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Vancouver Fraser Valley Regional Group #120 Volume 31 Issue 10 October 2019 Visit us at www.earlyfordv8bc.com

Happy Thanksgiving! Vancouver Fraser Valley RG #120, P.O. Box 602 President’s Message2 Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 6H9 September weather has been pretty bad so Executive Members far. I’m glad we had so many events in President: Dana Sundmark good weather this year. I recently spent a VicePresident: Les Henderson week on a sailboat in the Gulf and San Secretary Neva Ledlin Juan Islands (sorry I missed the Treasurer: Tony Setchell September meeting). One spends a lot of Membership Colin Dugan Events vacant time outdoors with that kind of travel, and I Librarian Ron Morris appreciated that we had little rain to worry Editor N. Ledlin about. Collector events depend on Historian Les Henderson good weather to drive and show off our Director-at-Large: Cliff Haller vehicles. It also encourages spectators to Past President: Alan Fisher come and see what we have to offer. We Sargeant-at-Arms Dennis Groundwater should be thankful that we live in a region International Rep. Dave Hammer 1 705 526 9302 Sunshine: Marnie Selinger where the climate is kind to our activities. NAACC: John Carlson Dana Sundmark SVABC Cliff Haller Sargeant-st-arms: Dennis Groundwater On the Road Again: Cover Shot Ken & Dawn Olynyk’s Club Tour pick up at Hougen Park Saturday, October 19th 11 a.m. Photo by Joe Ledlin Garry Cassidy’s car collection. 7265 216th Street Langley. More details to follow on e-mail. Mark Your Calendars Oct. 10th EFV8 meeting Oct. 19 Garage Tour’ Nov. 14 Wine & Cheese Social No meeting in December Jan. 5, 2020 New Year’s Brunch at Newlands. Jan. 9, 2020 AGM & Elections…please attend. August 16 Hougen Park 2020

Highlights of this Issue Next meeting: P. 10 Elvis’ Roadster Thursday. Oct. 10th, 7:30 pm P. 11 The Fossmobile Sullivan Hall, Surrey P. 13 Motorsports Pioneers. Please wear your name tags, return P. 14 Jim Banks Library books, and bring your ideas for P. 17 Crescent Beach Concours tours, meetings, and events. 3

For Sale Here is an ad for my 1948 Ford F6 Dually Flatbed Wanted with a 8BA motor. Please share it with your group. To maintain my Fords & : It would be great to see it go to a good home. Dan 1951 Ford windshield washer pump & Freeman 206 948 8352 https:// associated parts. (I have the appropriate seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/d/renton-1948-ford-f6- glass jar & mounting bracket.) flathead-dually/6940879866.html email: [email protected] Australia Lots of old Ford V/8 parts Ray Mitchell 604 576 7476 four 16 inch 1935 ford wire wheels only. Must be straight with no bent spokes and bolt Early motorized player piano holes must be true. Will buy one only or four. Ron Morris 604 856 1949 These are for my sisters car as she wants to 1949-50-51 Ford car parts plus complete replace the existing wheels on her car. parts car. Dennis 778 838 2274. Bob 604 596 2785 1928 to 1936 Ford tilt trailer, 4X8 Paul 1 250 706 3601 More V8 stuff, gauges, carbs, & more. member of the Cougar Club. Mike 604 929 7575 1946-48 Ford or Mercury Woodie For sale: cylinder heads for 51 Merc spare tire cover Flathead 59A Block suitable for rebuilding Mark 604 308 1069 604 813 8077 [email protected] For Sale; 1941 Plymouth 4dr . 6 cyl., good driver, runs well. 12 volt conversion. $4500. Call Rose Bolam 604 944-0548 Minutes for EFV8 RG#120 Meeting on September 12, 2019 Regrets: Dana Sundmark, Rob Mays, Ed MacAulay, Jason Brown, Chris Brown 4 Welcome back to the hall. The meeting called to order at 7:35 pm by Vice-President Les Henderson, with 25 members present. Great to see Larry Perkins, and Mike & Marlene Thorpe tonight. No new members. Guests: Roy Smith, with a 53 Merc and John Newberry. New : Slim Easton purchased Mike Thorpes’ 53 Merc, Alyn Edwards purchased Mike Thorpes’ 47 Merc conv., & Walter Siemens sold his 48 Ford . Thanks to Michael Eaton for setting up the refreshments, Ray & Roy for setting up the Library, chairs, etc for the meeting tonight. No errors or omissions identified in the Minutes from August , Moved byStew King, Seconded by Al Fisher, Approved. Treasurer’s Report: Tony Setchell Membership: Colin Dugan reported 68 members,please encourage folks to join our club & welcome new members. Please encourage new members to get involved. Colin showed the new Membership Package he has compiled. We will order new Membership flyers… Events: Concours d’Elegance, Kruise-in, Ron Morris spoke about the Victoria Concours. Larry French is interested in members who would be interested in driving to Colorado for the WN Meet in September 2020. Cliff Haller outlined a possible tour October 5th. Sunshine: Marnie will be new Sunshine contact. report on Ross Blewett Historian: Les Henderson:nil Librarian: Ron Morris trying to get books returned SVABC: Cliff Haller nil

