“Our old Ford bus had a puncture in the tire…. and we patch it with a little piece of bubble gum.”
– The Arcadia Bus, Arcadia Songbook #28
Did you know that longtime Campers and Archives volunteers Art Hesskamp and Chris Wall have been working together to restore an authentic Ford Model TT (affectionately known as “the Model T”)?
Camp first bought a new Ford Model TT truck in 1923 to help facilitate the construction of the Camp that we all know and love today. When purchasing a Model TT, you were only sold the chassis and had to get the truck outfitted with whatever type of bed you wanted. Camp decided to get their Model TT with a custom back canopy and benches. This truck was used for many years, transporting campers to and from the ferry and train station — as well as being used as a work truck to help get Camp off its feet in the early 20’s.
In 2010, Archives Director Ryan McKenna reached out to Chris Wall, a lifelong antique car enthusiast, to inquire about purchasing an authentic Model TT. With the bodies being built out of wood, it’s very rare to find an authentic Model TT from the 20’s because the wooden frames would’ve deteriorated by now.
In April of 2011 Archives was able to purchase a Model TT from a collector. This truck came with a stake bed which Camp outfitted with some benches.
The “Model T” was used to transport campers to and from the ballfields from the 2011-13 seasons until the caretaker at the time, John Jass, wanted to rebuild the bed to be more like a bus. In between the 2014-15 season, the new body was completed and installed. This body was used all the way up until 2020 when it was decided that the body was showing signs of deterioration from time, mother nature, and general usage. The Model T also needed a complete mechanical overhaul, as the mechanics had worn down.
Chris Wall volunteered to rebuild the engine from scratch, as well as take on the entire reworking. Since 2020, Wall has taken the Model T engine back home where he has rebuilt the engine, transmission, front and back axles, as well as total rewiring of the entire electrical system among many other things. Chris’ hope for the Model T project is that more Camp staff and community members get to interact with this living piece of history and learn more about the vehicle, its operations and its history.
For the past four years Art Hesskamp has been working meticulously on building the new bed of the truck. Connecting with Camp’s Facilities Director, Franco Marano, they decided that the best material to use would be deck wood — as it’s easy to work with and stands up well over time and in the elements.
Art worked in the automobile industry for many years and is using that experience to help him when it comes to working on this project. When brainstorming the design of the bed, Art used pictures from the 1920’s as reference. He knew that he wanted the truck to not only carry passengers — but also be multifunctional and serve as a work truck for opening and closing weekends. In order to meet both of those needs, Art designed and installed foldable benches that can be used to carry passengers but when they aren’t needed can fold into an upright position.
Throughout this entire process, the most rewarding part for Art was when he finished the cab. There were a lot of fine details that went into the flooring, such as cutting space for the pedals and steering column. Another tedious part of the cab installation was getting the doors in place as well as the windshield, and making sure that they can open. There have been challenges along the way, but as longtime partners in repairs and maintenance around Camp, Art and Franco have been able to work together and come up with solutions.
Chris and Art are aiming for the Model T’s restoration to be completed soon, with hopes of it being ready for use during the Camp season again!
Written by Elijah Harns, Archives Intern
This is part of the ongoing work of the Camp Arcadia Archives program. You can support these archival efforts by becoming a member of the Camp Arcadia Historical Society. Learn more here.
