Well maybe not me, but my car is ... She made "Miss October" in the new Hemmings Motor News 2015 Calendar. This car is a very photographed car. It has made a lot of the Arkansas newspapers, including the Arkansas Democrat (largest paper in Ark.) Most of the various "Rural" Arkansas books and magazines, 2 high school class yearbooks for the class picture, and I have been told some book in New York City (New York City. ???? how the h$%# did that happen) but Ive never seen the book. and hundreds if not a thousand individuals just stop and take a photo. Someone stopped here last fall and wanted to take photos of it. I told him no problem, take all you want. He said if it was published I would get a copy of the calendar. So today he drives down my driveway and gives me a calendar. I like it when someone follows thru with what they say. Anyway, Im now (or she, "Miss October") is published in Hemmings ..... Ive also shown a photo taken last summer, of her with her older sister Lizzie. I hope the "fame" does not go to her head, and she still allows us to hang around with her .
Donnie,
Great photo! Congratulations. From the size of the tree it has been growing there for a while. Any guess on how long? I've cut down some much smaller trees to retrieve a car body, but I don't think I would want to tackle one that large. I think for that case, I would attempt to carefully cut the body at the door opening or the cowl. Or -- maybe it is doing more to brighten up folks day just as it is?
Thanks for sharing the photo!
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Um I have a chain saw and I know where a chassis is!
Hap' I placed the car around the tree about 15 to 20 years ago. I found the biggest tree on the front of my property, opened the door, and slid it sideways. Closed the door and wired the door header back in place. I even wired the doors shut, so people can not open them. It was more or less a way to describe how to find my place to another old car guy. Just saying, "drive down hwy 336 west till you see a model A with a tree growing in it", is real easy for a "car guy to find. But now it has become a local landmark. The tree is way older than the car. It was probably a fair size tree when the car was new. The car is in really really bad shape. I found it laying on its side in a creek bed. But it does look good from a distance. I have been offered "stupid amounts of money" for it. but its worth more as a landmark now, than whatever I could get for it ... But we are proud to be on the Hemmings calendar. That calendar will be seen United States wide, and probably even overseas ...
Thats one of my favorite calendars, I get it every year. Very cool
Did you add the reflectors so it would not get rear ended?
If so it seems to have worked!
Fred, With the drivers like they are today, with texting and cell phones, you need all the "red" you can get on our slow moving vehicles....
Congratulations Donnie. That's pretty Magical. There sure is something wonderful that Mother Nature dose to these old cars. It is nice that is is being shared with so many people.
Rich
Donnie that is way too cool! Congratulations on your new found fame! And your car's.
I know the history of this car. It was owned by a man named "Dude" Black. He lived about 5 miles from me. When I bought this and a better Model A sedan from him he told me some of the stories of this car. It was a "family hand me down car" and had been passed down thru the kids since before WW2. "Dude" and two of his brothers as well as a sister, used it as their "first" car. They drove the Ozark Hills on the gravel rods to school, dates, swimming and hunting trips for years. Then sometime after WW2 (probably in the 50s) is when "Dude" ended up with it for the second time, as the last owner. He used it to go to the local bootleggers when he needed another "bottle" His farm was at the bottom of "Wolverton Mountain" yes, the mountain of the song. Dude was a muscisian and played all the dances and get togethers around here till well into the 1980s. He played all the summer get togethers at Clifton Clowers house till both of them got too old to get around anymore. I tried to go by his place at least once a month and play guitar with him. He was a very interesting person to talk to. The steering wheel of the car has "Dudes: name as well as his brothers and sister carved into the black rim. After "Dude" passed away, the daughter called me to help clean up the farm and buy a lot of the old stuff. I asked her if she wanted the steering wheel from the car. She said "no it has been there forever and I should have it, to keep with it" So the steering wheel is still in the car and I try to keep it covered, and out of the rain and sun. This is one of the cars I would love to know where it has been and what it saw ....
Looking at the photo, reminded me of something "Dude" said. If you look at the windshield in the photo above, you will notice it has three bullet holes in the windshield. The holes are plugged with fruit jar lids bolted thru the holes. I asked "Dude" about them and how they got there. He smiled real big, and said they have been there for years, and were caused by "picking watermelons at night" .....
The backstory on this vehicle is as interesting to me as the fact the car made it to a Hemmings
Calendar.
I have a trip in mind to travel to Searcy, AR to see my two great-grandchildren.
John