Awooga! Not only is that the cartoony sound of an old-fashioned car, but it’s also the sound you’ll be making when you see our newly restored Model AA truck.
Because of its age, the park district’s Model AA truck experienced escalating mechanical problems, ultimately rendering it undrivable and in need of professional repair. Finding a qualified repair shop was challenging; however, thanks to the expertise of volunteers at Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum and a grant from Summit Metro Parks Foundation, the restoration was able to move forward.
Before we shift into the details, let’s put things in reverse. We’re going back to the late 1880s …
A brief race through the history of automobiles
Considered the first modern automobile, Benz debuted the Motorwagen in 1886. The first successful American car to run on gas was invented seven years later in 1893 by brothers Charles and J. Frank Duryea.
Ford Motor Company’s first car was the Model A, which was produced from 1903 through 1904. It quickly became a popular passenger car. They debuted the mass-produced — and more affordable — Model T in 1908, transforming the way everyday people moved around cities.
In 1927, Ford launched a newer Model A to replace the Model T. It was available in four standard colors and different body styles. That same year, Ford began production of the Model AA truck. It used the same engine as the new Model A but had certain upgrades — like a stronger chassis — to turn it into a commercial truck.
To put this brief timeline into perspective, the Ohio & Erie Canal was constructed in Akron in the 1820s, which was followed by an industrial boom. Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich started the first large rubber company in the city in 1870. Twenty-eight years later, brothers F.A. “Frank” and C.W. “Charley” Seiberling founded Goodyear Tire & Rubber, which became the Rubber City’s biggest company.
Speaking of F.A. Seiberling, it was under his leadership that the Akron Metropolitan Park District was established in 1921.
Jumping a century later to the present, there are dozens of types of cars from various brands driving past us every day. And that little park district started by Seiberling is now called Summit Metro Parks, which has blossomed to 16,000 acres of parks and conservation areas across Summit County.
Yet the past is still hitting the pavement of the present.
Model AA behavior
You might be familiar with the park district’s Model AA, having watched it cruise down parade routes or on display at events like the annual Touch-a-Truck.
It was purchased in 2001 by Friends of the Metro Parks and gifted to Summit Metro Parks. The truck symbolizes the more than 100-year history of the park district and is used in community parades and historical events county-wide.
Even with good upkeep, the vintage vehicle needed some more involved repairs. However, finding a 100-year-old mechanic who had a shop full of specific parts was a no-go.
That’s where our friends at Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland stepped in. They were able to start work almost immediately, unlike the three-year wait time other shops had quoted us. Plus, they offered to donate their time and labor — so long as parts were paid for — to a fellow Northeast Ohio organization.
After a full inspection, the incredibly knowledgeable museum volunteers got to work. There was a lot to be done, and they collaborated with other vintage car experts on the finer details. Here’s a breakdown of the major work that was completed:
- Built a replacement engine
- Rebuilt the transmission
- Replaced radiator
- Rebuilt carburetor
- Swapped out the generator for an alternator
- Replaced and rebuilt steering box, steering column, steering wheel
- Fixed braking system
- Installed a new muffler
- Replaced a few springs and padding in the seat bottom
- Cleaned and repainted various parts
- Replaced all tires and inner tubes
- Installed new lights with original-looking LED bulb assemblies
- Rebuilt and installed an original horn
Ready to roll
The 1928 Model AA is now back in action. Watch for it in local parades or at car shows and community events. It will also be on display at our annual Touch-a-Truck in August, where people of all ages can sit in and explore more than a dozen Summit Metro Parks and local emergency response vehicles.
Thank you to Summit Metro Parks Foundation and the people at Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum for their hard work and generosity in getting our vintage truck back on the road.