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Old 06-03-2010, 09:04 PM   #61
tamagrouchy
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

My father and grandfathers were Model A maniacs, I was hooked when I was 9 and got to drive dads coupe-ster. He couldn't afford a roadster so he "made" one. In this picture is my grandfather, sister and myself around 1976.

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Old 06-03-2010, 10:13 PM   #62
Tony S,Fl.
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

Bought my 29 Tudor with 43000 miles on it and it was 11 years old in summer of 1940. Model A Joe was located across from the Ford Highland Park Plant. Had a big sign out front. Any Model on lot $65.00. I bought the Tudor because the excellant condition it was in. Got drafted in 43 then my brother took over. He got drafted and my sister took over. Ahh! after she drove it a while they had to put in a rebuilt Sears engine to the tune of $85.00. Tony
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Old 06-04-2010, 05:07 AM   #63
Ed Saniewski
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

My father owned a drug store and one of his customers Mr. Appio had a 1931 closed cab pick up. I would always ask to go on deliveries to his house just to see the truck. It was the big round shiny headlights that I always remember. About 10 years ago I was over a friends house discussing my fire departments 1926 American La France fire engine and I mentioned I always loved the look of a model A. He told me I should meet John Hunter a local guy who was into model A's. That was the beginning of a great friendship.
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Old 06-04-2010, 08:38 AM   #64
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

I found one in the blackberry's
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Old 06-04-2010, 10:25 AM   #65
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

When my brother gave me his in 1961. He brought it in the mid-50's for $25.00 with a spare motor. He drove the wheels off of it. My brothers all 7 always had an assortment of T's and A's in the 40's and 50's.
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Old 06-04-2010, 12:45 PM   #66
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

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I recently purchased a '29 Coupe in April of 2010 from my Dad. My Dad purchased this car in 1968 (I was only 6). My Granddad and Dad restored the car by 1972, but I was too young to have much interest. My parents got divorced and my father and the car moved 1200 miles away to California. I went to school in California and drove this car 30 miles one way to school in the early 80's. The car has not been drive 200 miles since then. I probably have racked up more total miles on this car then my Dad.

I went on to drag racing with my stepdad ('67 belvedere and a '48 Anglia, supergasser) and motorcycle racing (off road). It's a good thing I didn't have this can then as I was a speed freak! Now that I'm older I appreciate the original car and intend to keep it like it was.

It means so much to me to be able to keep this car in the family for many more years. You could say this hobby was thrust upon me, but Im a willing recipient.
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Old 06-04-2010, 12:48 PM   #67
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

My story is really not mine. While I had always loved anything with wheels and or an engine I had a particular sweet spot for Hot Rods; still do. I love all types of cars and desire to own many types but when I could not afford a 57 Chevy in High School, 1983, I settled for a Mercury Montego MX which I was very hard on but loved. This purchase moved me into the Ford camp and while I love some aspect of many cars it’s cheaper and easier to stay with what you know. My next car was a Red on Red 64 Galaxie 500XL 390, 4sp that I brought back to life, hopped up, from 1988-1992. So how does this relate to this topic…I’m getting closer. In 1995 I was taking classes at our local JC on course for a career change and I met a beautiful young woman on the first day of one of my classes. A couple mornings later my brother needed my Galaxie so he dropped me off for class and she was outside and saw us drive up. She loved the car and that sealed the deal and we will have been married for 10 years this September. Now for the A…... We got married in 2000 and I sold the Galaxie to get the down payment for a house. During this “toy” carless period we happened on a Model A meet while driving around checking out yard sales and she fell in love with a RPU that was at the meet. She explained that she had always wanted one but did not know what it was; she liked old cars but knew nothing about them. At the spring Pleasanton 2001 meet I found a little yellow 1928 RPU sitting on a trailer for sale. I not seen others for sale but I never really looked either. I could not afford the little truck and it needed a lot of work but the gentleman selling it told me it did run and drive but needed work. I made a call to a buddy to secure a loan and then called my wife to tell her I had just bought her the truck; she was very excited. I picked up the truck after the check cleared and fiddled with it for a weekend to get it started. I borrowed a trailer from a buddy and we took it to a car show in Lakeport in June. We parked a few blocks from the fairgrounds so we could drive it into the show. My wife spent hours talking with people that came to look at her little truck. Local MAFCA members offered assistance and knowledge and she was very excited. We moved into our first home that summer and drove it around the neighborhood on nice evenings but never ventured far from home. I enjoyed the truck but I wanted to hot rod it fortunately I got a huge thumbs down each time I broached the subject. In 2003 the driver’s side rear tire blew up with a bang while I was watching TV in the house so I pulled it into the garage and life flew by while the A languished under a pile junk in the garage. In December of 2009 I needed the garage space so the kids and I cleaned up around it a pushed it into day light for the first time in 6 years. We got it all cleaned up and I put on a used tire and tube so I could move it around. My son and I started working on it in the evenings and on a crisp January morning we took a spin around the block; the bed loaded with smiling kids. In March I had all the kids helping me put new tires and tubes on it and I showed my son how to drive it. This April my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday so I told her I wanted to drive the RPU into town for Breakfast; a whopping 3.5 miles each way - we made it. The whole family is now hooked on this little truck. It runs rough, smokes, blows oil, the doors don't stay closed well and I don't fit behind the wheel very well but lately I have been moving my 64 Galaxie Convertible out of the way to get it out for short jaunts around the neighborhood, I guess I’m addicted. I’m not sure if I’ll add another A at some point but you never know, after all I didn’t even know I wanted the first one.

