Not 57 Ford but an interesting story

Ecode70D · 2013-08-14 21:46

I was lurking around on the HAMB and stumbled onto a story about an older gentleman who has been stopping and helping stranded / broken down motorists in the San Diego area for the last 46 years for free.. His 56 Ford wagon with 55 trim got damaged, but it appears that he has a back up 56 Mercury wagon that he is driving now and he is still out there helping people on the highways. His name is Thomas Weller and goes by the name San Diego Highwayman. It's an older thread , but has over 800 replies to it.
This man is a real nice person...

hiball3985 · 2013-08-15 07:48

Thats great knowing there are still a few people around who are willing to help. I've stopped many a time to help back when you could still fix them on the side of the road. That doesn't happen much any more with the way new cars are, it's just call a tow truck these days..

Ecode70D · 2013-08-15 15:25

Quote from: hiball3985 on 2013-08-15 07:48
Thats great knowing there are still a few people around who are willing to help. I've stopped many a time to help back when you could still fix them on the side of the road. That doesn't happen much any more with the way new cars are, it's just call a tow truck these days..

Jim.... Me too!!
I remember the days when I would stop to help "WHEN WE COULD FIX ANY CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD". That was a loooong time ago before they had computer stuff.
So you must be old like me too.
Were you able to get into that string on the HAMB to see what the San Diego Highwayman has been doing for the past 46 years?
Jay

PS Jim after looking at your previous post and doing the complicated math, it looks like I have about seven years on you so you are no longer an old guy.. Now you'r a young guy.

hiball3985 · 2013-08-15 15:36

Yes Jay, if you recall the picture of me by my Ranchero the gray hair and beard weren't a disguise

I'm 66. I remember when I thought anyone over 30 was old. I didn't see the story I don't do the HAMB.

RICH MUISE · 2013-08-17 06:57

The San Diego Highwayman....Spent a bit of time in the last 3 or 4 days deciding how or if, I should comment on this. I decided to comment because of the generosity and just overall greatness of a large number of Hamb members involved, that shouldn't be overlooked. This is gonna be a long post..will do it in sections. For those of you not familiar with the story of the San Diego Highwayman (I'll call him SDH), I'll post a link to the lengthy Hamb thread that's been running for a long time. Googling the name will undoubtably bring up lots of info also.
The SDH, as Jay mentioned, is an incredible individual, who has not only been helping people for 42 years on an almost daily basis, he puts himself in harm's way doing it. At his expense, he drives the crazyness of the San Diego freeways looking for folks needing assistance. Flat tires, out of gas, accidents, etc. He generally won't accept payment from the individuals he is helping, rather he justs asks them to pay the favor back to someone else in need if they have the opertunity. He does accept donations to help fund his calling in life. As I said, absolutly great individual.
The tie in to the Hamb.....the SDH did all of his driving for years in a '55 Ford station wagon. Unfortunatly, two years ago he was involved in an incident on the freeway that damaged the car quite severly, but repairable. He had a back up old merc wagon that he's been using since. The Hamb got wind of his plight and what was to follow was incredible imho. To be continued...

hiball3985 · 2013-08-17 07:08

OH BOY!! A cliff hanger

RICH MUISE · 2013-08-17 07:15

Hiball..it'll take awhile. I need to word this very carefully.

RICH MUISE · 2013-08-17 07:51

First, let me say, I spent literally hours reading that Hamb thread for the first 6 months or so, then I had to stop following it. Things may have been said there I have not seen that were not being said when I followed it. There was, imho, as much reading between the lines as there was in actual print. Alot of assumptions on my part and I may be totally all wet on this.
Everytime I tried to tell my wife about what was going on with the Hamb members and the SDH, I'd get all choked up and couldn't finish. The Hamb is BIG..huge if you would. Hundreds, if not thousands of top notch builders from all over, and many thousands of just plain good builders and car guys. When a member first posted the story of the SDH, members started coming out of the woodwork to help. Builders offering their time to get the car restored and repaired. Groups of guys trying to set up a schedule for them to work on it together. A body shop offering free space. People offering free parts. Guys saying "tell me what you need, I'll get it to you" One guy (from Kansas City?) bought him a Texas wagon parts car on ebay. Other hamb members got the parts car transported from Texas to SoCal. Offers of funding from guys too far away to physically help. Lots of smaller donations made by Hamb members that probably really couldn't afford to, but wanted to help. I mean, talk about a feel good story. On a daily basis, it was overwhelming what so many were trying to do for this guy to pay him back for all his years of helping folks out.
To be cont..

Ecode70D · 2013-08-17 08:07

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2013-08-17 07:15
Hiball..it'll take awhile. I need to word this very carefully.

