September 19, 2012
The Kings Mountain Herald | www.kmherald.net
Photo by Alan Hodge
Ed Aiken of Mount Holly: built his 1903 Oldsmobile replica from scratch by himself. Bits 5 pieces came from places as di-
verse as a junkyard in Kings Mountain and an old lawn mower.
Aiken creates ‘one cool car’!
By Alan Hodge
Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
When 71-year-old Ed Aiken of Mount
Holly decided he wanted a cool car, he
took matters into his own hands- literally.
- A skilled carpenter -and all-around
handyman, Aiken was hit by an inspira-
tion to construct an automobile. Not just
any auto, but a 1903 Oldsmobile replica.
So, using a set of sketches as a starting
point, he set to work.
“I was looking for a fun project,”
Aiken said. “It’s just something I wanted
to tackle.”
The first step in Aiken’s automobile
construction journey was to assemble the
materials he needed.
“I went to Kings Mountain and got the
aluminum for the fenders,” he said. “The
wheels and tires are the type that come on
2 garden cart.”
For the frame, Aiken took some square
steel tubing and welded it himself. The
body of the Olds is made of red oak that
Aiken sawed, shaped, fitted together with
screws and wooden plugs, then gave a
good coat of stain and varnish just like a
piece of fine furniture.
When it came time to choose a sus-
pension system, Aiken turned to old-time
technology once again.
“The springs came from an Amish
buggy seat,” he said.
One especially challenging bit to build
for the Olds was the gas tank.
“The tank is made out of sheet copper
“I bent into a tube,” Aiken said. “Then I
put caps on the ends and soldered every-
thing together.”
The engine on the Olds came from an
old lawn tractor that Aiken’s neighbor do-
nated for the project. The engine puts.out
about fifteen horsepower and can propel
the Olds at the breakneck speed of about
20 miles per hour.
“I had to rebuild the carburetor but
other than that it runs great,” Aiken said.
Final drive is by belt, chains ard
sprockets with a five-speed gearbox.
Steering is via a tiller just like in 1903.
Anther amenity on the Olds is an an-
tique horn that came from the home of’
relative Irvin Brendle. The brass still
shines, but Aiken had to source a new
rubber bulb.
Aiken isn’t sure exactly how many
hours it took to build the Olds, but the
project launched in October 2011 and was
unveiled in April 2012. By the way, the
Olds has a name- “The Sadie Mobile”.
Others have appreciated the skill and
hard work it took to get the Olds rolling.
The car won a special constructor’s
plaque at a local show.
Aiken doesn’t like to sit still, and has
started another project hot on the heels of
the Sadie Mobile. This one is a 1931
Model A Ford he and son-in-law Marcus
Brendle recently picked up in Piedmont,
S.C. Overall, the Model A is already in
great shape but the ignition system needs
fettling.
“Marcus touched one of the spark plug
wires and it knocked the fire out of him,”
Aiken said. ;
As for the future of the Olds, Aiken
has already made plans to keep Sadie in
the family for years to come by passing it
on to Marcus’ wife, his daughter Penny.
“I never told Penny I would buy her a
car when she was a teenager,” Aiken said.
“So'the Olds will be hers.”
~
‘A Night with Bob Inman’, Oct. 20
Kings Mountain Little
Theatre will sponsor “A
Night with Bob Inman” Oc-
tober 20.
Tickets are $25 each and
are available at the KMLT
box office and at Alliance
Bank. Call 704-730-9408 for
further information.
The popular newsman,
novelist, screenwriter, play-
‘wright and retired news an-
chor, will attend a
performance Oct. 20 of his
play “Dairy Quéen Days”
and will meet patrons and
sign copies of his books.
Coffee and dessert will be
served.
Many remember Inman
as the longtime news anchor
for Channel 3, WBTYV, in
Charlotte. He retired after
31 years of journalism in
1996 to devote full time to
creative writing. He has au-
thored four novels, seven
stage plays, and screenplays
* for six motion pictures for
television. Two of these have
been Hallmark Hall of Fame
Presentations. Many will re-
member ‘Home Fires Burn-
ing’, a 1989 adaptation of his
‘ novel. The other Hallmark
production, ‘The Summer of
Ben Taylor’, won the Writ-
ers’ Guild of America award
as the best original television
screenplay of 1997.
