If his hands could talk, their stories would be endless. They would speak of a young boy who built bicycles from scratch, and of a man who always has used them to restore, to fix, and to create.
Terry Bennett, facilities manager for the School of Social Work, found himself working in facilities mainly because those hands led him here.
“My grandfather and father were mechanics so I used to sit by the hour watching them repair cars,” he says. “I was fascinated by anything mechanical.”
His managerial position in the facilities department keeps the school up and running—whether it is taking care of custodial services, renovation upkeep or office moves. In his free time, Bennett drives to Petersburg, 30 miles south of Ann Arbor, to where one of his favorite hobbies awaits—classic cars.
The affinity he has for American history keeps him busy. “I’ve always been intrigued by the background of this country,” he says. “When I studied history in college, I got bored with the readings and wanted to see practicality and history combined into one.”
Growing up in southeastern Michigan, Bennett was surrounded by the innovation and technology of the automobile industry. “I believe it has led to having a better appreciation for history and those who were instrumental in shaping our country,” he says. “I’ve learned a great deal about the Ford family in the process of my research.”
When he was 12, Bennett took notice of a Model A Ford that a farmer owned near his grandfather’s house in Belleville. Bennett vowed that he would have one someday, and his dream came to fruition decades later.
“I brought it home the same day my newborn son was brought home from the hospital,” he says. “My wife still chides me to this day regarding where my priorities are placed.”
Bennett’s first antique car purchase in 1981 was just the tip of the iceberg. Since then, he has completely restored six—tearing apart the whole car, and beginning from the frame up. His projects have ranged from the complete restoration of a 1928 Ford Model A, a 1957 Noah Metropolitan, and a British import MGBT Sedan. He currently is working to restore a late 1930 Leatherback Victoria.
“I grew up in the kind of area where we fixed our own cars,” he says. “My first interest in mechanics was in antique bicycles. I would buy a frame here, and a wheel there, then strip and repaint the frame. I tore one down to bare hubs and figured out how to respoke the wheels. I guess it was natural to progress to cars.”
As if that weren’t enough to keep his hands full, Bennett also dabbles in antique home restoration. A self-learned aficionado of Victorian-era and Italian-era architecture, he recently purchased a mid-19th century home in Allegan. He spends his downtime reading books on how to bring the home back to life.
His projects, never ceasing to rejuvenate something old, have helped him preserve stories of the past for generations to come. “I believe it is essential to keep something alive like that—they are such an integral part of our history,” he says.
The next place you’ll find Bennett will be in the cockpit of an airplane. His love for where innovation and history meet has manifested into yet another interest: aircrafts and the history of flight.
“My main interest lies in vintage aircraft with radial engines,” Bennett says. “I once was able to ride in a 1929 Ford Trimotor, and that by far was the most exciting experience I’ve had on an airplane.”