Old Business: Hougen Park: Les thanked everyone who volunteered, some worked all day. Great day, very successful. Nice to greet former members..Poor condition of field was reported to Abbotsford, new fellow in charge.Disbursement of gift cards? Lack of volunteers. Imma asked that selling corn begin earlier, especially to members. Neva: barricades Ran out of parking spaces. Suggestions for next year? T-shirts: Cliff 7 L left, and 2 L from 2018 International EFV8 Rep for Canada: Dave Hammer running..Does not belong to a RG.. Does not reply to our concerns Please consider running in 2022.

New Business: Club Inventory.Neva If you have any items that belong to the club, please phone Neva asap so the Inventory can be completed. Suggestions for presentations at meetings and possible tours: Shady Grove,Gary Cassidy, Stave Lake Power House

Any other business? Les mentioned the members who will be inducted this year: Les, Joe & Neva, & the Sandy Lovelace Award to Alyn Edwards. Les Henderson feels we should be donating to charity, as we did in the past. Larry Perkins brought some items from his ’36 Ford. If you take something, please give a donation to the club. October meeting back at Sullivan Hall, 7:30 p.m Top Hat:Bruce Brown absent, missing $60 Raffle:$15 won by guest Roy Smith. Adjournment: 9:15.

Hougen Park: Additional discussion comments on another sheet. From The Mailbox 5

V8 Torque, RG#143, NSW, Australia displayed a 1934 Ford Sedan on the cover, with story inside. Resignation of President. Article on restorations that go wrong & a shop that specializes in completing projects rescued Nutz Letter, from Fordnutz Cougar Club, featured from shops that do poor work. Club Run to visit country ‘The Lucy Project’, purchased an abandoned member with 6 Fords & a 1929 Ford . Drive your restoration as a frame with many boxes of spare V8 Day saw the club at a pioneer village. Another run parts. Took 2 months to sort, store, assemble. was to participate in a Art Deco Festival. Members, Bonus: original owner had listed all the parts he dressed for the era, drove guests to the event, after a purchased and/or restored. Photos & report from drive down the main street. Following this, they visited a the many events attended this summer. Diary & vintage motorcycle museum. Technical Day: EFV8 photos of member’s trip to the prairies, visiting club Model Codes, Chasis & Engine Number codes & members locations. report on members’ project: 1939 Ford beer- The Side Valve V8 Times from Victoria, AU, barrel truck. Review of events attended by members. featured a Customline. Club purchased An ambitious 9 day event is planed for Mercury, & a defibrillator & had a paramedic train them on its Lincoln owners use. 3 day annual tour saw 68 vehicles on the tour. V-8 News, from RG#249, S. Ontario,.featured a Picnic at 3 Rivers, with Federation. New club member’s 35 Ford Coupe. Photos from Deuce/Merc merchandise for sale. 5 pages of corporate ads, 2 Show. pages of classifieds. Newsletter is published bi- V8 Forum, No.1-2019 from Norway Club, a beautiful monthly & consists of 28 pages. Editor (also serves magazine! On the cover, a beautiful fall photo of a 1937 as VP) is resigning. Ford Roadster. Story about a 1949 Ford stored outside. The Editor received an award at the National Face-toFace meeting. Horse raceway (800 m.)converted to auto raceway in 1957. Converting LHD to RHD. 1937 Ford cabriolet & how it looked during restoration. Gathering of vehicles travel to the new motor museum. A van, a coupe, & a pick up were purchased from the USA. An annual memorial rally was greeted with a rainstorm V-8 Views, RG#94, S. Australia, joined a tour for Drive It Day, on Fathers’ Day. A Combined Club Tour was held over 3 days, with 65 vehicles. Interesting report from Federation: LH drive vehicles must have a certificate prior to Registration, many injuries caused by working under cars on jacks; Luxury Car Tax is here to stay; asbestos: zero tolerance; Tax in Clubs: applied if club raises more than $416 from each incidence: bank interest, raffle, etc. V8 Rumbles from rG#109, Victoria, BC featured a 40 Ford Standard Coupe & a 47 Ford 2dr on the cover. Club discussed ideas & plans for their 40th Fords & friends event, July 19, 2020. Shop Tour to a farm with collection of model A’s. Photo & story of annual BBQ at Rosemeade Farm, invited retired members to attend. See photos at www.earlyfordv8victoria.com Yet another article on ethanol fuels.. 6

