The Road to Ocala!!

[R W Burgess]

We also had lunch at NPS, National Parts Depot. This company is well know for their many restoration parts for Chevy's and Ford's. We checked out Mr. Schmidt's wonderful antique car collection, most very low milage cars, some with less than 1000 miles on them. 75% have their original paint finishes, and all looked perfect to me.

Our group parked at Don Garlits Museum. We had a couple of people stop by to see if Don was having "his" cars on display outside today. We filled their parking lot with our own little car show.

[R W Burgess]

Gotta go get pretty guys. Our banquet is tonight, and I like good food and better company. I even brought my dark socks to m ake Earl happy. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wayne

[R W Burgess]

For those members interested, I spoke to Bruce Henry tonight about his burnt Mercury. Grundy has gotten the car moved to another location until settlement. Bruce feels confident that they will take care of him. I will be calling him in about two weeks to find the outcome. Will report back at that time.

Night all!

Wayne

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Thank you very much, Wayne, for your time & effort to give us daily photos & commentary during the tour.

Have a good trip home...

Peter J... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Shop Rat]

Wayne, That indoor shot of the cars looks really nice. Well lit, dry, no mud or rain puddles. (Hmmm...wonder just how much space there really is inside Giant Center?!?<img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)

[ex98thdrill]

I agree, thanks for the pictures and updates, but have a SAFE trip home.

I hope things work out on the Merc.

MC, I know Marshall has two Model T's, but I only mentioned one in singular form because I've only seen him able to drive one at a time. To see Marshall in anything other than a Model 'T' or a motor home seems out of place.

[1937hd45]

Gee, You could have at least posted a photo of the outside of The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, a life time of collecting and he's still snubed by AACA. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[MCHinson]

I was just trying to mess with you.... and let me say again, with the exception of the Motorhome, I have never seen Marshall drive such a modern car. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[ex98thdrill]

Me neither!!

[Dynaflash8]

Both of the 39 Buick's made the whole tour and came on back to Sebring under their own power with almost no problems. Earl got some water in a load of gas and the blue car barfed on it a bit and barfed it out, but after that ran really well. Bob & Ruth Trueax (CA) drove the yellow '39 all week and reported no problem except an out of round tire that bounced if Earl drove too fast when they were following. On the down side, both 39's got the worst of the reported gas mileage on the tour, with the yellow one getting 12.049 mpg and the blue one 12.094 mpg. It was quite a sight to see the two 1940 Buick Century convertibles running together again (Doug Seybold (OH) and Chris Johnson (CT)) as they did on the 2004 Sentimental Tour in Virginia

[Dynaflash8]

No Wayne, it is not a '50s Buick, but what it is I won't say because I left a note in an antique shop with a lady who knows the lady, offering to buy it sight unseen.

[R W Burgess]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <span style="font-weight: bold">It was quite a sight to see the two 1940 Buick Century convertibles running together again </span> </div></div>

It was neat seeing your two 1939 Buicks together on the road too, Earl. We got home at 11:00pm last night, really tired. Too much partying the night before? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Earl is in the blue 39 while Bob Trueax from California is driving Earl's yellow '39, third in line "ahead".

Gloria and I are looking forward to the next Sentimental Tour in Hickory North Carolina. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Added text;

The picture above was taken while on the way to Cedar Key, a small hamlet on the Gulf of Mexico. You may notice me being on the wrong side of the road. I was trying to bait Earl into racing me, but he wouldn't bite. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> I will say this part of Florida had some of the longest straight sections of backroads I have even seen. If my old Chevy would track straight, I wouldn't have had to touch the steering wheel.

I might also relate that just before we got on this highway, we had passed through a small town called Dunnellon(had a Wal-Mart, though) that had us tourers confused, to say the least. Not making fun of you Gene Roy, (I really think the printing company left out a paragraph of directions), but as we made the first right, we came to an intersection that said "bear right", it was a hard right! It also said there would be a Circle K on the right????????

