tell a Model A related story

[katy]

One has to put their arm out when doing hand signals.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by History

Woofa, the next time you see this "police woman", tell her your good friend in the USA said she should consider a career in the kitchen making sandwiches.


Some women are suited for these kinds of jobs but most are horrible at them with no common sense. They seem to have horrible attitudes thinking most think they should be in the kitchen. I don't think that at all until they act like the one you've met. When they act like that there's no question where they should be. I met one myself in the state of Tennessee years ago when I drove an eighteen wheeler. She worked at the scales and did an inspection of the truck I drove. It had a seal ozing grease on the rear differential, not dripping, ozing. It was Friday evening around 5 pm and there was a garage two miles away from the scales. She wouldn't let me go there I had to call a wrecker and have it done there, costing much more money. I politely argued with her asking for permission to go to the garage and she refused in a hateful way. She finally told me the best thing I could do was leave the room which I did. I've never been arrested for anything but I know I was coming close. I'll never forget that female dog who should have been in a kitchen making sandwiches.

Hi History. The first thing, I hope I don't see this police woman again. To say her home has a kitchen without a cook may well be correct but I wouldn't tell her that. Yes I know you weren't entirely serious but just making light of it. That's okay.
My friend Ken was told by a policeman that all the police in "Highway Patrol" weren't pigs but all the pigs that are policemen are in highway patrol. I have substituted the word pigs for another pronoun starting with the letter c.
You would wonder why the police force would continue to hire these people or why they wouldn't transfer them to fleet maintenance. A small annual cleanout would give them a far better image don't you think?
To give these people authority they become drunk with their power don't they. It is little wonder that people relocate to remote communities. They don't care if Harry and Megan go bush or which party is leading prior to the coming elections. They don't know this trivia as there is no TV or newspapers. Just tranquility.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by katy

One has to put their arm out when doing hand signals.

Hi Katy. Yes I showed a picture of my Model A to the policeman accompanying the policewoman plus the magistrate. I said I needing to put my arm outside the vehicle to indicate a turn for it had no indicators. The policeman said the law made provision for this. I also showed a picture of the NSW police riding motorbikes with their entire body exposed and the policeman said this was a different matter. It did please me that in the end the policeman was humiliated. Even more so when the magistrate asked him why he bothered to issue me an infringement ticket.
When I say my prayers at night, in the God bless segment, which is mainly for my family, I will now include the magistrate.
I receive several emails following the story. Two said they could not see me changing my character or personality. Many commended me for not being intimidated by the police and my son told me not to poke the bear with a stick.

[woofa.express]

Today I was reading in a Melbourne newspaper a column where readers make short statements. Here is one from a reader name Nick.

My 1924 T model Ford will outlast the HQ. It also has enough steel in it to build three Hyundais.

Pictures in order, left to right. the T of course, the Hyundai and the GM Holden HQ.

[woofa.express]

Should I forgive GM Holden?

This is to follow story number 838 on 22 Feb.
When I started my cropspraying business in 1980 it was common practise with operators to tow a trailer which was used to mix and load pesticide into the aeroplane. A one ton vehicle was most commonly used. I elected to buy a Holden tray which was basically a motor car cab with modified gearing and a tray of course. The tray to carry pesticides and fuel.
I ordered this vehicle with a V8 and 4 speed manual transmission. Both the engine and transmission were extra money but I figured I needed them both. I don’t recall the extra cost of the V8 but do remember the transmission was an additional $700.
Shortly after taking delivery I was in the dealers show room and picked up a broacher on the vehicle I had just purchased. I saw the 4 speed transmission was standard with the V8.
Now to cut to the chase. I called GM Holden and discussed this with them and I asked for a refund for this extra when it was indeed standard. Much time was spent and cost incurred speaking to Holden’s PR man, Mr Hobbs who insisted I must pay for this extra. I continued to point out it wasn’t an extra but standard. The man wouldn’t budge. Apart from my vintage FX Holden I have never bought a Holden since.
I would have liked to have written to them in 2030, the 50th anniversary of that rip-off purchase, to enquire whether or not I should forgive them. That is assuming I’ll still be here in 2030. Now it’s not a question of whether I’ll be here but they have announced they are closing their whole Australian operation next year; thus they won’t be here. Seems like they don’t like us anymore. They are spitting the dummy and going home. It seems we like cheaper and more efficient Asian cars.

