Jane and Rick Losey often on road for events like the Sept. 4 Krapohl Car Show
Jane Losey loves her 1956 Ford Thunderbird, and car show judges share her affection for the peacock blue and colonial white classic two-seater.
A best-in-show award in Coleman. Best engine honors in Houghton Lake. Most Amazing Two-Seater in Frankenmuth.
Along with her husband, Rick — who takes his 1969 Bahama blue metallic GTO to the shows — the Isabella Lake couple displays many of their honors in a rented airplane hangar.
The Krapohl Ford Car Show is an annual stop, even though there are no judges to impress or awards to take home. Weather permitting, they’ll attend the 2025 show on the Krapohl dealership lot on Thursday, Sept. 4.
“Classic car people are amazing; they’ll tell you anything about their car,” Jane said. “The shows are always so much fun. We know so many people at the Krapohl show, and it’s a great day.”
Rick, with his 1969 GTO, was the first to have a classic show car. Then a friend said he had a 1956 Thunderbird that needed he needed help with as he prepared to sell it. Rick stopped by, immediately thought of Jane and bought it.
Restoration took a long time once they decided to return the Thunderbird to its original 1956 color and styling. “It was a sandblasted, frame-off restoration,” Jane said. “It’s as original as we could make it.”
The Loseys have visited large car shows, such as in Carlisle, Pa., where several are conducted each year, advertised as the “world’s finest car shows and automotive events.”
“There were 3,000 cars, and they put all of the Thunderbirds together, all the Mustangs together,” Jane said. “The second year we went, and they put the Y-block cars together in a huge tent.”
Yes, that included Jane’s Thunderbird, with its classic Ford 312 cubic inch Y-block V-8 engine.
“We had an invitation this year to go back for the 70th anniversary of the Thunderbirds, and they wanted a 1956 to represent that year,” she said. “They had a special barn for the T-birds.”
Speaking of anniversaries, Krapohl Ford is celebrating its 75th year as a locally owned, full-service dealership. We invite everybody to stop by on Sept. 4 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to browse the classic cars, hot rods and other specialty vehicles.
Spot Jane’s T-bird not only by its color, but by the small models and a T-bird logo sign in front of her car.
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