Bouquets to Colin Dugan who compiled a great membership package for Well, that was a meeting and a half: we our new members. re-hashed Hougen Park again. Probably necessary as there were several items of concern. Thanks to the The event was a great success, with 25 members who braved the dark, windy, outstanding attendance and wonderful cars downpour to attend the September meeting. and friends. especially Marlene Thorpe & Brian Kettner who drove all the way from North Vancouver with Mark your calendars for August 16, 2020, the heavy traffic. and plan to join us for more fun.

Dates to Remember Congratulations to Alyn Edwards on Oct. 10th EFV8 meeting receiving the Sandy Lovelace Award from the Oct. 19 Tour 11 a.m. in Milner/Langley Nov.3 Kruise for Kids, Guildford Red Robin’s Pioneer Motorsports Society. See p. 13. Nov. 14 Wine & Cheese Social No meeting in December Best wishes to Buck Edwards for a speedy & Jan. 5, 2020 New Year’s Brunch at Newlands. comfortable recovery from recent surgery. Jan. 9, 2020 AGM & Elections…please attend. He won’t be able to help at Monroe Swap Meet this year. Is this the first he’s missed?

Web Users Hope you are able to join us for our tour on This is indeed a great video. Inspiring October 19th. We plan to make Hope you will take a moment to watch it. arrangements for lunch at a restaurant, https://www.youtube.com/watch? followed by another stop on the tour. Details v=CgQkh1_cACE&feature=youtu.b at the meeting on October 10th. e Hope Never lost is a reflection of Grounded Faith! Hugs, Remembering the sacrifice of many for the sake of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Neva Ledlin Happiness. submitted by Dennis Groundwater “You can’t always control what happens in life, but you can control your attitude.” Clutch Chatter 7

Jim Banks sent this interesting story:”Someone stopped me on the highway to Langford the other day, we stop traffic. Happy Birthday He just got a 1950 from his father in Colin Dugan on October first law, it had been a hot rod in the 50 & 60 and Cliff Haller on Oct. 19th then it has been parked for 47 years Karen Henderson on Oct. 25th He pulled out the engine and trans to do a Jacquie Mays small block install and wanted to know if someone would like the engine, trans and rad; Happy Anniversary he had no idea what it was worth. He sent me pictures, It had Edelbrock heads, 3 Bob & Sharon Lee on Oct. 6, 1967 carb manifold, headers, trans and a rad. I told him how bad it looked.. He said name a price South Australia RG#94, 42nd anniversary and he said it is mine. Some days you have to think someone is Ken & Dawn Olynyk’s 1937 Ford PU had a looking down on you, what goes around comes new /old accessory this year: a fire truck siren. around, they say.” Bobby Malm, also from Lillooet, , gave it to him Jim Banks is an EFV8 member who lives on from his father’s collection. His father was a the island. conductor on the railway & a collector of all things old. Bobby maintains the old airport garden. Ken & Dawn are busy harvesting and canning.They Our very best wishes to Ross & Joyce Blewett as they navigate a new stage of life. Ross was report fresh snow on the Cascade Mountains. hospitalized, took a long time to recover, and is now They are headed to the Bowron Lakes at the end of being transferred to a care facility. Ross & Joyce the month. are outstanding members of our club, always volunteering, and the first to make new members feel welcome. Ross is still the longest serving president. Joyce needs an award.or a halo..or both..for hosting the weekly coffee gathering in her kitchen for years.

