Bringing back the hum, roar of the classics
- Sr Perspective
- Jul 31
- 5 min read
Fairfax man has spent a lifetime tinkering, restoring
By Maggie Gray
“The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Like an old car weathered by time, the body bears its rust and wear—where once there was strength, now creaks and cracks remain. But with tenderness, patience, and skilled hands, even what seems beyond repair can be revived. So it was with Jerry Steinbach’s fractured femur, just as it was with the 1931 Ford Model A—both waiting for a steady hand, like a surgeon’s, to bring them back to life and make them roar again.
Born in New Ulm in 1942, Jerry turned 83 this June. And he now lives in Fairfax.
“Back in grade school, I loved taking things apart—just to see how they worked,” he recalled. That childhood curiosity turned into a lifelong love for this mechanic. “By high school, I was already working on appliances, tractors, then cars. I was shy, not a fan of school. But I always loved working with my hands.”
What is astonishing about Jerry is not just that he’s almost 83 and rebuilding an engine, but he developed a tremor in his hands and somehow pushes through with the fierce determination of a young man on a mission.
In 1964, Jerry was drafted into the Army.
“I worked in the mechanic’s pool. After I got out, I used the GI Bill to go to vocational school to keep working on cars,” he said. He pointed to an old photo. “That picture of me was taken in ’63. I was about 21 then. Those wings on the back? They were from a Mercury—not originally part of the Ford. I bought the car like that from a friend, dropped an engine into it, and had it painted.”
After two years of schooling, Jerry went to work for Dick Meyer Motor in Fairfax, repairing auto bodies. But as the 1970s energy crisis hit, he shifted careers, starting his own home improvement business primarily insulating homes. What was meant to last two years turned into 34.
Still, he never stopped tinkering with cars.
“My dad drove a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500. I guess that stuck with me,” Jerry said. Over the years, Jerry bought and sold close to 50 cars. “In high school, I even had a little shop out in the country.” But the one car that remains his all-time favorite: a 1952 Ford two-door.
“I replaced the Flathead V8 with an Overhead Valve V8. It had power like a race car,” he grinned. “That was the most fun I ever had.”
Then came a call from Carol Gregory, a local widow in Fairfax who needed some home repairs. Little did Jerry know Carol had a huge surprise for him. In her garage sat a 1931 Ford Model A Coupe—her late husband’s unfinished dream. A deal was struck and once Jerry finished the home and garage repairs, the Model A found its new home with Jerry.
The Model A had been converted into a pickup during WWII, a trick used by thrifty drivers to qualify for extra gas rations.
“People would buy old coupes for $25, slap a box on them, and call them trucks. That way, they got eight gallons of gas per week instead of four,” Jerry explained. “Those models were only out there for four years, the engines were too small and they weren’t selling, so they discontinued them,” he said. Jerry was thrilled to know that this Model A didn’t have the original smaller engine. “The original 4-cylinder was long gone. It came with a V8, but it was a mess—a basket case. I overhauled it. That engine is the highlight. It’ll have more power, more life,” he said.
Photo by Maggie Gray
Recently, he sold a 1955 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan on consignment.
“Sold in less than two weeks—now it’s heading to Utah. Normally I just put cars out on the road in front of my place and they sell,” he said proudly.
Another project waits in the wings: a 1969 Ford Galaxy 2-door hardtop with a 429 engine. He bought it new, sold it to his uncle, and bought it back over a decade later.
“It’s got some rust now, but once I finish the Model A, I’ll start on that one—for my daughters. They remember riding in it when they were little, I’m keeping it for them.”
Jerry’s girlfriend Mary said he absolutely lights up when he’s working on cars and that it takes a lot of patience.
“It keeps me active,” Jerry added. “Mary and I dance—mostly polka and swing. It keeps us young. I’ve got a hand tremor now, so the tiny nuts and bolts are tricky, but I can still see really well, my eyesight is still great.”
Finding parts for the Model A hasn’t been easy.
“This engine was only made from 1937 to 1940. It was an underpowered economy car, so they didn’t sell well. But I found a guy in Connecticut through Hemmings Motor News who had what I needed,” Jerry said. He’s also tracked down rare parts through Max Power Magazine, Ecklers, and specialty shops like Ada Machine out of California.
Jerry stated he also has his dad’s 1957 Ford that’s sitting on his property. He was with his father and the entire family when they went to purchase the car and he’s really familiar with the 1957 Fords because of the wide block engine. He stated he used to overhaul a lot of those models from 1952 and up. But now he’s really interested in the older classics from 1931s up to the 1949 models.
“I just think now that I am older, I want to share some of my knowledge and things that I have done over the years. I have always been pretty introverted and want to be more open now and share more with people. I want to tell more people about what I do,” he said. “Any activity that keeps you occupied, helps you stay vibrant, keeps you young. I just love doing this stuff.”
For Jerry, it’s never just been about the cars. It’s about keeping his hands moving, his mind sharp, and his heart open. Each bolt he tightens, each engine he brings back to life, is a quiet act of defiance against aging—a way of saying, I’m still here. I still have something to give. In a world that often overlooks its elders, Jerry’s garage hums with the sound of purpose. And as long as he can lift a wrench, he’ll keep building—not just cars, but connection, memory, and meaning.
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