The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and ambassadors recently welcomed owners of Antique Engine Rebuilding, Brian and Missy Behning, with a ribbon cutting celebration.
The veteran-owned new business is located in Bluffton at 610 W. Washington St. Brian Behning recently retired from the Air National Guard after 20 years of service.
Antique Engine Rebuilding supplies parts, and builds and refurbishes engines for Ford Model A and Model B vehicles. The company originated in the Chicago area in 1994 and recently the owner was looking to retire. Brian Behning had been building engines in Bluffton as a hobby, calling the company for parts for many years. Brian Behning decided to take a leap of faith and bring the business to Bluffton.
“The reputation of the business is sought after and rich in the hobby that if the doors closed, it would cause a void for enthusiasts all over the nation,” explained Brian Behning. “There are only 10 or less companies that do this type of work in the United States. The supply would have stopped for engine builds because we are the only company that makes certain parts for these cars.”
Behning trained in Chicago for approximately three months and then moved the shop equipment, parts, inventory, customer base, and website to Bluffton. The business holds the 30-year-old phone number to not confuse customers. He said his goal is to maintain and exceed the quality that the previous owner established.
“Rebuilding engines is something I have been doing for over 20 years and used to work on large, heavy diesel engines,” he said. “I have a 1930 Model A Tudor as well as a 1951 Ford F1 and love breathing new life into old engines. This has been a hobby of mine for many years.”
Behning works alongside with his wife, Missy, serving customers by answering phones, shipping parts, and managing the company.
“In my previous job I was traveling the nation and gone two to three weeks at a time,” Brian Behning said. “I was missing out on a lot of things and now I am home every night with our three children. Working alongside Missy has allowed us to grow as well. We can bring the kids to the shop, and it is a big deal for them to be with us and a part of the business.”
Brian said there is currently a 12-month waiting list for a new engine.
“Each engine is different and unique depending on the wear and tear because these are 100-year-old engines. Our goal is to work on 120 engines in a year, which is two to three per week. We want to build a solid, quality engine, exactly the way a customer desires, because people take their car on the road and travel all over the nation, display at car shows, or even race them.”
“This all has been a cool journey to get everything set up and ready to go,” Brian Behning added. “Missy and I hope this will be a destination location. People are requesting tours and this summer we plan to hold a car show with a lot full of Model As.”
He added: “Watch for bigger things to come. This is just the beginning of what we can do and how we can expand in this type of hobby.”