2020 Western National Meet “Colorado Drive Five” September 20-24, 2020 Held in Alamosa, Colorado, located on the Rio Grande River, originally a railroad town. registration: [email protected]

Larry French is interested in knowing how many members are considering driving to this event. Please contact him at 604 939 1379 8

The quarterly meeting of the National Directors was held via conference call on August 17th. Highlights: ordered more flash drives with 50 Years of V8 Times. National Meets 2020: Eastern Meet in Morgantown, PA & WN in Alamosa, Colorado 2020 in South Lake Tahoe Membership continues to decline. Insurance for RG’s Longterm strategy for attracting youth..see V8 Times,July/August, P. 81 Face-to-Face Meeting will be in Florida in February.

ICBC Changes – summarized by Terry MacLachlan This is a brief summary of ICBC changes as they may apply to our Club members. Please use this link for more details: https://apps.icbc.com/change/default.html After September 1, 2019 you will be required to provide the driver's licence number and date of birth for each driver you want listed on your policy, and to declare the principal driver when renewing your vehicle insurance. The premium will be based 75% on the principal driver's record with the remaining 25% on the listed driver with the worst record. Household members, employees and regular drivers should be listed if they're going to use your car. If a learner will be driving your car, a new additional premium will also apply. Make sure that your vehicle is properly insured for the way it will be used when borrowed, such as driving to or/from work or school. Under the new model, at-fault crashes will follow the driver, not the vehicle owner. So if your friend causes a crash using your vehicle, the claim is counted on their driving record, not yours. If you would like the flexibility to be able to lend your car occasionally to a driver not listed on your policy, Unlisted Driver Protection can provide peace of mind. This new protection allows for unanticipated drivers to drive your vehicle occasionally. Occasional use is defined as up to 12 days in a year, per driver. Previously it had been announced that this protection would start at $50 per year. Now, this additional protection won't have to be purchased. However, if an unlisted driver causes a crash in your car, Unlisted Driver Protection will then cost $50 annually (one fee, not per driver) and will increase if there are more crashes by unlisted drivers. If you don’t have Unlisted Driver Protection, you could face a one-time financial consequence if that driver causes a crash in your car. This will depend on the driving experience and crash history of the unlisted driver. Yes, we know that crashes do happen so we will forgive one crash after 20 years of driving experience, provided you have been crash-free for the last 10. Currently, if you’ve been found responsible (at fault) for a crash that doesn’t involve injuries or costly vehicle damage, you could repay the cost of the claim to ICBC so it won’t affect your insurance premium. However, this allows some drivers to mask the true risk they represent. So, starting September 1, claim repayment is only possible if the claim amount is $2,000 or less. Seniors will continue to receive a Basic insurance discount and will now benefit from more years of driving experience being considered – up to 40 years from the current nine years of crash-free driving. However, their discount will be reduced if they cause a crash and eliminated if they cause a second crash within the ten-year scan period. John Mitchell’s New Ride 9

Car was bought in the early 2000's by a gentleman that lived in Mannheim Pennsylvania. He wanted to build an old school style hot rod that he remembered. The car was located and purchased by me in Mannheim Pennsylvania. The body I was told was an extremely clean car when he got it, the fenders were rough so he purchased Brookville fenders, had the chassis checked out and some repairs by Posies. The engine is a 52 Mercury bored out to 265 cubic inches,cam etc, dressed up along with a 39 transmission with Lincoln Zephyr gears, 40 Ford brakes. The interior is tan leather with new style SW gauges. Steering is Ford F1 style along with restored 35 Ford wire wheels. The car was completed around 2012 and driven 80 miles and parked. I was told the owner ran into financial troubles after his manager stole 2 million dollars from his company. He had to shut his company down and laid off many long term employees. The closing of his company and health changed his needs and the car was no longer a priority.

Thanks to John Mitchell for sending the photos and the history.

Only in Canada, eh? Inkas, a Canadian company specializing in design & production of armoured vehicles, built the world’s first bullet proof Bentley. (Read that twice!) Meets CEN1063 BR6 ballistic standards, protecting fuel, battery, & electronic control devices. encompasses the vehicle with 360 degree, floor to roof coverage. Built to withstand Ak-47’s and AR-10 high powered rifles, as well as DM51 grenades. There are emergency lights behind the grill, and siren and PS system to clear the path. Options: tailpipe protection, smokescreen system, engine fire suppression, & electric door handles to shock an intruder. Bently’s come with a 6.0 litre W12, making 600 HP. Summarized from an article by Matthew Guy, Van. Sun Driving, Sept. 13, John Athan ‘Elvis roadster,’ once thought bound for Smithsonian to be auctioned’ by David Conwill, Hemmings, August 14, 2019 10

