Volume 45, Number 6 June 2020 Valley Forge Region Cadillac / LaSalle Club John Barry Editor/Publisher [email protected] June 2020
President: Mike S nson; Mi- This Issue chael.c.s [email protected] Vice president: John Barry; [email protected] Calendar 1 Secretary: Earl Ru er; eru [email protected] Treasurer: John Wood; [email protected] Mike’s Missives (President’s message) 2 Membership: Earl Ru er; eru [email protected] Rescheduled: Huntington Manor Show 3 Awards: Woody Rohrbach; woody@be erworkbyfar.com No Show: Events Cancelled or Postponed Dealer show coordinator : Marty Watkins 4 [email protected] Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Calendar/Sunshine: Bud Coleman; [email protected] Ac vi es Commi ee: Vickie Baruzza; Barbara Cole- National Driving Tour Cancellation An- man; Mary Conway; Nancy Hotz; Becky Hux; Helen 7 Wood; Bobbie Zimmermann nouncement Webmaster: Jeff Hansen ; [email protected] Board of Directors Custom interior makes this 1951 Cadillac Cliff Woodbury III 8 John Wood one of a kind [Hemmings] Robert Schles Mike Zimmerman Michael Marchese Miscellaneous notes from the Cadillac So- Mike Stinson ciety: features of contemporary Cadillacs Ron Hux 12 Earl Rutter [The Cadillac Society] John Barry Past Presidents 1947 series 62 Sedanette [Facebook] 15 Lew Howells [1975-82] Gary Anderson [1983-7] George Cavanaugh [1988-9] Miami Dolphins rookie QB gives mom an Jack Hotz [1990-1] Escalade for Mothers’ Day [ESPN; courtesy 20 Don Miller [1992-3] Bill Edmunds [1994-5] of Lynn Gardner] Jack Hotz [1996-9] What Type of Battery Should I Choose? Toni Rothman [2000-01] 21 Rob Robison [2002-03] [Hemmings] Mike Barruzza [2004-05] Marty Watkins [2006-09] Cliff Woodbury [2010-2011] The Birth of Fins [Hemmings] 26 Ron Hux [2012-2017] May Virtual Meeting Notes 29 Loose Bolts 30 Page 1 The Goddess June 2020
CAUTION: all entries below should be regarded as tenta ve given the fluid situa on concerning assemblies and the COVID -19 virus. Any events scheduled originally for April have been deleted due to the extended period of bans on gatherings and preven on by distance through at least 30 April 2020. Watch for e-mail updates, and check relevant websites as dates approach for possible postponement or outright cancella ons. Un l the situa on returns to nor- mal, the calendar will remain sparse. There is no point in doing otherwise.
23 -25 July Allentown, PA AACA Annual Grand Na onal
5 September Boyertown, PA Duryea Day at the Community Park
12 September Haddonfield, NJ 33rd Annual Haddonfield Car Show, sponsored by the AACA Ankokas Region
13 September Wilmington, DE Annual Hagley Car Show. See www.hagley.org for details.
20 September Greenbelt, MD Potomac Region show at Capital Cadillac. More details to follow as the date ap- proaches.
20 27 S - L , PA VFR A F M P ’ V . F .
26 September Hun ngdon Valley, PA Moreland Manor Car Picnic. See flyer on p. 3 in this issue for further details.
P - P , NJ A VFR B : 30 A 2020.
REGULARLY RECURRING EVENTS 3rd Tuesday, each Malvern, PA Valley Forge Region monthly mee ng: conducted as a virtual mee ng via month Zoom un l further no ce. Watch for e -mails giving more details.
3rd Thursday, each South Plain- Raritan Region monthly mee ng; St. Stephen’s Church banquet hall; 609 month field, NJ Lane Ave.; 7:30 PM
3rd Thursday, each Harrisburg, PA Central PA monthly mee ng; Gilligan’s Bar & Grille; 987 Eisenhower Boule- month vard; 7:30 PM June 2020 The Goddess Page 2
Greetings. Day number… What day is this!? Anyway, we’ve been in stay-at-home quarantine for a long time. As always, I hope everyone in the CLC family continues to be well. Thankfully, my family and I continue to be well; we are all just having awfully bad hair days… every day! With seventy -five days into our national isolation, I am sure the most optimistic among AACA Museum’s Spring Show scheduled for Sat- us are feeling restless, antsy, ready to go out urday June 20 is unknown: it is said to have and do something, anything ! What few excur- been postponed with no reschedule date cur- sions we can make are stressful; I can’t wait to rently. Stand by for more details. Finally, there get out of the house to go to Walmart or the gro- are many local club shows, events, and cruise- cery store, only to be relieved and exhausted ins in your local community. hours later when I finally leave the store! Michael Marchese, VFR Board member and Two weeks ago, Federal, state, and local gov- our Facebook page Administrator, is very aware ernments started discussing easing of re- of local club events in Montgomery, Chester, and strictions, and a slow, controlled restart of our Delaware Counties, and posts them on VFR’s economy and our lives. Indeed, several PA and Facebook page as well as his own. He also NJ counties (not mine) are in the “yellow” zone. knows several Facebook groups and resources My optimism was renewed: maybe we can finally for local shows and events. If you are aware of a get haircuts; we have to start preparing for local show in your area that you think other VFR AACA GN, Das Awkscht Fescht and Fall Her- members might like to attend, post it on VFR’s shey. No sooner did I make some hotel reserva- Facebook page. Be sure to include date, time, tions, BOOM! We got hit with two barrels – can- and any other pertinent information. I am try- cellation of Das Awkscht Fescht and Fall Her- ing to attend local cruise-ins, tours and shows shey, the first cancellation of that event in its 65 when possible, but these events would be much -year history. There are whispers that Hershey more enjoyable with other VFR members in at- Region AACA might try to still hold the car show tendance. Please keep in mind that event dates on Saturday – if allowed by state and local au- may change or be canceled during this period of thorities, a big if given its size. We all will have flux. So, check the website and Facebook page to stay tuned. regularly for updates. If you post an event that I have been promoting Das Awkscht Fescht is postponed or canceled, be sure to update your for months, since the featured marque was sup- post. posed to be Cadillac & LaSalle. As the largest Yes, we are still planning to host the Lahaska CLC region in the area, I felt obligated to encour- show. I am playing phone tag with the Director age as many CLC members as possible to partic- of Events at Peddler’s Village to find an availa- ipate. I am told that Ontelaunee Region plans ble, alternate date so as not to conflict with Po- to feature Cadillac and LaSalle in 2021, but this tomac’s show at Capitol Cadillac on September has to be confirmed. 20 th , along with other attractive car events and There are several larger, well-attended shows holidays in September. Several VFR members & events still scheduled in or near the region: attend the Capitol Cadillac show, and a few Po- Carlisle events, AACA Grand National July 23- tomac members come to Lahaska. Potomac Re- 25 (to be confirmed), Mecum Harrisburg July 29 gion’s flexibility is limited by Capitol Cadillac’s and Hagley Museum’s show September 13 th . We dealer operation and proximity to FedEx stadi- still have Central PA’s show at AACA Museum um. I am sure we will find a Saturday or Sun- on August 22nd, Potomac Region’s show at Cap- day in September or early October where there itol Cadillac on September 20th , and Raritan Riv- are no conflicts. We will let you know as soon as er Region’s show at Gold Coast Cadillac on Octo- possible. ber 4 th . As of this writing, the status of the [Continued on page 31] Page 3 The Goddess June 2020 June 2020 The Goddess Page 4 NO SHOW COVID-19 Pandemic Causes Cancellation of Macungie, Fall Hershey
The following e -mail came from Richard Sills on 28 May 2020, and addresses the cancella on of Macungie (also known as Das Awkscht Fescht) and the Hershey fall swap meet.
