Ralph Bingham’s restored 1929 Model A tudor sedan won the Outstanding Vehicle Award from among 150+ entries on display at the Desert Classic Car Show on Saturday, May 2.The restoration of the white-with-green-racing-stripes roadster began in 1968 when Bingham, then a Cedar City teenager, found a rusted out hull upside down at the Kanarraville dump. There were no seats, no engine, no tires, no frame and both front doors were riddled with bullet holes, presumably the result of someone's target practice. With all the energy and enthusiam of a 16-year-old, Ralph thought his find - despite all of its obvious structural deficiencies - was beautiful and even then, he had a clear image in his mind of how the car would look when it was done. Over the years, he scavenged for parts "hoping to get it done in my lifetime!" The renovation took nearly four decades - and more than $30,000 - to complete in time for Christmas of 2008.
Pam has patiently supported her husband's expensive hobby, and has endured his long hours of research and bidding on the internet, believing when his '29 Ford was finished, he would move onto other things . . . and indeed he has. He recently enlarged the size of their garage so he had more room to work on the renovation of a Model A pick up truck he hopes to have finished before he is eligible for Medicare!
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