MONROE - Yester-Year Auto Club members still are going strong, even if some of their automobiles can't keep pace with others in the increasing collection.
Yester-Year Auto Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house Sunday at the United Methodist Church in Monroe.
A 40-year member, John Daehlin, Monroe, brought a '39 Plymouth Coup.
Daehlin remembered cars from the 1930s, Model A and Studebaker, as the first collectors' cars in the Club.
This year, John Tuescher, Monroe, a club member since 1973, brought his '64 Thunderbird convertible.
The '66 silver blue Mustang, just restored this past year, belongs to Frank Ackerman, Juda. It was the favorite of Karna Mross, 7, who came with his family to see the collection.
Jim Curran, Browntown, brought his '57 Lincoln.
Roger Blanc -the member with the longest association with the Club, since May 1961, was 25 years old and just got out of the service when he bought a 1935 Chevrolet. His father sent him out to buy it as second car for about $25 to $30, he said.
"It had been setting several years, but we pulled it and it started. Didn't even put new gas in it," he said. He sold it in 1983.
"The kids grew up in that car," he added.
A little red American Motors 1959 Nash Metropolitan was out of its garage for the first time in two years, Sunday celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
Ready to sell it, owner Robert Verdonck, Monroe, said, "There's no room for it in the garage."
Verdonck actually collects Corvettes. He got his little Nash in a trade with a museum in Canton, Ohio, which got his 1954 Corvette - and some cash.
Eben "Robby" Robertson, Monroe, brought his 1925 Chevy Superior K, one of the oldest vehicles at the open house.
The old black Chevy doesn't get to many car shows these days, and it can't keep up with the other cars on a tour.
"It's cruisin' at 25-30 (miles per hours)," Robby said.
The car has been driven fewer than 500 miles in the past 30 years; Robby brought it to the open house only because the destination was close.
It doesn't have a heater, but it does have air conditioning, Robby said.
"The windshield rolls up just enough so you can get some air circulation," he said, hand cranking the front windshield up about four inches.
Robby, a retired Chevy auto mechanic of 44 years, bought the Superior, well used and in disrepair, in the late 1980s.
He took the auto completely apart, even rebuilding the wooden frame inside the doors.
"You can't just go down to the store and get parts," he laughed.
He knows he spent about four years restoring the car, but not how much money he spent.
"You don't keep track of that," he said with a smile.
Yester-Year Auto Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house Sunday at the United Methodist Church in Monroe.
A 40-year member, John Daehlin, Monroe, brought a '39 Plymouth Coup.
Daehlin remembered cars from the 1930s, Model A and Studebaker, as the first collectors' cars in the Club.
This year, John Tuescher, Monroe, a club member since 1973, brought his '64 Thunderbird convertible.
The '66 silver blue Mustang, just restored this past year, belongs to Frank Ackerman, Juda. It was the favorite of Karna Mross, 7, who came with his family to see the collection.
Jim Curran, Browntown, brought his '57 Lincoln.
Roger Blanc -the member with the longest association with the Club, since May 1961, was 25 years old and just got out of the service when he bought a 1935 Chevrolet. His father sent him out to buy it as second car for about $25 to $30, he said.
"It had been setting several years, but we pulled it and it started. Didn't even put new gas in it," he said. He sold it in 1983.
"The kids grew up in that car," he added.
A little red American Motors 1959 Nash Metropolitan was out of its garage for the first time in two years, Sunday celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
Ready to sell it, owner Robert Verdonck, Monroe, said, "There's no room for it in the garage."
Verdonck actually collects Corvettes. He got his little Nash in a trade with a museum in Canton, Ohio, which got his 1954 Corvette - and some cash.
Eben "Robby" Robertson, Monroe, brought his 1925 Chevy Superior K, one of the oldest vehicles at the open house.
The old black Chevy doesn't get to many car shows these days, and it can't keep up with the other cars on a tour.
"It's cruisin' at 25-30 (miles per hours)," Robby said.
The car has been driven fewer than 500 miles in the past 30 years; Robby brought it to the open house only because the destination was close.
It doesn't have a heater, but it does have air conditioning, Robby said.
"The windshield rolls up just enough so you can get some air circulation," he said, hand cranking the front windshield up about four inches.
Robby, a retired Chevy auto mechanic of 44 years, bought the Superior, well used and in disrepair, in the late 1980s.
He took the auto completely apart, even rebuilding the wooden frame inside the doors.
"You can't just go down to the store and get parts," he laughed.
He knows he spent about four years restoring the car, but not how much money he spent.
"You don't keep track of that," he said with a smile.