Gentlemen, By now you have probably heard that both the Macungie show (Das Awkscht Fescht) and the Fall Hershey Meet have been cancelled for this year. The Macungie show, hosted by the Ontelaunee Region of AACA, was going to be really special for us this year because Cadillac & LaSalle were to be the featured marques. The AACA Museum stepped up to the plate to sponsor the event. Mike Stinson of the Valley Forge Region has led the effort among CLC Regions to maximize the turnout of Cadil- lacs and LaSalles, and to arrange opportunities for club members to get together during the event. Over the last couple months, we became aware that some members whom we could usually rely on to bring outstanding Cadillacs to the event would be unable to attend this year because of concerns about the coronavirus. These concerns affected some of the cars we had hoped to feature inside the tent, as well as other choice cars. It seemed likely that turnout would be less than we hoped. For these reasons, it’s probably for the best that the Ontelaunee Region determined that the event would not be held this year. We look forward to having our marques receive this honor in a different year – hopefully 2021 – when there should be no health-related impediment to attending a car show and socializing with our friends. The cancellation of the 2020 Hershey Fall Meet was announced today by the Hershey Region of AACA, which hosts the event each year. The Hershey Region’s announcement stated, in part: While making the difficult choice to cancel, the [Hershey Region Executive] Board took many obstacles into ac- count, including but not limited to: the health and welfare of our volunteers, vendors, partners, and visitors; the unknown restrictions and/or guidelines that may be in place at the time of our show; and the volunteer-only work- force we rely on to prepare for a show of our magnitude. As all car clubs know, a big financial commitment is required to schedule a major event. When there are extraordinary circumstances that could greatly reduce attendance – or worse yet, cause the event to be prohibited – prudence sug- gests cancelling the event far enough in advance to minimize financial loss to the Club and to the people who planned to attend. More importantly, no car club wants to bring its members and guests together in an environment that could jeop- ardize their health. These are both first-rate events that we look forward to attending for many years in the future. That will give us more to look forward to in 2021. Richard
This marks the first me since its incep on (65 years ago) that the fall Hershey swap meet has been canceled. The fol- lowing is a feature from Hemmings dated 29 May 2020 that elaborates on the Hershey situa on.
By Daniel Strohl on May 28th, 2020 at 6:47 pm It's faced hurricanes, flooding, even the threat of nuclear armageddon, and yet the Hershey swap meet has gone 65 years without skipping a beat. That is, un l this week, when the board of directors of the An que Automobile Club of America's Hershey Region decided to cancel the club's signature event for the first me in the event's history due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Page 5 The Goddess June 2020
"This decision was not arrived at lightly," according to a statement that the region's board of directors released Thursday evening. "While making the difficult choice to cancel, the Board took many obstacles into account, including but not limited to: the health and welfare of our volunteers, vendors, partners, and visitors; the un- known restric ons and/or guidelines that may be in place at the me of our show; and the volunteer-only workforce we rely on to prepare for a show of our magnitude." According to Steve Moskowitz, the chief execu ve officer of the AACA, the debate about whether to go forward with Hershey has been ongoing since the first stay-at-home orders were put in place back in March. "We've been wai ng day by day to try to learn what was going to happen, whether we could do a safe event, or whether we could even have an event," he said. "We had certainly hoped that by this me we'd be out of the weeds, but at this me there's no data to guarantee that we could move forward with the event." Under Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's three- ered, county -by-county system for opening up the commonwealth follow- ing his stay-at-home orders, gatherings of more than 25 peo- ple are currently prohibited in Dauphin County, which includes Hershey and which is now in the yellow er. Even the green er, the most lenient and open level of the reopening sys- tem, would allow gatherings of no more than 250 people. The Hershey swap meet regularly a racts an es mated 200,000 people to the region every year throughout the Fall Meet week. While that spells doom for this year's swap meet and relat- ed ac vi es, the AACA may s ll be able to go forward with the car show that caps the Hershey week, according to Moskowitz.
"The show is an easier thing to do; we can hold off for an answer on that un l much later in the year, versus the flea market where contracts need to be signed," he said. "The Hershey Region, the na onal board of directors, the AACA staff, we all want to see the show happen on Saturday, and the only thing that would stop us from having the car show is if the governor's office won't allow us to have it. We've done our due diligence to reasonably ensure that our guests can have a good me, enjoy the cars, and be as rea- sonably safe as possible." Technically the Eastern Fall Meet hosted by the AACA's Hershey Region, the annual car show, swap meet, and car corral in Hershey, Pennsylvania, has become a key part of the collector car calendar since it first took place in 1955, outside June 2020 The Goddess Page 6 what is now known as the Hersheypark Stadium. Over the years, as the event ex- panded to cover mul ple parking lots and fields - both paved and hopelessly muddy - adjacent to the stadium, it has become a primary mar- ket for collector car enthusi- asts to find and display rare parts and vehicles, largely concentrated on brass-era and other early American vehicles. Niche collector car clubs have used Hershey as their de facto annual meet because their members all a end it anyway. The AACA Museum sits just up the road With origins in the pre-internet days of the mid 1960s, the swap meet at Hershey offers a huge from it, and the AACA recent- variety of items not found on line. ly announced it would move its headquarters to a building just adjacent to the event's grounds. Its spot on the calendar right around Columbus Day weekend makes it prone not only to late season hurricanes and tropical storms - like the one that flooded many parts of the Harrisburg area in 2011 - but also to early season frost and snow. The Three-Mile Island incident took place just a dozen miles away in 1979, leading some at the me to worry about par cipants' willingness to venture nearby; and the events of September 11 took place less just a month prior to that year's Hershey. Even the more recent migra on away from the legendary muddy fields and to the paved parking lots has led some to pronounce the end of the Hershey tradi on, if not the end of the event itself. Despite all of the above, not once has the event been canceled un l now.
