Lin Thomas with Model A
A Father-Daughter Model A Story by Michael S. Bly
We all have passions. Passion for our spouse and our kids. Passion for family and friends. Also, passion for our country, our work, and our favorite sports teams. Lin Thomas had all those passions, in spades. But he also had great passion for God and old cars. Most days, in that order.
Now, you say ‘old cars’ and some folks might have a different picture in their mind than Lin. He wasn’t thinking of cars from the ‘60’s or even ‘50’s. He’d spit and derisively call them “modern cars”. And, he didn’t mean the ‘40’s, the lost decade, automotively speaking. For Lin, a 1939 LaSalle was about as new as he could stomach. And over the decades several ’39 LaSalles came and went, with one or two lurking in a barn or behind an orange tree on his Fillmore, California ranch.
Michelle Bly’s Roadster
The Best Old Cars
But to really get Lin going, start talking about cars in the ’10s and ’20s. This guaranteed you’d be regaled with a story, perfectly timed to 57 minutes. A high school shop teacher by trade, and the decades of impeccably timed school bells, trained him to hit his mark. From time to time, a variety of cars from that era got towed, dragged, or trailered in pieces to the ranch, including (but certainly not limited to) a 1913 Model T Touring Sedan; a 1923 Model T Milk Truck; a 1927 Cadillac; and a 1915 Cadillac. Oh, and Model A Fords. Lots of Model A Fords.
“Train up a child in the way she should go…”
Now, at some point in Lin’s life his very active youngest daughter, Michelle, neared driving age and needed some wheels to get from point A to point B. There were lots of good choices, but one stood out: a 1928 Model A Roadster. Lin labored with skill, dedication, and love for many, many months to bring that car to life. Upon completion, Michelle drove the Roadster with pride through a couple years of high school, and even some time in her Jr. College years, steering 25 miles each way on a busy highway. She drove through rain or shine, and without side curtains, because according to Lin “side curtains are for sissies.”
As the Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Michelle’s Roadster
Michelle loved her Roadster. She drove it everywhere, and loved the double takes she’d get from passersby. After all, it’s not every day you see a teenage girl smiling from ear to ear behind the wheel of a Model A.
Michelle learned many valuable lessons about cars and driving during those years. Such as, always check the gas, oil, and water. Make sure there is air in the tires. While driving, anticipate stops, and be sure to keep track of what other drivers do. Pointing a Model A in the right direction is easy enough, but as every old car driver knows, turns and stops become requests more than demands.
Fillmore High School X-Cup Team
Sad End & New Life
Well, it’s a story told too many times, but life happens. Eventually the need came to sell the Roadster and send it down the road to a new home. Sad time on the ranch.
Fast forward to 1998. Lin still taught shop at the local high school, which he loved, but the years of dealing with bureaucracy and miniscule budgets wore him down. He didn’t have much gas left in the tank. But he had a wild idea: teach a car restoration class and restore a Model A pickup over the school year. Then, drive it cross country in History Channel’s The Great Race. This was the inspiration he needed to finish his career out strong. So in 1999, 2000, and 2001, Lin and his auto restoration classes restored a Model A Pickup each year. And he took a team of students and adult drivers from coast to coast in the very vehicle the kids restored and rebuilt from the ground up.
The Saga of the Model A’s
Reinvigorated and renewed, Lin left his formal teaching career with pride when he retired in 2001 after over 37 years. The first of the Model A pickups ended up at the Fillmore, California museum. The third one went to a private owner. And the 2000 second pickup came back to the ranch, thanks to Lin’s wife, Judy.
Over the following years, Lin and Judy had a blast with that 1928 Model A Pickup. They drove it on tours (sometimes with the Model T Club … faux pas?), in parades, and around town and countryside. For many years, it was the best running, and sometimes only running, old car on the ranch.
Model A before it was restored
“…and when she is old she will not depart from it.”
During that time, Lin had a mission to someday fill Michelle’s garage with another old car. He suggested, he conspired, he pleaded, and he prayed. But the perfect intersection of right timing, right car, and adequate garage space never materialized.
In 2019, Lin was diagnosed with cancer. After a brave and gracious battle, Lin went to be with the Lord on May 27, 2022. During the last weeks of his life, Michelle, along with her sister Lindy, Mom, and many family and friends, spent six weeks caring for her daddy. They had many conversations about many topics, but old cars were always on Lin’s mind. And, there was one thing Michelle could not stop thinking about: that old Model A Ford Pickup from the 2000 Great Race. She asked permission to bring it to a new home in Idaho. Daddy, with a smile, said, “It’s yours, kiddo!”
In July 2022, with some expert help from a few members of the Ventura County Model A Ford Club, Michelle was able to drive her mom to Lin’s funeral and memorial service in the Model A.
Michelle’s Model A Frame
Model A’s Final Destination
In September 2022, the Model A was trailered up to Idaho. Still fairly drivable, it was also very “tired” as a few wise men put it. In January 2023, the Model A was turned over to the pros at Rotten Leonard’s Jalopy Shop in Lewiston, Idaho, and a frame-off restoration began.
Keeping true to the spirit of this particular Model A, the colors stayed the same (go Fillmore (CA) Flashes!) and the Great Race badges were recreated painstakingly by hand. Also, Lin’s unique, custom take on the wood in and under the bed remains. Some upgrades were made, most of which Lin would approve. And, room has miraculously appeared in Michelle’s garage. Turns out her hubby, Mike, didn’t really need shop space after all.
Future Plans
Michelle with restored History Channel
Great Race Model A
Michelle plans to drive the Model A regularly. But even if it stays put more days than it travels, she’ll be able, at any time, to sit in the bouncy seat, smell the unmistakable odors, hear the clunk of the door, and feel close to her daddy.
When Lin’s not welding up some rusty fender for St. Peter, or showing St. Paul how to properly crank start an old T, he’ll look down and smile broadly at Daddy’s little girl … and the old car in her garage.
Michael S. Bly
Copyright July 2023
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY . . .
Western Author Interview Part 1: Stephen Bly Family Writing Team
Western Author Interview Part 2: Stephen Bly Family Writing Team
I am delighted to read all the back story of Lin’s Model A. Knowing all the TLC Michelle poured in to it and how she will love all she can do with it along with the memories of her dad, this is priceless.
Connie Sue: Yes, there was definitely an incredibly lot of work that went into this project!