Terry Bond

And a few more...

Here are some pics from the last two tour days. Thursday was another hot one, but the shaded roads through the countryside were once again welcome. The coffee was not in such big demand at the coffee stops in the morning, but the cold packs and bottled water provided by the hosts was most welcome throughout the day. I saw a couple of flat tires, but didn't see anyone with a problem that couldn't be fixed except perhaps one model A that just wouldn't run well and needed the trailer. Friday was a short day finishing up at noon after navigating three wonderful covered bridges. The roads on Friday were a bit more Model T friendly with fewer steep climbs and not so many stop signs. We enjoyed the chance to motor on a few miles without having to worry about fast approaching directions to keep us occupied. There was enough time to get the car put away, hit a nice antique mall nearby and find a few automobilia goodies for the collection(s). The banquet was great - another excellent meal! I think everyone is ready to go again, especially in cooler weather, but aside from that the hospitality was fantastic, the food great, the scenery amazing and it was a tour to remember. Enjoy the photos and we'll see you on the road again. Terry

I think that our President Tom Cox expressed it quite well during his remarks on the just completed Vintage Tour (see meets and tours section on this forum for a great picture of all the young folks on the tour). Tom acknowledged what many feel - The biggest problem is all of us not taking individual responsibility for trying to attract younger folks and newer members. The subject has been debated here endlessly and often takes different paths - how do you define "restoration" "old-car" "antique-car" even "How you define youth." This past week I met people entering the hobby much later in life as well. Several folks on the tour got into the hobby later in life thanks to the efforts of friends, neighbors and business acquaintances. For those new members on their first tour, extending the hand of friendship will be help their continued enjoyment. There are a lot of complainers out there waiting for the major clubs to do something - truth is those clubs are doing a lot, but it remains the individual responsibility of each of us to do something to keep our hobby alive-not just sit around the campfire complaining about it. So, let me ask the question - what are we individually doing to help gain new and/or younger members?

More tour info coming shortly. We're home now and trying to download all the pics and organize them. Our Grandaughter Taylor and Grandson Jack had their cameras in action too, and with Susan and I snapping pics between navigating and keeping the Model T under control it was quite a chore to snap on-the-road shots like we did. There were times when I was using both feet, both hands, young Jack was at the carb mixture control and Susan was shouting out directions as fast as she could turn the pages while Taylor kept the camera operating and kept telling us to "look at that" as we passed history on the road. It was a full week of driving and if anyone has not driven a T on a tour before, it can be a pretty busy experience, not to mention tiring in the heat we experienced. Hats-off to Sugarloaf Mountain Region for all their hard work and attention to detail. We learned at the closing banquet how they stepped up to the plate and took on this event, which was a combination of a lot of tours they had done over the years. They rose to the occasion back in 2007 when asked to host a tour simply because they are a region with a lot of tours each year. They did it again when it looked like we might not have one this year and again, there was a little something from all the tours they've done, including the 2007 event. So - the message to other Regions and Chapters out there is - please share the fun with the rest of us. Please share the history of your town or area with us. Please share those private car collections (and trains, tractors, bicycles, gas engines, etc.etc.). Please let us enjoy your favorite restaurant or ice-cream shop. Don't forget those antique shops too! So many club are already doing great tours and we'd all love to share the fun. I think the Buzzards Breath Touring Region motto says it all - Touring is not a spectator sport. More later when we get those photos sorted out later this evening. Terry

And a couple more pics...

Got behind posting - we were having too much of a good thing and ended up going to bed early. Amazing how the heat takes it out of ya. Wed was a shorter day of touring, just around 70 miles or so. First stop was at Gladhills John Deere dealership for the traditional coffee stop. While the donuts went quickly there wasn't too much interest in hot coffee! By 10Am it was already around 90 degrees and the humidity has been providing us with "feels-like" 100 degree heat indexes according to the TV weather-guessers. Gladhills was quite a museum. Antique tractors, farm equipment, stationary engines, even old fire engines were on display. We had a change to take a comfort break in their air conditioned show room before departing on some great shady backroads to Hatties Garage, home of Rob Birchill. A bit of a personal note here - I first began enjoying old cars in Port Huron Michigan at about 7 years of age. There was a place there called Burchills Antique Auto Parts, and there were always neat old cars there. I couldn't get my dad to stop often enough when we were out someplace. Now, the collection resides at Robs place in Burkittsville, Maryland. It was quite a garage full of cars and memorabilia. As was mentioned by David, the nice cool office and "museum" was filled with tourists trying to beat the heat. For anyone contemplating organizing a tour, you can't do much better than a lunch stop at a church. The food and hospitality are always great. That was the case at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. What a great town - complete with historic buildings and even an open and thriving general store circa 1900s, with antiques on display and for sale. The day ended early and everyone freshened up for a wonderful evening at the Wineberg Theater. The silent move, accompanied by the original organ made for a nice evening. Of course silent moves are filled with old cars chasing around. Thursday, it was another brutally hot day with long slow climbs and winding roads. Just before departing we managed to line up all the youngsters on the tour for a group shot. Tours this time of year are great because the kids are out of school and can come along for the ride. They are all car nuts! The early cars got another good workout today. We chose to park the T today and take the kids to a museum in the afternoon, but made the trip with the group in the morning ambling over to Emittsburg Maryland, the campus of Mount Saint Mary's university and Grotto of Lourdes. There was some fantastic scenery along the way and another great break at Middletown United Methodist Church. Lunch was an all you can eat buffet at the Mountain Gate restaurant. So far just a few troubles despite the tremendous heat. Some vapor lock issues, Herb Oakes is now ready to go with bands tightened and a new wheel bearing, and we heard of at least one car battery that managed to explode (no damage apparently). Tomorrow is our "covered bridge" tour day and we'll take in three historic covered bridges, finishing our week around noonish. We've got a ton of pics to go through but here are a few from the past couple of days.

