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Show ST. GEORGE NEIGHBORHOODS For the week of October 24, 2008 —13 Peg Durham for St. George Neighborhoods www.thespectrum.com — The Spectrum eee MODEL-T e Continued from pg. 12 1908 to 1912, they came in specific colors for each year. “In 1926, Ford realized that Chevrolet was starting to catch him, so he went back to colors, Chapman said of company founder Henry Ford. That year, he said, the car was available in Phoenix brown or gun metal blue, according to the Model-T club. “But I've taken mine down to the bare metal and it was black’ Ford was an innovator, adding bumpers, wire wheels and an electric starter as standard equipment in 1926. The Model-T had a 20horsepower engine that got about, 20 miles per gallon — “not very good; Chapman said. Building and rebuilding his old cars and his motor scooters is what keeps Chapman busy. He is a retired locomotive engi‘neer for Union Pacific who started in St. George as a snowbird and moved here permanently about 20 years ago. At that time he was driving his train engine on the Salt Lake to Milford or Milford to Las Vegas runs. “Tt’s a lot of fun? he said of rebuilding his equipment. “I went ground up on the ’26 three times since I owned it; he said. “There isn’t any bolt or nut I haven't had off.’ To new car restorers, Chapman said to start looking for parts. “It's like putting a puzzle together; he said. “I hit swap meets quite often down in Vegas just for the fun of walking around and seeing what junk people the 1970s the state brought back the sticker with people buying the metal plates only for new vehicles or those new to them. The centerpiece of Chapman's license plate collection is the one his father received when he bought his . first new car, a Ford coupe, in 1950. “That plate disappeared from the garage for a few years, he said of Y1950, “but Mother eventually found it: More correctly she found one of the two plates. It’s in a place of prominence on his garage wall. Bob Hudson / St. George Neighborhoods So, too, is a collection of Union Pacific calendars that year. He. also collects the Union PaThe centerpiece of Bud Chapman’s license plate collection is the one his father had cific calendars that accompany the photo and a photograph of downfor the 1950 Ford coupe he bought new of his dad and that license plate. town Salt Lake City in the late 1920s or early 1930s. have to sell?” “They were first dated in sticker for the window: “I found that at Deseret In 1944, Chapman noted, In addition to his col1915, he noted. “In 1943 they Industries; Chapman said didn't issue one because of thestate’s license plates were lection of motor vehicles, Chapman has a collection the metal being needed for made out of pressed soyproudly. “I think I paid 20 of Utah license plates. the war. They just issued a bean. He has one of those. In cents for it” |