July 2013
Newsletter published monthly for MUSTANGS & FORDS OF THE Presidents Message DAKOTAS car club.
Meetings are held 4th Sunday of the Hello all. I want to give a big thanks to everyone who month, 7 p.m. Unless noted in the helped make our 2nd annual MFD & ABRA Charity Car newsletter! Show a success. We had 46 cars and raised $715 for Tracy’s Sanctuary House. Linda and I received the President: Ken Lammers - 323-9322 1618 Houston Dr, Bismarck, ND 58501 Tracy’s Sanctuary Choice with our 1965 Mercury Comet Email: klatlm@bis.midco.net Caliente. Patty & Dave Owens received an award for best restoration. Sam’s Club and Central Market each donated Vice President: Mike Conmy $25 toward food and pop. ABRA and Kupper Automotive 224-0169 were the major sponsors of the show providing the
Treasurer: Patty Owens - 391-9158 location along with donating the dash plaques, awards & 3042 Deerlodge Drive, Bismarck, ND much of the food. This event did not cost our club 58504 anything. Email: [email protected] It is almost time for our next event. Capital A’fair Car Editor: Dave Owens 701-527-2063 Email: [email protected] Show. We will be having a meeting at ABRA on Sunday 7-28 at 7pm to finalize the plans. We are looking for Website: http://clubs.hemmings.com/mfd donations and door prizes for the show. If you have Club Sponsor: something please bring it to the show. Awards and dash plaques are in, the 2014 calendars are in print and will be ready to sell. We are looking for volunteers to help set up the event. Meet at 8am at the capital grounds lot.
Again thanks to all that help make these events a CRUISE NITE success. Ken Lammers First Tuesday of each month. Next night is Upcoming Events August 6th MFD Club Meeting: Sunday July 28th 7pm at ABRA
MFD on Facebook! Capital A’fair Car Show: Sunday August 4th See Search for Mustangs Flyer & Fords of the Dinner at Mike Conmy’s house after the show at Dakotas. 5:30pm. Please bring a lawn chair, something to You can check out drink and something to share. member's pictures,
and club information
July 2013 Classifieds Free to members. Contact Dave Owens 2014 Calendars At [email protected]
For Sale: 8BA Flathead Ford Rebuilt Offenhauser 4 Barrel Intake Offenhauser Heads - Long Block No carb, generator, starter or water pumps. Contact Mel Gutknecht at 701-880-0703
FOR SALE: Sweetheart Cottage Thomas Kincade Battery Clock Evening of Swan Brooke Cottage Flower Vase, 4in high Thomas Kincade Both in perfect shape. Both $25.00 Call Arlene at 701-782-6272 The 2014 calendars are available for purchasing. They make great gifts. Get them at the meetings or at the show.
MFD Clothing Capital A'Fair Show Shirts ($10) MFD Polo Shirts ($17) If anyone wants to purchase clothing, contact Patty Owens at [email protected] or 701-391-9158.
Membership Reminder membership dues were due at the May Picnic. If you have not paid for this year please contact Patty Owens or send a check for $20 made out to MFD. MFD Website Check out the website that Bryan Reinhardt put together! Go to: Members Rides/Profiles http://clubs.hemmings.com/mfd
Those who would like to submit a members There is now a link to the Club Sponsors Ride/Profile, Please submit to Dave my address on the MFD website. Check it out! is 3042 Deer Lodge Dr, Bismarck, ND 58504 The forms are available, ask. Please feel free to add the MFD link to Or Email: [email protected] any website that you may have.
Aug 2013
Thunder On Pikes Peak By Greg & Jackie Dockter
Here are a couple of pictures from our “Thunder On Pikes Peak” run.
MINIPTY and 47 other Retrobirds at the Manitou Springs Sonic
Aug 2013
On the way up Pikes Peak summit elevation 14,115’ above sea level
MINIPTY just ready for the descent (last of 34 Retrobirds on the summit)
Aug 2013
MINIPTY just ready for the descent (last of 34 Retrobirds on the summit)
Aug 2013
MINIPTY & Inca Gold Retrobird on Descent (Inca Gold is the least Retrobird production with only 82 manufactured in 2005).
Saw lots of activity getting ready for the 91st running of the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb - "Race to the Clouds" (second oldest motor sports race in America, first completed in 1916). June 30th is RACE DAY. See www.PPIHC.com. It took almost an hour for the 34 birds to caravan up, while the "big boys" do it in less than 5 minutes! In 2012, Layne Schrantz and his #7 GEICO Chevrolet did it in a record 4:21.290!
Great trip..... First time with this group (Thunderbirdnest.com, TBN). "Newbies" only once! :)
Aug 2013
Car Craft Summer Nationals 2013 By Dave Owens
For the past few years my neighbor Donovan Wagner had been telling me about Car Craft and saying I need to come along with them next year. Last year I had plans to attend but work got in the way. At the time though I assured Donavan I would make it to the next one. The next one was last weekend and was it fun!
The Car Craft Summer Nationals is a Hot Rod show held annually at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds in St. Paul Minnesota. It is a huge car show with thousands of cars, acres of vendors, displays, food, bands, etc. There was even a bunch of stuff I never had time to see such as racing events, burn out contests, dyno’s, bikini contests, autograph sessions and more. It is just too big to see and or do everything.
Car Craft is nothing like the car shows around here. Where shows like Buggies and Blues are very structured with vehicles parked in lines and roped off, Car Craft is the exact opposite. At Car Craft you park where ever, whenever and however you want to. Cars are parked on the streets, parking lots, lawns, etc. Any place a car could be parked, cars were parked. Nothing is roped off, not even the million dollar builds. There is a constant line of cars being driven down the fairgrounds streets with people coming, going or simply looking around. Basically a 3 day never ending car parade.