Today was brutally hot - 95 with a heat index over 100. Shady country roads were a real treat. The T motored along nicely but we all got a good workout on a couple of very steep uphill runs, as well as some challenging downhill stretches. Keeping the bands adjusted was a requirement. Like was promised, my left leg got a real workout as there were several long stretches that had to be completed in low gear. If you've never driven a T up a steep hill, it's a real test of man and machine! Art and Margaret Morra kept that 1910 Huppmobile chugging right along nicely. It's the oldest car on the tour. Jeff and tracy Lesher had their 1915 Overland chugging right along with Augie and Jack enjoying every mile. There are quite a few youngsters enjoying the tour and we hope to have a group picture taken tomorrow morning. ! Today we actually went through three river valleys and managed to cross through three Maryland counties, then into Virginia, West Virginia, and back again. We crossed the Potomac River on several occasions, the last time on cable drawn ferry. Highlights included a stop at historic Harpers Ferry, lunch at a fantastic restrant called "Blue Ridge Grill" in Lesburg and trips through historic Burkitsville and a trip through one of the most fascinating old towns I've ever seen - Woodford. There isn't a home or building in this little crossroads community newer than mid 1800s and they are all exactly as they were originally built. I guess this would be the HPOF row in an antique home show! No kidding, it was like driving through a movie set, or going back in time. There were a few cars that needed to be rescued today but most of the problems seemed to be vapor lock from the heat and I believe everyone was up and running again before the day was finished. Tomorrow we're visiting some collections of cars, antique tractors, and then our evening will be in the historic Wineberg Theater where we will be treated to silent movies accompanied by the original Wurlitzer pipe organ. We're having a great time on the back roads, and able to beat the heat thanks to the efforts of the Sugarloaf Mountain Region. Everyone was provided with a nice large insulated bag and each morning we fill it with frozen freezer packs and cold bottled water. We drank all the water just in time to fill the back with some wine purchased at our last stop of the day - the Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. This evening grandson Jack and I checked the car out, adjusted the bands, polished a little brass and got things ready for another day of fine touring. Enjoy a few pics. Terry

Day one is now in the history books here is Frederick Md! The back roads were fantastic and the scenery was wonderful. It was really hot, and supposed to get even hotter, but we started with some great shady roads, crossing one-lane bridges, and snaking through some beautiful farm country. Coffee stop was at Riley's Lock along the old C&O Canal. We had a good mix of cars - 36 total ranging from a 1910 Hupmobile to a 1931 Packard. Suzie and Mike Manhez brought along a fantastic original 1927 Buick with just over 26000 miles on it. It was amazing to see the original paint, striping remnants and trimming. There were a couple of hills that challenged our 14T. We'd prefer a running start, but from a stop sign, it's hard to get up to speed. Still, the T performed wonderfully and seemed to enjoy the run. There were some minor roadside adjustments, and one electrical issue that still needs to be diagnosed, but everyone seemed to run well. A real challenge was the afternoon run into the Nation's Capitol - Washington DC. Cheers go out to members of the Sugarloaf Mountain Region for doing this a few weeks in advance of the tour to help mount display antique cars in opposition to the implementation of E-15. The run into the city was smooth and surprisingly free of what you'd expect Monday in DC to be like. Who would have guessed there were still some "back roads" into the city? Tomorrow were looking forward to more country roads through some small towns that time has passed by. I included a pic of Grandaughter Taylor and Grandson Jack on their first AACA tour. They have some company too - a good thing to see. I'll try to keep my promise to Wayne Burgess and post some more info as the week progresses, but meantime here are a couple of pics to make you wish you were here.

