Finley’s 1931 Model A wins prestigious award

Editor's note: From July 2022

By Jimmy Gillispie

Ron Finley has been around the automobile industry for more than six decades, but it wasn’t until recently that he won his first major car show award.

The 77-year-old retired Harrisonville resident entered a truck he built into the Pete and Jake’s Hot Rod Parts Open House in May. He was happy to be one of more than 400 entries, but never imagined he’d leave with what many believe to be the top prize.

However, his 1931 Ford Model A pickup was crowned with the distinguished Pete and Jake’s Pick award. It was the lone speciality award to go along with 25 other awards at the Peculiar car show.

“Their crew go around and look at all of the cars and then they get their heads together to tally the votes on what car got what,” Finley said. “This year it was unanimous. Every one of them picked that little truck.”

The announcement came as a big surprise to Finley. In fact, he was about ready to leave the show and head home when he was stopped in his tracks.

“I just didn’t believe it,” Finley said. “They had handed out the awards for the top 20 and two or three other trophies, and I was sitting over waiting so I thought I might as well load up and go home. I turned around and headed off, and then they announced Pete and Jake’s Pick was this truck.

“It took my breath away,” he added. “I felt quite honored that they had picked something that I had built. I’ve been at this about 65 years.”

Finley didn’t build the car for himself. It’s actually his wife’s car. However, Rindy Finley couldn’t attend the car show, because she was at a bridal shower. 

She received the victorious news via text message from her husband of 56 years. The 76-year-old Rindy was also surprised because the open house was only the second show they’ve entered her truck into, with the first being the monthly Heartland Road Runners car club show.

Neither of them expected to be chosen at Pete and Jake’s Pick, especially considering there is still work to be done on the inside of the cab.

“We haven’t done the interior yet, because it’s probably going to be a couple thousand dollars to do that,” Ron Finley said. “If you count my labor, I’ve probably got $50,000-60,000 in it.”

The Finleys believe the look of the truck – and the color – were what led to the award. The gold color of the pickup is believed to have had a big impact.

“If you get it in the sun, and it sparkles,” Rindy Finley said. “People notice it when we are driving down the road.”

Originally, she wanted the pickup to be mauve, but driving a truck that was between a violet and pink color didn’t sit well with Ron. After debating the color, Ron saw a purple car at a show and that was the agreed color choice between the spouses.

After all, purple is a favorite color of Rindy, she admitted. She was all set on a purple pickup.

That quickly changed one day while she was driving the Cass County Public Library Bookmobile. She was at a stop light when something caught her eye.

“Nobody was on the bus looking for books or anything, so we were just sitting there talking,” Rindy Finley said. “Then this Cadillac turns into the entrance of the Dollar General store. I was talking to her, but I see that car, and I keep talking but I follow it in because it just sparkled in the sun that day. I should have gone and asked him what color it actually was, but I came home and told (Ron) and we got in the books and tried to match it as close as we could. I think we found it.”

The project that began around 2004 – shortly after Ron finished building his 1939 Chevrolet two-door sedan with his son – finally had its color chosen. Eighteen years later, she has her pickup that was at one time a joke between car club friends.

“There’s a joke going around the car club that we belong to that every woman in the club has a car but me,” Rindy said. “So, the guys started razzing him to get it done, and he finally got it done.”

They just have some work to do on the interior and it will be done. Then, Ron will likely begin another project. 

“I do a little bit of work on the side to bring in a little bit of money to support my habit,” Ron Finley joked.