I've just got to share this!!!

Manuel said:
Great story Brent.
Did your wife and children ask her if u were a 'model' student?
:)
My family love hearing stories about my past.

Manuel in Oz
Click to expand...

Umm yes. Last night Pennie & I along with my 21 year old daughter went to dinner with my teacher and her husband, along with their daughter (who is also a teacher) and their daughter's two children. What I learned is in my 3rd grade teacher's entire career she only paddled one student. Guess who...... :o

I also learned a little more about some of the details last night. Evidently the breakage occured during driving events at the Texas Tour where she was driving and her husband was to screw spark plugs into a cylinder head on the table while blindfolded as a timed event. Evidently she didn't miss 2nd gear but instead dropped the clutch while the engine was revved up "so the engine would not stall". He said while he was blindfolded, he heard every tooth break yet was expecting the entire front of the car to be gone when he uncovered his eyes. He says he still remembers that anguishing sound. They both agreed is was a VERY silent trip back home with the car after that day!! :D


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Great story Brent, funny how life comes around, alittle kindness of shareing your fathers magazines made someone remember you. Great feeling for you and your teacher's family. Thanks for sharing your story.
 
I love stories like this one. Thank you, Brent. I imagine this will be one of the most rewarding restorations you will have. congratulations. These are the memories and stories that make this hobby so rewarding.

Last week, I took a woman for her first drive in her 1937 Packard. Her dad had it when she was a 5 year old kid, and it had languished in her garage undriven for decades. As a child she always imagined driving it, but it had never happened. Her dad had warned her when she was 5 that she was never to jump up and down in the seats, and never to eat ice cream in it. We had to rebuild the engine and brakes to get it going. When she came by to look at it, I suggested she drive it. As we pulled out the driveway, she told me this was her first time driving it. She was as excited as a little kid again. The look on her face was priceless. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled, saying, " This is so cool... I'm too old to jump up and down in the seats, but the first place I'm gonna stop is an ice cream store and I'm gonna eat some ice cream in here"
 
Brent, this too good a story not to publish it in both national magazines. This one gave me goose bumps. Thanks for sharing it.
Charles in Alabama
 
:) Brent, be sure to save this story in PRINT as well as others that you may have.
My wife started recording various stories and happinings of years ago. Some before we met and some BC (before kids) When our daughter reads one of these stories to our 7 year old Great Grandson, he is very interested in the events of the "olden days". It also creates questions in their minds. My wife writes these stories throughout the year and gives them to our daughters at Christmas.She does the same for favorite recipies.
Bruce Davis a400usa@nccn.net
 
OK, this explains everything. First you've got A.D.D. Now you overcompensate by hyper-attentiveness to detail. Thanks Brent! Great story. Keep up the overcompensation.:D
 
Great story Brent. Have you given any thought to maybe recording these stories and donating them to the new MAFFI museum? This would keep the stories alive and for future generations to see how these cars affect families.

Mike
 
Hi Brent
I also went to Red Bluff Elementary, but that was in Red Bluff Calif...Ha!

But right now I am RE-Doing a horrible restoration for my childhood babysitter from Red Bluff (about 70 miles away) ...a 30 Tudor... He once broke my arm while babysitting...(I fell off the handlebars of his bike) You would laugh to see what this "professional" did...21" lwheels on a 30 car...Philips screws thoughout...bordello interior...German cloth covering on the top...and when I removed the torque tube the driveline fell out..he just used a spray can to restore the brakes...they were really bad...dangerous..luckly he installed a properly rebuilt engine and transmission...but somehow diden't notice half of one motor mount was gone... like I said my friend really got done wrong... I have been replacing all the junk with restored original parts, and rebuilding everything....yesterday I got a set of backing plates from one of the guys on this board and they are really nice, at a fair price and will work well...the spray can restored backing plates were worn so bad I just could not save them...looked like someone drug the car without wheels or hubs...bottom of the plate was just gone...gone.? ground off... this was over a $20k restoration done by someone in Redding Calif. I have roughly $3k in parts in the car now and I think I will have the running gear finished before winter....next summer I will need to reshim the body and do something about the horrid (orange peel) paintjob.

So I know what you did, and how it feels to give back to a friend..I think if possible we all should do this for Model A friends...after all we are friends and when you look at it.,,,that is what life is about.

Joel Rapose
Chester Calif.
 
People reap what they sow! A good teacher meets a good restorer!
I have a feeling she is very lucky NOT to be one of those teachers who still cause nightmares after 50 years...
 
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