Stan's 53

Current Owners Stan & JoAnne Stack
Submitted by Stan Stack

I got my 53 from my Great Aunt Helen in 1992. Helen Middono bought the car new from Henner Ford Sales, Inc., Dearborn & Lake, Chicago 1, ILL., on September 29, 1953 (See original Invoice).

Most of the great history of this car is my Aunt Helen. She was born 04/14/07 in Owen, Wisconsin on a dairy farm. She died in 1999 at 92 years old. She was at Governor’s Park Senior Home in Barrington from 1992 to 1999.  Helen had a very hard life. Her father came from Poland in 1903 and bought land from the logging companies. Her original home in Wisconsin was a three room log cabin. The stumps were still on the property, and were cleared away by ax, saw, and pulled out by horses. The children carried water to the workers clearing stumps and plowing the fields with horses. At seven years of age all children including my Aunt worked all day in the fields in the summer, growing vegetables and potatoes for the long hard coming winters. At nineteen Helen and her sister came to Chicago to work in restaurants. They were just in time for the Depression one year later. “Now you got to work extra hours at no pay just to keep your job”, said Helen.
 

In 1940 Helen married Charles Middono. Charles got very sick and died of cancer six years later. In the 1940’s you took care of your own and received no benefits from the government. She took care of him and worked. When he died she owed her landlady six months rent. She worked two jobs and paid the past due rent and saved for her car.
 

The ‘53 car was her pride and joy. The car was garage kept and probably never out in ice or snow. She cleaned, washed and waxed the car all summer. She would drive it up to Wisconsin (320 miles) two or three times every summer. Helen owned the car from 1953 until she went into Governor’s Park in 1992, almost forty years.
 

The car needed work; we tried selling it in 1992, but all we were offered was $1,500.00. Helen told me to keep the car. She saw it restored and rode in a Barrington 4th of July Parade in 1997. She loved it.
I kept the car as original as I could. I did this because Helen liked it that way. I had body work done on the wheel wells, feather painted, fixed and upholstered seats, back window ledge, door panels, brakes, muffler and tailpipe, the water pumps rebuilt, the carburetor rebuilt, had work done on the valves, hoses, belts, tune up, and added radial tires. The body is as good as new. After the above work was finished my ownership has been trouble free.
 

The ‘53 has 76,000 miles on it. It is always a great pleasure to take the car out of storage on April 1st. I drive it several times a week thru Barrington Hills and along the Fox River early in the morning, especially on weekends.
 

I never fixed the radio because I like the engine sound and the wind with all the windows opened.
The V-8 Club is great fun. We have a good group of survivors with many stories. I enjoy listening to the stories about their cars and lives.