SMOKE SIGNALS

The Official Publication of the ANKOKAS Region AACA

March/ April 2016 Volume 53, Issue 2 In This Month’s Issue: Prez Sez...... 1 News & Events...... 2 Minutes From Previous We seem to be off to a good start for arranged for someone to babysit the while Meetings...... 3 2016 and let’s keep the old ball rolling. If you have lunch. Calendar...... 4 you missed our February breakfast meeting, May 14th is our tour to the Philadelphia Member Profile...... 5 shame on you. The food was good and the Masonic Lodge and lunch. Don’t miss this one. Roadside Ramblings...7 fellowship even better. Maybe we will do The AACA Eastern Division spring meet is in The is The .....8 another in the fall. Vineland May 21st. If you have not been to a The Men Behind the We have a number of things going on division meet in a while, here is a chance right Cars...... 11 in the next few months, so go get the in your back yard. It is hosted by the South Fun & Trivia...... 12 calendar off the fridge and mark the dates Jersey Region. We are waiting to hear if they Letter from the of Ankokas activities in big bold letters. Too want Ankokas help. Editors...... 12 many people tell me they “forgot”. Put the date of June 1 on your calendar Marketplace...... 13 Write it down on the calendar. I as we will be touring the backstage promised you we would have of the Atlantic City Boardwalk pipe something going on every organ at 10 am. This is a 2-hour month, so let’s get out there tour followed by a ½ hour free This newsletter is and enjoy. organ concert. The tour is free a publication of the Tune into radio station also. Love that 4 letter word. Ankokas Region Crusin’ 92.1 FM on Tuesday More details in the next SS. of the Antique evening, March 8, at 8:00 Also, put Johnson’s Farm on your list for June 17th Automobile Club of and listen to our Ankokas people promoting AACA and for our annual “tail gate” America. Ankokas. This is an opportunity meeting. Material may be for the rest of South Jersey to We have signed reproduced only if get to know us. up a couple of new credit is given to the Our next get together is March members recently and source and we are 17 for the regular Ankokas we are hopeful that will asked for permission membership meeting. continue. If you know to reproduce the Please note the location of someone who might material. of this meeting has enjoy the company of If you have material been changed and will Ankokas people, get be at 7:30 at the Mabel them on board. that you would like Our president, Bob Petters. Photo by S. Soppe Kay House, 24 Walnut We want to get to know to contribute or you St, in Haddonfield. This the new members. Come have comments is a small historical house located next to join us at all functions. If anyone ever has any or ideas about the the Acme parking lot. See the website for concerns, my door is always open. newsletter, please directions. As a parting note, I would like to announce contact the editor, The invitations to our 52nd annual that my lovely wife Kathy will be serving as our Diana, at Ankokas charter luncheon will be going out new secretary. Thank you, Kathy. newsletter@ shortly. Save the date of April 3rd. If the ankokas.com. weather is nice bring out that old car that Bob Petters has been collecting dust all winter. I have President Ankokas SMOKE SIGNALS Page 2 News & Events touring. Probably close again. However, the roots of our hobby Masonic Temple Tour reach farther than those two ways. Several ways available that you Bernie Shuster is taking Ankokas members for tours of the may not have thought of as enjoyment, really can be. Let’s look at Masonic Temple in Philadelphia on May 14th. Space is limited them. to 45 people and pre-registration is required. Please contact Research. Before starting the restoration on your dream vehicle Bob Petters at 856-767-4438 or e-mail president@ankokas. you should do the research, becoming knowledgeable of the com to reserve your space on the tour. For more information authenticity to which you are restoring, too. about the Temple, please visit www.pagrandlodge.org. Restoration. While most of us may not have the expertise to do the entire restoration, we do aspire to do as much of it as possible. AACA Conference in Philly Call it bragging rights if you care. The AACA held their annual meeting in Philadelphia on Showing. Needless to say there is no shortage across America. February 11-13th. Ankokas members in attendance included Local shows are in most communities every weekend sponsored by Bob Petters, Steven Soppe, Carl Villone, Bernie Shuster, Allan our Region/Chapters. National Meets sanctioned by AACA in each Vogelson, Kyle Blake, Barry Goldsmith, Carl Grossman, Sam Division across the allow our members to renew and Mento and Diana Antinucci. make new friendships while making memories for life. A free breakfast was provided. Touring. A popular way members enjoy their dream vehicle. They There was a silent auction, judges were built to drive and enjoy and there school and many seminars, are those that do just that. I have heard them say, “You won’t catch my car on including License Plate History, a show field.” The same can be said for Region & Chapter Leadership, the avid vehicle shower. Webmaster’s Forum, How to Put Maintenance. All mechanical machines on a National Meet or Tour, History need it. From oil change to greasing, of the Automobile, Publications & tuning up and of course pampering Newsletters, Restoration Experiences with wax and cloth. Rubbing on them and Tips, Model Car Collecting, becomes an addiction. Interior Cleaning and Stain Removal Recruitment. Aw, here’s one I bet you and Collector Car Fraud. There was hadn’t thought of. Your membership a brief impromptu Ankokas meeting proves you are proud to be associated over lunch on Friday. with the world’s oldest and largest The AACA annual meeting antique automobile club. Recruiting Ankokas members at the AACA annual meeting- photo by Diana Antinucci new members should be an easy provides an opportunity for task; sharing your experiences and everyone to learn more about our hobby and gives our enthusiasm for the club would excite potential members into joining. members a chance to get together and to socialize with Committee Member. This allows members to become involved in members from other regions. If you