You are a whole lot more eloquent with words than I am, and explained that story about the SDH a lot better than what I TRIED TO DO. He is just an incredible person. Did you notice that he sometimes pays the towing for people if they don't have the money? It reminds me of how some of the old car car club members would stop to help and give the person a card stating that they were helped by a member of that car particular car club.

RICH MUISE · 2013-08-17 08:22

As Paul Harvey use to say, "and now for the rest of the story...."
So, the San Diego area Hamb guys that first jumped on the project, and were organizing the efforts to get it running smoothly were posting periodical progress reports for a while, then there seemed to be some "iffy areas" they were dealing with as far as what the SDH wanted to do. Other members were asking about the stall on the project. No immediate responses were coming, and the ones that did come seemed somewhat vague. Some of the older established members who were inquiring inexplicably never reposted the inquiry. Reading between the lines...they were getting answers off line. After a few weeks of many inquiries into what was hapening, somebody posted that the SDH had told them he was hoping one of the tv shows (like Overhauling) would pick him up as a project car. what?

JMHO, I don't think the SDH realized he just slapped the face of so many good folks that were in the perfect position to help him. Once again , reading between the lines, it really put the Hamb members in an awkward position. How do you help a guy who has asked for help, but then tells them his preference is to be on a car show?? I really felt bad for the awesome Hamb members that were trying to pay it forward. How is this going to affect responses the next time someone that's not a Hamber needs help.
I hope this editorial hasn't detracted from the wonderful things the SDH has done for his community. That was not my intention, just wanted to lend support to the Hamb members involved. As I mentioned, I stopped following the story months ago...too many mixed emotions.
Rich

hiball3985 · 2013-08-17 08:58

Thats a great story Rich. I didn't read what was at the HAMB about it but sometimes comments posted on a computer don't come across like intended and can be read out of context as to what the person was trying to convey, I know I have that problem. He may not have meant it as a slap in the face at all, hopefully not. He may have just been trying to saying he wish the TV show had done it so the members didn't have the burden. Just a thought

RICH MUISE · 2013-08-17 15:08

Good point, Hiball. I'm inclined to agree with you, as far as his intentions,. I think probably just a bad judgement call not meant to be offensive. As I said, I don't think he realized what he was doing, or the power of those trying to help him.. I probably shouldn't have said anything...just trying to make sense of what was and was not being said. It was one of those "silence is deafening" situations.
For sure, the most eloquent, as Jay put it, things that were said were by the Hamb members who said ......nothing.
The sad part...it's 2 years down the road and nothing has happened, at least as far as I know, about getting his original car repaired.
Rich

Ecode70D · 2013-08-18 11:01

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2013-08-17 15:08

The sad part...it's 2 years down the road and nothing has happened, at least as far as I know, about getting his original car repaired.
Rich

From what I understand, It is still sitting and not getting done.
He did say in one of his letters that he wanted to get it done though, and when he retires from his disabled motorist helping service in just a few more years that he was going to donate the 55/56 wagon to a museum. I can't remember the name of the museum.

Jeff Norwell · 2013-08-18 13:56

Wanna read a Heartbreaker?
Search out "Hamb Andy" on that board.....
it restored my faith in mankind..... somewhat..... but the ending is tragic.

SanDiegoHighwayman · 2019-07-02 20:09

First, let me say, I spent literally hours reading that Hamb thread for the first 6 months or so, then I had to stop following it. Things may have been said there I have not seen that were not being said when I followed it. There was, imho, as much reading between the lines as there was in actual print. Alot of assumptions on my part and I may be totally all wet on this.
Everytime I tried to tell my wife about what was going on with the Hamb members and the SDH, I'd get all choked up and couldn't finish. The Hamb is BIG..huge if you would. Hundreds, if not thousands of top notch builders from all over, and many thousands of just plain good builders and car guys. When a member first posted the story of the SDH, members started coming out of the woodwork to help. Builders offering their time to get the car restored and repaired. Groups of guys trying to set up a schedule for them to work on it together. A body shop offering free space. People offering free parts. Guys saying "tell me what you need, I'll get it to you" One guy (from Kansas City?) bought him a Texas wagon parts car on ebay. Other hamb members got the parts car transported from Texas to SoCal. Offers of funding from guys too far away to physically help. Lots of smaller donations made by Hamb members that probably really couldn't afford to, but wanted to help. I mean, talk about a feel good story. On a daily basis, it was overwhelming what so many were trying to do for this guy to pay him back for all his years of helping folks out.
To be cont..

Rich, are ya still here? This is Thomas Weller AKA the San Diego Highwayman [ now retired ] Thankee kindly fer yer kind words and attemptin to put things in perspective regardin Beulah's "plight" and Resurrection. If ya still have any interest?, I'd liketa set some things straight.

Jist found this thread from a coupla years ago ---

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Not 57 Ford but an interesting story