John Athan's 1929 Ford roadster atop a frame is historical not only for its appearance along side Elvis Presley in the 1957 film Loving You (The King's first starring role), but because it represents a milestone of hot rod history. Photos courtesy Kruse GWS Auctions. Ford only built a hair more than 12,000 roadsters in 1932, but while they may not have been the most-popular body style with new-car buyers, the roadster was a big hit with performance enthusiasts. In fact, before World War II,.. it was hard to be taken seriously at a place like Muroc Dry Lake if you showed up in a coupe or sedan or even a cabriolet. Roadsters, and to a lesser extent phaetons and touring cars, were the sporty body for youthful speed demons in that era. That shortage of roadster bodies in the 1932 cars was offset somewhat by the nearly quarter-million Model A roadsters produced from 1927 to 1931. Early on, the Model A quickly made a name for itself on the streets and the lakes thanks to its 40-hp four-cylinder engine and three-speed gearbox—both considerable upgrades over the 22-hp engine and two-speed transmission in the Model T. It also responded very well to the same souping up as its predecessor. When the V-8 engine came out in 1932, it brought along not only more cylinders, but a better transmission, improved brakes, a stouter differential, and a much stiffer frame. Few youthful speed enthusiasts could spring for a new Ford in the worst years of the Depression, but the V-8 captured the imagination and within a few short years hot rodders were applying the same tried-and-true hop-up techniques to the flathead. While some early rodders made do with swapping V-8 engines into the earlier frames, it didn’t take long for some to notice that the dimensional similarity between the Model A and the Model 18 made a body swap a perhaps more attractive alternative to an engine swap. Putting a Model A roadster body on a 1932 chassis netted not only the V-8 but all the other improvements lavished on the Model 18. It was also a lighter-weight package and offered slightly reduced frontal area for more top-speed potential. It’s not known who built the first “A on Deuce rails” (as the combination has become known) or when, but it was some time in the mid-1930s. Maybe the car is still out there, its history long forgotten. John Athan first screwed together the car you see here in 1937, making it one of the first to boast the combination and likely the earliest known survivor. Athan passed away in 2016, at age 95, having held onto the car all these years (much like his good friend, Ed Iskenderian, has held onto his own pre-war roadster). Initial rumors indicated that the car was to be donated to the Smithsonian so its pioneering achievements would be preserved and showcased, but instead it was announced that the car will go to auction on August 31 at Kruse GWS Auctions’. Early Canadian car, 1897 11 The Fossmobile

Canada’s first internal combustion engine.

