Welcome to our 50th Anniversary road trip....

We awoke from a refreshing night’s sleep to the smells of breakfast being prepared….this bed & breakfast at Ron & Jean’s was a good idea!  Linda & I joined our host’s for breakfast and talked about where we would be going today.  We really do miss talking with these dear friends.  After breakfast we all gathered up some water to take with us on our days adventures.  Ron had recommended a local Big O tire store to change the oil & filter in the KIA.  I like to change it every 3000 miles even though I use Mobil 1 oil.  Ron and the ladies piled into the Cournia Chrysler and led to the shop.  After I instructed the service advisor, Nate, what I needed to have done I joined everyone in the Chrysler and our chauffer of the day began our ride to the Dwarf Car Museum.  http://www.dwarfcarmuseum.com/   I had read about this deal and seen some pictures of the little cars on the net too.  It wasn’t on my top 100 things to do in AZ but Ron was excited about taking us there, so off we went.

 

When Ron pulled up to this massive, old corrugated metal barn kind of building, out in the middle of NOWHERE Arizona, I was just a little nervous about the surroundings but curious at the same time.  Then I saw a ’34 Ford sedan come driving around the corner and drive into the open door of the ‘barn’.  The ’34 looked a little different but after it stopped and the driver unfolded himself out of the car, I finally got a good perspective of it….I was hooked!

 

Ernie has built dwarf cars for quite some time and all of his works of art are parked inside the barn/shop.  The first one that he built from refrigerators to the most recent ’39 Ford he is working on.  He uses donor cars like Toyota for the engine, transmission and rolling chassis to build his dwarf cars on.  But he makes everything else!  And I did say “EVERYTHING”.  He uses flat sheet metal to form the bodies, he uses steel pipe to make the door handles, he uses other steel items to fashion the other parts.  Mirrors, grilles, moldings, stainless trim pieces….he uses the donor rear axles and makes the smaller wheels fit and look correct.  The wire wheels for the ’34 used a center section from one car with the rim of another (13”) and then drilled and laced the correct number of spokes like the original ’34….into the dwarf wheel….it’s just mind boggling.  The exterior door handles on the ’34 were originally a piece of pipe that Ernie heated, bent, ground, shaped then chromed….it just looks like an original, but smaller!  He even made the horns on the ’34.  Each piece of the Merc grill was made individually by shaping steel on an angle iron form that he made.  It just is amazing when you hear Ernie explain how he built each one.  And he WILL talk to you….he loves to talk about his hobby/passion.  Most of the cars Ernie builds are road cars, he drives them, they are street legal!  He attends local shows and cruises and makes an occasional appearance at National events too.

 

He explained to us how he invented the race cars that would eventually morph into the Legend race cars while he showed us examples of them.  He has auto memorabilia everywhere as well as a little ‘theater’ where one of the DVD’s he sells is always playing. There is no charge for the ‘tour’ but Ernie sells DVD’s and other items about his shop and life….  Ernie also has an apprentice of sorts; another guy is building a dwarf ’54 Chevy in the shop.  I cannot adequately explain/describe Ernie’s place….check out the pictures then you just have to visit when you are in that part of AZ…..you will not be disappointed.

 

We bought a couple DVD’s, thanked our host/guide Ernie and nestled in the Cournia Chrysler again.  Ron said he was taking us to Casa Grande next….I thought, GREAT..... Mexican food!  We drove for a while by a whole bunch of cattle stock yards then the longest train I have ever seen was going in the opposite direction next to us for a while.  The landscape is just so expansive.  I was getting a little hungry and asked Ron how far was the place….he said it was just a little further?  Finally he turned into a parking lot with a low building on one side.  Not a very big building and only two other cars in the parking lot!  Not a very good sign for a restaurant.  Then I read the sign “Casa Grande National Monument Prehistoric Ruins”….I think lunch would have to wait.

 

The site is the building remains of a native people’s community of the 13th Century, the Hohokam people, which are now extinct.  The buildings are weathering well considering they have been there for about 700 years!  The National Park Service manages the site and it’s very austere outside but inside there are many artifacts and informational displays.  Since Linda has Cherokee in her history, this was a welcome and interesting stop for her. 

 

After visiting Casa Grande we motored back to Big O so I could pick up the KIA then back to the Cournia Bed & Breakfast.  Our hosts prepared a delicious dinner while we reminisced the evening away.  Soon it was time to rest….tomorrow the adventure would continue.