September - October 2016
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Car Culture An Equal Opportunity Employer © 2012 Kelly Services, Inc.
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The Duesenberg was designed with a vision to be the world’s finest motor car. Kelly Services , the worldwide staffing leader, was also built with a vision to be the world’s best staffing services company. ®
September - October 2016
September - October 2016
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September - October 2016
Inside This Issue Michigan Region 2016 Activities Calendar………...…..………....………….…….…4 From Your Editor…..…….….……….……….….….….….….…..….…….…………5 Cover Story: Mike Lebovic’s 1931 Cadillac 370A Roadster……………………..…...7 Back Cover Story: Dan Hanlon’s 1940 Packard 1803 Convertible Victoria…….…...10 The 2016 CCCA Museum Experience…………………………………………….…13 2016 EyesOn Design……….………………………………………………………...18 The 2016 Ohio Region MiniCARavan and Grand Classic……………….…….…….21 How Not to Start a CARavan.………………………………………………………..26 Do you have Good Brakes on Your Classic?………….….…………………………..27 New Member Profile: Carol Vogt…….……………………….….…….…………….27 A Wills St. Claire Birthday.………………………………………………………..…28 Obituary: Ruth Thomas…….………………………………………………………...29 ReTorque…………………………………………………………………………….30 CCCA Museum to the Rescue!……………….….…………………………………..31 The Steering Column…………………….…………………………………………..32 4
September - October 2016
2016 Leadership www.classiccarsofmichigan.com 4717 Maddie Lane Dearborn, MI 48126
Board of Managers Director
Publications Committee Torque Editor
Paul Wise
Rich Ray (810) 333-2498 richray2@hotmail.com
(313) 492-0284 sandrawise@me.com
Assistant Director
Tlanda McDonald (248) 563-5651 tlmcdonald999@comcast.net
Secretary/Torque Editor
Jerry Medow (248) 737-0637 medowg@aol.com
Projects/Advertising
Wally Donoghue (734) 455-0177 wally@plaidpants.net
Activities
Ara Ekizian (248) 851-4069 dlekizian@yahoo.com
Activities
Club Photographer
Don Wood III (586)201-3391 donwoodiii@gmail.com
Classic Vibrations Editor
Jay Fitzgerald (313) 885-3641 jayf3641@ sbcglobal.net
Staff Paul Ayres
Bram Over
Wally Donoghue
Ed Meurer III
Ann Donoghue
Phil Fischer (734) 377-6553 corbuck6147@att.net
Activities
(248)722-8375 Bobish1@comcast.net
Greg Kosmatka (313) 882-7980 grk129@sbcglobal.net
Membership
Bob Ferrand
Rich Ray (810) 333-2498 richray2@hotmail.com
Treasurer
Torque Cover Editor
Cover Photos: Don Wood III
Dan Clements (248) 437-7193 jclem5780@comcast.net
Grand Classic
Nancy Seyfarth
Area Head Judge
(313) 436-8327 nancyseyfarth@aol.com
Grand Classic
Terry Ernest (810) 987-8977 ternest@sbcglobal.net
Lee Barthel (248) 476-0702 lfbarthel@yahoo.com
Classic Vibrations/Website Jay Fitzgerald (313) 885-3641 jayf3641@sbcglobal.net
Torque Magazine
Historian
September - October 2016
Bruce Thomas (248) 594-6499
No.445
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.
September - October 2016
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Michigan Region 2016 Activities Calendar September 11, Sunday - Steak Roast October 16, Sunday - Fall Color Tour November 6, Sunday - Annual Dinner Meeting
Stay in Touch! If your email, mailing address or telephone numbers change notify Jerry Medow at medowg@aol.com or call (248) 737-0637. 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
September - October 2016
From Your Editor By Rich Ray
We are in the heart of the Michigan summer as I write this and, as you can see from the material covered in this issue, our Full ClassicsÂŽ are covering the roads and show fields. By the time you read this, we will be on the downhill slope of the 2016 season, but there is still plenty of activity. One thing to consider doing is thinking through some emergency actions that could save your ClassicÂŽ. Phil Fischer's article about the Ohio MiniCARavan & Grand Classic touches on this issue in describing Dave Donoghue's "thermal event". In my thirty plus year career in the automotive industry, we were taught by the attorneys to use this phrase when describing what civilians would call a fire in a vehicle. While "thermal event" may sound benign, it is definitely not. Dave Donoghue describes his responses in detail in a sidebar article on page 25 and it is something we all should think about. Aging wire insulation and rubber fuel connections in our cars can create havoc in an instant. I, for one, must admit that I probably would not have acted as quickly or effectively as Dave since I haven't taken the time to think through such a scenario, in other words, practice a fire drill. I know where the fire extinguisher is in each of my cars, if I stop to think about it, but that uses up precious seconds. I should also have some gloves handy to protect my hands while opening a very hot hood. It's what else I don't know that really concerns me. We should all hope to be as prepared as Dave was if such an event happens to us.
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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
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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:
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.
The Enthusiast Garage, LLC Where you would send a friend Classic and Antique Restoration and Service Including But Not Limited To: Mechanical, Body, Paint, Upholstery General Service and Maintenance Full Ground Up Restorations
The Enthusiast Garage, LLC Jocko McNeal, Proprietor 2720 N. Monroe, Frenchtown, MI 48162 Phone and FAX: 734-637-1421 Email: highlander809@gmail.com 8
September - October 2016
1931 Cadillac V12 Roadster
By Michael Libovic Photos by Don Wood III
My quest to find a V12 car began immediately following the cheque clearing at the bank on the sale of my Cord L29. I had never fully restored a car and, when I bought the Cord, I was assured that the car was 70% complete. With that in mind, I decided to take a chance and complete the work myself. What I soon discovered, was that I was lied to, not only by the owner, but by the restoration shop also and, in the end, the car took 4 years to complete. I ended up having too much money in the car to enjoy it, so I decided to sell it as a fresh restoration. Not wishing to go through an open ended restoration, it was clear to me that I had to find a car that was fully restored. While seeing some V12s come up for auction in Florida, Arizona, and California, I promised myself that I wouldnʼt buy a car sight unseen, and therefore would be limited to finding a car that I could see within an 8-9 hour drive from our home in Gormley, Ontario near Toronto. I went to the Hershey auction and saw a beautifully restored 1935 V12 Lincoln Brunn Convertible Victoria. Others also saw its beauty and quality and it sold quickly for quite a bit more than I was willing to pay. Also, at the auction was a 1931 V12 Cadillac that was in need of a complete restoration. It also sold for quite a bit over its market value and, in a subsequent conversation with the new owner, he indicated to me that he had had a bit too much to drink and he got carried away. In the car corral, there was a 1931 V12 Cadillac that I had previously seen online and had actually had made an offer to buy. The seller would not budge on his high price and again I made an offer on the car, this time with the benefit of seeing the car as it was nothing like as described in the online ad. September - October 2016
Again my offer was soundly rejected. Two weeks later, I saw that the car sold at another auction for the same amount that I had offered. I next spotted online a 1933 Packard V12 1005 convertible. This was a car that I was very familiar with. I contacted the broker who was handling the sale of the car and he quoted me a ridiculously outrageous price and was adamant the price was not negotiable. Later I watched the car sell at auction for far less than the brokerʼs price and the exact amount I had offered. Next I spotted a 1932 Pierce-Arrow V12 roadster online. This time I contacted a broker I knew and asked him to make the offer. We both agreed on a fair price to offer for the car and again I was soundly rejected. Later I found out that the car sold for just over my offer. Not discouraged, I kept on searching. Scouring the internet for auctions, I stumbled upon an upcoming auction that was offering a 1931 Cadillac V12 roadster. Being 9 hours from home, it was right on the edge of my driving boundary. I hopped in the truck and off I went. When I first saw the car, I knew that it was exactly what I was looking for, a freshly restored car. Hop in, turn the key, press on the starter and go. The seller told me that his father bought the car in 1974. Though the car was running, it was his fatherʼs intention to give the car a full restoration. Years went by and the car sat until the son, the seller, took it upon himself to do the restoration. I was told that his father bought the car from a Mr. Hutchinson in
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Clockwise from above: Front end of the Cadillac offers a lot of gorgeous “bling” with grille guard, dual horns and Trippe lights; detail of the hood ornament and grille guard badges; rear quarter is equally detailed with rumble seat step plates and tail lamp; black luggage rack completes rear end treatment.
