A495 and a Three Digit Seminar

[dean from bozeman]

As an insomniac I do have some time tonight to finally read comments on Fordbarn and write this post. Please don't comment to this post. If you want to say anything please contact me at [email protected].

1. Thank you Canadians for a truly awesome meet. I've only been to a dozen or so national (international?) meets and yours was as good as any.

2. For those of you who want to see A495, it will be on display at the MAFFI Model A Museum at the Gilmore Museum near Kalamazoo, Michigan. If you have never been to the Gilmore Museum and enjoy antique cars of all types, then you need to make that pilgrimmage.

3. Next summer, I will pick up A495 from the MAFFI museum and use it as a prop for a three digit seminar that I will be giving at the national (international?) MARC meet in Toledo. I will soon be requesting to give the same seminar at the MAFCA meet in Denver 2016. There seems to be a lot of interest in these early cars thus the reason for the seminar.

4. Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, Joe Montana...no, I am not going to get into any debate on who was best. As far as I am concerned most of those p*ssing matches are done into a healthy wind anyway. However, let me say that when I returned to my seat after receiving the award A495 received in Niagara Falls, I had to keep myself from crying like a baby. I was almost overcome with emotion. For I realize that this car was a collaboration with men like Dave Cella, Dave Lopes, Roy Nelson, Steve Ciccalone, Mick Isbell, Fred Gooding and Mark Welch, all who are no longer with us but were major contributors of parts, information, support and friendship. Mark Williamson, Bill Sturm, Gary Karr, Mike Gooding, Jim Brand, Steve Ryan, Doc Kalinka and others were also major contributors but, fortunately, I have the opportunity to call them and thank them.

A495 ("the Odd Duck") is a pile of metal and rubber and fabric. You will be able to see that at the museum or a national meet. But for me A495 is more than that. It is a symbol of those friendships developed along the way. What it represents to me cannot be debated.

Dean

[clo2jim]

Will look forward to seeing it again in Toledo - Great car

I friend of mine has a 28 Sport Coupe with open bumpers on the front - left parking brake, etc. The next time I am in Nova Scotia I will get more details - it may even be a Canadian built car but I will not know for sure until I see it again

[Rowdy]

With some luck I will make it to Denver in 2016. Still fighting many uphill battles at once, so no promises. Rod

[dean from bozeman]

Please excuse me for adding Ron Rude and Marcy Cella to those who I have/will call. I am sure that there are more but my mind is working slower as my age gets higher.

Ron is the owner of A1276 and a wonderful source for e28 information and parts.

Marcy and her late husband, Dave, owned the Coupe that won a Henry in Madison some years back. Marcy was the force behind getting the upholstery "belt" for the interior of closed e28's rewoven. She, literally, searched the world over to find thread and a weaver to reweave this important component for the e28 upholstery.

I apologize for leaving these wonderful people off of the original list.

[Mike V. Florida]

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Originally Posted by dean from bozeman

Marcy was the force behind getting the upholstery "belt" for the interior of closed e28's rewoven. She, literally, searched the world over to find thread and a weaver to reweave this important component for the e28 upholstery.

I apologize for leaving these wonderful people off of the original list.

I know a little about what it takes to have such work done.

Some years back the International Victoria Assoc. commissioned to have the rear and side curtain cloth rewoven, After some time they found a dedicated group that could get the job done. Unfortunately upon investigation to have it done again, I was told by one of the women that actually did the weaving that one the colors of thread is no longer commercially available and to have it specifically dyed would not be cost effective as the quantity required for the batch was something in the thousands of spools.

Those behinds the scenes of the cars that get the high points are often the unsung heroes of the restoration.