Marvin Hamlin prizes the `magic patina' that covers his barn-find 1931 Model A Ford coupe so much that he refuses to wash the decades of dust and grime from its surface.
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The coupe lives up to Hamlin's prime directive: `all stoc, unrestored, original, unmolested.' To date, he hasn't even cleaned the windshield.
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Hamlin likes to re-create a time period with his classic cars. He was glad his '31 coupe had a trunk, instead of a rumble seat, since it means he can display a stash of bootlegger's beer, complete with bottle capper and a jug of moonshine.
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At some point the original owner, who used the car as everyday transportation, apparently decided to replace the worn-out mohair seat upholstery with pleated vinyl. The original headliner, complete with a rip, is still in place and Hamlin says he will keep the vinyl in place, so as not to alter the car's history.
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Although the 1931 headlights were replaced with sealed beam units at some point in the coupe's long life, Hamlin says he has a set of original lights that could be reinstalled, if need be.
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Another vintage timepiece is this 1930 Model A pickup, decked out with all kinds of period-correct collectibles. Hamlin enjoys creating dioramas that take people back to authentic depictions of earlier times.
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When the original owner of the coupe could no longer drive it, he parked it in a barn, where it sat basically untouched for 20 years. The second owner resisted the urge to turn it into a `rat rod' after realizing it was too nice to modify.
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The interior is basically 1931s vintage, although an auxiliary `Ah-oogah' horn button has been added to the dash board.
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Although the grime of time covers virtually every contour of the old car, the body work is amazingly pristine under the patina of dirt and light surface rust.
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The stock Model A engine fires up and purrs like a contented kitten; on cool mornings, passengers have the benefit of a hot air manifold heater.
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Hamlin tows this 2-wheel trailer behind his 1930 Model A pickup. It houses a goat and several chickens and also features plenty of patina.
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Hamlin says his maroon '31 Model A coupe creates a stir wherever it goes. Appreciative people who years ago would have asked if he plans to restore it now say, `You aren't going to restore it, are you?'
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That's not a child's hand print in the dust on the roof of the survivor coupe, it's a raccoon's paw print, acquired from 20 years of sitting in a barn, and it's worth preserving, according to Hamlin.
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The only shiny spot on the car is this glossy oval on the rear fender, rubbed out by the previous owner to show how nicely the Model A would clean up. Hamlin intends to give it a light oil bath and drive the car along some dusty roads to restore the `proper' patina.
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Hamlin's collection includes this one-of-a-kind racer built by C.B. Abbott of Jefferson City, Mo. The bright blue #66 is powered by an unusual 1932 Ford Model B engine equipped with a single overhead cam; the car was restored in 1983.
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Not every vehicle in Hamlin's collection is a 4-wheeler, as this vintage Cushman scooter, one of only 20 built to a Shrine unit's specifications, illustrates. Equipped with special saddlebags and passenger seat, it remains exactly the way it was when purchased, and will stay that way.
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