Limestone's John Ohrt uses his mechanical skills to work on the small fleet of cars he's turned out in his home garage. The latest project? A 1955 Ford Crown Victoria.
"I'm working on a 1941 Buick coupe right now," the 76-year- old retiree said. "I've got 11 or 12 altogether, from a 1928 Ford Model A, to a 1979 Ford pickup."
Limestone's John Ohrt uses his mechanical skills to work on the small fleet of cars he's turned out in his home garage. The latest project? A 1955 Ford Crown Victoria.
Daily Journal/John Dykstra
"I'm working on a 1941 Buick coupe right now," the 76-year- old retiree said. "I've got 11 or 12 altogether, from a 1928 Ford Model A, to a 1979 Ford pickup."
Daily Journal/John Dykstra
Daily Journal/John Dykstra
Ohrt's "guard dog," a teddy bear his grandson gave him, always rides in the back.
Limestone's John Ohrt will tell you his mechanical skills are self-taught. He made a living with tools in his hands, first at George D. Roper Corporation and for 39 years, repairing the trucks at Azzarelli Construction.
But there's nothing amateurish about the small fleet of cars he's turned out in his home garage. The latest creation, a two-year project, is turning heads wherever he drives it.
"I go to some car shows, but I just like to drive it," he said. "Heck, I'll drive it over to the restaurant for breakfast at 6 in the morning. I don't care if anyone is there to see it. I just like the car."
The rough-looking 1955 Ford Crown Victoria was purchased in Rockville, Ind. Ohrt wanted it to complete a mini-collection that includes a 1956 Ford two-door hardtop and a 1956 Ford convertible. Now a sparkling example of Ford's top-of-the-line model, Ohrt's Crown Victoria is not the end of his assembly line.
"I'm working on a 1941 Buick coupe right now," the 76-year-old retiree said. "I've got 11 or 12 altogether, from a 1928 Ford Model A, to a 1979 Ford pickup."
What might seem more amazing than his talent for repairing these cars is his determination to keep coming back to the garage, even when two strokes have slowed him down. "I just keep going," he said. "I'm a little slower, but I can still get out there."
The Crown Victoria was restored with original equipment parts, but he upgraded the engine to Ford's 272-cubic-inch V8. The car features a three-speed manual transmission, on the steering column.
"I guess I started driving when I was about 14, so, I guess I've been working on them that long, too," he said.
In fact, he still was a teenager when he started building and driving stock cars. He was a popular, winning driver at the Kankakee Fairgrounds and at the old Sugar Island Speedway in the 1960s.
But Ohrt isn't living in the past. He's just driving a piece of history.
"That [Crown Victoria] can still keep up with just about anybody in traffic. I'm not worried about running it 60 or 65 mph down the road."
The Speed 5
1. The 1955 Ford was the first to offer what was called the "panoramic" windshield. The wrap-around style was introduced earlier on the Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs of the early '50s.
2. The '55 Ford Sunliner convertible was the car of choice for TV's Aunt Bee on "The Andy Griffith Show." In real life, Frances Bavier preferred a 1966 Studebaker Daytona.
3. The options available on the 1955 Fords included a "Skylight" plastic top on the Crown Victorias, fender skirts, and dealer-installed seat belts.
4. The Crown Victoria nameplate was dropped after 1956, but picked up later as the designation for Ford full-size, rear-wheel drive sedans, used extensively as taxis and police cars. The last Crown Vic rolled off the St. Thomas, Ontario production line in April of 2011
5. The '55 Fords were the first to come out with factory-installed air conditioning.
