This month we extend a Tar Wheel welcome to new members Nick and Becky Lean of Fayetteville. Nick comes to us wearing another hat as well: he's president of the MARC-affiliated Sandhills Model A club and, I happen to know, a noted collector of vintage license plates.

Wanted: a used 6.50-19 tire for a spare. Neil Kaminar is specifically after a 6.50-19, not a 4.75-19 or 5.00-19. If you have one to sell, email Neil at [email protected].

Wanted: worn-out 21” tubes. George Goodridge is looking for old tubes to help mask his tires off while painting his wheels. Email George at [email protected].

Wanted: seats for a 1930 Tudor. New member applicant Rick Holmes of Alamance County is looking for a set. If you can help, email the editor at [email protected] and we will put you in touch.

Help wanted: past member Bill Moore is looking for assistance with a 2-tooth steering system. If you have experience with these and can lend a hand, email the editor at [email protected] and we will connect you.

There is now an easier way to handle club dues. Treasurer George Goodridge reports that the Tar Wheel A's account at Truist can receive Zelle transfers, so current and new members can pay their dues electronically instead of by check.

The Zelle account name is “Tar Wheel As.” If you choose to pay by Zelle, please send $25.26. The extra 26¢ covers the transaction fee.

Speaking of George Goodridge, did you know he is six feet tall? The fixed front seat of his 1929 Phaeton was never going to be comfortable. So he moved it. Over many months he cut out the entire front seat assembly, including the sheet metal, the cross member, and the B-pillar bracing, and rebuilt it about five inches farther back.

George has written up the whole project as a detailed, step by step guide, from bracing the body before it comes off the chassis to filling the gaps the move leaves behind. It runs far longer than these pages allow, so we have posted it in full on the club website.

One of the newest suppliers in the Model A field is Small Part Restorations, based a short drive from the Triangle in Chesapeake, Virginia, next to the Great Dismal Swamp. The proprietor is Dave Schwind, a Navy veteran and longtime Model A enthusiast.

Small Part Restorations has two main lines of business. The first is an eBay store that sells restored original parts. Schwind specializes in re-plating or powder coating original brake, suspension, and chassis parts. "Everything except sheet metal" is how he describes his offerings. Items are sold in a range of conditions, from near-perfect to moderate pitting, and priced accordingly. Re-plated parts use the correct plating and finish per the Judging Standards, unless stated otherwise. Painted parts are powder-coated to military specifications (the paint shop does a lot of work for the Navy), except for cast iron sediment bulbs, which are japanned using the original process for gasoline resistance.

The second line is a series of reproductions of small parts that are otherwise nearly impossible to find, such as:

All reproduction parts are designed from the Ford original drawings, and everything that comes back from the foundry is checked against spec. SPR's reproduction lines are available through the major Model A suppliers.

More prototypes are in development, including 28/29 engine pan bolts with the correct head and a hole for a cotter pin. Schwind also has limited-edition projects that cross the two lines: a batch of restored original 28/29 dash lights that pair re-plated original fixtures with a reproduction spring-loaded contact wire to restore the lights to working order, and multi-disc clutch packs that combine original discs with reproduction linings, now in the prototype stage.

To learn more about SPR's products, or to suggest a part for reproduction, email Dave at [email protected].

Earlier this month a Colorado owner posted a thread on the Ford Barn titled “Bad weekend”. A driver hit his ‘29 coupe, a car in his family since 1968, and knocked it on its side. He walked away unhurt. Then came the second blow. His agreed-value policy paid $15,000, a number his insurer suggested years ago and he never revisited, and nowhere near what replacing a well-sorted, documented Model A costs today. To keep the wreck of his own car, he was quoted another $3,675.

His situation is not unusual. Most of us set an agreed value when we first insured the car and have not touched it since. Meanwhile the cost of everything that makes a Model A worth owning has climbed. Shop labor now runs well over $100 an hour, a proper repaint costs five figures, and parts, tires, and upholstery have all risen sharply. An agreed value set ten years ago almost certainly will not buy back the car in your garage.

Here is what to check. Pull out your policy and find the agreed value (if your policy says "stated value" or "actual cash value" instead, that is a bigger problem, because those let the insurer pay less than the number on the page, and you should move to a true agreed-value policy). Then find out what happens to the car after a total loss. Under most policies the settlement buys the insurer your car, and many carriers now sell salvage by contract to national auction houses. That means you may not even get the chance to buy back your own wreck with its rebuilt engine, overdrive, and new tires still bolted on.

To set the value right, price what it would cost to replace your car in its current condition. Watch the classifieds and auction results for comparable cars, then add your upgrades, since a fresh engine rebuild or new upholstery carries real value a generic listing does not reflect. Review the number every year or two, and always after major work.

Two additional points if you’re with Hagerty: (1) Hagerty offers a rider called Cherished Salvage. For roughly 15% added to the physical-damage premium, often under $60 a year, you keep the car after a total loss, collect the full agreed value, and the title carries no salvage brand. For a car with family history or valuable parts, that is cheap insurance on top of your insurance. You have to call to add it. (2) While you’re on the phone, mention your MAFCA membership, because Hagerty gives national club members a 5% discount.

This month we're featuring Seabiscuit (2003). The true story of an undersized racehorse and the three men who turned him into a Depression-era national hero, perfect for the Fourth of July. Cars matter here as much as horses, since owner Charles Howard made his fortune selling automobiles, and a 1930 Model A appears among the period machines that fill the lots and roadsides. Watch it free on Tubi, or with a Paramount+ subscription.

The Dispatch is sponsored by Snyder’s Antique Auto Parts. In the last year, Snyder’s has become the market leader for early 1928 parts, due to their partnership with Small Part Restorations (see article above). Thanks to SPR, early ‘28 owners can now turn to Snyder’s for emergency brake lever boots, manifold washer sets, and early transmission bronze thrust washers.