AACA March, 2017 Volume 36, No.3 March Car of the Month
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Bull Run Region ---AACA March, 2017 Volume 36, No.3 www.bullrunaaca.org March Car of the Month Bill and Geri Eby’s 1928 Franklin In This Issue By Bill Eby Car of the Month 1 My pride and joy is a 1928 Franklin model 12B with a body style called President’s Page 2 Victoria Brougham designed by Frank DeCausse. The engine has six cylinders. It is OHV and Region Contacts 2 air cooled, displacing 236 cubic inches, and Making Memories 4 developing 46 Editor’s Notes 5 horsepower. Aluminum is used extensively in the body, engine, and running Anniversaries & 5 gear for light weight. The Birthdays frame is ash, 1928 being the last year that Franklin Member News 5 used wooden frames. Franklin introduced 4- Reach the Beach 6 wheel hydraulic brakes on this series. The Meeting Minutes 7 Bill Eby poses with his pride and joy. Franklins of 1928 were capable of speeds Calendars 7 exceeding 60 MPH but I find it’s most comfortable to cruise around 45. Caught in the Web 8 So why a Franklin? Have to Rohr Show Plans 9 blame dad for this fascination. This is our February Program 10 family's Franklin story: My grandfather was a dairy March Presentation 11 farmer and bought a new Franklin in 1919. Why he AACA Annual Meeting 12 was willing to spend $3,500 for a Franklin at that time Flyers 15 when other options were so much cheaper was never answered. When my father was 13, my grandfather and Eby family’s Franklin inspiration the local junk dealer were haggling about how much the Franklin was worth as junk. Continued on page 3 1 BRR Region Contacts The President’s Page By Bill Holmes Bull Run Region Website: Due to some medical issues I was unaBle to attend the AACA na- www.bullrunaaca.org tional meeting in Philadelphia this year. Franklin Gage was good enough to represent us at the meeting. We’ve received the Web- Officers: master award for the website and P. Pandolfi received the Excel- President: Bill Holmes lence award for the Clutch Chatter. Franklin has a report on page (703) 644-6890 12 in this month’s Clutch Chatter on other details of the meeting. Vice President: Darryll Baker Now that the groundhog has come out of his hole, it’s time to start (7030 854-1725 thinking about getting our cars on the road for this spring and summer activities. We have some exciting sPeakers lined, two Treasurer: Nicki Hudson driving tours, and dinner out at the 29 diner. (540) 522-6533 The regional directors and I will Be conducting a telephone sur- Secretary: Joann Richardson vey. Two years ago we tried it By mail and didn’t get a very good (703) 768-1569 response. So we decided talking to you will get more feed- back. Please exPect the call sometime over the next month. We Board of Directors: value everyone’s input to the club and have tried to shaPe the George Richardson clubs activities accordingly. But we always recognize there’s room (703) 768-1569 for improvement and change in what we’re doing. Please don’t be afraid to sPeak honestly as that’s the only way we can make things Bill Sessler better. One of the issues that we’ve been wrestling with over the (703) 361-5491 last couple years is how to get our activities spread around the re- gion which covers four counties here in the Northern Virginia area. Steve White (703) 533-0386 We’re also making Progress in our caPital campaign to rePlace the funding that we used to Purchase the storage trailer. It was a real- Website Coordinator: ly big help with this year’s Rohr show and we would like to thank Bill Holmes the club for agreeing to purchase it. We set a goal of $2000 and have collected aBout $750 so far. If you have any auto-related Sunshine Committee: items we can sell on EBay Please let me know and we can work out an arrangement to Pick them uP. Also recruit a new annual sPon- Open- Send any Information to sor or make a donation of $10.00 or more directly to the Joanne Richardson club. Sponsorship applications are on the website. We hope to see (703) 768-1569 you soon at an event and as always, haPPy motoring. Membership Recorder: Bill Holmes, President Lenita Franklin (703) 494-6709 The AACA Annual Report is posted on the BRR website. WWW.bullrunaaca.org 2 Car of the month continued from page 1 Dad said that he wanted the car himself and so that was that. Grandpa gave dad the car, they put it