Butcher Hollow, Home place of Loretta Lynn
She was born a coal miner’s daughter according to the well known country ballad based on the early years of singing star Loretta Lynn. The little cabin she sings about is still standing on that hillside of Butcher Hollow in the community of Van Lear, Kentucky. After a short drive up a gravel road from Webb’s grocery you can park your Model A in the yard, then go inside and talk with Loretta’s brother Herman about the joys and struggles growing up in a coal mining town decades ago. You wouldn’t know it by the way it looks now but when the mines were in full production the area was a bustling place. Skilled and non-skilled laborers moved into the area to find work. Though the pay was low and the danger was high it kept food on the table and clothes on your back. If you were fortunate to have a little piece of ground to grow a garden and keep a few head of livestock you could get by pretty well, even with a houseful of kids. Sitting on the steps of Loretta’s home place enjoying the sun and the quiet, it’s easy to reflect back to earlier days with good memories. Time has softened the experiences of carrying in the water and traipsing to the outhouse through the snow. Mike and Judy Akers did a great job setting up this overnight tour. We enjoyed our stay at the Jenny Wiley State Park and exploring the Prestonsburg area. This was the first time many of us had been to this part of the state. Several of the group visited the local NASA Science Center to see a laser light show accompanied by rock music. Although most of the group weren’t hard rock fans we realized that was exactly what we needed to keep us awake in the dark theater after a long day behind the wheel of a Model A Ford. It’s not often you get to experience Loretta Lynn and Led Zeppelin in the same weekend. You just never know what adventures will come your way on these outings but you can bet there will be some good memories to take home. Only one more tour left for 2005 and it will be a good one. Try not to miss it.

THE RC & MOON PIE TOUR – BY THE NUMBERS
1 case of RC cola.
2 cartons of moon pies
5 states
8 Model A Fords
9 days
16 CKMARC Members
45 M.P.H
1300 Miles
1,000,000 laughs
We were truly blessed with a wonderful trip. The first two days we traveled with Bill and Kathy Holmes, Marc members from Chattanooga. Thanks to them we saw everything in Chattanooga on our long list, plus a lot we didn’t know about. We enjoyed exploring Cades Cove, Gatlinburg, and Cherokee while in the smokies. In Asheville part of the group visited the Biltmore Estate while others made it to the top of Chimney Rock. There was so much to see along the Blue Ridge Parkway that we arrived at our motel after dark a couple times. Andy Griffith’s boyhood home of Mt. Airy gave us an enthusiastic Mayberry welcome, but having the grandson of Earnest T. Bass deliver it might not have been the best choice. A lot of photos were taken here as we assumed the role of our favorite TV characters. The journey over the mountains back home reminded us what a beautiful land we have and made us thankful to have seen so much of it through the windshield of a Model A Ford.

That First Model A
Dottie Loiselle recently shared a faded old picture of husband Roger taken in 1956 at age 15. Roger is shown with his first Model A that he received in trade for a $35.00 motorcycle. Dad wasn’t too happy about the old heap but agreed to let him keep it if he could get it running by the end of the summer. From the photo it appeared that was quite a task. From the cowl forward all the sheet metal is gone, along with the radiator and part of the engine. Roger and his brothers spent every available hour working on it and scoured the countryside for every available part they could get. One day toward the end of summer dad came home and was surprised to find Roger driving the old Ford around the yard. You can imagine how proud Roger must have been about that car. He’s been hooked on the Model A ever since. Roger and Dottie still own a Model A tudor and enjoy driving it in many club events each year.

TECH TIP
We share newsletter with several MARC Region newsletter editors in our part of the world. It’s a great way to pick up information and see what successful activities other groups are enjoying. A timely reminder comes from Emeric Howell, newsletter editor for the Falls City Region in Louisville. Emeric like many of us runs a 50/50 antifreeze solution in his Model A during the winter but often tops the radiator off on tours during the summer with plain water. By this time of the year the coolant is likely to be watered down to the point it is providing little protection from freezing. A word to the wise, go check your coolant now while it’s on your mind. One night soon the weatherman will be telling you about the big freeze coming and you can relax because you’ve already prepared you’re A.
Another winter tip Emeric recommends is the battery tender to keep your battery fully charged through the cold months. This device is a little smarter than a battery charger or trickle charger. It continually monitors the charge and switches itself on and off as needed. A quick connect is provided for the battery that allows you to hook up and remove the device without removing the floorboards or battery cover. No more run down on overcharged batteries. Tractor Supply carries them.
Several in the club just completed a 1300 mile tour over some of the steepest curbing roads around. These old Fords are amazingly reliable and easily repaired when the occasional problem does occur. After several days of mountain driving, one Model A had a sudden loss of power. A quick roadside diagnostic indicated it was getting adequate fuel and fire but a couple of adjoining cylinders appeared not to be contributing any power. A compression test confirmed the problem, indicating a possible blown head gasket. Thankfully Darrell Webb had the necessary gasket and when the head was removed sure enough the old gasket had ruptured between the third and fourth cylinders. A little over two hours from break down to back on the road. Having the mechanical expertise of Mike Akers and Noah Logan, along with the correct parts supplied by Darrell made the job possible, but the point is, it was possible on the side of the road with common tools and in a relatively short time. I have no doubt that if we didn’t have the correct part or the skill to make the repair we could have called on a MARC member in that area listed in the membership roster and help would have been on the way faster than AAA could get to us with a rollback. If you want to explore this country behind the wheel of an old car it would be difficult to find anything better than a Model A Ford.

Congratulations:
Several of our members enjoyed the annual outhouse Blow Out at Penn’s Store in Gravel Switch. Along with the out house races and Bluegrass music, there was a nice car show with a special class for Model A Fords. Ray McCoy was awarded the trophy for the A that traveled the farthest and Powell Martin received best of show with his Model A pickup. On the way home we stopped at McKinney for all the fish we could eat at the McKinney Station Restaurant.