Paul Dobbin

I went to Moscow in January of 1970 as a student tourist. COLD! Our tour bus was about a 20 passenger model that heated the passenger compartment with exhaust. Needless to say we kept the windows open while listening to the tour guide tell us how advanced the USSR was compared to America. (She knew there were 3 Americans among the 16 German students on the bus.) That was the height of the Cold War and we enjoyed the week there, but were not real impressed with their cars or their politics. The subway stations were palatial, with marble an fancy architectural features from churches and the Czars palaces, pre-1917. We were not impressed with cars on the streets, except the Mercedes of the government officials.

35 years ago I bought my 6 Volt 1966 VW Bug. It had lived it's entire life (23 years) as a 6 Volt VW in a retirement trailer park in Florida. Owned by an elderly couple since 1966 it was kept in a carport until the old man died and the wife drove it until she went in a nursing home. The owner of the trailer park bought the trailer and the VW for a song. Finding the battery was dead, he installed a 12 Volt battery and sold the car to me. I found the starter turned the engine over faster than any of my previous VW"s and the headlights and turn signals were really bright too. I fixed all that with a new 6 Volt battery and a new 6 Volt ground cable. Then we enjoyed the car for 34 years on many AACA Tours, all with a 6 Volt electrical system.

i have a friend with 23 cars, a car guy. His first wife had a 1930 Model A Ford 4 door. He lost her and the Model A ]to a divorce He married his second wife, who was a widow with a 1930 Model Ford 4 door. She seems to like all antique cars and antique car tours too.

I can agree with all that, but I still miss my 57 Corvette, that was stick shift and my first 240Z that was also stick. My antique cars are all stick shift and I enjoy the shifting, which is part if the fun of driving 90 year old cars. Especially the early flathead Ford V8's. A flathead V8 with automatic would sound like a sick blender. (Mild glass pack mufflers are also an important part of the V8 affair) A friend here, just sold his 5 speed on the floor 1999 Tahoe that he bought new 35 years ago, one of 5 built by Chevrolet. A great SUV that he replaced with a 710 HP Durango with the Hellcat V8. Another fun ride! (The Tahoe still looked and rode like new)

This whole discussion is why I like the Driver Participation Class. I flunked out of HPOF for window decals on my well traveled old VW. My "VW 66 Bug" European license tag on the front was another deduction. Now our 34 Ford has water transfer window decals from the 29 States we've toured in with AACA, but driving is way more fun than showing and winning dust collecting trophies. IMHO.

This Saturday we got invited to bring a 20's car to a "Speakeasy" party in a country club on Cruso. NC. I couldn't find a 20's car willing to drive the 50 miles to be the decoration for he party, but they said a 1934 Ford like Bonnie & Clyde had would be fine because they didn't know the difference anyway. So we took the 34 Ford in exchange for accomodations in a 2 bedroom home, dinner, drinks, dancing and entertainment by a 5 person band playing 20's music. Almost all the participants came in period costumes, as did we and many photos done in front of the car at the front door. Sunday morning we came home after a big complementary breakfast in the club restaurant. A good time was had by all.

I remember in the 70's and 80's the Model A & T Clubs had meets there and drove in the Village. In 1993, The Great American Race went there for lunch in the Museum and we drove are cars right in front of the Henry Ford Museum. While we were eating, the ESPN crew installed a big camera in the back seat of our 1935 Chrysler Airflow. That afternoon's film footage became the comic relief for the ESPN TV special for the 1993 Race. We brought about 120 antique cars right into the village.

I'm sure glad to see that the really old cars till have a place to go and have fun with other really old cars. Many local shows have everything from a Model A Ford to a new 700 HP factory hot rod. It's just not the same. Makes me want another car that's over 90 years old while wishing I see being over 90 myself. My mother made it, but my father didn't. I still regret selling my 1915 Model T and trading my 1915 Grant, (which were both built a year after my father's birth.) Thanks to all who took the time to take the pictures and share them

Forty years ago, Horne's Cars of Yesterday in Sarasota FL had one in it's museum and was auctioning it off. I really wanted it, a nice finished car that sold above my ability to buy, but still reasonable. It's always been one that got away. I had a finished 1931 Model A, a finished 1934 V8 Ford, and 1915 Model T in progress and no space, but I wanted it anyway. It was a different looking car in a creamy yellow tan.

The AACA is the Antique Automobile Club of America, that I was referring to. Is the Crusade one of their activities? A AACA Chapter or Region of the Antique Car Club of America is the group I was trying to get you involved in.

I like to polished one! I once saw a original Cobra in polished aluminum at the Devereaux Show in Sarasota FL. AWESOME !!!

That collector had thing for trucks! I hope some are saved form the never sleeping rust.

