Spotlight: Pat Tucci and Zelda Bailey

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

• Pat: I’m a mail-order ordained minister who’s performed 5 wedding ceremonies and made one guy a saint.
• Zelda: I was the first director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute, and as such, I often got to go into areas of commercial caves that were not open to the public. I saw both tour areas of Kartchner Caverns before they were open.

What is your favorite hobby?

• Pat: Playing my guitar
• Zelda: At the moment, I’m trying to improve at abstract painting.

What would it be if you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life?

• Pat: Pizza with sausage and mushrooms, wood-fired of course.
• Zelda: Nope, can’t pick. I love trying different foods.

What’s one item you can’t live without?

• Pat: Does Zelda count as an item?
• Zelda: Maybe travel isn’t exactly an item, but I do love the variety of experiencing other places in the world (with Pat). And books…I really have to read.

Which car that you have owned has been dearest to your heart?

• Pat: Our current Avanti
• Zelda: I’ve loved both our Avantis, but my first love was the 1966 mid-year release of the new Dodge Charger. 383 4-barrel, British Racing Green.

When did you join the car club, and why?

• Pat and Zelda: We joined shortly after moving here in 2017, wanting to connect with others who appreciate cars.

What car are you most fond of and why?

• Pat: 1963 Avanti R3. These were the supercharged high performance versions. The design was ahead of its time and still looks good after 60 years (and still affordable).
• Zelda: Still have to say the 1966 Dodge Charger, mostly because of the memories created when I was 17.

What do you like most about the car club? What do you like the least?

• Pat: Besides the members, I like that the club always has a good food stop associated with our field trips. Sometimes disappointing is that we can’t always join every trip.
• Zelda: I love seeing the other members’ cars and their enthusiasm for them.

What is your most memorable road trip or vacation from your childhood?

• Pat: We would spend a couple of weeks at a small lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The town had a small amusement park that we would visit at night.
• Zelda: Our only road trips were from Indiana to West Virginia to visit family. The trips were at night because of no AC, but my job was to keep the driver awake.

What do you do for fun?

• Pat: I play my guitar at open mic nights. And eat.
• Zelda: Read, paint, organize. Enjoy Pat’s music.

If you had an unlimited budget, what would be your dream car?

• Pat: Ferrari 250 GTO or the Jetsons’ flying car.
• Zelda: Something sleek and classic like the 1937 Cords.