Chicago who had owned the car since 1960 and the owner before him was a Mr. Russell, also of Chicago. The seller told me that he went through the car top to bottom and everything was restored, repaired and working as it should. With his assurances of the quality and authenticity the car, I decided that I would bid on the it. The final price of the car, with the bidderʼs premium, was a bit higher than I wanted to pay, but I was prepared to pay up for a car that required no further work. Just hop in, turn the key, press on the starter, and go. I was wrong. I immediately had trouble getting the car started and, in fact, I had to push it into my trailer. I decided to take the car right over to my mechanic and have him see what was causing the start up problem. Besides, I needed to get the car certified as to road worthiness in order to get it licensed. So what did the mechanic discover? The vacuum tank was not working properly and required a rebuild. There was also a 4 inch long hole in one of the exhaust manifolds (one was found, and purchased at considerable cost). The brakes appeared to having been last serviced in the mid 1930s. The rear end bearings were shot. The 2 carburetors were leaking gas and required rebuilding (all gaskets appeared to be original). The leaf springs were missing the metal gaiters. The front and rear shocks 10
were leaking fluid and required rebuilding. The speedometer and clock were not working. Both wiper motors were not working and required rebuilding. The foot rest in the rumble seat was missing. The rumble seat door handle was incorrect. The radiator was never serviced and consequently was quickly overheating. It is now almost 2 years since I bought the car and all but one item is left to be completed. As the rear end had to be disassembled to change the bearings, I decided to have new rear end gears made. The car came with 4.91 gears and now I have high speed 3.66 gears. The car now accelerates quickly and cruises effortlessly. Cadillac built cars with the V12 engine from model year 1931 through to 1937. Cadillac built 5,716 V12 cars for 1931 and just 91 were Fleetwood bodied roadsters (known as style 4702) and my car is September - October 2016
Clockwise from above: the 368 CID V12 generates 135 HP; the instrument panel is elegant with plenty of brightwork; detail of the instrument cluster; even the distributor and spark plug wires are well done; exquisite detail of the rear view mirror; proud owner Mike Libovic with his 1931 Cadillac 370A Roadster; the roadster’s interior features camel leather trim.
body #29. Fleetwood also produced the interiors. I know of 11 roadsters that exist today, but have no doubt that there could be as many as 20 survivors. The wheelbase of the car is 140 inches, horsepower is 135 and it weighs 5,100 pounds. Mechanical brakes are a large 15 inches and have vacuum assist. The factory price of the car was $3,945. Options include 6 wire wheels with dual fender wells, original side mounted mirrors, trunk rack, Goddess mascot, auxiliary Pilot Ray driving lights, wind wings and the highly sought after Caitlin gear shift knob. All instrument gauges are original and they show their 85 year old patina. The car has received its 1st Junior and 1st Senior AACA, 1st CCCA and 1st CLC of America. The car was also presented with the Best Open Car at both the Ault Park and Lake Bluffs Concours in 2015. Itʼs quite surprising when you put pen to paper. to discover the full journey it sometimes takes to finally hop in, turn the key, press on the starter, and go, for that first time. Joyous. September - October 2016
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1940 Packard 1803 Convertible Victoria
By Dan Hanlon Photos by Don Wood III
It all started on a Saturday morning in early December, 2014. I was sitting in my office in Naples, Florida when the phone rang. It was our friend, Gene Tareshawty. He informed me that he had just received his Packard magazine and that there was a 1940 Super 8 Convertible Coupe for sale in California. The price was fair enough, so I waited until 11:30 AM to call the owner because of the time difference. I talked to the owner and everything seemed good. He had done a frame off restoration about eight years ago. He and his wife drove the car about 10,000 miles on Classic Car Caravans. He said he could email pictures. In 30 minutes I had about 20 pictures. Within 3 hours of hearing about the car, I had bought it.
the gauge was very accurate. The car ran and drove well. She was washed that night. We buffed and polished the paint. I cleaned the interior seven times. The car was serviced and everything that needed attention was addressed. New tires, new hubcaps, new shutter thermostat, tune up, new steering wheel, etc. Options include, deluxe radio, deluxe heater, luggage rack and overdrive. The color is Lagoona Maroon. The interior in tan as is the top. Packard made 501 of these 160 Convertible Coupes in 1940. Thirty eight are known survive today. Debbie and I have driven the Packard about 3,000 miles so far . She is a great running Super 8.
A little later in the day I had some more questions for the owner, so I tried to call him. For almost two days his line was busy. When I finally got through to him, he said he had been on the phone since I had purchased the car talking to potential buyers. He thought that the price I paid was too cheap. I said I don’t know that because I have not seen the car yet. Anyway the car was shipped to Ohio. In March, I went home for business. Of course my first stop was my garage. When I saw the car my heart sank. It was so dirty, I initially thought the interior would need replacing. The paint was dull and needed attention. I started it up and drove into town. The gas gauge showed about half a tank. Not trusting that, I filled up and found out 12
September - October 2016
Clockwise from left: The front end of the 1940 Packard features catwalk grille segments on either side of the traditional grille to widen the car’s appearance consistent with the industry trend; rear quarter detail includes a folding luggage rack, solid section bumper with guards, Packard badge and dual tail lamps; closeup of the front end shows the “donut pusher” hood ornament; wheels featured a large center cap and trim ring; two views of the hood and fender details.
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Clockwise from top: The instrument panel includes a large speedometer flanked by guages with a radio in the center; the front compartment includes a leather trimmed full bench seat with a large clock in front of the passenger, balancing the speedometer; proud owner Dan Hanlon with his 1940 Packard 180 at the 2015 Dearborn Grand Classic; Packard humbly claimed that it’s 1940 Super 8 160 was a “Passport to ‘seventh heaven’”; the left side of the engine compartment shows the air cleaner and oil filter; right side of the engine includes the carburetor and exhaust manifold.