In addi on to closing its headquarters, the AACA has also canceled several other events already, including its South- eastern Spring Na onals in Charlo e, North Carolina; its Western Spring Na onals and Founders Tour in Show Low, Arizona; its Central Spring Na onals in Auburn, Indiana; its Sen mental Tour in Potomac Highlands, West Virginia; its Eastern Spring Na onals in Beckley, West Virginia; its Reliability Tour in Lock Haven and Wellsboro, Pennsylvania; and its Southeastern Fall Na onals in Corydon, Indiana. Moskowitz said the AACA s ll intends to put on its Grand Na onal, scheduled for late July in Allentown, Pennsylvania. "The only thing holding us up there is ge ng the approval of various different government agencies," he said. "We're doing out best to s ll try to have a couple of car events before the end of the year." For more informa on on other AACA events, visit AACA.org . Page 7 The Goddess June 2020
2020 National Driving Tour Cancelled
The Driving Tour Committee met via teleconference on Wednesday May 20 to discuss the future of the tour in light of has been happening around the country and the world for that matter concerning the coronavirus. The decision was made to cancel the 2020 tour. It was not an easy decision to make as everyone on the committee put a lot of work into making this happen and we knew that we had a first class tour in the works. We received numerous inquiries about the details and people from vari- ous parts of the country were already making hotel reservations. However, at the end of the day we also knew that the most prudent decision was to cancel the tour. It's in the best inter- est of all that would have been involved. Our sincerest apologies for any inconveniences this decision may cause for those who had already made plans to attend the tour. Hopefully sometime in the future we will again entertain hosting a National Tour in the great Pacific Northwest. Sincerely, Richard Fabbro Tour Director [email protected]
Editor’s note: this is a verba m quote of an e - mail distributed by the CLC Webmaster on Fri- day, 22 May 2020. June 2020 The Goddess Page 8
Editor’s note: this item was a feature in the 26 May 2020 e-mail from Hemmings. The ar cle originally ap- pears in the July 2020 issue of Hemmings Classic Car , and was wri en by Mark J. M cCourt.
At first blush, this Cadillac is unassuming to behold, al- most plain with its single-tone French Gray paint and blackwall res. It's a base Series 61 Sedan, the least ex- pensive four-door in General Motors' flagship range, and one that exhibits the sweetly mellow pa na that 70 years of good care can bring. But look inside, and that first impression quickly gives way to amazement as this Series 61 reveals a most extraordinary secret, hidden in plain sight. It was evolu on, rather than revolu on, at Cadillac for the 1950 model year. Bearing visibly refined styling and a one-piece windshield, the latest examples carried on the cosme c themes that had been established with the all- new 1948 models, and con nued to use the overhead- valve V-8 engine that was added in 1949. The Series 61 represented the most radical change for 1950, using the shorter corporate B-body shared with the Oldsmobile 98 and Buick Super and Roadmaster. The result was a Cadil- lac that offered an up-to-date drivetrain plus an admira- This 160-hp, 331-cu.in. OHV V-8 has never been apart in 50,000 ble amount of interior room within a reasonably trim miles, but its two-barrel Carter WCD 742S was preventa vely exterior footprint. This model proved the best choice for rebuilt with ethanol-resistant gaskets. The son of the original an economically cognizant consumer with specific de- owner added an a ermarket A/C unit in 1966, now par ally re- mands for a premium automobile. When Dr. Bela Hubbard visited the Apache Motors Buick- Cadillac franchise in Tucson, Arizona, in July 1950, he had an unusual new car in mind. Hubbard would specify an entry- level Cadillac four-door model, but would op on it to the point that the finished car would cost $4,160.18, the infla on -adjusted equivalent of $44,655 today. This was a startling $1,294.18 (about $13,890) more than the 61 Sedan's base price, more than $500 ($5,365) above the cost of the exclusive Series 62 Conver ble Coupe, and within $610 ($6,550) of the seven-passenger Series 75 Fleetwood Sedan. Hubbard bought one of 14,619 examples of the Series 61, whose 122-inch wheelbase nestled inside a 2117/8-inch overall length; these measurements were 4 and roughly 3 inches shorter, respec vely, than those of the 1949 model. Cadillac's two-barrel Carter carburetor-topped 331-cu.in. V-8 used its 313/16 x 35/8-inch bore and stroke and 7.5:1 compression ra o to produce 160 hp at 3,800 rpm and 312 lb- of torque at 1,800 rpm. That ample torque helped the 3,822-pound sedan step out smartly, even with the available four-speed Hydra-Ma c in place of this model's standard Synchro-Mesh manual. Shorter wheelbase notwithstanding, the coil spring front and semi-ellip c leaf spring rear sus- pensions, linked to the reinforced X-type frame, gave a Cadillac-so ride over low-pressure 8.00 x 15-inch res. Page 9 The Goddess June 2020
The list of equipment selected for this car included typical items like that Hydra -Ma c, automa c hea ng system, and a radio with rear speaker, but the invoice also noted something quite out-of-the- ordinary: a $277 charge for "Labor—Installing Leather Trim." "Every inch inside is covered in leather—the headliner, the door panels, the visors, the windlace, even the rear package shelf," owner John Straw- way tells us. "It was likely Dr. Hubbard's son, Thomas, who had the custom leather upholstery for the car fabricated so that it could be installed by the dealership."