are interested in attending the decision-making process that keeps our club moving forward. next year, the annual meeting is held every February. Keep an Committees meet periodically, either at National meets, tours or eye on the website (www.aaca.org) for more information. by conference calls to review suggestions and concerns from the members. Congratulations to Jeff and Judging. Another avenue you probably haven’t thought about, however, is the simplest and cheapest way for anyone to enjoy Madeleine Schulte our hobby. You don’t have to own an antique vehicle to become a Jeff and Madeleine have a new granddaughter! Named judge. You only have to have love for them and the ability to view Evelyn Madeleine Patricia, she was born March 1st (judge) antique vehicles in a fair, honest and common sense manner, between 3AM and 4AM. She weighed 10 pounds and eight the way you would want your vehicle judged if you had one in the ounces and measured 21 inches. Everyone is healthy and show. we’re sure Jeff and Madeleine will have a great time with Needless to say, I’m sure you can think of more now that I have the newest addition to the family. aroused your interest and thought processes. Looking at the eight listed, is one any more important than another? No, in my Enjoying Our Hobby! opinion. All eight are bound together with one common thread, the By Hulon C. McCraw love of the hobby. Now do some self-analysis. Where could you VP Class Judging best serve to fulfill your desire to contribute to the future of AACA taken from the AACA Rummage Box Winter 2013 and our hobby? Success comes when a give-and-take attitude When the antique automobile hobby comes up in conversation, prevails. Everyone is a WINNER! Think about it! What club could what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’ll bet the first thing that you be involved in that pays the dividends AACA does? Friends, popped into your mind when you read the first sentence was an fellowships and memories made for a lifetime. No doubt a journey antique car show. Was I close? Probably, except for the touring from coast to coast could be made and you would never have to population in our hobby and I feel sure your first thought was spend a night in a motel. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 3 Minutes From the January Meeting

Meeting Called to order at 7:36 pm, at Haddonfield was included in the January newsletter. Anyone Borough Hall, 26 members in attendance. with content for the newsletter can send it to • Two new members were introduced: Mike Cooper [email protected]. from Voorhees, owner of a 1972 • The 30th Annual Haddonfield car show is scheduled Sprint, and Pete from Marlton who is looking for a for Saturday September 17, 2016. Still waiting for car. confirmation from the town. • A full time club secretary is still needed. Vice • It was decided at a directors meeting on Jan 11 that President Steven Soppe filling in as needed for now. the Haddonfield show would be a judged show with • A Thank You was given to Tom and Carol McLarney classes, pre-registration only, and all participants for arranging and hosting a wonderful Holiday Party. would receive a plaque with a photo of their car We hope to be at the same venue next season. instead of dash plaques. The number of trophies • Jeff presented the Treasurers report. At the party, would be reduced to only best in class two people wrote checks for and the sponsors choice awards. Entry donations directly to the food fee will be raised to $20 per car. No day bank. Jeff asked that in the of show registration. A motion was made future, please write checks to / seconded / passed that cars from 1986 Ankokas so the club can keep will be the feature class with special accurate records of matching parking and will pay for registration in the donations. the show. • Brown and Connery law firm has • As of 1/21/16 there have been 39 chosen to stop their sponsorship members renewed. Club officers will of our Haddonfield show. New divide up the list of those who have sponsors are being sought. New not yet renewed and call them. sponsors will receive recognition • Bob Petters will look into having at the show, in show flyers, the the AACA Bookmobile come to the newsletter, and web site based on Haddonfield show. their level of support. • AACA Museum has • Sunshine - Trophy George Smith sent their request for our annual passed away. Tom Amendola fell donation. $100 will be sent. and hurt his leg. Allan V is doing well • The 2016 Charter Lunch will be held on and is in good spirits. Sunday April 3 at Lucien’s in Berlin. This is the same • There is a tour planned for May 14 to the location as last year. We will have special parking Masonic Temple in Philadelphia. Bernie Shuster is with security to watch our collector cars. coordinating the trip. The tour will be conducted • Color Craft Sign Company is making our club shirts in groups of 15 people, for a total of 3 groups. www.colorcraftsign.com. Jeff S will get updated Advanced sign-up is required. There will be pricing. several local places available for lunch. There are • Marketplace - There is an auction on April 9 in two parking garages nearby. Speedline is also Upper Pittsgrove NJ for the estate of Mike Torowus, suggested. selling early Ford cars and parts. More information • There was discussion of a club poker run or tour to can be found on Auctionzip.com, ID#4959, Lee Fox other museums. 16 people voted for the poker run, auctioneer. 16 people voted for a museum tour. It was decided • There was discussion of our club participating in a that people just want things to do. The Boyertown radio talk show. This had been suggested last year Museum was suggested and will be planned. as a way to promote our club and the Haddonfield • Newsletter Diana Antinucci and Steven Soppe show. Bernie S will contact Allan V about this. have taken over the newsletter. To help keep club • With no further business, it was time for cookies. expenses down, the newsletter will be sent via email Meeting adjourned. to all members, and only those members requesting Submitted by Steven Soppe, Vice President, acting will receive a printed copy. A printed request form Secretary. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 4 Minutes From the February Meeting On February 20th, Ankokas held their annual breakfast things to do with the kids, of all ages. meeting. This year’s meeting was held at Ponzio’s. It was a • President notes from AACA general meeting President’s great time members, spouses, children and grandchildren to dinner - the head Librarian put on a talk. After there was a spend quality time together. Following are Jane’s minutes for crowd hand delivering donations. $50.00-$7500.00. Ours this meeting: is generally done by mail. • On 3/8/16 several of our members will be guests on • Howard has lined up a new sponsor - Pellegrino 92.1 FM Radio Show discussing cars. Memo that date for our Haddonfield show. No check yet will keep posted. 3/8/2016 8:00-9:00pm Radio Show 92.1 FM. • Kudos to Peter Bull for saying Club Prez is doing a GREAT • 3/6/16 Newest newsletter comes out. job with the club. Keeping us going forward. • 3/17/16 Monthly meeting - Haddonfield Boro Hall 7:30pm • Not getting Smoke Signals? 1st check to make sure your • Charter Luncheon will be held 4/3/16 at Lucien’s - there name is on the list to receive a printed copy - newsletter@ will be a mailing (e-mailing) with more info next newsletter. ankokas.com or call Editor - Diana at 609-848-4843. • 5/14/16 Masonic Temple Tour 10:00 am up to 50 people. • News letter info needed - We are being asked to take Lunch afterwards - Maggianos PA? Parking $10.00 near part in our newsletter by submitting stories. Newsletter@ Maggianos. 6 block walk from high speed line. ankokas.com wants to hear your stories. Anybody got • New idea forming - paper cars for advertisement. Local items for sale please send your info for listing. Chapter info on back. • Be proud - Our website received an AACA Award of • 5/21/16 AACA Show Vineland - Bring 25 years or older. We Excellence for 2015. Lets contine that and make it even have volunteered to help and are waiting for a response. better. If interested in volunteering, please e-mail info@ankokas. • Sunshine: com and we will contact you when the South Jersey Tom Amendola - Injured his leg pretty badly. Region lets us know what help they need. Helen Matlaga - Stroke approx. 2 weeks ago. • Upcoming Adventure - Trip to Boardwalk Pipe Organ Updates to follow. Tour at Atlantic Boardwalk Hall. 2 hour tour of behind the scenes. 12pm Concert Wednesday 6/1/16. Parking under Respectfully submitted AC Boardwalk Hall. On own for lunch. Jane Taylor • 6/17/16 - Tailgate picnic at Johnsons Farm - Great time, 2/21/16 Calendar Ankokas events are in bold type, Regional or Local events are italicized and National events are in regular type. Year-round, every Saturday- beginning at 8:30AM- May 2016 “Cars & Coffee”- 550 Fellowship Road, Mt. Laurel. 5-7 - AACA Special Meet • Auburn, IN • hosted by March 2016 AACA National. www.aaca.org 8- Bob Petters, Bernie Shuster and Sam Mento 14- Ankokas tour of the Masonic Temple in will be guests on the Show and Go Garage radio Philadelphia. Pre-registration required. Reserve your program Ben Notaro and John Quinn on Cruisin’ 92.1 space now. WVLT from 8-9PM. 19- Monthly Ankokas meeting at 7:30PM on the 16-19- Winter Meet • Naples, FL • hosted by Naples- second floor of the Haddonfield Municipal Building, Marco Island Region. www.aaca.org 242 Kings Highway East 17- Monthly Ankokas meeting at 7:30PM at the 19-21 - Eastern Spring Meet • Vineland, NJ • hosted by Mabel Kay House, 24 Walnut St, in Haddonfield. This is a small historical house located next to the Acme South Jersey Region. www.aaca.org parking lot. June 2016 20- South Jersey Region Swap Meet and Car Corral- 1- Ankokas trip to see the pipe organ at Atlantic City. 8AM to 3PM at the Salem County Fairgrounds. Call 609- Members will get a look behind the scenes at 10AM 221-5435 or visit www.sjaaca.com. and there is a concert at 12PM. April 2016 3-4 - Annual Grand National • Williamsport, PA • hosted 3- Ankokas charter luncheon at Lucien’s in Berlin. by Susquehannock Region. www.aaca.org 7-10- Southeastern Spring Meet • Charlotte, NC • 17- Tailgate Ankokas meeting at Johnson’s farm. hosted by Hornets Nest Region. www.aaca.org SMOKE SIGNALS Page 5 Member Profile: Jeff Schulte written by Jeff Schulte Turbo Glide in the junkyard was all but impossible. The I was born in Scranton, PA on August 21, 1949. I “junkie” (what we called the junkyard owners) strongly have always been interested in anything that could suggested a “Power Glide” would bolt right in and was be taken apart and if lucky put back together again. much more reliable and very strong. Expensive lesson The taking apart thing had its notable events. When I #1: a whopping $75, thank you. The Power Glide (Power was about four, my parents gave me a “linemans belt” Slides we called them) transmissions were the subject which contained pliers, a screwdriver and a hammer. of much scorn in the local car guy circles at that time. The hammer disappeared first, something to do with So the 59 Chevrolet wasn’t exactly the cool ride to begin how delicate the tree ornaments were. The pliers... well with and now I had to suffer the indignity of having a let’s not go there, PETA might be reading this. Then “Power Slide” in it to boot. The car was moderately there was the screwdriver. If one recalls, back in the fast, but loved high test gas—a lot –like 8/9 mpg. There old days the door knobs were held on by set screws. was a wives’ tale that the bat-winged rear shape of the Mom was doing laundry in the basement and somehow ‘59 Chev would cause the rear of the car to lift at high the door knob came off in speeds and make the car her hand and when she hard to control. All I can attempted to put it back on, say is, with it floored on the stem disappeared into Route 3 in New Hampshire, the lock mechanism. My at what the speedometer dad was home (thank God) indicated to be 105 mph, and quickly let her out of the car didn’t handle any the basement. I had the set less stable than others I screw in my pocket, so I took foolishly managed to push the heat and the screwdriver to that speed. Mom needed disappeared too. A rocky a car, so it got passed on beginning to my interest for family duty. in mechanical things. Fast The 55-57 forward to age 7. I trash- were the cat’s meow in the picked an old reel type lawn middle to late 60’s. Because mower, with a Briggs and they were so popular, a Stratton motor on it, that nice one (two-door, or didn’t