Donovan and his son Shane have been going to this show for the past few years. They learned that even though the show does not start till Friday many show up Thursday evening and “reserve” prime spots by roping off areas to park and tailgate. We planned to do the same. We loaded up Wednesday evening to be ready to leave early Thursday. Unfortunately I had a meeting I needed to attend so I did not get out of Bismarck till noon and missed caravanning with the group.
Against all rational judgment my plan was to drive the ABird. The ABird is a Frankenstein car made of parts from a Ford Model A, 87 Thunderbird, parts from the Agnew ranch and hardware from Mac’s. It was built with the purpose to allow Dennis’s grandparents to have something in the Braddock Centennial Parade. With very questionable build quality and no spare tire, I plugged in the Ipod, turned onto I94 and set the cruise at 77. There were plenty of strangle looks and a few thumbs up as I passed others.
Thursday was very hot with temps in the 90’s. The ABird has no roof, bare metal floors and catalytic converters right under your feet. I was so hot I dumped a bottle of water over my head and tee shirt to stay cool. I really was worried to ABird would over heat but the gauge never made it past half way. Mechanically things could not have gone better and I made it to the hotel in Roseville, MN by 7pm.
With our group still at the fairgrounds setting up I quickly checked into my room and returned to the parking lot. I unloaded my cooler, setup a lawn chair and enjoyed a cool one while visiting with those who stopped by to check out the car.
At 9pm the group pulled in and as Donovan was parking the high pressure power steering hose ruptured on his 58 Chevy. As a trained car guy the first order of any hot rod repair is to have a beer. While we were looking at the car a group from Minot came over and looked at the ruptured hose (had a few beers) with us and discuss probable causes. After a few more discussions we were convinced of the cause and determined a new hose was needed. We decided to go for dinner and discuss where or how to get a hose.
At around 11pm a game plan was finalized and it was time to go grocery shopping for tomorrows tailgating. After getting lost trying to find the big store that was “right here” last year we resorted to technology and asked the Iphone directions. Yep we were way off. After shopping, a stop for more beer was made to refill and it was time for bed.
I met Okie (from Oklahoma) in the lot at 7am and we jumped into the ABird an off to O’Reille we went to find a hose. They could not make a hose but gave an address of a store that could. After getting back to the hotel we regrouped. Shane and Oki would use the truck to get a hose and repair the 58 while the rest of us would head to the show. We had one more person than car space and while trying to figure that out Donovan was offered and got a ride from a stranger who was staying at the hotel and happed to be looking at the cars.
After checking in to get wrist bands and window decals into the show we drove. I was expecting parking lots with cars lined up but instead we drove into organized chaos. Cars were parked all over, crowds of people, canopies and lawn chairs setup anywhere there was grass. Everything from Pro-street drag cars, restored muscle cars, low riders to big diesel trucks were everywhere. Pure hot rod heaven.
The guys got the car fixed and made it to the show. Shane drove his truck in with the coolers and food. After some burgers and beer it was time to start looking around. A couple of hours later we were joined by some folks from Illinois that some in our group had met the year before. We had reserved a spot for them. While they got something to eat another group from Bismarck found us, visited for a while and rested their feet. After they left it was determined more beer was needed.
The 1st day flew by and before I knew it was 8pm and time to leave. We parked up the coolers and food, roped off our spot for Saturday, and then headed for the hotel. The tailgating continued in the hotel lot soon after our arrival. Our group expanded when Nudie and his brother pulled in with their cars. Two groups from Minot joined in our circle of knowledge and this continued till midnight. I was brushing my teeth for bed when I got a call from Donovan “pizza’s ordered come to my room”. I finally made it to bed around 1:30am. What a fun day it was.
We met in the lobby for breakfast at 8am and then headed for the show. While driving over I noticed I needed gas so pulled into a station while the others kept going. After filling up I drove toward the fairgrounds only to run into bumper to bumper hot rods waiting to get in. The entrance was on the west side but traffic was backed up several miles all the way to the east side which is where I was at. I could see the VIP / Vendor entrance ahead so I quickly devised a plan. When clear I pulled out of line and headed for the entrance. A policeman yelled at me “no, no, no, get back in line, you need to go around”. I yelled back “I’m overheating and if I break down nobody will go anywhere and everything will stop”. He immediately waved his arm and yelled ”go in, go in”. A hated to lie to a cop but there were cars and vendors that need visiting and driving in this entrance just made sense.
I got the ABird parked, went and picked up a free tee shirt and hat from some vendors and started to look at cars. About 45 minutes later the rest of the group finally made it in with the exception of the 87 IROC. It broke down on the west side of the fairgrounds. I told them the story of how I got right in and they called me a few names many ending in the word hole. Plans were made to get an alternator for the Camaro while the rest of us went to look at cars.
The day was spent like the previous, look at cars for a few hours then regroup, eat, then back at cars. We took turns driving the ABird around with two inside and two on the rumble seat looking at the cars. That was a lot of fun.
After the day it was back to the hotel for more tailgating. The lot is large and by the end of the night it seemed like most staying there had done at least one burn out and some several. The party continued into the night and I made it to bed around 1:30 am.
For me Car Craft turned out to be the best show I’ve ever attended. Thousands of fantastic cars of every type, few annoying rules, and great people. It has been years since I have laughed that hard and long. I left for home Sunday morning determined to be back again next year! The Abird ready to head to the show while the 58 Chevy is being worked on