The Bill Thomas "Novel Nova"
The Unveiling
Could it get any better? My wife, Carla thought it could. “Why don’t you invite Bill Thomas and his son out to see the car. We’ll have an unveiling.” Unfortunately, due to Bill Thomas’s ill health at the time, he wasn’t up for the trip, but Bill III said to name the date and he’d make it work.
When all was said and done, our guest list of BT friends and fans grew to 40 people, and we wanted to do something special for them. Unlike other car events we’ve hosted, this wasn’t going to be about cars; it was going to be about the car! We decided to have the car showcased smack dab in the middle of our living area, which just so happens to be a 2nd story loft space. In most homes this would be an impossible feat, but we live in a 100-year-old building with a functioning car elevator.
Nevertheless, even with a car elevator, this was no easy task. Six days before the grand unveiling, my good buddy Dave Kinkade helped orchestrate the vertical and horizontal move to place it center stage. It was worth the effort. The Nova fit in better than any piece of furniture. It was a piece of art. II cool!
The party was a huge success, but the best thing that came from the get together was many new friendships. Another bonus was the Bill Thomas and Nickey names were reunited, at least for that night, right beside the same car that was there when their partnership began. Several months later the car received even more attention at the 1st Annual Nickey Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, in Rosemont, IL.This televised event gave the rest of the country a chance to see the Bill Thomas car that’s been in hiding all these years.
John Tinberg, Bill Thomas III, Art Tinburg Restoring this car was truly a labor of love. I enjoyed every moment from start to finish. My only regret is that I never got to meet the man, Bill Thomas.
I guess that wasn’t meant II be.
Thanks, Bill! Please Turn to Part 5 - The Car Today, December 2010
