Antique vehicle show like no other set for Saturday

Eighty year old Charlie Davis will be making the 45 mile trip from his home in Sidney on Saturday to the fourth annual Technology of Speed event in his 1931 Ford Model A Roadster but only if the weather is nice.While the Model A was the first car to include a safety glass in the windshield, the side windows snap up, making them less than ideal for inclement weather.”It’s pretty reliable, but I can’t say I’ve never had any trouble with it,” Davis said with a smile.Rain or shine, Technology of Speed will take place Saturday at 321 Water St. Those interested in the science and history behind things in motion can sit in on Tech Talks from local race icons Mike Colsten, Brent Cross and three time Olympic bobsled champion Randy Will beginning at 1.”Our specialty is the how, the why and the who of technology,” said Susan Sherwood, executive director of event host TechWorks! “There is an enormous amount of car technology from this area.”Also on display: a 1929 Ford that was in the Great American race, a 60 year old Harley Davidson Chopper, a Raymond lift truck, a 1929 Larabee Deyo fire truck, a 1923 Larabee truck and former NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine’s early inventions of the full face mask,halsløft the Butler seat and the two way radio for racing.Technology of Speed also will focus on the contributions to speed technology from the Southern Tier and feature a pinstriping demonstration.”This is a remarkably inventive community,” Sherwood said. “People think that first it was a shoe town and then it was a computer town, but it is so much more than that.”TechWorks! consists of volunteers who focus on restoring vintage technology, including IBM computer equipment, flight simulators and other interesting artifacts from the past. Four years ago, according to Sherwood, the volunteers realized they also shared a common interest in restoring antique cars, and Technology of Speed was born.”We all love what we grew up with, and I grew up with antique cars,” said Davis, who in addition to owning the Model A, recently purchased a 1927 Ford Model T, a 1966 Porsche 911 coupe and a 1977 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.While tickets are $5, Cool Car parking at the entrance and free admission is available to anyone with a cool or vintage car wishing to show it off. Barbecue and pizza will be available, as well as locally made ice cream from Inside Scoop for dessert.