run. I took it apart, convertible and v/8, no 6 rebuilt it (so to speak), and Jeff and Maddie Schulte and their 1948 Lincoln Continental coupe. cyl. please) was big bucks. got it running. Next, I pestered The rarity of these cars was the neighbors to let me service their mowers with mixed exacerbated by the rust factor suffered by cars in New success, but I was learning. By age 10, I found hanging Hampshire due to the heavy use of road salt. A friend around a local auto repair shop very educational and of mine acquired this 1957 Chevrolet Nomad Wagon time consuming, which kept me out of trouble. Here I as a parts donor, as the car had burned up from the met my life long mentor and role model, Arnold. This dash forward. Turned out there was nothing he wanted man gave me the best training possible anywhere in the that was useful so the car became available for $25. I mechanical field. Today Arnold and I speak to each other bit and I now owned a cool ‘57 Chevrolet. Sure it was at least once or twice a month. Arnold is still mentoring a wagon, but it was a two-door and had a semi-cool me at age 89. factor because it was, for some reason, considered So, to the interest at hand, CARS. Old cars to be sporty-looking. (Don’t ask me who made up these rules). specific. The classics, the unusual, the rare, the fast, the It was my junior year in high school. I was taking the loud, the smooth, the fancy, the crude, the ugly. Auto Shop class, so it became my semester project. My first car, in 1964, was a white 1959 Chevrolet The shop teacher (Mr. Davidson) said if I ever got the Impala two-door with a 348 engine and a Turbo Glide car roadworthy he would give me an “A”. Mr. Davidson transmission. It had 86K miles on it and cost me $750. never gave A’s. I was assigned Earle Witcher as my class The transmission lasted about 6 weeks. The Turbo partner. By the way, Earle was the friend who sold me Glides did not like any abuse at all. Finding a useable this peach. Earle became one of my best friends in life. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 6 We are still close today. to take a “package” which lasted 24 months thus So, with Earle’s help, we managed to cobble the enabling me to start my current business, “Carmasters Nomad back together and getting her roadworthy. We Neighborhood Garage”. I get to pick and choose what both got that coveted ”A”. The Nomad, over the next I work on and while the modern cars pay the bills, two years, morphed into a respectable-looking and collectable cars fill a niche that gives me gratification in performing “Hot Rod” garnering a local reputation in my daily endeavors. street racing mythology as one of the cars to beat in If I were to list all of the cars I have owned, or bought Nashua, NH. and sold (flipped), over the years I know it would put It should be noted that we did not drive our cruiser/hot most if not all of you to sleep. Let’s just say there were a rods in the winter months because of the salt issue, so lot. The following is an abbreviated list of the ones that we would purchase “beaters”. (The mythological rules are worth a note or struck my fancy enough to keep for we followed stated a beater could be anything we were a period of time. Note: If I had the financial where with bold enough to be seen in, but could cost no more than all and a place to store them I probably would have kept $35). My list was a ‘49 Roadmaster, ‘47 them all. Windsor, ‘54 ex taxi and two very rusted out 1949 Buick Roadmaster $50, 1954 Plymouth Savoy ‘57 Chevrolets. A couple of these did not last a full (ex taxi cab approx. w/ 300k) $25, 1941 Ford Coupe with winter. a engine (a real beast), 1941 Buick 56 C Super My college years reduced me to owning a humiliating convertible coupe (first car I restored )$500 sight unseen, and downright embarrassing fleet of four-wheeled 1947 Plymouth convertible Special Deluxe with a stock objects. The most notable was a ‘59 VW bug that ended car modified flathead six in it $500, 1965 Sunbeam tiger up with stickers (flowers etc.) covering the interior as $750 blown engine, 1946 Chevy woody wagon, 1937 well as the entire exterior. Yeah, I got stopped a lot. twelve coupe, (the ‘46 Chevy wagon and 37 After college, I worked in the garage where I got Packard were purchased together in 1973, in Glendale, my initial education. I made a good buck, but was AZ for $3000. The Packard was a daily driver and I used restless to see something other than the same greasy it to tow the Chevy across country. Boy, was I young surroundings and an endless line of cars in need of and stupid!), 1963,’64,’66 Corvairs (I forget how much attention. At that point I hired on to a parts manufacturer I paid for them), 1937 Desoto four-door sedan (I traded as a district manager and covered an area from southern one of the Corvairs for this one. I put a 392 Hemi in it Connecticut to the Delmarva Peninsula and Atlantic City, just for fun), 1948 Lincoln Continental coupe (still have NJ to York, PA. this one) its so long one needs a tug boat to maneuver Wanting a more challenging career I was hired it, 1963 Dart convertible (a fun, reliable car), 1930 by Subaru of America, performing duties which Ford Model “A” standard roadster (I should have never included technical training development, field training sold this one. Loved it, great parade car), 1976 Cadillac management, evaluation and design of special service Seville (I paid $2500, sold it for $3000 and invested tools. Subaru, being a small company, we wore a lot $4000 in parts.) I always liked the looks of this car. Nick of hats. In 1989 Subaru unveiled a concept car at the named her the “Green B__ch” This car broke down Tokyo Auto Show to be called the Alcyone SVX. It was every time I took it for a ride and had to be towed back. decided from the reactions at various other shows Every break down was something different and very that the concept had merit. It was rumored that Fuji weird. This car was Christine’s miserable sister.1978 Heavy Ind. (Subaru’s parent company) had invested Cadillac Sedan Deville. A great low mileage estate car. $290 million in the development of this car. Because Drove it almost every day for a year. (Has a nice home in of my collaboration with the developing engineers for Germany now). 