Vern and Pat Willan graciously invited the Tin Lizzies for breakfast at their home east of the Sandia Mountains in Sandia Park. To get to the Willan’s home, the Model Ts drove east on old Route 66 then north on State Hwy. 14. Three Model Ts made the trek from Albuquerque including the Mitchells in their 1927 Tudor, the Wings in their 1924 coupe, and Vernon Armstrong and Don Souther driving Don’s 1924 Tudor. Vern had parked his 1926 touring car in the yard as well as his new acquisition, a 1926 pickup truck.
The Willan’s home has spectacular views from their outdoor patio where the chairs and tables were set up for the breakfast. Vern and Pat had a wonderful spread ready for us including tortillas, sausage, green chile, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and pecan rolls!
We also got a tour of Vern’s workshop and storage areas. The large metal building was built before the house itself and is spacious enough to house a 36-foot motor home, boat, numerous cars, and machine tools. Lately, Vern has been working on restoring a Model A speedster as well as a 1926 Model T pickup truck. This pickup truck wasn’t in drivable condition when he bought it, but Vern has been repairing and updating the engine and electrical system and the T is running now. Vern recently added a distributor system from the Model T Ranch (John Stoltz), an alternator, converted everything to 12 Volts, and installed new Kevlar transmission bands. Soon, Vern plans to respoke the wheels that are currently loose, install a Z head, and also add a Texas T Parts disc brake system to make the pickup safer when driving in the mountains.
Everyone had a wonderful time at the breakfast and we all wish to thank Vern and Pat for their hospitality!
