Debbie & Mack McDougal 7103 Applewood Amarillo, TX 79108
VIN TIN The Monthly Newsletter for the Amarillo Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America
Volume 45 March 2015 Issue #3
Debbie & Mack McDougal
(These awards were received by Davena House for previous issues)
CLUB OFFICERS We are a club devoted to the enjoyment of antique automobiles through President: road trips, parades, exhibitions and friendly competition. Our membership Glenn Wallick is diverse in age, census and preference of make of car, but unite in the 2217 Woodside delight of saving antique vehicles from the ravages of time. Our Amarillo, TX 79124 membership participates in local 806-353-5629 charity work, supporting the Make-A- Wish Foundation, Meals-On-Wheels, Vice-President: etc. We operate in coordination with the David House Panhandle Council of Car Clubs and within 10613 South Western the sanction of the Antique Automobile Club of America. We welcome Amarillo, TX 79118 all those who share in our interests 806-622-3693 whether they own an antique vehicle or simply enjoy the romance of
Secretary: Debbie McDougal automobilia. 7103 Applewood Amarillo, TX 79108 806-383-9299 March Birthdays
Treasurer: Betty White 17th……………Charles White 8849 Dove Ridge Drive Canyon, TX 79015 806-557-6366 19th…………..Marilyn Miller
Historian: Cecil & Mary Grace Regier
204 Regier Drive Dumas, TX 79029 806-966-5479 March Anniversaries Directors: 14th Richard & Connie Whitehead Glenn Wallick, President 15th…………… Brad & Kim Higby Will Taylor, Past President Tom Griffin, Please remember to call Calista Huber at 806-622-2762 if you know of a club Jerry Harris member who needs to be remembered with a card. You can also e-mail Connie Whitehead, Debbie McDougal at [email protected] who will be glad to contact Calista. Sunshine Chairperson: Calista Huber Unless posted differently, Club Meetings will be held on the first Sunday of every month at the Valleyview Church of the Nazarene, 7601 S Western 806-622-2762 Street. Meetings begin at 2:30 pm. Please contact one of the officers listed
on this page if you need more information. Learn more about our club at our PCCC Representative: official website: amarilloareaaaca.org OR Gene Smith www.amarilloregionantiqueautomobileclubofamerica.org 806-358-4970 We welcome you all to visit us, whether you have an antique vehicle or not. Editors: We enjoy automobilia and are most willing to help you with your dream Debbie & Mack McDougal machine.
806-383-9299 March meeting will be on the 8th
Prez Sez Most of us are not lucky enough to know the history of our vehicles. Sometimes we have a vehicle that has been passed down through the family giving us some known vehicle history. I know my ’31 pickup was a service and delivery vehicle for Home Appliance in Colorado Springs and was later given to a Grandson, from whom I purchased it. That is the extent of my knowledge of its history. If you have a vehicle with an interesting history, write it up and let Mack publish it in the Vin Tin. I hope to see everyone at the Make-A-Wish show. President Glenn Wallick Screech! I write this the weekend before the Make-A-Wish show. At this point the weather for the show looks a little uncertain. Bad weather could reduce both the attendance of both the participants and the public. Our club meeting has been rescheduled for March 8th, due to the conflict with the Make-A- Wish show. March 8th also happens to be the day we start daylight savings time, so be sure to “Spring Forward” or by the time you get to the meeting we will be putting away the food.
A friend of mine had a barn-find this month. Last Saturday, I drove my 31 pickup over to his home to get a look at his new treasure. The engine and frame was from a 1929 Chevrolet passenger car. He had confirmed this by the serial number on the block. The carburetor and intake manifold were from a later Chevrolet. The cab, cowl and box AMARILLO REGION OF THE ANTIQUE were from a 1931 Chevy pickup. I could recognize AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA the sheet metal plus the serial number plate was MEETING MINUTES February 1, 2015 still in place on the cowl and indicated an AE model, which is a ’31. The wheels were 1935 wire wheels. The rear fenders and tail light were from Glenn Wallick called the meeting to order; Cecil some unknown make, model and year. Regier gave the opening prayer. 24 members
attended with 1 antique car driven. Toby Murratt I wondered how all these various parts could come and Van Trapp also attended as guests. Glenn together to make a truck. I always think about the thanked Charles & Betty White & Tom & Linda prior history of an old car when I examine it. What Griffin for bringing snacks for the February were they being used for during the Great meeting. Richard & Connie White-head will bring Depression and during WW II? Where were they? goodies for the March meeting. David House In this case I think a likely scenario is someone announced the birthdays & anniversaries for needed a truck, maybe during the hard times of February. the depression or during WWII when no vehicles were being built, so they acquired a good running TREASURER’S REPORT: Betty White gave the 1929 Chevrolet car and placed a ’31 pickup cab and treasurer’s report: it was accepted as read. box on the frame. They found some rear fenders off of some other car or truck and added them to SECRETARY’S REPORT: January’s minutes were the mix. At that point they had a pickup truck. approved as printed in the VIN TIN newsletter. SWAP MEETS, JERRY HARRIS: Hayes, KS next but the computer would not cooperate; will try week-end; Decatur, TX – February 19th to 21st; again for the March meeting. Chickasha, OK Prewar– March 19th & 20th; Pate The March meeting will be held on the 8th as the Swap Meet, Ft. Worth, TX – late April. Make-A-Wish Car Show continues on March 1st. Glenn presented a postcard he had received for PARADES, DAVID HOUSE: The next parade will be a tour in Tomball, TX, April 16th to 19th. Check the the St. Patrick’s Day, Shamrock, TX in March. AACA magazine for details.
