There’s nothing quite like summer in full swing to find opportunities to get the old Model A out. As you may remember from my June FQ article, I attended the semi-annual National Tour of the Model A Ford Club of America in Virginia hosted by the Dallas Model A Ford Club. What a wonderful event to showcase our Model A’s and visit the historic sites of Virginia, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. I won’t steal thunder from my article in the September issue of the Restorer magazine but I will share a funny thing that happened during our visit in Fredericksburg, Maryland during the Tour.
As you know, my-sixteen-year-old grandson Max joined me in driving to Virginia from California and took the wheel over half the time. While stopping for ice cream at Carl’s Frozen Custard in Fredericksburg, a young couple approached me and asked “Are you the owner of that brown Model A?” And after answering in the affirmative they said: “We saw you driving on Interstate 64 through southern Illinois a week ago. Where’s the young kid who was driving?” (Max had flown home to California for family vacation) This was the most often question asked by everyone during the Tour. Everyone wanted to meet Max, as so many had been following our escapades on Face Book. In fact, I posted over 40 times during the 7,300+ mile trip coming and going. Check it out on MAFCA’s Face Book page.
And speaking of the National Tour, I should pause here to share my gratitude for the great group of people I had the pleasure of meeting and driving with: Doug Diller from Riverside California, Gary Larson of Diamond Bar California, Tom Mack of South Carolina, John and Happy Begg also from South Carolina, Terry and Melanie Whittington of West Virginia, Terry and Kathy O’Brian from Georgia and the Schwerdt’s from Tennessee. Typically on a Point to Point Tour like this, we are asked to organize in smaller groups so as not to cause too much traffic along the way. And we were blessed to have Terry Whittington in our group for, as it turned out, he is an expert on Civil War history and took the lead at all of the battlefields we visited. Doug Diller joined me the day before the Tour and helped drive home as well. But that’s a story for another time. (Nov/Dec issue of the Restorer) Paul Shinn has offered to help me organize and prepare a video to share on YouTube so look for that in the month ahead.
Many of us have heard of the Model A Ford museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan but how many have taken the time to visit. If you’ve never been to the Gilmore, please mark your calendars and make your reservations to attend the Grand Opening of the Museum expansion taking place this September 19th and 20th. MAFCA Directors will be attending the event to support this great project and while there we will hold a Board meeting at the Delta Hotel in Kalamazoo. As always, members are welcome to attend this meeting. We hope to see you there.
And while you’re marking your calendars, check a box for the week of October 7th-10th for the biggest antique auto show and swap meet in the world, (as far as I know!) held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This is officially the Eastern Fall Meet of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) held the first full week of October every year since 1955. The meet is held on the grounds and parking lots surrounding the Hershey Park and the Giant Center.
Several current and former MAFCA Board members will be in attendance so come be the MAFCA tent to meet and greet them. In fact, I’ll be driving across the country again for the second time this year with dear friend Don Long of Corona, California. But this time in a modern so we’ll have room to transport our treasures back home. In the meantime: Drive your Model A like you know how to fix it!
I sure wish the buck stopped here. I could use a few.
Ed Tolman
