Getting to know each other.

[Phantomrig]

we read each others post all the time but other than a persons screen name and maybe their avitar, what do we really know about each other? not much at all really, some of us own an actual Tucker, some own a replica, and some of havent ever actually seen a Tucker. some of us own diffrent old cars and some might not. we could be talking to our very own neighbors and have no idea who we are actually speaking with. so lets get to know each other, I'll start.

My name is John, I'm 22 years old and live in a West side suburb of Cleveland Ohio. For a living I repair and refinish gun stocks and am currently training to become a professional gun smith. I specialize in Curio and Relic Military rifles but I have worked on many other types of rifles as well. I love to shoot rifles just as much as I enjoy working on them. I am also a classically trained singer and have performed in 5 diffrent musicals, the biggest part I played was The Phantom From The Phantom Of The Opera(that is where my username came from). I became interested in the Tucker automobile when I was a Little kid digging through my dads old car pictures and found a pic of a wierd car, when I asked my dad what was it he said it was called a Tucker and it used to belong to a friend of his.(1013) since then I have been facinated about Tuckers. I grew up around classic cars, my father has owned 4 crosley's including Powel Crosley's personal 1939 convertable, a 1958 Chrysler Imperial, and currently we own a 1950 plymouth, 1963 Ford F-100(that has won about 20 trophies) and my dad gave me his 1953 Hudson Hornet.

Thats about it about me so lets here about you.

P.S. Im Dyslexic and ADHD and it sometimes shows in my typing, dont bust me about it.

[Randy Earle]

Well I use my real name here. I'm 58 years old and I've seen quite a few Tuckers up close and personal. I've even sat in one. The most recent one I saw was the one at the Crawford Museum in Cleveland. I'm from over by PA but in Ohio. I'm a diecast car collector and have every 1/18 scale Tucker made. I don't sing or dance, but I benchrace really swell.

[NewFederalist]

I live in Hershey, PA (home of the AACA museum) and have been active in many Studebaker clubs. I have owned a 1960 Lark convertible, a 1963 Lark two door sedan, a 1963 Gran Turismo Hawk (for 30 years!) and a 1978 Avanti II. I am not sure what attracted me to the Tucker Club unless it is the fact that the museum here in Hershey is supposed to get the Tucker collection from Virginia someday. I am 59 and a retired Navy Supply Corps officer which is the reason for my avatar.

[Larry Clark]

I think Earle's idea for us to get to know one another better is a great idea. Given that he is 58 and then New Federalist posted being 59, I may as well post being 60 years old. I became actively involved in researching Tucker cars and history after seeing my first Tucker car (1008) in person at Hershey in a light rain in 1977 with fellow TACA member Ed Way. I am a lawyer by background (was an Army JAG officer) and am dean of a business school with over 80 faculty. I do research on Tucker as a part of what I do just being a college professor/administrator. While I have been involved restoring Model A Fords and Mustangs, I could never begin to do what friend Richard Jones has done working with Tucker cars. Frank Tucker kept urging me to write a book from my research on Tucker but if this is to happen it will be years from now. I no longer have a true collector car (I do have a still like new, very low mileage 1999 Mustang Cobra convertible in my garage as my play car). Richard Jones and Dave Cammack are tops for Tucker knowledge but I enjoy continuing to learn about Tucker things from y'all (many of the posts concerning the Tucker "convertible" were really insightful, good). Right now, I am most amazed at what Ricardo is doing- awesome.

Larry Clark

[Phantomrig]

I think Earle's idea for us to get to know one another better is a great idea.

Umm, that was my idea.

[Larry Clark]

John- My apologies!! I gave away my age- I would like to blame it on a "senior moment" but the truth is that I failed to scroll the email trail back far enough to the start of the thread. Thought still the same- I think YOUR idea was a good one. Incidentally, one of the good things about getting to know one another better is the ability to do what you just did- come back with a "what's up with that" kind of comment in good fun.

Larry

[TuckerCar]

We used to do this more often in the club, so I'll play along.

I'm 30 and live in the north suburbs of Chicago as a Marketing Manager for a bearing manufacturer. I've been a car guy since I was born and my obsession started in the 1980's when I first saw a photo of 1041 in a book. A few years later, I saw 1012 at the ACD Museum. I happened to be wearing a Tucker shirt so the staff let me sit in the car. That was my first Tucker experience. I joined TACA in 1996, attended my first convention in 1997, and by 2000 I was on the Board. I've been VP of TACA since 2005. Since then I think I've seen 21 cars, ridden in 4 and driven one.

I've owned a couple '65 and '66 Mustang convertibles, two '67 GTOs and a '57 Thunderbird (right now I have a '67 GTO and the '57 Thunderbird). Also spend a lot of time boating. Married with two dogs, Duesenberg and Auburn.

[Phantomrig]

John- My apologies!!

Dont worry about it, Im just having fun.

we are doing good so far so lets keep it going guys, just tell us as much as you want us to know about you.