So I’ll need to write this year, the 40th year, to ask if I should forgive them. It’s unlikely I’ll find Mr Hobbs but never the less I’ll ask. Maybe I’ll even request a refund. It was a horrible vehicle anyway. 4 mpg around town and 6 on the highway. When I sold it I told the buyer the fuel consumption was horrific but he said he could fix that. My cropduster buddy from Elmore, Wayne Cowan, said he saw it for sale in a car yard shortly afterwards.

[Jim Brierley]

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Some policemen are more tolerant than others. When I was 16, a fairly new driver, at least legally, I was stopped for street racing, of which I was guilty. I had 4 or 5 others in my '41 Buick. The cop asked where I was headed, to get donuts and coffee I replied. He asked for my license, then asked to hear my exhaust, which of course were duals and a bit on the loud side but not terribly so. I floored the throttle, he said one more time, so I did. He then said he'd never seen anyone race right in front of a cop. I said I hadn't seen him or I wouldn't have! He then handed back my license and said we'd better go get donuts because if he wrote me up, I couldn't afford them for awhile. Believe it or don't, I was stopped 6 times before actually getting written up!

[woofa.express]

I’ve always had good rapport with local police. It is the highway police that overstep their authority. They can be so petty. Maybe they get bored. I once wrote to them and told them myself and other residents in the little town where I live are tired of being under their constant surveillance and tired too of being breath tested for alcohol when it is drugs that are really the problem. I also told them other things and you will possibly say that I ask for trouble, and yes that may well be so. I told them they should remove the words “Highway Patrol” from the side of their vehicles and paint “Highway Men”. I also told them they were the most despicable police in the police force. Their boss and one other came to see me to do some PR. Boss was an overbearing fellow the second was mature and quite acceptable.
One policeman told my friend Ken the following.
Not all policemen in highway patrol are pigs, but all the pigs in the police force are found in highway patrol.
A word pigs has been substituted for a word starting with “C”.
I’ll make the next story one of good police, and yes they are out there. Unfortunately the good work they do is quickly undone by just a few fools. The police force would well improve their image if they simply culled just a few each year.

[woofa.express]

Rural and Outback Cops.

Derby is a small town in the north of Western Australia. I worked there in the late 70’s so this story is of the life and times of more than 50 years ago when the population was less than 1000. Today it remains a small town with a population of a little more than 3000 with about half being aboriginal. Like many towns throughout the western world, its name originated in England. But unlike the English, the locals pronounce it as it’s written and not “Darby” as the English do. It was an administrative centre for the West Australian state government, had a large hospital, a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a sea port and was an overnight stop for the airline crew as it was a 10 hour day to the state capital Perth. Derby was a young people’s town and most social activity involved drinking beer. The climate was oppressively hot and humid.
The week I arrived there in ’67 a young bloke was killed in a motor car and the cops asked his boss for his drivers licence number. Well it turned out he didn’t have a driver’s licence which had the cops ask for the licence number of all his employees. Only 2 had licences so the cops made further inquiry and found unlicensed driving was common with most town folk. We all had to go and get a licence. There was always a minimum of 5 cars outside the police station for 3 weeks with drivers acquiring licences, some had never held one in their lives.
Derby had an open air picture theatre with canvas deck chair type seating. Occasionally a patron would be seated and the aging canvas would rip rather loudly to the amusement and applause of the audience. I suspect it hasn’t changed. Well one evening the movie stopped and a voice on the p.a., the local police sergeant, instructed all drivers who had left keys in their car to please go and remove them. Well nearly the whole theatre emptied. There was no theft as far as I knew but the cops were becoming softly authoritive. No one was greatly offended by this change. Outback and remote people have always had good relations with police and this remains the case today. And they don't have to suffer highway patrol. Aren't they fortunate.

[woofa.express]

Country Cops.

Country and outback cops are quite different to urban cops. They fit into the community well. They need to for they and their families live in close proximity to these people and country folk are generally not as rushed and are more relaxed than their urban cousins.
I was working on the Darling Downs in the 70’s, prior to moving to the Riverina. I was needing a driver to position and load my employer’s aeroplane and hired a scruff named Jim. An intriguing and interesting fellow who owned about 4,000 acres (mostly scrub) and ran 28 head of cattle. Well Jim didn’t have a heavy transport licence so I took him to the Cop Shop where he was quizzed and tested and passed. The cop turned to me and said “of course you’ve got one Gary”. No I said and he replied “you have one now”. When I wasn’t working I had driven a tipper for a bloke in my street and he would always give me a wave.
Yes, cops in country police stations are almost always agreeable. With one exception I’ve always had good rapport with them.