1947 Buick Super Convertible 56c (I still the purposes of training development on the vehicle, I own this lovely car.), 2004 Marauder, a factory became the world subject matter expert for the technical hot rod that few people in the hobby recognized. Rare 1 representation of the SVX, features and performance to of 980 in Toreador red. 2004 was only year for this color the industry press both here and abroad. 1 of 3214 total production in 2004. A grand total of only In 1993, Subaru of America was in financial trouble. 11,052 units were produced in the 2 year run and finally The SVX produced dismal sales figures and it was a 1986 Mustang GT 5.0 convertible (my current project). rumored that Subaru lost $3000 on every unit sold. To say I’m a car nut is an understatement. Truth is Subaru of America had a massive layoff in the US I have a very understanding wife. She tolerates my market, job titles combined, bodies shifted to other passion (disease). My advice is, try to go to car activities locations. I was transferred to the technical center in that can include the women. This is one of the biggest Orange County, . I declined the transfer opting reasons why I joined the Ankokas Region. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 7

photo by Bruce Anderson, taken March 28, 2007 and used according to the Creative Commons Attribution- Share Alike 2.5 Generic License Roadside Ramblings Batsto Village, 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 Are you looking for an afternoon of fun with the grandchildren? resource: sand for glass-making. This didn’t last long, however. Enjoy the feeling of traveling back in time and strolling through a Batsto Iron Works went into receivership and was bought place from yesterday? Then Batsto is the place to visit. by Joseph Wharton in 1876. He bought large pieces of land There is evidence of habitation at the Batsto region going back surrounding Batsto and made improvements to many of for several thousand years. The name comes from the Swedish the buildings, including the mansion, giving it the Italianate word bastu, meaning “bathing place”. The appearance it has now. first “bathers” would have been the Lenni In the mid 50’s, the state of Lenape Native Americans. purchased the property. The people still Charles Read built the Batsto Iron Works living there were allowed to remain and here in 1766. Workers collected the bog the last resident left in 1989. Today, Batsto ore from the lake, used trees from the Village is a historic site and a trip back in surrounding forests for charcoal to smelt time. Batsto is open daily from 9AM to the ore and used the power of the moving 4PM, parking is $5.00 and the post office water for . After smelting, the (one of four oldest still in operation) has iron could be sold as is or made into kettles, hours from 9AM to 4PM, Wednesday pipes, hardware and other useful products. through Sunday, and stamp collectors can During the Revolutionary War, Batsto also get a stamped envelope hand cancelled Batsto Mansion- photo by Diana Antinucci produced supplies for the Continental Army. with no zip code (as a historic structure, it During this time, there were hundreds of people living in the was never assigned one). There are saw mill demonstrations village. With all of these people came the buildings needed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 1:30, 2:00 and 2:30, to support them: a sawmill, a gristmill, a general store, a beginning on May 25th. For an additional fee, there are guided blacksmith, a wheelwright, an ice house and churches. tours of the 32-room mansion at 11AM, 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30. By the mid-1800’s, coal and iron were discovered in They suggest you call ahead to confirm tour times: 609-561- Pennsylvania and Batsto tried to exploit another natural 0024. www.batstovillage.org. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 8 The Car is The Star A series about cars from movies and television DeLorean: “OUTATIME” by Diana Antinucci

It seems like we’re all “outatime” these days. Work, first, it was a laser device housed in a room. By kids, grandkids, grocery shopping, meetings... they the end of the first draft, the time machine was all take up time. But what if time was no longer an connected to a refrigerator and taken to an atomic issue... because you had a time machine. Better bomb test site. Director Robert Zemeckis and yet, you made a time machine from a DeLorean! executive producer Steven Speilberg decided they This is the situation in which Marty and Doc Brown didn’t want children attempting to travel in time find themselves in the trilogy. and getting stuck in refrigerators. Zemeckis finally Turns out that time travel has problems of it’s own, thought that it would be useful to have a mobile but we’re interested in the car. We’ll leave time time machine and that, perhaps, it should be a travel to the physicists. car. The car they chose was the DeLorean. It’s The way in which Doc’s time machine works steel body and gull wing doors made it look like a is consistent throughout the spaceship, so it was perfect. franchise. Turn on the time So, the time machine would circuits, enter your target date, be a DeLorean, but couldn’t accelerate to 88 miles per hour just be a DeLorean. Andrew (activating the flux capacitor), Probert took the first crack at a coils around the car glow, the car design, but his design looked is enveloped by electrical current “too perfect”. The producers and the car vanishes, leaving were looking for something a flaming tire track. The car that looked like Doc Brown appears in a blaze of light at the made it in his garage from target destination in time, now spare parts. Ron Cobb added with an extremely cold exterior. the coils to the back of the How the time machine achieves photo taken by Lee Haywood, 14 August 2010, at Wollaton DeLorean and also added the time travel is (surprise, surprise) Park. Permission granted under the Creative Commons At- nuclear reactor. Up until this tribution- Share Alike 2.0 Generic License. a mystery, but we do know some point, the time machine had things about it. The key to time travel is the flux to go to the nuclear reaction, now it would carry capacitor. The flux capacitor requires plutonium to one with it. With the nuclear reactor, Cobb added a trigger a nuclear reaction which generates the 1.21 