Yesterday the country paused to remember the men and women who died in its service. Before we turn to the rest of this issue, we want to stop and honor them.

The Model A is a fitting companion for a day like this. When the United States halted civilian automobile production on February 10, 1942, and turned the factories over to the war effort, the Model A was already a veteran of the roads. With no new cars to be had and gasoline and rubber rationed, families nursed their A's along through the war years. A good many of the cars we polish today are survivors of exactly that stretch.

The design even served under fire, though often far from home. In 1929 Ford agreed to help the Soviet Union build its own versions of the Model A, and one result, the GAZ-AA truck, was produced by the hundreds of thousands. During the siege of Leningrad it was these little one-and-a-half-ton trucks, direct descendants of Henry Ford's design, that carried food across the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga on the route the city called the Road of Life. Through three terrible winters they helped keep a starving city alive.

To those who carry the memory of someone who gave everything, we remember them with you.

By Darsen Sowers

Four Model A's joined the Cary Christian School prom on the evening of April 11 at MacGregor Downs Country Club. The parent leaders had contacted us about three months earlier and asked whether we could line up 15 to 20 cars to transport students to the event. That turned out to be ambitious, but we found a good alternative, and the students were very appreciative.

The students lined up to take their prom pictures in front of Marshall Barnes's Roadster and Bill DeVore's Cabriolet. Bill let Gary Doane drive his Tudor, and I brought my Fordor. The two of us parked at the entrance so arriving guests could admire the cars on their way in. It was a memorable evening for them, and we were glad to be part of it.

By Chuck Murray

On Saturday, April 25th, Chuck Murray, Marilyn Miller, and Vanda and Phil Taylor met at the Sheetz in Holly Springs to begin a drive in their Model A's to the Occoneechee Speedway trail in Hillsborough. It was a beautiful sunny and cool morning, perfect for driving the A's. Thanks to a nice route planned by Brantley Blanchard Jr. on Google Maps, we headed up Route 751 north toward Durham, passing Harris Lake and Jordan Lake. The route had several waypoints built in, more like checkpoints than full stops for the cars.

While trying to navigate past the first one, Chuck accidentally tapped the wrong spot on his phone and the entire route vanished. Fortunately, Phil Taylor had the same map on his phone, so we carried on. As fate would have it, Phil's phone then died, and Chuck typed Occoneechee Speedway into Apple Maps and off we went again. That sent us onto Interstate 85 South for one exit, about five miles, where more than a few big rigs blew right past us. We reached the trailhead safely and met up with George & Jane Goodridge and Thanta & Mitch Roberts.

A word to the wise for future tours: there are no restrooms at the trailhead, and after a longer drive than planned, that took a little improvising. Adapt, improvise, and overcome.

The Occoneechee Speedway is an old NASCAR-sanctioned dirt track that ran from 1948 to 1968. It makes an excellent walking trail today, about 1.3 miles from the trailhead, around the track, and back. After a very enjoyable walk, George Goodridge led us to the Hillsborough BBQ Company for a relaxing and tasty lunch.

The second stop was the Ayr Mount house, built in 1815 for the Kirkland family. The house sits on 80 acres and has been fully restored, with several of the original pieces of furniture and paintings back in place. Ayr Mount is owned by the Richard Jenrette Foundation, which funded the restoration as it has for several other old Southern homes. Our tour guide was wonderful, walking us through each room and the history of the Kirkland family, who were prosperous merchants in Hillsborough. At one point fourteen Kirkland children lived in the house. All the bricks were made from clay dug on the property and molded and fired on site, and a couple of bricks at the rear of the house still carry the fingerprints of some of those children. The library holds a piano built in 1797 and fully restored.

After the tour, George Goodridge led us back to Route 751 south and a pleasant drive home to Holly Springs.

This rear brake backing plate kit uses brand new powder coated backing plates suitable for either side of the car. No core needed! The roller tracks and bushings are already installed. The kit includes a rear brake cam, camshaft, adjusting wedge, and two adjusting shafts. You’d pay over $300 to get this set at another Model A supplier, but at Mike’s you can get it for just $255. For the value-conscious hobbyist, there’s no place like Mike’s.

Rick Holmes is looking for a good, usable set to replace the reproduction cast-metal frames in his Tudor, which have started cracking and breaking. Rick lives in Alamance County near Graham, is a MAFCA member and this year's president of the Alamance Region AACA, and is in the process of joining the Tarwheel A's. If you have a set or know where one might be found, email Rick at [email protected] or call him at 919-592-6861.