Not MG - here is a chart of wheels currently available through Moss Motors - it'll help eliminate a lot of possibilities for you. Terry [TABLE=width: 258] <COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 125pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 5944" width=167><COL style="WIDTH: 133pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 6286" width=177><TBODY>[TR] [TD=class: xl63, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 4", 48 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl64, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Austin-Healey 100, 3000 thru BJ7[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MG TD-TF[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGA[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR2-3A[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 15" x 4", 48 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Austin-Healey 100, 3000 thru BJ7[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MG TD-TF[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGA[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR2-3A[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 4.5", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Austin-Healey 3000 BJ7 from 24367 & BJ8[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MG TD-TF Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGA Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR2-3A Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR4-4A[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 15" x 4.5", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Austin-Healey 3000 BJ7 from 24367 & BJ8[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MG TD-TF Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGA Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR2-3A Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR4-4A[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 5", 72 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Heavy Duty Option[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGC[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 15" x 5", 72 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Heavy Duty Option[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGC[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 19" x 2.5", 48 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MG TC[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 19" x 2.5", 48 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MG TC[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 14" x 4.5", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGB[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 14" x 4.5", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGB[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 14" x 5.5", 72 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGB Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 14" x 5.5", 72 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]MGB Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 13" x 4", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Sprite/Midget[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 13" x 4", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Sprite/Midget[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 13" x 4.5", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Spitfire MKIV & 1500[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 13" x 4.5", 60 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Spitfire MKIV & 1500[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 5.5", 72 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR250/6[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 15" x 5.5", 72 spoke[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR250/6[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 5.5", 70 center laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]TR250/6 Heavy Duty[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 5", 72 inner and outer laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series II[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 6", 72 inner and outer laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series III[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 5", 72 inner and outer laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag MKII[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 5.5", 72 triple laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag MKII[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 15" x 5.5", 72 triple laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag MKII[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 6", 72 triple laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag MKII[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Painted Wire Wheel - 15" x 6", 72 triple laced spokes[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag MKII[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 6.5", 72 center laced spokes (tubeless design)[/TD] [TD=class: xl66, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series II[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl67, width: 167, bgcolor: white]Chrome Wire Wheel - 15" x 6.5", 72 center laced spokes (tubeless design)[/TD] [TD=class: xl68, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag E-Type Series I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: xl69, bgcolor: white] [/TD] [TD=class: xl70, width: 177, bgcolor: white]Jag MKII[/TD] [/TR] </TBODY>[/TABLE]

Planning to be there with you Art. They always do a great job hosting these events. Just coming to judge and visit. Will probably do a CJE if the let me again. Terry

Got one in my collection. Tell me more about your interest in Hagstrom? Do you collect plugs or just interested it items made in Lindsborg? I'll try to get a pic of my plug and post it this coming weekend. Terry

Most certain it's carriage. The leather cover makes me believe it is not automobile. Automobile clocks were generally encased in brass and the case was made to mount on a flat dash so it would be angled up so the driver or navigator could see it. There were some clocks mounted in passenger compartments of early cars and Brewster did make a lot of bodies for chauffeur driven vehicles. Generally though the were really fancy and the clocks were mounted as a part of a vanity set that might include a place for cigarettes, matches, a note pad or even a small flask. This clock and mount were probably for a fancy carriage with a rear passenger enclosure. Brewster was making coaches and buggies long before they got into the automobile related business. Terry

Not to be confused of course with the Austin Automobile Company which started in Grand Rapids, Michigan in about 1901... The Colorado Tour sounds like it was great fun Wayne, wished I'd been able to join in. Terry

Gary, I'm just now finishing up some wheels for a Model T. I've done them before and had great results from West System. It goes on easy (but work quickly!) and flows out nicely. Best of all, it sands like a dream! I gave it one good coat, sanded with 240 to level it, smoothed with 400, then primed w/conventional automotive primer. After another sanding and some touch up with fine paper, topcoated with black acrylic and a hardner. Looks beautiful right out of the gun and is very durable. In reference to the question above re "swelling" of the wood, it won't happen as the wood used in making wheels is very dense with tight grain. Bill Calimer did my wheels and I know he kiln dries them to a specific moisture content that is pretty stable once topcoated. I won't have to worry about recoating them in my life-time unless I let a tire iron slip and chip something. I know of several folks who have also used this resin/hardner coating on wood bodies with good results. It's used extensively in marine repair, boat-building, etc. Drop in at your local marine supply business and talk with them about it, or get their users/tech manual for info. Terry

I always enjoyed spending visiting time with Bruce. Last time was up at New Kent for the British Car Show where his Rolls Royce was proudly displayed right up front. He did so much to help with the old car hobby here in Va in the early days and was such a gentleman. Thank goodness his family carries forward the tradition as they are all involved in old cars here in the Old Dominion and across the country. Rest in peace Bruce, your memory will live on a long time here. Terry & Susan Bond

