Old Cranks Museum — Attraction in Galax

For a 14th year in a row I've been one among a group of friends participating in an autumn tour of a cluster of auto museums, our Annual Auto Museum Adventure! This year our tour took us through Virginia and West Virginia. Our final stop was with Dr. Tom at the Old Cranks Motorcar Museum in Galax, Virginia. In many ways we saved the best for last. I had communicated with Tom in advance of our travels to determine an appointment time that worked with his schedule and ours. Tom was responsive throughout that process and was waiting for us when we arrived at 9:30am on October 27th. In short, Tom was a wonderful host. He is a font of automotive knowledge and eager to share. He was patient and available throughout our entire visit. I marveled at his story of the fairly recent restoration of a Model A Ford, a process through which he invited a cluster of high school age young men to participate in a very hands-on manner. At the end they entered the car to participate in the Hemmings Great Race. Who knows how those young lives might have been guided through that process? Visitors enter the museum into a large lobby of sorts that is littered with a delightful, eclectic mix of automobilia and local history from across the 20th century. Once we had sufficiently taken in that experience, Tom ushered us to a doorway in a side wall. It was somewhat like that moment in the "Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy throws open the door to the brilliant colors of the entirely new world of Oz. Inside that "museum" room you quickly see that Tom's automotive interests are diverse and expansive. It is the technology behind the 1917 Detroit Electric car, the bizarre yet brilliant drivetrain on his primitive Orient Buckboard, the beauty and lines of his little 1935 Hudson Terraplane that appeal to Tom. Like Jay Leno, Tom gets caught up in the elements and pieces of technology that make the stories of each of these vehicles special. The cars are displayed among a mix of appropriate period-dressed manikins, and additional supportive automobilia that enhance the experience. We assumed our tour was wrapping up when Tom let us know that he had some more cars in the garage behind the museum. Trust me, he didn't have to invite us twice. It isn't that the cars in the garage were not of museum quality. No, there is a multitude of significant museum worthy cars back there. But they are back there primarily because these are the vehicles that Tom puts on the road with some regularity. For Tom, vintage automobile ownership is about more than looking at beautiful lines, pristine paint and blinding chrome. All of Tom's senses experience his cars. The core of his collection still sees significant road time. And through that road time his cars become our cars. We too get to experience and share in those unique joys. I applaud and appreciate that. Thank you Tom. I'm so...

We love coming here when we are in the area. Plan ahead due to the hours. The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable. There are several cars in the showroom with memorabilia of the era the car is from. There is also a garage on the back that you can walk around as well to see the vehicles he is currently working on. There are even more cars back there! The garage is tight, you would not be able to fit a wheelchair back there....

Tom is a wonderful host. The museum is not fancy like many I've visited over the years, but the quality of the cars are superb- and there is pretty much something for every car enthusiast. From low-mileage original muscle cars (29,000 mile '69 Mustang Mach 1 428CJ) to a nearly 100% 1906 Orient, the collection is incredible. If you're in the area, please go visit Old Cranks Car Museum- you...