile restoration process, Minges Creek Auto has developed a procedure to make the color and tint on all the boards appear consistent with each and every other board on the vehicle and with the help of an air brush our craftsmen add some wood graining, paying attention to the detail of matching the grain from panel to panel, leading to the look of one board from front to back.

After restoring several wood cars, this car has become a
favorite, not only for it’s well preserved wood and metal (quite often panels have to be fabricated and welded in), but for the purpose this car will serve in helping students with a promise of  higher education.

Feel free to visit us at www.mingescreekauto.net

Spring is just around the corner and it's time to start preparing your classic car for the "dust off" !  Your everyday driver could also be ready for the change in weather with these five (5) tips:

• Remove salt from the undercarriage – road salt eats away at the undercarriage, which causes rust. To remove this damaging salt, use a garden hose on full water pressure or take your car through a car wash.

• Check your tires – tire pressure changes with temperature, up to one pound per square inch for every 10 degrees in outdoor temperature change. Tires that are underinflated can wear unevenly on the sides and can negatively affect gas mileage.

• Change your wiper blades – snow, ice, and wind can damage your wiper blades over the winter, so it is a good idea to replace them when the temperatures warm up and more rain enters the forecast.

• Change the oil, coolant, and spark plugs –
  Along with the windshield wipers, spark plugs take a beating in the winter. So it is a good idea to have these – along with your car’s oil, air filter, and coolant –

    changed along with the seasons.

To make sure your car comes out of winter in even better shape than it was going in, bring your vehicle to Minges Creek Auto for routine maintenance and auto detailing.

A classic car is a really great item for driving enthusiasts to own.  You have the option to buy these cars fully restored or you can choose to buy one that needs a little work. No matter what you do, your car will be worth more if you get it appraised.  This can be really important if you have any plans to sell your car in the future.  So think about an appraisal and how it can benefit you in the long run.
Getting a Trusted Appraisal from Minges Creek Auto
If you do decide to pay for an appraisal, then you need to make sure that you
are going to get one from a person who is knowledgeable and you can trust. You should contact a specialist in your area who regularly appraises cars. You can learn the  approximate value of the car you are looking to buy or have already purchased by getting the trusted opinion of a local appraiser.
Before You Buy
If the car that you are looking to purchase hasn't been appraised then it may be a good idea for you to get one before you make any final purchasing decisions.
After You Buy
If you have already purchased a car and it has not been appraised, then you should consider this option carefully. If you want to hang on to your car and actually drive it around an appraisal can help you when it comes times to insure it. Also, getting your car appraised is a great idea if you want to sell the car later on in life. You can get top dollar for your vehicle if it has been appraised and you can document how much the vehicle is actually worth.  Car appraisals are a great  idea!