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Volume XLX, Issue 1 Edsel Owners Club Inc. January 2017 T HE B IG E How to Polish Oxidized Paint on Your Edsel By Jason Peters INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Polishing Oxidized 1 Paint on an Edsel President’s 2 Letter A recollection by 3 an original owner It certainly has been a while since I’ve shared any updates or progress on “Emery,” my 1958 Edsel Pacer—that stands to good reason, as I just haven’t made much headway. A Red Edsel that 4 Unfortunately, that has to change as graduation is quickly approaching! the Reds Loved Also, I recently had the opportunity to pick up a lovely, all-original 1959 Edsel Corsair, Part Two which I have named “Starlite,” for her single-tone Star Blue Metallic color. It is a beautiful car that had been well taken care of most of her life but was starting to look disregarded Club News and 5 and neglected, the paint was especially dull and heavily oxidized. The hood had been reminders covered in carpet that had gotten damp while stacked with boxes and was in especially poor shape from its duty as a shelf. Polishing Oxidized 6 Paint on an Edsel continued Calendar of Events 7 and welcome new members Green Line Edsel 8-9 Action Ads I started by gently cleaning the entire body with a mild car wash soap and spray detailer. About The Edsel 10 This keeps the surface lubricated so you’re not etching years of dust and dirt into the Owners Club paint. Once the paint and the car has been cleaned, you can start the process of polishing the surface back to a shine. Continued on Page 6 The Big E Page 2 Greetings Friends and Edsel Owners, Winter is well on us by now and as many owners of antique cars know: This is the time to start work- ing on all of those projects that need to be done. Even our hard-working editor, David Fleischer, has removed the front clip from his Pacer hardtop and is pulling out the engine for a complete overhaul. This is a daunting task and not for the weak of heart. It's not just the engine overhaul that is the challenge, but also all of the little things that pop up during the reconstruction that can occur. I wish all of our good Edsel friends the best while they work on these projects. Be safe! Whether it's polish- ing your Edsel or repairing parts or an overhaul of the engine, it takes a good commitment, focus and endurance to complete the work well. Part of my President's message is going to be dedicated to some of my past memories that some of you may have experienced as well. I will start with - The Way it Was: Looking Back to 1957. As some of us may remember when the automobile was formally announced for display dates and introduction, it was a time that we looked forward to with great anticipation. The new models had arrived sporting all kinds of gadgets, bigger tail fins and wild, impressive colors. The designers of these cars had one thing in mind: out-do the competition and make it sell! Generally this happened between October or November each year... it was a tradition. I was just a young lad, about nine years old, when my father took us kids to the dealers for the car shows which had just opened the doors to the public. This particular year was especially memorable for me in that I was chosen along with my two talented partners to represent the new Oldsmobile with our tap dance routine! Leo Rule Oldsmobile Company in Long Beach, California, was the larg- est dealership in the area and the showrooms were especially fitted and beautifully decorated for the unveiling of the new car models. At first, I didn't think much about all of this, but one day at a local performance at a company picnic we were noticed by a small team of talent scouts who decided that we were indeed good enough to represent the Oldsmobile dealership and to be televised - of course - in black and white! We prac- ticed tirelessly in the dance studio for many weeks and as the time grew near for our performance; my jitters about the experience grew ever more intense. Finally, the special event had arrived. We headed out to the dealership in our yellow & white 1956 Ford Ranch Wagon. Pulling up to the Oldsmobile dealer in our Ford, I noticed a large group of people had gathered outside the entrance and the television crews were already there to see the entertain- ment first hand. I was stunned, frightened and complete- ly overwhelmed by the mounting frenzy! My parents and a crew rushed me through the commotion and into a back room where I was dressed in a wool sports coat, bow tie and was told, "You are going to be on TV! Now, don't for- get your routine! Are you ready?!" The ringing in my ears was growing louder each moment as I was lifted onto the stage behind the curtains with my two partners for our tap dance routine that I had prac- ticed for so long. Suddenly, I could hear the drum roll and the music started playing as the curtains were pulled to the side. I could barely see ahead of the flood lights, but on the right and left side of the stage there were two very large cameras with the technicians seated on each one as they were rolled into place! I was frozen with fear... my From the President’s Desk! mind went blank and my feet just would not move...the music started to play my routine... but to no avail... my feet would just not work! (to be continued) Michael Cowles Michael Cowles and dance partner c. 1957 Volume XLX, Issue 1 Page 3 My 1960 Edsel Ranger that I purchased new in November 1959 By Arnold Ross, original owner Editors note: I received a request to put in an ad from Mr. Arnold Ross, who stated he has a 1960 Edsel Ranger that he bought new. I wrote back to him asking him if he could write a first-hand account on purchasing his new Edsel. His Edsel is for sale in the classified section of this issue. Hello Edsel Friends ~ David asked me to write a story about my 1960 Edsel. Here goes - Phyllis and I got married in August of 1955, after I got back from the Army, serving 9 months in Korea and 6 months in Japan. In 1956 we started farming on an irrigated farm in Oak, Nebraska. Our first son, Mark, was born in August 1957 and our second son, Kent, was born in November 1959. At this time we were driving a 1955 Ford Custom 2-door sedan and we were thinking of trading it in. In late November, we drove to Hastings, Nebraska, and stopped at Rose & Kohl MEL Dealership. The salesman was driving a light blue and white 1960 Edsel Ranger 4-door sedan. He said his Edsel was available for purchase and also said that the Edsel had just been discontinued by Ford Motor Company. We ended up buying the blue 1960 Edsel and driving it home. My cost was an even $2,000 plus my 1955 Ford. The Edsel served as the family car for 7 years before I more or less parked it. I have taken the Edsel to a lot of local parades and car shows. I also had the Edsel at a national Edsel convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2002 or 2003. In recent years, I drive the Edsel every four or five weeks to keep it going. We had two more sons born since purchasing the Edsel but none of my sons are interested in the car, which is why I am now offering it for sale. Enclosed is a photocopy of the window sticker that was on my Edsel when I bought it: The Big E Page 4 B9UR731197, THE RED EDSEL THAT THE REDS LOVED Part Two - By Phil Skinner ( Continued from November 2016 issue of the Big E ) Eventually the car, B9UR731197, made its way back to the United States. Around 1990, it was acquired by a well-known collector of rare Ford products, Jerry Capizzi owner of the Cappy Collection from Chicago, Illinois. Capizzi had the Corsair restored to exacting concours standards and showed it often, making its Edsel premiere at the 1992 EOC Convention in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It has garnered every major award that the AACA has to offer and wherever it was shown, the original box of spare parts was shown with the car. In late 2006, Jerry Capizzi decided he wanted to retire. At one time, his company, Capp Industries, had over two dozen businesses involved in the automobile trade, supplying a myriad of parts from latches and springs to emissions and braking systems. He told this writer that the collection took as much time and management as almost any of his companies, and it was time to let other collectors take care of the cars that he had carefully brought back to life. At the Capizzi sale, the President Red Corsair convertible was offered at no reserve and set a record for a 1959 Edsel convertible when the hammer fell at $95,000. Within a year this same car was of- fered by RM Auctions at another sale where it was hammered sold for $115,000, plus 10% commission, setting an all-time high price paid for any 1959 Edsel convertible.