A cherished classic Ford Thunderbird that was once in pristine condition is now totaled after a man allegedly stole it from a central Minnesota storage shed.
Joseph A. Pawlowski, 38, of Kerkhoven, Minn., was charged in Kandiyohi District Court with felony burglary and theft and related counts in connection with the break-in near New London that yielded him the 1956 T-Bird, a pearly white two-seater with peppermint interior.
"It's in pretty tough shape," said Mark Wedel of Willmar, who's been looking after the gem for his widowed father, who has dementia and lives in a nursing home.
The doors won't close, the frame is damaged, the radiator was left bone dry and the convertible hardtop shell won't snap back in place, he said.
"He did a number on it," said Wedel, who has the car stored in Willmar. "It had dirt and grass everywhere on it. I don't know if he drove it in the ditch."
Wedel said he's sure the insurance company will total the car, which he estimates was worth $45,000 to $55,000 before it was taken for a ride.
But even if insurance comes through, he said that won't cover his father's emotional attachment to the car, with its shimmering chrome and a stylish spare tire adorning the trunk.
Wedel's 83-year-old father, Roland, bought the T-Bird about eight years ago at a classic car show at the State Fairgrounds.