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September - October 2016
The 2016 CCCA Museum Experience By Roy Margenau Photos by Don Wood III & Walter Herip
June 3–5, 2016 was the annual CCCA Museum Experience weekend at the Gilmore Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The Museum was honored to have Bill Warner, racer, collector, fouinder of the Amelia Concours and overall great car guy as Grand Marshal. The car gods smiled upon us Friday and gave us a beautiful sunny day for the countryside tour. Although it was a bit cool, several cars put their tops down to soak up the sunshine. One of the cars, a 1938 Buick Three Position Drophead Coupé with British coachwork by Lancefield, decided to put its own top down at 40 mph. The front header suddenly detached itself from the windshield and flew into the faces of driver Al Kroemer and his wife Sarah. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and Sarah proclaimed that a "lesser woman" would not have survived the incident. After couple of deep breaths and a good laugh, the tour continued on to Brad and Kelly Janousek's restoration shop. Brad and Kelly are currently restoring the Museum's 1939 Delahaye. How interesting it was to see the car all disassembled and stripped of its paint and interior. Keep an eye out to see the finished car back at the museum soon! The next stop on the tour was the Southern Hospitality Herb Garden in Turkeyville. We were treated to a great lunch under a tent in the beautiful gardens. After lunch, we continued on to a Ford Model T collection/restoration shop. What an amazing collection of early, brass Ts and parts! There was at least one car from every year 1909 through 1916, encompassing all the years of the brass Ts. When we were finished drooling on all the beautiful Ts, we headed back to Gilmore for a catered BBQ dinner. We do eat well with the Classic Car Club!
September - October 2016
Clockwise from top: The 2016 Experience poster by Gerald Freeman; Full Classics® on tour; the entrance to the Gilmore; Margaret Dunning’s 1930 Packard greeted visitors to the CCCA Museum; tour participants examine a very early Packard.
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Clockwise from above right: participants inspecting parts at the restoration shop; Kent & Amy Jidov heading to lunch; Paul Wise, David Johnson and Dan Hanlon in deep conversation at the banquet; Bill Parfet had four 1934 Auburn Salon cars on display; Lee Barthel, Kathy Kosmatka, Sandy Wise and Greg Kosmatka; Model T Acres was one of the tour stops; two guys either checking out the Packard or waiting their turn for the outhouse; a Full Classic® 1936 Buick outside the restoration shop.
Saturday was the Grand Classic. Thirty Classics were entered, including 13 from the Michigan Region. Congratulations to our Michigan Region winners! ● Mark Thomas 1927 Kissel 8-65, roadster. Second place Premier 93.25 points ● Bill Parfet 1933 Auburn, 12, 12-165 Brougham. First place Senior 100 points ● Dan Hanlon 1940 Packard, 8, 1806, Convertible Coupe by Darrin. First place Senior Custom 99 points ● Ron DeWoskin 1934 Nash, 8, 1290, Sedan. Second place Primary 97.75 points ● Ed Schoenthaler 1920 Packard, 12, Twin Six, Phaeton by Fleetwood. First place Primary 99.75 points ● Jay Fitzgerald 1929 Cadillac, 8, 341B, Sport Phaeton by Fisher. First place Senior Emeritus 99.25 points ● Dan Gernatt 1938 Cadillac, 8, 75, Convertible Coupe by Fleetwood. First place Senior Emeritus 99.25 points ● Terry Ernest 1930 Pierce-Arrow, 8, Model B, Dual Cowl Phaeton. First place Senior Emeritus 97.25 points ● Greg Kosmatka 1934 Packard, 8, 1101, Convertible Victoria by Dietrich. Eliminated for scoring too high in Touring class 94.25 points ● David Johnson 1942 Lincoln Continental, 12, Convertible Cabriolet. Exhibition ● Bob Anzalone 1933 Cadillac, 8, 355C, Town Sedan. Exhibition ● Bob Joynt 1931 Lincoln, 8, K, Dual Cowl Phaeton by Murphy. Exhibition 16
Sunday was the Experience. Only 51 cars registered for the Experience this year and many of those did not show up because of the threat of rain early in the morning. The quality of the cars that did show up was fantastic. Thirteen awards were presented, including three to Michigan region members: ● Best in Class to Greg Ornazian for his 1935 Auburn ● People's Choice to Ron DeWoskin for his 1934 Nash ● Best of Show to Dan Hanlon for his 1940 Packard Darrin. Congratulations to all the winners! We as a club really need to do a better job supporting our club and the museum. The club events are always fun and the camaraderie is even better but if we, the members of the club, do not step up our support of the club and museum by attending the events, these events are going to disappear. The people who plan and organize these events put a lot of time and effort into creating fun, new and interesting events. When so few people show up, the organizers lose their incentive for planning future events. September - October 2016
Michigan Region Classics at the Experience Clockwise from top left: Sunday morning raindrops on the hood of Greg Kosmatka’s 1934 Packard; Bill Warner describes the “classic” cars of Cuba; David Schultz tries to convince new Museum Executive Director Carol Vogt that her first Full Classic® should be a Lincoln.
1938 Cadillac Series 75 Convertible Coupe Dan Gernatt
1939 Lincoln K Convertible Sedan Ed DeVries Clockwise from above: Larry Pumphrey, Paul Ayres, Carl Jensen and Terry Ernest head out for judging duty; tabulators hard at work tallying scores; Lee Barthel models his new 2016 look in headgear; Tom & Fran Hale enjoy the banquet.
1934 Packard 1101 Conv. Victoria Greg Kosmatka
1935 Auburn Phaeton Bob Becker
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Michigan Region Classics at the Experience
1934 Nash 120 Ambassador Sedan Ron DeWoskin
1922 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8 Torpedo Boat by Cesare Sala
1934 Auburn 1250 Salon Sedan Bill Parfet
Roy Margenau
1940 Packard 1806 Conv. Sedan
1931 Lincoln K Phaeton
Gene Tareshawty
Bob Joynt
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe
1940 Packard 1806 Darrin Conv. Victoria
Philip Fischer
Dan Hanlon
1927 Kissel 8-65 Roadster
1930 Pierce Arrow Model B Dual Cowl Phaeton
Mark Thomas
Terry Ernest
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1933 Cadillac 355C Town Sedan
Paul Wise
Bob Anzalone
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September - October 2016
1931 Buick Series 90 Roadster
1938 Packard 1607 Club Sedan
Marv Tamaroff
Tom Brace
1930 Packard 740 Touring
1929 Cadillac Sport Phaeton Skip Tetz
Rich Ray
1929 Cadillac 341B Sport Phaeton
1920 Packard 335 Phaeton
Jay Fitzgerald
Ed Schoenthaler
1928 Lincoln Limousine
1934 Buick Series 96 Cabriolet
David Schultz Brad Janousek
1935 Auburn 851 Speedster
1931 Packard 840 Roadster Tom Tuls
Greg Ornazian
September - October 2016
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EyesOn Design: “Powered by Design” By Marcus Shelley Photos by Don Wood III & the Author
Above: a bird’s eye view of the EyesOn Design show field. Below: Edsel & Eleanor Ford were carefully watching that no overly exuberant Classic® driver marred their lawn.
