Preservation club answers call to restore vintage jeeps

By Jane Bloodworth Rowe

Correspondent

In a world of flashy sports cars and gas-guzzling SUVs, William Kanzenbach likes his vehicles olive drab and service-minded.

The Virginia Beach man is one of about 25 members of the Military Vehicle Preservation Society of Tidewater, whose devotees buy and restore vehicles once used by the armed forces.

A collection of vintage jeeps lined the front of Kanzenbach's home one recent day as members discussed their restoration efforts and swapped information on where to find parts to restore them.

"We're a car club," said Gary Wassman of Chesapeake, the club's president. "Our cars just happen to be old military vehicles."

That day's vehicles included an M38, which was used by the Marine Corps in 1953, and a 1968 Mule, which was used in Vietnam for carrying supplies or transporting the wounded.

Finding the vehicles isn't too hard because many people have them stored in their garages or barns, members said. Finding parts isn't hard either since companies manufacture them.

Kanzenbach has spent about 10 years restoring a Ford jeep that was used during World War II. He has just reached the point where he's ready to put the engine and the body together.

"I've been collecting old vehicles for about 25 years," Kanzenbach said. "I just walked into a junkyard one day and saw two old jeeps, and I just fell in love with them."

The members sometimes drive their vehicles in local parades, including those for the Pungo Strawberry Festival and St. Patrick's Day in Norfolk. Many members, including Kanzenbach, also have period-appropriate uniforms.

The group is affiliated with the national Military Vehicle Preservation Society, formed in the 1990s. Club membership is open to Hampton Roads residents 21 and older.

Dues are $15 per year for a single member and $20 for a family membership.

The club normally meets on the third Sunday of each month. In March, it will instead participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Norfolk's Ocean View.

The event is at 10 a.m. March 15. Parking will be at Ocean View Beach Park, intersection of Granby Street and Ocean View Avenue.

Vehicle Preservation Society of Tidewater: 468-0695

Jane Bloodworth Rowe, jrowe28@cox.net