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Inside This Issue Michigan Region 2018 Activities Calendar………...…..………....………….…….…4 From Your Editor…..…….….……….……….….….….….….…..….…….…………5 Cover Story: Ted Stahl’s 1947 Delahaye 135 M. Cabriolet….……………………….7 Back Cover Story: The CCCA Museum’s 1939 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet..…....…..10 The 2018 CCCA Annual Meeting………….….……..………………………….…...13 Classics® at Schoolcraft College's "Dine & Discover".……….……………….…….17 Walter P. Chrysler: A Classic Automobile Man.……………………………….…….18 Stromberg Carburetor Rebuild.………….…….………………………………….…24 Classic® Downunder: Tlanda & Carol’s Most Excellent Adventure…………….……26 Obituary………………………………………………………………………….…..30 ReTorque……………………………………………………………….……….…...31 The Steering Column…………………….…………………………………………..32
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2018 Leadership www.classiccarsofmichigan.com 4717 Maddie Lane Dearborn, MI 48126
Board of Managers Director
Publications Committee
Tlanda McDonald
Torque Editor
Rich Ray (810) 333-2498 richray2@hotmail.com
(248) 563-5651 tlmcdonald999@comcast.net
Assistant Director
Phil Fischer (734) 377-6553 corbuck6147@att.net
Treasurer
Bob Ferrand (248)722-8375 Bobish1@comcast.net
Greg Kosmatka (313) 882-7980 grk129@sbcglobal.net
Secretary
Torque Cover Editor
Club Photographer
Greg Stachura
(586)201-3391 donwoodiii@gmail.com
(734)397-3000 gstachura@comcast.net
Membership
Jerry Medow (248) 737-0637 medowg@aol.com
Projects/Advertising
Wally Donoghue (734) 455-0177 wally@plaidpants.net
Annual Meeting
Classic Vibrations Editor Staff
Ara Ekizian Paul Wise (313) 492-0284 sandrawise@me.com
Grand Classic
Jay Fitzgerald (313) 885-3641 jayf3641@ sbcglobal.net
(248) 851-4069 dlekizian@yahoo.com
Activities
Don Wood III
Paul Ayres
Bram Over
Wally Donoghue
Ed Meurer III
Janet Welch
Diane Ekizian
Cover Photos: Don Wood III
Nancy Seyfarth (313) 436-8327 nancylouseyfarth@gmail.com
Grand Classic
Lee Barthel (248) 476-0702 lfbarthel@yahoo.com
Torque Editor
Area Head Judge
(810) 987-8977 ternest@sbcglobal.net
Rich Ray (810) 333-2498 richray2@hotmail.com
Terry Ernest
Assistant Area Head Judge Marcus Shelley (313)881-5109 red.auburn851@gmail.com
Classic Vibrations/Website Jay Fitzgerald (313) 885-3641 jayf3641@sbcglobal.net
Historian
Bruce Thomas (248) 594-6499
Torque Magazine
July - August 2018
No.456
Torque Magazine is published bi-monthly at 24000 Research Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48833-2606. Change of address and all correspondence should be mailed to Torque, c/o Rich Ray, 12664 Lashbrook Lane West, Brighton, MI 48114. Subscription price is $35 per year for members and $50 per year for non-members. Periodicals postage paid at Farmington Hills, MI and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send PS Form 3579 to 12664 Lashbrook Lane West, Brighton, MI 48114. Written or pictorial material in the Torque Magazine may not be reprinted without permission from Torque Magazine or its authors and credit given to the Michigan Region Torque.
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Michigan Region 2018 Activities Calendar July 11-14 - Ohio Mini-CARavan & Grand Classic July 22, Sunday - Ice Cream Social July 27-29 - Concours d’Elegance of America at the Inn at St. John’s September 9, Sunday - Annual Steak Roast October 21, Sunday - Fall Color Tour November 3, Saturday - Annual Dinner Meeting at the Detroit Athletic Club
Stay in Touch! If your email, mailing address or telephone numbers change notify Jerry Medow at medowg@aol.com or call (248) 7370637. This assures that you will receive your Torque Magazine as well as activity notices in a timely fashion. This also applies to those seasonal moves, either up north, down south or out west.
Classic & Exotic Service Experts in the Restoration and Maintenance of Prewar Cars Supplier of Specialty Parts for Prewar Cars
Classic Car We offer a wide range of services to the Classic and Antique Car Owner Including but not limited to:
Classic & Exotic Service, Inc. has been restoring the finest American and European Classic cars since 1988. Located in Troy, Michigan, with over 30,000 square feet of floor space and a staff of 30, we are one of the Midwest's largest and most experienced restoration facilities. Our customers will attest that we provide only the highest quality restora tion. In our restorations, the mechanical functionality of the car is as im portant as the cosmetic appearance. We have completed many resto rations for Pebble Beach, Meadow Brook, St. John's, CCCA Grand Classic and for touring. We have experience with a wide variety of automobiles. From the mighty Duesenberg, luxurious Packard, Lincoln, Pierce Arrow or Cadillac, sporting Bugatti or Bentley, our knowledge, skill and experi ence will make your automobile perform and look its best
Classic & Exotic Service, Inc. 2032 Heide Dr., Troy, MI 48084 USA Phone: 1-248-362-0113 Fax: 1-248-269-9365
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GENERAL SERVICE MAINTENANCE DETAILING RESTORATION WORK MECHANICAL SERVICE Pickup and delivery is available in an enclosed trailer for Classic Car repairs
EMS CLASSIC CAR CARE, INC. 11530 Timken, Warren, MI 48089 1/4 mile South of Stephens (9-1/2 mile), just west of Hoover
Ed & Emica Syrocki Phone: 586-754-3728
July - August 2018
From Your Editor By Rich Ray It has been just over three years since the mantle of Torque Magazine editor shifted from Tom Goad to me. In the sixty-some years that the Michigan Region has been publishing Torque, several people have served as editor and collectively made it the most highly respected regional publication in the CCCA. Torque first won the CCCA's Turnquist Award for publications in 1960 and starting in 1971 won it for 39 consecutive years. In fact, in 1993 the CCCA recognized it as being in a class by itself by establishing a Senior Division expressly for Torque. The magazine grew from 24 black and white pages to 32 pages of full color during Tom's 18 year tenure and, in 2009, the CCCA presented him with the Beverly Rae Kimes Outstanding Regional Editor Award. At the CCCA Annual Meeting in Branson this past April, I received that same award and, as Ron Verschoor, Editor of CCCA Publications, made the announcement he stated that I "had a tough act to follow"in taking over from Tom, This is very true and I have always thought of it as a "don't screw up a good thing� situation. A lot of people though, work to make Torque Magazine and this award possible. As soon as someone picks up the magazine, they are impressed by Bob Ferrand's beautiful cover designs. Having Don Wood III’s photography makes the magazine look good, regardless of my scribbling. The people who submit articles make the reading worthwhile. At Branson, the Michigan Region also received the Regional Technical Service Award, which was probably won solely on basis of the many technical service articles contributed by Phil Fischer last year. Beyond that are the many reliable (and bleary-eyed) proofreaders who diligently find all the mistakes I make in laying out each issue of the magazine and finally, top quality printing by Ed Meurer. So thank you to all who have helped us not screw it up.
Rich
Stay Up To Date! Michigan/Ontario Region members can always have the latest news and activities by checking us out at:
www.classiccarsofmichigan.com or on:
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Torque Advertising Rates One Year (6 Issues)
Single Issue
Color Full Page ½ Page ¼ Page
$1,100 $600 $320
$220 $110 $70
Black & White Full Page ½ Page ¼ Page
$1,000 $550 $285
$190 $100 $55
Ad copy should be submitted in print ready PDF X-1a format with all fonts embedded. Contact the editor for specific ad dimensions. Copy should be suitably CCCA Full Classic® oriented. Ad will appear in the first non-assembled Torque issue following receipt of payment and camera ready art. Torque closing dates are: January 1, March 1, May 1, July 1, September 1 and November 1. Make check payable to: Michigan Region CCCA Mail to:
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Wally Donoghue, Torque Advertising 5130 Curtis Road Plymouth, MI 48170
The Classic Car Club of America A club founded for the development, publication and interchange of technical, historical and other information for and among members and other persons who own or are interested in fine or unusual foreign or domestic motor cars built between and including, in the main, the years 1915 and 1948, and distinguished for their respective fine design, high engineering standards and superior workmanship, and to promote social intercourse and fellowship among its members; and to maintain references upon and encourage the maintenance, restoration and preservation of all such Full Classic ® cars. Contact the CCCA at P.O. Box 346160, Chicago, IL 60634 or www.classiccarclub.org
What is a “Full Classic®” car? A Full Classic ® as defined by the Classic Car Club of America, is a “fine” or “distinctive” automobile, American or foreign built, produced between 1915 and 1948. Generally, a CCCA Classic was high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and “oneshot” or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a “Full Classic®”. The complete list of the Club’s recognized Classics may be obtained by writing the CCCA, P.O. Box 346160, Chicago, IL 60634 or at www.classiccarclub.org.