Have a great day,

Joe
Attached Images
File Type: jpg wheelin the A winter 2009.jpg (121.7 KB, 49 views)
File Type: jpg kids in the A Winter-2009.jpg (96.8 KB, 53 views)
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:09 PM   #68
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

I remember riding in my dad's 30 coupe as a child--standing up and barely seeing over the dash exciting stuff!!! He gave me the car when I turned 12(1957) and of course I could not get it to run so I sold it to the older kid next door---it's still there and each year I try to buy it back but so far no luck. In 64 my girlfriend's roommate, in college, was getting married and her fiance shows up with this 30 coupe. I called my dad, who always said I should get rid of my 57 Pontaic, which I always drove to fast, and get another model A and slow down. He shows up a few days later, lays down 4 100's in front of the guy( he wanted 600)"take it or leave it" he took it.I've had it ever since and I'm on the third rebuild now and when I finish and I'm giving it to my daughter when I finish the rear brakes. She has two little boys and so that they don't fight over it, I'm either going to get the old one back or get another so they can each have one.
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:52 PM   #69
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

I got hooked around a bon fire. I was 26 and just graduated from Seminary and was 1 month away from becoming a UMC pastor. I was offered parts for a Model A if I would promise to work on it and return it if I ever gave up. I have one of the roughest bodies of a 31 pickup you could have and still be functional but I am working on it and the chassis I have could use shocks but it drives. I have become hooked because I was given parts and the opportunity to build this myself and with the help of many great Model A enthusiasts. I will one day get the body done right (or not) but the important part to me is how it always excites people, starts conversations and in the last 4 years since I got my first rusty parts I have been writing sermons on it. Thanks to all those who give up a few parts and get a new partner in this hobby.
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Old 06-04-2010, 03:20 PM   #70
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

Had A nabor horse -treader. in the summer of 62 he drug this 30 tudor. two days and 12 bears later I asked him whatya gane to do with it. first $50.00 takes it. ran home ,got the old john-deer and babby brouther, money and drug her home.
48 years and still mine.
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Old 06-04-2010, 04:10 PM   #71
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

Heck eswanson! That pickup looks nice! Good job! I also like the 1930s neighborhood in the pictures. Matches the truck!
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Old 06-04-2010, 04:43 PM   #72
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

I had a difficult time remembering just when and what sparked my interest in Model A's, and then it came to me.
It was about the time I was researching my family ancestry and came across old photos of my parents.

My Dad and friend on the Model T in 1927.........

My parents Model A. Looks like a 30', but can't quite make out Tudor of Fordor. In any case, they were proud of it.