in the chicken coop on blocks, and when dad turned 16 in 1943 he started driving it. When my brothers and sisters were growing up no Sunday was complete without a joyride in the Franklin. In 1999 we discovered the H.H. Franklin club. advantage of their garages to do the 500 and We became avid members and began attending 1,000 mile many of their meets. After many years riding in maintenance the passenger seat of Dad's car, I figured that if tasks. Risky trip? I were ever to spend any driver’s seat time I'd Well, I took much need to get my own car. I was lucky enough to of my comfort find a car in excellent shape that a Franklin from my father’s Club member was selling, and Geri and I experiences in his became Franklin owners in 2007. Franklin. Dad's car had been All the way from DC to the driven for Geri and I enjoy touring and joyriding in our Grand Canyon, the Franklin years, Franklin. We have put over 20,000 miles on it proves worthy since we took including to ownership. California, The Franklin Boston, and club's annual Canada. If Dad's car can do all that without fail, 'Trek' is held why wouldn't mine make this long trip (and in Cazenovia, mine is more modern by nine years!)? NY. Most years we make the My other technique to avoid any problems, drive, taking which I A covered bridge always two days of believe provides a nice backdrop easy driving on helped us some nice back run trouble roads. We free, was enjoyed Fall touring the Skyline Drive the last the Eby few years. The northern Virginia wineries make corollary to nice destinations for Sunday drives when Murphy's friends come to visit. Our Franklin rested up Law, which most of 2016, as family business kept us away is “The from home a lot. But normally the Franklin thing that This station has probably seen doesn't get to rest much, even on a cold winter will break more than one Franklin day if the destination sounds fun. on your car is the thing for which you do not have tools to repair, nor In 2012 we drove from Washington, D.C., our the appropriate part.” Hence, to prevent any home at the time, to the Grand Canyon. It was breakdowns I carry what seems like loads of 6,126 miles over the course of 33 days, 22 of tools, oil, grease, pullers, spreaders, inner which were driving and the others were stops tubes, jacks, parts, rags, wires, tow straps, and to visit friends and relatives, and take an assortment of other stuff. Carrying a repair 3 for every potential breakdown by law prevents We don't do many car shows; however, the Frank- said breakdowns. So far this philosophy has lin is always of interest to browsers when we do. worked well - not empirical proof, but I'm As more of a driver it is a little rough around the sticking with it. On our long trips we pull a little edges. But the unique engineering aspects always fiberglass motorcycle trailer for the luggage. intrigues show goers, and we have lots of fun talk- ing about our car. Franklin's are fine, reliable, styl- The interior is original, and other than the wear ish classics. And the best part is that they are still and tear of the driver’s seat, it is in good shape. fairly affordable. I hope you enjoyed reading our The Franklin company was competing in the Franklin story. higher end of the automotive market, so there are END some nice features of the interior such as silk roller shades, cigar lighters, dome lights, and a Editor’s Pick ◊◊◊ Reprinted From: pull-down arm rest in the rear. The Victoria AACA Fall 2016 Rummage Box Brougham is a close-coupled body style, so it has two doors with a folding passenger seat for rear passenger access. There is not much leg room in Making Memories our Victoria Brougham compared with some oth- er Franklin body styles, which seem cavernous by By Chuck Crane comparison. But I guess when you go for style, you give up convenience. VP Regions Development and The Franklin company had a comprehensive re- Support Central and Western search facility, and the mechanical designs were Divisions well-tested at the factory. One story is that Frank- lin customers complained about how low the oil I grew up in the 1950’s in Michigan in an area west pressure was in the early cars, so Franklin elimi- of Detroit, and was privileged to sPend much time nated the gauge. The air cooling design proved it- at the Henry Ford Museum where a strong interest self in the in automotive history was forged.