The current caretaker of this car has closely examined this upholstery and found it unique. "This leather is much more rugged than you'd find in a Jaguar; it's thick, and s tched like a heavy saddlebag," John
says. "Clearly, the Hubbards loved the Southwest, and that probably has much to do with the saddle-leather trimming. The pa ern is nothing like what Cadil- lac used in 1950, so it's not like such an interior would have been offered by the factory. This is more like the channel s tching The dash remains intact with its factory-applied finishes, as do the plas c steering wheel that you see in cars of the Twen- rim and shi knob. The original radio was restored to func on correctly again. The floormat es and Thir es. The car came crumbled when it was removed to access the Hydra-Ma c service points on the tunnel.
with some scrap pieces of original tanned and raw leather, and from those, I could tell the interior color had mellowed some, but hadn't changed drama cally. This car was always garaged." Not surprisingly, it was that custom interior that drew the Rochester, New York, resident to become its second private owner outside of the Hubbard family. The a rac on to our Driveable Dream was helped by John's memories growing up through the 1960s in the back seats of General Motors' finest, as he told us that his parents always drove recent-model, sec- Among the many op ons and accessories specified for the richly equipped base Series 61 Sedan was this windshield ond-hand Cadillacs. It joined a collec on that includes nine visor, which cost $47.50 to install; it was complemented by Cadillac-built cars manufactured between 1907 and 1981; "I extra-cost windshield washers and an exterior rearview mir- hadn't owned any cars from the Fi ies, that decade hadn't ror. resonated with me very much. But I found this car fasci- June 2020 The Goddess Page 10
"Dr. Hubbard was a successful geologist and came from a wealthy family, so he could afford any Cadillac," John ex- plains. "I suspect he selected the Series 61 because it was the shortest, lightest model offered, and likely to be the most efficient. His concern about fuel efficiency was evidenced by notes to the service department ques oning its work on the carburetor that resulted in a drop of 2 mpg. I have most of his typed service requests and receipts for the work per-
formed. Every spring the car went to the dealer to have the oil changed to summer weight, and to have the an -freeze drained, system flushed, and water added. In the fall, the service returned the car to winter oil along with fresh an - freeze." When John bought this Cadillac in 2015, it showed fewer than 50,000 miles on the odometer and was, for the most part, as delivered. "A prior owner had an incident with a garage door frame that required a bit of repain ng on the right side, but it was matched fairly well. In bright sunlight, you can see those areas are a bit shinier, but that's part of the history of the car. "There's no indica on that the engine has been rebuilt," John con nues. "It ran fine when I bought it, but I rebuilt the carburetor with ethanol-resistant gaskets. I also dropped the oil pan to clean out any sludge, something I do with every old car. Naviga ng a steep driveway accidentally damaged the muffler and tailpipe, so I replaced them with a system from Classic Exhaust in Ohio; it fit exactly right." Thomas, who maintained the Sedan un l his own death in 1993, had an a ermarket air condi oning unit installed prior to a trip to Mexico in 1966, but that system's under-dash interior components blocked access to the Hydra-Ma c service ports on the transmission tunnel, so John removed them. The driver's por on of the front bench seat also required a en on, he revealed. "The co on threads had let go. The leather was a li le s ff, but I cleaned it with Murphy Oil Soap—it's a vegetable-oil- based cleaner that is gentle and effec ve—and then gave it three applica ons of Lexol over a winter. When I came back to it, the leather had so ened nicely. I took the seat completely apart and re -s tched it by hand. It was tedious, but upholstery specialists told me I couldn't run that old leather through a sewing machine. They gave me very good informa on on how to handle it, and it was a great rainy-day project in my basement shop." Page 11 The Goddess June 2020
In his five years of ownership, John has put a few thousand miles on this very original Cadillac, and he praises its high- way manners while no ng that the lack of power assist for the steering and drum brakes mean it requires a bit more effort and a en on. "It's pre y bulletproof, but parts aren't too hard to find. It's a great car, and I wouldn't hesitate to
take it on a 1,000-mile trip."
June 2020 The Goddess Page 12
Editor’s note: the features that follow come from various Cadillac Society blog posts. Dates may be approximate.
Jonathan Lopez 26 April 2020
The Cadillac XT4 is a sweet -looking crossover all on its own, but add in a few op ons, and that snazzy styling gets bumped up to a whole new level. Such is the case with the XT4’s a rac ve Mid- night Sport Package, an op on which few buyers are taking – but perhaps more should. The package contains a unique grille and unique wheels. Added together on the Cadillac XT4, these new components have a sur- prisingly profound effect on the crossover’s aesthe c, adding a nice dollop of performance flavoring to the luxury machine’s demeanor. To show you what we’re talking about, the Cadillac Society configured a Cadillac XT4 Sport finished in Crystal White Tricoat paint to highlight the difference that this package makes, providing side-by-side imagery fur- ther down for an apples-to-apples comparison. Let’s start by checking out the wheels. Sized at 20 inches in diameter, these rollers rock a split seven-spoke design and lightweight alloy con- struc on, as well as an A er Midnight Metallic finish. The wheels are paired with all-season rubber sized at 245/45R20, while black center wheel caps with a colored Caddy crest finish it off. Mounted on the Cadillac XT4 (pictured below, le ), these wheels look fantas c. The 20-inch diameter is big on the XT4’s compact body, lending it a racy vibe that’s hard to achieve with smaller wheels. Page 13 The Goddess June 2020
Next up, the grille. This piece comes with a black surround and black mesh insert, and stands out for its glossy finish and geometric design. Applied to the Cadillac XT4’s front fascia (pictured below, right), the grille doesn’t fade into the overall look of the vehicle. Rather, the shiny finish and hand -angle design pop off the XT4’s nose, and provide a nice complement to the indents in the lower fascia corners as well.
Both components are offered via the Cadillac XT4 Midnight Sport Package, which is priced at $2,490. Alterna vely, buy- ers can buy the components á la carte, with the 20-inch split seven-spoke wheels priced at $1,995, and the black grille priced at $495. To note, the pieces are not available on Luxury and Premium Luxury trim levels equipped with the Gal- vano surround grille with Galvano finish or alterna ve 20-inch wheel op ons. The pieces are also not offered on Sport trim levels with the Sport Dynamics Preferred Package or alterna ve 20-inch wheel op ons.
Jonathan Lopez 25 May2020 Now, we’re taking a look at a li le-known Cadillac XT6 package. It’s called the Radiant Package, and it too adds a few stylis c upgrades that customers may want to consider. This Cadillac XT6 package is on- ly offered on the Premium Luxury trim level, and is tagged with produc on code PDV. To note, the Radiant Package is an LPO-level op on, which mean it’s ordered with the vehicle, and is thus factored into the vehicle pricing, finance, and lease rates, but installed by the dealer.
June 2020 The Goddess Page 14
The Radiant Package includes the following content (produc on code included in parentheses):
• 20 -inch polished wheels (S1R) • Bright grille with Galvano surround (SJB) • Illuminated cargo sill plate (5RU) Pricing is set at $2,995. The Radiant Package for the 2020 Cadillac XT6 is not available with the Gloss Black grille (SJA) with Black surround, LPO, or any other LPO-level wheels.
