Georgia Racing Hall of Fame volunteer Vaudell Sosebee never guessed shed see her husband Gobers 1939 Ford with

the unusual chrome dashboard again.

But she was surprised with just that Wednesday at the museum.

How bout that? she chuckled in surprise when she walked up to the car, parked in front of the museum.

It was her favorite car, Vaudell Sosebees son, Brian Sosebee, said.

The mystery Ford was restored by Bud Layton of Cartersville. Layton said he learned about the car from one of his coworkers about 20 years ago. So 20 years ago I started trying to buy it, Layton said.

The Ford had ended up on the Brown family farm in Cartersville, Layton said. According to Layton, the car

was there because Gober let friend and fellow race-car driver Max King borrow the car for a liquor run to Pine Mountain in the late 1940s.

Max got out to Stamp Creek Road (in Cartersville) and the revenue officers got at him, Layton said.

Even though the revenue officers shot out two of the tires, King was still able to lose them and drive the car to the Brown

farm.

And thats where the car stayed until Layton paid $1,000 for it last year.

Gober wouldnt let them bring it back because it had the chrome dash in it, and a revenue officer had been in the shop a few days before and made a comment about the chrome dash in the car, Layton said.

Gober Sosebee was afraid the revenue officers would figure out the car belonged to him, Layton said.

The top of the car then was cut off, and the car was used to haul sugar to liquor stills for 20 more

years.

Layton, 78, restored the entire car himself except for the engine. Ive worked on cars all my life, he said.

In addition to restoring cars, Layton also wants to know the history behind them. I like to fix em back like they was, and I

want a car thats got history on it, he said.

It just made my day, Vaudell Sosebee said of seeing the car again. Son Brian even took her for a

spin around the museum parking lot.

That was the first one Id seen with the chrome, and I always liked the 39s, she said.

The Ford is black and white and carries the signature logo of Cherokee Garage, where Gober worked. Of the 30-plus

cars Gober raced, the No. 50 1939 Ford was the only black and white car Gober raced. Georgia Racing

Hall of Fame President Gordon Pirkle said all the other Fords he raced were

black.

The coupe--chrome dash and all--will be available to view at the museum in three weeks.

Vaudell said her husband would be proud his cars were on display at the Hall of Fame. Gober died in 1996. He was 81. A native of Dawsonville, he competed in the first NASCAR Daytona Beach Race. He won the Daytona in 1950 and 1951. In 1950, he also won Most Popular Driver NASCAR Sportsman.

Gober was here (at the museum) when they had the breaking of the ground, Vaudell said.

They wanted it (his black Ford Coupe) in Daytona, but he said, Thats where I want my car to go cause that's my hometown."