SUNSHINE REPORT, CALISTA HUBER: If anyone OUTING: An outing for February was not planned needs a card sent, please contact Calista. as the Make-A-Wish Car Show is this month. Discussed getting with Nifty Fifty Car Club of VIN TIN NEWSLETTER/WEBSITE: Mack & Debbie Lubbock & taking them to Bill’s Backyard McDougal reported everything is fine with the Adventures in a few months. Will contact Jim news-letter & website. Ranzo at 1-806-783-9133. Debbie McDougal mentioned the Panhandle Plains Museum has a PCCC MEETING, Gene Smith: Discussed the Make- fashion show scheduled for 02/20, if anyone is A-Wish Car Show, 02/27 to 03/01. Our Club will interested. raffle off a trike & trailer; tickets $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. Mack thanked Gib for the wheels & 50/50 POT: A total of $44.00 was collected; Glenn wood for the trailer. Davena will have the work list Wallick won $22.00. presented to PCC. Norman Beach’s Jeepster will be placed by our table at the Civic Center. Gene There being no further official business, the stated about 200 cars have been entered. A meeting was adjourned. If you have any neighbor of Mack McDougal’s is working on a corrections, please call me at 383-9299 or e-mail model to be shown for the Club as Mack is finishing me at pegasus_79108@ yahoo.com. the trike. Due to inactivity with the Council, a few car Respectfully submitted by Debbie McDougal clubs might be dropped: The Model A, Porsche, & ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stude-baker Clubs. Mary Jo Griffin said she will Sunday the 8th begins Daylight Savings check with the Studebaker & Model A Clubs. Time, so don’t be late for the meeting! Bill Pratt with Bill’s Backyard Adventures attended the meeting & invited all of the car clubs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to come by. Special Celebrations in March Cruise Night will be 03/07 & will be sponsored by the Council. Donations of snacks have been March has an “Act Happy” week, “Brain Awareness requested. Week”, “Tales & Fables” week, and is the “Irish The Great American Race will be in Amarillo American” Month, of course! Mon-day, 06/22, on 6th Street. PCCC has asked all st car clubs to come out & welcome the drivers. 1 ………………………………………………. National Pig Day nd 2 ……………………………………………………..Old Stuff Day rd VIN TIN ROUND-UP TOUR, Gene Smith: The 3 …………………………………… If Pets Had Thumbs Day th article finally made it into the National magazine. 4 …...... Holy Experiment Day, & Hug A G.I. Day th It has lots of pictures & Gene’s article. 5 ………………………………….. Multiple Personality Day th 8 …………………………………………………….. Be Nasty Day th OLD BUSINESS: Had a great turnout of members & 9 ………………………………………………………….. Panic Day th guests going to Bill’s Backyard Adventures. 11 ……………………………………… Worship of Tools Day th Everyone enjoyed seeing his collection of 13 ……………………………………………….…..Ear Muff Day th automobiles & then going to Country Pride for 14 ……………………………….. National Potato Chip Day th lunch. 14 ………………………………...National Pi (π) Day (3.14) th 15 ………………… Everything You Think Is Wrong Day th NEW BUSINESS: Glenn tried to present the 17 ………………………………………………. St. Patrick’s Day th slideshow from the tour during today’s meeting, 20 …………………………Extraterrestrial Abduction Day 22nd……………………………………. National Goof-Off Day info were handed out to many who stopped to chat. AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT We also were very successful in our endeavor to (Notes From The Editors) raffle-off the tricycle and trailer. $905.00 was turned in at the awards ceremony. It wasn’t until I got home that I found more money in my pocket, which will be given to the show directors in the form of a check. The forgotten cash brought our total ticket sales to $940.00 This year’s Make-A- Wish child drew the winning ticket from the squirrel cage during the awards ceremony and the winner was Bill Hudson, who was on hand to accept the tricycle and trailer rig.
