Eggs & Eights Breakfast

By Ken Bounds with Historical Footnote from Tom Buscaglia

With our incredible March weather continuing on the 25^th our hosts Tom & Judy Buscaglia could not have picked a nicer day for our Eggs & Eights breakfast at Egg Harbor Restaurant in Geneva.  After an incredible string of eight March days in the 80s, this day would top out at 74 degrees, yet only four Early V-8s were seen in the parking lot.

A crowd of 34 V-8ers enjoyed a terrific breakfast and excellent service, along with a large dose of camaraderie.  We all got the chance to meet our newest member, Gary Osborne.

Attendance included our hosts Tom & Judy Buscaglia, Ron & Arlene Blum, Ken Bounds, Joe & Marie Dispensa, Lloyd & Gladys Duzell, John Emmering, Scott Gilday, Earl & Gene Heintz, Roger Hunz, John Judge, Joe & Nell Kozmic, Frank & Phyllis Madrigali, Joey Novak with Millie Olds, Tom & Madeleine O’Donnell, Gary Osborne, Dan & Diane Pudelek, Joe & Delice Serritella, John & Barbara Slobodnik, Larry & Jerry Webb, and George & Dawn Zulas. 

After breakfast a number of us went outside to kick a few tires, and to check out the neat original seat covers on John Emmering’s ‘49.  Those who brought Early V-8s were Ken Bounds, 50 Convertible (top down!); Tom Buscaglia, 51 Tudor; Roger Hunz, 51 Tudor; and John Emmering, 49 Fordor.  Scott Gilday drove his ’69 Mustang, also topless, while the Madrigalis had their ’57 Chevy.  Thanks to Tom & Judy for once again arranging a great get-together and for having the foresight to schedule the event on such a beautiful day! 

A Wee Bit of History About Eggs & Eights, by Tom Buscaglia

I was just finishing up the '51 around 1991 and was thinking about how nice it would be to start driving it around.  So after a few phone calls were made, we decided on a Sunday in early May as the date for our first get together.  We met for breakfast at Egg Harbor in Hinsdale at York Rd. and Ogden Ave., and that became the unofficial start of our own cruisin' season.  This was a time when Dick & Dotty Alfini ('51 convertible), Larry & Jerry Webb ('49), Dan & Diane Pudelek ('49), and Judy & I were known as "those Shoebox guys."  Later on Rich & Judy Doligale ('53 pick 'em up), Wally Anderson ('50), and John & Phyllis Witthoeft ('50) came aboard.

We were not quite as well known in the club at that time, so we kinda did our own thing with the "Newer Ford Products," instead of hangin' with those "Ol' Guys" and their even older cars!  However, we four were the original "Those Shoebox Guys."

There were years when it was just Dan, Diane, Judy and I having breakfast at Egg Harbor in Wheaton.  We had moved it to Wheaton hoping to spur interest.  I could be mistaken, but I do believe Ken (pre-Carolyn) showed up once!  Even threw in the Naperville Model A  guys one year!