"Gear Jammers of Baldwin County"
Supports Civic Activities

     "We really started with a motor cycle group in high school in '56. There were 12 of us young boys," Silverhill resident Frankie Kucera said. "We formed the 'Silverhill Gear Jammers' in '57 and were into cars for about five years or so, but then we got married, moved, did the service--I guess we just moved on."

     Pictured at his home in Silverhill, Hotrod enthusiast, Frankie Kucera, relishes his 1946 Ford with Corvette engine and a variety of internal modifications. - Click to enlarge.

     Years pass. Men take on responsibilities. Frankie Kucera, a former Silverhill mayor himself, joins the Silverhill Library Board at the request of Silverhill Mayor Allen Green in 2000. He soon becomes chairman. "They would spend lots of time and energy doing book sales and earning a few dollars at a time, at the most $150 at a time. They would move those books around and back and forth. I brought the idea of doing a new thing, doing a car show as a fund-raiser for the library. We got agreement and did our first car show for the library in 2003 in Silverhill."

     That first car show brought in 85 cars and raised about $1800 for Silverhill's historic Oscar Johnson Memorial Library. The show has become an annual event and had 156 cars this year. "The library is doing well. Most dollars come from donations which also fund plaques and memorabilia related to the event," Kucera notes. "We began to use historical buildings in our promotion of the event in Silverhill in 2004 and have since added dash plaques to show the history of the area."

     Pictured at his home in Silverhill, Frankie Kuchera, one of 12 original Silverhill "Gear Jammers" in 1957, holds a promotional vintage plate as he sits in the trunk of his pet '46 Ford. Note the promotional plate for the recently-formed "Gear Jammers of Baldwin County" beneath his license plate. - Click to enlarge.

     "And, we honor vets," Kucera added. The car club is reportedly working on a project at the Vets' Home in Bay Minette for Christmas.

     You get the sense of civic pride in talking to Frankie. He is proud of the work in car shows. There is civic pride which comes through in the custom award plaques and recognition of what a civic-booster team can do. "It's not just me. Lots of people come and help. People like what we do with our show and they find our town is very clean and neat." People want to come to the Silverhill car show which has now become one of the best in the South, and "we're working to make it even bigger," Kucera says and smiles.

     Remember the car club of 50 years ago? "We used to meet at the Robertsdale Theater back then. We've gotten older, but we haven't forgotten our roots," Kucera says. What was the "Gear Jammers of Silverhill" back then was recently reborn with some of the original members. There is lots of interest in cars--it is seen in the support of those car shows. Car buffs with a Silverhill nucleus came together in January '08 and started anew. This time it is the "Gear Jammers of Baldwin County." "We started with 21 in January now and have 73 members! We expanded beyond Silverhill!"

Click each photo to enlarge.

Two "Gear Jammers of Baldwin County," Frankie Kucera with his 1946 Ford Street-Rod and Steve Long with his 2000 Corvette (l to r), both residents of Silverhill, posed by Zion Lutheran Church after the July "Men's 710" breakfast.

A number of Gear Jammers from the 71 member club joined Kucera. Pictured (l to r) are David Lindell, Harry Melton, Carl Bailey, Frankie Kucera, Bob Schoolcraft, Steve Long, Paul Payne, and Joel Erlandson.

Frankie Kucera, Silverhill civic-booster and car-show enthusiast, discussed the role of car shows in generating support for civic organizations. Kucera was instrumental in establishing the Annual Oscar Johnson Memorial Library Car and Truck Show which helps raise money for the operation of the community's small library.

     There is a common characteristic in this group. "We try to do things in the community to help community organizations--that's the common thread," Kucera would say. "We meet at 'Big Daddies' once a month, but we just want to give back to our communities. With car shows people can enjoy a vehicle that is not in a museum. It is fun." It must be. The Silverhill annual car show is one of a number involving members of the Gear Jammers. "Car shows work because men like to look at cars and talk about cars."

     Kucera can be reached at (251) 945-5506 for specific questions about the "Gear Jammers of Baldwin County" or the fund-raiser, the "Oscar Johnson Memorial Library Car and Truck Show."