[woofa.express]

Naming Vehicles.

I had 5 trucks to load my cropduster aeroplanes, they all had a number. No one could remember which was which including myself. So I gave them all names. There was Chick e Babe, Spuds, Wharfie, Freddy and Scrooge. That stopped all confusion.
My roadster ute I named “Woofa.Express” after a dog I had with 100% character and personality. He was not permitted in house or car with the exception of the ute and Woofa concidered it was his birth right to ride in this vehicle. Sadly Woofa was skittled chasing another dog and I’m still grieving 3 year later. So in his honour I named this vehicle Woofa.Express. My tourer is “Desert Sands light” and resembles what we all would call “Olive” thus the name Olive. My dog “Fugs” is to have the Roadster Coupe named after him “Fugs Limo”. My FX Holden is to go to my daughter Sarah. (each of my kids has been promised a vintage). Sarah was born in ’74, (the year cattle prices collapsed). Because neither my wife and my self could agree on a name the two finalist names were put in a hat and Sarah’s name was drawn. But in the interim, because she was born on Bastille day she was called Fifi. Now at 46 she is still Fifi. So the FX Holden is named “Fifi’s Carriage”.

As a footnote, our kids are nick named Mushy, Moo, Fifi and Turtle. My friend Johnny tells me Turtle was an unfortunate pick because that’s what a girl is called; one who gets on her back and can’t get back on her feet so easily.
_________________

[woofa.express]

Form an observant and alert cropdusters wife. To correct the record. Thankyou Carolyn.

Re your outback cop story, I think you may have been in Derby in 1967 not 1977!

now corrected.

[woofa.express]

Human Gullibility and Stupidity triggered by Social Media.

16 million total deaths resulting from WW1. 50 million by Spanish flue, the year the war ended. One would have to acknowledge todays current corona19 as more sophisticated and serious. We are told a vaccine is minimally 24 months away. Despite efforts for the last 25 years a vaccine for AIDs and more recently Ebola hasn’t been produced. Can corona19 vaccine be only 24 months away?
Panic buying has started and it’s rampant. The supermarket shelves stripped of some commodities and I would think it is only the start. It may be difficult to believe but the biggest snatch from the shelves is toilet paper. (It seems it is more important to have a pristine anus than have a full tummy). People have been buying it by the multiple shopping trollies. There was a vicious cat fight in one supermarket when a woman took the entirety and left another woman with none. The appearance of these girls suggests to me they would never have known this product prior to coming to live in Australia. Like many things today it was captured on video and seen on national news. How did this rampant run start? An opinion on Social Media expressing a potential shortage, that’s how.
The second commodity that has becoming short is rice probably because it has a long shelf life and we all eat some rice and many more rice eaters have immigrated to Australia in the last 15 years. Only a short time ago Australia produced 1.8 million tons. This year it is forecast only 54,000 ton. (3 %). Why the difference you will ask and here it is. Firstly drought. Secondly to appease the Green Party and noisy green protesters by providing a continual flow of fresh water from 2 dams to keep the Murray River pristine. Enforced by legislation. This continual flow also keeps the large Lake Alexandrina full and provides recreation and tourism for the South Australian town of Goolwa. Then it flows into the Southern Ocean. It’s nonsense and stupidity.
The government also legislated to allow farmers to sell their water allocation. Those without forethought and imagination did so. So with our 3rd year of near empty dams there will be nil allocation once again. Those who have retained their licence will probably need to sell it to pay their rates and feed their families. An allocation doesn’t mean it can be delivered and if it can’t payment for this licence is still demanded by the issuer, the government.
Who has purchased this water, this allocation? Politicians and celebrities, overseas superannuation funds and investors. None has land. Irrigation may well become a past industry on the Murray which was once Australia’s food bowl.
And for those of us who can no longer find toilet paper on the supermarket shelf it will be back to gum leaves just like years ago. And then it will be not only the coronavirus to that sends us to the hand basin.

[woofa.express]

What's Hot and Whats Cold?

