:: Profiles
Giesy, John


John and Sue Giesy As baby boomers, cars were an important part of our culture when we were growing up. This was especially true for John since he lived in Flint, Michigan. While in college he worked one summer at Fisher Body Factory No. 2, building Buicks. It was always a huge event when the new models were introduced each fall. As teenagers, we identified with our first cars and have become quite nostalgic over the years. When John was in high school, a1941 Mercury was passed down to his father. This was one of the last cars produced before World War II and had a special place in the family. It was owned by George J. O’Connor, John’s father’s uncle who loaned the car to John’s parents for their honeymoon in 1943. Relatives gave them gas rationing coupons. While in high school, John spent weekends and summers restoring the car by rebuilding the engine, doing needed body work, rewiring and painting. This was his car in high school and his friends called it “the blue bomb”. He drove it to football games, parties and to the senior prom. He says in those years he spent most of his time in or under that car. After John went away to college and later married Sue, the “Merc” sat for about 40 years. We moved the car to South Carolina where it sat outside and then moved it back to Michigan where it again sat outside before we could finally put it into our barn where it sat for nearly 25 years. In 2003, we were finally in a position to have it properly restored. We sent it to The Guild of Automotive Restorers in Bradford, Ontario for a complete body off restoration which was completed in 2005. This is the company featured on the History Channel show “Restoration Garage”. As we have grown older we have developed even more of an affinity for cars of the late 30’s, 40’s and early 50’s. In March 2013, while on a visit to our daughter in the Chicago area we visited the Volo car museum where all of the cars are for sale. We happened on a two-tone,1940 Buick Series 50, Coupe. The car is massive and has beautiful lines and is in pristine condition. John and Sue fell in love with it and bought it immediately. We were members of the International Mercury Owner’s Association, but had never participated in a local car club until we moved to Saskatoon and discovered a really vibrant culture of vintage car enthusiasts and joined the Saskatoon Antique Auto Club. We made a lot of great friends and enjoy outings and activities with the club. We developed a detached “garage” with a lift and room to store a collection of vintage cars. In September 2012, we acquired another 1941 Mercury, this time a convertible and we are now looking for a coupe from that year to complete the collection.