Mustang Museum, Hershey, PA

1964 1/2 Mustang Convertible

This Mustang Museum was located near Hershey, PA.  If you're not "car people" you may want to skip this particular lengthy post...

Eloise and I have restored two classic Mustang convertibles.  One we restored while stationed at Hickam AFB in Hawaii from 1976 to 1980.  It was a 6 cylinder, 3 speed, 64 1/2 convertible like this one above.  Ours was Wimbledon White, with red interior.  When I brought it home, Eloise couldn't believe how horrible it looked, and didn't even want it in our compound.  (We lived on base, near to the MAC terminal.)   Pearl Harbor Naval Station next to Hickam had a pretty nice auto hobby shop where most of the restoration took place.  Once finished, it was a beautiful car we were both extremely proud of.  It may sound peculiar to call it a 64 1/2, but there were differences between it and the full production model of 1965.  A couple of the differences were the engine sizes and ours had a generator instead of an alternator.  There was some very minor hood differences.  It's been a long time, but we 'think' it had a 6 volt battery instead of the 12 volt.  Someone at the hobby shop gave it it's gorgeous paint job.

The second one we restored was a 1965, 289 V8, 4 speed.  Red like this one.  It was pretty much trashed also and we restored it in our garage while stationed at Pope AFB, in North Carolina 1983-1986.  We rebuilt the engine, the 4 Speed was pretty bullet proof, so we were lucky there.  We removed every nut and bolt, cleaned and painted them with a clear lacquer to keep them from rusting.  We had a guy in the area that had a reputation for painting classic cars do the paint for $2,000.  He had to 'block' it several times, before giving it it's final beautiful lacquer paint job.  

Now that you know our history with Mustangs, you'll understand our enthusiasm for this museum.  It turned out that it also contained old busses, motorcycles, other car brands and early autos.  All our interests in a single building.  Can't get much better than that.  

Here's a sampling of what was there.  Of course we have many more pictures than appear here, but we'll spare you somewhat:

1963 Concept Oldest Mustang On The Road Today

1963 Concept

 This car was one of 15 that were supposed to be destroyed because they were a prelude to the production.  The person who had it took it upon himself to steal it and hide it.  Seven months later the police found it.  Once it emerged, Aetna Ins was named its owner, and sold it to one of its executives.  It has been displayed at venues across the US.

It was a two seater, storage only behind the front seats.  Did you notice where the gas filler was located?

And in the first photo of it, you can see that the window glass behind the doors is concave.  

1909 Buick Model F

  The owner of this Buick was focused more on preserving the vehicle than in restoring it, which means that steps to keep it from deteriorating take precedent over full-fledged restoration.  I've included it in the blog because it is rare that you see these unrestored beauties.

1928 Zagelmeyer of the Zagelmeyer Auto Camp Company

The Zagelmeyer Auto Camper claimed to be the lightest one manufactured.  Its canvas was permanently attached, making for quick setup and tear-down, and it had a hard top roof.  Zagelmeyer invented the ball-and-socket trailer hitch commonly used still today!

1948 Tucker

I have no doubt that many knew what this car was even before reading the caption.  Yep, it's a Tucker, and you can tell by that center headlight that turned with the steering wheel. That was a Tucker innovation.  I have often wished for such a light when I've turned a corner!  It is just considered too ugly to use in today's cars.  

Rear engine, each cylinder its own exhaust

The front "trunk" looks a little awkward to use

The 1948 Tucker has a six cylinder horizontally opposed engine producing 166 horsepower.  This one is the original Tucker Grey color scheme.  A Tucker was clocked at 131 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1950.  Pretty impressive for those days.

 It was interesting to me to learn that at the unveiling of the Tucker on June 19, 1947, they used a wooden bumper for it's christening.  In the end, the Tucker Corporation will only produce 51 automobiles due to bad press, even though the SEC trials later cleared him of any misdeeds.

