MAGAZINE

T'n A

Jim's Excellent Model A Adventure

I went for a great ride in a friend's Model A a few weeks ago. I'd recommend it for anybody who enjoys speed, laughs, and some occasional terror. Here's how it went:

My friend Jerry had Model A's and Harleys in his younger days and just recently bought a bone stock 1929 coupe to have some fun with. We rebuilt the transmission and got it running pretty good (for a worn-out four banger). Jerry, being busy and self-employed, had never had a chance to really give the coupe the reins and see how fast she would go. So one day after a bit of refreshment at Martin's Tavern, I suggested that we should load the A on my trailer and take it to El Mirage Dry Lake for a weekend of camping and roaring around the lake bed which, for those who haven't had the joy of going there, is absolutely flat, about five miles long, and a mile across with nothing in sight except for an occasional pucker bush. This was the ideal place to test the con rods in Jerry's car.

We got there on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and Jerry couldn't wait to unload it and drive it around. I volunteered to ride shotgun, and Jerry's dog jumped into the rumble seat. We pointed the motometer to the open lake bed and Jerry took off, double-clutching masterfully, and before long he had the pedal to the wood in high gear. We were going to see which we ran out of first - speed or handling. I would yell "A LITTLE LEFT' or "A LITTLE RIGHT", as we roared along having a great time.

Maybe it was because he hadn't had a chance to flog an A-bone for thirty years, but we couldn't get him out from behind the steering wheel. Jerry would make a big high speed sweeping turn back to the motorhome and someone else would jump in shotgun and the Model A would roar off again into the sunset. When it got dark I had to remind Jerry to turn on the headlights - it didn't seem to bother him. Geez, we had a wunnerful time!

But I think Jerry had the best time. You see, Jerry went totally blind about thirty years ago, and hadn't been behind the wheel since then. We'll go to the lake again, soon. So next time you're our there, watch out for Jerry. He may not be paying attention to where he's going.

ROTTEN CUSTOM

Not really. But what a way to divert the eye to River City -center of the Rotten Custom universe, too. Here we go, Sultans, into the low, cool, slow world of SLEDS. Whatcha do is start in familiar territory; we'll go right for the hydraulic throat, man. We got the Merc. We got the Lincoln. Both cars are familiar to us because they belong to our pal Bob Botel.

This is just a tease - not a legitimate feature...wait..we don't do legitimate features, anyway. We got carried away thinking this crap is for real!

The least we can do is show the pictures.

'54 LINCOLN IS BAD. TOO BAD. TOO BAD ? TOO BAD IT'S NOT MINE.

'40 MERC IS RELATIVELY NEW ADDITION

The Merc is a favorite; it's one of a very few '40 Merc 'hardtops' that harken to the Nick Matranga car from back then. D'Agostino has a flathead powered piece that would do; photo/journalist Andy Southard has a nice one; then Botel slides up with this one. Swear-ta-god. Where was it? Bob can find this stuff (he's got a lot more than these two to cruise with), and as we speak it is entering the paint shop for a complete - purple, we think.

As the months go by, you'll see us change reels back and forth from rods to customs, in the old time Hop Up spirit. That's the way it was, boys. Rods and customs. Hop Ups. Cruisin' side by side, makin' their beat. These art forms look old but it is now that we're talkin' about.

Thought for the day: At Hop Up we have honor. Hop Up Honor. Hop Up Honor and Stay Honor.