Back in 1962-3 when I was a senior in high school I spent many Friday nights drinking in the Antique Room bar which was in the Mendocino Hotel, Mendocino Ca. ( at 16 I was 6’ tall and weighed 210 pounds and was never carded—ever). Those days the hotel was known as the “ Pink Hotel” the owners did not have enough white paint to paint the place. They mixed some red barn paint into the white and it came out pink not much money around those days. Frannie Eaton, one of two brothers, who owned the place also had a 31 Ford Coupe that sat in front of the place and he painted it to match. Periodically, when leaving I would try and take off the moto meter on the Model,A and had no luck. Frannie told me, several times, kid you’ll never get it off—-he was right.
Fast forward 55 years I was sitting and BSing with one of my fishing partners, was a grandson of Frannie’s and told him the story. I said I wonder what happened to the car. He told me that his uncle Butch ended up with it. Next time I ran into Butch, who is also a friend and I asked him what happened to it. Sadly he stored it in an old shed and many years looked at it and it was rusted away so he junked it out. I told him the story about the moto meter, he laughed and said that’s the only thing I saved from it. You want it you can have it—-I followed him home and there it was. I keep it on the mantle over my fireplace. As soon as I finish the 3rd renovation, of my 30 Coupe, that my dad gave me for Christmas in 1964, it goes on. I gave some thought to restoring it but I’m going to leave it just as it in since it provokes some wonderful memories.
Fast forward 55 years I was sitting and BSing with one of my fishing partners, was a grandson of Frannie’s and told him the story. I said I wonder what happened to the car. He told me that his uncle Butch ended up with it. Next time I ran into Butch, who is also a friend and I asked him what happened to it. Sadly he stored it in an old shed and many years looked at it and it was rusted away so he junked it out. I told him the story about the moto meter, he laughed and said that’s the only thing I saved from it. You want it you can have it—-I followed him home and there it was. I keep it on the mantle over my fireplace. As soon as I finish the 3rd renovation, of my 30 Coupe, that my dad gave me for Christmas in 1964, it goes on. I gave some thought to restoring it but I’m going to leave it just as it in since it provokes some wonderful memories.
