Larry Duncan was a licensed mechanic who was also a dyed-in-the-wool car guy with a boatload of talent.
He tackled three major restoration projects over the years, including a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria that took six years for Larry to complete the process.
Jim Sutherland
Larry leaned heavily toward originality but was a little flexible during the restoration. For example, his ’55 Ford left the factory with a 292 cubic inch engine, but Larry decided to replace it with a more powerful 312 cubic inch Ford engine from the same era.
Larry had a very interested sidekick during the project, namely his young grandson Kieran Comeau. Kieran assisted his grandfather Larry as much as possible along the way and developed a strong attachment to his granddad’s 1955 Ford Crown Victoria over the years.
Kieran told MyStarCollectorCar he learned how to use a three-on-the-tree manual transmission at 14 years old in the ’55 Ford. It’s an old school skill that he described as a highly effective anti-theft device because very few young people would be able to shift an old vehicle equipped with the old school tranny.
Unfortunately, Larry’s health became an issue, so he decided the ’55 Ford should stay in the family with his grandson Kieran before his passing. The car meant everything to Larry, and he wanted to pass his Crown Vicky along to an owner who would respect its heritage.
The obvious recipient was Kieran because he grew up with the car and witnessed the amount of effort Larry put into the restoration process.
In fact, Larry tackled everything on the restoration project, except painting it and doing the upholstery work on the ’55 Ford. Larry wanted the car to meet his high standards, so he chose not to push into territories that were beyond his skill set.
Every memory of the car involved Kieran’s grandfather Larry, and he developed a strong bond with the ’55 Ford throughout his young life. Kieran’s opportunity to inherit the car included a promise to “not change anything”, in Grandfather Larry’s words.
It was an easy request for Kieran because he shared the same philosophy about the ’55 Ford when he became its owner. Kieran started to develop his own fond memories of the car during Larry’s last years when he was old enough to drive it and realized he was behind the wheel of a time machine that forever linked Kieran with his grandfather.
Kieran’s recent memories included his own high school graduation when he drove the ’55 Ford Crown Victoria to the festivities a few years ago, along with his younger sister’s graduation this past spring. She wanted to show up in style and the 70-year-old sedan fit the bill to a tee. It’s clear the car made a big impression on her because it was a cool reminder of Grandfather Larry’s memory.
Larry Duncan built some amazing cars over the years, but he also built a solid future for the vintage car hobby in the capable hands of a new generation of car guys. Just ask his grandson Kieran.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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