This year the EyesOn Design show was spectacular and we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day. We had over 20 Full Classic® cars, our most in many years. We had our largest show field as well, with over 360 entries. There was something for everyone: a 1932 Alvis boattail, shown for the first time in the U.S., a rare 1934 V-16 Cadillac 452 Victoria and a 1914 Custom Packard, which originally was the pace car for the 1915 Indianapolis 500. The theme for the 2016 EyesOn Design was “Powered by Design”, reflecting that since the early days of automobiles, the design of a car started with the engine. Carmakers soon discovered that customers wanted their cars to reflect the power plant in the design of the car, so car designs began to reflect whether a car was powerful, sporty, economical or fast. Cars like the Stutz Bearcat, the Kissel Goldbug or the boattail Speedster set the pace for vehicle design. Classic cars epitomize this idea by being designed to reflect that the car was powerful, as well as luxurious. The 2016 CCCA Annual Meeting last January in Detroit, showed this design importance when more than 16 sixteen-cylinder cars gathered to celebrate the Sweet 16 theme. The EyesOn Design car show was started by automotive designers 29 years ago and is still directed by car designers. As such, the show works to reflect vehicle design as opposed to provenance or the quality of restoration. This is not to say we do not invite the best-restored cars we can get; quite the contrary, many of the cars at the show are the very best restorations. Every year we have many special cars invited to reflect how the design relates to the theme. We often have many rarely seen cars at our show. This year we had a 1907 Stanhope Jewel and a 1935 Hoffman X8. 20
The vehicle selection committee of EyesOn Design spends all year looking for vehicles that will reflect the theme of the show. This year’s show had categories such as: American Muscle, Brute Power (the Chrysler 300 cars), Streamliners by Design, Cadillac Eldorados, Hurst Performance and of course American Classics. While many Full Classics® attend the show, some members bring nonclassics to support the non-classic categories. This year we presented 23 Designer Choice awards and 9 special awards. Of particular interest, the Rolling Sculpture Award (best of show) went to the 1931 Cord Speedster brought to the show by Stahls Automotive Foundation. Also, Bill Golling’s 1948 Chrysler Town & Country received the Honorary Chairman’s award selected by honorary chairman KC Crain. Additionally, the Visiononaries Award, in which blind judges “see” the car with gloved hands and determine the best of class, was won by Randy & Susan Denchfield’s 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Club Coupe (NC). Each year we have several un-judged categories. One of our more popular categories is “Pure Michigan”. We choose a different city within Michigan and invite rare cars from that area. This year we chose Kalamazoo, featuring cars such as the Checker and the Roamer. We would like to thank the Gilmore Museum for supporting our efforts to get these rare and unusual cars. The poster for this year featured the 1931 Cord boattail, called the LaGrande. This car was selected to be the poster car as it reflects the theme very effectively. Alan Leamy designed the car at the Auburn Cord company, but it has a body made by the Union City body company. The car was featured in the 1931 New York auto show in an effort to stimulate sales. There never was a production version and the original show car was lost before World War II. The September - October 2016
Clockwise from above: Michigan Region member Marcus Shelley, EyesOn Design Director with Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology DIO Medical Director Philip C. Hessburg, MD; Ed Meuer III with his fiance Michelle Michael; 1956 Chrysler 300 B (NC) shown by Ed Meurer Jr.; 1953 & 1954 Cadillac Eldorados (NC) owned by Neal & Lois Porter.
poster this year features a painting by Jay Koka of Toronto who chose to show the car at the entry of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. The poster is available for sale at the charity web site and is one of our best posters ever. Each year EyesOn Design recognizes a special individual who restores, preserves or shows historic examples of the automobile designer’s art with a premier award called, “Preserving the Vision”. This year Keith Crain, of Crain Communication, was the recipient of this prestigious award. Keith is one of the founders of EyesOn Design and also leads the Board of Directors of the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s. This year he brought his 1919 Rauch and Lang electric car to show the visitors that electric cars are not new at all. He joins past honorees such as Terry Ernest, Ed Meurer, Don Sommer, Michael Spezia, Ted Stahl, Marvin Tamaroff, Brian Joseph and Diran Yazejian, but to name a few. Full Classic® cars that won Designer Choice awards, or category winners, were: Dave and Diane Jolly, whose 1939 Lincoln Coupe won first in the Streamliners category; 1936 Auburn 852 from the Stahl Automotive Foundation won first in the Speedsters category; Steve Plunkett won first in the Heavenly Hoods category with his 1934 Cadillac V-16 452 Victoria; American Classics was won by the 1936 LaSalle of Linda Bertolone Additional Full Classics® at the show were: Paul and Sandra Wise, 1941 Cadillac; Dr. Charles Columo, 1942 Packard; Dick Thams, 1941 Cadillac; Chet Southwell, 1932 Packard; Marv Tamaroff, September - October 2016
1931 Buick; Terry & Rita Ernest, 1930 Pierce Arrow; Paul Pawlosky, 1926 Wills Ste. Claire; Ted Stahl, 1932 Alvis and a 1925 Kissel; Jim Weinzierl, 1941 Lincoln; Tlanda McDonald, 1940 Lincoln; Nancy & Allen Strong, 1915 Packard; Greg Ornazian, 1939 Lincoln; Myron Vernis, 1935 Hoffman. Next year will be the 30th EyesOn Design show and we intend for it to be our best show yet. The theme will be “Body Styles” which will highlight the different body styles that have helped define car design for each era. The show will take place Father’s Day, June 18th, 2017 at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. We hope CCCA members will continue to support and attend the show and we look forward to seeing everyone there. The annual EyesOn Design car show is the main fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO). The DIO was founded over 40 years ago to create outreach programs for the visually impaired, training programs for physicians and to further research into vision surgery by establishing collaborative forums. Today the charity continues its support of several such services, but most notable is its support of research in visual neuro prosthetics. This entails computer chips that are implanted into the brain to restore some basic level of effective sight. More information can be found by searching on YouTube for the company Second Sight that illustrates the concept. The DIO is now part of the Henry Ford Ophthalmology Department. For more information, you can visit our web site www.eyesondesigncarshow.com . 21
Michigan Region Full ClassicsÂŽ at EyesON Design
1942 Packard Convertible Coupe Charles Columbo
1931 Buick Series 90 Roadster
1948 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible
Marv Tamaroff Bill Golling
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1939 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe
Dick Thams
1926 Wills St.Claire T6 Roadster
1921 Roamer Speedster Gilmore Museum
Paul Pawlowsky
1930 Pierce Arrow Sport Phaeton
Greg Ornazian
1931 Cord Le Grande Speedster
1940 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet
Ted Stahl
Tlanda McDonald
1934 Cadillac Model 452 Victoria Steve Plunkett
Terry & Rita Ernest
Continued on Page 32 22
September - October 2016
2016 Ohio Region MiniCARavan & Grand Classic By Phil Fischer Images by Don Wood III & the Author
