Page's Model A Garage

I visited his Haverhill, NH complex a few times in the early 70's and it was Model A heaven. The cars and parts was something to see.
 
In the days that Page's Model A Garage was a busy place I had quite a lot of NOS Ford sheet metal items and other genuine parts. Fred would call me now and then and we would make a deal over the phone, always just before a flea market. I would meet him at the flea market, he paid cash. He was always dressed like an old farmer in overalls. To get up to date just last Friday I was at the auction preview of his deceased son John's home furnishings, really high grade art and furniture. The auction was Saturday at William Smith auction gallery in Plainfield NH. but I only attended the preview. The only auto related items in his son's belongings was his auction New Hampshire license plate collection. I did not attend the auction itself.
 
When my father was battleing cancer, he asked me to drive up to Pages to look at a Victoria for him. I was impressed at all the cars and parts Page had. I saw a lot of right hand drive cars that he had imported. Sadly my father did not live long enough to get the Victoria. This was the late 70's.
 
One of Mitch's posts led to a thread about a Page grandson starting a site about Page's garage. It seems to have disappeared. Anybody know anything about it?
 
Thank you all for the memories. Your stories seem a lot like mine, I too visited Page's in the early 1970's; first to explore and find parts and then to attend the car show in the warmer months.

I recently found an uninstalled Model A muffler still in the shipping wrapper. The muffler was purchased from Snyder's Antique Auto Parts sold to Pages Model A. The interesting thing, on the wrapping, there were two numbers 10.05 and 42.95 I was wondering if one was the cost of the muffler back in the day.

Anyway fun to think back to those times. Everything was a lot less money, but $42.95 would seem like $240. (the price today).
 
I went to Pages once, we were looking at a A400, but it was too rough and we decided not to buy

One year at Hershey (70s) Gaslight had a special on exhaust---they had a giant mound of them, I don't remember the single piece price, but we did buy the 6 for 100$ special, I have one on my car still(over 30 years of use) and still have a new one
 
Hi There,

Just an update on the Page's Model A website I started and didn't get too far on a few years back. Well I inadvertently let it expire and lost what I'd started. Today I fired up a new one just so the link would still work and will try to get some other stuff back up as soon as I can.

Until then, Thanks - Bill Page
 
My dad took me up in 1979/80 . Its was like a dream looking at all the cars and sheet metal that was stored in the barns we went to. His prices were the market rate but he had pretty much anything you would ever want.
 
Buoy Bill said:
Hi There,

Just an update on the Page's Model A website I started and didn't get too far on a few years back. Well I inadvertently let it expire and lost what I'd started. Today I fired up a new one just so the link would still work and will try to get some other stuff back up as soon as I can.

Until then, Thanks - Bill Page
Click to expand...

Thank YOU, Bill! Don't burn yourself out on this project. Just do what you can as you can.
 
I have posted this before, but I started to restore my families old 1930 Roadster, when I was 14 (1966). I lived in Vermont about an hour from Page's. Mr. Page took an interest in my attempts and for over a year I made trips with my dad to Page's about every 3 weeks or so. He would take the time to explain the next steps and help with any roadblocks I was finding. I have a tremendous respect for him for all the help he gave a young boy. We bought parts from him, but no where near the value to make up for all the time he gave me.
 
Bought a nice 30 tudor from Fred back in the early 70's , and as i remember there also was one heck of a fair that we attended fairly near his place.
 
I remember driving over the hill and seeing Page's Garage, it was like being transported back in time. I remember driving out onto Cape Cod to pick up a new clutch and pressure plate, and following Rich Bell around to various sheds and hen houses to look for some good used headlights. Anyone remember a junk yard in Eliot, Maine (Juniors?)? I bought a set of 21 inch rims from him for 20 bucks each in the early 70s.

If we only knew then what we know now..............Pete
 
Roadster Rich said:
I have posted this before, but I started to restore my families old 1930 Roadster, when I was 14 (1966). I lived in Vermont about an hour from Page's. Mr. Page took an interest in my attempts and for over a year I made trips with my dad to Page's about every 3 weeks or so. He would take the time to explain the next steps and help with any roadblocks I was finding. I have a tremendous respect for him for all the help he gave a young boy. We bought parts from him, but no where near the value to make up for all the time he gave me.
Click to expand...

Love it! Thank you Rich! The first summer I worked at the garage was about 1977 ish and I loved working around and for my Grandfather. Watching him interact with customers like you were good lessons for me. That summer I needed tools and he bought me a nice Craftsmen mechanic toolset with box and I was in heaven! I still have it after all these years and will never part with it...until it's time to give it to my son.
 
Lots of us here went to Eliot Antique every Sunday.We called it Sunday services.Carlton Bate,(junior)worked at the Case garage and ran the little junkyard nights and weekends.He was pretty well known,and by the late 80's if it was available he had gotten it.Plus,he was either friends or related to every junkie in a 20 mile radius,so all old iron went to him for scrap price.It was only a tiny place,I think the widest part was only 200 feet wide.It was just a path with cars parked on the sides.He would bring in anything from cleanouts and peddle it off.I still have air meters,gas pumps,lubesters,candy machines,cigarette machines,jacks,signs,lights,and thousands of pounds of other old garage equipment from him.The insurance got to be too much for him,so he closed down.He is still there working on tractors and such.He had a big sale,and then had one of his friends come in and scrap the yard.He said he was pretty happy to get $80.per ton,with no-touch on his part.He said he didn't realize how rich he really was.
 
I knew Page's well. Fred was a very nice guy who started the business years ago with all Model As before getting into the early V8s. He left the business to his son Buzzy who after trying to sell the business ended up liquidating everything. This occurred back in the late '80s as I recall.
Buzzy moved to NC. It is all history now.
Walt Rodiman who worked for Fred and left when Buzzy took it over still sells A and V8 parts ate flea markets and Hershey.
I bought a partially restored '40 woodie there back in the mid '80s. Wish I still had that one.
 
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