Tony's Page

Hey Tony, The rear valance is from S-MANN and is three piece. The center section is fiberglass and the left and right sections are ABS plastic and very easy to install.
Gregg

Hi Tony,
I just want my smart to look a little different than the stock models on the road. I want to paint my outside mirrors yellow a few of the interior trim parrts yellow , the rocker panels and the other black areas that are on the lower front and rear of the car yellow too. I am also interested in a cool side graphic for the vehicle. I have a paramotor which fits in the car if I break it down but would like to add a trailer hitch to the rear and have one of those removable carriers to put my paramotor on it fully assembled ( it weighs 50 lbs) so it is easier to use. Are there any manuals out there on how to take parts off the vehicle so I can get them painted. Oh yeah . I would really like to mount a front license plate on the front middle bumper and would like to see how to take off panels so I can see what is behind so I don't drill into the radiator or hoses. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Tony -- so sorry to have missed it -- my grandson and I were coming but emergency prevented. This is a wonderful schedule and I can promise to be there in the future, barring any furture emergencies. Marking the calendar NOW. This is a great site and I LOVE "MINNIE-MAX" (not sure of her/his sex) for it stands for Mini Maximillian (or small man)!!!!! See you on 11/8!!!!

Hey Tony
Thanks for putting together the meet together it was nice to meet others in the area to chat about our cars. Here's the info on other upcoming meets.2. Saturday, November 8 at 12:00 Noon we will hold our 1st monthly “It’s all about the cars” Drive-In restaurant meet at the A&W drive-In on US Route 50 just East of Clermont. This will start a series of drive-in restaurant meets on the second Saturday of each month. See below for info on the meet for Dec. Come out to A&W for a rally and lunch in and around our fabulous little smart cars.



3. Saturday, November 22 we will have a meet and greet and rally at the famous Yalaha Bakery near Howie in the Hills. The Yalaha Bakery is a German Bakery well known for outstanding breads and pastries. On Sat mornings at 10:00 AM they have live music on their patio and usually have an outdoor grill going for sandwiches and beverages. You can check out information on the bakery at: http://www.yalahabakery.com/ Come out and pick up that special loaf of bread or fancy pastry for your Thanksgiving dinner, meet with the smarties and enjoy some music on the patio. I suggest we arrive by 9:30 AM in order to shop the bakery in advance of the music and to get a good seat on the lawn or patio. Bring a folding lounge chair along. The directions from Orlando are: Go north on the FL turnpike until you come to the Leesburg/Tavares exit which is also marked as exit 285 and is the exit for SR 19 and Hwy. 27. This exit comes after the second Clermont exit. After going through the tollbooth, turn left on Hwy. 27 and immediately get into the left lane. Turn left at the very first road which is CR 19 North, towards Howey-in-the-Hills. When you enter Howey, please observe the speed limit signs because the town strictly enforces them. There is one blinking light in town followed by a full traffic light in front of the main Mission Inn Golf and Country Club sign. At this light keep in the left lane which is the start of CR. 48. From this intersection, go straight on and you will find the Bakery 3.2 miles ahead on the left in a two story Bavarian style building. If you need directions from other areas please let me know or check the Yalaha Bakery website.



4. I tried to set up an event at the Sebring Raceway for the weekend of Dec 5,6 and 7 but in spite of my best efforts we were unable to generate the required interest to obtain discounts for tickets and club parking so I have cancelled this event and we will try again for the spring races or for next year.



5. Instead, on Saturday evening, December 6 we will have Smart night at the Drive-In Movies at the famous Silver Moon Drive-In Theater in Lakeland, FL. This is one of the few remaining drive-in movie theaters in the United States. It has two screens and shows primarily first run movies. They have a great snack bar and both through your radio and old fashioned speaker boxes. They get very crowded and often are full on weekend nights so we will want to arrive early to obtain our spaces. The Movie schedules are not announced until a week or so in advance so we will select the screen and movie the week before the event. This night will be all about old fashioned fun so come on out and join us for the evening. For now please plan on arriving by 6:00PM and I will confirm the arrival time a week out based on feedback from the Drive-In. The Directions to the Silver Moon are: —Take I-4 to the County Line Road exit. Go South on County Line Rd to US 92 West. Turn left (East) and look for the flashing neon sign 3.5 miles ahead on the right. The location of the Drive-In is 4100 US 92 W, Lakeland, FL.