In George Foss’s defense, the streets in Montreal – crisscrossed by ruts from horse-drawn wagons – had yet to be plowed of snow and probably wouldn’t any time soon while the sidewalks had not a speck of snow. Also in George Foss’s defense, the self-described small-town boy likely had no idea he wasn’t allowed to drive a horseless carriage on the sidewalk, given that it was 1897 and his was the first internal-combustion car in Canada. He got a ticket anyway. More than 120 years later, Foss’s grandson, Ron Foss, intends to tell that story and many others about his long-forgotten inventor grandfather and his grandfather’s long-forgotten invention by replicating the one-off Fossmobile as best as he can. “His story hasn’t been well told since the 1960s,” said Ron, who grew up at his grandfather’s knee listening to tales from the turn of the century. “Only in the last year or so did I decide his story needed to be re-told, and that led to the idea of doing this car.” George Foss of Sherbrooke, Quebec, studied electrical motors as an apprentice and even built an electric motor to power his boat. However, on an 1896 trip to Boston he grew disillusioned with electrics after he rented a cab for an hour and only got a half-hour’s use out of it before its batteries died. So when he returned to Sherbrooke to open his own bicycle and machine shop, he decided he’d build his own automobile, one powered by an internal-combustion engine. Canadian automotive histories note other horseless carriage builders who pre-dated Foss, but they worked in either steam or electrics. Foss undoubtedly had read up on the gasoline engines coming out of Europe by that time, so he built one from scratch – nobody, not even Ron Foss, knows what configuration or design George Foss selected due to a cowling that the inventor placed over the engine – and then used some bicycle and sulky parts along with parts that he cast himself to build a chain-drive, tiller-steered chassis. On top went a body, also scratchbuilt; according to Ron Foss, the family joked that for a seat, George Foss purloined his wife’s settee. By the spring of 1897, George Foss finished his Fossmobile and put it on the road. Though he drove it mostly around Sherbrooke, his trips to Montreal proved it a “pretty reliable” vehicle, Ron Foss said. And while George Foss even spoke with Henry Ford during a trip to Detroit sometime around then – mostly to pick the latter’s brain regarding internal combustion engines – and a local banker even offered him financing to go into production, the Canadian never had any intentions to produce his Fossmobile. “He was a tinkerer, even later in life,” Ron Foss said. “He wasn’t much of a businessman, and he didn’t see a business value in the car.” He didn’t even invest in when Henry Ford later approached him directly with the opportunity. In 1901, George Foss moved to Montreal and, though he took the Fossmobile with him, he didn’t use it much afterward and a year later sold it for $75. Automobile sales, not construction, seemed to be his calling, and he obtained distribution rights for the Crestmobile out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. While the occasional Montreal resident saw the Fossmobile on the streets for a few years afterward, nobody knows what became of the vehicle. George Foss later in life returned to machining and lived to see his work feted by both the Vintage Automobile Club of Montreal and the Antique Automobile Club of America in the Sixties. Nothing but photos – no blueprints, no technical specifications – remains of the Fossmobile, but Ron Foss has determined those photos to be enough to reverse engineer the vehicle. His research also turned up remarkable similarities between the Fossmobile and the Crestmobile, enough to lead him to suspect that his grandfather may have somehow been associated with the Crest Manufacturing Company prior to his time as a salesman for the company. Thus, he tracked down the two remaining Crestmobiles – one in Iowa, the other at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts – and took measurements from the latter as a starting point for his replica of the Fossmobile. After that, he obtained a 1901 Locomobile chassis, which he described as “pretty much identical” to the Cressmobile and the Fossmobile save for the engine mounting, a piano-style carriage body that also more or less matches the Fossmobile’s, and a no-name engine that appears to be a 3.75hp knockoff of a De Dion single-cylinder air-cooled engine. To fund the project, he’s turned to GoFundMe, where he’s raised more than $3,000 of his $25,000 goal. While he’s taken on some aspects of the construction of the replica Fossmobile himself, he’s also working with Legendary Motorcar in Georgetown, Ontario, to assemble a running and driving chassis. Once he’s finished the car, Foss said he intends to produce a documentary on it and eventually donate it to a Canadian automobile museum to “bring to greater light this significant chapter of Canadian history.” For more information about the Fossmobile project, visit Fossmobile.ca. From Daneil Strohl, Hemmings July 19 How Children Perceive Their Grandparents 1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter,12 as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!" I'll probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye. 2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me happy birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 80. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?" 3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?" 4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!" 5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we alike?'' "You're both real old," he replied. 6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read." 7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colours yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what colour it was. She would tell me, and she was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think you should try figuring out some of this stuff for yourself!" 8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights." 9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised. "Mine says I'm 4 to 6." 10.. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting." she said, warily. "How do you make babies?" "It's easy," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'." 11. "Give me a sentence about a public servant," instructed the teacher during a lesson. One small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," offered one child. "No," said another, "he's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants." 13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport." 14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him! 15. My Grandparents are funny. When they bend over, you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog. Submitted by Bob Deno

Motorsport Pioneers Induction Ceremony 13

The Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society (GVMPS) is a group of motorsport enthusiasts from various motorsport whose goal it is to recognize and record the contributions of those who were pioneers of motorsport in this region. Each year the society selects motorsport pioneers to be honoured at the society’s annual induction ceremony. Pioneers are generally considered to have significantly contributed to the sport and have begun their contribution, at least forty years prior to induction and to have had a strong connection to Vancouver British Columbia and its surrounding communities from their web site. Les Henderson is inducted into the Motorsports Pioneers Society, emcee is Alyn Edwards Les is honoured for his meticulous restorations, encyclopedic knowledge of EFV8 vehicles, and his willingness to help other car folks he gave a great endorsement for the EFV8 club.

