Melanie Harwood

This was a fun one to have around! If I didn't already have a wagon of my own I would have been asking Matt to keep this one!

Just a quick update since I think you guys want to know what's going on. The Lincoln came back from the upholstery shop today and it looks beautiful. I wanted to give full credit to Joe and Dale at InteriorMotive here in Cleveland who did the work. It turned out beautifully! If you're in the area and need upholstery work, they are a great choice. They did new carpets front and back, reupholstered the front armrests with fabric that almost matches the original, and covered the foot rests in the back seat. They also made new kick panels and repaired the corners of the door panels that were coming apart from people's feet hitting them. We chose a carpet a little darker than original to help hide dirt. The old carpets were so light that everything made a stain. They also cleaned and oiled the wood moldings which was nice of them! We will have Michael Johnson our detail expert steam clean the rest of the interior to try to clean it up a bit because some of it is really looking its age. But for original it's pretty nice! Here are a few photos. Matt and our mechanic Roman went to get the car this morning. Matt mostly just pulled into the parking lot and parked it and walked away but Roman said that it seemed to drive just fine and that they were going as fast as 60 MPH in some places so I guess it's working well. I asked Matt and he said it drove as well as an unsorted car could and that he was going to ignore the transmission noise for now since it seems to be much less audible with the thicker oil in it. It's supposed to go to the Stan Hywet Father's Day car show next month. Maybe Matt will put the front fenders and hood back on or maybe we'll just show it like this, I don't know. Now that it's back from the shop, it all depends on whether Matt feels like jumping back in and working on it. I'll know more later today after I see what kind of mood he's in. If he's happy, I'll know he's excited about the car. We'll see how this weekend turns out, he really hasn't been himself for a while now. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Hi Walt! I feel like I know you just because Matt mentions you often and always in a positive way. He thinks very highly of you and I know he enjoys your work. I do think you have kind of taken my comments a bit out of context by focusing on one word rather than the intent of my comments. I'm sure you know, Matt is the editor of "Northern Lights," the magazine for the CCCA Ohio Region and we have been putting the magazine out for more than eight years now. In fact, Matt (and our family) generate about 90% of the content. If we didn't think a printed magazine was worthwhile we wouldn't do it. So I think you've misconstrued my message. My only point (and apologies to Steve Moskowitz if they apply) was that car clubs in particular seem inclined to cling to the old ways longer than they should simply because of the demographics of their membership. There was INCREDIBLE push-back and even a lot of anger when we switched to online registration for our show. There are still some guys who refuse to use it and ask for a paper form, but literally 99% of the people have figured it out. The show is thriving and runs smoother than ever and young people are participating more than before. It works better with less work from our admittedly elderly volunteers. I'm proud of that. I didn't mean to make it about magazines. I love them and read them all. The AACA magazine is excellent and serves its membership extremely well. But just the fact that there's a whole discussion right now about incorrect pages in the most recent mailing highlights my point. Mail, envelopes, filling out forms and mailing them back worked years ago but in today's world there are tools at our disposal that not only help the recipients but also the people doing the work. And those tools, coincidentally, will help attract and retain a younger generation. That sounds like a win for everyone does it not?

My '56 Chrysler wagon is practically my daily driver from May until October as long as it isn't raining (mostly because I don't like washing it). Stores, restaurants, school, work, whatever, I just use it as a car. It's what the car wants to do!

