That's when I met Joe Hatfield. He said, "I used to have one in the same color combination, but I think the colors were a bit different".
We spoke about the show, his car, and the hobby for a while, then asked if I could stop by to take some photos and gather the details of his car. "Sure thing, I'll see you later," he replied.
RULE NUMBER ONE - DRIVE IT
 |
| Joe Hatfield and Jim Choate |
"It's an original steel body. It's been chopped, channeled and sectioned. The roof has been chopped 5", the body channeled 3" to fit over the frame. It's been sectioned, it's had a foot taken out of it totally.
The transmission is a 700R with overdrive, so it gets twenty-something miles per gallon. The rear is a Ford 8" out of a Maverick Grabber and Halibrandt wheels. The bottom looks as good as the top. Everything's stainless steel fittings, it's all painted.
"How long did it take to finish," I asked. "I found a good builder, Kermit Harper of Frog's Hot Rods in Douglasville, GA." "It took about 4 years to build it," he replied. "The Porsche Guards Red paint was done by David Wilson and the upholstery was finished by Bert Lipton.
RULE NUMBER TWO - DRIVE IT"You mentioned you drive it a lot," I said. "Yes I do," he replied. "I had went to a buddy of mine's house, he's got about 10 cars." "He showed me a 35 year old picture of him holding one of his trophies when a light bulb went off in my head." "I'm 72 years old, I don't have time to put it in a trailer, so I've been driving it ever since." "I put on over 8,000 in the year or so I've had it since it was finished."
"What's your favorite experience with the Ford so far?" "Besides driving it," he asked? "Well it's gotta be the first show I entered." "It was time for the awards."
"They announced the top 25 cars, I didn't get that...the best paint, I didn't get that...best engine, didn't that that."
"I was fixin' to leave as I was feeling a little bit hurt when they announced 'Best in Show', Joe Hatfield".
