Campus showers Ramblin' Wreck with support

An outpouring of support for the Ramblin' Wreck after a road accident has put the Model A mascot back on track to return to duty this fall without missing a step.

On June 22, driver John Bird was towing the vehicle in a trailer behind a Ford Expedition on its way to a wedding appearance when a structural failure in the trailer sent it careening across I-75, ultimately coming to a stop in a ditch on the side of the road after dragging the Expedition along with it. Bird was riding with his brother and both suffered minor injuries.

Since then, Bird has worked with former drivers from the Ramblin' Reck Club dating back to 1976 to take the vehicle apart, assess the damage, and get started on doing what repairs can be done now while coordinating the rest of the process.

"Basically the whole car has been stripped of all upholstery, the body is put up on a frame-straightening rack, and all the parts, fenders and body have been straightened. That was the worst looking damage, and that's been straightened out. The paint has all been stripped off of it, so it's silver-looking, shiny steel now," Bird said.

While confusion around the vehicle's insurance coverage threatened to add to the difficulty of the repairs, supporters from all over the Tech community have came through with so much financial support that Bird says they will be able to complete all the repairs and then have money left over to cover the vehicle's maintenance costs that can run up to $3,000-$4,000 per year.

As it turns out, even though the vehicle was being towed and not driven, its insurance will contribute to the repair costs. However, that contribution will only cover a fraction of the total cost.

"The Institute bought the car from the Athletic Association in 1987 for zero dollars. That's the last time they evaluated the value of the car, and it's not much. It's for the cost of a Model A, which they found in a newspaper somewhere or an obscure car magazine," Bird said.

The insurance did not factor in that the Ramblin' Wreck has intrinsic value above and beyond its mechanical components, according to Bird. That intrinsic value has made itself well-known over the past month.

"It was an interesting process responding to so many people [who sent] random messages like hoping the Wreck gets well, to random movie quotes. There has been a huge response from students, which is one of the ways we got in contact with the Mechanical Engineering machine shop, and the [School of Polymer, Textile, and Fiber Engineering] has been trying to help us with upholstery with contacts through the textile industry. It's been amazing," Bird said.

The Athletic Association and Alumni Association, who both rely on the vehicle heavily, have supported the restoration efforts by publicizing the need for funds and channeling those funds to the Georgia Tech Foundation.

According to Bird, both the Alumni Association and the Athletic Association have been helpful by sending him many names and contact information for people wishing to help.

According to Wayne Hogan, associate director of athletics for public relations, the Athletic Association offered financial support if needed. Enough donations for Wreck repairs were made to the Georgia Tech Foundation, however, that funds from the Athletic Association will not be necessary.

Bird estimated that the total donations through the Georgia Tech Foundation amounted to $15,000 and that the Ramblin' Reck Club pulled together about $5,000 through its donations as well as money its current and former members raised. After adding in the insurance coverage, the total amount available is approximately $22,000.

Besides the generosity of those who have made financial contributions, the restoration has been made easier by cutting costs in many cases through parts and labor that have been either provided for free or at a discount.

"The restoration shop is doing the upholstery for free and probably the soft top for free. The mechanical engineering [machine] shop is going to be making us parts, [such as] redoing the flagpoles and struts," Bird said.

According to Bird, a dealer has been able to provide Model A parts at-cost and in days rather than the normal 6-8 week shipping time. He said that he and the former drivers still plan to perform most of the repairs at a shop owned by the father of one of the former drivers.

"The goal is to get it done as soon as possible and as well as possible. The only thing really holding us back is that we haven't gotten it out and driven it around. It does start up and it does drive, but you don't really know until you get up to speed and you start hearing something clanking, the motor or something like that, so that's the kind of thing we're worried about," Bird said.

"Some of those things it could take a few days of driving before it arises, and we don't want it to happen the week before the game. As far as the car itself and making it look like it's going to be fine, I think it will certainly be done in time as far as looks are concerned."