There have been many CCCA CARavan’s through the years, but for Helen and me, this marked our first. Over the course of two days, we would be caravanning through Historic Columbiana County, in Salem Ohio. Months of preparation culminated when our journey began on Wednesday morning, July 6th. The weather was a typical warm July day, and with the 1941 Cadillac loaded with suitcases, and a cooler of water, the adventure began. We were caravanning with three other Michigan Region members in their Classic cars. Unfortunately, when preparing to leave our house the Cadillac refused to start. This marked the first time I ever encountered any problems with the car. After diagnosing a fuel delivery issue and blowing out the fuel line with an air compressor, we were on our way (the rest of this storyline is covered in the article on page 26). We met with Barthels, Medows, and the Barretts, and our mini caravan consisting of a 1941 Cadillac, a 1947 Cadillac, a 1936 Pierce Arrow and a 1936 Bentley, began the journey to Salem, Ohio. With the 1936 Pierce Arrow leading the way the first portion of the journey involved freeways into Ohio. Once crossing the state line into Ohio, we traveled on secondary roads. We stopped for lunch in Woodville, Ohio, then we proceeded on to Salem. It is always difficult to stay together when caravanning and we had become separated from the Pierce Arrow. At 4:30PM we arrived in Salem Ohio, it was extremely hot and we found Lee, and the Pierce Arrow partially blocking the main road. The Pierce Arrow had a “vapor lock” issue, something that would plague other Classics throughout the event. The host hotel was the “Holiday Inn Express” and that became the daily starting point for the scheduled driving tours on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday evening we enjoyed a cocktail reception at David Johnson’s Carriage House, followed by a dinner at the Salem Golf Club. David Johnson, our host for the event, stated that there were 85 cars registered for the CARavan, and the Grand Classic on Saturday. CCCA members from around the country and Canada, were in attendance. Thursday morning we departed the host hotel at 8:30 driving to a rallying point in New Garden, Ohio. In a large parking lot we met September - October 2016
up with drivers coming from the two other hotels needed to house all the participants in the CARavan. Our first scheduled stop was to Hanlon’s Classic Car Barn Museum, a 31 mile journey through the rolling countryside. Helen and I offered our back seat to Allan and Charlotte Warner, who had brought their 1930 Cadillac for judging at the Grand Classic and needed a vehicle to ride in for the tours. I wish I could say it was an uneventful drive, but that was not to be. After only about 10 miles of driving, my Cadillac quit. The fuel delivery issue returned and after three break downs and roadside repairs, we finally arrived at Hanlon’s Museum. Dan and Debbie Hanlon’s Museum is in a barn dating back to the 1880’s. In 2003, they restored the building making room for 35 or so award winning vintage automobiles, featuring everything from a 1930 V-16 Cadillac to a 1932 Stutz. The walls surrounding the collection are lined with rare and pristine porcelain signs. Our lunch stop was a short distance away at the Congress Lake Country Club. After enjoying a fabulous lunch, we departed for a tour of the Canton Classic Car Museum in Hartville, Ohio. As we attempted to leave the parking lot, the Cadillac again refused to run. This marked the last break down and we contacted Hagerty Roadside Assistance to arrange for a tow. Our passengers continued the tour in Jerry Medow’s 1947 Cadillac and Helen and I returned to the host hotel with the tow truck driver. I must say that we received very helpful suggestions on where to take our Cadillac for repair and much assistance, and sympathy, from the other tour participants. Because of our misfortune, we missed the tour to the Canton Classic Car Museum. This museum was established in 1978 by the late Marshall Belden Sr. It houses forty rare and unusual vehicles complimented by thousands of pieces of historical memorabilia displayed throughout the museum. Thursday’s dinner was at Owsley’s Old Car Museum. Dave and Mia Donoghue offered to chauffeur us in their 1940 Cadillac, and we enjoyed a tour, and the dinner, at Owsley’s Museum in Washingtonville, Ohio. Owsley’s Museum appeared rather unpretentious from the exterior of the buildings, but upon entering, we were delighted to see a meticulously outfitted auto museum, housing a collection of 23
Clockwise from above left: Classics gather in front of Dave Johnson’s “Carriage House” for the opening cocktail reception; Classics on the road; Greg & Kathy Kosmatka in their Packard; Owsley’s Old Car Museum; lunch at Congress Lake Country Club; Owsley’s Museum.
vintage and early to mid- 20th Century memorabilia, owned by Richard “Dichel” Owsley. The dinner was tasty, with plenty of food and drink. Our host’s hospitality made for a wonderful and entertaining conclusion, to our day of touring. Friday morning we departed the hotel at 8:30 for a visit to the “bee hive” coke ovens in Leetonia, Ohio. The Leetonia area had large deposits of coal particularly suited to be turned into coke, an essential product in the production of iron and steel. Established in 1865, and operated until 1930, the coke ovens produced sufficient quantities of coke through manual labor to support the steel industry in adjoining states. Progress in the steel industry and advances in the production of “coke” made the “bee hive” coke ovens in Leetonia, Ohio obsolete. Being unable to compete within the steel industry, the ovens were abandoned. We next traveled to visit the Hillcrest Mansion. This home has been continually occupied through five generations by the descendants of W.D. McKeefrey who had the home built in 1906. This stately residence was considered to be very modern for its time. The house is equipped with a state of the art vacuum system throughout the house. It is illuminated by both electricity and gas lighting. All the fixtures are equipped with both electric light bulbs, and natural gas light orifices.
Gene devoted his collection to 1940 model year custom-bodied Packards, designed and built by the legendary designer, Dutch Darrin. There is probably not a single accessory, promotional item, or even advertisement ever devised by Packard for the 1940 models, that is not displayed somewhere in this collection. Gene has assembled one of each of the 1940 models designed by Dutch Darrin. It was truly a phenomenal collection. Helen and I believed that if there was a category on the CARavan, for the “Hard Luck” award, we stood the best chance of that recognition, because of our difficulties with our Cadillac. Unfortunately for the Donoghue’s, they suffered a far worse catastrophe. As they were leaving the parking lot of the Tareshawty collection, their 1940 Cadillac caught fire. It was quickly put out and everyone was safe, but it ended their tour (see page 25). While heading back to Salem, Ohio, my cell phone rang and it was the mechanic from the repair facility working on the Cadillac informing that the issue had been solved and I would be back on the road for the remainder of Friday’s events and able to have the Cadillac judged on Saturday at the Grand Classic.
Leaving the McKeefrey Mansion, we drove to Youngstown, Ohio, to the Youngstown Country Club, where we once again enjoyed a luncheon. Established in 1898, the Mahoning Golf Club, as it was known, ultimately moved in 1912 to its present location in an elegant Clubhouse.
We headed back to the host hotel to prepare for the dinner at the Spread Eagle Tavern and Inn hosted by David Johnson. Finally having a car to drive to the dinner, we invited Louis Donoghue to ride with us to the Spread Eagle Tavern and Inn in Hanoverton, Ohio. This historic building dates back to 1837. When we entered the building it was like stepping back in time. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and reminisced with our touring companions about the two days we had just spent CARavaning through the Ohio countryside.
The final stop on our tour was the Packard Darrin Museum in Austintown, Ohio. This facility, known as “The Packard Youngstown Motor Company”, was started by two brothers, Lee and Gene Tareshawty in 1960. Over the years they collected Packard parts and cars. With the passing of Lee Tareshawty in 1999,
Saturday morning July 9th marked the Grand Classic. Greeted with cooler temperatures in the morning, it was a relief from the oppressive heat of the previous two days touring. All the Classic car owners lined up on Highland Street in front of David Johnson’s home. We were provided a police escort through the town of Salem,
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September - October 2016
Clockwise from above left: Bee Hive coke ovens; interior of McKeefrey mansion; McKeefrey mansion; lunch at Youngstown Country Club; Tareshawty’s Darrin Museum; Gene Tareshawty chatting with guests at his museum.
