The Model A Museum Opening, in pictures

[WTSHNN]

(this is going to be a very picture oriented series of posts...)
If you reply to this please remove the pictures if you quote anything otherwise this thread will be miles long...


Well, I made it up to the Model A Ford Museum grand opening today.

We were told that the organizers had set out 300 chairs for those attending. Every chair was taken and there were probably just as many, if not more, people standing all around the chairs. Long story short, easily over 1,000 people were in attendance. This made it very difficult to get pictures of the whole museum or particular cars. I'm sorry as there are a lot of things I didn't get pictures of (several more cars, fashions, the classroom, the MARC and MAFCA displays, the theater, etc)

MAFFI deserves a lot of praise for putting together a phenomenal museum to showcase the Model A. It took a lot of work and effort and the results are something to be incredibly proud of.

A big thanks has to be given to all those who donated. From the major gift givers to the people who only bought a brick, the museum was funded entirely by people who have been touched by these cars and all the artifacts inside the building represent the stories and the love that millions of people have had with a Model A.

-Tim



Walking in the front doors this car greeted you...


Immediately to the left was this '31 Pickup...


Walking in to the first room was a 1903 Model A Ford, the beginning of Ford Motor Company...



A Model T was also on display to help show the visitors the dramatic leap that occurred from the T to the A.


Then, right there in front of you, it sits...Thomas Edison's Phaeton, *A1*


Yes, there are some upgrades and things done to the car but it is still really cool to know that this is a car that Thomas Edison owned and had a very real likelihood that Henry Ford rode in it.



Early open ended bumpers...




Next to Edison's car sits an early '28 Tudor...that I wasn't able to get a picture of but here are shots of showing the <-- ON OFF DIM --> headlight switch and the early tail light.





This car was presented as a "Business Coupe" and it had a trunk but the landau irons are not correct but still a cool car to have on display.


A Special Coupe...


There was a Phaeton


A Fordor


A Vicky


A 400 A


Another Steeltop Pickup


A Coupe


A Postal Truck

[WTSHNN]

This behemoth had a Model A Tractor conversion on the back, note that the dual rear axles are both powered...






School Bus




There were great posters all over the walls featuring era advertisements...


A great '29 Sedan Delivery


These two lights were originally mounted on the exterior of the Twin Cities Assembly plant in Minnesota and were donated to the Museum by Ford Mo Co.


Smith Air Compressor




Marine Engine


A '31 AA Service Car

[WTSHNN]

The parts department was really cool...
















Yes, that is an NOS engine block in the original shipping crate and yes, that is an NOS hood in the original shipping crate...

[WTSHNN]

There was an assembly line and showroom made out of Hubleys...

[WTSHNN]

I was very surprised to see Edsel Ford's 1930 Sport Phaeton on display...

[700rpm]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Wow. Just, Wow.

I will get there some day
And I will drive my Model A.

Too bad they never put Edsel's phaeton into production.

Thanks for posting.

[WTSHNN]

Here is part of the MARC display...




There was one vendor selling parts in the parking lot...


They had a great band playing out of a AA truck...


How about a pop-up camper trailer?


Of course there were a lot of Model A's parked (I think I heard 360+?)





















So, there you go, a brief tour of the Model A Ford Museum grand opening today. I assure you, these pictures do not do the building justice. An experience that I won't soon forget and I encourage everyone to check out.

Thanks
-Tim

[Steve Plucker]

Thanks Tim...What a show!...Hope to get there someday myself!

Steve Plucker
Walla Wallla Sweet A's

[spdway1]

Tim, Thank you for your effort! Great pics.

[Mitch//pa]

thanks for the pics great job

[Franchise_24]

We are going next weekend so hopefully it won't be so crowded. :-)

[Pickupman]

Thanks for the pics!

[Joe K]

VERY nice. I hope the museum stays "camera friendly." A lot of museums are not.

Is that truck door being sold out front rather narrow? Or maybe the perspective. I'd like to see the backside and confirm it an 82A door.

And the souvenir program with Henry and Edsel looking over the margin of the building. What a hoot!

