month to talk about issues , plan tours and commit to local shows , parades or other events . The group also has a monthly tour or get together . They caravan to local places , eat and just have fun . Events are familyoriented .
Three things become clear very early in the process of getting to know the Club . One — this is not just an “ old boy ’ s ” club . Women are very involved and very much a part of the auto club mystique . Two — every car has a story and the owners are more than willing to share those stories . And , three — they really do have fun . A good start on this road is the collection of Ford products at Russ and Marilyn Carr ’ s place in San Martin . The back entrance to their property is a garage across the lane from a horse farm . The garage is well-equipped with a lift , tools and plenty of nostalgia . Three Continentals and a T-Bird make up the current collection . The ’ 75 Continental was part of a lot sale in Lodi . The man who purchased the lot was interested in the farm equipment and was happy to get rid of the Continental . Russ notes that the T-Bird is not his … ergo the license “ HER63TB .”
Russ connects his love of cars with his dad who took the young Russ to car shows . His dad on his honeymoon even stopped in Reno and purchased a Harold ’ s Car Club placard , which now has a place of honor in the Carr garage . Russ is retired from Silicon Valley but has a deep connection to his father and grandfather ’ s spirit in the tools and hand-made rigs they passed down to him . Russ eagerly demonstrates these fine old pieces .
In his spare time Russ is president of the
Valle Del Sur club and heads up the car run component of the Freedom Fest Parade on the 4th of July .
Hank Miller ’ s home was not hard to find . Driving down a tidy street in a new development in Morgan Hill , the beautiful blue and white ‘ 56 Corvette was easy to spot . Back then , only 3,000 Vettes were made and only 300 in this color combination . Hank had an almost identical one as a younger man . He sold it to continue his education . In 2013 he saw this one in almost perfect condition . Now it is his . He has since garnered trophies for this beauty . Hank ’ s garage is not full of lifts and tools . It is just a suburban garage . Hank ’ s car story harkens back to a younger , less complicated time . While his handyman skills are evident in his well-equipped wood shop , he is happy to let others work on
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN JULY / AUGUST 2015 gmhtoday . com
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