There wasn't a Circle K within 10 miles that we could find. So, as we'll all checking our directions again, we end up having more tourers catch up with us, also looking puzzled. At one time, at that intersection, we had cars going in four directions, passing each other going in the "opposite direction", and even old Earl was headed straight ahead once with the sign beside me saying, "DEAD END" ahead. It was great, like the Keystone Kops. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wayne

[Dynaflash8]

Wayne, don't your remember? Randy Stone corrected me on the 2008 Sentimental Tour. It will be hosted out of Burlington, NC, not Hickory. I'm glad too! The name Hickory always reminds me of my imperfect youth. My Dad always kept a hickory switch nearby to keep me in line. He never had to use it, either. He'd say, "Do you want me to get the hickory switch?" That was good enough to get my attention.

[R W Burgess]

It's burnout, Earl. I can't even remember my own name sometimes, Lloyd! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[ex98thdrill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The name Hickory always reminds me of my imperfect youth. My Dad always kept a hickory switch nearby to keep me in line</div></div>

We didn't have Hickory tree near our house, so in my case it was the yard stick from Bennett Hardware. The hardware store has been gone out of town for 25 years, but every time I see a Bennett Hardware yard stick and it's more than a foot long I often think "how did that survive." <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

[R W Burgess]

I guess all of us remember this picture of the Bruce Henry Mercury on fire near Ocala in October.

This is a picture of the Mercury during a local club tour before the Sentimental Tour. I called Bruce today and he informed us all that the Grundy Insurance Company has settled the insurance claim with a "check in the mail". :0

Bruce said he had a stated claim policy with Grundy and that the car was appraised by the insurance company at about the same value as the stated claim. They considered it a total loss and have closed the claim.

Good news for the Henry's and anyone else that holds a Grundy policy. Bruce said he was treated with respect on the phone and everything was handled in a timely manner. He will still be a Grundy policyholder for the future.

Bruce and his wife, Gloria, are in the market for another antique car.

Final thoughts on this matter; a fire extinguisher is important for an antique car owner, but a reliable insurance company is a MUST!!

Wayne

[R W Burgess]

Final winners and thoughts!

The "gotta take the family" award (my designation <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) for the Family Award, Larry, Darrel, Sally <span style="font-weight: bold">Cole</span> , and of course, Jessica Wilson. They were riding all week in a beautiful 1955 Oldsmobile 98.

David and Victoria Kontor of Latrobe, PA won an award for the best family tourers. Victoria could be seen around the hotel daily doing her homework...she really was Mom! David was sporting around in his very special 1932 Hupmobile Cabriolet, a real beauty.

The "I've been to every Sentimental Tour Award"! Pictured in no particular order ; Pat and Leonard Paquette, Earl and Judy Beauchamp, Gene and Marilyn Roy, David and Victoria Kontor, Franklin Gage and friend, Nancy Wingingland, Marshall and Brenda Van Winkle, Charlie and Ardie Froehlich, and Stu and Clarice Allen (Thanks Earl, sorry Stu!) !

The above members have been to 4 Sentimental Tours, including two tours in Virginia, one in Kentucky, and the recent Florida tour.

I want to add that Pat Paquette thought I spend too much time taking pictures, but I've been up close to about each member of this tour, and I now feel like I have made friends with each one of them, may we all have a long friendship.

Wayne

[ex98thdrill]

Thanks Wayne. It's nice to know that these companies out there take care of their customers.

One more question...

Knowing how Grundy charges by the thousand based on the insured, did these folks have the car appraised by Grundy and insured based on their appraisel prior to the fire??

We have our vehicles insured at Grundy for what we feel that they're worth. Of course we don't want to overinsure or underinsure our vehicles, but without knowing, it's worth asking. It's worth the piece of mind knowing that they took care of their customers, but of course at this point we want to make sure that we've got all of our bases covered so if something should happen to us, that we're covered, and there isn't any fine print in the policy that could bite us.