vent to the back of the car. Later, another vent was gigawatts of electricity needed for time travel. The added to the rear of the car to balance the design. plutonium turns out to be a small problem. One vial Excepting the buttons we see used by Marty and gets you one trip, so you’d better have more with Doc, all other buttons, switches and gadgets are you for the ride home. Doc Brown later circumvents purely to make the time machine look better for this problem by installing the “Mr. Fusion” from the audiences. future. Mr. Fusion uses common household garbage Parts from three DeLoreans were used in as fuel for the nuclear reaction, but does not power the making of the first film and eventually five the car itself. The DeLorean still needs gasoline to DeLoreans were used in the franchise. The fourth reach the required 88 miles per hour. DeLorean was used solely for interior shots. For the The time machine went through a lot of variations third film, the DeLorean does some off-road driving. prior to filming before it became a DeLorean. At For this, they mounted the fifth DeLorean on a VW SMOKE SIGNALS Page 9

Beetle frame. For shots that show the DeLorean training workers and are referred to as “black cars” hovering, a fiberglass model of the car was used. or “mules”. Some dealer options were available, Fans of the DeLorean may note a problem with the including a car cover, floor mats, black textured speedometer in the film. No American models of accent stripes, grey scotch-cal accent stripes, a the DeLorean (actually named the DMC-12) had a luggage rack and a ski adapter. Leather seats, air speedometer that reached 88 miles per hour. The conditioning, an AM-FM cassette stereo system, DMC-12 gauge only went up to 85 miles an hour. power windows, power locks, power mirrors, a tilt The cars in the film were fitted with a gauge that and telescopic steering wheel, tinted glass, body went up to 95 miles per hour. side mouldings and electric rear window defogger Other fun facts about the car and the movie were all standard. include: the base of the nuclear reactor is actually Small scratches in the body panels can be a Dodge Polara hubcap and aircraft parts and removed by non-metallic scouring pads or blinking lights were added to the finished piece; sandpaper. Any larger repairs are made difficult the engine in the cars used in filming was replaced by the bare metal. With a painted car, panels can with a faster Porsche engine; the Universal product be made as straight as possible, then filled in placement department came to producer with Bondo or lead. This cannot be done with a with an offer from Ford to replace the DeLorean DeLorean. The stainless steel must be reworked with a Mustang for $75,000 and Gale famously to exactly the same shape, contour and grain, a responded, “Doc Brown doesn’t drive a f***ing process made more difficult because, unlike regular Mustang!”; John DeLorean himself wrote a fan letter steel, stainless steel tends to work-harden as it to the producers expressing how happy he was to is stretched and bent back into shape. DeLorean see his car in the film. originally planned for damaged panels to be Born and raised in , John DeLorean was replaced, not repaired. running by age 40 and designed the The gull wing doors also had some challenges. Pontiac GTO. Because of conflicts with the board Other cars had gull wing doors, such as the at GM, he resigned in 1973 and founded the Mercedes Benz 300SL and the Bricklin SV-1, but DeLorean Motor Corporation. Backed by celebrities these had structural or convenience problems. such as and Sammy Davis, Jr., DeLorean supported his doors with cryogenically DeLorean set out to build a car like no one had ever preset torsion bars and gas-charged struts. Despite seen. Designed by , designer appearances, the DeLorean’s doors require less of the Volkswagen Golf and the Lotus Esprit, and clearance (eleven inches outside of the body line engineered by of England, the car was of the car) than conventional side-hinge doors built in a brand new facility just outside of , because their hinge point is near the mid-line of the Ireland. With a stainless steel body, a rear-mounted car. The gull wing doors caused a design change in 2.85 liter V-6 engine and its trademark gull wing the windows. Like the Lamborghini Countach, full- doors, the first cars rolled off of the sized windows could not be fully retracted into the in January 1981. Exteriors were only available in door, leading to a window with a small cut-out that unpainted stainless steel (there were no factory can be opened. The doors are also fitted with red painted vehicles). The car did have a couple and amber safety lights around the perimeter that options, including either a five speed manual or a light up when the door is opened. three speed automatic transmission and black or DeLorean’s literature claimed the DMC-12 could gray interior. The only exceptions to this are three get from 0-60 in 8.8 seconds when equipped with cars factory plated in 24 carat gold for a promotion a manual transmission. Road & Track tested an by American Express Gold Card. All of these gold- automatic transmission which got from 0-60 in 10.5 plated cars still exist, along with a fourth created by seconds. DeLorean originally wanted a car with 200 Michael Feldman in New York. There are also some horsepower, but settled for 170. The addition of a black fiberglass DeLoreans which were used for catalytic converter for the US market decreased this SMOKE SIGNALS Page 10 by another 40, reducing the DeLorean to just 130 destroyed in the 1990s. The “pilot cars”, used for horsepower (compare this to the GTO DeLorean testing, were also thought to have been destroyed, helped create, with 325-350 horsepower and a 0-60 but at least one has been recovered. The test car time of only 5.8 seconds). that appeared on the cover of Autocar in 1981 was The car was named the DMC-12 because of its found in a barn in in 2003 and is intended price, $12,000. This was twice the cost of being restored. VIN numbers 501 and 530 were a base model BMW at the time. The cars came out used as proof of concept cars for a twin turbo with a suggested retail of $25,000 for cars with an version of the DeLorean. Only one other is known to automatic transmission (that would be $65,543.45 exist and is in a