Alyn Edwards, with Ann at his side, receives the Sandy Lovelace Award The late Sandy Lovelace was a drag racer who was a regular competitor at British Columbia tracks, in particular those on Vancouver Island. To honour his memory, a group of veteran Vancouver Island dragracers, Island Dragway Promoters, has funded an Joe & Neva Ledlin were inducted for 50+ years of annual award in recognition of the “person volunteering & participating with restoration, hot rods, and or persons who have made an outstanding custom cars. Attending the event were Al, Jay, & Terri contribution to the preservation of this Fisher, Dennis Groundwater, Nigel Matthews, Earl Tucker, history of motorsport in British Columbia”. Brian Kettner & Andria, Cliff Haller, Ray Mitchell, Michael As one member commented, “Alyn’s Eaton, John & Koko Carlson, Steve Paul, Ron & Pat articles have introduced us to other car Morris, Keith Warren, Harold Wellenbrink,.Steve people by publishing their stories.” Holloway.and 200 others. Great viewing in the parking lot JIM BANKS: A Little History, in his own word14 When I was in grade 12 at Salmon Arm Highschool, I built a nice 1950 Ford 4-door sedan. I installed a CM short block from the Ford rebuild shop in Vancouver, it came with a ¾ cam. I added Offenhauser heads and a 3-carb manifold. Dropped it two inches and fitted lake pipes with cut-outs. Had a very good job at the Texaco service station working after school. Three years learned a lot. I got pinned under the hydraulic one night while working on a car during the graveyard shift. Good thing the RCMP noticed me while making a routine check. They hauled me out and took me into Salmon Arm Hospital – didn’t hurt my enthusiasm though. I was lucky too, having a really great automotive teacher at school in Salmon Arm. Sold the car in Vancouver when I was going to the Vancouver Vocational Institute in 1963. Had no money!! I have always been looking for another 1950 Ford. So, I started driving up and down back alleys in Surrey, and one day I found three 1950s in the back yard of a home in Whalley. One of the cars turned out to be a Meteor. It had 1989 plates, was parked under a tree and buried in leaves. It was a real mess. I made an offer and the next day I had it towed home. That was in 2008. The frame and engine were covered in 58 years of mud and oil. What two cans of Gunk and a good pressure washer can do! The car had been parked with gas in the tank so everything was totally gummed up. When finally I got it running it had a lot of sticky valves. It had no door panels or arm rests. I got an upholstery kit from Mac’s. My shop was under the house and it would smell up the house, sometimes. I towed the car to our shop in Vancouver. More room to work and all my tools. The brakes were totally shot. I rebuilt the brake system from scratch, and it can now stop on a dime. When I retired in 2010 I drove the car home and started to spend some real time on it. I did all the mechanical work myself. I installed new door panels, seat covers and a hundred other things. Drove it for three months to get the bugs out. I took the car to Rumbleseat Restoration in Mission to have all the rust cut out and had it painted to code. The original colours. The engine now starts and runs like a clock and I installed dual exhaust. The exhaust sound is music to a flatheader’s ears. Got my collector plates in 2015 and moved to Langford in December that year. My parents never drove or owned a car, but my Dad did teach me to drive a team of horses at six years old. It was a lot of fun driving my Mother and her friends around in the 1950 Ford. My first car was a 1930 Dodge that I made into a pickup, no doors or plates. At the age of 15, I would drive it around the back roads of Salmon Arm. The RCMP station was on the other side of town from my parents home. My first real car was a 1934 Vicky, followed by a 1938 Chev coupe, a 1947 and then the 1950 Ford. I have owned a lot of cars in my time, 18 that I can still remember. I have been a mechanic all my life and made the big jump to diesel mechanic in 1968. Owned our own shop in Vancouver – Jim’s Fuel injection Service. The Meteor is a Canadian built car and very few are left.

In the summer of 2015, my car was used in the TV series – The Man In The High Castle – A story about the Japanese occupation of California after WWII. Had a custom license plate for the series. Parts Bin 15 (a.k.a.cleaning off my desk)

Vanity Plates: A teckie thought he would be smart, used the word NULL, a programming term when the computer can’t find a value. He soon accumulated tickets totalling $12 000. He explained to the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles & his debt was erased. But he refused to change his plate, and the tickets continue to pile up. An LA man, in 1979, had a similar experience with the plate “NO PLATE.” Condensed from an article by Matthew Guy, in Driving, Van. Sun, August 23.