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Ted Stahl’s 1947 Delahaye135M Cabriolet
Article by Terri Coppens
Michigan Region member Ted Stahl’s love of cars began as a way to help his children gain appreciation for all things mechanical. A 1930 Ford Model A was the first of the collection that over time, grew to more than 150 cars and occupies a large, modern industrial building in Chesterfield, Michigan. The Stahls Automotive Foundation was created to educate, motivate and inspire young people with a passion and appreciation for vintage vehicles and help them to understand their contribution to the development of the car industry as well as their impact on society, history and everyday life. The museum houses 90 to 100 cars at a time along with automated musical instruments making a visit here a very unique, multi-sensory experience. Emile Delahaye began creating cars bearing his name in 1894 and they often appeared at racing events of the late 1890s. By 1901, Emile had left the company due to poor health. Designer Jean Francois joined the firm in 1935 to help create the sporting model for which Delahaye became best known: the Type 135. They strayed from manual gearboxes and leaned toward using the Wilson preselector and then to the Cotal transmission, which is present in this vehicle. Delahaye never built bodies, they let the coachbuilders handle that task. Following the war, the Dutch government allocated resources to coachbuilder Pennock in The Hague to build a series of Delahayes with body designs attributed to Henri Chapron. The 1947 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet, Coachwork by Pennock features a burgundy over burgundy exterior and interior. CarrosserieFabriek Pennock was a well known Dutch coachbuilder located in The Hague between 1900 and 1953 which fabricated various coachworks for public transport vehicles, trucks as well as many beautiful bodies on the chassis' of brands like Delahaye, Lagonda, TalbotJuly - August 2018
Images by Don Wood III
Lago, Austin and Armstrong Siddeley. Pennock is especially well known for their "un-Dutch" flamboyant designs on Delahayes. Delahaye had no in-house coachworks, so all its chassis were bodied by independents, who, like Pennock, created some of their most attractive designs on the Type 135. Despite the trend in late 1940s automotive design to envelope bodies, Pennock resisted the temptation to lose the definition between the hood and fenders of its flamboyant cars. Using minimal timber framing, its coachwork was welded to the chassis providing a rigid structure which was taut and rattle-free to drive in comparison with many other coachbuilt examples. This Delehaye is powered by an inline, overhead-valve six-cylinder engine displacing 217 CID and producing 95 horsepower. It rides on a 116” wheelbase chassis. It retains most of its original details: trim, chrome, lighting and even the coachbuilders crayon marks on the floorboards. This Delahaye, chassis number 800667 with matching engine number 80667, is one of about 60 examples built by Pennock. Its close-coupled coachwork, teardrop fenders, bold Delahaye grille and severely raked one-piece windshield is one of the best of its period. It was imported to the U.S. by legendary car dealer Max Hoffman. The first known owner in 1962 was Phil Lawtner and later owned by Bob Wells and Larry Nicklin before being acquired by Gordon Johnson in Alamo, California in 2007. A comprehensive restoration by the finest specialists followed with Laurence Anderson handling the engine, Cotal preselector transmission and mechanical details, paint by Darryl Hollenbeck and interior and top to the original patterns by Ken Nemanic. Gordon Johnson completed electrical work and assembly with his son-in-law Bob Fracolli. The Stahl Foundation acquired the car from Mark Hyman in 2014 and the engine is currently being rebuilt.
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Clockwise from above left: flowing lines grace the Delahaye’s body; “tear drop” forms are evident in both front and rear fenders; details of the front bumper; the Delahaye name is proudly displayed on the hood; fender and hood lines flow together; front end is very clean with the bumper accentuating the grille, free standing headlamps fit well with the fender lines.
The Delahaye was shown at the 2016 Concours d’Elegance of America in Plymouth, MI where it won the Most Photogenic Award and was displayed at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI. It then took first place at the CCCA Museum Experience at the Gilmore Museum in 2017. The Stahl Foundation collection is an eclectic group of cars and this Delahaye is a perfect addition. 10
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Clockwise from above: the 3.557 cc straight 6cylinder engine is fed with three carburetors; a pair of Klaxon horns help keep the road clear; banjo steering wheel; basic instruments grace the wood panel; chrome landau bars control soft top folding; another angle on the interior; rear seat is probably not intended for long trips.
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The CCCA Museum’s 1939 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet
Article by David Charvet A Case of Mistaken Identity: Emil Delahaye established the company that bore his name in Tours, France in 1894. Delahaye became known for their fine quality, exceptionally engineered automobiles. By the early 1930’s, the company had made a name for itself in the racing world with victories on many European courses. In 1935, Delahaye created a special car for the French Alpine Road Rally; what became known as the Type 135 “Coupe des Alpes.” The 135’s set records including placing second and third at the Mille Miglia in 1936, first place at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1937 and first and second place at the 1938 24 Hour race in Le Mans. Our subject car, a type 135M, was built in 1939. A beefed-up 3.5 litre, OHV straight six cylinder engine, fed by three downdraft Solex carburetors, pushed the output of the 135M up to 115 horsepower and a top speed of 90 mph+. While the early history of this car is unknown, in 1985 it was donated to the Classic Car Club of America Museum by Robert Atwell, Jr. of Kerrville, Texas. At that time it was finished in ivory and maroon and believed to carry a custom cabriolet body by Henri Chapron coachworks of Paris. It was a significant donation to the fledgling museum and over the years it has been prominently displayed in the ever expanding collection at Hickory Corners. Fast forward to February, 2013. I was in the museum at the request of Howard Freedman to create a series of individual videos for each car in the collection. My background of over 30 years in producing 12
Images by Don Wood III television commercials seemed ideal for this project. The idea being to convey in about 2 minutes the history, features and significance of each automobile and each one’s place in the Classic Era. The process for each video was basically the same: photograph the car details (especially those like the interior and engine compartment, which are not readily visible to museum visitors,) then research the background of each car through museum records and other outside sources. I would then write and record the narration and edit the visual pieces into each finished video. In the case of the Delahaye, there is a large leather briefcase that arrived with the car when it was donated to the museum. I looked through the file, which consists mostly of letters from Bob Atwell during the 1970’s, seeking information and parts sources in Europe during those pre-internet days. I was hoping to find documents related to the early history of the car, such as a build card or documents from Henri Chapron. There were none. There was also no record of the person from whom Mr. Atwell had purchased the car. So I was at a dead-end. Having been an historian most of my life and written over a dozen books related to 19th and early 20th century show business history, I was no stranger to research. One of the first things a researcher learns is to always try to go to primary sources. So, I hit the internet and found the Henri Chapron website: www.HenriChapron.com. I wrote an email seeking information about the car, with some of the photographs I had taken at the museum, including the Chapron body tag that was attached to the cowl. July - August 2018
Clockwise from above: speed lines on the hood accentuate the streamlined body; lack of bumpers highlights the driver’s self confidence; rear fender carries out the flowing lines; the two-tone paint scheme adds elegance to the overall look of the car; rear quarter view shows a simple rear end design; chrome wire wheels with knockoff hubs are a very sporty touch; overall a very refined look.
The next day I received a reply from Noelle Chapron-Paul, Henri’s daughter in France who maintains the website. Her reply was very guarded and stated that before proceeding she wanted to know the “work number” of the car. Noelle owns Henri Chapron’s large, black ledger book kept throughout his career (which amazingly ran from 1919 until his passing in 1978, with the company continuing to build custom bodies until 1985!) In the book are the numbers and details of every Chapron-bodied car over the 66-year life of the company. As I was now back home in Oregon, I asked Dale Wells at the museum to search the car for the Chapron 4-digit body number, which Noelle said would be visible in multiple locations including the top right corner of the inside windshield mount, the sun visor and door handles. As the Chapron shops were often working on four or five cars at the same time, these numbers kept the key components organized. Dale reported back that no numbers were visible, other than the Delahaye serial number “60136.” Apparently all of the Delahaye records had been lost in a factory fire. I reported the lack of findings to Noelle via email. Several days later I received a telephone call from France. It was Noelle. She was very cordial and we spent the next hour talking about the car, her father, company history, and her findings. She mentioned she had been very guarded about verifying our museum car because she has seen other cars in the past attributed to her father that were not built by him. She believed that in our case, someone July - August 2018
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had placed the Chapron tag on the cowl sometime before Robert Atwell had purchased the car. With the lack of a Chapron body number anywhere on the museum car, and checking her ledger book, she was certain it had not been bodied by her father. However, she had shown my photographs of the car to the President of the Delahaye Club of France. He agreed with Noelle that the car was not built by Chapron, but by Tuscher in Switzerland. Noelle indicated this actually made it a rarer car than if it had been built by Chapron.
