Randy Castellini sits in the 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe Coupe that he restored with his father over several years. He drives the car selectively, preferring to steer clear of heavy traffic.

Photos by Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star

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Owner: Randy Castellini.

Occupation: Real estate.

Age: 39.

Ride: 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe Coupe.

Back story: Randy and his dad, Raymond, started restoring a rusted, original Model A on Easter in 1982. At the time, the New Mexico native was in the eighth grade.

They worked mostly on weekends and didn't finish until Randy was a freshman at Eastern New Mexico University.

Randy, who moved to Arizona in 1990, has managed to keep the miles down to around 1,500. He drives the car selectively, maybe early on a quiet Sunday morning, preferring to keep it away from heavy traffic.

The look: The brown, beige and black with orange pinstripes are the car's original colors and markings.

There's a rumble seat in the back, also referred to as a "mother-in-law seat," where the trunk could be.

Randy has only ridden in the rumble seat once — with his bride, Sistine, in 1993. Randy's dad surprised the couple after their wedding by picking them up from the chapel in the coupe.

Plate: The Model A has an original 1931 Arizona license plate Randy found in mint condition at a Tucson antique store for $75, still in its envelope.

The experience: The interior of the cab is made of brown mohair fabric, and has a starter on the floor, wood panels, and an extended gear shifter. There's also an original campaign button from one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's campaigns that the Castellinis found when they were restoring the car.

Pride: It's tough to look at the beautiful Model A and not feel something — nostalgia, awe, remorse — for times gone by. Yet Randy Castellini said it was the process of restoring the car with his father that sticks with him.

"I'd like to do another one," he said.

– Kevin W. Smith