Walter Chrysler statue nears completion - ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

(02/25/13) - Last summer, a statue of automotive pioneer Louie Chevrolet was unveiled in downtown Flint.

A few months later, he was joined by a likeness of David Dunbar Buick.

Now, another automotive history maker will soon be seen in the Vehicle City.

Walter Chrysler stands nearly completed in Joe Rundell's workshop.

"I've got one hand to do. I've got one foot to do," Rundell said.

Rundell started working on the statue around Thanksgiving, and has been putting in about 40 hours a week forming the figure. He showed us a few of his sculpting secrets.

"This piece of foam becomes the inside of the hand," he said.

Rundell also uses bamboo in shaping Chrysler's hand.

"I'm actually going to push a Chinese chopstick in like this and that will become the base for the finger," he said.

Rundell uses shoes he bought in an Amish store as the model for the statue's feet. He wants to reshape one of the coat lapels.

"I'm going to change this side to match this side," he said.

Walter Chrysler began working at Buick in 1911 and eventually became the president before he left to start his own car company. Rundell thinks he'll be done with Chrysler's likeness by the end of the week.

"He'll be ready and on his way to the foundry," he said.

Once the statue is bronzed, it will be placed on display at Bishop International Airport, where it will stand for the public to see. Airport officials want visitors to understand Flint's automotive history.

"Had it not been for General Motors, there would be no Chrysler Corporation," Rundell said.

Once he's finished with Chrysler, Rundell plans to work on statues of GM founder Billy Durant and automotive pioneers Charles Nash and C.S. Mott.