Clockwise from left: banjo type steering wheel sets off a simple instrument panel; a pair of views of the triple carburetors feeding the straight 6-cylinder engine; a trio of gages keep the driver up to date; a striped theme graces the seat cushions; the elegant Delahaye seems right at home at the Dearborn Inn; the striped theme continues on the door panels; gear selector knob is located on a stalk behind the steering wheel.
I reported my conversation and findings to museum board member Al Kroemer. He picked up the ball and ran, contacting several other sources in Europe, including the Tuscher company, which is still in business, now manufacturing truck bodies. From these sources it was confirmed that the museum car is one of four Delahaye Type 135M Cabriolets bodied by Tuscher in 1939 and one of just two surviving today. At that point, it was decided to re-restore the car as closely as possible to how it was originally envisioned by Tuscher. The museum contracted Brad Janousek of Janousek Restoraions of Bellevue, Michigan to spearhead the project. It was a painstaking process, that like many restorations started out with the idea of a simple refreshing, but ended up being a down-to-the-frame job entailing replacement and rebuilding of many wood and metal body components, along with paint, interior, top and mechanicals. Brad outlined some of the trials and tribulations of the project in his article in the recent Winter, 2017 issue of The Classic Car (Vol. LXV, Number 4.) Following Brad’s restoration, the Delahaye made its debut in July, 2017 at the Grand Classic in Dearborn where in received a first place award in the Primary Division. Later that month it received the “Best Reflective” special award in the Pre-War European Class at the Concours of the Americas. It is now back on display at the CCCA Museum in Hickory Corners, secure in its “new” identity and wowing visitors daily. With the completion of the restoration, I was also finally able to complete the video of the car, which may be seen at the museum or online at: www.CCCAmuseum.org. David Charvet is a Life Member of the CCCA Museum and offers fine Classics through his business, Charvet Classic Cars. www.CharvetClassicCars.com. 14
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The 2018 CCCA Annual Meeting
By Rich Ray Images by Greg & Jean Stachura and the Author CCCA Members from around the country gathered at the Branson Convention Center and Hilton Hotel in mid-April for the 2018 CCCA Annual Meeting. Michigan Region members attending included Lee & Floy Barthel, Carol Bray, Bob DeFreitas, Kent & Amy Jidov, Tlanda McDonald, Rich & Mary Ray, Dan Sommer, Greg & Jean Stachura, Mark Thomas and Carol Vogt. Wednesday's Early Bird tour was a journey through the beautiful Ozark Mountain country aboard the Branson Scenic Railway. The vintage station was conveniently located adjacent to our host hotel and the group traveled on refurbished vintage, stainless-steel passenger coaches and Vista Dome railcars from the 1940s and 1950s which provided panoramic views of the area traveled. The early spring countryside was very scenic.
paddle wheel boats is dubious at best and 30+ mph winds are out of the question, but an early return to the hospitality suite at the host hotel helped compensate. Friday breakfast was followed by a couple of meetings after which the group departed for lunch (food again) at a nice local country club on our way to visit Steve Plaster's Evergreen Historic Automobile collection. The display of about 500 cars in a series of huge barns on his rural property is spectacular. The collection of cars, trucks, motorcycles and more from the early 1900s to recent exotics is truly mid-boggling. Steve guided us on a tour of the three acre Top: The Hilton Convention Center hotel hosted us in Branson. Below: the Branson Scenic Railway depot next to our host hotel with the streamliner locomotive ready to depart.
Thursday morning got underway with the Annual Business/Membership meeting followed by National Board and publications & website meetings. Getting the business stuff out of the way, participants headed for lunch at the Fall Creek Steak & Catfish House where our cholesterol deficiencies were happily dealt with in true southern style. We then moved on to the Branson Auto & Farm Museum where over 180 historic tractors and pieces of farm equipment (NC) awaited us along with a couple of hundred vintage automobiles. While there were only a couple of Full ClassicsÂŽ, the old farm equipment was interesting. After a brief pit stop at the hotel, we headed to the Branson Belle Steamboat for a dinner show. The cast of singers and dancers were truly entertaining, but the boat could not leave the dock due to high winds. The maneuverability of July - August 2018
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facility during which he commented on the significance of maybe ten percent of the vehicles; a weeklong visit would be required to thoroughly examine everything. Free time later allowed us to individually visit vehicles of particular interest (read Full Classics速) before relaxing with a glass of wine and some snacks. After a quick stop at the hotel, the freshened up group headed to the Regional Awards Banquet at Stormy Point Village. After an enjoyable dinner with some great musical entertainment, awards were presented. Michigan Region did quite well garnering first places in the Turnquist Publication and Technical award categories. Second places were achieved in the Regional Activity & Performance, Bigelow Distinguished Record of Overall Performance and Judges & Tabulators award categories. In addition, the author received the Beverly Rae Kimes Outstanding Regional Editor Award.
Clockwise from left: Mary Ray, Jean & Greg Stachura, Tlanda McDonald and Carol Bray enjoy lunch at Fall Creek Steak & Catfish House; Kent Jidov and Floy & Lee Barthel aboard the Branson Scenic Railray; the countryside from the Vista Dome; Carol Bray & Tlanda McDonald enjoy the Vista Dome; everything from hoods to decklids adorn the walls at Fall Creek; 1938 Buick Series 80 at the Branson Auto & Farm Museum; 1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible; 1925 Lincoln Coupe; this Allis Chalmers (NC) does not belong in this magazine, but the author learned to drive on a very similar tractor.
Early Saturday morning, the Convention Center exhibit hall was graced with a very interesting group of Full Classics速. The judges breakfast seminar included the debut of the new judges video which has been updated to correspond to the reformatted Grand Classic judging sheets. For the most part, judging standards are the same, but the categories are reorganized for a better flow of the judging process. The awards dinner Saturday evening was held among the Classics速 in the exhibition hall. Overall, Branson will go down as another enjoyable Annual Meeting. If you missed it, your next chance is at Scottsdale next January where you can buy a Classic速 at auction and take it straight to the Grand Classic! 16
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Left & right: Branson Belle Steamboat never left the dock. Below from left: Steve Plaster guides the tour of his Evergreen Historic Automobile collection; how many Rolls Royce pickups have you seen; a 1925 Cunningham. Row 3 from left: 1912 Benz; 1928 Marmon Indianapolis pace car; a very rare 1920 Revere.
Clockwise from above: a 1929 and 1931 Cadillac with a 1930 Packard; the “Duesenberg room�; members check out three Packards; Lee Barthel admires the 1931 Bentley.
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Clockwise from left: Dan Sommer, CCCA Executive Director Jay Quail, Lee Barthel, Amy & Kent Jidov at the Regional Awards Banquet; Mary Ray, Jean & Greg Stachura, Tlanda McDonald, Carol Bray and David Johnson; Tlanda McDonald accepts a bevy of Michigan Region awards from incoming CCCA President Carrol Jenson; Rich Ray receives the Beverly Rae Kimes Outstanding Regional Editor Award from Carrol Jenson; Floy & Lee Barthel, Amy & Kent Jidov and Bob DeFreitas enjoy the Grand Classic Awards Dinner; Jean & Greg Stachura, Carol Bray, Amy Jidov, Tlanda McDonald, Kent Jidov, Bob De Frietas, Floy & Lee Barthel with one of the Classics displayed at the Grand Classic Awards Dinner.
Branson Grand Classic Collage
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July - August 2018
Classics® at Schoolcraft College's "Dine & Discover"
By Rich Ray
Photos by Diane Ekizian and the Author
Clockwise from left: Phil Fischer introduces the Michigan Region CCCA to the Schoolcraft audience; a very elegant lunch presentation; Phil uses his Cadillac as an example of a Full Classic®.
Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan runs a widely recognized culinary program which they skillfully exploit in many ways including a "Dine & Discover" program. They bring in speakers to present on a variety of subjects with an included luncheon prepared by their Culinary Arts students. The food is great, the presentations interesting; all for a reasonable price. On Friday, March 16, 2018, our own Assistant Director, Phil Fischer, gave a presentation on Classic cars. Say what you want about the interest in Classic cars, the presentation sold out with a capacity crowd of one hundred people. This was an extracurricular project by Phil and not a Michigan Region activity, but several members including Ara & Diane Ekizian, Rich & Mary Ray and Wally & Marlene Donoghue joined Phil & Helen Fischer for the event. The program description stated "Cadillac, Duesenberg, Pierce Arrow and Packard; these names call to mind a time of regality in transportation. The Michigan/Ontario Region of the Classic Car Club of America is devoted to the hobby of collecting, restoring and displaying such vehicles. Join member and car enthusiast Phil Fischer as he shares more about the passion devoted to these high end vehicles that were relatively low in production." Phil spoke to slides he had developed and started out describing how the term “classic” is used by many to describe almost any car more
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than 25 years old, but to the CCCA is a precisely defined term and registered trademark. He described the state of the U.S. economy and the fledgling automobile industry in the post World War I era (there were 42,000 millionaires in the U.S. after World War I) and how this lead to the demand for luxury automobiles. He focused on the Cadillac, Packard, Pierce Arrow and Duesenberg marques by giving some history of each, as well as some of the coachbuilders who played a key role in the creation of Full Classics®. He talked about some of the interesting people involved in the hobby including Barney Pollard, the Detroit businessman who accumulated and preserved 2,000 Classic era vehicles through World War II, the late Margaret Dunning who actively participated in Classic cars until her passing at age 104, Steve Plunkett's fabulous Cadillac collection and Brian Joseph who provides Classic car owners with quality parts and restoration services. Phil described himself as typical of Classic car owners who consider themselves to be "caretakers" of these fine automobiles and enjoy restoring, maintaining, driving and showing them. It was an interesting presentation and a great lunch; an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Below from left: Audience members check out examples of Torque magazine, Phil is introduced by the Schoolcraft event organizer; Helen Fischer looks on as Phil prepares to speak.
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Walter P. Chrysler: A Classic Automobile Man By Rich Ray
Images from National Automotive History Collection ship to become a machinist, which he completed in 1895. He could not afford to buy the tools he needed for the program, so he made his own wrenches, hammers, calipers, pliers, scribers and precision depth gauges which are still in the original wooden toolbox at the Walter P. Chrysler Historical Museum. Chrysler also took correspondence courses from International Correspondence Schools in Scranton, Pennsylvania, earning a mechanical engineering degree. He then spent a period of years roaming the west, working for various railroads as a roundhouse mechanic with a reputation of being good at valve-setting jobs. Some of his moves were due to restlessness and a too-quick temper, but his roaming was also a way to become more well-rounded in his railroad knowledge. He worked his way up through positions such as foreman, superintendent, division master mechanic and general master mechanic.
The man behind Chrysler Corporation, now a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., Walter P. Chrysler, was a production genius who contributed substantially to the early success of several auto companies, particularly General Motors and obviously Chrysler, and the industry we know now would be dramatically different without his contributions. Fortune Magazine once described Chrysler's company as having a "reverence for engineering." Walter Chrysler's background, combined with that of his top people, explains the reason for that description. Chrysler was born in Wamego, Kansas on April 2, 1875, hardly a hotbed of automobile development, and spent his early life in the railroad industry - the high tech industry icon of the time. Growing up on a farm outside of Ellis, Kansas, as a youth he sold surplus milk, calling cards and silverware door-to-door and worked in a grocery store, but was always interested in machinery. He was certainly influenced by his father, Henry, a locomotive engineer for the Kansas Pacific Railway and its successor, the Union Pacific Railroad. His father's locomotive was one of those that actually helped lay rail across the state of Kansas. A reader of Scientific American, the young Chrysler learned a great deal about the steam engines he saw in the railroad repair shops in town. After graduating high school, Chrysler landed a job sweeping floors at the nearby Union Pacific shops and entered an apprentice20
While working in the Chicago area in 1908, he was attracted to an auto show where he was enamored with a $5,000 Locomobile phaeton with "a handsome toolbox that my fingers itched to open...I spent four days hanging around the show". Determined to own the car, he secured a $4,300 loan and had the car shipped by rail back to his then home in Iowa. Not knowing how to drive, he tinkered with the prestigious car studying each component in detail and disassembling and reassembling the engine several times before ever driving the car. Growing up in the railroad town, Chrysler was short tempered and developed a rough, tough character known for his cursing abilities. However, he met his wife, Della, in a music class and they were married in 1901. The pinnacle of his railroading career came at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he became works manager of the Allegheny locomotive erecting shops of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). However, Chrysler had come to realize that railroading had peaked and that the automobile represented the future. In 1911, Chrysler's automotive career began when he received a summons to meet with James J. Storrow, a banker who was a director of ALCO. Storrow asked him if he had given any thought to automobile manufacture. Chrysler had been an auto enthusiast for over five years by then and was very interested. Storrow arranged a lunch meeting with Charles W. Nash, then president of the Buick Motor Company, who was looking for a smart production July - August 2018
Clockwise from left: Walter Chrysler with the Three Musketeers, Fred Zeder, Owen Skelton and Carl Breer; WPC with the first Chrysler car; 1926 Chrysler Imperial; 1928 Imperial interior; 1925 Crown Imperial Sedan.
chief. Although starting out coolly, things warmed up when both pulled out the same brand of robust, but modestly priced cigars. Chrysler was offered the job at half of what he was making at ALCO, but after resigning from many railroading jobs over the years, he made his final resignation from railroading to become works manager at Buick in Flint, Michigan. In his words, he "saved the company his first year's salary his first week in Flint" by stopping the loss of ten cars a month during test drives by simply establishing a sign out register. He found many ways to reduce the costs of production, such as putting an end to finishing automobile undercarriages with the same luxurious quality of paint that the body warranted. In 1916, William C. Durant, who founded General Motors in 1908, had retaken GM from bankers who had booted him in their 1910 takeover of the company. Chrysler, who was closely tied to the bankers, submitted his resignation to Durant, then based in New York City. Durant took the first train to Flint to attempt to keep Chrysler at the helm of Buick. Chrysler was invited to Durant's home where, in Chrysler's words, "In five minutes he had me feeling as if I owned the place". Durant made the stunning salary offer of $10,000 a month for three years, with a $500,000 bonus at the end of each year. At Chrysler's insistence, he would report directly to Durant and have full authority over Buick without interference from anyone. Apparently in shock, Chrysler asked Durant to repeat the offer, which he did. Chrysler immediately accepted. Chrysler ran Buick successfully for three more years until his contract was up and he resigned. He did not agree with Durant's vision for the future of General Motors. he was paid $10 million for his GM stock. When Chrysler started in Flint, Buick was GM's lowest price car, competing with the Ford Model T; when he left, Buick was GM's biggest asset generating half of the corporation's earnings. Chrysler had started at Buick in 1911 for $6,000 a year and left one of the richest men in America. July - August 2018
Chrysler was then hired to turn around Willys-Overland Motor Company in Toledo, Ohio. He demanded, and received, a salary of $1 million a year. In 1921, he was hired for a modest $100,000 per year plus options on a large block of stock to turn around the ailing Maxwell and Chalmers organizations. He discontinued the Chalmers line and, after jump-starting Maxwell sales, renamed the company after himself, the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler installed the "Three Musketeers", engineers Fred M. Zeder, Owen Skelton and Carl Breer, in the empty Chalmers plant to design a new car he would call Chrysler. Although not recognized as a Full ClassicÂŽ, their effort, the first Chrysler, was the sensation of the January 1924 New York Auto Show despite the efforts of the show management. Since Chrysler had not yet started production of his new car, they refused to allow him display space on the show floor. Undaunted, Chrysler set up a display in the lobby of the nearby Hotel Commodore and drew huge crowds. The car had a 110 inch wheelbase, weighed 2600 pounds and was capable of 70 mph. It was powered by a high compression 201 CID L-head six-cylinder engine producing 68 HP. It featured four-wheel hydraulic brakes introduced only two years earlier on the Duesenberg, but was priced just $40 above a Buick. A Chrysler entered the 1925 LeMans race, starting and finishing a respectable sixth. But in 1928, three Chryslers were entered to run against the big Bentleys of the day finishing third and fourth. Although never to be considered any type of "classic", a Chrysler customer could buy a version of the car that finished on the podium at Lemans for a mere $1,600, much less that the cost of the Bentley! Walter Chrysler's management style was atypical of the era. While a very forceful executive, at senior management meetings, he usually had one of his executives chair the meeting while he sat on the sidelines allowing them to make most of the decisions. He especial-
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Clockwise from lower left: 1930 Chrysler Imperial Sedan, 1930 Auto Show Town Car; 1928 Chrysler LeMans team; Chrysler display at the 1930 New York Auto Show; Walter Chrysler’s wife, Della, with her 1927 Imperial Town Car.