For those buyers that want to add a li le extra visual impact to their vehicle, this package could be just the cket. The combina on of new wheels and a new grille goes a surprisingly long way, while the rear illuminated cargo sill (pictured below) is a nice addi on as well. Looking ahead, the upcoming 2021 Cadillac XT6 is expected to roll in Q3 of the 2020 calendar year. Page 15 The Goddess June 2020
Editor’s note: these pictures came from a post in the Facebook group Classic Cadillac Connoisseur Pre-64 . Herb Logan posted these pictures on 25 May 2020.
A total of 7, 245 series 62 sedane es were produced for the 1947 model year. June 2020 The Goddess Page 16 Page 17 The Goddess June 2020 June 2020 The Goddess Page 18 Page 19 The Goddess June 2020 June 2020 The Goddess Page 20
Perennial contributor Lynn Gardner suggested this feature, which appeared originally on ESPN’s web- site on 10 May 2020, authored by Cameron Wolfe.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa presented his mom, Diane, with a special Mother's Day gi on Sunday: a black Cadillac Escalade.
Tagovailoa posted a video to social media of him surprising his mom with the new SUV, a sign of his apprecia on for her coming 2½ weeks a er he was selected by the Dolphins fi h in the 2020 NFL dra . "I know you wanted something that would be able to carry everyone," Tagovailoa said.
"This is mine?" an emo onal Diane Tagovailoa asked in response. "This is yours," her son responded with a smile. "So you can go try your new ride out."
Tagovailoa, who chose last week to wear No. 1 with Miami, hasn't signed his Dol- phins contract yet, but the value is set by the rookie scale and set to pay him $30.3 million over four years, with a $19.6 million signing bonus. Tagovailoa is close to his family, with both his par- ents, Galu and Diane, being ac ve members in his athle c career and life. Moments a er he was dra ed by the Dolphins in April, Tagovailoa men- oned how much it meant to hear his family's name represented in such a grand scale in the NFL.
"This is special for not just me but for my family as well," he said last month. "The biggest thing for me right now is just being able to take it in, soak it in, enjoy it with my family and get to work." Page 21 The Goddess June 2020
Editor’s note: this item was a fea- ture in the 19 May 2020 e-mail from Hemmings. The ar cle was wri en by Jim O’Clair. What type of battery should I choose? How lead-acid, gel, AGM, and oth- ith stay-at-home orders s ll in force all over the United States and Canada, people may have W not considered the fact that many classic vehi- cles have been si ng dormant for even longer periods of me than normal this year and many will require a new ba ery, or at least some ba ery maintenance, before we Specimen 6 volt ba ery fire them up again. These days, though, there's more than just the standard parts store lead-acid ba ery to choose from, so let's break down the differences between lead acid, gel, AGM, and other ba ery types now on the market to see which is best for your needs. or almost 100 years, the lead-acid ba ery was the basis for any automo ve electrical system to provide an ener- gy boost for star ng, as well as long-las ng amperage to power igni on systems and dozens of electrical accesso- F ries. Ini ally offered in 6-volt form, ba eries used a series of lead-based plates (with other ingredients), bathed in 25-percent water and 75-percent sulfuric acid, encased in an acid-resistant rubber box. The acid (or electrolyte) al- lowed charged ions to move between the lead plates, which resulted in an electrical charge either being drawn from the ba ery or returned to the ba ery via the car’s charging system. These 6-volt ba eries have three "cells," and 12- volt ba eries have six. ach cell of a ba ery contains a series of posi vely and neg- a vely charged lead plates. The amount of plates varies E and determines the amount of amperes the cells can store and deliver when needed. Every stacked cell produces 2.11 volts, which is why a 6-volt ba ery should measure 6.33 volts when fully charged and a 12-volt ba ery should be measure at 12.66 volts when brand new. he movement of the electrolyte and discharge and re- charge cycling o en lead to a chemical reac on within the T ba ery that results in evapora on and loss of some of the water content. This explains why most ba eries had (and in many cases, s ll have) caps over each cell. The evapora on is vented through the caps, and these same caps allow us to inspect the ba ery’s condi on with the use of a hydrometer and refill escaped water content to maintain the proper 75/25 mixture. This is why you should never add acid to an old ba ery, as the acid content never diminishes, only the water. June 2020 The Goddess Page 22
aintenance of the level of water has always been an important factor in ba ery health because the less liquid in the ba ery, the less likely it is to recharge or to take a jump from another power source. Ba eries M can also freeze when subjected to constant cold temperatures without being maintained. The water and acid tend to separate in a dormant ba ery, and the water content is higher at the top of the fluid than at the bo om; eventually, this water freezes. Even though the acid is s ll potent enough and may not freeze towards the bo om of the cells, once the water freezes in a ba ery Typical ba ery hydrometer, available at any auto parts store there is li le chance of it ever re- genera ng despite recharges. (Important footnote here: Frozen ba eries are not a warranty issue and no new ba ery manufacturer will warranty one, as these are deemed “unmaintained”). istorically, rubber-cased ba eries could o en discharge on their own if stored on a concrete floor, so improve- ments in design led to a change in the casing during the 1960s, when rubber was phased out in favor of poly- H ethylene outer cases. Inner technology also changed, with improvements to the shape and the amount of lead plates that could be stacked into each cell, and changes to the grid design and connec on between cells. The addi on of more lead plates led to s ll higher ampere ra ngs and longer warran es. owering the amount of an mony within the lead-based plates and subs tu ng calcium, selenium, and stron - um reduced the amount of gassing that occurs within the ba ery and virtually eliminated the need for ba ery L caps. New buzz words for ba eries were marketed because of this change; the improved ba eries were then sold as “low maintenance” or “maintenance-free.” These innova ons have also led to “sealed lead-acid” ba eries, or SLAs, which are used extensively in computer power backups, ba ery booster boxes, kids’ electric vehicles, and emer- gency exit signs in municipal buildings. SLAs offer less fuss and muss to maintain, but because the cells were o en no longer accessible, these ba eries could not be checked with a hydrometer or refilled should water content de- cline. Many were s ll vented in inconspicuous places, but there was no cap to remove to test or refill. Hand-held ba ery load testers and electronic charging system analyzers grew from the need to find a be er way to test their con- di on and state of charge. riven by the marine industry, ba ery manufacturers created the next genera on of ba ery, the