Jeff, my comment was probably more tongue in cheek than anything however, for me personally there is not the thrill to just drive one like there is for others. Personally, I prefer to drive or tour in brass-era cars as they are more of a vehicle that you ride on, --instead of inside. Even then, I don't get my cars out to just 'joy ride' but would rather be touring with a group of friends. My preference is to drive for around 45 minutes and then stop to fellowship for 15 minutes while we are either viewing something or eating ice cream!
I also need to be quick to point out that my occupation generally affords/finds me test driving a Model-A at some point about every week. Therefore my circumstances are probably different than most, but on the same hand I must confess that it has been years since I have been on an 'A' tour with our local Model-A club. In a nutshell, their history of touring has been rather chaotic where the modified cars ran off from the restored (stock) cars with the route or destination not always known by all participants, ...and this created some very hard feelings within the club. (I have heard this very complaint from other clubs around the country too) As a result, my local club has focused more on picnics and just club meetings. Nothing wrong with that I suppose but just not my cup of tea.
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Originally Posted by hardtimes
'y'all' missed the point altogether from my above comments !
6000 +/- TOTAL of these cars were made...in the whole world !!
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You are very correct that it is a rare car, and worth preserving. I have seen this particular car in person and spent about 30 minutes looking it over on the top and the bottom. Yes I totally agree with all three of you regarding the car's condition. The car has had a repaint in the past, ...and the paint now is not all that strong IMPO. The original interior was worn enough that it replaced with a L/B interior. At the time I viewed the car, Bill was closing down his shop and he thought the material that came out of the car was still there. It has since been determined that it may be lost. The overdrive set-up really only harmed a floorboard. The bottom line is the car is due a complete restoration to be considered a top-notch car. Where this car really shines is there is not any rust to speak of on the undercarriage. For someone wanting to perform a correct restoration, all of the fasteners underneath should easily come loose with just a set of wrenches. This means they can be reused, ...which is important for someone wanting to do an authentic restoration. The same with mirrors, seat springs, brackets, ash trays, etc., ....they are all in very nice shape and should be very easy to restore by a home restorer. It is also very possible the wood is intact in this car and can be reused however if not, it is perfect for a home restorer to easily duplicate. The same goes for the sheetmetal, and all of the mechanical parts such as spindle bolts, brake rods, shackles, and the like that cost so much in time & $$ to find suitable pieces that are restorable. That is why some of us who have seen this vehicle in person feel that while it has been modified, it really has not been 'damaged'.