ly respected his engineering people and they responded with high loyalty. In the late 1920s, with small auto manufacturers failing under the onslaught of General Motors, Chrysler realized that bigger was going to be better for survival. In addition to his namesake car, Plymouth and DeSoto brands were created and, in 1928, he purchased Dodge. Chrysler was named Time magazine's Man of the Year for 1928, the same year he financed the construction of the Chrysler Building in New York City. The company's 1925 sales tripled those of 1924 and doubled again in 1926 rising from 27th to fifth place in industry sales. By 1929, only five years after launching, Chrysler was number three in the U.S. market, creating the "Big Three". While primarily associated with low and mid-priced automobiles, Chrysler has offered many interesting Full ClassicsÂŽ. In 1926, the Imperial was added to the lineup with a more powerful 288 CID six-cylinder engine capable of pushing the restyled car to 80 mph. Driver Floyd Clymer drove one from Denver to Kansas City at an amazing average 51.8 mph and a roadster paced the 1926 Indianapolis 500. Eight-cylinder engines, however, were becoming the price of entry into the luxury car field. While V8 engines had been around since 1908 in the French DeDion and 1915 in Cadillac, the eight-cylinder 22
trend did not really take off until Duesenberg introduced a 100 HP straight eight in 1920. Although it was low volume, it was high interest due to its very high price and performance. Packard leveraged this interest into a higher volume application in 1923 with their straight-eight and, by 1925, ten other companies brought the straight-eight concept into the medium and high priced markets. By 1928, 26 of the 45 car brands in the U.S. market offered eightcylinder engines. While Walter Chrysler certainly recognized the need for a prestige car in a company's product line for image purposes, he was conservative enough to eschew the race into 12and 16-cylinder engines. But to be a serious luxury car, Chrysler simply had to have an eight. The 1930 Dodge and DeSoto lines were the first to receive Chrysler's new straight-eight due to the importance of their high combined sales volume and shared componentry. In 1931, Chrysler Imperials were redesigned with a higher displacement 384.8 CID version of this engine putting out 125 HP - right in Packard territory. The exterior design had a strong flavor of the Cord L-29 which had captured the imagination of a lot of people, including Walter Chrysler. While engineer Fred Zeder ruled out a front-wheel drive layout for practical, as well as financial, reasons, Chrysler's fledgling Art & Colour section, obliged with design concepts that captured the long, low flavor of the Cord. Factory catalog custom-bodies by LeBaron, which further enhanced the Imperial lineup, came about in a typically incestuous Detroit way. Briggs Manufacturing Company was a major supplier of bodies for Ford, Chrysler, Packard and other Detroit auto manufacturers and provided design services to many of them. Walter O. Briggs, a former railroad man, and Walter Chrysler would often talk railroads when they were together. LeBaron, a Briggs subsidiary, had designed a Lincoln for Edsel Ford's approval which Edsel rejected. Knowing that Mr. Chrysler would be visiting Briggs' offices the next day, LeBaron designer Ralph Roberts positioned the rejected model where he would see it. He did, exclaiming "Good Christ, what's that! Boy, that is something!" Despite the dour economic environJuly - August 2018
Clockwise from top left: 1931 Chrysler Imperial CG Sport Phaeton; Imperial design sketch picks up the Cord L29 flavor; 1931 Chrysler CG by Waterhouse restored by Michigan Region’s Bob Anzalone; 1931 Imperial Phaeton, 1934 Chrysler Airflow “on the town”; period illustration of the Airflow body structure; 1934 Chrysler Airflow; 1933 Chrysler Indianapolis Pace Car.
ment, 3,228 Chrysler Imperials found homes in 1931 and early 1932. To avoid bank runs during the early part of the depression, the federal government ordered many banks closed, including those in Detroit. With his humble background, Walter Chrysler empathized with his employees who were not able to cash their paychecks. He had Chrysler funds drawn from banks in other unaffected cities, rented and staffed a facility with unemployed bank tellers so that tens of thousands of employees could cash their checks. He respected his employees and especially enjoyed "hanging out" with designers and engineers to understand firsthand their design and development work. During the entire depression era, Chrysler protected product development budgets from the cuts that were obviously necessary across the rest of the company. As a whole, Chrysler Corporation was the only American automobile company whose 1933 sales exceeded their 1929 levels. The revolutionary 1934-7 Airflow Imperial Eight models were an engineering breakthrough and a styling and sales disaster. An aerodynamic design that was just a few too many years ahead of its time, it featured a unique beam-and-truss body structure for increased rigidity. The design was developed by testing in a wind tunnel and even Orville Wright was recruited to help with wind tunnel work. The heterodox body with its clean lines, curved July - August 2018
one-piece windshield, sunken headlamps, waterfall front grille, flat raked steering column, tubular chrome framed seats and interior styled "like the cabin of a racing yacht", rode on a new chassis design several years ahead of its time. This placed the passenger seating between the axles with the engine moved forward over the front axle to give a dramatically improved ride and excellent high speed stability. The entire exterior design concept was based on a teardrop with a rounded front end driven by wind tunnel tests that diverged dramatically in appearance from the long tapered hood, prominent grille and free standing headlamps and fenders that gave the cars of the day their strong visual character. Attempts were made during development to resolve this problem without success. A few years later Edsel Ford and Bob Gregorie at Ford solved the dilemma with the "inverted boat prow" theme of the Lincoln Zephyr which cleanly broke the air without the heavy rounded feel of the Airflow. Introduced at the 1934 New York Auto Show, it took a lot of effort to convince the crowds that the Airflow was a production model and not just a one-off "dream" car. Unfortunately, it took even more to convince them to buy the car. Later in the year, a production Airflow broke every American closed stock car record from one kilometer to 2,000 miles at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Despite this, by 1937, the Airflow was gone. Sadly, this failure was the capstone of Walter Chrysler's active career, although subsequent industrywide automotive designs confirmed the correctness the 23
Airflow - every new car since features wide front and rear seats, engine over the axle, molded-in headlights, softer and heavier springs, passengers located between the axles, unibody construction and low center of gravity. Walter Chrysler turned 60 in the spring of 1935 and decided to step down from an active role in the day-to-day business of the company, but remaining as chairman. Three years later, his wife Della died at the age of 62 and Walter, devastated at the loss of his childhood sweetheart, suffered a stroke. His previously robust health never recovered and he succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage in August 1940. Alfred P. Sloan in his book "My Years with General Motors" described Chrysler as "a practical man of high ambition, imagination and broad capabilities; his genius was in the organization of automobile production." Chrysler's automotive career contributed dramatically to the successful development of the automobile and the industry.
Clockwise from above left: A Chrysler Airflow with the Union Pacific Streamliner is an appropriate pairing with each introduced in 1934, the Union Pacific was where Walter Chrysler started his career and the M-10000, the first streamliner on the rails, spent its career moving passengers in Kansas where Chrysler grew up; Walter P. Chrysler at his desk in his home office; Walter Chrysler where he was always most comfortable, surrounded by his workers; 1937 Chrysler Town Car custom built for Mrs. Chrysler.