Our autumn is here and is most welcome. Nightly temps are now falling to a minimum 10C and it is necessary to pull up the doona. And a pullover in the morning to about 9am. Daytime temps are maxing out in the low 30’s but mostly in the mid 20’s. This compares to the low 40’s at times in the summer which is uncomfortable. 20C on those mornings is great but it doesn’t hold for long.
I’m reading an earlier email and weather forecast from Katy and I see the temp in Alberta is getting as low as -16 in daytime and -22 at night and I’d reckon that’s uncomfortable. Like most uncomfortable.
About 6 weeks ago our small town hosted a concert featuring an Alaskan string band, the Zahasky family. They presented and entertained well and with winter weather at Juneau where they live it’s little wonder they sort to travel south. They found it most uncomfortable here in Tocumwal with a daytime temp of 33C and one could see the sweat rolling down their faces that evening on stage. Now that’s comfortable for us.
I guess we all would like to live in Shangri-La. Maybe some of us think we are there now. If so don’t keep it to yourself.

[woofa.express]

Greedy and generous. Selfish and benevolent. That’s us. That’s humanity.

This current world situation shows how different to the extreme we all are. Stripping shop shelves for non-perishable food stuffs. And of all the ridiculous things, toilet paper. Those who do are both hoarders and carpetbaggers. Some aggressively seeking commercial opportunity. This syndrome is not only here in Australia but appears to be world wide. My son lives in Hong Kong and tells me 3 armed bandits held up a delivery van for the toilet paper. He also speaks of people having their lounge rooms stacked high with it too.
We live 190 miles north of Melbourne. Our local supermarket and many many more in country regions have been raided by city people. Asians mostly and it’s said, they arrive in 3 busses. They have also cleaned out stores of non perishable food and now into chemist shops. They have taken so much it has to be for resale or export.

We as both people and as a nation are so generous to others who are in peril. The likes of bushfire victims. Tsunami (formally tidal waves) around the Indian Ocean. Refugees from the middle east. And we are not the only people or nation who/that gives considerably. And we are not the only nation with greedy hoarders and carpetbaggers.

What a contrast. What a diverse species we are.

[woofa.express]

THIS YEAR THINGS ARE DIFFERENT. UNFORTUNATELY.

Autumn is here, you readers in America know it as fall. Hot days are gone and we now have warm weather. It’s the time of year when vintage cars, trucks and tractors have meetings and rallies. But not this year because of cv19. Like many other countries we are confined to home unless we have reason to leave.

Patsy and I commiserate with those who live in an apartment or house without a garden. We live in a town of only 2,000 in a rural community and thus have space around us. We have a 1-acre yard, mostly garden so that occupies our days. This is not luck but by design. But never the less we are in lockdown. Because we all are confined, I am receiving many more emails, mostly funnies and interesting items of history or noteworthy events or people. One I think you all will be interested to see is of an electrical/mechanical rail line switch in Japan. Whilst it is ingenious it is frightening. The link is below.

I have my Model A ute here at home and want to drive 12 miles north to garage in my hanger, move my Holden 20 miles to a care taker and bring my tourer home here. To drive them on the road would attract the attention of the Highway police and risk a possible fine for failure to observe lockdown requirements.

I have 4 vintages and wish I had only 1. Next story will tell you why I have 4.

this video link below is not as fast as I first received it on email but never the less worth watching to the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70SOmeF3K9U

[woofa.express]

HOW THIS LOVE AFFAIR STARTED.

I remember staying at the beach with my parents in the 50’s. A group of youths had this great motorcar with this funny oogah horn and they were having such fun. It was an A of course. About the same period the “big kids” who had left school were driving A’s and I envied them owning those cars plus not having to go to school. That’s where my love affair started. It’s lasted longer than my marriage which is newer by comparison, only 51 years.
I bought my first of 3 (plus the first series GM Holden) in the late 80’s and at the time had no money. I wish I’d have joined a Model A club although the closest was 200 miles away at Melbourne. They would have given me help in making a suitable purchase. But don’t look back Gary.

So why did I buy 4 vintage cars of which 3 were A’s. I was, and still are, besotted with A’s, and I could give 1 to each of my 4 kids.

Not all decisions I have made in my life have been good decisions and this is one.
The lesson learned is one should help your kids reach their aspirations and not yours. They do not have the love of these beauties like I do.

