AntiqueCarNut.com

The Erskine was built from 1926 until 1930 in South Bend, Indiana as a subsidiary of the Studebaker Corporation. It was named after Albert R. Erskine who ran Studebaker from 1915 until 1933. As a footnote, Mr. Erskine took his own life in 1933 due to financial problems of the corporation. The Erskine was originally intended to run in the low priced field at an average price of $975.00, competing with the new Ford Model A at $500.00 and a full size Oldsmobile at $1195.00. Production of the 1928 Erskines totaled 22,275 including all models. It featured a 3 speed transmission and a six cylinder engine developing 18.15 horsepower.

This picture was taken at at a Mt. Vernon, Wa. car show. They don’t come any nicer than this one!!

Pictures of 1931 Pontiacs are hard to get ahold of-lucky us!!

This is one of many 1931 Chevrolet Roadsters I have on this site

The 1929 Fords were very much a makeover from the 1928 models. As near as I can tell, the main difference was the taillight design. 15 colors were offered in 1929-a far cry from way back there when all black was the game with Ford. The 40 horsepower engines were the same for both model years which was double that of the 1927 Model T. It’s a good thing that for once Henry listened to son Edsel and went along with him to produce the Model A.

This well preserved automobile is the property of a very distinguished gentleman residing in Helena, Montana. When asked, he is always the first to lead a parade and has done so many times over the years. He especially enjoys doing the high school kids Vigilante parade every spring carting around the highschool royalties-the King and Queen of Helena High School, Helena, Montana. The vibrant colors of this 1929 beauty, green, yellow and black really bring attention to the royalty riding in the rumble seat!! The kids love it!! So does he!!!

The 1952 models were really made over ’51s. Body designs were the same, the main differences being the grille and placement of body chrome. The dashes were idendical. The 51’s had a choice of 8 colors as opposed to 13 for the ’52s. The colors of the car pictured are Admiral Blue over Twilight blue. Production of 52’s was down 21.5 percent from 1951 due to the Korean war which accounts for our seeing more ’51s around than 52’s. I can tell you from personal experience the 52’s were very durable as were the 51’s as I owned both models.

This work of art stood in a building for around 20 years before it was again brought to life by a member of Capital Carriages Car Club, Helena, Mt. in 2011. It had been restored to perfection in about 1990 and shortly afterwards the engine cratered. The engine is now in great working order and purrs as it did when new!! What an automobile!!!

Of all the Ford convertibles, 1939 and 1940’s were my convertibles of choice. They had everything, looks, style, design-you name it!! I had 2 friends who owned 1940’s when I was in highschool. One I will never forget. I don’t remember what color it came out with when new, but one of my friends had his painted a light blue and had all the windows tinted blue!! These cars were great for summer nights in Oklahoma!! I snapped this picture at the 2011 Car de Lane show in Couer de Alene, Idaho. It is perfection.

This beautiful thing belongs to a fellow member of the Montana Pioneer and Antique Classic Car Club. I took this picture several years ago while on a car club tour which included Choteau, Mt.

A lady purchased this car new from the Pontiac dealer in Helena, Mt. and it appears as new to the date of inclusion on this site!!

I saw this car at the Car de Lane Car Show in Couer de Alene, Idaho last year[2010] and also this year[2011]. You don’t see many antique Dodge cars around at shows anymore. This is an outstanding example of a nice restoration.

This 1913 Cole, Model 60, was recently found in a barn somewhere in Montana and belongs to a member of Capital Carriages Antique Car Club in Helena, Montana. It is his intention to donate it to the Antique Car Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. I cannot be exact, but from what information I have gained, the Cole Motor Company was founded in 1909 in Indianapolis, Indiana and survived until 1928. This car is the 71st Cole of any model known to exist as of this writing. The Cole Motor Club of America website[link on this website] can possibly give any of you viewers interested more details about the Cole!

I saw this car at the Car de Lane car show, Couer de Alene, Idaho a couple of years ago, but couldn’t locate the owner to determine it’s year model. This year, I got lucky!! The car was at the Car de Lane show this year, 2011, and I got to talk with the owner who advised me it is a 1930 model. It is restored to perfection and a joy to behold!! If you haven’t ever made it to this show, you should try to do so. I will venture there were 15,000 people in attendance this year and the show just gets bigger every year!!

As an antique car nut, I seldom see a car that really gets my attention. I can tell you for sure that this one did!! My son, Gary, and myself attended the Car de Lane parade and car show in Couer de Alene, Idaho June 17th and 18th, 2011 and this car made my day!! What a car!! Ford produced only 923 of these models featuring the new V/8 engine and I’d bet this is one of the very few left restored to perfection. I asked the owner about the history of this car, and his reply was, “I don’t know, I just bought it!” He sure bought a jewel!! No doubt he has deep pockets!!

