BRAZOS VALLEY A's
Ray's Rust

Swap Meet Experience

I attended the Giddings swap meet again this year. Not a lot of Model A parts, but enough to keep my interest and as always, enough other "rust" to make it worthwhile. I noted that license plates for 28-31 continue to climb in asking price. One vender had a '30 rear for $165 and unrestored '31 plates had $260 or so on them. Most of the Model A parts was of the small variety.

I did talk to a vender from Victoria that was selling out his dad's Model A collection. He said he had all the good stuff still in the barn. BTW, the hot dog vender at the Giddings swap meet is really worth the trip whether you find anything to buy or not.

Exciting times are upon us as we have had several new Model A folks join up with us. Some have running cars and some in the restoration phase. Can't wait until they get their cars running and can join us on some tours. It is fun to help the new members and they will have to sort out all the "advice" they are getting with a little practical school of hard knocks (think Norman's knock may have finally left the block) and observations. We have some really knowledgeable Model A folks in the club and usually they are only a phone call away if you need help.

Speaking of tours, Susan and Sherry have planned a couple of fun tours for this fall. I for one am ready for a little cooler temperatures and some serious touring. Wish we could make the North Carolina and Pigeon Forge tours this year. Jane is really excited about the New York City tour in 2016.

I am going to draw up a few tours for them to drive in their Model A next year in preparation for the NYC tour. Just to get them excited, I have one planned to start on I-45 at Spring at 4pm and traveling the main thoroughfares through downtown to the Astrodome area.

There, they will spend the night and leave the hotel at 7:30 AM and travel back to Memorial drive and out to the Galleria. No police escort, but it will help them get ready for a little traffic in the "city". If for some reason they have to stop in either city, they will be left with only about 350 of the 5,350 parts that make up a Model A Ford!

A little of my personal bias for parts (you are welcome to get them anywhere you wish). Now that we don't have Model A parts available right here in town, we are going to have to choose a Model A supplier. There are some good ones out there that will stand behind their parts. There is at least one out there that will not. Bratton's, Mike's, and Dennis Pirianio (http://www.modelaparts.net/ I think gets his parts from Bratton's) are good choices and I have found that I can get them here the next day from Dennis. If you can find NOS (new old stock) parts these are the best, but they are getting very hard to find these days. Bert's in Denver and another ford supplier in Dallas(can't think of his name right now) usually have a pretty good selection of decent used parts. Swap meet parts are great, especially if you buy Model A parts instead of Willis Overland parts that look like Model A parts. I have lots of these if you want to save some shoe leather and just buy direct rather than searching swap meets.

Get those cars running and let's hit the road!!

See you down the road.

Ray Hinnant is a member of the Brazos Valley A's, a vintage Model A Club, located in Bryan-College Station, Texas.