6. On Saturday, December 13th we will be participating in the US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots 5th Annual Christmas Car Show from 10:00AM to 3:00PM in Apollo Beach, Florida. Apollo Beach is South of Brandon, North of Bradenton and East of St. Pete on US RT 41. The show will be on the property of the brand new Sweetbay Supermarket on US 41. The Entry Fee is $10 per car plus an unwrapped toy for an Infant or a teenager. In place of a toy you can pay an additional $5 fee. There will be a DJ on site playing 50’s and 60’s music. There will be a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, Dash Plaques to the 1st 100 cars and a People’s Choice Trophy as well. There is space for 200 cars and between 150 and 200 are expected. The event is being hosted by The Roamin’ Oldies Car Club and the Braden Street Cruisers and there will be a lot of classics and street rods present to enjoy. We currently have 7 or 8 smart cars that will be participating and would love to see more from those of you on the West side of our club area if you can make it. This should be a fun day and we would be doing good at the same time. 100% of the proceeds go to Toys for Tots. It is suggested that you bring a folding chair and a cooler if you desire. Food and Beverages will also be available in the Sweetbay supermarket. Directions to the location are as follows: From I-75 take exit 246 and go East on Rt 672 for 2.3 miles to US 41. Turn South on US 41 for 3.4 miles to Mira Bay Village Plaza on the right. If you are coming North on US-41 the Sweetbay is 3.5 miles North of route 674 in Ruskin. The Street address of Sweetbay is 252 Harbor Village Lane, Route 41, South Apollo Beach.



7. Saturday, December 13th is also the date for our second monthly Drive-In restaurant meet which will be held at the Steak and Shake in Lake Mary at 4:30 PM. –The Steak and Shake is located at 4325 Lake Mary Blvd in Lake Mary. This is just off I-4 at exit 98. Convenient to everything East of Kissimmee to Sanford. Vickie and I are planning on attending the Car Show in Apollo Beach then make a speed run to Lake Mary so we hope to see you there. We will likely be a half hour late arriving due to the distance from Apollo Beach.



This is a very active schedule for the next 8 weeks and I hope there are events that interest you and that you will be able to attend. We will not schedule any other major events until after Christmas and New Years but if some of you choose to conduct local events let me know and I will get the word out.



The Orlando smart center staff has been thinking about a new dealership grand opening party and contacted me for input. I suggested that with the Holidays coming it might make sense to delay it and combine it with a 1 year Anniversary party in late Jan or early Feb to commemorate their first smart car delivery which was on Feb 1st. I also volunteered to help them with planning etc. As plans are firmed up I will keep you informed. If you have any ideas about what would make a dealership party a great event please let me know and I’ll pass those suggestions on to the staff.



Thanks for all of your support and I hope to see you at one or more events in the coming weeks.



Sincerely,



Ken Wagar

863-585-5606

Hi Tony, You put it so well! I guess there are at least a few of us kindred spirits out here. I'm hoping that's the message people begin to get....and not just "what kind of gas mileage do you get?" I often hand out a "Frequently asked questions" sheet to people about the car. I'm going to add to those facts some of what you said about making people think about our lifestyle and the bigger picture. Keep the faith. Be smart! Peace, Jack

Hi Tony,

Congratulations on your new smart :) I know you will have some fun memories as you move forward. With that said, I noticed your post regarding a roof shield with the option of still closing the shade. Wanted to share with you Smart Madness.com has been selling these like hot cakes, and I wanted to let you know that it may be a solution for you. I'm going to post the picts within the forum, but wanted to share it with you too.

When you have some down time check out www.smartmadness.com for your smart parts and accessory needs. As well, I won't be offended if you delete this from your comment wall, as I wanted to PM you, but I have to have you as a friend first :)

To you, yours and your smart,
SmartGurl (aka smartmadness.com)

Hi Tony, I love the picture of the 3 black vehicles, and of all the color options, I think I like the black/silver, like you have as much as the yellow/black like mine. A guy named Tom here in Vero has a black/silver like yours which he has tricked out with several polished silver things he makes himself. I think he's on this website somewhere. He would be under Acrylic/Billet or something like that. I really like the polished aluminum gas cover he has, and the "nerf bars" (little bumpers...not sure if you'd remember those from back in the 60s) which screw right in to the tow ring places. And, hey, don't feel bad about the Dodge truck. It looks awesome, and there will be days when it's handy. I still have good feelings about Dodge trucks. We raised 4 kids and a 15 passenger Dodge van with the 360 V8 was our daily driver. Loved that vehicle! But today, the smart is just right and lots of fun. (The kids are all married.) Besides that I have an old ragtop Geo Tracker ('91) and my wife's car is a Honda Odyssee (I can never spell that right). But she drives the smart as much or more than I do, and I drive the Tracker. (She goes 14 miles to work and I go 2). Anyhow, thanks for the picture and good luck with all your vehicles. Maybe we'll meet someday. One of my daughters lives in the Sanford/Lake Mary area and we get up there occasionally. Drive fast, take chances, have fun, be 'smart'. :-) Jack (I got my smart in W. Palm on April 7, after exactly a one year wait. Just over 5,000 miles on it, and love every minute of it.)