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Jim and Tuni Weiss
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Jim and Tuni Weiss have been in the Old Car Hobby for 25 of their 30 year marriage. It all started after we watched a movie called "The Great Race" starring Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Peter Falk. They made travelling around in "old cars" look like loads of fun.
Our first collectible car was a 1926 Willys Knight Sedan, (which we still own), "Big Blue". It took five years to complete and reach its senior status with AACA. It has been featured in the WOKR publication," The Starter" and most recently in the AACA publication "Antique Automobile".
Jim is very talented. He does all the mechanical work, body work and painting himself. I have learned to make everything from convertible roofs to headliners and upholstery.
Jim has gone to Hershey for the past 25 years. He was the vendor of "Headlights" for many of those years. At times he would leave me to vend while he roamed the aisles of parts and pieces. I have no problem admitting that I will never make it as a salesman of auto parts!
We are both Senior Master judges for the AACA. Jim is a judge for CCCA and Tuni is a Tabulator for CCCA as well as being members of many national clubs; W.O.K.R., and the H.H. Franklin club
One of the funniest stories I remember was the "Timing Story". We didn't have a heated garage and it was winter. Jim called me into the garage, winter coat and gloves on. I was to lay down across the non-existing inside floor of the car to watch the fly-wheel go round until these two lines lined up while he used the crank in front to turn it. He turned it around once (which wasn't easy) and went past the point of line up. He wasn't happy when I told him he went too far, so I had to talk him through little by little when it was close to being lined up. The lines eventually did line up perfectly, but the sleeve of my down coat was caught in the gears. Jim pulled me out of the "car" with the feathers of my Down flying all over the place! (You should have seen it!). Jim was so ecstatic that the timing was perfect, it didn't matter that he had to buy me a new coat!
We have owned, (but no longer have in our collection), a 1964 1/2 Mustang, 1921 Willys Knight Touring, 1931 Oakland Sedan, 1927 Falcon Knight Coupe, 1940 Studebaker Businessman's Coupe, 1970 Karman Ghia Convertible, and others I hate to admit that I've forgotten about.
Several of the cars in our collection are National Award winners of AACA Senior, CCCA Senior, HOPF, Preservation and DPC certified. We currently own a 1912 Franlkin Touring, 1920 Stearns Knight Touring, 1926 Willys Knight Sedan, 1927 Falcon Knight Doodlebug, 1929 Willys Knight Varsity Roadster, 1926 Willys Knight Roadster, 1931 Willys Knight Great Six Sedan, 1946 Cadillac Touring Sedan, and a 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo. Our youngest son, Tim, participates in preserving our old car hobby as well; in just a little more modern way; "Tuners".
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Chris and Kathleen Koch
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Many thanks to the Koch's for
inviting me to tour their "museum". And museum is the right
word to describe this massive complex filled with many
memorabilia, model cars and trucks, trains etc. This writer
got dizzy just looking at all the walls and I didn't even
get to the cars yet! I enjoyed Chris's company as he
detailed every piece of the museum for me. I could of taken
100 pictures and written 10,000 words!! After a mini tour
through a house that is part of the museum and cases filled
with bottles, signs, badges etc, we got to the cars. We
settled down on two stools facing the row of magnificent
vehicles, then Chris started to explain the history of most
of them. His '35 Ford Phaeton two door is the only one in
the world. Chris's favorite is the '34 Ford Luxus Cabriolet ; a concept car with a
custom wood body and also this vehicle is the only one of it's kind in the world. Some of the
features are: interior redone by Jenks & Muir of Detroit; dashboards and hubcaps
by Brewster of N.Y.; Seth Thomas clock; the hood ornament crafted by Jacques
Cartier of Paris and on and on. Truly a perfect example of what a classic car
should look like. Continuing down the row are clustered three beauties; a '51 Ford
Convertible, a '47 Mercury Convertible, and a '50 1/2 Ford two door Woodie.
Continuing on Chris explains the next vehicle, a '37 Packard Drophead
Coupe. The top can be lowered to three positions and like some others in Chris's
collection, this Packard is the only one in the world. Next in line is a '33
Packard that won at Pebble Beach. Near the Packard are three stunningly
beautiful convertibles; a '41 Cadillac, a '54 Buick Skylark, and a '56 Buick
Roadmaster. Off to the side is a '36 Mercedes 170D and a '13 Sterns Knight which
Chris states is the only one to survive of it's kind. Of course the final vehicle I drooled
over is the breath-taking '31 Duesenberg, that is also a Pebble Beach class
winner. When you think of the Koch's, this is the vehicle that is associated
with them. The car boggled my mind. I stood back in order to take the entire car
into view! I am astonished that something this beautiful was actually
manufactured by hand. I know that I can speak for all our club members in
stating that all these vehicles, including our own, are built so-o-o- much
better than the tin cans we are forced to drive on a daily basis today!! Chris
has enjoyed a close relationship with the Ford family for over 40 years and it
shows in his business profile. He has owned and operated several Ford stores in
various parts of the country while amassing a great-looking fleet of classic
vehicles.
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