Was at the Gilmore last week
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petehoovie
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petehoovie
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petehoovie
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rockfla
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The final whip of the dead horse, The first - The "FIRST" Model A....two, three and four hold a special place for me as this car was built here locally by a good friend who passed several years ago, Mike Weidmann. This is a copy of Gordon Buehrig's personal Model A. Mike took great efforts in re creating this car. The body is all aluminum and when he needed Aluminum fasteners and rivets, I was his guy....SO I have some sourced materials I sold Mike, as well, in this car.....After his passing I had not heard that he had "donated" the car so when I came upon it at the Gilmore I was so pleased to see it and proud that Mike's work is there immortal!!! Another classy Lincoln of our V8 era!!!
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petehoovie
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Brian
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I have had the honour of riding in an '03 Model A. [also an '03 Oldsmobile, very similar]. This particular model A # 486, was imported in 1904 by John J. Boyd. He bequeathed the car to a relative, who unfortunately let it deteriorate by leaving it sitting in a damp garage amongst [other rubbish], when found the wheels were rotted down to the hubs!
In New Zealand, the Colonial Motor Company [CMC] represented Ford Canada since 1908 as the NZ distributor, and from 1936, as a holding company for a group of Ford franchised dealerships. Anyway, they purchased this model A for 100 pounds plus a NEW Ford Prefect in 1957 [what wonderful foresight]...In the early '70's it was decided to restore the car at Gordon Hughan Ltd, NZ's oldest Ford dealership. Bernie Cheer was a mechanic employed at Hughans, and undertook the restoration in his spare time.
For a period, I lived next door to Bernie, a very knowledgeable guy about old Fords. Anyway sometime during 2003, in order to celebrate its 100th birthday, it arrived in a fully enclosed trailer, to participate in a major Vintage car rally. As I admired this time machine, I commented to Bernie that it had one 'odd' hubcap; a brass model T hubcap, which did not match the other three originals. He said that it was missing; the closest they could find was a T 'cap. I told him, if he could supply the brass, I would manufacture a new replacement that matched the originals....he duly supplied a length of brass from which there was sufficient material to manufacture three replacements. I was rewarded with a ride in the A up the road and back.
Unreal!! I really admire these old Veteran machines, these things were revolutionary in their day, they were replacing horse drawn vehicles, which were the norm...probably much the same as alternative fuelled vehicles are making inroads into our accepted internal combustion powered cars/trucks today.
Sorry, a bit off topic, but it is pertaining to Ford history.
In New Zealand, the Colonial Motor Company [CMC] represented Ford Canada since 1908 as the NZ distributor, and from 1936, as a holding company for a group of Ford franchised dealerships. Anyway, they purchased this model A for 100 pounds plus a NEW Ford Prefect in 1957 [what wonderful foresight]...In the early '70's it was decided to restore the car at Gordon Hughan Ltd, NZ's oldest Ford dealership. Bernie Cheer was a mechanic employed at Hughans, and undertook the restoration in his spare time.
For a period, I lived next door to Bernie, a very knowledgeable guy about old Fords. Anyway sometime during 2003, in order to celebrate its 100th birthday, it arrived in a fully enclosed trailer, to participate in a major Vintage car rally. As I admired this time machine, I commented to Bernie that it had one 'odd' hubcap; a brass model T hubcap, which did not match the other three originals. He said that it was missing; the closest they could find was a T 'cap. I told him, if he could supply the brass, I would manufacture a new replacement that matched the originals....he duly supplied a length of brass from which there was sufficient material to manufacture three replacements. I was rewarded with a ride in the A up the road and back.
Unreal!! I really admire these old Veteran machines, these things were revolutionary in their day, they were replacing horse drawn vehicles, which were the norm...probably much the same as alternative fuelled vehicles are making inroads into our accepted internal combustion powered cars/trucks today.
Sorry, a bit off topic, but it is pertaining to Ford history.