MTFCA Forum

Found these old Australia related items grandpa had.

Darin

Darin, That was the second tour your Grandfather did "Down Under" It was quite a tour for him and his friend Nan who broke her arm just before they left for the trip. The airline also lost their luggage and they had to buy clothes when they got to Melbourne.

Never to be put off they soldered through as always taking it as part of the experience, Both travelled in my Town Car on one of the days as overseas visitors were always allocated seats in the Model T's.

Your grandfather was a great Model T guy, one of my most memorable moments was being on a tour in Kentucky when we went to a barn one night for dinner and a show. Your Grandfather and his girlfriend were in the Roadster and when it was time to drive home it was pouring rain.

The roof was down and there was a traffic jam as everyone drove back to the hotel, I was in a modern pick up truck following them by the time we reached the hotel they were soaked to the skin. Both were laughing and not the least bit worried though everyone else was because of their age as they were in their eighties at the time. Next morning Rodger covered the seat with a blanket, cranked up the T and they were off on the days run.

Roger, the 1989 tour in Wangaratta was the third National tour in Australia. The number plate was issued to entrants in the fourth tour in 1992 which was in Griffith, NSW. The national tours are held every 3 years, and are hosted by different states in rotation. The 2019 tour to Maryborough in Queensland was the first time the Queensland club hosted a tour and they did a wonderful job.
Might your Dad have been part of the group travelling with Ed Gathman on an organised tour?
I met and had both Ted Aschman and Ben Ostergren on the Wangaratta tour. In Griffith, my wife and I hosted two US couples we had met when we went touring in Spokane in 1989. The model T hobby continues to open many doors for those who are prepared to knock.

Allan from down under.

Peter,

Thank you for the stories about my grandpa! I’ve already told my parents and they said they’ve never heard that story.

Allan,

My dad never toured. We’re you on the 1989 tour? I saw a T owned by an Allan in that book and I immediately thought of Allan Down Under... even if the odds aren’t it being you.

Darin

Glad to see that event re-posted here as a memory. If you look through the book you will find my Dad in his 1911 Tourer and myself with my 1911 Torpedo. Both cars were pretty much rushed to get ready for the event and we headed off together on a 250 mile drive to get to there. Both T's performed well and we completed a very memorable week of rallying as father and son. I hope to attend the next National tour and have my son drive a Model t there with me just as I did with Dad.

Darin, I was there with my 1920 red roadster buckboard. It was a relatively new restoration at that time. Since then it has done many long interstate drives, which on the last, resulted in a broken crankshaft.

Allan from down under.