This was in the local paper on Monday.
Reliable ride
BY MAT GILDERMAN CLOQUET PINE JOURNAL,
Published Monday, October 02, 2006
Cars, like people, have a pretty standard lifespan. With cars, after about 20 years it’s time to bring that old beater to the junkyard and start anew. The only way that vehicle would be brought back to life is if someone bought it and completely overhauled it. And even after that, it’s not the same car.
Now imagine someone who purchased a vehicle 60 years ago and still drives it.
That someone is Clayton Hartman of Moose Lake.
Clayton Hartman has owned this 1946 Ford Super Deluxe for 60 years. He has logged more than 217,000 miles. (PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CLAYTON HARTMAN)
Hartman purchased his 1946 Ford Super Deluxe convertible in December 1946 from Tenvoorde Motor Co. in St. Cloud, Minn., which happens to be Ford’s oldest dealer.
“It’s a good car and has provided unbelievable service,” Hartman said. “I never went more than 2,000 miles between oil changes, did the regular simple routine maintenance things like changing the fuel pump, brakes, things like that. Nothing major on the car has been changed, except for a new paint job and a rebuilt engine.” Hartman said that in 60 years, the car has broken down only once.
“The only time it broke down was on my honeymoon in 1949,” Hartman said. “But since then it’s behaved itself and I’ve logged over 217,000 miles. Hasn’t failed me since.”
Hartman and his wife were on their way to Yellowstone National Park when the fuel pump gave out. A shop in Dawson, Minn., fixed it and after a couple of hours, they were back on the road.
Hartman said in 1966, after 20 years of owning the vehicle, he had to make a decision — and it wasn’t an easy one.
“We realized in 1966 that we had a 20-year-old vehicle, and a car that old isn’t worth much to anyone except us,” said Hartman. “So we debated whether to trade it in or keep it, and we kept it.
“A person should not allow a car to become as close to their family as this one has — it’s not a car; it’s a kid”! Hartman said jokingly. “But this car’s given us a lot of fond memories, good times and bad times. One of the amazing things that speaks to the quality of the car is the fact that it’s only failed once. To us, it’s priceless.”
Hartman has turned over maintenance to Moose Lake mechanic Gary Fenice of Fenice Automotive.
Fenice said working on older cars is a “pleasure” compared to today’s computer-oriented machines. The two joke about running a computer scan on Hartman’s 60-year-old rig.
“When he hears a noise that doesn’t sound right, he’s on my doorstep,” Fenice said. “He never lets anything go.”
Reliability is a major reason for Hartman and his family holding on to the vehicle as long as they have. Hartman said the 1946 Ford Super Deluxe was a common vehicle in those days, so he’s never had any problem finding replacement parts. He also said he never intended to set any longevity records or create any hubbub surrounding the vehicle, but since it has been going this long, Hartman wanted to continue a good thing.
Hartman was guaranteed 10 grease jobs when he bought the car. He still had one left after 55 years and dropped by the St. Cloud dealer as a joke.
“It’s just a good car, and it’s given us a great deal of pleasure,” Hartman said. “They way we feel about this car is hard to define. Every time we go somewhere in this car, we start reminiscing. I think in life it’s important to identify and recall your past — and this car brings that out. It’s a catalyst to tell a story. And to keep those fond memories going is important to us. This car allows us to do that.”
News Tribune reporter Jason Mohr contributed to this story.
Damn and people tell me I keep my cars for a long time, six years ond still going with a car that was ten years old when I got it.
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