Next Meeting January 7, 7:30 Pm All Virtual
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JANUARY, 2021 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF RICHMOND REGION ANTIQUE AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA. INSIDE FRONT COVER NEXT MEETING JANUARY 7, 7:30 PM ALL VIRTUAL JANUARY, 2021 - OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF RICHMOND REGION, AACA C O N T E N T S JOE GUCKERT FROM THE PRESIDENT ............................................. 3 President WELCOME, New Members .................................... 4 [email protected] (Pictured on cover) DARKNESS & SUSPENSE...................... 5 ANDY FUHRMAN AMC DEALERSHIP Vice-President STILL OPERATING ............................. 6—7 [email protected] CAR SHOW UPDATE ..................................... 7 “The Tuk-Tuks are coming” DEBBIE NOLEN Secretary 51st ANNUAL CAR SHOW ................. 8-9 THE DEMISE OF THE MERT FOWLKES PACKARD ......................... 10-12 Treasurer [email protected] FROM THE EDITOR ................ 13 YES, VIRGINIA BRUCE WOODSON THE CAR IS REAL ................. 13 Director NATIONALS & TOURS ............................................ 13 TECH COLUMN JOHN SMITH The 1966 Chevrolet Director Corvair Corsa ..................................... 14 [email protected] MINUTES ................................................................ 15 KENNY BAKER SURPRISES KIDS Director FIND IN [email protected] OLD CARS ....................................... 16 2 - JANUARY, 2021 rallies in March and May, an Independence Day Picnic at A New Year! (Finally!) Osborne Boat Landing and the opportunity to meet in By Debbie Nolen person at Belmont August – December. Even though we had to cancel this year’s car show and S I look back on 2020, I reflect on how our lives have swap meet, we were still able to be of service to our com- A changed. The global COVID-19 pandemic brought munity, and were successful in raising $3,025 to support pain and loss to many of us. And for almost all of us, our daily St. Joseph’s Villa which included a $1000 club donation. lives, family time, and work also radically changed this year - The car show committee is already at work on our up- the world came to a grinding halt as COVID-19 took over. coming show scheduled for June 19, 2021. Richmond Re- Over the past ten months we have learned to meet on Zoom, gion was also able to make a $1000 donation to the wear a mask as an everyday piece of clothing, socially distance AACA Headquarters and Library Research Center. while watching as our auto events were cancelled. Our hearts Due to recent mandates by the Governor of Pennsylvania, go out to all of you and the more than 317,000 families around the 2021 AACA Annual Convention has been resched- the country that have been touched by this horrible pandem- uled to April 15-17, 2021 at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel ic. As the numbers continue to surge and the vaccine being in Philadelphia, PA. The Annual Convention is planned released, we've made it to the end of this difficult year, not on to remain true to past gatherings with seminars, the trade our own but by reaching out to one another, as we always do show, and, of course, the National Awards Banquet & in our families, communities and the AACA. Ceremony. The Nationals planned for Puerto Rico have This month’s president’s message is meaningful for me as been pushed back to 2022. Due to the Virginia Gover- this will be my last as your Club President. Much as I would nor’s recent COVID restriction on the size of public gath- like to recount my contributions to the club, humility hinders erings, we cannot hold our club meetings at Belmont un- me from doing so. I can only count my blessings as shown til the restrictions are lifted. However, on January 7, 2021 through your cooperation and support - for without you, the we will have an all-virtual club meeting at 7:30 pm and Club cannot function at all while I merely helped us navigate the connection links will be distributed closer to the the waters of change. Within Richmond Region, we draw our meeting after the holidays. strength from the friendships and camaraderie that we have built throughout all these years, the joy and satisfaction of Finally, I consider myself very fortunate to have had the working together and the spirit of concern for each other and privilege of leading Richmond Region 2019-2020 and as your to move us to help others. outgoing president I want to thank you all for the honor and I will choose to remember 2020 as a year of great change privilege you entrusted to me. I’m also very grateful for the and strength for us - AACA and our region didn't stop, despite support of our Officers and members