That's a cool story, congratulations and welcome to the AACA Forums. Louisville has to have a AACA Chapter or Region and those folks love to drive their cars too and would love a new guy to lead them for a drive in the country. When I moved to NC from Florida, I offered to lead some rides in the country to the local old car folks. They love it and I've now done almost 60 of those rides. (You can lay out a tour ahead of time in about one hour) You don't need a fancy tour, you can do a simple "Follow the Leader" ride. (We do it in age order of the cars, so that we don't drive off and leave them. The car behind me sets the pace and everybody is responsible to watch the car behind them, to make sure we don't loose anybody. ( I tell them all "to make sure the car behind you sees you turn") On bigger rides of a hour or more I type up some route directions, which include local history of things and places we pass and always find a place to end where we we can get refreshments and talk old cars You'll find that participation breeds friendships and a wealth of old car knowledge. Good Luck P. S. I went to Louisville for the NSRA Show and Rod Run in 2002 and took a antique car to their free 23 point Safety Inspection, and passed with flying colors. I also found the Street Rodders to be a very friendly bunch.

Nice old Dodge, don't wait until winter to drive and enjoy it.. i suggest planning a Leaf Peeping Tour for next month and i invite anybody with an old car to join you. There is some safety in numbers, especially when somebody has jumper cables.

The State finally banned 18 Wheelers and trailers overs 32'. My ban was imposed by my wife!

I always like small town shows and the variety of cars that show up. Thanks fir sharing.

Yesterday, Saturday Sept 7, we decided to take the challenge of the Cullajaga River Gorge Rd again to Highlands, NC. woth passengers in the back seat of the 35 Buick. On the way up we spoke of the Tail of The Dragon's 318 turns in it's 11 miles, and I asked one of the passengers to count the turn on the way back. We visited the Boscom Museum's covered bridge, stopped to see the "Butt;s on the Bench" car bunch and enjoyed a long lunch at the Blue Bike. Then on the way back home, we counted 112 turn in the 11 miles back to Franklin that compared to the 318 turns on the "Tail of the Dragon" in their 11 miles. I was glad we had radial tires! If we ever have a National Tour here, this will be on the schedule as optional. However I've done it many many times in various cars, 1913 to 1935 and a couple of times in a motorhome, towing a car (Which I'm now prohibited from doing again)

Kfle, As I said when you bought your first Cole. I know only one other Cole. That was owned by Dr. Bud Stanley of Clearwater Fl who restored it and was a regular participant in the Trans AM Tours organized by Dr. Millard Neuman of Tampa FL. Bud's car was a white 1914 Cole Touring Car with red leather interior. Not a fast car, but very durable. A very interesting car that I never heard of until then. Bud and his wife later sold the Cole and toured with a big American Made 1912 Fiat. Your project reminds me of the 1912 Regal that I found and tried for years to buy. At the time I was a regular in the Great American Races in the 1980's & 1990's and the race organizer's planned for a 100th Anniversary re-run of the Great Race of 1908, (NY to Paris) using only pre-1915 automobiles. I had hopes of competing in that rally/race in the Regal. In hind sight, after that race was cancelled, I'm glad I didn't buy that car. But. I wish you well in your restoration and Cole studies.

Stayed home on Labor Day, but today was to nice to pass up a ride in the country in our unrestored 1935 Ford Pickup. We drove to town, ran a few errands and stopped for a photo in front of Clark's Barn. This is the same barn that got us on the cover of the V8 Times 14 years ago, so we took another picture and talked about selling the truck. It ran perfect and only took about 2 miles to get the flat spots out of the tires. (Bias Ply) then stopped for another photo in front of another old barn being converted to a house.

I'm a short sitter and a tall stander, with long legs. A friend asked me to drive his 1929 Ford Model a Roadster pickup to a show for him. To get my left foot on clutch, I had to open the door when shifting. Recently, after both knees were replaced, I had to sell my 66 VW Beetle for the same reason. (Sad because we enjoyed it for 34 years.) Earlier had had to remove the package shelf in my 1931 Model A Coupe to move the seat back to gain leg room. Also moved the seat back in the 1934 Tudor for the Great Races. Recently I had the urge to again buy another brass Model T and did a seat test in a friend's 1914 and couldn't work the pedals as there is no driver's door to open on a Model T Touring. I guess in my old age, I 'm restricted to cars with big doors and moveable seats.

That's a sensible idea but both my early V8's are running great right now. I'd hate to take a good one out when I know it's good. But I will take a ride in the country tomorrow just for the joy of it.

Sounds out dated to me. #1 Most States have aluminum license plates now. #2 Many states use only one license plate. I'll continue to carry a snot rag, just in case.

I now have 6 spares and maybe on the next big tour I'll find out which ones to pitch. Roadside repairs sometimes need to be repeated! Thanks for all the technical stuff which was way over my head and is already forgotten, THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO TEST A CONDENSER!

Our unrestored 1935 Ford Pickup came from Trempealeau, WI where it and it's brother truck, a 1936 Ford Flatbed, were decorated for Halloween as the BOO BROS. in about 1970, by the farmers children. I bought it in 1989 and left the BOO BROS. on the doors. It's been a great truck in all seasons.

That's David Kleptz & Wayne Wiley in the 1988 Great American Race Disneyland to Boston, 4047 miles.