Meeting the public

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700rpm

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I had a great conversation yesterday with a lady I'd never met. I drove the coupe to the grocery store, and when I came out there was a very nice lady waiting in an 80's Buick next to my car. She tells me many people had come by and commented favorably on the coupe, and we had a very nice conversation about Model A's and old cars in general. (She thought her Buick was old! I suggested she sell it and get a Model A. She laughed, but I was serious!)

My point is, one of the pleasures of owning these cars is meeting new people, even briefly, and making them smile, having a friendly conversation, and maybe giving them something pleasant to share at the dinner table when they get home. It may be, in fact, the main reason I drive my car so often. I love these encounters with the public.

Drive your Model A. It's fun for lots of people besides you, and you never know what may happen!
 
I agree, I try to drive mine to the store at least once a week. Everytime I spent 20 to 30 min talking to people about the car. I get questions from 3 year olds all the up to 90+. The older folks all remember the car from their childhoods and it always puts a smile on their faces as well as mine.
 
Agreed. It's fun.
I use my truck, well, like a truck. You should see how many conversations you get into, at Home Depot!
 

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I had a wonderful conversation at the grocery store a couple of months ago with a very senior citizen who related how she learned to drive her father's Model T on the farm but on her first solo she forgot which pedal was the brake and only stopped when the car went into the chicken coop. Her mother was scattering chicken feed and had to move pretty fast to escape the car! Her father's next car was a Model A which she remembered fondly. FWIW my mother learned to drive in a Rockne on the farm.
 
I work for one of the guys in the model A club im in on weekends at his A toy room and the people that walk in wanting to look at the cars and take pictures is amazing we must get 5 a day. some just mention they remember when ther grand dad had one or there was a neighbor that had one but they all come in smiling from ear to ear.and ask are they original . we'll sometime start them and blow the horn. boy that horn makes the smile even bigger.
 

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That's definitely one of the best parts of driving around every weekend - you can see smiles on people's faces, and occasionally have a conversation with folks who remember riding in or driving a Model A years ago. Even the youngsters recognize that they're seeing something different and always seem to appreciate it - thumbs up, waves, etc.
 
Makes me feel hometown and my car is recognized for the neat time when it was made. People really do connect, young and old.
 
Popeye, Buddy,
You should pay them to let you work there! Wish Chief could see that shop, he'd have a coniption fit!! Bill W
 
I had a gentleman thank me for having an A. I sort of think I have a responsibility to show it off. Sure brings back memories to a lot of folks (including me).
Pete
 
I have a friend who moved into the country and would stop at a local
small diner for breakfast when he went in all went quiet and all watched him go to his seat . This went on for some time until one morning
he drove his Model A . from that time on he was one of the gang and
all welcomed him in the morning.
 
Since I bought my '36 coupe I have made friends with a 85 years old man that lives down the street from me, stops buy every time I'm messing with my car, last week he even brought over some tools to help me. He told me that his first car was a '35 coupe.
H36
 
roadster said:
I have a friend who moved into the country and would stop at a local
small diner for breakfast when he went in all went quiet and all watched him go to his seat . This went on for some time until one morning
he drove his Model A . from that time on he was one of the gang and
all welcomed him in the morning.
Click to expand...

That story reminds me of "Alice's Restaurant", and the "group W bench" ....
 
I think we all love the attention that goes with the cars. But once in a while I enjoy going out by myself on a Sunday morning when the traffic is light, and find some nice, old, period correct neighborhood, and let myself drift back in time... pleasant speeds, not pushing it, nowhere in particular to go, window down, elbow on the sill, the engine running perfect, no radio... perfect.
 
The public always seems to be knocking on my door when mine is in the driveway. Usually it is a guy saying "I have cash in hand, but your not going to like what I want to do to it."
 
If I had a $1 for each phone pic taken of mine or people asking if they could take a picture I'd almost be rich. They are a great attention grabber.
Paul in CT
 
At my age it's the only way that cute blondes wave and smile at me is to drive my A. I did drive to the local pharmacy and when I came out a not so young lady was standing by my car with her hand over her mouth and staring at it. When I said hello she turned to me and I could see the tear in her eye. "I learned to drive in a car just like this one" was her comment to me. I offered to let her drive this one but she said she had trouble turning the steering wheel when she was 16 and at 86 she was sure she couldn't. She did take my offer for a spin around the parking lot. Makes it all worth it for me.
 
The one that really amazed me was at the grocery, when I came out there was a gal standing there admiring my truck. When it became evident that it was mine, she started asking me all sorts of questions like "does it still have the 4-cylinder flat head engine in it?" Now for a woman in her 40's (?) that was amazing!
 
We've had some great stories come out of the woodwork about our non-ford '50 Plymouth. It's not a car you see too often anymore and people really, really seem to love it. In a line-up at the shows it doesnt blend in with all of the others. about 90% of the comments we've recieved on it are wonderful (we've had some harry experiences from people asking why we'd even waste the time on it).

I think our fondest memory was when we took it to a show about 30 miles away. The car had grenaded a piston several months earlier the day we brought it home. It sat for several months until the frustration wore off. When we finally got the car running we drove it 30 miles on it's maiden voyage to one of the state's biggest cruises. the car was not cleaned up; it had the originally paint literally falling off of it. The show went great and as we were leaving a younger husband and wife were approaching the car and inbetween them was a very elderly man who couldn't walk very well and was using them for support. He was shuffling towards the car as fast as he could go; so we waited. As soon as he got close enough for us to hear him a smile came across his face and he simply asked "is that a '50 plymouth?!" after we confirmed that it was, his excitement was barely containable and he started telling stories about how he had owned one and how much he loved it and all about their quirks and the fun times he had in his car. His son was so happy to see his dad (who was obviously ill) smiling and enjoying the car. We never saw them again but it puts a good feelign deep down inside you knowing that the car brought joy to someone's life.

From then on: We don't need some stupid trophy to tell us our car is what a judge wants. the stories and the smiles that the car brings is all that we need.
 
Smokey is always up for a go. We will be doing the Cherry Blossom parade in DC again next month. I nearly wear out my horn for the crowds. I'd drive her every day if I could. We hope to do the Chattanoga tour in the fall.
I did have a little old lady come up one time and peer into the runble seat. The sparkle in her eye revealed her secret. I asked if she had ever fooled around in a rumble seat. She eyed her hubby and said YES!!!, but not with HIM!!!
 
In the early '80's I was in downtown Cincinnati waiting for the St. Patrick's day parade to begin (my '29 CCPU was green). An old gent came up, walked around asking lots of questions, then pointed to the dash rail and said "There's a good chance I made that part." He'd been working at Ford in 1929 stamping out dash rails. I about fell over. I was about 25 at the time. Just one story of many that come from driving an 'A' on a daily basis.
 
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