The Shay

I have a friend that is a real "horse trader". Every time I stop by his house he has a new "toy" or two. Cars, tractors, pinball machines, gas pumps, who knows what he will have next or how long he will hang on to it before the next trade. One of the cars that he has had for a few years is a Shay A. Shay's are a fiberglass Model A reproduction produced in the early 1980's. The cars were built on a pinto chassis with a 4-cylinder engine. They were sold through Ford dealerships.

During the summer, I like to borrow the Shay and take it out. I've taken my wife out on our anniversary. I've also taken our three oldest children for rides. Last year, I took the Shay to a couple of cruise-ins.

The car handles well and rides smoothly at highway speeds. (Something that can not be said for an original Model A).

These pictures were taken a couple of years ago during one such "borrowing". I parked the car in front of my garage so that I could take some pictures of it with the Wayne 70 Texaco gas pump I had recently restored. The pump was purchased on eBay and was in terrible shape when I got it (see photo).

The Shay is a great car to drive. The kids love to ride in the rumble seat with the top down. My friend spends winters in Florida and trailers the Shay on the trip every year. He says that the "retired folk" get a kick out of seeing him tour around in it.