private collection. today). Despite this, there was a long list of people DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late waiting for the car and willing to pay up to $10,000 1982, following charges against John DeLorean over the sticker price. for drug trafficking in October 1982. He was found While the cars were only produced for a short time, not guilty in August of 1984, his lawyers claiming there were a few changes made to the car during FBI agents entrapped him, taking advantage of production. The original hood had grooves running his financial troubles. The news came too late down both sides and had a gas flap near the rear for the DMC-12. The approximately 100 cars still of the hood on the driver’s side and the gas cap on the production line were completed and all could typically be locked to prevent siphoning. remaining parts were shipped to Columbus, Ohio Later in 1981, the gas flap was removed from the in 1983-1984. The body stamping dies were used hood, but the creases remained. This hood style as anchors for fishing nets at a fish farm in Ireland. remained in place well into 1982 and is the most About 9,200 DMC-12s were produced in total. common hood style. DeLorean eventually changed Thankfully, all those parts for the unbuilt cars still to a non-locking gas cap. The final hood style saw exist and DeLoreans on the road today have no the creases removed, resulting in a flat hood and reason they can’t be on the road for years to come. had the DeLorean logo added. There were also For years, there have been rumors that DeLorean changes made to the pull straps for the doors, side would make a return. DMC Texas planned to return bolsters, foot rests, side mirrors, sun visor, console the DeLorean in limited production (about twenty clock, antenna and door guide. Wheels on early cars a year) in 2008. On October 18, 2011, they production models were painted grey with matching announced an electric model would be available grey center caps and an embossed DMC logo. This for sale by 2013 with 260 horsepower, 360 pound was soon changed to wheels with a silver polished feet of torque and capable of 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, look and a black center cap with a silver embossed far better performance than its counterpart. logo. The alternator was also changed. The original DMC can make DMC-12s, from original and alternator used could not provide enough power to reproduction parts, with a 1980s title. Sadly, the the car with its lights and all its electrical options electric DMC-12 is caught in a legal battle with on. Additionally, there was a problem with the DeLorean’s widow, claiming that the new DMC switch for the door safety lights and they would does not have the right to use the DeLorean stay on with the doors closed, unnoticed by the name. A Japanese company has plans to make a driver, draining even more power. This could leave DeLorean that runs on recycled goods. It’s not quite drivers stranded, as Johnny Carson found out soon a Mr. Fusion and doesn’t make time travel possible, after receiving his. Both problems were remedied. but it will run on bioethanol produced from cotton Right-hand drive versions were also produced for fiber. The recyclable material will be fed through a the world market. “Mr. Fusion”- like device. I personally cannot wait to There are several special DeLoreans still in see it! existence. Proto 1 underwent restoration at DMC So, what car will I cover next? So many to choose of Florida and is now on display. The only other from. Only time will tell... prototype was shipped to Lotus and was reportedly SMOKE SIGNALS Page 11 The Men Behind The Cars his own car company, but to do this he needed $175 million. John DeLorean Some of this came from private investors, but the bulk of by Diana Antinucci it, about $156 million, came from the British government, in John Zachary DeLorean was born to immigrant parents on return for the DeLorean Motor Company building its factory in January 6, 1925 in Detroit, . His father emigrated Northern Ireland. Between mediocre reviews, a recession and to the United States when he was twenty and worked as a competition from Datsun, and Porsche, the DMC-12 union organizer at the . His parents were was not well received. At $26,000, it was more expensive divorced in 1942 and John became estranged from his father, than either a BMW or a Corvette and had less horsepower mostly due to his father’s alcoholism. than either. There were also consumer complaints. The dye John DeLorean attended public Detroit grade schools, from the floor mats rubbed off onto the drivers’ shoes, the moving on to Cass Technical School and then Lawrence doors would become stuck and the steel body was hard to Institute of Technology. His studies were interrupted by World keep clean. By February 1982, DMC was in deep trouble and War II and John was drafted for service. He was honorably the British government placed the factory in receivership. discharged after three years. He came back to a family The British government began an investigation into “financial that was in financial distress and took a job with the Public irregularities”, but could find no evidence of criminal conduct. Lighting Commission for a year Still, on October 19, 1982, they and a half to help out. After this, he announced that the factory returned to Lawrence to complete would be closed. That same day, his degree. He graduated in 1948 John DeLorean was arrested for with a Bachelor of Science in drug trafficking. industrial engineering. He did not When the British government go into an engineering career right placed his company in away, but after a couple of jobs, receivership, John DeLorean his uncle, a foreman at Chrysler’s needed money, fast. DeLorean engineering garage, told him to was approached by a apply at Chrysler. He took a job confidential FBI informant, with them, getting a Master’s looking to reduce his own degree in automotive engineering. sentence by cooperating with He also took night classes at the the FBI. The informant said , earning his he needed $1.8 million to buy MBA in 1957. cocaine, which would get John DeLorean spent less than photo taken by LSDSL, 27 June 2007 (UTC), permission granted under terms of the GNU Free Documentation License DeLorean $24 million of the profit a year at