Clockwise from above: Bob and Debbie Ferrand enjoying dinner at the Spread Eagle Tavern; author’s wife, Helen Fischer with their misbehaving Cadillac outside the Spread Eagle; Rick & Carol Barrett enjoying dinner with Dick Kughn at the Spread Eagle; author Phil Fischer with his 2nd Place trophy for his Cadillac; Phil trying to nurse his obstinate Cadillac back to health; the exterior of Dan Hanlon’s Museum; a line of Classics® in Dan’s Museum.
A wonderful lunch was provided to car owners by the Salem Golf Club and everyone had a pleasant afternoon enjoying the collection of Classics on display. with many townspeople lining the streets along the way to the Salem Golf Club, which was hosting the event. The cars being judged were lined up in rows on the golf course. Those on exhibition, surrounded the other vehicles. Hagerty sponsored a “Judges Breakfast” in the formal dining room. The event was free to the public and the crowds were large. Car owners happily answered questions and supplied the historical information about their cars to eager spectators. The task of judging 85 Classic Cars was efficiently completed by nine judging teams. September - October 2016
The Saturday evening awards ceremony was scheduled for 6:30 at Timberlanes Banquet Hall in downtown Salem. The facility had just undergone a complete renovation and the CCCA Awards Banquet was the first event to be hosted there. Cocktails started the evening, followed by dinner and the presentation of the awards. Michigan Region participants were recipients of awards and we were all “wowed” by the size of this Grand Classic. Through the efforts of Dave Johnson and the Ohio Region members, this CARavan was quite an extraordinary experience for we first timers, and I suspect, as well, for the veteran attendees. 25
Michigan Region Classics at the Ohio CARavan & Grand Classic
1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet Roger Melton
1936 Bentley 4Âź DH Coupe
1940 Packard 1807 Convertible Sedan
Rick Barrett
Richard Kughn
1936 Pierce Arrow 1601 Sedan
1937 Cadillac Series 75 Convertible Sedan
Lee Barthel
Lee Wolff
1934 Packard 1401 Coupe Roadster
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe
Richard Kughn
Philip Fischer
1923 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Touring
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
Lee Wolff
Ron DeWoskin
1936 Packard 1401 Sedan
1934 Packard 1101 Conv. Victoria
Richard Zapala
Greg Kosmatka
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September - October 2016
1929 Packard 640 Roadster
1938 Cadillac Series 75 Convertible Coupe
Ralph Turner
David Johnson
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1936 Cadillac Series 85 Sedam
Dan Gernatt
Skip Tetz
1940 Packard 160 Convertible Sedan
1927 Pierce Arrow Model 36 Runabout
Dan Hanlon
George Quay
1931 Cadillac 307A Roadster Michael Lebovic
Dave Donoghue’s “Thermal Event” 1925 Packard 236 Sport Phaeton
As Told to Rich Ray
Roy Margenau
1928 Lincoln K Convertible Sedan David Schultz
September - October 2016
Dave Donoghue described his "thermal event" experience to me during dinner at the Spread Eagle Tavern. He said he had occasionally thought through what he would do in the event of an underhood fire and it certainly paid off. While leaving Gene Tarashawty's Darrin Museum, someone in the car smelled smoke just as Dave noticed the paint on the hood starting to bubble. He immediately shut off the ignition (and the fuel pump), grabbed his fire extinguisher (he knew exactly where it was), opened the hood just a crack with the extinguisher already shooting foam and managed to douse the fire. By not opening the hood all the way, he reduced the burst of oxygen that would cause the fire to flare up. By having the extinguisher already activated, he got foam on the fire immediately. The car suffered significant damage, but Dave's quick action avoided a total loss. 27
How Not to Start a CARavan (Pun Intended) Article & Image by Phil Fischer The Ohio Region’s Grand Classic was Helen and my first ever, CCCA CARavan. Advance preparations for our 1941 Cadillac included replacing the original gas tank that had been repaired many times and was showing several patches to the underside. I removed the original tank, and replaced it with another original gas tank removed from a 1941 Cadillac, being turned into a street rod. I installed this replacement tank in early June, and drove the 41’ for several weeks before the drive to Salem Ohio. On the morning of Wednesday, July 6th, when I started the Cadillac and backed it out of the garage, it quit running. This marked the first time since I have owned the car, it failed me. After I diagnosed that the carburetor was not getting any gas, I traced the fuel line back to the gas tank. I found that the fuel line exiting the tank was plugged by some foreign object. A quick air compressor blast into the fuel line, cleared it. We met up with the Barthel’s, Medow’s and Barret’s, and our four Classics drove to Salem Ohio without further issues from my Cadillac. This is where the story actually begins. On Thursday, July 7th, Helen and I started out to the first scheduled driving tour of the day, some 31 miles away. We had two additional passengers in our Cadillac, Allan and Charlotte Warner, Ohio Region members, as our drive began. After not more than 10 miles, the Cadillac quit. I had a truck full of spare parts and tools, along with anything I thought I would need. I had easy access to the inlet of the electric fuel pump mounted under the driver side of the car, if you call laying on your back along the side of the road, easy access, but I was able to disconnect the fuel line, blow through it with my mouth, and successfully dislodged whatever was floating around in my gas tank. Thinking this would be a final fix for the remainder of the tour, we headed out again. The thought of being stranded in a strange area was an immediate concern, but thankfully, a fellow Ohio Region CCCA member, Charlie Renner, and his wife Dawn, in their 1941 Cadillac convertible, left the tour to assist us. It was a blistering hot day to be crawling around under my Cadillac, but I had no choice. Once up and running again, we covered another ten miles, and then a repeat, no gas getting to the carburetor. Back under the car, only this time, no amount my puffing into the gas line would dislodge the object. Charlie Renner then found a service station that would loan us a small pressurized air tank, and with it, we were able to get underway again. As we approached the first tour location, the issue once again stopped us. This time, we stopped in front of the driveway of the local Fire Department. Back under the car, and an air blast through the fuel line, we on our way. I was at my wits end by this time. I was worrying about how we would get the car back to Salem Ohio, as well as, what it would take to fix the problem. 28
The sad result of an unlikely “BB sized piece of blue silicone sealant.
The final straw left us stranded in the parking lot of our destination, the Congress Lake Golf Club, in Hartville Ohio. After finishing lunch, we attempted to drive out of the parking lot, but the car quit again. We convinced our back seat passengers, Allan and Charlotte, who suffered through all of this with us, and being good sports throughout this ordeal, to accept a ride in another Classic, and complete the day’s activities. Jerry Medow graciously offered his rear seat to them, and they completed the tour in a 1947 Cadillac. A cell call to Hagerty Roadside Assistance brought a flatbed tow truck. The tow driver professionally loaded the Cadillac on the truck, and gave us a ride back to the repair facility, located a short distance from our hotel. Again, Charlie Renner came through for us by putting me in contact with Salem Tire & Service, in Salem Ohio. We dropped the Cadillac off on Thursday afternoon, and they would start working on the car the following morning. When I dropped off the Cadillac, I explained my theory of what was causing the stoppage in the gas line and they agreed to drop the gas tank and, hopefully, find exactly what was causing the problem. Friday morning found Helen and me riding with the Medows to visit the days scheduled tour stops. The adage, “no news is good news”, kept me going throughout the day. At every stop, tour participants continually asked what the status was of the repair. Finally, heading back to the hotel in the afternoon, I received a call from the repair shop telling me, “cars fixed, come and get it”. You can only imagine how relieved I was to hear that. I could stop worrying, enjoy the remaining activities and attend the Grand Classic on Saturday. By now you’re probably wondering what on earth could have been responsible for so much grief and frustration. The repair facility drained the gas tank, and used a small flexible camera probe device to examine the interior of the tank. With the scope, they found a small, round, “BB” sized piece of blue silicone gasket material, behind a metal baffle in the tank. It was removed, and given to me. Apparently the trip from Michigan to Ohio dislodged it from somewhere inside the tank and because it was just large enough, and light enough, it kept being drawn into the end of the pickup tube inside the tank blocking the fuel flow. A blast of air was sufficient to dislodge it temporarily, but it would again find its way back to the pickup tube. I guess the moral to this story is no matter how well you plan for a road trip in these old Classics, something totally unexpected can always crop up, but we didn’t let it spoil our trip, we just looked at it as another adventure.
