Rathmolyon man"s labour of love sees famous Ford rebuilt

The remarkable story of how an ancient Ford Model T car was rescued from the scrap-heap and lovingly restored to its pristine glory will be told when the car takes pride of place at the annual Rathmolyon Cultural Festival this weekend. Local man John Brady has spent the past decade attempting to trace the history of the rare vehicle and painstakingly putting it back together again, sourcing different parts for the car from around the world. At one stage, the car"s transmission and drivetrain was used to power a saw to cut timber. Widely regarded as the most influential car ever built, the Model T was manufactured between 1908 and 1927. The model that Mr Brady has restored dates from 1925 and was first registered in Louth. In the late 1920s, the vehicle was bought by a doctor from Summerhill. It was subsequently bought in 1940 by Henry Hughes from Rathmolyon. Mr Hughes" son, Harry - now aged 90 - remembers driving it when he was 15 years of age. When he heard about the restoration, Mr Hughes, who today lives in Co Dublin, made the journey back to Rathmolyon this week to see the final restoration work taking place on the car. The Model T was subsequently sold to Willie Walker from The Bullring, Summerhill, for the princely sum of £5. Mr Walker used the engine and transmission of the vehicle to operate a circular saw to cut timber at his premises. The next owner was Cecil Hughes from Beechmount, Rathmolyon, who purchased the vehicle in the 1950s for 17s 6d. He and his brother built a new body for the car and used it as a working vehicle around their farm. In the 1980s, David Lynch from Dunsany bought the car and it was subsequently acquired by Mr Brady in 1996. He decided to delve into the history of the car, a long and painstaking process that involved years of research, and gradually began to source parts for the vehicle from wherever he could find them in an effort to restore the car. The wheels came from Argentina and other parts were acquired in the UK, Northern Ireland and other parts of Ireland. This month marks the centenary of the first production of the Ford Model T and Mr Brady"s aim was to have the car restored in time to display at the Rathmolyon Cultural Festival this coming Sunday. Rebuilt now to its original pristine state and painted an attractive plum colour thanks to work by Elliott"s Garage, Summerhill, the restored car stands as a testimony to one man"s passion for a task that at one time would have seemed beyond even the most ardent vintage car enthusiast.