gel cell. These ba eries were safer in marine applica ons, wheelchairs, jet skis, RVs, and other special use vehicles, because D the electrolyte solu on was changed to a paste consistency by adding silica. The thicker acid mixture further reduced evapora on and spillage, and these ba eries provide a more consistent available amperage than a conven- onal lead-acid unit. On average, a “flooded,” or conven onal lead-acid ba ery can be charged to as much as 14.5 volts and maintain 13.6 volts in “float phase,” whereas gel-cell ba eries can only be charged to 14.1 volts but maintain a higher float at 13.8 volts. Gel ba eries are s ll very popular in special use applica ons, but their warran es are not as long as lead-acid ba eries because they are used in condi ons that require less cold cranking amps and more amp/ hour or deep-cycle usage. The plates in deep-cycle ba eries are thicker and, as a result, provide more reserve capacity over long periods of me. Both gel and deep-cycle ba eries should also be recharged at a slower rate to get the most life out of them. Page 23 The Goddess June 2020
GM or “absorbed glass mat” ba eries are the newest innova on, and their use has been adopted by OE manufacturersA such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, and Volkswagen. American manufacturers are also heading towards their use; Cadillac, among others, re- cently adopted AGM units. AGM ba er- ies have even more plates packed into each cell, leading to an increased ac ve surface area within each cell. Each stack of plates is put together with a series of fiberglass separator mats, which are soaked in the acid mix. The ma ng re- duces ba ery failures due to spillage or vibra ons that occur due to vehicle suspension or within the engine compart- ment. Although AGM ba eries do vent gasses, most are re-absorbed by the mat and require only a small side vent a ached to a drain tube for any gasses they may expel. AGM ba eries can be recharged as much as 15 percent faster than a lead-acid or gel ba ery, and peak voltage can be as high as 14.7 volts. Float phase voltage is in between the gel and lead-acid units, at 13.6 volts. ne last men on of AGM ba eries are the Op ma series performance ba eries used in many muscle car, racing, marine, and a ermarket car applica ons. Op ma ba eries are virtually the same as the new AGM ba eries, however, each of their 2.11-volt cells have their ghtly stacked plates rolled into cylinders, with addi onal grid reinforcement applied to the outside of each stack. This explains their odd-shaped cases thatO look like three or six separate cylindrical ba eries bolted to each other. Several vintage ba ery suppliers who offer reproduc on rubber-cased ba eries to replicate the OE design have discovered they can use Op ma units within the classic ba ery cases and provide excellent star ng power and reserve capacity for classic cars. ith the innova on of fuel-saving stop/start igni on systems, we foresee all new vehicles conver ng to AGM ba eries within the next few years.
W Things to consider with these different types of ba ery: • The rate and dura on of charge for each type of ba ery is important to ba ery health. Gel ba eries need to be recharged at a slower rate than lead-acid or AGM ba eries. AGM ba eries can be charged at a faster rate than lead-acid ba eries but can be overcharged more easily. Look for ba ery chargers that have a selector switch, so that you can charge both types: These chargers are designed so that you cannot overcharge an AGM ba ery or charge a non-AGM unit too quickly. • The need for low-ampere ba ery maintainers, especially during extended storage. This is a good idea for all types of ba eries but more importantly for any special applica ons that require amp/hour rates over cold cranking amps June 2020 The Goddess Page 24
amp units with automa c shut-off and auto-sensing re-start are very popular and func onal on all types of ba eries. With electronic sub-systems in more contemporary cars [Let’s recognize that cars that came off the assembly line in 1995 will qualify for an que / historic plates in most states / provinces!—Ed.] constantly draw- ing milliamps of charge to keep them func oning, this is especially important for cars that see limited use.
• Load tes ng. The easiest way to check any type of ba ery is with a load tester. New smart testers typically ask what type of ba ery is being tested and the ba ery cold cranking amp ra ng (stated on the label) before tes ng. They simulate a 50 percent draw of the ba ery’s CCA to test the recovery period to determine if the ba ery should be replaced or recharged. • Terminal sizing. Many new European AGM top-terminal ba eries now have smaller ba ery cable posts than lead- acid or American AGM units. This means they may not be a direct interchange for the conven onal ba eries. You can s ll elect to upgrade to one of these AGM ba eries in most applica ons, but you will need to purchase a ba ery terminal post shim for the original ba ery cables to retrofit properly. Conversely, a emp ng to subs tute a European AGM ba ery with a lead-acid unit requires you to use ba ery cables with a larger post diameter.
Following up, Jim O’Clair wrote a related ar cle in 2006 concerning period-correct restora on ba eries. That ar cle fol- lows immediately.
he automo ve ba ery has been the basis of the igni on and charging systems for well over 80 years. The first star ng and charging systems were designed to be 6-volt and posi ve-ground systems. Several different T ba ery sizes were used by original equipment manufacturers in order to supply enough amperage to drive these systems and s ll fit into the ba ery compartment.
udson was the first to use a standardized ba ery in 1918 when they started using what are referred to as BCI Group 2 ba eries. BCI stands for Ba ery Council Interna onal, which is the organiza on that sets the dimen- H sional standards for all storage ba eries. Chevrolet started using the standardized BCI Group 1 ba ery in 1923. Both of these group sizes were similar in height and width; the only difference between them, besides amp ca- pacity, being that the Group 2 was 1.25 inches longer than the Group 1. For the next 40 years, un l the adop on of 12- volt charging systems, these two ba eries were installed on over 80% of all the American vehicles on the road. With the excep on of the GM Group 2E and Studebaker Group 3E (both over 19 inches long and only 4.25 inches wide), just about any 6-volt-charged car on the road could use a Group 1 or a version of a Group 2.
GM Vehicles that used a version of a Group 1 ba ery:
Buick - 1926-'36; Chevrolet - 1923-'54; Oldsmobile - 1921-'50; Pon ac - 1926-'36. GM vehicles that used a version of a group 2 ba ery (varia ons from the standard Group 2 listed in parentheses):
Buick - 1925-'37; Cadillac - 1931-'52; Chevrolet - 1937-'39; La Salle - 1927-'40; Oldsmobile - 1935-'52; Pon ac - 1932-'37. Page 25 The Goddess June 2020
arger engine sizes used the extra plates incorporated into the longer Group 2. The varia ons "L," "H," and "N" were either shorter by an inch or narrower by half -inch to 1.5 inches but, as with the other Group 2 ba eries, L had the same 10.25-inch length. These units could be interchanged, providing the ba ery tray was large enough.
