[FWDLK] Hershey and the AACA Junior and Senior
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[FWDLK] Hershey and the AACA Junior and Senior



This is kinda long so if anyone wants to delete it just push the button.   
 
   I'd like to tell you all about my experience with the AACA 1st Junior, Senior and Preservation awards.  I had a 55 Plymouth 2 Door Club Coupe 6 cylinder with Sport Tone Trim and 2 tone green with fender skirts.  I had shown it for some years driving it to where ever I wanted to.  Most of the time it would take best of show or 1st place in the car shows that I went to.  I even took it to an all Mopar show and took Best of Show to my surprise.  We had to drive it about 4 hours to get there, but I put some cleaning time in at the motel. 
   We were at a National Chrysler's Products Club meet one time and going out to dinner with some friends in the car, the engine decided to dump the 6th cylinder.  Of which the top rings gave way and we were running just no good.  We had it car hauled home as my brother in law came and got us.  I did show it that weekend but I was already was in the Prestige class, so no Judging.  My friends told me to come to Johnstown, Pa for the Spring Eastern divisional meet the following Spring.  I took the engine out and had it over hauled along with the Transmission (Powerflite).    With the engine out, I was able to detail the undercarriage, firewall and inner fender wells and anything else I wanted to do.  I got the engine back in the car a week before the event.  The night before we got it running and I took my buddy who helped me on a 30 mile round trip to get an ice cream cone and test drive the car.  It ran fine and the next day we were off to Johnstown for my first ever AACA meet a distance of 4 or 5 hours.   I cleaned it up in the parking lot under, over and everyplace I could think of.  Saturday came and it was on the blacktop parking lot.  The judges came and spent a lot of time on it and I just watched. 
   That night was the banquet and after the awards ceremony.  Well my class (1954 and 1955 cars) finally came up and 3rd Junior winners were called.  Next the 2nd Junior winners were called.  My name was still not there and I figured it would not be there.  Well 1st Junior was called and lo and behold it was our name.  Was I ever surprised!!!!!   Never did I ever think it would make it.  I had done all the detailing myself which I enjoy. 
   The next year we went to I think Gaithersburg Maryland for the Senior.  That is about 6-7 hours driving time away on Interstate highways.  I did the same.  Cleaned it up under, over and all around.  that night at the ceremony, they called my name as it won the Senior award of which I was well pleased. 
   The next year I took it to Amherst, NY about 2 hours form here and it received its first Preservation award.  It may have been that same year, I wanted to take it to a National meet, but Chryslers at Carlisle was the same weekend and we went there with it as our club had its meet on the grounds and I found a buyer for the car there also. 
   I said all this just to say, that in my instance, I felt I did not do anything special except for meticulous cleaning and detailing and yet driving it where ever I wanted.  I also live on a dirt road.  We enjoyed the car driving it, letting people ride in it or just set in it and just talking about its design and the war stories restoring it. 
   So you can drive them and still get recognition at a meet.  Also at the AACA meets, you are not going against any one. You are being judged by a score the best being I believe 100.  As they find things wrong, points are being subtracted. 
   I'm usually not this long in a message, but it is just my story.
 
Jack Johnson   In Sunny Shinglehouse, Pa. 
  
  

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