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Stromberg Carburetor Rebuild Article & Images by Phil Fischer
One of our newest members in the Michigan Region CCCA, Brian Segrest, needed the carburetor rebuilt on his 1941 Cadillac. His Cadillac came equipped with the Stromberg AAV-26 two-barrel unit. A “Carter” WDO carburetor was also provided for use on some 1941 Cadillacs. Always looking for an opportunity to do “tech” articles for the Torque magazine, I volunteered to install the rebuild kit and document the process. Since fuel injection has replaced the carburetor, there is no longer a great demand for professional carburetor rebuilding services. It has become very difficult to find a rebuilder that can do the job. The basic steps in preparation for the removal of the carburetor are as follows: Remove the air cleaner, disconnect the fuel inlet line and the vacuum line for the distributor advance unit. The early Stromberg AAV-26 also has a fuel overflow tube that attaches to a fitting on the upper housing. This allows any fuel that may flood out of the carburetor body to be carried away from the exhaust manifolds and safely dumped under the car near the transmission. Next disconnect the gas pedal return spring, disconnect the manual accelerator pull cable from the passenger side of the carb ( if so equipped ), disconnect the accelerator rod from the drivers’ side of the carb, disconnect the choke heater tube from the choke unit and remove the four nuts from the studs at the base of the carburetor. To accomplish this all the tools needed were a ½” open end wrench, a “tubing wrench” in 9/16” and ½”, a 3/8” open end wrench and a pair of needle nose pliers. Once the carb was on the work bench, I used “carburetor cleaner” spray to clean the exterior of the carb. The disassembly of the carburetor involves simply removing several screws from the top cover and disconnecting the accelerator pump shaft. The rod from the choke plate is then unhooked from the linkage. This allows the upper cover to be lifted away from the lower body. Having separated the two body components, I used my air compressor to blow out all the passages. I used the carburetor cleaner spray to clean the interior of the lower body. It was surprisingly free from “crud” or rust from the gas tank and fuel line. I carefully unscrewed the brass jets from the lower body, inspected them, blew them out with compressed air and replaced the gaskets as needed. I found no blockage in any jet. This particular rebuild kit included a pair of replacement idle set screws and springs, so I installed the new screws and roughly adjusted them one and a half turns out from fully closed. This should get the adjustment close enough to get the motor started and running, when a vacuum gauge can then be used to make the final adjustments. This completed the cleaning and re-assembly of the lower carburetor body, so I moved on to the upper body that houses the float assembly and the accelerator pump assembly. An important item to be aware of while disassembling and reassembling the upper carburetor body is a small check ball located 26
inside the pump outlet ball check valve. This valve is located in the top center between the two throats and it squirts gasoline down into each throat of the carburetor when the gas pedal is pressed. When I removed the check valve I found that the small “check ball” was missing. Fortunately, the rebuild kit came with a replacement check ball, which was dropped back in where it belongs, and with new gaskets, the valve was screwed in place. The choke assembly was operating freely and needed no attention. I replaced the accelerator pump assembly and examined the old unit. The leather was clearly worn and dried out. I am surprised that we could keep the engine running at all with the check ball missing in the outlet check valve and the worn out accelerator pump. I moved on to the float assembly and the needle valve and seat. The brass floats control the amount of gasoline allowed into the carburetor float bowls. When the bowls are filled, they rise and push the needle down into its seat, shutting off the flow of gasoline. Critical here is setting the level of the floats to insure sufficient gasoline is allowed into the float chamber, as well as insuring that gasoline flow is shut off at the proper level. The rebuild kit included a neat little printed float level gauge that I cut out with scissors, assembled and instructions indicated what the float level should be. The floats were at the ideal level and need no further adjustment. If adjustment was needed, a small brass tab at the needle valve can be bent to correct the error. General Motors used a variety of the Stromberg AAV Series carburetors, as well as Carter carburetors, in various models produced. The basic principles of these carburetors are the same. Rebuilding them is not a difficult task. The rebuild kits available usually contain all the needed components for a shade tree mechanic to complete the job in a few hours. But if a carburetor is extremely worn, with the throttle plate shaft openings in the carburetor body completely out of round or the housings are badly warped making them impossible to seal, the carburetor will need professional servicing. Fortunately, this carburetor was in very good condition to start with, so installing a rebuild kit was a very straightforward process. July - August 2018
Opposite page: Carburetor as removed from car. Clockwise from above left: Tools needed for the installation; carburetor taken apart; underside of upper carburetor body; lower carburetor body before cleaning; lower carburetor body after cleaning; shows pump outlet check valve disassembled, missing check ball; rebuild kit; upper body with new parts installed; finished carburetor ready to be installed . Bottom row: Motor Manual illustration showing pump outlet check valve components.
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Classic Downunder: Tlanda & Carol’s Most Excellent Adventure Article by Tlanda McDonald
We’re back!! You may recall I wrote in the last Torque that Carol Bray and I were traveling to Australia and New Zealand for a car tour. Now we have returned and our illustrious editor requested a little recap of our trip. For the briefest recap possible I’ll just say “It was wonderful”!! Most likely for me, the trip of a lifetime. A little background on the impetus for the trip. Some of you may know that Carol and Phil were planning a car trip to Australia and New Zealand but did not get to carry out their plans. When she and I learned of this tour, it seemed a perfect fit. Carol knew where she wanted to go and I gladly went along. The tour is annually organized by the South Pacific Packard Club and this year it was the south island. John and Dianne Kernan (Dianne is a former CCCA National Director and Caravan Chairman) asked if they could organize a “US” component and we became part of the NZ “Pack ard” tour. Dianne and John knew New Zealand well and decided to add the north island of New Zealand and the rest of the south island to the tour. Since we were in the neighborhood, Carol and I added a few days in Australia so all in all it was 35 days! Since Carol and I were traveling independently in Australia with only 10 days to see a country similar in size to our own clearly we just hit the high spots – and no car collections were involved. We flew 25 hours through San Francisco to Sydney, dropped our bags in the hotel room and headed out for what we laughingly describe as our “50 mile walk through Sydney (over 3 days) most of which we attribute to being perpetually lost! You really see a city if you walk everywhere and never make a correct turn. Let me tell you about the rain. Again, let me tell you about the rain. I’m sure we had some sunny days throughout the 35 but I will tell you there was more rain than sun. So we were perpetually lost and wet! Sounds wonderful right? Well it was.
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Photos by Tlanda McDonald and Carol Bray
The Sydney Opera House is as stunning as any picture makes it appear. We had a private tour and learned so much. Did you know that the design had multiple architects and took so long to build that the government nearly gave up? Talk about cost over runs: it was more than fourteen times the original cost estimate and took fourteen years to complete. Did you know that the “sails” as the roof is described are made entirely of white mosaic tiles that never have to be washed? The rain simply takes care of that. We also had a private Sydney Harbor tour where we saw some lovely homes (no cars) that, according to our captain and first mate, sell for $30 to 50 million dollars (AU). Seems Chinese money has found its way to Sydney! We also learned that everything – absolutely everything- in the world travels in cargo “containers”. There may have been a million of them being loaded and unloaded. It was not possible to know what was in them but worldwide that is what docks look like now. Huge cranes lifting containers on and off ships. (This was of great interest since we shipped Carol’s 1934 Railton by container from California to Auckland for the tour). The “Rocks” guided walking tour in downtown Sydney really provided a wonderful story of Captain Cook’s discovery and settling of Australia. We saw a Koala!! After Sydney we flew to Ayers Rock, the aboriginal center of the country which was first inhabited 35 to 50,000 years ago. Not so known fact: although we may liken the islands of Australia and New Zealand due to geographic proximity, Australia is ancestrally aboriginal and New Zealand is Polynesian. Amazing since their recent history is so new and like our own comes from British heritage. We saw a wallaby (small kangaroo)! From the central desert we flew to Lizard Island, the northern most inhabited island on the Great Barrier Reef for perhaps two of the prettiest days of the trip. We climbed to Cook’s Point at dawn (in the rain) but got lost! We tried snorkeling but had more success with a wonderful wine tasting. July - August 2018
Clockwise from above: A line of Packards in the Whangarei Packard Motor Museum; Brian & Margaret Taylor’s 1928 Packard Coupe Roadster which was formerly a hearse; the Volvo World Cup race boats in Auckland Harbor; Carol Bray at the wheel of the Railton; Highwic House served tea and scones; Sydney Opera House.
