Featured Member

For April’s Featured Member we are getting to know our current NKCC President – Ron Ahmann and his “still” favorite car, the 1956 Pontiac Chieftain 860 Wagon. He considers it his “family car” and probably will never part with it. He is the second owner and has owned it since 1975 (that’s 50+ years in the family). In 1996 it received a full makeover, paint and interior, to its current look – the little red wagon! It generally has a stock look to the exterior, although lowering spindles in front helped improve its stance. Drive train has been changed from original and now sports a 70s Pontiac 455 with a 700R4 tranny.

Ron caught the old car obsession way back in high school and has been buying, fixing, restoring, and driving “old” cars ever since. His favorite cars were always 50 and 60s and has owned at least one 50s vintage car since high school. Ron moved to Park Rapids in 1971 and taught math and science to 7th and 8th graders for 34 years. Ron and Renee also started and owned R & R Rental north of town, which kept them both quite busy. After retiring from teaching in 2005 and selling the business in 2016 they found more time for club activities, hobbies, car projects and of course, grandchildren.

We all know the agonizing wait while a body shop finishes a car for us, so Ron bought his next car while waiting, the 1947 Chevy Coupe (#2) in 1997. Most everything on this car was modified, customized, and fabricated to turn it into a street rod. Ron refers to this car as “Christine” as it has challenged him at every modification.

Ron purchased the 1964 Impala Convertible (#3) for Renee for Valentines Day in 2006. You will see her around town with the top down, probably with the grandkids.

For March, we are featuring our current NKCC Vice President – Gary Mills, with his current favorite car, 1963 Olds Dynamic 88 Holiday. Gary considers this one of his top favorite cars that he’s owned in his life. This special 2-door version has a 394 V8 with the stock 2 bbl carb switched out for a Holley 4 bbl. Purchased in 1999, it has seen a bunch of upgrades like carpet, aluminum wheels, and front disc brakes to name a few. It is covered with a special mix of ” desert rose” paint, which makes it extra special, but caused a few headaches in trying to get a paint match after an encounter with a deer last year. But Gray says it’ll be ready for the road this spring.

Gary started noticing cars back in high school when he owned a couple of 1956 Chevys, which he feels is also one of his favorite cars. In his career of over 34 years in law enforcement and most recently county sheriff, he’s always like driving the “classics”. Now that he and his wife Jayne ( who worked in social services for her career) have retired, they’ve built a new house a few miles NW of Nevis. Gary has been a member of the NKCC for about 35 years and has enjoyed meeting and trading car stories with members over the years.

Gary also currently owns this 1988 Merkur XR4Ti that is a version of a Ford Sierra racing car built for the European racing circuit. It was built in the USA for only 4 years. It sports a fuel injected, turbo charged 2.3 liter engine with a C3 transmission. The tranny has been having a bit of trouble so he hasn’t been driving it much since he bought it in 2006. But Gary is hoping to have it on the road very soon with help he has gotten from other club members.

This month we’d like to honor and feature three of the founding members of our club.

Jim Thorne, then the business manager for school district 309, was working on a 1934 Ford Pickup. Mike Johnson, then the manager of the Park Rapids Pamida store, had a 1927 Model T Roadster. Bob Helgren, a teacher with school district 309, was finishing a 1936 Ford Coupe. (Jim Thorne not pictured)

Mike and Bob shown above. The meeting of these individuals and the friendship that developed caused others to share their enthusiasm and talents. Before long, a group was gathering weekly at the Dixie Drive In to look at and “talk cars.”

With the help of the Toppers car club of Fargo, the existence of car enthusiasts in the Park Rapids area became known over a much larger area. The Toppers organized a Rod Run in the summer of 1981 and again in 1982 around the Park Rapids area. A “Rod Run” is a gathering of “rodders,” by invitation, to spend a weekend together talking about, looking at and driving their cars while enjoying the sights and activities in the area.

Mike pictured above. Excited and encouraged by the success of the Rod Runs, the Park Rapids group decided to organize a club and did so on July 4th, 1982 with 14 charter member (families). The membership has grown to more than 50 member (families) and covers a large area that includes Walker, Nimrod, Wadena, Menahga, Perham, New York Mills, Osakis and Lake Park.

Kathy Lovejoy ( current NKCC Treasurer) with her 1967 Cobra

We purchased our 1967 Shelby Cobra Kit from Shell Valley Classic Wheels in
Nebraska in June of 1999. Bill had a 460 Ford engine and a Lincoln rear
end that he used to start building his dream car of his teenage years.
Doing all the work himself he got it as far as the wiring, but passed
away in 2017. I thought I would have to sell it as is, until a friend
suggested I should complete the car. Being alone that hadn’t even
crossed my mind. With the sale of several of our 60 and 70 era cars I
had it finished in 2018 with the help of Mike Yocum, Dave Haggard and Roger
Peterson. It’s a rolling -maybe not perfect-Cobra but it’s a lot of fun
and attracts a lot of attention. I try to drive it to cruises and outing but with no roof, I am a fair weather driver.

Secretary’s note: Kathy’s Cobra was chosen by registered car show participants (at our 2025 Run to the Rapids car show) to be our “poster” and “t-shirt” car for the 2026 year.