Model Teamwork

The rusted 1926 Ford Model T Roadster sat for years in Craig Nelson’s mother’s North Side garage.

With no way to restore it, Nelson had watched other Model T owners out and about with their cars. Now a group of those owners has joined together to help Nelson bring his 80-plus-year-old car back to life in a Hillyard garage.

Like Nelson’s Model T, each has suffered dents and dings in his own life. As a group they’ve coped with strokes, heart disease, broken bones and divorce.

“This is like therapy for us,” said Alan Stacey, a member of the Spokane Model-T Club.

That club has 230 cars among its Eastern Washington members.

Stacey came to Model Ts after 18 years of skydiving. After setting national and world records for group jumps he decided it was time for a new hobby.

He now owns two Model Ts. “They’re unique. They’re part of history,” Stacey said.

Nelson bought his Model T when he was just 14.

After a summer baby-sitting for his sister’s children, she rewarded him with a $100 bill.

With the crisp bill in his pocket, Nelson noticed the Model T in a man’s yard and said how much he’d like to have it.

“He asked, ‘How much do you have in your pocket?’ ” Nelson said.

Moments later the Model T was his.

Nelson’s father worked on it from time to time, until he died in 1976.

Now Craig Nelson’s 87-year-old mother hopes she’ll get a ride in the Model T sometime soon.

It wasn’t until Nelson met Stacey at the Monroe Street Bridge 2005 reopening gala, however, that he was able to move forward with the project.

After a failed attempt to have it restored by a man in Deer Park, the Model T was worse than ever.

“It was a rust bucket. It was bad,” Stacey said of the car which had been left outside in a field.

Stacey recently enlisted the help of Kerry Tritt, Jacob Tritt and Dan Coslic. After just weeks in Jacob Tritt’s garage, the Model T is close to being finished.

“All of these guys are volunteers,” Stacey said. “We’re putting it together because we want to see Craig get a working car.”

It was in such bad shape that the group has had to strip it down to basic parts, filing off rust and repainting each piece.

Kerry Tritt said he’s worked on hot rods, but this is the first Model T that he and his son, Jacob, have put together from the ground up.

Kerry Tritt said that when he and his wife frequently ride around town in their own Model T, they dress t in vintage clothing.

Nelson said he’s extremely grateful for the help of the group and their friendship.

“I didn’t expect it at all,” he said. “It’s really been a pleasure for me.”