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Old 06-04-2010, 08:50 PM   #73
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

in 1962, 14-year-old Chris was riding his bike on the creek road between the villages of Bellpoint & Ostrander in Ohio. spotted a Model A Coupe in an open shed near the road. it was in gray primer, with no tires, roof, glass or upholstery. looked like a $50 car to me and of course I had visions of a V8-powered hotrod. knocked on the house door and they said yes, it's for sale, $350. that ended that fantasy. it was 1986 before opportunity, time, garage space and money were all present at the same moment........

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Old 06-04-2010, 09:31 PM   #74
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

It was a girl of course. At age 14 I was too young to drink. I quickly learned a coupe seat didn't give her much room to get far away.
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:50 PM   #75
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

My Dad bought a 1930 Two Door Sedan in 1952 for $25. He fixed it up to drive, my Mom used to take my brother an myself to town to mow lawns, My Dad had a wooden bumper on the front so he made a bracket out of wood to set the push mower in, we hooked the handle of the mower with a wire around the radiator cap. My brother and I sat in the back seat, the front passenger seat was tipped up and the gas can sat there inside the car. We mowed different lawns in town each week so my Mom would go visit her Mom while we mowed. My brother and I drove it to school when we got old enough . My Dad gave it to my brother when he was sixteen, he still owns it.
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Old 06-04-2010, 10:50 PM   #76
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

I found this in a barn...
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Old 06-04-2010, 10:56 PM   #77
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

Quote:
Originally Posted by [email protected] View Post
I found this in a barn...
That's an easy fix. Just nail in a new top board and tell your horse not to chew on it any more!

Nice coupe! Is that your barn? Wish I had a barn for storage.
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Old 06-04-2010, 10:59 PM   #78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg View Post
That's an easy fix. Just nail in a new top board and tell your horse not to chew on it any more!

Nice coupe! Is that your barn? Wish I had a barn for storage.
If it was my barn my model a would not have be sitting for 50 years
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Old 06-05-2010, 06:45 AM   #79
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

My grandfather started me off at age 7, driving on our Iowa farm in about 1939. He had a 30 Coupe and for as long as I can remember we drove in that car all over the rural Iowa areas. He taught me to drive it and promised that I could have it when I reached 15. WWII came along and the Coupe was parked in our machine shed. Grandpaw passed early in the 40's. The government came through the farms early in the war and confuscated "old iron" for the war effort. My Coupe was taken away, never to be seen again. As soon as I could scrape together a little money at age 14 I bought a 1917 Model T for $17. Next an original cherry 1912 T Touring and have never looked back. Went back into A's because I found the T crowd would not let a youngster into their groups and would not help find parts or even barely talk to me. The A folks were entirely different and have been with them since.

Wonderful memories and many great cars. Now a 55B that is perfect for my needs.

Thanks Pluck for putting this up.

John Young, Alamo A's, San Antonio
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Old 06-05-2010, 07:04 AM   #80
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Default Re: What drove you towards the Model A hobby?

My parents did this to me. As a kid they were into Pierce-Arrows and we always went to the annual Pierce Arrow Society meeting as vacation. When I was about 14 (1974) I bought my first Model "A".......a chassis and running gear with three "extra" engines that was brought home in the back of a pick up...there went $210 of my hard earned cash.

Later we sold a 38 Packard to a guy who owned a '31 Tudor. I bought the tudor and worked on it during high school and sold it (shouldn't have done that). In hindsight.....it was my parents way of keeping me out of trouble....heck I'd be in garage and not running into other trouble.

Got married in'88 and in my wife heard stories and saw pictures of the cars. We were having lunch together in 2000 in a restaurant somewhere in Georgia and a model A roadster drives by...we run out of the restaurant just to see the roadster ......several months later we bought the phaeton!

My Dad, now in a long term care facility in Indiana at age 81 and suffering from dementia still asks about the Model A even though other topics of conversation are challenging. I'm planning on driving the A to Indiana in July so that we can have a visit and possibly a ride together.

It's a great hobby!!
Thanks, Mom and Dad!
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