This was the first year for the individual clubs to put in an entry at the Top-O-Texas Modeling exhibit. There was no judging in this category this year, but we did receive a special recognition award for our entry. We were going to enter a model of a Cord, but it was discovered (when the box was opened) there were too many parts missing to That’s one way to remove your makeup! complete the model. Mack took two of his recent models as a replacement for the Cord. Connie We normally like to have the Vin Tin put to bed and Whitehead received a well-deserved people’s delivered by the end of the previous month. This choice award for her ’67 Jeepster. issue was purposely delayed, so that we could highlight the annual Make-A-Wish car show, which Even though the weather was uncooperative, there was scheduled for the last day of February and the were still over 5,000 attendees on Saturday and first day of March. The weather in the Texas about 3,500 on Sunday. 297 vehicles were Panhandle had been fantastic with record highs and registered for the show with only 212 actually being gentle breezes until the night for setting-up the showed. The blizzard conditions kept several autos show. As my old venerated Great, Great, Great home. Mack & Debbie’s “Old Yeller” didn’t like Grandpappy, Beuregard H. McDougald said, “Thar the idea of leaving the warm barn. The long weren’t nuthin but a bobwar fence tween us and the distance award went to a truck from Odessa, Texas. North Pole with three strands down and the coyotes It was driven from Odessa (not trailered) prior to had to carry jumper cables to get the jack rabbits the winter storm. hoppin’!” Below average temperatures, ice, On a more personal note, I would like to point out blowing snow and really slick roads made it Deb and I received the Award of Excellence for our impossible for a few exhibitors to get their cars to rendition of a Club Newspaper in 2014 (humility the Civic Center. implied). The award should include Davena House,
After rearranging vehicles and making a few last because we followed her outline and floor plan. minute decisions the show went on as planned. A Here are a few photos from the show…………….. couple of our club members were unable to get their vehicles to the show. My son timed his vacation from the U.S. Air Force, so he could be here to put his ’29 Ford Pickup on display. After traveling all the way from Idaho, he wasn’t able to get it in the show, because of carburetor problems. Undeterred, he made a sign to place in his assigned spot, which explained his entry was a WW II Stealth Delivery Truck that was most difficult to see. He went on to explain how this particular military truck was phased out due to them being lost too often.
Our Club Table was attractively displayed and several prospective new members were invited to the next meeting. The business cards with our club
Jenelle & Betty with their morning brews
Glenn, E.J. & Connie selling tickets Connie’s people’s choice award Jeepster
Various members behind the Club table Our President’s Chevy pickup
A bevy of beauties Best display. The skull would interact with you
Club’s model entry; 1930 Packard; 12” long, This year’s special child pulls the winning ticket made of walnut, oak and pine
Norman’s beautiful entry in the place of honor Do Ford parts really come in a milk can?
Ohhh, that there is a purty car, don’t cha know? Some classics are just timeless
The stuff on the floor is where people drooled You know the wax job is good enough when the car next to you is mirrored by yours! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A still shot from the movie “Driving Miss Daisy” (with permission)
“Mama, cars don’t behave….they are behaved upon….fact is, you demolished that Chrysler all by The stunning Griffin Studebaker yourself”. The object of the race was to leave the starting point in New York, which was usually the Red Ball Garage on 31st Street and drive to the Portofino Inn at Redondo Beach, California in the shortest time possible. The only real rules were that you couldn’t cheat. There was one accident during the race in 1971; a pan of lasagna was spilled in a motorhome during the race. There were a total of five runs with the first beginning on 3 May, 1971 and the final starting on 1 April, 1979. The well-
Erwin George “Cannonball” Baker drove a Graham-Paige known auto racer, Dan Gurney, was entered in one model 57 Blue Streak 8 from coast-to-coast of the United rally and said, “At no time did we exceed 175 States in 53 hours and 30 minutes in 1933, setting a record of mph”. speeds greater than 50 mph, which stood for 40 years. Brock Yates wrote a screenplay of the race as an Cannonball Run action film with Steve McQueen as the star. After Steve’s death, the story was changed to a comedy As a response to the 1973 oil crisis, President and included an all-star cast. There were many Nixon proposed a 50 mph limit for passenger cars inferences to the Smokey and the Bandit movies as and 55 mph limit for buses and trucks. The some of the main characters were the same actors Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act and some of the same lines were used. At one