A LETTER FROM HENRY Time and again I am told-by my own organization and by others- that I penalize myself by quality. Friendly critics protest our putting into the Ford V8 what they call “twenty year steel”. They say such quality is not necessary; the public does not expect it; and that the public does not know the difference anyway. But I know the difference. I know that the car a man sees is not the car he drives- he drives the car which the engineer sees. The car which is seen, comprises beauty of design, colour and attractive accessories- all desirable, of course. The best evidence that we think so is that they are all found on the Ford V8. But these are not the car. The car proper, which is the basis of all the rest, ruggedly durable; the long thought and experiment given to safety factors; the steady development of comfort, convenience and economy. These make the best car. A car can be built that will last two or three years. But we have never built one. We want the basic material of our car to be as dependable the day it is discarded as the day it is bought. Ford cars built 15 years ago are still on the road. It costs more to build a durable car –but two items we do not skimp are cost and conscience. A great many things could “get by” –the public would never know the difference. But we would know. The new Ford V8 is a car that I endorse without any hesitancy. I know what is in it. I trust our whole 30 year’s reputation with it. It is even better than our previous V8. It is larger, more rugged, and mechanically a better job all round. I readily say this is an advertisement because I know the car will back it up.

Henry Ford

www.earlyfordv8bc.com Recognize that web site address? It is our club web site. Have you visited it lately? Each year, there is discussion about “updating” it, we consider & discuss and nothing happens. All the information is up-to-date and accurate. The Photo Gallery has photos of members cars from 2008, the Tin Seminar 2007 (a unique experience!) and miscellaneous photos from tours, meetings, and attendance at National Meets. What do viewers want to see? Please check it out & send your comments & concerns to Neva at [email protected] What’s New in Your Garage? 16

Garage Tip from Queensland RG You and peace of mind… AIR CLEANER MODS Excerpt from a poem, written by Charlie Chaplin at age 70 years, Member, Andrew Levine from Antigua, ( just south of captures a powerful message about Maryborough) writes; our lives: “I took the old oil bath air filter off my flathead while it was running and the revs came up. I put it back on and “As I begin to love myself, the revs dropped. The poor little flathead struggles I refused to go on living in the past, enough to make HP, without struggling to breath. So a And worrying about the future. modern paper air filter was fitted inside the old oil bath to keep the old school look. It breaths much better. I Now I only live for the moment, modified the top by installing a plate and cutting slots Where everything is happening. in the centre tube to help airflow.” Today I live each day, Day by day, AIR FILTER IS A SAKURA A1410 And I call it fulfillment.” Equivalent to A348 Don’t worry about the falling prices of our beloved cars, the rising prices of Technical: Vapour lock. Barry mentioned there are needed parts, future owners of our a couple of things to look for before blaming treasures, etc. vapour lock for non- starting – look at the coil Get out and drive, enjoy them now! first, it might heat up and not allow the engine to start. Secondly, check the fuel pressure. There is an on-going discussion of the topic in the V8 Mike Thorpe attended the September Times. meeting and announced that Slim Easton purchased his 1953 Mercury 2 Vern brought an early 50s thermostat to dr HT Monterey. Slim sold his 34 Ford demonstrate that the plunger opens more than the 5W and was looking for a car in which plungers on the new thermostats which may be he would feel safe joining the car guys one of the reasons that the flathead engines run on a cruise. The car travelled by hotter than in the old days. trailer & Slim was thrilled to have it From V-8 News, RG#149 arrive in Kelowna. Mike sold his 1947 Merc convertible to Alyn Edwards. This Canadian car Check out joins his recent acquisition; 1947 Toronto Auction Mercury pick up, also Canadian. www.CCPAUCTIONS.com Walter Siemens sold his 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe, formerly owned by Bill McPherson. Thanks to Grant Fleming for submitting this. Crescent Beach Concours d’Elegance17

John Carlson, one of the founders of our club, was Chief Judge & one of the organizers of this event.

Alyn & Ann Edwards’ featured Shelby convertible

Ron Morris judging, standing by Ledlin’s 50 Chev. Not many Fords at this event… Del Basaraba was also judging.

The parking skills fame of Ray Mitchell has spread ; he was invited to park cars at this year’s Concours Visited by Ed & Imma MacAulay,Roy Schull, Earl Tucker, Bob Lee and.. Keith Warren, a former EFV8 member.

Ross & Bev Deegan’s 1949 Custom Merc and Jamie Dodgson’ 40 Ford (Merc may join Joe’s stable for a winter sojourn) Where Have All the Old Woodies Gone? Submitted by Dennis Groundwater 18

a Flathead V8 installed in an airplane, by Stout Company…from Norwegian newsletter