Classics on Main to show military vehicles
Wayne Miller of Sycamore stands by his 1942 Army jeep that was classified by the military as a quarter-ton truck. He bought it from a farmer in New Jersey in 1970 and fully restored it and a trailer.
Inside the engine compartment sits an oil can for lubricating parts around the jeep’s engine. Wayne Miller of Sycamore bought the jeep from a farmer in New Jersey in 1970 and fully restored it and a trailer.
Main Street in Washington will soon be awash in shiny antique automobiles, restored to near perfection for your viewing pleasure.
The annual Classics on Main car show, part of the Whiskey Rebellion Festival, will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
This year’s show will be exhibiting antique military vehicles and will feature a 1942 Ford-built jeep from World War II, restored by owner Wayne Miller of Sycamore, Greene County. Miller has now restored the jeep for the second time, but said he is far from finished.
“You never really finish restoring something, It’s an ongoing thing. If you care about your vehicle you have to maintain it,” Miller said. “Restoration’s the labor of love.”
Miller purchased the jeep in the 1970s from a retiring farmer, who was using it as a tractor, with the intention of using the four-wheel-drive vehicle for off-roading in the woods. At the time, Miller did not realize how rare the Ford-made model was until a friend pointed out he had a valuable antique in his possession and he shouldn’t “beat it to death” in the woods.
Miller then began to order parts to commence restoring the vehicle.
It was at this point he got into antique cars and soon became a charter member of the Covered Bridge Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.
In addition to his jeep, he is also in possession of a 1966 Mustang purchased by his late wife, Laura, about 15 years ago, and a 1943 Bantam jeep trailer, which he bought from Switzerland. According to Miller, the cost of shipping was more than the cost of the trailer, which took a year to get to him. He will be displaying the trailer in the car show as well.
During World War II, both Ford and Willys, another vehicle company, were contracted to produce jeeps in the same model and design as the original for the military. Ford placed the letter F on virtually every piece of its jeeps so there would be no confusion causing them to warrant any Willys pieces by mistake.
Miller is currently on a hunt to find the few remaining pieces missing from his antique that do not have the letter F and are therefore not original parts, but 97 percent of Miller’s jeep parts are authentic. He usually finds the pieces in various flea markets and car shows, and even in old barns.
“If you find something that will make it more original, you add it,” Miller said. “It should look like it was on the showroom floor before it was sold.”
Miller frequently attends other car shows to see other antiques, as well as to occasionally exhibit his own. He said his favorite part about restoring cars is “The satisfaction of looking at something that’s 40, 50, 60, 70 years old and still looks brand new.”
The Classics on Main car show is open to all vehicles. Registration is just $5 and open until 2 p.m. the day of the show, which will also feature auctions, raffles, oldies music, food vendors and prizes.