Photo J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune
Friends finish pandemic project
58 years later, Model A Ford is on the road
Drew Terhall
June 26, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS — It took 58 years and a pandemic to get a 1929 Model A Ford up and running again.
Lon Schlotz and Dan Rochte in Grand Rapids were the ones to finish the repairs on the car.
The two retired mailmen, like many others, had time to spare during the pandemic. Schlotz decided to work on the car that was sitting in his aunt’s garage for years.
“I decided I needed a pandemic project. I asked my aunt if she was interested in parting with it,” Schlotz said.
Work on the car began in 1963 when Grand Rapids local Mary Volmer and her father bought the 1929 Ford as a project.
Volmer said they worked on it for about a year. Then, Volmer got married and took the car with her. She said the work on the car slowed down and began to take up space in her garage.
Volmer said her husband wanted to use the space for another project. They then sold the car to John Schlotz, Lon’s uncle, in 1965.
John Schlotz bought the car while his wife, Mae Schlotz, was not home. Mae Schlotz said John bought the car with the money she was saving to buy a new stove.
For the next 50 years, John Schlotz collected the original parts for the car. He never did work on the car. It sat in his garage all those years.
After John Schlotz passed away last year, Lon Schlotz got the car out of his aunt’s garage and began working on it.
Rochte said the car didn’t have too much rust on it. There were some signs that showed the car had been dormant for a long time.
“When we first started it, we heard a big bang. We didn’t think too much of it. Later on, we were walking around and saw behind the car a bunch of acorns and walnut shells laying on the floor. The exhaust was full of it,” Rochte said.
Rochte said he has experience fixing cars as a hobbyist. Schlotz did not have that same experience.
They didn’t have to start from square one. Volmer said her dad did the mechanical work on the car.
Rochte and Schlotz did the rest of the work. Rochte said they were able to use the majority of the parts John Schlotz bought.
He also said it took them about 4 months to finish the car. They worked on it for three to four days a week.
“We took a little break over the winter and waited for interior parts that were back ordered and they finally came. We finished it up in the spring,” Schlotz said.
After years of sitting in garages, the car was finally restored. Schlotz said it was a surprise the car was started. They didn’t know if it would still run.
Rochte and Schlotz already planned out what they were going to do after they finished their work on the car.
“We promised Mae the first ride in the car after she stored it in her garage for so long. Mary was there and they both got the first ride,” Rochte said.
Schlotz said he does plan on keeping the car for a while and has no set plans for the car in the future. Since 1963, the car has been owned by the family in a way.
Volmer said the families have been close friends over the years. Her dad’s name was John and had a similar last name to Schlotz.
She said they lived close by and would get their mail mixed up with John Schlotz’s mail. Both John’s also got married around the same time.
“Our anniversaries were only a day apart. We were really close,” Mae Schlotz said.
The families can now enjoy the car that has taken up space in their garage for decades.
Friends finish pandemic project
58 years later, Model A Ford is on the road
Drew Terhall
June 26, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS — It took 58 years and a pandemic to get a 1929 Model A Ford up and running again.
Lon Schlotz and Dan Rochte in Grand Rapids were the ones to finish the repairs on the car.
The two retired mailmen, like many others, had time to spare during the pandemic. Schlotz decided to work on the car that was sitting in his aunt’s garage for years.
“I decided I needed a pandemic project. I asked my aunt if she was interested in parting with it,” Schlotz said.
Work on the car began in 1963 when Grand Rapids local Mary Volmer and her father bought the 1929 Ford as a project.
Volmer said they worked on it for about a year. Then, Volmer got married and took the car with her. She said the work on the car slowed down and began to take up space in her garage.
Volmer said her husband wanted to use the space for another project. They then sold the car to John Schlotz, Lon’s uncle, in 1965.
John Schlotz bought the car while his wife, Mae Schlotz, was not home. Mae Schlotz said John bought the car with the money she was saving to buy a new stove.
For the next 50 years, John Schlotz collected the original parts for the car. He never did work on the car. It sat in his garage all those years.
After John Schlotz passed away last year, Lon Schlotz got the car out of his aunt’s garage and began working on it.
Rochte said the car didn’t have too much rust on it. There were some signs that showed the car had been dormant for a long time.
“When we first started it, we heard a big bang. We didn’t think too much of it. Later on, we were walking around and saw behind the car a bunch of acorns and walnut shells laying on the floor. The exhaust was full of it,” Rochte said.
Rochte said he has experience fixing cars as a hobbyist. Schlotz did not have that same experience.
They didn’t have to start from square one. Volmer said her dad did the mechanical work on the car.
Rochte and Schlotz did the rest of the work. Rochte said they were able to use the majority of the parts John Schlotz bought.
He also said it took them about 4 months to finish the car. They worked on it for three to four days a week.
“We took a little break over the winter and waited for interior parts that were back ordered and they finally came. We finished it up in the spring,” Schlotz said.
After years of sitting in garages, the car was finally restored. Schlotz said it was a surprise the car was started. They didn’t know if it would still run.
Rochte and Schlotz already planned out what they were going to do after they finished their work on the car.
“We promised Mae the first ride in the car after she stored it in her garage for so long. Mary was there and they both got the first ride,” Rochte said.
Schlotz said he does plan on keeping the car for a while and has no set plans for the car in the future. Since 1963, the car has been owned by the family in a way.
Volmer said the families have been close friends over the years. Her dad’s name was John and had a similar last name to Schlotz.
She said they lived close by and would get their mail mixed up with John Schlotz’s mail. Both John’s also got married around the same time.
“Our anniversaries were only a day apart. We were really close,” Mae Schlotz said.
The families can now enjoy the car that has taken up space in their garage for decades.