From Digital to Analog
There’s a saying that “when one door closes, another opens.” In January 2019, the door closed on Baker’s, the well-known Lincoln service and parts facility in Putnam, Connecticut. Less than 30 miles down the road, another door was opening around the same time. Mike Raucci, an engaging 30-something computer programmer who’d been working on Lincolns in a small rented garage, leased a cavernous 3600-square-foot building just across the border in Coventry, Rhode Island, filling it with tools, lifts and his own and customers’ 1960s “slabside” Lincoln Continentals. Former customers of Baker’s didn’t have to look far for a fresh alternative.
Drive down a state road a few miles from I-95, duck between a woodworking shop and a boat yard and you’ll find that door, marked “Wrench & Hammer.” There isn’t any neon, just a businesslike space filled with the cars we enjoy. I visited two weeks after Easter, in a snowstorm. Ah, New England weather! The shop had three Lincolns in various stages of repair on the main floor, another undergoing full restoration on a “rotisserie” in the sandblasting bay and a parts car in the paint booth. Three other cars were tucked into corners. Lounge space and parts racks were under construction on a balcony level.
Mike and his helper/tool caddy/billing and administration honcho/wife Ashley (a nurse, which comes in handy when skinning knuckles on these cars) showed me the platinum ’64 they own and a pewter ’67 in for sprucing up. Both cars had stock exteriors and cabins and lightly resto-modified engine bays. Electronic ignition, enhanced graphics on valve covers, dual electric radiator fans. Many of his customers favor the original look with improvements in reliability and warm-weather operation.
The Road to “Wrench”
Mike’s history is akin to many of what the Lincoln Forum calls “The Usual Suspects” who work on our cars. His dad admired tri-5 Chevrolets. Mike got to like ‘60s muscle cars. The Velocity Channel drew him in. Serendipity put project cars, his own cars, friends’ cars in front of him.
At his job, he met Chris Kemp, a former U.S. Army diesel mechanic who’d moved into computers. Kemp shared Raucci’s passion for classic cars and mentored him as they worked together on Kemp’s 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner, a 1950 Ford coupe and the 1963 Lincoln Mike acquired in 2009.
He learned by doing, talking to others, experimenting, reading. Four years ago he had a block of time when he could devote all his attention to restoration and repair. Computers would wane in his professional life as collectible cars waxed. Word of mouth brought increasing number of customers. He flirted with other marques but the clean lines, size and sweep of 1960s Lincolns had unique appeal.
Fast Start, Ambitious Plans
People have been learning about Wrench & Hammer through social media and in-person visits to car shows. Mike is busy enough now to be looking for another employee. Upgrades to the paint booth and sandblasting booth are planned. His long-term goal is for Wrench & Hammer to grow to the size and capability Baker’s had in 2018.
Even now, Mike has been contracted for everything from minor repair through full restorations. Upholstery and full paint jobs are the only things W&H doesn’t handle in-house. Trusted subcontractors are nearby. Mike will repair convertible top mechanisms; new top fabric comes from outside. He’s begun fabricating some hard-to-find stock parts and unique resto-mod parts for sale via the web, at www.wrenchandhammer.com
If you bring your car to Coventry, you can specify discreet projects like a dual-circuit brake conversion, transmission rebuilding or headlight relay. Mike can suggest other improvements or repairs as he gets into the vehicle. “I treat every car as if I’m building it for myself,” he says, and that results in high-quality, thorough work. It can also reveal hidden issues. How much or how little he tackles is then totally up to the customer. He’s accessible and communicative and the close working relationship fostered with owners keeps projects on budget and limits surprises.
Lucky In Lincolns
One of the issues facing car collecting is that experienced car restoration specialists are retiring. Some posts on The Lincoln Forum have discussed this. We’re lucky in the Lincoln world to have a new crop of restorers entering the fold. That may not be the case with some other marques. Some of that is due to resto-mod people. I’m a stock guy myself, but the resto-mod crowd’s interest in slabside Lincolns adds critical mass that lets suppliers like Steele Rubber and Christian Paul Deck Lids manufacture parts for all our cars. A combination of the traditional and modern attracted Mike Raucci to the world of Lincolns. Wrench & Hammer fills a void left in the Northeast and has at least a 25-year runway. A 1961 model will be 85 years old then. That enhances our enjoyment of our cars today, and their resale value tomorrow. If you’re in New England, get to know Mike, and even if you’re not, say hi and welcome him if you’re at a meet together. This is good news for us and for our cars.
©️2023 David Moyer