RESURRECTING A ‘TIME CAPSULE’

It didn’t appear a favorable outcome was likely, but Ken Macht resurrected and brought back to life something that seemed destined to be gone forever.

Macht, of Owatonna, plucked a 1917 Model T out of a lean-to barn near Lanesboro in southeastern Minnesota 12 years ago. It had been sitting in the barn for decades with dirt mounting around it. A woman whose grandpa had once driven the Model T asked if anyone wanted it, and Macht didn’t hesitate to jump at the chance.

“It was sunken in the dirt up to its axels,” Macht said. “Dirt had blown on from the neighboring farm fields, and the barn was falling over. It was like a time capsule and sat in the same spot for 50 years.”

He gave a whirl, and it turned over after several attempts. “By the fifth time around, I cranked it, and it ran like a baby,” Macht said.

As for the woman who gave up the antique, Macht said, “She cried like a baby. She was so happy that the car survived.”

Still in its rustic form today, the Model T was one of the star attractions at last week’s Model T International Tour that came to Owatonna and other communities throughout southern Minnesota.

Macht has intentionally left it in the condition he found it in. Over the years he has been asked many times if he ever plans to restore it. His answer has always been the same: “No, it would take its soul away.”

 “I only touched it to make it mechanically safe with brakes,” he said, noting everything else is original. He finds it amazing that the Model T has survived the test of time, especially after being driven through fields, ditches, gravel roads and other rough terrain for many years.

There has been only one cosmetic change Macht did with stenciling on both sides: “Macht Const., Phone 67, Est. 1917.”

The original touring vehicle was also altered slightly. Tourings came with a box seat in the back. However, Macht took the box seat off and replaced it with a wooden box by utilizing wood from a tree that was a century old. “They found each other 108 years later,” he said in describing the relationship between the tree and Model T.

He is convinced doing anything further with the Model T would be disastrous and simply “kill its soul.”

The vehicle has no battery and is only operated with a crank, Macht said.

Macht, who is retired after owning a construction business for 45 years, is proud to be only the second owner of the Model T that has been in existence for 108 years. He was the first to register the vehicle for licensing through the state.

“Everybody likes it because it looks old,” he says. “Go real slow and you’ll get lots of attention. If you don’t like people and you’re in a hurry, don’t take this.”