Continued from Cover
Doesn’t ‘Age’ Well
Fire Destroys Michigan Classic Cars Workshop, Vehicles Inside by Jordan Travis, Traverse City Record-Eagle
the consequences this may have for road safety.” As part of the study, TÜV Rheinland drove a vehicle with simulated damages on the windshield or incorrect calibration of the cameras on a test track. Components were artificially aged. In one scenario, there were also changes made to the chassis. Researchers observed the function of the lane-keeping assistance system deteriorated when, for example, there were simulated stone impacts in the windshield. In rare cases, the system switched off without warning. The vehicle also drove over lane markings without warning or reaction from the system. Schubert believes too little is known about how accidents, improper repairs or wear and tear affect the functionality of assistance systems and thus road safety in the long term. The study found failures could lead to as many as 2.3 million risk events each year in Europe alone.
Fire destroyed a garage complex in East Bay Township, MI, that was part of a classic car restoration shop, and about a dozen cars inside. The blaze broke out sometime before 6:50 a.m. Sept. 5 when smoke and heat sensors tripped a fire alarm at the Supply Road location, Grand Traverse Metro Fire Chief Pat Parker said. Responders arrived to find flames engulfing half the complex, a small garage and breezeway, and spreading to the rest, a large pole barn. Smoke was still wafting from the ruins just before 2 p.m. that afternoon, and Parker said the department would stay for another hour to drown remaining hot spots. No one was injured, Parker said. Fire destroyed not only the workshop but around 12 classic cars parked inside, Parker said. Firefighters were able to save a few, but some of those that were destroyed were one of a kind. The family who owned the workshop and cars was in shock, he said.
CARSTAR Liss Auto Body in Indiana Raises Nearly $30,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation The annual 2021 CARSTAR Liss Auto Body Make-A-Wish golf outing at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, IN, was a resounding success once again, although this year’s event took a slightly different path to raising nearly $30,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana and two local children. Corey and Charlotte Liss, owners of CARSTAR Liss Auto Body, in Crown Point, IN, and CARSTAR Liss Auto Body Schererville in Schererville, IN, have held the annual fundraiser for 16 years. This year’s event attracted 110 players for the best-ball tournament. Due to staffing limitations, the Lisses decided to forgo the typical silent auction and raffle prizes, and passed the hat for donations instead for the local recipients. “It was an amazing and humbling day this year, to say the least,” said Corey Liss. “My wife Charlotte normally leads this event, but couldn’t this year due to foot surgery. So, we streamlined the event
and decided to pass the hat for donations on the day of the tournament. We had one person raise their hand and offer to match up to $5,000! Then two people said they would donate $1,000. Then we passed the hat and raised another $4,500! The generosity was unbelievable. We were able to raise around $28,000 for the day.” Two Make-A-Wish families were beneficiaries of the event. Charlotte, a 6-year-old girl from Highland, IN, is battling a nervous system condition. She would like a pool to spend time outside with her family. Jacob, a 15-year-old boy from Crown Point, IN, has a genetic disorder. He is a fan of Michael Jordan and LeBron James, and would like to redecorate his room to reflect his sports passion. The Lisses were recognized at the regional Make-A-Wish Gala in Indianapolis for their many years of support for Make-A-Wish and their fundraising efforts. Source: CARSTAR
8 OCTOBER 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
“It’s sad to see that kind of loss,” Parker said.
Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze that destroyed a classic car restoration workshop Sept. 5 in East Bay Township, MI. Credit: Chief Pat Parker, Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department/Special to the Record-Eagle
The building’s location between Rennie Lake and Perch Lake roads had no readily available water to fight the fire, Parker said. The nearest points were a boat launch on Island Lake and a hydrant near Hammond and Rasho roads. Five departments helped truck in water, with Blair Township, Fife
Lake, Paradise Township, South Boardman and Whitewater Township departments assisting, Parker said. Overall, about 25 firefighters worked to put out the fire, and they dumped what Parker roughly figured to be 40,000 gallons of water on it, he said. East Bay Ambulance stood by, and Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services provided lunch, snacks and water to firefighters, Parker said. Elmer’s Crane and Dozer helped remove the metal roof from the building to assist in fighting the fire. Grand Traverse sheriff’s deputies at one point closed off Supply Road and redirected traffic for about 3.5 hours, Parker said. What caused the fire is unknown, Parker said. The alarm system indicated it started in an office, and no one was inside at the time. The building and cars are insured, so Grand Traverse Metro Fire investigators will wait for insurance company representatives before they dig through the rubble to search for a cause.