I do imagine they would be pleased. Henry I think was always most partial to the Model T - that was "his" baby. But the two would look at each other and give themselves a pat on each other's back for what they have created - and nod. And say "you watch us - we can do better even than that."

Joe K

[Jordan]

I was there and it was a fantastic museum at an excellent location. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put it together.

[ctlikon0712]

That was so great! Thanks for looking out for those of us who are "geographically inconvenienced".

[Richard in Anaheim CA]

It was an overwhelming crowd. I was working traffic and never got a program. They ran out. The pictures are outstanding and he must have been there very early to get them with out the huge crowd.

The local clubs came out in droves. The traffic started slow and suddenly backed up clear out to the road and three parking lots filled up.

The magnitude of this undertaking is hard to fathom and they will need a bundle of money to put it over the top and an endowment fund of 1/2 million to cover continuing expenses without continuous fund raising.

1. Join MAFFI as a member
2. Buy bricks for yourself, your club and in rememberance of loved ones
3. Buy benches
4. Donate unique original items and documents
5. Remember them in your will
6. Buy tee shirts and other museum articles.
7. Tell everyone about it
8. This is our museum, yours and mine. Lets take care of it.

Richard
Anaheim CA

[Jordan]

Originally Posted by Richard in Anaheim CA

It was an overwhelming crowd. I was working traffic and never got a program. They ran out. The pictures are outstanding and he must have been there very early to get them with out the huge crowd.

The local clubs came out in droves. The traffic started slow and suddenly backed up clear out to the road and three parking lots filled up.

The magnitude of this undertaking is hard to fathom and they will need a bundle of money to put it over the top and an endowment fund of 1/2 million to cover continuing expenses without continuous fund raising.

1. Join MAFFI as a member
2. Buy bricks for yourself, your club and in rememberance of loved ones
3. Buy benches
4. Donate unique original items and documents
5. Remember them in your will
6. Buy tee shirts and other museum articles.
7. Tell everyone about it
8. This is our museum, yours and mine. Lets take care of it.

Richard
Anaheim CA

It was nice to finally put a face with the name Richard. Have a safe trip home.

[al's28/33]

WOW amazing pictures thank you so very much!

[SDJason]

Absolutely amazing - thank you very much for posting!

[Bick in New Zealand]

Thanks Tim, an awesome collection of photos, for those who were unable to attend, I for one really appreciate your efforts.

[Richard Wilson]

Thanks Tim. I enjoyed viewing the photo's. Glad everyone had a blue sky day.

[Russ/40]

What a great present to the rest of us who couldn't be there. THANKS!

[Todd in PA]

Thanks for the pictures hope to get there soon.

[spdway1]

Did any AA trucks attended the Museum yesterday? Just the UMM-PA-PA band truck?

[fordcoupe]

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much for sharing wonderful photos

[jimalabam]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Tim: Thank you so much for the Photos, from all who could be there for the opening, BUT rest assured we will get there and soon. Richard, boy howdy, you know everyone. Jeannie is trying her best to keep you straight. Dodge the bad weather in Kansas and Oklahoma and get home safely. Jim Langley...

[53F100Jeffie]

Great Photographs, I can't wait to see that some day. I could really kick myself for not visiting that museum when I lived in near Detroit. Someday...
Thanks for sharing. Looked like a great turn out of Model As.

Jeff

[callcoy]

Originally Posted by spdway1

Did any AA trucks attended the Museum yesterday? Just the UMM-PA-PA band truck?

There was a very nicely restored Fire Engine there as visitor, we will have a restored Fire Engine shortly, working on delivery to the museum as we speak. Also coming by the second week of June will be a full Winfield flathead engine with special intake and exhaust plus another engine a full Miller overhead conversion with correct intake and exhaust. These have been donated by the FAST guys in Southern Calif. and the Northern Calif. FAST group.

If anyone has any questions about the museum or wishes to to support your museum in any way as Richard from Anaheim has suggested please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] I am a Trustee.

I have some shots from the roof that I will try to post one of these nights, I and another ran the Museum flag up at the start of the program.

[Roadster62]

Thank you for all the great photos, the Edsel Sport Phaeton looks great. Bob

[rossofozini]

Fantastic images thanks for sharing them!