I've had this same thought oh, about a hundred times. I've even volunteered to help the AACA adopt online registration processes and have been turned down. The regions are all operated independently, which I understand, but some guidance and a push from HQ showing them how easy and effective it truly is would be a good start. I know we've mentioned it before, but I'm the registrar of the longest-running car show in the country which attracts 450 cars each Father's Day. About 8 years ago, we switched to 100% online registration and not only did attendance NOT drop, but we had a lot of NEW participants, many of which were younger than our usual demographic. Yes, there were still plenty of old timers who wanted us to mail them an entry form that they could mail back with a check, and they do indeed wander into our shop demanding a paper form, but I usually help them with the online registration and everyone's happy. It makes my job a lot easier too. I can't imagine how much time I'd spend sorting paper, trying to decipher handwriting, cashing checks, and transferring information to a spreadsheet. With online registration, it's mostly done for me. If for no other reason, this notable improvement will save their volunteers a lot of time, regardless of the event. Just think of the size of Hershey logistics, and they're still doing it 100% with paper forms and mailed-in checks and custom envelopes for each individual. That must be an absolute nightmare to manage and requires a huge amount of time. Thers's an easier, faster, more convenient way if only they'd take the risk and give it a try. My point is that if you want young people you need to speak their language. Checks, postage, printing paper, entry forms, SASEs, magazines, etc. are not the future. Just because that's how it has always been done doesn't mean that's the way it always should be. CarNucopia is 100% right that the extra steps are roadblocks, not just an inconvenience. There's a theory called the "20 Second Rule" that says if a task requires more than 20 seconds of preparation, chances of it getting done go way down. The club needs to embrace the change and just get over the fact that a handful of old guys will complain along the way. Rip the band-aid off quickly and ensure the club's future success.

Hi Everyone! I hope my presence here is okay and that you will allow me to share an update on Matt and the Lincoln. Many of you have been following along since the car arrived and we were crushed by how inaccurately represented it was. We were SO EXCITED to get it and then ruined so soon after it arrived. When we were finally ready to start making the Lincoln part of our 'family' Matt dug in carefully with more patience than I have seen from him in our 15 years together. It has been a labor of love and hate all at the same time but I think you all know that. Most of you have been following our journey with this car so I don't need to tell you what has been going on over the past few years but every time we feel like we are close, something else kicks us. This past week, just as he was about to reach a huge checkpoint, he got another kick and had to throw his hands up and walk away. Many of you have suggested that Matt take a break but it isn't that simple. He can't just close the door to the garage and go back in a few weeks to try again because our garage is also our business. He can't take some time away from old cars and regroup because he has to show up every day and face 70 other cars that all seem to be waiting their turn to mess with him in one way or another. Fortunately, the Lincoln is out for the next few weeks at the upholstery shop getting new carpets, kick panels, and some other bits installed. That appointment was not something we wanted to miss, as we have been waiting patiently for our turn to bring the Lincoln in. So in a way, Matt is getting a forced break from the car and will be able to give some thought to what our next steps will be... when he is ready. A lot of you have been checking in on Matt and are concerned, but he is just taking the best kind of break he can which includes not being here on the message boards for a bit. I know how grateful Matt is for all of your support, encouragement, and insights while he has been on this journey. We want this car on the road. We have plans for this car in our future. I know, without question, that Matt will get us to the finish line because he always does. Thanks everyone. Matt will be back!

Trent University is such a lovely school in a beautiful area. My grandmother lived in Lakefield and my boyfriend attended Trent. My parents would "let me" go visit my boyfriend there as long as I drove my grandmother home from visits on the way. There is a lot of beautiful driving to be found in that entire area!

I think you would find London to be VERY different now! I don't know that I ever visited a hot buttered corn stand but that sounds like a good business idea for someone who isn't me! Maybe I can convince someone in my area to open one so I can visit them! 60 mile ice cream runs are good any time. Even without COVID! Don't let that stop you from keeping that going.

This could be such a GREAT trip! Before COVID we were planning to do such a thing with the driving club that we started... Harwood Road Masters... but bloody hell there was a pandemic and the border was closed. We are discussing getting it set up again but wanted to wait to make sure we would be in the clear! I should have explained our trip would be around Lake Erie with us crossing through Niagara Falls. There just isn't much, at all, to do on the north side of Lake Erie! Hopefully we can pull it off someday.

I hope others interested in attending the Buick meet will find this helpful... I just got off the phone with the host hotel. The first block of rooms was already completely sold out which is understandable. BUT the second block is only PARTIALLY available because the night of the 24th is already sold out. If you don't need a room on the night of the 24th then you have no worries, but if you do need a room for that night you'll need to look elsewhere. Additionally, there are only 7 rooms remaining for the nights of the 21st through 23rd. If you want the group rate, I'd suggest booking right away. .