A Photo Essay of a Remarkable Restoration:
From a Barn In Wartrace,Tennessee to Amelia Island, Meadowbrook and Pebble Beach
By Mike Tschida / Franklin, Tennessee

     A gentleman called me one day in 1989 because someone had told him I was interested in old cars. He told me that his father had passed away some time ago and the family, in a effort to settle the estate, planned to hold an auction of all his belongings. Those belongings included some old cars. When asked what cars his father had, he said, "He had a 1970 Plymouth Valiant with a slant-six engine, a 1950 and 1951 Studebaker, a 1934 Austin, a 1928 Chevrolet half-ton pickup and a 1909 Oldsmobile." I said, "Stop the world - what body style is the Olds?" He said it was a touring car, and when questioned about the condition, he said that the engine was free to turn-over (with a crank) and the rest of the car looked pretty good. Dirty, but good!

     The next Saturday the cars were on display in the old jail in the small town of Wartrace, Tennessee. I visited the site and immediately loved the '09. It was very complete, very dirty, the tires were flat and in shreds, the top was in the down position and covered by a boot. I wanted that car!

     The next week I attended the auction armed with a letter of credit from my banker and bought the car.

     While hunting up a transport vehicle to take the car home, I happened upon an old gentleman, probably 85-90 years old, who said, "I see you bought the old car. I could tell you some stories about it if you like:' I said, "I'm all ears:'

     He proceeded to relate the history of the car and I listened. The car was the first automobile ever to enter the town of Wartrace. That was in 1909. It had been purchased by a Mr. Smotherman. He kept the car and drove it for the better part of a decade and then sold it to the man I was talking to (or listening to), Grady Smotherman - no relation to the original owner. The second owner then drove the car for a number of years and sold it back to the original owner. He said, "I think I was the last person to ever drive that car. My girlfriend and I were on a picnic with another couple and when the picnic was over I drove the car into Mr. Smotherman's barn and it never came out again until 1946 when they were going to enter it in a parade. They couldn't get it started and pushed it back into the barn."

     I asked him when he thought the picnic was, and after much thought he replied, "Either 1931 or 1933". The car had been in the bam for 56 or 58 years.

     About a month after buying the '09, I got a letter from Grady Smotherman in which he enclosed a photo of the car. It was about two inches square, black and white and in excellent condition. It was crisp and clear and when professionally enlarged it showed a lot of detail. The picture showed the '09 on the street, probably Wartrace, and other vehicles could also be seen.

     We brought the car back to my garage and began the restoration. The car was taken apart down to the last nut and bolt. Parts were marked, some placed in plastic bags, and the entire process was photographed and videotaped. With the help of close friends and car club members the total restoration was completed in late 1997. In August 1997 the car was featured as the keynote car representing the year 1909 at the Oldsmobile Centennial in Lansing. At that time it was still in two pieces-the rolling chassis and the completed wooden body.

     The car's engine is a four-cylinder, with cylinders cast in pairs, jug type. It develops 35-40 horsepower. The bottom half of the engine is cast aluminum. It also has a cast aluminum oil pan, an oil pump and a water pump. The transmission has three speeds forward and one reverse, in an "H" pattern. The parking brake acts on the rear wheel drum brakes and the foot pedal brake acts on the drive shaft drum. The frame is steel and the body is all wood. The wheels are artillery-type wood spoked. All trim, the lights and the plumbing are brass, and it has acetylene headlights and kerosene cowl and tail lights. In the photos that were taken when the car first arrived at my home it appeared to be brown in color, but that brown color was found to be barn dust and moisture which had become caked-on during the 58 years that it was stored in the barn. By moistening a rag with 100% ammonia and rubbing the surface the brown matter came off and underneath was the original red paint, very well preserved. The original pin stripes were there too. In one area that had never been exposed to the elements, the leather-covered back of the driver's seat, we found the true original color. This color was computer matched and the resulting color was used for the finished product. We matched the color of the body as well as the color, width and location the pin stripes, working from the original paint. This way we were sure to have the finished car authentic in every way.

     The car's authenticity was verified by Helen Earley of the Oldsmobile History Center in 1989. According to the late Dick Neller, one of the hobby's authorities on the brass-era Oldsmobiles, this is the only 1909 Model X-3 in existance.

     The car was shown last summer at the OCA Regional Meet in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and photos of it were sent to JWO by Glenn Williamson, Area Director.

     The car has had a most impressive exhibition history as follows: Oldsmobile Centennial, by invitation of Oldsmobile Division; Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles, Canton, Ohio by invitation; The Badlands Auto Gathering, Medora, North Dakota, featured vehicle by invitation, The Dakota Western Automobile Club; 1998 Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance, Rochester, Michigan, "Barye" Lion Class Award and Blue Ribbon Winner; Saginaw Steering Gear Regional Auto Show, Decatur, Alabama, Best in Show of 565 participants; Octoberfest   Automobile  Show, Hohenwald, Tennessee, Best in Class and Show Committee Award of 155 participants; Wilson County Annual Fall Show, Lebanon, Tennessee, Best of Class and Show Committee Award of 212 participants; Battlefield Region AACA Ninth Annual Car show, Franklin, Tennessee, Best in Class and Best of Show-People's Choice of 193 participants; 1999 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, Amelia Island, Florida, Amelia Award and DuPont Registry's People' Choice Award; Ault Park Concours d'Elegance, Cincinnati, Ohio, Best in Class; Bum Prevention Foundation Concours d'Elegance, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; AACA Nationals, Southeast United States, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, First Prize winner and First Junior; 1999 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Carmel, California, participant, antique class.

Back To "Featured Member's Cars"