Page 28 - May2022

The Int erview , continued from page 27 Q. It sounds as if you were a hands-on guy even
before you were able to drive. Tell me a little about
In 5th grade I became an ?enthusiast? after reading
how you acquired your early skills as a ?shade
The Red Car about a boy and his MGTC (an
tree? mechanic.
influence/affliction shared by many).
A. My dad?s interest in cars was fuel for me and
At 11, my 15- year- old brother and I bought a
he knew how to work on cars. We used to
Lambretta 150 Scooter and went everywhere our gas
vacation at an aunt?s farm in Mississippi where
budget allowed. At 12, my dad tried to convince my
we excavated a 1923 Model T Ford from a
brother he wanted an old Ford so we went looking; I
collapsed barn where it had a second career as
was ?hooked? while my brother was unimpressed.
a chicken coupe.
Dad?s sister worked for Buick in Detroit. She knew a
Within a week, we had it running down the dirt
guy who?d just bought a 1930 Ford for parts to be
road on its rims sporting a 1926 roadster body
used in the restoration of another car. My dad was
previously used as somebody?s shooting range.
?all-in? (just like the 13- year- old me) so I paid the
Over time we worked on old trucks, a ?53
$30 asking price and bough twhat remained of the
Plymouth, a Renault Dauphine , my brother?s
donor Ford.
cars, and many other vehicle projects.
Thank goodness for my paper-route money as it also
Sadly, my high school?s policy prevented anyone
paid the tow-bar rental and expenses for our ?59
enrolled in college-prep courses from taking
Galaxy?s 600 mile round-trip to bring home the
shop classes. To my great continued lament,
?prize? to Weirton, WV.
that doomed me to lots of trial and error with
After a year?s work and weekends of parts gathering, only occasional success when doing unfamiliar
the car was done and I was broke. Luckily, Christmas vehicle tasks.
and birthday treats gave way to ?car parts? as my
But I learned. Until trusting my Riley Sprite to
parents lightly subsidized the process and I finally
several disappointing restoration shops, none
learned how to drive a car.
of my cars have ever been to an actual
My brother was still without wheels so we sold the commercial shop except for engine rebuilding
scooter, which brought some cash, and he became that required equipment I don? possess.
t
my ?driver?. Subsequently, the car became my high
I have had friends help with occasional work
school wheels, my college wheels, and the most
but mostly I either do it myself or I ignore it.
cherished repository of great memories surrounding
my late father. Q. You drove a Model A as a teen but did you have
a fantasy dream car? Did the dream continue to
move you as you matured towards other forms of
collector car ownership?

A. At a very early age, I was smitten with the
two-seater Mercer Raceabout from the 1912-ish
vintage. It seemed then to me , and does still, to
capture the thrilling prospect of an open-air
mechanical ride in a low-slung sports machine
offering the wind-rush realities of motorcycling.
When I took the Model A back to my 50th High
Left: A 1912
School Reunion ( above) to share it with friends who
Mercer
once worked on it, it was very clear to me that selling
Raceabout .
this car, anytime soon, was unlikely.
Photo by Mecum
Auctions
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