Built With Speedway Motors: Nick's Model A Coupe
These old cars that we love are always way more than the sum of their parts. They are family histories, autobiographies, and legacies to be handed down. Our #BuiltWithSpeedwayMotors series is here to celebrate these stories, and this one is a good one. Nick Weppner grew up riding around with his grandma and grandpa in this cool Model A. He is now the caretaker since his grandpa’s passing, and he takes that responsibility very seriously. We’ll let him tell the story in his own words:
My grandfather built this car from the ground up with sweat blood and tears. He was an Air Force veteran and retired from Ford motor company after 43 years. He was a great man, an American patriot. The car took many years to build and unfortunately soon after it was finished, he passed away. I inherited the car and wanted to keep his legacy going. Nobody wanted to touch pops’ car after he passed, but I wanted to get it back on the road. After an oil change, fuel pump carburetor clean, and a fresh battery it fired up!
There’s no better feeling than getting behind the wheel and knowing my grandfather would be happy I was driving his car. I’ve had the car for seven years and have had so many unbelievable memories in it. I’ve had a few close calls and felt like he was watching over me and put his hand on the wheel! This Car has never left me stranded in a bad situation, and when I sit behind the wheel it’s almost like having him next to me on every ride. I have put countless hours in this car keeping it up and working on it, it’s a never-ending love between my grandfather and I in this car! I just wish he was around still to ride in it with me. I’m blessed for the memories I have with him in the car and will continue to make memories in honor of him. This car will never leave me and someday I will pass it on if I have kids. I’ll teach them how to work on it just as my grandfather taught me! I loved riding in the car with my grandfather and grandmother. I would sit in the middle, and it was a tight squeeze but I loved every second of it. I hope one day I will be able to share the same experiences with my future wife and grandchild.
We also asked Nick about what the car culture means to him, and he had some pretty great thoughts about passing the torch to the next generation:
I am 21 years old. When I go to car shows I want little kids to sit in my car and to take pictures holding onto the wheel. That’s what the car community should be about. Too many people are concerned about roughing up your ride, but if you want this art to stay alive you need to involve the younger generation. Let them sit in the seat, maybe take them on a ride. They’re not going to hurt anything! It’s experiences like that they will remember forever and will keep this art alive! I plan on keeping my car around forever.
I want to be remembered as a man that tried keeping this art alive by teaching the younger generation and spreading my knowledge, love, and letting them enjoy it as I did! I know every single nut and bolt on this car and can fix anything on it. I want to teach someone as my grandfather taught me.