Sewickley native cruising along in retirement, embraces antique car collection
A Sewickley retiree has been driving the same vehicle for 54 years, and he's never been happier about it.
Rick Brown, 69, was 15 when he found himself with $500 burning a hole in his pocket.
"My dad didn't want me on a motorcycle so I bought the truck," Brown said.
Brown earned money from cutting grass all summer and spent it on a 1923 Dodge Brothers truck.
He outfitted his new wheels with a wooden bed for his truck in shop class at Quaker Valley High School.
"It's still there. It was my senior shop project," Brown said of his beloved truck that he still takes for spins around Sewickley.
In addition to his truck, Brown has three other antique vehicles in his personal collection at his home in Sewickley — a 1960 Austin Healey convertible, a 1940 Packard and the oldest in his collection; a 1916 Buick Touring Car.
All of them are in excellent operating condition and have been painstakingly restored by Brown, a former auto mechanic.
"They call me Mr. Fix It," he said.
The engines all purr like kittens and for Brown, driving the antique cars is a reminder of the early days of all things manual in the automotive world.
"It's a real seat-of-the-pants driving experience. A big wooden steering wheel. No power. We're so spoiled by power brakes and power steering," Brown said of driving the Buick that would have cost about $980 in 1923.
Brown was drawn to old cars from the get-go.
"My dad was a Buick man, but he wasn't into cars. I was always into old cars. I like antiques in general," Brown said.
He only drives during daylight because the antique nighttime lights are not suitable for modern night driving.
The vehicles are driven seasonally and stored in Brown's custom garage — that he built — during the winter months.
"After coaxing them back to life, I don't want them out in the winter elements," Brown said.
The Packard boasts a patchwork interior and is Brown's favorite, mostly because he bought the car in parts and took more than 15 years to restore it.
"I must have welded 20 patches in that car," he said.
He affectionately nicknamed it Gandolf, after "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
"I originally passed on it because it was in such bad shape — it was on the verge of being cut up for parts and with rust —and I bought it for $700," Brown said.
The Packard has 53,000 miles and features a signature radiator ornament called a goddess of speed.
The satisfaction of restoring is enough for Brown as he's not interested in selling any of his collection.
"I like doing things with my hands and seeing the results of what I've done," he said.
All of the vehicles have a loud horn and have made appearances in local parades, weddings, prom events and even once, transported the body of a friend's father to his final resting place.
"They have the "ahhhh-oooogah" horns," he said. "I get lots of thumbs-up when I drive around town."
Brown lives in the same residence he grew up in and has been married for 37 years to his wife, April. They have an adult daughter and one granddaughter.
Brown graduated from Quaker Valley High School in 1973 and his father suggested enrolling in auto mechanic training.
He completed two years of automotive school and landed a job at Gleason Auto Repair on Chesnut Street in Sewickley.
After working as a mechanic for 20 years in the automotive industry, Brown transitioned careers and worked 27 years at Penn Brewery in the bottling department, retiring two years ago.
Brown plans to enjoy his vehicles and not take on any more extensive restoration car pursuits.
"I'm happy with them now. People ask me what's next? I'm going to enjoy what I have," he said.
He's not likely to get nabbed with a speeding ticket driving the Buick as it tops out at about 45 mph.
But the Austin can go 100 mph.
The truck plugs along at about 30 mph and the Packard offers the smoothest ride.
Brown's other activities include serving as a board member with the Sewickley Heights History Center and spending time with his granddaughter.
He estimated the combined value of all four cars is a conservative $50,000.
"I never had them to flip them and make money," he said.
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