Clint D., 91, is an automobile-gentleman. He and his wife June have been active in the world of antique automobiles for over 50 years, sharing a particular interest in Henry Ford’s first assembly line car for the masses, the Model T. Clint’s Wish of a Lifetime was to share his passion for the Model T with the other residents of Cortona Park Senior Living, a Brookdale Community in Brentwood, CA, by hosting an antique automobile show.
In 1965, Clint acquired a 1913 Model T Touring, which he took great joy in restoring. The car was in perfect condition except for the original wooden wheels. Clint knew nothing about wooden wheels at the time, but seeing no other option, he researched and started fabricating his own set of replacements. Clint painstakingly created his own techniques and built all of his own machinery – the end result was a beautiful set of wheels. Years later Clint went into business building wood wheels for all kinds of antique automobiles. The Vintage Wheel Shop was a huge success and is still going strong today. Clint estimates that the company has built over 10,000 custom wheels!
Although his passion for Model Ts, antique cars, and wooden wheels eventually became his life’s work, Clint found fulfillment in other outlets as well. Just out of high school, Clint served for 3 ½ years in the Air Corp as a B-25 mechanic. Since then Clint has raised a family with June and remains an active volunteer in his community.
On September 22, 2013, Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale collaborated with the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club to bring a number of Model T’s and other pre-1915 automobiles to Cortona Park. Clint not only got his car show but was also surprised to see that many of the visiting club members were old friends he had not seen in years. While Clint talked shop and caught up with friends, one member of the club gave Cortona Park residents rides in his rare stretch Model T. Clint’s favorite car at the show was a 1914 Model which was just one year newer than his own beloved 1913, owned by a man who Clint introduced the hobby to when he was in high school nearly 50 years ago. After the event Clint and June told us that they had a “wonderful and exciting day.”