during my tenure. As we the pandemic. We removed obstacles, found new ways to go into our next Presidential cycle, I have no doubts in the connect, and embraced new approaches to connect with each ability of Joe Guckert as our leader and I have no doubt that other, including: he and our new board will exceed the expectations of all Smaller in-person masked and socially distanced club RRAACA members. As Ex Officio and secretary, I am rallying meetings at Belmont, with the establishment and use behind to support Joe and our new team as we move forward WebEx virtual meetings. into another potentially challenging two-year period. An initial four months of a mailed printed Gaslight news- As we move forward STAY connected and here’s a friend- letter. Recently the RR Board voted to extend the mailing ly reminder to frequently check your club connection re- of a printed copy of the Gaslight through April 2021 to all sources - the club website for Richmond Region show and current and up to date members as of December 31, 2020. event updates. Check in with our social media and the club’s It is true that the hardcopies are helping to keep us all Facebook page, for event information and event pictures. On connected during these times until most of our club our group Facebook page, you can add pictures and stories on members are comfortable attending in-person meetings/ that site. And, as always, send your stories to Clif Edwards for events. inclusion in the club’s Gaslight newsletter. Enjoy all these The Board also approved that we will not present the resources to stay connected. Pick up the phone and call, text Richmond Region Annual Awards for the 2020 year to or messenger. Stay safe by maintaining social distance, wear honor both the history and the spirit of each award. Since a mask in public, and wash your hands often. Vaccinate. the club has had few public events this year due to Friends, we are all stronger than the pandemic. I look for- COVID-19, the usual parameters for our annual awards ward to being together soon and a brighter 2021! are simply unable to be applied. This did not mean activi- ties did not take place – we had two successful fun run Debbie JANUARY, 2021 - 3 N my senior I year at Tucker, I started my automotive career by washing cars at Frick Motor Company on Broad Street. By the time I graduated in 1981, I got hired as full time. I was in heaven: driving Jaguars, Mercedes, and Porsches in between errands, tasks, and food runs. Since every request started with “hey, boy . .” I thought was my official title. Frick expanded, and hired a mechanic that taught me a lot about cars, in between by errands. One errand stands out: meeting Carol Groom Woodson at Napa. I met Bruce not much later. By the time Frick opened a second location on Midlothian, I was the service manager. We had the first Maserati franchise in Richmond, but the economy eventually Dennis & put Frick out of business. Cindi Urick I caught the British car fever from Bruce and acquired an MG Midget. From jobs at Richmond BMW to Brown’s Jaguar, I worked my way up the ranks in the British Car Collecting hobby. With Bruce as a mentor, and his position as the Show Chairman, we hosted shows at Brown’s Island and in New Kent Winery. Since he was the chair, I was once again held the title “Hey, boy” and I relished the opportunity. I could not limit myself to British cars, so I acquired a 1978 Smokey and the Bandit model Trans Am while I was managing the service department at Pearson Hyundai. It was well worn and quite faded, but still a beauty. As a devoted father, I could not ignore my daughter Meredith’s interest in horseback riding. The Trans Am was put on hold, and I bought a truck, trailer, and a horse. I still had an MGA and an MGB, so I was still in the game. On a stroke of professional luck, I got a position as a manager of Parts and Service for Hyundai. That involved travel, and I leveraged my connections up and down the east coast. Of course, all that travel meant that I could not be as active in the car clubs. Along the way, I stumbled upon a 1932 Ford High Boy. To me, it is the coolest Hot Rod around. That top-notch car had been built by Page Customs in Oilville. I had a great uncle out in St Louis who supposedly bought a 1956 Corvette new. I had never seen it, but I was sure the story was true. It was not until his widow left it to me in her will that I found it had been garaged and covered for decades. Since it was not properly prepped for storage, the engine had seized, and it took all of Bruce’s expertise to recommission the car. He did a great job, and now I have the car plus the bill of sale, the actual payment book with one coupon left, and the original owner’s manual from Chevrolet.