Old Cranks

Man’s Antique Cars Form Foundation Of Galax Museum

GALAX, Va. – Tom Littrell cranked up his museum of old cars on the outskirts of Galax simply because he had to.
Why’s that?
Well, back home, Littrell said, “We ran out of room.”
Littrell, 64, has collected old cars for decades. Along the way though, he has opted to sell only one antique vehicle.
“One,” Littrell said, announcing that sale with a weighty tone.
“It was, uh, traumatic,” Littrell added, then summoned a small smile.
So, as it went, Littrell rounded up a couple of partners – John Garner, a Galax accountant, and Doug Vaught, the commonwealth’s attorney for Grayson County. Then, he took a spacious, old building and neatly parked his passion – old cars.
And lots of them.
Here and there, Littrell distributes brochures detailing bits about the Old Cranks Motorcar Museum & Ice Cream Shop.
But Littrell, a family dentist for 40 years, can’t rely on the museum’s small admission fee – $3 for adults and $2 for children – to keep the doors open.
“This is more of a public service,” Littrell said. “We’re kind of a well-kept secret.”
Inside, you’ll find a 1912 IHC Auto Wagon, a Stanley Steam Car, a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I and over 40 other cars.
A recently elected member to the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, Littrell appears addicted to buying classic cars, restoring them and putting them on display with the help of his wife, Faye, and a 13-year-old grandson, Matthew.
“I like show cars,” he said. “But I don’t like them to the point they become almost an object of art – or that they don’t want anybody to touch them. Our cars are meant to be looked at and to touch them.”
Littrell is especially proud of his 1919 Stanley Steamer, a vehicle that was actually run by steam power. “This is more like driving a locomotive than a car because of all the gauges.”
For Littrell, restoring cars is much like his career as a dentist.
“Dentistry is an art as well as a science. You’re not only diagnosing the disease, but you’re restoring teeth and you restore them for aesthetics as well as function,” Littrell said.
“You take an antique vehicle that’s been neglected, and it takes a lot of patience to restore it back to its original glory. It takes art to do the bodywork and a lot of the paint. It takes a lot of precision to assemble the engine to the proper tolerances.”
Saying that, Littrell smiled.
“But,” he added, “there’s a great satisfaction both in restoring someone’s mouth, just as it is restoring an antique automobile.”

YOU SHOULD KNOW
What: Old Cranks Motorcar Museum & Ice Cream Shop
Where: 407 Railroad Ave., Galax, Va.
Admission: $3 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12. Children younger than 5 admitted free.
Info: (276) 236-5114
Web: http://www.oldcranks.com