ith new technology incorporated into ba ery case designs such as neoprene in 1931, fiberglass in 1932 and polycarbonate plas c in 1953, ba eries have become lighter, more powerful, more reliable and more com- W pact. These innova ons allowed the use of more lead plates within the ba ery, allowing the increase in amp ra ngs to ever higher levels. s the demand for 6-volt ba eries waned in the 1970s, eventually many suppliers made the decision to offer only Group 1 ba eries to replace both units. This occurred because enough amps could be put into a modern A Group 1 ba ery to sufficiently power vehicles that originally used the larger Group 2 type, and because there was a much larger need for the Group 1 ba ery, which was used extensively in 6-volt tractor applica ons and dual- ba ery 12-volt applica ons. A modern Group 1 ba ery contains over 600 cold cranking amps and is more than enough to power any early 6-volt system. ortunately for restorers, companies such as An que Auto Ba ery s ll manufacture period-correct restora on ba eries. These ba eries have the correct Willard, Mopar and Delco logos (among others) and correct color cell F caps. Ba eries are also available with Lucas emblems for Bri sh cars, as well as Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet and Mer- cury. An que Auto Ba ery also offers 12-volt restora on ba eries as well as 8-volt ba eries which can be useful to give addi onal star ng power to a 6-volt system, but must be used with voltage resistors on suscep ble electrical items such as radios, lights, and blower motors. Your charging system output voltage would also need to be adjusted up to 9 volts. n conclusion, a modern plas c-cased Group 1 will work in most early 6-volt applica ons; however, it's good to know that you also have the op on of finding difficult-to-locate group sizes and/or an original replica ba ery I that will supply more power with today's technology and look the same as the day your car came off the assem- bly line.
The term “float voltage” was used here and there in the preceding feature without defini on. From Wikipedia: Float voltage is the voltage at which a ba ery is maintained a er being fully charged to maintain that capacity by compensa ng for self-discharge of the ba ery. The voltage could be held constant for the en re dura on of the cell's opera on (such as in an automo ve ba ery) or could be held for a par cular phase of charging by the charger. The appropriate float voltage varies significantly with the chemistry and construc on of the ba ery, and ambient temperature. With the appropriate voltage for the ba ery type and with proper temperature compensa on, a float charger may be kept connected indefinitely without damaging the ba ery. However, it should be understood that the concept of a float voltage does not apply equally to all ba ery chem- istries. For instance, lithium ion cells have to be float charged with extra care because if they are float charged at just a li le over op mum voltage, which is generally the full output voltage of the lithium cell, the chemical system within the cell will be damaged to some extent. Some lithium ion variants are less tolerant than others, but generally overhea ng, which shortens cell life is likely, and fire and explosion possible other outcomes. It is important to make certain that the ba ery cell involved can be safely float charged, and that the charger circuit goes into float charge status when full charge is achieved. June 2020 The Goddess Page 26
Senior designer Frank Hershey had been working on the rear fender design idea that had first come to him before the war, when Harley Earl led the field trip to Selfridge air base to see the P -38 fight- er. Looking at the plane’s twin tail rudders that day, Hershey immediately thought of fins on sea creatures—slicing through the water’s surface as a shark moved in on its prey, flashing silver-blue in the sun when a sailfish rose out of the ocean in full flight, waving a languid goodbye just before a whale disappeared into the deep—heart-stopping im- ages long embedded in his imagina on. It struck him that fins were wondrous crea ons of nature— beau ful, sleek, and shiny, streamlined and symmet- rical, the embodiment of power, speed, maneuverabil- ity, and stability, everything that a modern automobile should be. And yet no one had designed them into the body of a car, un l now. In the basement of Hershey’s farmhouse, two design- ers, three modelers, and a sculptor began turning Her- shey’s sketches into three dimensions on a quarter-size Hemmings archive photo of what the editor’s granddaughter clay model. “We would lay out ideas on the board, and called a “rocket back Cadillac” Harley would come out and we’d make changes,” Her- shey said. “He came out all the me.” When the GM plant employees strike ended in March 1946—with the union agreeing to an 18.5-percent pay increase—the work was transferred to the Styling studios, where Harley, Hershey, and Bill Mitchell agreed that Cadillac, the company’s tradi onal style leader, should get the first fins treatment. As Detroit’s car-making machinery roared back to life a er World War II, the captains of steel, oil, rubber, and glass were licking their chops. “Never in all the history of Christendom had there been such a rich market awai ng business- men,” said author Ed Cray. And never had a company been in a more enviable posi on than General Motors. As the top industrial contributor to the war effort, the company was now the preeminent member of America’s budding military-industrial complex, with significant manufacturing assets in Great Britain and Germany, whose economies were about to receive $12 billion in U.S. aid through the Marshall Plan. In the automo ve arena, GM had no serious compe tor anywhere in the world. Its tradi onal archrival, Ford, had limped from the war a shell of its former self. Having failed to turn a profit for fourteen years, the once supreme carmaker was losing $10 million a month and hemorrhaging experienced execu ves, including Edsel Ford’s long me confidant and styling collaborator Bob Gregorie, whose abrupt resigna on le the new twenty- six-year-old CEO, Henry II, without a design chief as he struggled to breathe life back into the nearly moribund compa- ny. According to Ford family biographer Richard Bak, morale at Ford “was lower than the keels of the lake carriers haul- ing iron ore to the Rouge.” Page 27 The Goddess June 2020
The atmosphere at GM was euphoric by comparison, par cularly in the Cadillac division, which saw sales more than double between 1946 and 1947, with or- ders for 96,000 more cars than the factory was able to produce. “Cadillac fever is of epic propor ons,” declared automo ve writer Eugene Jaderquist, who reported that in Los Angeles the chic Sunset Boule- vard nightclub Ciro’s had reserved its main parking lot for Cadillacs only, and dealerships were experiencing Concept drawing, pre-1948 a new phenomenon called “the pool” in which a handful of people chipped in to buy a single Cadillac. All of which helped create a higher-than-usual level of curi- osity at GM’s Detroit head- quarters about what the Cadil- lac styling team was doing be- hind their locked studio doors. The few execu ves who were given a peek came away with mixed opinions. President Charles Wilson liked Hershey’s fins, but Cadillac general man- 1959 conver ble coupe (photo by Jeff Koch) ager Nicholas Dreystadt, pre- dictably, did not. Dreystadt, however, soon was promoted to general manager of GM’s largest division, Chevrolet, and the man who replaced him, John Gordon, was younger and more open-minded. When Bill Mitchell invited Gordon into the studio to see a full-scale clay model, Gordon brought along Cadillac’s chief engineer, Ed Cole, who liked the fins. But Gordon wasn’t sure. He supposedly sat on an overturned wastebasket and stared at them in si- lence for ten minutes. Finally, he shook his head and said, “Too tall,” sugges ng they cut three-quarters of an inch off the top. According to writer Michael Lamm, Cole stayed behind a er Gordon le and 1948: how it all began (photo by Richard Len nello) agreed with Mitchell June 2020 The Goddess Page 28 that the fins were just right. So Mitchell instructed his clay modeler “to make the far fin an inch or so taller than the one nearer the viewer. Next day, when Gordon returned, he said, ‘See, didn’t I tell you it looks be er lower like that?’” Harley was ambivalent. He had encouraged the tail fins concept from the beginning. He appreciated the crea ve spark that caused a young designer to look at a warplane and see nature and then translate it into the rear fender on a car. He also knew that tail fins were a big idea, which worried him a li le. What if they were too much of a stylis c leap for motorists to make? He was concerned, too, about his in-house audience, members of the execu ve commi ee and board of directors whose opinions would be solicited and taken into account before the car was finally approved for produc on. With Harley’s idiosyncra c guidance, a consensus clay model gradually emerged. The front end featured a subtle rede- sign of the so-called egg-crate grille that had come to iden fy a Cadillac in the 1940s—wide, horizontal, with criss- crossed chrome slats that created an architectural aspect, “like a Wilshire Boulevard building,” according to designer Strother MacMinn, or, as Bob Gregorie saw it, “the public library in Washington, with pillars.” Harley wanted the new front end to retain that strong Cadillac iden ty and at the same me be “more Tiffany,” he instructed, more “jewel- like,” and either “radically elegant” or “elegantly radical.” Apparently, the design team knew how to express that in metal. The model’s back end was the pièce de résistance. The trend in postwar car design was toward an “envelope”-style body, which eliminated the tradi onal “applied” (nonintegrated) fenders of the late 1930s in favor of a full-width body that encapsulated and par ally concealed the wheels. To be er integrate Hershey’s fins, however, the design team retained a modified version of applied fenders, which “made the back of the car look muscular,” according to Michael Lamm, “like the rear haunch of a crouching animal ge ng ready to leap.” The ul mate corporate approval of the ’48 fins may have come when a group of GM execu ves gathered to watch two prototypes being put through their paces at the Milford Proving Grounds. As the story goes, Alfred Sloan called Cadillac general manager John Gordon to his side, squeezed his arm, and said, “Now, Jack, you have a Cadillac in the rear as well as the front.”