Meeting everyone in Auckland was the beginning of a fabulous car tour and the introduction to so many new and wonderful friends. First please keep in mind this was a Packard tour with CCCA folks added in. As it happens, Carol and I are also Packard club members but another Michigan Region member, Bruce Blevins, is not only a US Packarder but also a PACA member. Bruce joined two Packard friends from the east coast, Bob and Ray Wotkowski, and traveled modern for the New Zealand tour. They were great “overseers” and very kind to us. In Auckland we picked up the cars at the shipper, all arrived in perfect condition and we were on the road. But even before picking up the cars we had our first taste of the New Zealand Packarders hospitality as they chauffeured us to Whangarei and the Packard Motor Museum. Very cool cars and interesting to me was that nearly all of the cars imported from the US are converted to right-hand drive after they arrived. Another curiosity to me was the lack of reverence for authenticity due to the difficulty of getting parts. A counter point here is the love of “original” car where barn finds are frequently turned into something resembling the original car – but not always. Packards are truly revered and naturally, we saw a lot of them on a Packard tour but even when visiting non-Packard locations. For the sorting out and test driving the cars we traveled to the lovely Highwic House for tea. The scones were marvelous. Once confirming all the cars and tourers were ready we headed to our first stop, Rotorua, about 150 miles from Auckland. Let me describe the terrain in New Zealand - they have no straight roads. None! In fact, the road system is not highly developed with one lane in each direction most of the time, one lane bridges all the time and some of the cities we visited were not even road-connected until the 1960s. While this sounds ideal for old car touring the climbs and descents were anything but ideal. The best way to describe it comes from Bruce, who along the road one day quipped “the hair pin turns were so sharp and steep you could see your own taillights”. We visited the Hamilton Classic Car museum and also a stop at the most magnificent Lava Glass Gallery and Garden. We were able to July - August 2018
see the glass blown from the lava material and stroll through the gardens where all the flowers and ornamentation are made of glass. They were quite lovely so naturally we had to bring some home. Dinner at the Stratosphere Restaurant that night overlooking Rotorua capped the day. Next we headed to Napier on the far east coast of the north island which was destroyed by earthquake in 1931. In 1932, the city fathers determined to begin rebuilding and decreed to rebuild only in Art Deco style. The city today is an architectural fete, both the interior and exterior of most buildings. We also visited the Hawkes Bay Vintage Car “Clubroom”, lunched at the gorgeous Mission Vineyards and stopped at multiple car “sheds” (garages to us). If you ever get to Napier, be sure to catch the above mentioned clubroom. The Veteran Motor Car Club has their own gorgeous building with complete banquet facilities and computer organized parts inventory. As for the car sheds, one in particular treated us to not only old cars but old everything. In a trivia quiz to identify what some of the odd, old pieces were, we, as a group, did poorly, but it was great fun. We then drove to the southernmost city of Wellington, capital of New Zealand, and the Southward Car Museum. What a collection! I took photos of a number of marques I did not recognize and it will be fun to see how many of you recognize them. Our drive to Wellington was not without incident. In the pouring rain on the roads as described above and traveling at about 40 miles per hour, the Railton threw off a hub cap and then the wheel! I cannot praise Carol enough for the yeoman effort it took to keep the car from “falling” off the cliff (literally) or meeting oncoming traffic! She managed to get the car to the left side of the road without putting it fully in the ditch. Because Bruce and the guys were following us they spotted for the hubcap and the wheel and both were quickly retrieved. We had a jack and wrenches in the well-packed tool case but since the car was tilted in the soggy (remember it’s pouring) grass, the jack didn’t hold. Along comes the most amazing Good Samaritan – a local kiwi who stopped his 29
Clockwise from left: Blown glass “flowers” in the gardens at the Lava Glass Gallery; tour cars assembled at the Highwic House; Tlanda picked up this outfit at the World of Wearable Art Museum for the Michigan Region Annual Meetiing at the DAC in November - get your tickets now; Carol and Tlanda with Diane & John Kernan and their 1947 Cadillac in front of a DC3 at the Wanaka Airfield; Bruce Blevins demonstrates the proper way to drink tea.
truck and pulled out an oversized jack that lifted the rear of the car enough to mount the wheel. At this point, all the fellows had to lift and push the car back onto the road. The new high flying flap of the rear mud guard was the only apparent damage. After putting the car up on a hoist later, the mechanic collective determined there was not any undercarriage damage, but wired the wheels on to prevent a repeat. After one night in Wellington, early the next morning we visited the Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum. We learned of the Australian and New Zealand Air Corps fighting in WWII and the near massacre defending the south Pacific islands from the Japanese. Many Aussies and Kiwis told of the great respect the Americans and General MacArthur earned by coming to their defense.
and stand by the planes, all of which are air-ready and many flew that day before rain brought everything to a halt.
We took the requisite ferry transport across the Cook Straight to the south island and drove to Blenheim where we were introduced to the full group of PACA and began the official Warbirds over Wanaka Rallye. And what a wonderful rallye it was. Our Kiwi hosts were so welcoming and professed to be thoroughly honored to have so many USers (pronounced ewssies as we came to be called) visit their beautiful islands
Entering chapter three of our journey, we started out for Wanaka with visits to Greymouth and Hanmer Springs along the way. It happens that our start was on Sunday morning and that we had a flat tire. The Kernans were with us, so with lots of help, we were able to mount the spare and off we went. This was no small task (tires with tubes???) since they determined that the valve stem probably unsealed while the car was rocking in the ditch during the earlier wheel adventure. Finally on the road, we made two lovely overnight stops in Greymouth and Hanmer Springs. Everyone had fun shopping, but Greymouth is also known for its thermal baths. Then we went on to Waiau and Franz Joseph and, ultimately, Fox Glacier still on the west coast.
Next was a day trip to the World of Wearable (WOW) Art Museum where cars and fashion are given center stage. Being uneducated as regards fashion, we learned that the designs exhibited here are the fruit of an international design competition. This year was a look at futuristic fashion made from unusual materials such as paper, rubber, iron, aluminum and more. My photos fail to capture the imagination and talent on exhibit. It is really WOW! And the cars weren’t bad either. We then visited the Omaka Aviation Museum which is two museums : one for World War I planes and artifacts and one for World War II. Carol and I saw only the WWI because of time but the exhibit was extraordinary. I have never seen so many planes and the displays were vignettes of various happenings in the war, often tied to a particular airman. Quite a treat to be able to go right out
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A most important part of driving through the north part of the south island is the vineyards. You have heard of Marlborough wines. We drove through much of Marlborough and encountered miles of vineyards. We learned how the grapes are harvested and why the New Zealand wines are really “coming on" in the world. The recommended Sauvignon Blancs and the Pinot Noirs were lovely. The newest development with each vineyard is the dining venue to accompany the tastings which makes a winning experience. We enjoyed the Hans Herzog Winery, but each is unique, so don’t miss them!
The reward for reaching Wanaka was three days of promised beautiful weather (despite the week earlier forecast of snow caps and 4 degrees C) with our cars joining about twenty others on the field for a prominent display of automobiles and aviation history. This was not a juried meet but recognized only the People’s Choice Award – Tony Devereaux's 1934 Packard Coupe Roadster. The airshow was superlative, exceeding everyone’s expectations. Some of the highpoints for us included parading around the infield in front of the grandstands in Robert Duncan’s 1935 Packard Coupe Roadster, racing a 2018 Viper with Robert’s car, watching the New July - August 2018
Clockwise from right: Volcanic rock on the beach; Carol with Diane & John Kernan during Banks Peninsula boat tour; Tony Devereaux's 1934 Packard Coupe Roadster; a 1928 Packard shares the field with a vintage airplane; Carol and Tlanda at Ayer’s Rock in the rain; Carol boards the train for the Taieri Gorge rail tour.