restricted the national speed limit to no more than point Burt Reynolds says, “We could get a black 55 mph for all vehicles on the road. This was Trans Am for the race”, but then answers himself supposed to save energy by reducing gasoline by saying, “It’s been done”. However, the black waste. The design was to reduce gasoline Trans Am was seen at the finish line with a driver consumption by 2.2%, but actual reductions were looking like Burt. In the movie, Roger Moore drove closer to 0.75%. Vox Populi was against the bill, as the famous Aston Martin he drove while portraying were many state governments, but our federal agent 007 (James Bond) and many references were administration made it mandatory as a made to his various spy experiences. During prerequisite to receive national funding of every cutaway of him in the sports car, a different transportation subsidies. vixen was seated next to him. The director, Hal Needham, was used in several scenes as different Brock Yates, a writer, and Steve Smith, editor of characters and was the voice over for a few others. the Car and Driver Magazine, conceived of an idea One character in the movie was named Arthur J. to protest the said speed limiting law. They Foyt as a tribute to the NASCAR legend, Anthony formed a team of friends and drove a 1971 Dodge Joseph (A.J.) Foyt. The ambulance used in the film Custom Sportsman van, named The Moon Trash II, was the actual vehicle Hal Needham and Brock from coast-to-coast as fast as possible. It was not a Yates drove in the real Cannonball Run. Double race, because they were the only team driving in Nickels? Right! the run. The road rally was called, The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. The second and following runs were actual speed competitions made up of several teams and was known as the Cannonball Baker and finally shortened to the Cannonball Run. The sprint was never meant to be an official auto race, but more of a thumbing of the nose to the highway officials and tongue-in-cheek humor for their magazine articles. You would think that the vehicles involved in the race would be high-powered Lamborghinis or Ferraris. Some were, but many were trucks, vans, motorhomes and limousines. There were even Chevy Vegas and Ford Pintos entered.
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The Road Ahead 6789 (Calendar of upcoming events)
April 25 Day of Thunder Car Show High Plains Thunderbirds Club, First United Bank at 45th & Soncy
April 28 Panhandle Council of Car Clubs meeting, Amarillo National Bank, Plaza II, 500 S. Taylor, second floor conference room
April 30 – May 3 Pate Swap Meet at Fort March 3 – NSRA Appreciation & Safety Day, Worth, Texas, Texas Motor Speedway @ I-35 & Lloyd Triplett’s Highway 114. Gates open 7:00 A.M. pateswapmeet.com 713-649-0922 March 7 – 5:00 pm – Cruise Night – Hosted by Panhandle Council of Car Clubs, Hillside& Bell. May 1 & 2 Ford Fun Day MCA Regional Car Show Texas Panhandle Mustang Club Friday March 14 – Shamrock Parade, Shamrock, TX 6:00 P.M. Ice Cream & Burgers, Saturday Car th March 20, 21 & 22 – Goodguys, Ft Worth, TX M show 10:00 – 3:00 at Gene Messer Ford, 34 & Clubs Meeting, Amarillo National Bank, Plaza II, Soncy in Amarillo. Info Bernie 622-3570 or 500 S. Taylor, 2nd Floor Conference Room Bud 622-1102 or TPMC P. O. Box 2574, March 27 & 28 – DFW Swap Meet – Spring Amarillo, 79105 Meet. Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie, TX. Info: May 2 Cruise Night, 5:00 P.M. hosted by [email protected] Classic Rollers Unlimited. Hillside & Bell Sts.
April 4 5:00 pm – Cruise Night – Hosted by May 2 & 3 Seabrook, Texas Keels & Wheels at Panhandle Council of Car Clubs, Hillside& Bell. the Lakewood Yacht Club. 713-521-0105
April 10, 11, & 12 NSRA, Oklahoma City, May 8 & 9 Yellow Brick Road Car Show in Oklahoma Liberal, Kansas featuring 1940’s vehicles, April 11 The Annual Cars & Stars Car Show, deuce club gathering from across the nation. Cruise & Drive in Movie at Graham, Texas Hot Rods, Customs, Classics, Rat Rods, Street Registration is 8:30 A.M., 10:00 A.M – 4:oo Rods, Muscle Cars, Trucks & Cycles
P.M. Car Show, 4:00 P.M. Awards, 4:15 P.M. to May 9 River Road High School Band Car Show at 5:15 P.M. Cruise, and at sunset the drive in the River Road High School movie will start. National Calendar th April 17 & 18 The 12 Annual White Sands Mustang/Ford Roundup. Alamogordo, New March 14 West Friendship, Maryland AACA Mexico, at the Alameda Park. Registration Chesapeake Region’s Annual Antique Auto opens 8 A.M., price is $10.00 with late Parts Flea Market & Car Corral, Tom Young registration $35.00. Contact Otto Dusak at 443-744-6338 575-442-1402 March 18-21 AACA Western Spring Meet & April 17 & 18 Lonestar Round-up in Austin, Grand National. Tucson, Arizona Hosted by Texas and The Leake Auction in Dallas, Texas the Tucson Region in the Market Hall. Info 1-800-722-9942 21 March Louisville, Ky AACA Kyana Region’s th April 24, 25 & 26 Conroe, Texas Concourse of 49 Largest indoor swap-meet at the Expo Texas/Worldwide Houston Classic Auction at Center 502-619-2917 time you wash your tires. I am saying it worked on Things You Auto Know very old stains.