September - October 2016
DO YOU HAVE GOOD BRAKES ON YOUR CLASSIC?
By Larry Pumphrey
From the Indiana Region Hoosier Horn
Before the recent Indiana Region CARavan in Kentucky I did a complete service on my ’37 Packard by checking all of the points that I believed could be a problem on the tour. I changed the crankcase oil, lubed the chassis, checked the transmission and differential level and on and on. I even topped off the brake fluid. I was sure I was ready for a safe and uneventful tour. The one thing I missed nearly caused a catastrophe. On the next to the last day Carol and I were following our friends, the Millers, down a long, sloping road with a sharp left turn at the bottom. Nearing the end of the slope we were slowing to about twenty miles per hour when I gently applied the brakes in anticipation of the turn. I was shocked to feel the brake pedal go all the way to the floorboard with no resistance at all. Thank goodness I had rolled this situation over in my mind many times and I instinctively grabbed the emergency brake. Amid squealing tires I stopped about three or four feet from Miller’s Cadillac. I used the emergency brake to further descend the slope and make the turn. I planned to go a short distance on the level road to find a wide place to pull over to assess the situation. I couldn’t reach the pedal that was stuck to the floor so I asked Carol to pull the pedal up to the normal upright position. She did so and I put light pressure on the pedal to see what would happen. To my amazement the brakes responded normally. I had full pedal and excellent brakes. I tested the pedal response several more times and could not get a repeat of the problem. I scratched my head and couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on. I knew who would know. I called Indiana Region member and friend Tim Stone and he told me that because I applied the brake very gently there was a problem in the master brake cylinder that allowed brake fluid to seep around the rubber cup and bypass the piston. He advised me to apply rather abrupt pressure to the brake pedal when attempting a stop. This abrupt pressure would cause the
cup to expand quickly and forcibly to prevent the seeping. I used this procedure for the last day of the tour along with allowing more distance to the car in front of me and being more attentive to traffic. I only had one more incident and this was in the parking garage when the car was hardly rolling and I was barely pushing the pedal. When I returned home, removed the brake cylinder and poured the fluid into a clear bottle. It was a very dark brown and looked like Pepsi. Inside the brake cylinder was about a teaspoon of a blackish-brown grit like sand. This grit had kept the cylinder cup from sealing to the cylinder wall and allowed the brake fluid to seep by. I assume that when Carol pulled up the brake pedal the grit was flushed out. This time! To my surprise I was able to purchase a new brake cylinder for this 78 year- old Classic from my local NAPA store. I was glad because I don’t trust rebuilt master brake cylinders. That’s just me. When I replaced the master cylinder I filled it with new brake fluid and flushed the old fluid out of the lines to all the wheel cylinders. In his book, How To Keep Your Collector Car Alive, the late Josh B. Malks stated that brake fluid is the least often changed fluid in classic cars. I am sure that is true. By the way, I would recommend his book to all owners of classic cars. Even with excellent brakes with all new parts and fluids, keep in mind our classics do not have any backup other than the hand brake. Be ready to use it and keep the emergency system in adjustment. I hope my little spiel here might prevent someone from having the same experience I had with no brake pedal. If your brake fluid hasn’t been changed in a while perhaps you should change it, and while you are at it remove and inspect your master cylinder. Brake fluid draws moisture from the air and this causes rust in brake lines. Happy motoring, and braking! I hope to see you “Down the Road” and NOT “Beside the Road”!
New Member Profile Carol Vogt Carol Vogt became Executive Director of the CCCA Museum in Hickory Corners in August, 2015. She is new to the hobby having spent most of her career with Kellogg's in various marketing and administrative positions. She does not own a collector car, but has begun to appreciate Full Classics® since joining the museum. She survived her first Grand Experience, covered elsewhere in this issue and has enjoyed meeting CCCA members from around the country and Canada. She also participated in her first CARavan in Ohio where she got to ride in several different Full Classics® over the two day tour. She really enjoyed the tours and the people. Be sure to greet Carol and her husband, Dan, if you see them at a future activity. September - October 2016
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A Wills St. Claire Birthday
By Terry Ernest Photos by Rita Ernest
Having a birthday party is a great event, but when it is your 100th birthday, then it is amazing! Long time Wills Sainte Claire Museum member Bill Mason's son, Rick, emailed me earlier this year and asked if I could attend and represent the Wills Museum, at his father's 100th birthday party in Lansing, Michigan. Of course, I said yes. As director of the Wills Museum, how could I possibly turn down a request for such an important event. Bill's involvement with Wills Sainte Claire goes back a long time. In the mid 1920's, when Bill was just a tyke, he remembers the local Wills Sainte Claire distributer sending over a Wills roadster for his father (who owned a commercial meat processing company) to try out for the weekend. Bill made sure that every time the car went anywhere, he was riding in the rumble seat! Unfortunately, his father did not buy the Wills, as he had just purchased a different brand of car. But Bill never forget those wonderful rides in a Wills Sainte Claire car. In June of 1930, he sent a letter to C. Harold Wills, who built the Wills cars from 1921 to 1926 in Marysville, Michigan, requesting a brochure of the Wills cars. The Wills Sainte Claire Automobile company had gone bankrupt in 1926 after building 12,000 cars, but to his credit, Mr. Wills had saved one last brochure. Mr. Wills wrote back to 14 year old Bill and said: "Dear Sir, As requested in your letter, I am very happy to send you a catalog showing you the different models of the Wills Sainte Claire car, which happens to be the only one I have. Trusting that this will meet your pleasure, (signed) C. Harold Wills." But Bill always had those fabulous Wills cars in the back of his mind and would eventually go on to become a Wills car owner by purchasing a Full ClassicÂŽ 1926 Phillips-bodied Cabriolet. His son and daughter told me they had fond memories of riding around in the rumble seat of the Wills when they were kids. As happens in life, family comes before antique cars, and Bill had to sell the Wills to pay for his children's college educations. Bill stayed in close contact with the Wills Club, which eventually became the Wills Sainte Claire Auto Museum, and often sent in articles and information, sharing his vast knowledge of all things Wills. In 2012, Bill was awarded the "Spirit of C. H. Wills" award by the Board of Directors of the Wills Museum for his many contributions to the Museum. The "Spirit of C. H. Wills" Award is given in tribute to the spirit that propelled C. Harold Wills and the Wills 30