Owner: Peg Barnekoff
Favorite Car; 1939 Ford Deluxe 2 Door Sedan
Purchased: 1989 in Portland, Oregon
WHY I’M CRAZY ABOUT IT!! The styling, reliability, the smile on the grille, and the feeling of living in a past era.
The car has 64,000 miles on it and runs as good today as it did 72 years ago. The engine has been overhauled, the brakes rebuilt, and repainted the original Gull Gray color. It attracts many admirers wherever it is taken and it is driven!! [26,000 miles since 1989]!
Options include white sidewall tires, wheel trim rings, fender skirts, fog lights, defroster fan, outside rear view mirror and dual exhausts. 1939 was the first year Ford began using hydraulic brakes and the last year for floor shift transmissions. The engine is an 85 horsepower flat head V/8.
MY OTHER CARS: I am a Ford lady!! All my cars are Fords!! They include a 1941 Super Deluxe 2 Door Sedan, a 1955 Fairlane 4 Door Town Sedan, and a 1929 Model A 2 Door sedan.
I love them all, but my baby is the ’39.
I am a member of the Capital Carriages Car Club in Helena, MT. and have been for over 20 years. I thoroughly enjoy the company of my fellow members and also members of our umbrella club-The Montana Antique and Classic Auto Club which has 9 other chapters in the state. If you are interested in joining Capital Carriages or the umbrella club, please scroll down the right hand column of this site to find their websites and you will find how to go about joining us or the chapter nearest your residence. Additionally, if you might wish to join a major national club, you will also find their website on this site.

Owners: Red and Glenda Tillotson-Missoula, Montana
Favorite car: 1940 Oldsmobile 4 Door Sedan
Why are we crazy about it? If you ever see this car, you will also be crazy about it!! It certainly stands out among a crowd of antique or modified cars!! It was found in a garage in Seely Lake , Montana in the year 2000. It was all original with a few dents, but absolutely no rust. It underwent a nearly 2 year restoration and a lot of changes from factory specifications were made ie., the engine is a 1973 Oldsmobile 455 and has many Joe Mandello pieces-pistons, rods, cam, etc. Other changes include: a Turbo 400 transmission, Dodge Diplomat front end, differential is a Dodge 8 1/2 inch 2:73 posi gear. Rear springs are Mustang 2 with extra main leaf, radiator is a Walker Super Cool with an electric double bladed fan. It has a tilt steering wheel out of a 1980’s Jeep, bucket seats out of a 1990 Oldsmobile on 6 way power seat bases from a Chrysler. The rear seat is stock. In order to insure good brakes, a Corvette master cylinder was included. It features a custom hood ornament made in Missoula, MT., custom window and door knobs made in Helena, Mt. and a custom dash, [it does retain the original glove box]and it has a 16 gallon gas tank. It has custom running boards and custom paint. The paint job was done in dark garnet red with ghost flames by Marvin Jobe in Missoula, Mt.
We are members of the Shifters Car Club, Lolo, Montana and enjoy being with our friends in the club. If you are interested in joining our club, please call Gary at 1-406-369-0505 and he will fill you in on how to join us. If you are interested in joining a national car club, you will find the websites of major car clubs on this site. Just scroll down on the right side of the screen to find the one you might be looking for to join.

Owner Darrell Beckstrom

I bought this car last winter on line. When I was in high school, I had a green 1954 Chevy 150 4 door, so this car is quite an improvement. This one has the original 6 cylinder engine and 3 speed standard transmission. It does have some custom work including dual exhausts, baby moon hubcaps, pin striping and Bel Air trim. I’m not sure if I’m going to keep it as is, or put it back to original condition. Either way, it is a joy to drive and I get many compliments. I am a member of the Capital Carriages Antique Car Auto Club, Helena, Montana, a chapter of our state club, The Montana Pioneer Antique and Classic Auto Club. If you are interested in joining our Helena chapter, please go to the Capital Carriages.org link located in the right hand column of this site, fill out the application and mail it along with a check for the appropriate dues to Jim O’Connor PMB 2046, One Jackson Creek Road, Montana City, Montana 59634 and Jim will take it from there. If you don’t live near Helena and wish to join a chapter elsewhere in the state, just click on the Montana Pioneer and Classic Auto link on this site and it will tell you about the club and direct you to a contact person in a chapter near where you reside. If you would like to join a national car club, you will find a link to most major clubs in the U.S. on this site.

If you have never seen a Model A that is a head turner, this baby will cure that problem for you real quick!! It is absolutely gorgeous!! I first saw it at a car show in Three Forks, Montana and later at a show in Townsend, Montana. If there ever was a perfect exterior and interior restoration, this is it, and I’m sure the mechanics were equally as good! A car nut like me couldn’t help but be amazed at it’s perfection!!

1974 Chevrolet Caprice Classic ConvertibleOwners Jim and Alice O’Connor

Why do we like this car? When we were in highschool, we were like any other small town kids. We went to every movie we could and almost always every one of them had nice convertibles transporting the actors, creating a strong desire in us to someday own one. That desire was satisfied when we saw this brown beauty on the showroom floor of Northcutt Chevrolet in Enid, Oklahoma, March 4, 1974. It has been driven in 28 states by ourselves and our 4 children over the past 36 years.
We have been members of the Capital Carriages, Helena, Montana chapter of The Montana Pioneer Antique and Classic Car Club for the past 20 years and can’t tell you what a great time we have had with our friends from all over the state. There are 10 chapters throughout the state. If you are interested in joining us, please click the Capital Carriages.org link on the right hand column of this site, fill out the application and mail it with your check for the appropriate dues to Jim O’Connor, PMB 2046, One Jackson Creek Road, Montana City, Montana and Jim will take it from there. If you live elsewhere in the state, please go to the The Pioneer and Classic Car Club link on this site. It will direct you to the chapter and contact person nearest your place of residence. Additionally, if you are thinking about joining a national car club, we have links on this site to most major clubs for your ease in locating the one of your choice.