Deb & I thought it might be advantageous to add a new column to the Vin Tin. As you can see above, Keeping Your Ride Clean we named it THINGS YOU AUTO KNOW. Being a retired RN, myself, I thought a mechanic with a People who own cars exhibit pride in ownership stethoscope would be appropriate. The section via keeping their rides clean and attractive. I guess will contain little snippets of advice and cure-alls I’m the exception to the rule, because I usually for the antique car owner and automobilia trivia. don’t wash my car until I can’t see through the It can also be a clearinghouse for tips and remedies windshield. In days past, people would either wash from club members. I hope it is helpful. their car themselves or hire someone to hand wash it for them. In 1914, a couple of entrepreneurs Everyone has had some difficulty with whitewall took it upon themselves to offer the first car wash tires. Even brand new whitewalls can be a problem business called the “Automated Laundry”. It really to keep clean. The very wide whitewalls we see on wasn’t automated; the cars were pushed through a some of our antique cars can be a real challenge. tunnel by hand where at the first station the car
As is the case with most antique car remedies, was soaped down, pushed to another station there are many variations and/or solutions. Some where the car was scrubbed, pushed to another swear by the Brillo Pad method while others swear station where it was rinsed, and finally pushed to at it. Some like the Dobie pads and spray cleaners, the last station for drying. and then others are partial to solvents, such as The persons responsible for pushing the cars lacquer thinner. I am leery of solvents, because I became very tired and the attrition rate for that don’t know the long-term effect on the rubber. position was astronomical. A conveyor system Still others like steel wool and various liquid surfaced in the form of a chain drive that cleaners. connected to the front bumper. There were still
I recently read an article regarding sandpaper and individual stations for each step, and after the the result of ERASING a layer of rubber. Since I am chain pulled a few bumpers off the cars, it was a wood butcher, I have an ample supply of decided that further improvements were required. sandpaper and endeavored a try on an older tire DUH! In 1951, the Anderson brothers built the gracing my mail box post. first fully automated car wash. They provided further innovations until the system was almost The result was impressive. My first choice was 150 perfect. You can now choose how clean you want grit, which took a little too much rubber off. I then your car by selecting brackets of cost. I hold out tried a 220 grit, which was more than effective. until I find high school girls in bikinis raising money My third try was with 220 grit wet-or-dry paper for their club. It supports their cause, but they get with water. This combination seemed to do the suspicious when I keep pointing out a spot they trick quite well and removed a finite layer of missed way down on the bottom of the car. rubber. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am not saying your method doesn’t work and I The Chrysler Imperial is said to be so crashworthy am also not saying sandpaper should be used every that it is banned from most demolition derbies
AACA – Amarillo 2015 Meetings/Host List updated March 23, 2015 Month Hosts
March Richard & Connie Whitehead LOOKING BEHIND US [Last minute additions] April NEED VOLUNTEER
We normally put the paper to bed during the last week of the month. I suppose you noticed it is May NEED VOLUNTEER quite late. We purposefully waited until the Make- A-Wish car show was over before we even started this issue. We wanted to get all the news about the show in this one. It also took a while to collect June Mack & Debbie photos from various members and there were McDougal grand children in the house. Grand children are much more important when you only see them July Ice Cream Party once a year!
This is your newspaper for your club. Feel free to August David & Davena drop us a line with an article or a maintenance tip. House If we are not meeting your expectations as editors… please, make your views known to us. Rusty & Marilyn Miller Thank you for your support.
September Cecil & Mary Grace Regier
October Glenn & Shirley Wallick
November NEED VOLUNTEER
December Christmas Party
The trouble with life in the fast lane is you get there so quickly
And now a word from our sponsors:
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