[R W Burgess]

Pat, Bruce didn't tell me, but I feel that he added the value of his car his self from whatever options available to him. From what I understand, the only time Grundy appraised the car was after the fire.

Personally, I'd put a little extra on it myself. You may pay a little more each month, but these cars are appreciating so fast now, what with the "Auctionaires Syndrome" <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> that you never kn ow what they're worth anymore.

Wayne

[ex98thdrill]

I know it. It's hard sometimes because you get auctions bringing inflated prices because you get someone there who is intentionally "bumping" the price for the seller and/or auctioneer, and sometimes you get appraisers "lowballing" something because they want it for themselves.

At this point where I'm left wondering is that if a person hires a vehicle to be restored, they could easily pay someone $50,000 to restore a car that is worth $25,000. In the event of something happening, will these companies cover it for the going rate, or for what the investment is?? We've got everything insured for at least what our investment is, but if something happened and we had to hire someone to put it back together would it be enough?? With the constant escalation of prices on materials and labor it takes to restore these cars, what will be enough to insure your vehicles and for how long??

This whole deal is a tough decision, but hopefully none of us will ever be put into that spot.

[Ron Green]

Quote; "At this point where I'm left wondering is that if a person hires a vehicle to be restored, they could easily pay someone $50,000 to restore a car that is worth $25,000. In the event of something happening, will these companies cover it for the going rate, or for what the investment is??"

Recently after negotiating with my (unnamed) antique auto carrier who many of us use, here is how I understand the answer to your (great) question. After a certain agreed upon $ figure they will require another set of photos and a appraisal from a certified company that will determine your vehicles worth.

If you push the envelope for value they will only go so far and stop. They compare auction prices and typically throw out BJ's results and overall do a decent job in determining value. So if you have a vehicle worth 25K you might be able to insure it for 30K but never much more. If they allowed people to carry twice as much insurance as what a antique vehicle is worth it would probably invite many a crook into the antique car hobby.

The people that grossly overspend on restorations will have problems, but then again they typically don't have cash issues.

[ex98thdrill]

Good point Ron.

I guess in a simpler form, if your car either burned or was involved in an accident, it could cost you $20,000 to fix it, but it could cost the insurance company $40,000 to fix it if the vehicle was taken to a shop to get fixed. I'm not an appraiser by any means, but I'd be willing to bet that if you had to pay someone to put your Pontiac completely back together, you couldn't do it for much less than $60,000. Knowing what I paid for my last chrome job, I'd be willing to bet that it would cost you $20,000 just to rechrome what you've got, let alone locate new parts and pay someone to install it.

I guess at this point I'm not worried about the insurance company covering the parts, it's more a case of the labor rates that concerns me. An individual from my region had one of his cars catch fire, the damage was minimal, the car was insured through JC Taylor, and they took care of him. They allowed him to enough money to buy NOS hood for his car and not Repro, but they would not allow this person to fix any of the car himself. They made him take the car to a regular shop before they'd cut him a check.

Hopefully this issue will never affect me, but having several vehicles, doing the work ourselves, and the sentimental standpoint that I have towards some of them, I'd only want to be able to put everything back together if something bad happened. The truck that pulls the trailer to the meets doesn't bother me, but the 'iron' inside the trailer is a concern.

[Dynaflash8]

Exdrill: You must be going to the wrong chrome shop, is all I can say. All of the chrome on my wife's '56 Buick was under $6500 and it was as good or better than any chrome work I've ever seen. In the case of a total, if you've sentimentally spent more than the car is worth, then I guess you can't expect but what you can expect. On the other hand, you can't restore any car for what those books say they are worth restored, even if you do it yourself or have Joe do it in his home garage. Hopefully, the insurance companies know that, and I think most of those who represent us do. Of course you have to stay away from the standard modern car insurance companies. Consider this, some cars, not so well restored, have higher value in the books then they're worth if you sell them, only because of what they are. Let's hope it all works out to a good average in the end.