[Tuckeroo]

It's great to know another performaning artist in the club! More on that in a moment...
My name is Steve, and if you see another Tuckeroo on other automotive forums, it's probably me. I'm 29 from Laurel, MD. I first learned of the Tucker from a model a friend brought to school (a blue Solido) about 1989 and in the next couple of years I discovered more about the Tucker in various books and finally learned of, and saw, the movie around 1991. From then on I was hooked! I joined the club in May 1993 just before my 13th birthday. I made a trek with mom from summer camp that June to Strasburg, PA, to see #1024 at Gast's Classic Motorcars. Only through correspondence with a member in CA did I learn that the largest Tucker collection was practically in my own backyard, and visited Dave Cammack for the first time that August, and have tried to visit as often as possible. Not long after the Smithsonian received #1039, another easy trip for me to make. My first Tucker convention was San Diego 1995, I begged my parents to let me go to meet Preston Tucker Jr., and get to see the gems that were revealed from his father's satchel. I travelled cross country alone and the club (more specifically Bill Pommering and Pat Fortin) assumed guardianship of this 15-year-old crashing at the hotel (thanks, I will always be grateful for that opportunity!) When I was dragged along for my sister's college move-in in Georgia in August 1995, I insisted on checking out Tucker #1015 and #1034. The unexpected treat was Mr. Cofer giving us a ride in #1034 on the streets of Tucker, GA! Since then I have attended the conventions in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 (where I got to ride in #1046), 2005, and 2007 (which I co-hosted). I have spotted 18 Tuckers, if I've counted correctly. I have A LOT of Tucker memorabilia, most importantly I have in excess of 30 models (including a 1/9 scale Retro 1-2-3) and a Tucker Motorola radio.
I have always been interested in cars since a young age, I pretty much love 'em all. Favorite show: Top Gear. My uncle got me into Mercedes-Benzs when he gave me first car, and orange 240D wagon, the only one of my four cars I don't own anymore. My second is a 1985 300SD. It can run off of cooking oil, I paid $4000 (the most I've ever spent on the initial purchase of a car), now considering with some hesitation to sell it. Next up, inherited my current daily driver, a bullet-proof 1995 Toyota Corolla (ok, she's not an exciting date, but she goes steady). Then I got my first "collector" a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE for $1800 and prompty discovered it needed about $3000 into fixing a hole in the uni-bodied frame. Way to learn the hard way. Not looking to purchase a Tucker convertible anytime soon. My latest acquisition is the fiberglass shell of a Lusse Auto Scooter bumper car (circa 1959, you don't want to know the price of something that hard to come by), which played the part of an actual car in a stage production of "The Rocky Horror Show" in which I performed. Ultimately I want to put it on an electric golf cart chassis and rent it out to other theaters...free beer and sandwiches to anyone who helps me with that project.
I am an actor-dancer-singer (in that order) in local stage and film productions (much respect to you, John, for being the Phantom!) Coming up, I play Orin in "Little Shop of Horrors," latest roles include Linus in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," Officer Barrel in "Urinetown" and Brad in "The Rocky Horror Show," co-starring my bumper car. Roles I'm most proud of: Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol," Alan in "Equus," and Mozart in "Amadeus." Small role in a local horror flick: look up "Steve Backus" on IMDB, you'll see me credited as Vampire #2 in "Stakes." Other hobbies: low-tech tinkering, skating, snowboarding, swimming, sailing, rockclimbing, billiards, and latin ballroom (to name a few).

[TuckerCar]

If all else fails we could start a political debate...

[Phantomrig]

I jsut want to bump this topic, it has been a while since anyone added anything to it. dont be affraid to add to this topic, as long as you dont say anything dirty knowbody will harass you.

[JimInSoCalif]

Hello Plancor,

I don't make many posts, but when I write a long one I usually write it with Word, Notepad, or any text editor, save it and then copy and paste it to the board. That way if there is a problem posting the text, I don't have to rewrite the text - just paste it in again.

I don't have much to say about Tuckers, but I think I have read every post here and have enjoyed the knowledge that you and others have shared here with us. If you are ever in the mood to write about the club, it would be interesting to know how you and others started it. I believe that was before the internet was used by many people so I imagine locating the originators of the club was a bit of a chore.

On the topic of Tuckers, the first one that I saw was in a new car dealership in Montrose (just north of Glendale) Calif. in 1949.

Cheers, Jim.

[Tucker Fan 48]

Great suggestion Jim. The Tucker board is one of the few where you lose everything if you get timed out while you are typing. I'm not sure if there is anything our webmaster can do about that. I've noticed other boards time you out but when you sign back in your post is at least still there waiting to be submitted.

You mentioned that you saw a Tucker at new car dealership in Montrose (just north of Glendale) Calif. in 1949. Was it at a Tucker Dealer or another type of dealership since it was 1949?

We don't show a Tucker dealership in Montrose and most had closed by 1949. The factory auction of cars did not take place until October 1950 so if the car was not at a Tucker dealership then it would have been one of the few cars that were owned by dealers when the company went out of business. Most of them were resold pretty quickly. I'd love to get more information on this car, (color, date, place, name of dealer, ads, photos, etc.)

Hope you'll join us more often !

[Ohio AMX]

Hello, this is Scott, 46, from Medina, Ohio. I don't own a Tucker but have seen a couple. I am a huge independent makes car fan and a member of the American Motors Owners Assoc (AMO) since 1979, and the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club (ACD). I have owned about 40 AMC's over the years including some very rare and unusual ones. I'm also a big fan of Studebaker, Packard, Kaiser, Crosley, Bricklin and of course Tucker, who isn't?! I have enjoyed reading many of the topics here and look forward to learning even more about these legendary cars.

[JimInSoCalif]

Hi Tucker Fan 48

I don't remember what that dealership sold in 1949, but I am sure it was not a Tucker dealership and I am sorry that I don't remember even the color of the car nor any of the other details that you seek.

I believe it is the only car dealership in Montrose, assuming it is still there.

The last time I was there was in the early 1970s and borrowed a Lotus Europa (terrible car) from them to prototype a header. I really don't recall much about that but I think they were selling British Motor Cars at the time.

Now, I suppose Morgan is the only British owned car manufacturer.

Sorry that I can't be of more help.

Cheers, Jim.