Chrysler, taking an offer to from the sale. DeLorean agreed, not work at Packard. Packard was already knowing the whole thing had been set up by the FBI. Despite in trouble when John began work for them. In 1954, Packard video evidence of DeLorean with the cocaine in hand, his merged with and John considered moving to defense was able to make a case for entrapment and after Studebaker headquarters to continue his job as head of a short deliberation, he was acquitted on August 16, 1984. research and development, but he received a phone call from This was hardly the end to his troubles, though. In September the vice president of engineering at , offering of 1985, he was indicted for income tax evasion and mail him his choice of jobs in five divisions at GM. and wire fraud, claiming that he had taken money from In 1956, John began work at GM’s Pontiac division as investors and placed it in personal bank accounts. He wasn’t assistant to chief engineer Pete Estes and general manager convicted, but he was ordered to repay nine million dollars “Bunkie” Knudsen. His career with GM was nothing less back to investors. In 1995, he was ordered to pay the law firm than stunning. Credited with multiple developments in of Morganroth and Morganroth $10.3 million in unpaid fees. engineering at GM, he also introduced the Pontiac GTO, the In 1998, a New York jury ruled that DeLorean’s accounting and the Chevy Vega. He earned promotion firm owed investors a further $46 million and $65 million in after promotion, until he was made vice president of car and interest. Both Britain and Switzerland attempted to extradite truck production for the entire GM line in 1972. There was him to charge him with fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and friction between him and the GM executives, however. John defaulted loans, but neither was successful. DeLorean, with his playboy image and rock star life style did Delorean was married four times, had two daughters, a not fit the conservative image the execs had in mind. On April son and two grandchildren. He died at Overlook Hospital in 2, 1973, John DeLorean resigned. Summit, New Jersey from complications after a stroke at the DeLorean had another dream in mind. He wanted to create age of 80. His gravestone bears a picture of his famous car. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 12 Fun and Trivia Match the quote to the speaker. Answers on page 12. 1. I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they A. Harry Truman make as they fly by. 2. Women who seek to be equal with men lack B. Yogi Berra ambition. 3. It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure C. Marilyn Monroe why take the chance? 4. You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. D. Will Rogers 5. If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a E. Charles Schulz month. F. Douglas Adams 6. Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. G. Mae West 7. I have a new philosophy. I’m only going to dread one day at a time. H. Ronald Reagan 8. A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore. 9. There are three kinds of men. The one that learns I. W. C. Fields by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for J. Winston Churchill themselves. 10. I like to keep a bottle of stimulant handy in case I see K. Theodore Roosevelt a snake, which I also keep handy. 11. He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire. Letter From The Editors

Steve: Hi, Diana! Hey, you don’t look so good. Why are you It would bring people to the website and you can still show holding your head like that? people your entire story. Diana: I think this DeLorean: OUTATIME story is Diana: That would make editing for print hurt a going to kill me. little less. Steve: What’s the problem? Steve: And while people are there, they Diana: It’s five pages long. can get up to the minute information about Steve: How long should it be? our upcoming events and important club Diana: Two pages. reminders. So what are you going to do about Steve: You know...I’ve been trying to find a way editing that story for the print edition. to drive people to the website. Diana: Slash and burn? Diana: Try a limo. I have a story to edit. Steve: I might need to duck and cover. Any Steve: Don’t be grumpy. other great ideas for the website? Diana: I’m not Grumpy, I’m Sleepy. This story’s Diana: Digital chocolate chip cookies? Or been keeping me up. maybe we can just get members to send us Steve: Okay, Sleepy. Maybe we can kill two information for the website and stories for the Jade, official editorial supervisor. birds with one stone. I think we should offer newsletter. an expanded online edition of the newsletter. Steve: Yeah, let’s go with that. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 13 Marketplace Wanted: ‘49 Buick Roadmaster 2dr. that needs For Sale: Hood and trunk lid for a ‘68- ‘69 Chevelle. restoring or a 1963 . Alan Coshland Good used, stored 35 years in dry barn. Also decent 609-801-1167. used rear assembly complete with brackets for For Sale: Miscellaneous parts and manuals for a same. $75 each. Bob Petters 856-767-4438 1948-1954 Packard including a Hollandor Inter- change Manual 1946- 1956. Alan Coshland 609- 801-1167.

Answers from page 9 (Fun & Trivia): 1F, 2C, 3H, 4A, 5K, 6G, 7E, 8B, 9D, 10I, 11J

ANKOKAS REGION, AACA The ANKOKAS is the South East Region of the AACA dating back to 1964. Ankokas Region PO BOX 343 Riverside, NJ 08075 BOB PETTERS, PRESIDENT [email protected] 856-767-4438 STEVEN SOPPE, VICE PRESIDENT [email protected] 609-848-4843 JEFF SCHULTE, TREASURER [email protected] 856-234-1623 KATHLEEN PETTERS, SECRETARY [email protected] 609-636-4324 CARL VILLONE, PAST PRESIDENT [email protected] 856-227-3006 PETER BULL, DIRECTOR [email protected] 856-428-3617 HOWARD STEINBERG, DIRECTOR [email protected] 856-424-1861 JIM WICKEL, DIRECTOR 856-478-4105 The Ankokas Region would like to thank its sponsors and encourage its members to patronize these businesses whenever possible:

1708 West Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ http://www.cherryhilldodge.net

America’s most convenient bank

1701 Route 70 East, Cherry Hill, NJ https://www.tdbank.com

4200 Strand Ave., Pennsauken, NJ http://www.eliteautoservice.com/EliteAuto

1000 Gateway Rd., Westville, NJ. http://www.pellegrinochevrolet.com