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Century-old Chevy still sweet as a baby

Mike Ziegler has a knack for preserving old things - specifically cars. To him, the earlier the better.

As a spunky teenager he bought a 1930 Ford Model A. It was his first car and he loved it dearly. He found the sedan in Elgin and during his 30 years of ownership, he completed a full restoration.

The Ford's immediate tour of duty was ferrying the Elgin teenager to high school.

"All my money went into the car," Mike recalls. And he does not have a high school memento to prove it.

Mike Ziegler of Elgin purchased his 1916 Chevrolet last year.

"It was the end of the school year and time to order class rings. The motor was a bear to crank in cold weather, so I opted for the battery. That winter I knew it was money well spent!"

Another fond memory is the time when his parents went out of town. Mike buzzed his Model A in the now-empty family garage and set to work rebuilding its engine. In his haste, he forgot to order several key parts.

"My parents came home and weren't too happy about finding my car torn all apart," laughs Mike. In 2000, he was finally ready to part with the cherished car.

He replaced it with a 1938 Chevy business coupe. While it "ran beautifully," there was one inherent flaw: it wasn't old enough. In 2015, after much searching, he came across a unique find: a 1916 Chevrolet Baby Grand.

The Baby Grand is preserved beautifully because it spent the vast majority of its days in a dealer showroom.

The black beauty was sold new in New York state. After a few years, that original owner traded it back in to the dealership. For the next 80 years, the Chevy sat in the showroom in Liverpool, New York, attracting attention and being used in local parades.

An area resident purchased it but only used it for one more parade before letting it sit for another five years. Then it became Mike's last year.

The 1916 Chevy was taken outside and driven for parade duty on occasion. Courtesy of Mike Ziegler

Ever the craftsman, Mike set to work getting the 100-year-old classic roadworthy. "It's a bit of a challenge because you can't just buy parts - you have to make them," he said.

One such item is the brakes. Mike found the proper brake lining at a swap meet and riveted it back on the brake shoes. Another time he welded the metal pipe system that houses some wiring - all by looking at a picture.

"There's no other cars like this out and about for me to look at and see how they go together."

Still, just as in his youth, he wouldn't have it any other way. While he's told often his special ride belongs in a museum, he has other feelings.

"It was made for the road and that's where I intend to keep it."

• Share your car's story with Matt at auto@dailyherald.com.

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