I have known Matt for a number of years and had the pleasure of visiting a T bird he was restoring recently. He is doing some fantastic work and still smiling so he must have it figured out. I think for anyone in the restoration business, word-of-mouth advertising can't be beat! Terry

I recently added this nice piece of music to my collection. I've got a number of music sheets with songs about specific cars, and some others that just show an auto image drawn by an artist who had nothing particular in mind except a generic rendering of an early auto. This one is different. It uses a photo type image of an early speedster type car - Simplex? Mercer? I'm not sure - not a chain drive car, interesting demountable wheels. Any thoughts on what it is? Date on the music is 1909 and it's published by a company in Springfield Mass. Terry

Hi Gary, sure would like to find a Moyer pin. Have you ever seen one? I have no idea of what was manufactured. Looking forward to seeing a Hershey! Terry

Steve made a good point about the signs - we've got a couple and are getting ready to order a few more to cover the rest of the collection that we show. They are great and a nice thing about them is they are standardized is size and general appearance. I like to try to photo the sign along with the car so I have the detail. I highly recommend them! Terry

Nice post Pat. Sorry we didn't get more time to visit at Carlisle. Several of us did partake of a suitable adult beverage in honor of Howard and so many of us have entire books we could write about our time with AACA and Howard. For us it goes back to the early 70s when Susan and I arrived in Baltimore courtest of the US Navy. We immediately sought out Chesapeake Region AACA and attended an event at Black Rock with Art and June Rutledge. Howard was there, along with Earl and Judy, Murrel Smith, and so many others that were instrumental in making us feel welcome and a part of AACA and the club there in Baltimore. Howard was quite a guy and made a big impression on us immediately. Later when he became National Training Director for judging I presented him with a slight delima - I was going to be sent overseas and didn't want to loose my judging credits (all 5 of them) while I was away, so I wrote him a letter explaining that. He quickly replied, and was the first person I ever heard thank me for my service! Of course I kept my credits and over the years, although we went separate ways and saw less of each other we always managed a few minutes to catch up whenever we could. I had the pleasure of serving briefly with him on the Board and never will forget the sense of pride that was obvious in him. He was certainly opinionated and not unwilling to express himself, but he respected that in return. I know I'll miss him but like you said Pat, there is going to be one heck of a tour at the end of our road and we'll be pleased to be in company with those you mention. Terry

I'm almost positive the horn in the pic is a reproduction item made as a fantasy piece. I've handled a lot of original brass car horns and have a few nice ones in my collection, and the one pictures looks like a typical "made in India" piece. One good way to tell is by the weight of the brass itself. The reproductions are much thinner and lighter. Additionally, I'm looking at the brackets and they look like just simple metal tabs soldered onto the born. Real period horns have much more substantial mounting bracketry. If there is no makers name, serial number or country of origion stamped on it somewhere it's another pretty good clue that it's a modern "taxi horn." I have also collected early auto accessory catalogs for years that depict brass lamps, horns, etc. and there isn't anything there similar to what is pictured. It's a nice "tooter" for the purpose it's been used for but I don't believe it's an antique auto part. Glad to see Marty blowing his horn! He is AACA's best trumpet player by far. I tried to keep up with him a while back during an impromptu jam session in Moline but years of inactivity quickly showed. Terry

Right on Chris-these things were very popular at one time. I have one in my collection that was reprinted in the 1950s by an auto insurance company as a novelty item. They were also used as log-books for motoring trips, and I've got one very early one that has blank pages with columns titled "# of people injured; # of animals killed, Repairs made, etc.etc. I've got the one you pictured and like yours, it's in wonderful condition and the illustrations are great. Terry

Sure wish I could be there. Used to attend at Cowtown market when my Son lived over in Mt.Holly as it was a a good spot to come visit the day before and then swoop in for some bargains. Found a lot of great stuff there over the years and remember always coming home with a nice sign a few good old spark plugs and some other memorabilia. I remember it was always jam packed with people, even on the coldest days. Sure would like to see some photos and get a report following the event. Maybe I can get back again next year? Darned too few good old fashioned swap meets anymore. By the way, I'm overdue in providing a report on our own small swap meet here in Tidewater Va. Terry

I'm enjoying the AACA magazine articles on Barney Pollard - was he a hoarder or a collector? Whatever he was, thank goodness. Steve is right on - thanks also to LeRoy Hartung for what he did-and didn't he sure enjoy it while he was alive. The article obviously served it's purpose, stimulating conversation. Now back to ebay...and American Pickers comes on later... Terry

It's a pattern for a casting that's been turned into a sign. Can't find anything on the company searching Google so it must no longer exist.