A footnote. The Holden has valuated greatly and I get many enquiries from people wanting to purchase it. I decline as it was promised to my daughter Sarah. It is an immaculate motor car with less than 25,000 miles but I just don’t warm to it. How can I when I have this love affair with Henry’s ladies?

[woofa.express]

MAYBE ALL WILL ENDUP WELL. MAYBE

I spoke about my kids having no interest in my Model A’s. That's disappointing but as I said parents should help their kids reach their own aspirations.

Before this occurred to me, I had dining tables made from hardwood timber I acquired from the Daintree, some 1,400 miles to the north and from near Margaret River some 2100 miles west. All tables are heavy with 2-inch-thick tops and most attractive. Each kid had the choice of which one they wanted. Well one ended upsetting theirs and one kid sent theirs back home. Just like the Model A’s it was foolish of me to presume what that may have wanted. Well now have a total of 3 here at home plus our own which we have had for many years.

My wife Patsy likes old chairs. Sometimes she has them reupholstered at such a cost it would have been cheaper to have bought them in pristine condition in the first place. Well I saw a desirable chair advertised on eBay and I bought it for her. The seller, in Sydney, had a 900-mile delivery which passed close to where we live so he kindly delivered it. I asked this antiques dealer for an estimation of the value of these tables. $500 each he said. I told him the cost of manufacture was $2,500 plus the timber purchase cost plus the transport cost.

He went on to say it was quite common that children did not want their parent’s furniture. But what he said next was pleasing, “their grandchildren always do”. Well that was most interesting and pleasing especially when my grandson started showing interest in my 28 ute (pickup). We have 11 grandkids so there is some hope my motor cars will find homes sometime in the future.

[woofa.express]

Coffee Shops.

I cannot help but notice when TV makes an example of CV19 downturn on businesses it is always, without exception, coffee shops. Never manufacturing or agriculture or important services just coffee shops.

Coffee shops are not important to the nation’s economy but after so much exposure one would think they were the nucleus. In addition, we have a high-profile retail chain operator who thinks the national economy revolves around his industry. Whilst it may well be a measure of community spending, like coffee shops is not a wealth generating operation. Universities and learning institutions are also whinging because of the downturn of much fodder for them to convert many to some worthless skills. Many of their courses provide opportunities for foreign nationals to enter Australia and become permanent residents or take up citizenship. Many who don’t even attend their courses.

The end of this pandemic will determine just what industries and services are important. It will be those that sell or supply necessary products.

We are currently in lockdown which has not bothered me greatly. I am now retired as a result of ongoing drought. But I look forward to being able to drive around in my Model A. I have needed to buy a trickle charger to keep the battery from deteriorating.

[woofa.express]

CV report.

Australia has now reached 100 dead from CV. With a population of 25 million that’s 4 per million. The substantial number are related to 2 events. The biggest was passengers disembarking from a cruise liner in Sydney and second from an abattoir west of Melbourne. Government departments are busy blaming each other and covering their arses. It would appear negligence has occurred.
Lockdown has been semi successful but people won’t tolerate a lot longer. Governments know this and are starting to ease their control.
It takes only 1 case to start the pandemic off again and it will spread rampantly. It cannot be eliminated. As I see it the best control is to avoid high density populations and breath fresh air. Turn off aircon and open the windows.
What does one do during lockdown? Well my garden will be looking good come September. What is the first thing I will do when lockdown ends? Answer, start driving Woofa express.

[woofa.express]

Battery findings.

I replaced the battery in my Toyota ute with a Delco. Opinions I sort on battery life were unanimous with a Delco. It was only 5 months following installation that it failed. I charged it and asked my local garage to test it, to which they said it was not holding sufficient volts. I took it to the supplier who pointed out it did not show a green eye. He asked about my charger and asked if I would leave both battery and charger with him for a few days. It came back well. Green eye showing.

It seems that modern battery chargers are “variable voltage chargers”. They ascertain what voltage the battery requires and supplies accordingly thus avoiding oversupply.

For my 6V ute I purchased a 6V/12V trickle charge smart charger for 44AUD. The tourer is 12V and I’ll use a trickle charger with perhaps a timer. The G.M. Holden I’m converting to 12V alternator and Delco battery. Because it is a closed car I will use it more regularly.

Spose the rest of you A owners know all of that stuff. It seems like you are all excellent mechanics. The only thing I do well is dote and dribble when I walk into my garage and site these beautiful motor cars.