The Citizen, 1987-04-15, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1987.
A lifetime of 'tinkering' leads to classic car hobby
James McNeil stands beside his proud possession, a 1936 Ford V8 truck which was borrowed for use in the
movie The Black Stallion. The engine has been rebuilt but the rest of the vehicle is original.
BY KEITH ROULSTON
When you’ve spent a lifetime
around machinery, from trucks to
cars to airplanes, it’s tough to get
away from it. Mr. James C. McNeil
of Brussels, that long association
with mechanics has turned into a
retirement hobby of classic cars.
Today he still tinkers around in
the old building on Turnberry
Street North, (across from his
house) that housed his garage for
30 years affer he returned home
fromthe Second World War. On
the front lawn of his modern house
is a classic Shell gas pump from his
old service station, restored by his
son Don.
Inside the former garage is like
turning back the clock to an earlier
era. Not only are there reminders
of the way garages were before the
era of chrome and glass took over,
but there are more tangible
reminders in the form of classic
cars. There’s Mr. McNeil’s pride
and joy, a 1936 Ford V8. He rebuilt
the engine in the truck himself, but
other than that, most of the truck is
in original condition.
That truck is something of a
celebrity, having been used in the
movie The Black Stallion which
was shot north of Toronto. Mickey
Rooney drove the truck in the
movie, pulling the horse trailer
that carried the Black Stallion.
The movie company heard about
the truck through the catalogues of
the Antique Car Club of Canada.
Once a year the Club issues a
catalogue of all the members of car
clubs across the country and what
cars they own. It helps classic car
fans locate cars and parts for cars
across the country.
Parked in front of his house is his
wife, Jean’s car, a classic 1964*6
Mustang convertible, one of the
earliest models of the car that
became one of the hottest sellers on
the continent. The car is in mint
condition with original equipment
and has never had any bodywork
done on it.
Also stored in the garage is an
original 1954 Chevrolet that was
owned by another-son who was
killed several years ago in a car
accident.
Although he shows great love for
the vehicles he has owned, Mr.
McNeil isn’t into fixing up old cars
inabigway. It’stooexpensive a
hobby, keeping classic cars on the
road, he says. There is insurance
and licence let alone all the
repairing and restoring that has led
some classic car owners to store
their vehicles away rather than try
to keep them on the road.
For many antique car owners it is
both a hobby and an addiction. As a
member of the Maitland Valley car
club, Mr. McNeil takes part in the
tours around the province with
other club members. There’s a flea
market in Clifford coming up in
May where enthusiasts gather to
buy and sell parts. There is abig
flea market in Barrie each spring
and fall where, Mr. McNeil says,
youcanfindjustaboutanything
you want.
“For anyone interested in cars
as much as I am to go to a flea
market is really worth the trip to
see what people have gathered
up,” he says.
His son Don takes a trailer load of
parts from old cars to the Barrie
Flea market every year, and gets
more parts for his own restoration
of cars. Don, who owns McNeil’s
Autobody at the west side of
Brussels is more involved in the
restoration of cars, taking old cars
and making them look like they’ve
just come out of the showroom. His
father, as a mechanic, makes sure
hiscarsaresound mechanically
but does little restoring.
Besides the flea markets, car
buffs can turn to Canadian Klaxon,
another publication of the Antique
Car Club which comes out more
frequently and provides for sale
and want ads in the back of the book
to help match up buyers of parts
with people looking for them.
Mr. McNeil can rhyme off all the
cars of his youth from the 1914
Continued on page 15
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