Zealand air force (like our Blue Angels) dazzle everyone with their precision flying and having a chance to see the world’s greatest stunt pilot. Amazing!! I have not been forthcoming when describing our arrival in Wanaka. The two days preceding arrival (described above) were managed somewhat individually with cars making different stops and therefore arriving at somewhat different times. No vehicle arrival was heralded with more fanfare than the Rialton aboard a flatbed being towed by the trouble truck!! And naturally we were passengers in the truck. You see the last morning as we were leaving Franz Joseph and heading toward Wanaka, Carol and I decided to see Fox Glacier. While traversing the most rickety one-way bridge, the Railton made the loudest noise and rattle ever, one a car of this size should not be capable of. As soon as we cleared the bridge, Carol pulled off the road and cut the engine. On restarting, the noise was somewhat subdued but still not good. Rescuers in the persons of Peter and Wilma Ashcroft pulled in behind us and the second restart produced no noise - nothing else either. No acceleration, no gears – nothing! You all know the procedure for loading a sick car and how deflated your spirits are when it happens. The saving thought at this time was that the car would be parked on the Warbird field for three days (no one was allowed to move their car during the air show) and surely someone would fix what was wrong... Our hopes were high. During one of the show days, the guys and gals rented separate vans and the ladies went to lunch and shopping in Queenstown while the gentlemen traveled to the southernmost tip of the south island to Invercargill, home of the worlds’ largest and finest truck museum. Both groups were entirely delighted with their separate adventures. For we gals, Queenstown and Lake Wafatiru was all the more charming for meeting Susan and Skip Tetz’s niece who is one of the “work to travel” young people taking time between undergrad and grad school for life experience. She plans to work another year in New Zealand and then on to India. Her insights and perspective on the country added a lot to the day. July - August 2018
After our auspicious arrival at Wanaka, a day of shopping and touring and a couple days of the air show, sadly we arrived at our final banquet. While absolutely everything about it was great, the entertainment was awesome! A quartet of female singers dressed in military uniform (costume, think Andrew or McGuire sisters plus one) sang every tune you could recall from the 1940s. They were soooo good! What fun it was. It made leaving our new friends a bit less difficult. We not only left our new friends but also the Railton. Our hopes about fixing it were dashed when a local Hudson expert proclaimed he couldn’t quite figure it out: maybe the clutch, but not for certain. So Carol and I rented modern and tagged along for the remainder of the tour. Our US contingent plus a couple diehard New Zealanders including Leyton Chan, Director of the PACA, Milton Sarson and Ray Crombach headed to Dunedin for the Taieri Gorge. We began at the historic and magnificent Dunedin Rail Station and the train route maneuvers the same mountainous gyrations we experienced on the roads. Tracks through tunnels, at the edge of cliffs and over frightening gorges made for an eventful train ride. Mind you the train was the only transportation for quite some time through these parts. A really fun part of the trip was “deboarding” (I’m thinking this is what it would be called if the air is “deplaning”.) We watched when we reached the end of the tracks as the locomotive decoupled to go to the back of the train to lead us home! Pretty cool. After two days in Dunedin, we traveled north on the east coast to Christchurch. When the original earthquake occurred here in 2010, many began rebuilding homes and stores quickly. A second equally devastating quake hit in 2011, wiping out any rebuilding along with everyone’s hope for a quick return to normal. Then they decided to wait out anything else that might happen, but many now believe the wait has been too long. Insurance has been holding up progress and government restrictions are said to make investment impossible. As an example the largest church in the region, the cathedral at Christchurch, is still uninhabitable. A clever architect built a “cardboard” church just across the road. The material is literally card31
Obituary: Dr. Donald E. Gale By Vickie Gale
Long time Michigan Region member, Donald Gale, passed away on March 21,2018 at the age of 82 after a long battle with Chronic Heart Disease. Donald joined the Michigan Region in the 1965 "ish" range. He gained many friends in the CCCA as well as several other car clubs that he joined. He held several positions in the clubs and he owned Full Classics® as well as "ordinary" antique cars through the years. He received many letters of appreciation and awards for conducting memorable tours and meets including the Robbins Man of the Year Award in 2009 for his outstanding service to the Michigan/Ontario Region. Donald enjoyed the "thrill of the hunt" in finding cars for others. He was a "walking encyclopedia" regarding cars and knew the history and correct colors for automobiles. Also, he was great at telling jokes regarding any subject you were talking about, and had the right "punch line" ready. In later years, he enjoyed "tinkering" with his cars until his health began to slow him down. Donald and his wife, Vickie, went on day trips as well as a few overnight trips whenever they could. He is survived by his wife, Vickie, and his 2 children, 4 grandchildren and cousins. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Don celebrating his birthday with one candle during the Michigan Region’s 2015 Ontario Mini-Tour.
Continued from page 29. board but the very modern looking structure is sufficient to hold services while the Cathedral remains in ruins. We took an entire day to visit Banks Peninsula. A bus took us to Akaroa (a half French and half Dutch coastal village) wherein we boarded a vessel to explore the bay. What a gorgeous, picturesque area. Our captain knew exactly where to see all species of birds (the cormorants were auspicious), fish too numerous to recall and seals of many varieties. Excitedly we were accompanied part of the way by a school of dolphins. They were so playful and unafraid although clearly not tamed. After returning late to the hotel, we packed for the final day of this life-altering experience. Carol and I traveled with the other USers to return cars to the shipper. A sad day but memories made it less so. And then, with the generosity of Helena and Mike Henning, we were treated to a final dinner at their Christchurch home. While still cool, the weather permitted us to be outdoors enjoying their lovely grounds. Michaels’ sheds were numerous and full! Not to be outdone Helena’s barns were equally numerous and full. Smiling she said “every time he buys a car, I buy a horse”. Harness racing is very popular and, indeed, Helena had a winning horse just the night before. It was a delightful evening capping off an incredible trip, tour or rallye. Whatever you call it, it was wonderful. Thanks for traveling these special memories with us. 32
Clockwise from left: Unfortunately, this was how the Railton’s windshield looked for much of the trip; jet lag finally caught up with Skip Tetz; a RollsRoyce among Wurlitzer organs, a small plane above the Classics.
CCCA members on New Zealand Tour: Dianne & John Kernan, Florida, 1947 Cadillac Convertible Sheila & Ken Koppenheffer, Colorado, 1934 Packard Coupe Monty & Katie Holmes, Washington, 1947 Packard Convertible Susan & Skip Tetz, New York, 1939 Cadillac Tourer Georgia & Karl Hummel, Ohio, 1929 Packard Sedan Diane &John Elmendorf, Massachusetts, 1937 Cord Beverly Richard & Shirlee Marrs, Maryland, 1947 Packard Super Clipper Ray & Barbara Guidice, Florida, Traveling with the Marrs Bruce Blevins, Michigan, Traveled “Modern”
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Regarding the Rest of the Rest of the Rest of the Story in the March-April 2018 Torque, I asked the daughter of John Balcom, Elois Eastman, how he happened to acquire his 1939 Packard Convertible Victoria. The Balcoms were members of my father’s first church and they have remained friends of our family. She replied “So you want a trip in our old Packard? Well, I was about 12 years old and my dad was running a gas and repair garage in Lansing, Michigan. One day he saw an ad for the car. It was owned by a doctor who was an alcoholic. His wife was afraid he would kill himself with the car, so she wanted to sell it. My mom and dad got on the train and rode it to Bay City. They came home with the car. I remember riding on the top of the back seat driving around Houghton Lake looking for deer. It was quite a car. We would hit the top of a hill and coast the rest of the way into Roscommon, over two miles. Well, I hope this is what you wanted to know.” Dan Phenicie, Indiana
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The Steering Column By Tlanda McDonald As you read this message, summer will be at its peak and Classic® car activities in full swing. So much fun to have as we take advantage of the heartbreakingly short summer season here in Michigan. Before looking ahead I’d like to reflect for a moment on the past and refer elsewhere in this edition where you read about the CCCA National Annual Meeting held this year in Branson, Mo. National Annual Meetings are always important and full of good ideas. Seeing friends you haven’t seen since last meeting is especially fun. What I would like emphasize and praise is the stellar performance of the Michigan Region and recognition received at the National Meeting. It was such an honor to represent you and to receive the following on your behalf: 1st place 1st place 2nd place 2nd place 2nd place
Turnquist Trophy-Senior Division - Regional publications and communication Technical Service Award - technical articles, projects and seminars Bigelow Trophy - distinguished overall Regional performance Regional Activities and Performance Award Judges and Tabulators Participation Award
For the Turnquist Trophy, recognition and deepest thanks to Rich Ray, the “make it happen” editor of the Torque. With his considerable talent he steered our Torque publication to another first place. But more important was his recognition as the recipient of the Beverly Rae Kimes “Outstanding Regional Editor Award”. We all benefit from and enjoy his contribution to this publication. Six times each year he gets this baby to print but every week at every event he is imagining, photographing, taking notes and generally devoting himself to our pleasure! We are in Rich’s debt and we say “thank you”. The second place awards go to all of you in response to the hard work and dedication of our Regional Activities Committee lead by Paul & Sandy Wise and Phil & Helen Fischer and including Grand Classic gurus Nancy Seyfarth and Lee Barthel. They search each month for an interesting and unique opportunity to drive, show and see Classic® automobiles. And just as important YOU come out to enjoy the opportunity. Without member participation their entertaining ideas fizzle. So please continue to support our great Regional events. To Sandy, Paul, Helen, Phil, Nancy and Lee – thank you. As Rich highlighted, the Technical Service award is a testament to Phil Fischer and his clever recollections while working on his 1941 Cadillac. Thank you Phil. And to all Michigan Region tabulators and judges – thank you for taking the time here and across the country to lend your expertise to the CCCA brand of judging that holds our cars and their rankings in such high regard. As our all too brief summer flies by, be sure to put the many Regional and National events on your calendar. Be sure to get ready for the Ohio Grand Classic and mini-tour. Those of us who have had the pleasure in prior years know this event exceeds expectations. Please go, you will be glad you did. And be sure to put Ice Cream and Steaks in your plans. Drive your cars! Your participation matters. See you there,
Tlanda
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