Following is a display of hood ornaments used over the years.  There were separate displays for US cars, and different foreign ones.  If you've been around a lot of cars, you will recognize more than a few of these. 

US Hood Ornament Collection

One of the first auto manufacturers to create a statuette was Rolls-Royce.  As early as 1911, the "Spirit of Ecstasy" featuring a standing or kneeling woman with wings and flowing drapery.  Other auto manufacturers followed suit. Many designs were inspired by the name, such as Pierce-Arrow's Archer, and Pontiac's Indian Chief.  The majority of mascots were made from inexpensive "pot metal", higher end autos chose to produce theirs from silver, bronze and even glass.

 Here's something I found really unique:

1919 Briggs and Straton

Briggs & Stratton Motor Wheel

You probably know the Briggs & Stratton engines used in your lawn mowers.  But, in the early part of the 1900s, they were a manufacturer of automotive accessories that invested half a million dollars in a new building and equipment to diversify into the production of actual vehicles.
The company bought the rights to a buckboard-type vehicle called the Smith Motor Wheel.  They renamed it the Briggs and Stratton Flyer and increased its engine output, and added a flywheel magneto.  The Flyer was made from 1919 to 1923.
Briggs and Stratton is still in business and still based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  They now manufacture small engines, generators, pressure washers and snow blowers.

This building that houses the collection was created to save money and help the environment by using a geothermal heat pump.  Extending hundreds of feet below the ground, where the temperature remains 45 to 55 F year-round, are 200 water filled pipes.  The water within these pipes is in constant motion, circulating from this subterranean labyrinth to a series of heat exchangers within the museum and back again.  As it circulates, it cools the building during the summer months, and warms it in the winter. 

Mustang Museum

Geothermal Explanation for the building

1932 Studebaker St. Regis

  This Studebaker has a special body with extra-long doors.  When it debuted that year it had safety glass, a longer wheelbase, slanting windshields and more rounded corners.  The owner spent 5 1/2 years restoring it.  It's so beautiful!


The lower floor (of three floors) contained more mustangs but also old trucks and buses.  The photo captures only the center part of the room.  A bus like the one to the upper left is a Scenic Cruiser like the one my parents sent me by myself from Calif to Illinois to visit relatives when I was 12.  Terror and joy to me to be on my own for the first time!

Lower Floor

1956 Ford Thunderbird

Ford introduced the Thunderbird in 1955.  For the second year like this one they moved the spare tire from the trunk to the rear bumper as a continental kit.  They gained much more room in the trunk, but it also added too much weight behind the rear axle, and greatly affected handling and steering.  The spare went back into the trunk in 1957!  The '56 saw a new rear bumper configuration with a new dual exhaust system.  This was also the first year for the 'portal window' in the removable hardtop.  Ford put the window there to improve visibility after getting complaints about people not being able to see out of the back of their Thunderbirds.

1930 DuPont Model G Convertible

This 1930 DuPont Roadster is an 8 cyl 130 hp vehicle.  There were 273 Model G's produced between 1929 and the company's demise in 1932.  Douglas Fairbanks, Jack Dempsey and Will Rogers all owned and drove the DuPont.  E. Paul DuPont was a wealthy industrialist who hired the best stylists and engineers in the business, and they earned a reputation for elegant and graceful coachwork.

As if it wasn't enough to have such a variety of vehicles under one roof, there was a room devoted to electric trains.  It was a remarkable set, and we were glad we took the time to have a look.

Click this for video of the trains = 2 mins

So, are you asking why I've showcased so few Mustangs from the Mustang Museum?  It's because I'm really not into any except the classic ones.  I appreciate the newer ones, they're sleek and powerful, but they just don't hold my interest like the early ones.  And also, there were so many other interesting things in this museum!!  If you get the chance, and if you're a car person, don't miss the opportunity to see it.  

Eloise is still doing Sam and Natalie's quilt...

Someday Sam and Natalies Quilt