MTFCA Forum

The MTFCA is pleased to announce that Seamus Hnat from Mt. Clemens, Michigan is the recipient of the 2019 Ben Yumori Award.

The Ben Yumori Award acknowledges someone who travels great distances in their Model T, promotes the club, is an ambassador for the hobby and encourages new members who will also preserve the T’s legacy.

A graduate of the McPherson College Automotive Restoration Program, Seamus now works as an automotive technician at Staul’s Automotive Foundation in Chesterfield, MI. He owns a 1914 Touring, which he fully restored. Seamus has helped others his age and much older find the same passion for the Model T. Increasing love for the open road and this hobby is what it is all about. He is an inspiration for the young and old alike, showing that there really is nothing to fear that cannot be overcome with knowledge and good friends.

Congratulations, Seamus!

Yes, congratulations Seamus!

Way to go Seamus. This has been such a great passion for me. I am so glad to see youngsters finding it as I did.
Congratulations on the award. You will get many as time goes by I am sure.
Rich

Congratulations Seamus!
Good Luck with your '14 Model T Touring. Hope to meet you someday in the future!
I met Ben many times at our Long Beach Model T club meetings.

Congratulations! I hope you can make Hershey again this year for the get together! Keep up the good work!
Al

Congrat's Seamus!

Now I know why its so hard to catch you. Hope to see you this summer on tour someplace like maybe Richmond again?

I'll see you at the OCF (if they'll let me back in).

Good for you Seamus it could not have gone to a better person, It was nice meeting you at Hershey last fall and I think I'm safe in saying the future of our affliction is in good hands. Jim

Congratulations Seamus.

I've met Seamus twice. Nice guy, and very knowledgeable for his age. However, I don't believe he restored the car. I think he told me he bought it that way.

Congrats Seamus....!! Well deserved....

Congratulations!
Your an inspiration!
Brian Dowell

Congratulations, Seamus! You are certainly very deserving of this award. It was good to meet you at Hershey, and I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe at the Homecoming in Richmond?

congrats are in order.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting Seamus but my sister lives and works in Detroit. She told me she sees Seamus commuting to work in his 14 several days every week. This is pretty impressive, particularly in Detroit traffic. Well deserved award.

At the Homecoming in Richmond. Driving, of course.

Let me add my congratulations Seamus, totally deserved.

I met you at Hershey last fall, I had my '13 touring there.

Charlie Bass

Thank you all for your kind words. I am pleased to receive this award and I will see some of you at Homecoming in May, though I will not be bringing my T. To clarify, I did not completely restore my car. The paint on the outside of the car is about 50 years old and the paint on the inside of the car is original. The upholstery is original and I have hand stiched a lot of it back together. The top was replaced before I got the car. I had the engine and transmission rebuilt by Joe Bell. Some students went through my rearend at school, but then I ended up doing a rearend at school too. I did the front axle with the help of Jack Putnam and ended up buying the front axle tools from him as well as a hubcap thread repair tool. I have been through the steering assembly and spring bushings. I have rewound one of the doublestack field coils in the magneto and I am sure I have another one to do now or the same one again... that repair lasted about 800 miles. I just bought the black tail light and will fashion up a factory looking way to mount them to the car. I got a great idea from Skip Seaton. Anyhow, thank you all again.

Happy Motoring!
Seamus