Roy Drapal buys another Model T

Shortly after getting to see his vehicle in the film, Killers of the Flower Moon, Roy Drapal decided to add a Coupe 44 Ford Model T to his fabulous collection. This particular vehicle is a black Tudor from 1926 in great condition that he spotted in an online auction.

"This is Old Man Drapal," he answered the phone. I was hoping to get a first hand look at the newly acquired purchase but unfortunately it had not yet arrived. Because of a mishap involving liquid mercury, Roy's payment was stuck at a post office between here and where the car resided.

Instead I was invited over to look through Roy's entire, on site collection including several classic cars, a hand built, full-scale model airplane and his very first custom ride - a 1930 Model A. In total, Roy said he has about 19 cars, though most of them are in Oklahoma with his Son, Sid.

Roy said he bought his teal "pride and joy" Model A in 1946 for the steep price of around fifty to one-hundred dollars, just after he got out of the service. He "did the whole rebuilding of the car without the use of electricity," even shaping the hood by torching it and rolling it on a telephone pole. Three inches were chopped off of the top giving the car a sleek look. Roy's son tried to convince him to enter his vehicle into a national classic car show years ago but Roy decided against it as this type of car show is typically for classic cars that have been restored to stock, not custom hot rods. Eventually he gave in and entered the Model A, taking home first place.

Over the years, many have tried to purchase the hotrod from him, making offers of varying quality though Roy's response has remained the same - "I made this car for me, not for you!"

Roy went on to demonstrate his other projects including his airplane and a bunch of hand crafted models and toys. Several intricate, metal model airplanes, cars and train cars sit atop the fireplace mantle in the living room of the house he also built.

Update: The payment was able to make its way into the right hands. On Friday, Nov. 10, Sid Drapal was on his way to a small town in Northern Kansas to pick up the vehicle and transport it to his shop in Oklahoma.