[denis4x4]

Here's the write up in the Detroit News:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...useum-Michigan

Interestingly enough, the same issue has an interview with a Ford spokesman saying that he expects two thirds of cars sold in the next few years will be equipped with four cylinder engines.

[Elcastor]

Very nice thread with wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[Cider Mill]

Great job on the pics. Looking forward to a visit in person some day!

[29ModelA]

A couple shots I took....













And in another barn...

[1931 flamingo]

Well said MikeK.
Looking at the crowd in the above pictures I can't help wonder how many different ways there are to set the timing??
Paul in CT

[WTSHNN]

No problem for taking and posting the pictures.

The amazing thing about the Model A to me is that there are millions of people all around the world who have a connection to the Model A, be it a ditch digger to a senator to a CEO of a billion dollar company. The A is the uniter and I'm glad to be able to share these images to those people who weren't able to attend.

Hopefully these pics help motivate others to make the pilgrimage to Gilmore and see the museum and even more hopefully that people who were hesitant to donate in the past can now see where their donation is going to and will step up and drop a few bucks in MAFFI's direction.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this amazing institution.

-Tim

[Franchise_24]

I can't wait to be there this weekend to check it out. We are so excited to go. Only a 4 hour drive from Ohio so we are going to have some fun.

[msmaron]

Originally Posted by Richard in Anaheim CA

It was an overwhelming crowd. I was working traffic and never got a program. They ran out. The pictures are outstanding and he must have been there very early to get them with out the huge crowd.

The local clubs came out in droves. The traffic started slow and suddenly backed up clear out to the road and three parking lots filled up.

The magnitude of this undertaking is hard to fathom and they will need a bundle of money to put it over the top and an endowment fund of 1/2 million to cover continuing expenses without continuous fund raising.

1. Join MAFFI as a member
2. Buy bricks for yourself, your club and in rememberance of loved ones
3. Buy benches
4. Donate unique original items and documents
5. Remember them in your will
6. Buy tee shirts and other museum articles.
7. Tell everyone about it
8. This is our museum, yours and mine. Lets take care of it.

Richard
Anaheim CA

Well said Richard...and it was great to see you also!!! VERY VERY Well said!!!

[lookin-backtexas]

Mark:
The only thing Richard left out is a link to the museum and store so people can buy caps, tee shirts, coffee mugs, DVD's, souvenirs, etc.

http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/html...id=69&nav_id=2

Once the website opens from the above link, click on "STORE" on the top banner.

Our club bought our brick a long time ago - glad to see it's finally open; had to be LOTS of work!

Best regards,
Fred

[Bob/Kansas City]

Great collection of pictures! Thank you for sharing.

[Jerry Kzoo]

Is it possible to close this thread with the pictures on it and then make it a sticky so it stays at the top of the list?

Great set of pictures and thanks to all that contributed to the Museum and the Grand Opening event!!

Jerry

[cushman man]

Thanks Tim, what a great turn out and good pictures for us to share.It really makes you wont to go see it.

[29ModelA]

Some more... some may repeat a bit.





My son and I are in this one

[rprice]

Thanks for those terrific photos. I almost feel as though I was there. I can't wait to visit the museum in person.

Rog

[Don/WI]

Thanks to Tim and the rest of you that took the time to take and post all of those great pictures. Those of us that didn't go, now have an incentive to get to the MAFFI Museum to see it in person. Don/WI

[29ModelA]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I have a ton more, but most would be repeating what is here. I tried my best to get the ribbon cutting, but too many people were in the way.

[Jim Brierley]

Great shots! Did you notice the dual stripe on the fordor? That was a factory option available only on a few models. That is the car restored by the So Cal Region of MAFCA.

[HoarseWhisperer]

An enjoyable event to be remembered.

Does anyone know if there was an official count of how many Model A vehicles attended?

[harleyjj]

Thanks for the great pictures! wish I could have driven my A there saturday but I had to work. I did take the family yesterday and really enjoyed it!

[Jason in TX]

Great photos! I even see a 68C peaking out of the background in the museum!

I hope to see this some day!

[29ModelA]

Originally Posted by Jason in TX

Great photos! I even see a 68C peaking out of the background in the museum!

I hope to see this some day!

