[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Some 20 years after I took this photo that gap almost killed me. By then the Elliott's had gotten THIN ROOF HULL running and inside. I visited often photographing and measuring up parts. On one particular visit I needed information inside the engine compartment. I was in the museum alone and the Fox was backed up against the nose of some 1930's car with a large winged chrome hood ornament. I climbed up on the very back centre top of the Fox and lifted the engine cover. I was young and could do things like that.

But remember the gap.

As soon as I got the engine cover up I realized there were no hinges holding it in place and I was in trouble. The bottom began sliding on the thin metal rails at the top of the hull engine opening and it was going to keep sliding until it hit me in the ankles and pushed me down on that chrome hood ornament, then fall on me completely to finish the job. The more I tried to hold the top up the faster the bottom came at me, and the bottom was too far forward for me to kick and return the whole mess to horizontal. With that strength you often hear about where mothers lift cars off their pinned children I was finally able to inch the cover back and drop it in place. Denied killing me however, it wasn't finished yet. As soon as it clanked back down it started sliding backwards where of course it would drop right on that perfectly restored 1930's car crushing it. I was in no danger but the car sure was. About one third of the way on its evil trip I was able to knock it enough crooked that it wedged and stoped sliding. Carefully moving it up close to where it started I thanked the Elliotts for their hospitality and got the heck out of there.