Dick McClurg was excited to see the Thomas Rocket Car return to his shop on West Main Street Road, Batavia, today, after more than five months under the care of Josh Quick in Caledonia.
Quick fabricated all of the sheet metal parts, such as replacing a fender and the floorboard, that is needed to help restore the concept car designed by Charles Thomas and built by Thomas and Norm Richardson in Batavia in 1938.
Once the car is fully restored it will be donated to the City of Batavia.
Quick put in 320 hours of work on the car and McClurg said he went above and beyond what he was asked to do.
"You haven't left any work for me," McClurg joked.
McClurg said what Quick did confirms there is a God because Quick is an angel, adding, "the ugliest angel I've ever seen, but an angel."
Next for McClurg, filling and sanding parts of the body that aren't yet smooth. There's still work to do on the trunk and hood, and of course it needs to be primed and painted and the interior restored.
There's still a lot of work to do.
Thank you to all involved in
Thank you to all involved in this restoration project. It is simply amazing to see the progress you've made on the Rocket Car. We are fortunate to have men like you, preserving a very interesting piece of automotive history. Maybe you ought to contact Wayne Carini or someone in the Velocity Network to showcase this automobile. (Perhaps it would generate some funds, too!)