Sainte Claire automobile to the forefront of automobile quality and engineering. As I began thinking about the trip to Lansing, I thought it would be a good idea if I could bring a Wills Sainte Claire car with me to display. No problem, I have a Wills Roadster. Then I considered it further and thought, it would be really fantastic if I could bring the car that Bill used to own. Bill's Wills was purchased by Ray Burgess, who gave it one of the finest restorations ever lavished on a Wills, and it just happened to be on display in the Wills Museum. I called Ray in Florida and asked him what he thought about me taking his valuable Wills to Lansing for the party. Ray, as gracious as a gentlemen can be, said "I think it's a great idea!". As sometimes happens with antique cars that have been sitting for a while, the Wills did not want to be cooperative in starting the engine. As you can imagine, there are not many Wills engine specialists in the world, but fortunately for us, Scott Shepley of Blue Gryphon Service, whose business is a short distance from the Museum, dropped everything he was doing to come to our aid. He diagnosed the problems and in short order had the car running well. Bill's 100th birthday party was well attended by his many family and friends. Bill's son, Rick, created a wonderful slide show of Bill's life and accomplishments, and many photos included his Wills Sainte Claire. As dessert was being served, my wife Rita and I slipped out of the dining room and placed the Wills under the portico of the facility. After lunch, Bill made his way out side, for what his son Rick told him was a "special surprise". Bill's eyes lit up when he saw his old car! Then a smile appeared on his face, that for me, made the whole trip immensely satisfying. Bill looked the car over and began reminiscing about the outings and memories of trips with his wife and family in the car. I asked Bill if he would like a ride in the car. Another big smile on his face told me the answer was yes. It is not easy to get into a car made in the 1920's at any age (especially if you are tall) and when you are 100 years old, you certainly don't bend as well as you used to. But none of this stopped Bill. He worked his way into the tight interior of the Wills and we were shortly ready to go. As we drove along, Bill told me about the sounds that the engine and transmission made as we shifted gears were just as he had remembered them many years ago. Happy 100th birthday to you, Bill Mason, and many more! September - October 2016
Obituary:
Long time Michigan Region member, Ruth Thomas, passed away on June 15, 2016 at her home in Bloomfield Hills holding the hand of her husband Bruce, a charter member of the Michigan Region. Bruce joined the CCCA in 1954, well before the Michigan Region existed and, although Ruth did not become an associate member until 2003, she was along for the entire ride and, at times it seems, in the "driver's seat". According to her daughter, Ann, Ruth was a true partner in the purchase of antique cars and even the purchase of the barn, the workshop/car storage facility where the cars are stored. Ann wrote that the family grew up following Bruce's passion for antique cars. Ruth loved the car activities which happened on weekends and throughout the summer. She adored looking at the cars, but even more so, liked all the people she befriended over the years, and the fun family focus of the clubs, as well as the elegant events and affairs for the adults.
Ruth Thomas
Ruth was born in Bern Switzerland on April 13, 1925 and emigrated to America with her parents at the age of three. After business school, she became a secretary at Chrysler and met Bruce, also a Chrysler employee, on a blind date. They married in 1950 and have five children, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Michigan Region Classics at EyesON Design Continued 1925 Kissel Gold Bug Speedster
1915 Packard Model 3-38 Special Roadster
Ted Stahl
Allen Strong
1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1936 LaSalle Coupe (NC) Linda Bertolone
Paul & Sandy Wise
1936 Auburn 852 Speedster
1921 Roamer Town Car Landaulet
Ted Stahl
Gilmore Museum
September - October 2016
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Reader comments on Torque Magazine are appreciated and encouraged. It assures us that someone actually reads it! Just read my latest edition and you guys are doing a fine job. I noticed that you ran an article from Ann W. Baxter on the home of Col. Jesse Vincent. I believe she is a little confused on the ownership of Miss America X. On the bottom of page 21 she writes, “In future collaborations with Gar Wood , his (meaning Vincent’s) engines made a sweep of the Gold Cup races, repeatedly carrying his (should mean Gar Wood’s) ‘Miss America boats to victory.” Then on page 22 in the photo caption reads, “…Vincent’s Miss America X at speed…” That would be incorrect – it was owned by Gar Wood. Miss America X is noteworthy for be the first boat to hit 120 MPH. Miss America X is owned by CCCA member Henry Mistele and is on semi—permanent display at the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township, MI. Very coincidentally, the Mistele family was a subsequent owner and sold it in November of 1972. Don’t mean to put too fine a point on it. Attached are several photos that were given to me by Jesse’s only living relative, Roberta Vincent Mocabee, daughter of Charles Vincent - VP of Testing at the Packard Proving Grounds. All the best, Roger Luksik
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September - October 2016
CCCA Museum to the Rescue! As editor of Torque Magazine, I am always looking for some bit of automotive history. One of the greatest resources I have found recently is the CCCA Museum's National Magazine Database. The database allows one to search by keyword and display the results from more than 750 back issues of both The Classic Car magazine (four issues per year) as well as the Bulletin (usually eight issues per year) dating back to 1952. These include over 25,000 pages including photos and many hundreds of technical and automotive history articles. Michigan Region member Roger Luksik recently showed me a beautiful cloisonne medallion he had purchased for ten bucks at the Cars R Stars show and swap meet at the Packard Proving Grounds. The seller had no idea what it was and all it said was "25" on the front and " 98 Sunny & Bob Turnquist invite you for Cocktails at 6 PM on Aug. 18, 1977 at the Abbey to celebrate our 25th CCCA CARavan�. I suggested that he check the 60th CCCA Anniversary Book where he learned that the
September - October 2016
By Rich Ray Images by Roger Luksik
Great River Road CARavan from Oak Brook, IL through Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa was the likely CARavan and that the Abbey is a resort on the western end of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin that would seem to fit along the route of The Great River Road CARavan. But what did "98" signify and what was the significance of the medallion? CCCA Museum National Magazine Database to the rescue! A quick search revealed that the Great River Road CARavan indeed visited the Abbey and to celebrate their 25th CARavan, the Turnquist's generously hosted a cocktail party using the pewter and cloisonne miniatures of a Packard radiator shell by Tiffany of New York as the invitation. The article also revealed that CARavanner number 98 was none other than late Michigan Region members Henry & Doris Seitz of Mt. Clemens, Michigan driving their 1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper sedan. Maybe it is all a bit of trivia, but it is yet another demonstration of the importance of the CCCA Museum.
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The Steering Column By Paul Wise
After several board meetings and over half of our Full Classic® car season past a couple of items have come up. First, our membership is slowly going south. Two things seem to be contributing to this: aging members and lack of interest by younger people. Second, what are our possibilities to gain new members? The Classic Car Club of America has already changed our classifications to allow pre-1925 cars back to 1915. Another thing to consider would be to accept cars from 1948 to possibly 1959. This era would allow a large number of special built cars. This has been brought up before but voted down. But times change and I feel we need to consider changing our stance if we are going to maintain and grow our membership. The Fifties era saw many special interest cars being built. There is also a large interest in these years of automobiles. The Board is asking for your opinion and request that you contact us by mail, phone or email with your opinion on this matter. We look forward to hearing from you. Happy Motoring!! Paul
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September - October 2016
September - October 2016
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September - October 2016