Editor’s note: this piece came from Hemmings’ blog on 12 August 2018, which in turn was an excerpt from the book Fins: Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit (HarperCollins, 2018).
1966: only a hint remained Page 29 The Goddess June 2020
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the May 2020 meeting of the Valley Forge Region was a pilot virtual meeting via Zoom, which allowed out-of-town VFR members to join in. It was generally considered a success. Stand by for more about the June meeting: there may be an in-person meeting, assuming the situation permits; at the same time, a Zoom meeting looks like a pretty sure bet.
Website Statistics [Jeff Hansen, webmaster] : For mid -April to mid-May (4/19 to 5/16 - 28 days): 122 website visitors (or 4.36 per day). This is compared to 159 visitors (4.54 per day) the previous period (mid - March to mid -April, 35 days in length). Top countries where our visitors are from: USA (106), Netherlands (6), three countries ed at (2) visitors each, and four countries ed with (1) visitor each. 10 most popular pages: 1) Home page, then: The Goddess Current News 2020 Virtual Show Results Classified ads Our Cars Our Friends President's Message Membership (Join Us!) 10) Calendar Treasurer’s Report [John Wood, treasurer] :
LOOSE BOLTS
President Richard Nixon signed a bill on 2 December 1970 bringing into ex- istence the Environmental Protection Agency. Wonder how those folks would look upon this handy solution to the shade tree mechanic’s problem of dis- posal of used motor oil from 1963? Page 31 The Goddess June 2020
[Continued from page 2] The Redcoats & Rebels annual car show scheduled for Sunday, July 5 th has been can- Updates on Regional & Inter-Regional celled. Events: Central PA Region’s Annual Meet at AACA VFR’s June monthly meeting is scheduled for Museum is on August 22 nd . the third Tuesday (16 th ). Assuming restrictions on group gatherings are lifted, we will meet in- The 2020 Das Awkscht Fescht, hosted by the person. We will decide that by June 8 th (or it AACA’s Ontelaunee Region in Macungie, PA has will be decided for us). Each member must de- been cancelled. We are hoping Cadillac and cide the advisability of attending monthly meet- LaSalle will be the featured marques at their ings in-person based on their individual situa- 2021 show. tion to protect their own health as well as the VFR’s annual Lahaska show at Peddler’s Vil- health of others. Whether we meet in person or lage will be on a Saturday or Sunday in Septem- not, we will hold the June meeting virtually via ber or early October. A firm date and details to Zoom. The Board met virtually in May, and it follow soon. went well. We are looking into including online coverage of in-person meetings going forward. Consult respective websites, Facebook pages and organizers for updates on shows and events I will consult with the owners and staff at RB hosted by other regions, clubs, and organiza- Collection and America on Wheels (AoW) about tions. rescheduling our visits. National News: VFR’s Spring banquet is postponed. We are looking into scheduling an anniversary banquet The national driving tour scheduled for Au- at Pennsauken Country Club (PCC) in the fall to gust 22-28 in the Pacific Northwest has been utilize non-refundable payments already made cancelled. for the spring banquet. We will update you on The winners of the 2020-22 National Board the anniversary banquet when we have more de- of Directors election were announced in the tails. June Self-Starter . Congratulations to VFR Mem- The Potomac Region’s annual show at Capitol bers Bob Crimmins (founding member), Ronnie Cadillac has been rescheduled for Sunday, Sep- Hux (Past President), Jeff Montgomery (Regional tember 20 h . Vice President) and Jack McClow. I received an e-mail recently from the AACA The CLC National Winter Board of Directors Museum’s Facebook page administrator that Meeting will be held February 24-27, 2021 at the their Spring Car Show scheduled for Saturday, Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Spa in Concord June 20 th has been postponed, but no resched- NC. Several tours and points of interest are be- ule date is available currently. Note that the ing planned. Early registration is expected to website still shows it as going on as scheduled, open in July, with details of tours and activities. but that same site also shows a caution that the Please keep long-time VFR member and Past website may be running behind and is subject to President Marty Watkins in your thoughts and updates. I am checking with Richard Sills. De- prayers. Marty informed us that he is fighting tails and registration available at: https:// an aggressive form of bladder cancer, with www.aacamuseum.org/event/museum-car- chemo treatments three days a week every three show/? weeks. Hang in there, Marty! utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&ut m_content=Details%20%26% Thank you all for your comments, sugges- 20Registration&utm_campaign=Keep-Up-to- tions, and support. Keep your CLC family in Speed%20February%2027%2C%202020 your thoughts along with your immediate family. Please stay well! Hershey Region AACA’s Cruise Night at AACA Museum on Friday June 12 th has been can- Michael celled. Genteel decay