In “Dairy Queen Days,”
Inman weaves a rich and
evocative tale of a teenage
boy’s struggle to forge his
own identity beneath the
searing Georgia sun. The
year is 1979 and the stable
moorings of 16-year-old
Trout Moseley’s life have
been torn loose. His mother
is in an Atlanta psychiatric
hospital for reasons he can-
not fathom. His father, a
300-pound Methodist minis-
ter who rides a motorcycle,
has begun delivering ser-
mons comparing Jesus to
Elvis and the Holy Ghost to
his college football coach.
Moving back to the small
Southern town that bears his
family name, Trout is caught
between ancestral traditions
and the: need to create an
identity of his own. Through
Inman’s skillful writing, the
characters pulse with life,
crackle with energy and
leave an ineradicable stamp
upon Trout’s impressionable
soul and he watching audi-
ence as well.
Inman i is a native of Elba,
Alabama, where he began
his writing career in junior.
high school with his home-
town weekly newspaper. He
is‘a Phi Beta Kappa graduate
of the University of Alabama
with Bachelor and Masters
degreés. He and his wife,
Paulette, currently live in
Boone and Conover.
At right: Bob Inman
Page 5A
Need a friend?
This pair of pit-mix dogs were fossil from an abusive home
in Lawndale. Their prior owner was convicted of abuse and
served jail time. They are now healthy & ready for adoption.
Pictured below are volunteer Jennifer Hord and shelter
worker Deb Hardin with two of the puppies that are currently
available for adoption. All of the pets shown here are healthy,
happy and ready for adoption into their ‘forever’ homes!
Cleveland County Animal
Control has many just waiting
for a ‘forever’ home! CCAC
partnered with Tractor Supply
and Clifford Fund volunteers
. to hold a pet adoption day last
Saturday. The animals were
brought from the shelter and
were displayed in the parking
lot of Tractor Supply on E.
Dixon Blvd. in Shelby.
In all 8 dogs and I cat were
adopted during the event, in-
cluding Charlie, pictured on
the front of todays paper.
Cleveland County com-
missioner Johnny Hutchins,
said the initiative is an attempt
to improve adoption rates and
prevent pets from having to be
euthanized. Hutchins said the
shelter plans to have an adop-
tion day each quarter about
the time of rabies vaccination
clinics. ;
Contact CCAC to see how
you can adopt or foster a pet
or to make a donation to their
care by calling 704-481-9884.
Success! Alicia Hord and her daughters Natalie and Abby
adopted Charlie during Saturday’s event.
DAYS
the Prairie’!
= Ackmonster’s Chain Saw. Top professional chainsaw sculptor!
‘Ave Here A
FREE Daily Entertainment...
— Mike Bishop Hypnotist & Comedian. It's the funniest show you'll
ever sleep through!
- Doggies of the Wild West. Marshal Rowdy Yo and ‘Pooches from
— Wild World of Animals. Wildlife entertainment & education!
~ Pig Racing. Be at piggy speedway as your favorite to crosses the line!
— Petting Zoo/Farm Adventures. Feed them right from your hand!
— Pirates of the Columbian Caribbean. Fantastic aerial highwire show!
— Leon Jacobs Jr. Performing all your musical favorites!
— Fire Fighter’s Training Show. Learn important fire safety lessons!
~ Ta Da Mobile Robots. Look for them up & down the midway!
Attorney to answer
questions on
veterans benefits
Attorney-at-Law Jesse Bone will explain to veterans how
to get the benefits they deserve at a meeting Thursday, Oct.
i ye
‘The meeting, which is free of charge and open to any vet-
eran or family member, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the
.Life Enrichment Center Adult Day Health Service in Shelby.
Life Enrichment Center is located at 110 Life Enrichment
Blvd., just off Fallston Road, between Teddy and Meekins
Law Office and Cornerstone Dental Associates. Handicap
parking is located behind Life Enrichment near the meeting
room.
For more information, please call Linda at 704.484.0405
or email: linda@lifeenrichmentcenter.org.
Cpa a wl
Founded 1924 by
RTE LTE
Shelby, NG