Accident leaves Ramblin' Wreck in need of repairs

[Editor's note: this article is reprinted with modifications from the July 20 issue.]

A highway accident earlier this summer left the Ramblin' Wreck badly damaged, but an outpouring of support for the Ramblin' Wreck after the accident has put the Model A mascot back on track to return to duty this fall without missing a step.

The accident happened on June 22 as driver John Bird, a fourth-year Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering major, was driving on Interstate 75 in Monroe County about 60 miles south of Atlanta with his younger brother, Matt.

"Something in the trailer failed, and the trailer pulled us off the road going 70 miles an hour. We went perpendicular to the lanes of traffic, and we crashed into a ditch on the side of the road," Bird said.

"There wasn't any fishtailing or anything like that. The trailer just snapped and made a 90 degree turn, and I just said 'Matt, hold on' and we hit the ditch. The whole thing lasted about 2 seconds."

Since the accident, 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 come 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.

"It's amazing the support that we've gotten from alumni and old drivers. It really is a testament to what the Wreck symbolizes for Tech," said Anu Parvatiyar, undergraduate student body president.

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. 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 [replace the] upholstery with contacts through the textile industry. It's been amazing," Bird said.

The Athletic Association and Alumni Association, which 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; however, because of the amount of donations made through such outlets as the Georgia Tech Foundation, that 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 donations as well as money raised by its current and former members.

After adding in the insurance coverage, the total amount available is approximately $22,000.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.

A dealer has been able to provide them 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.

"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."