What is a 68C? I probably have a better shot I can post.

Which image was it in, if it was one of mine?

[Jason in TX]

It's a slant window cabriolet... Released by ford along with the 400A and the 180A (Deluxe 2 door Phaeton) as part of their deluxe series. Chrome windshield frames, lower tops, dropped steering columns Very low production numbers, like the 400A and 180A.

It's behind the man in the tan baseball hat.

[HoarseWhisperer]

No ethanol here.....

[Steve Wastler]

yes, great pics thanks to those whove posted . Interesting changes to the edison car as spoke of earlier, how about the rear open end bumpers and the non triangular joining plate. Would like to see this car more correct, without the 'changes' for change sake.

[29ModelA]

Originally Posted by Jason in TX

It's a slant window cabriolet... Released by ford along with the 400A and the 180A (Deluxe 2 door Phaeton) as part of their deluxe series. Chrome windshield frames, lower tops, dropped steering columns Very low production numbers, like the 400A and 180A.

It's behind the man in the tan baseball hat.

[Jason in TX]

Oooh. Very nice! Thanks!

[steve s]

I can't add anything to the individual car photos others have posted, but maybe I can help give the overall flavor of the event. Model A's everywhere you looked! 374 showed up. I don't know how that compares with national MARC/MAFCA events, but it seemed like more to me. Here's some of the crowd at the opening ceremony remarks:




Here's a few taken pretty much standing in one place looking around:












Here's Edsel's car. As you can see better on photos others have posted, the mirror like finish was just amazing.



Steve

[John LaVoy]

As the Vice President of MAFFI I want to thank all of those who took the time and effort to come and see what MAFFI has been doing with all of your generous donations for the last 25 years. It was very rewarding from my own perspective to see the turn out with so many Model As in attendance. The current board of trustees and all of those who proceeded us work long and hard to make this museum possible. I'm glad to see the pictures and hear all the nice comments.

But now we need to make it continue. Of course we will always need more money but what foundation doesn't. What we need is the word spread about how great the location is and encourage others to visit The Gilmore complex and see the museum in person. The ideal opportunity would be in September for Model A days at The Gilmore, third week end in September. Look for information in the Restorer and News this summer, or visit maffi.org.

Again thank you all for your support in this project and I look forward to seeing you there at some Model A event that will be hold there.

[WTSHNN]

I forgot to post this picture of Edison's Phaeton.



Thought the difference in color was interesting.

Here are a few more I didn't post before.








-Tim

[fourthirty]

Tim, thanks for including a picture of our Dixieland Pick-Up Band AA from Minnesota. The non-car-guy members of the band were very impressed with the Musuem. We were honored to be a part of this wonderful event.
Tom Owens

[wensum]

Great photos! And whilst not entirely relevant, We met a Brooks Baekeland in Spain in 1993 (a genuis in his own right) and his grandfather Leo Baekeland, invented Bakelite, the worlds first plastic. He also invented the first high speed photographic emulsion which he sold to George Eastman (Kodak) in 1900 for $1,000,000 an absolute fortune.
The real point is that Bell, Edison, Ford and Baekeland were all mates and met together and communicated with each other.
These were amongst the most important men in recent industrial history

[Bick in New Zealand]

Anyone know who owns the black Victoria?

[WTSHNN]

Those interested in what the program looks like can see it on MAFFI's page,
http://www.maffi.org/My_Homepage_Fil...nirProgram.pdf

It also lists all of the cars in the museum and who is responsible for their inclusion in the museum.
-Tim

[Bick in New Zealand]

Thanks Timothy.

[mhsprecher]

Very cool. With Stan Johnson's gentle persuasion I donated a pair of headlights and some NOS headlight bulbs in original packaging to the museum. I was more than happy to do that. I hope to get there soon!

[baquetA1929]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

is an excellent museum, thanks for sharing the pictures and congratulations to the management!

[HoarseWhisperer]

Not sure if this has been posted previously, but the link is TV coverage of the Model A Museum at the Gilmore:

http://fox17online.com/2013/05/06/mo...#axzz2Wmnb3Idq

[David Conwill]

I wanted so badly to go to this. So near, yet so far away. Thank you very much for the photos!