RUNABOUTS to ROCKETS The Monthly Magazine Of The National Antique Oldsmobile Club October 2011 The Beartooth Challenge: Premiere NAOC National Tour Greg Childs’ 1950 Olds Futuramic “88” Deluxe Club Sedan Joyce Burke Photo Runabouts to Rockets Published Monthly by the National Antique Oldsmobile Club, Inc. 16318 Riggs Rd., Stilwell, KS 66085 www.antiqueolds.org [email protected] The National Antique Oldsmobile Club is a non-profit corporation founded in 1981. This Issue: Premiere NAOC It is devoted to encouraging the preservation, restoration and public display of the National Tour: The Beartooth products of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, the Olds Motor Works, and the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors built from 1897 through 1977. The club provides historical, Challenge in Montana. technical and educational materials to its members and to the general public. Member- Greg and Debbie Childs hosted this ship is open to all those interested in vintage Oldsmobiles; the ownership of such a car is adventure and invited the Editor to not required. come along. It was touch and go there Runabouts to Rockets is published monthly. Stories and photos submitted by mem- for a while as to whether we would bers are welcome and encouraged. Deadline for material is the first of the month prior make it through, but we did! Read all to the issue month. For information on classified ads, see that section of the newsletter. Mailing is by third class and enters the Jefferson City, MO post office about the 12th of the about it starting on page 4. month. It is not unusual for third class mail to take three weeks and it is not forwarded. Look for more coverage of NAOC First class mail service is optional. Direct questions about membership paid status and Nationals in next issue. address changes to the Membership Manager. Officers and Staff President’s Message PRESIDENT Larry Reid Larry Reid 731 E. Inverness Ln., Spokane, WA 99223 I hope all of our members enjoyed the wonderful color photo spread of our 509-768-6624 or [email protected] 2011 NAOC National Meet in the September issue of Runabouts to Rockets maga- VICE PRESIDENT zine. There is more to come, too. It certainly brought back memories of a good time Jim Schultz and an excellent meet. At the same time, it was particularly tragic to read about the P.O. Box 1158 loss of Ron and Julie Siegrist’s 1970 “98” convertible in a house and garage fire not Chino Valley, AZ 86323 long after the conclusion of the meet. Luckily, there was no report of any injuries as 928-636-2405 or [email protected] a result of the fire. I’m sure that all members wish you well, Ron and Julie, and that SECRETARY you can find a way to replace your beautiful Oldsmobile. Greg Minges 11780 Edgewood Rd., Harrison, OH 45030 As mentioned in last month’s President’s Message and also in an article on the [email protected] back page of September’s issue, we can look forward to a new NAOC Directory that TREASURER —Continued on page 14 Richard Winn Directors 17313 County Road 2720, Slaton, TX 79364 Ron Ahlson Bud Guyer 254-947-8968 or [email protected] 34294 S. Chicago Rd. 5532 Huntley Ave. MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Wilmington, IL 60481 Garden Grove, CA 92845 Paul Hartlieb 815-476-9443 (2012) 714-372-3932, [email protected] (2013) 121 North Railroad St. [email protected] Max Hineman Myerstown, PA 17067 13020 Turner Rd. [email protected] Charles Brennan DeWitt, MI 48820 RUNABOUTS TO ROCKETS EDITOR 16139 N Day Mt Spokane Rd. 517-669-5387 (2013) Mead, WA 99021-9704 Wendy Crosby David Hall 16318 Riggs Rd., Stilwell, KS 66085 509-238-2767, [email protected] (2011) 8770 Donovan Rd. [email protected] Radnor, OH 43066 CHIEF JUDGE Mike Cibulas 740-595-3322, [email protected] (2012) Greg Minges 3560 Alpine St. NE Paul Mang 11780 Edgewood Rd., Harrison, OH 45030 North Canton, OH 44721 3562 S. US Hwy. 421 [email protected] 330-492-8154, [email protected] (2012) Greensburg, IN 47240 CLUB HISTORIAN Joanne Ehrsam 812-663-8557, [email protected] (2012) Bud Guyer 5142 Silica Drive Greg Minges 5532 Huntley Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92845 Sylvania, OH 43560 419-882-4279, [email protected] (2013) 11780 Edgewood Rd 714-372-3932 or [email protected] Harrison, OH 45030 Phil Fischer 513-484-8148, [email protected] (2011) MEMBERSHIP DUES 605 W Mount Vernon St Membership dues in the USA are $38 a year, $74 for Metamora, IL 61548-9822 Clay Tober two years and $109 for three years. In Canada: USD 309-367-2831, [email protected] (2011) 819 E. Wallings Rd. $48 a year, $94 for two years and $139 for three years. Broadview Heights, OH 44147 In all other countries dues are USD $58 a year. First Franklin Graf 440-526-5159, [email protected] (2013) class mail is available to members in the USA for an 8788 Westfield Rd., Seville, OH 44273 additional $12 per year. Dual membership (two votes) 330-887-1089, [email protected] (2011) add $5 per year. 2 Runabouts to Rockets Hosting a Classic Car Tour By Greg Childs Our Editor has requested I pen a short article on hosting a a list of all tourists, their cars and home and email addresses tour. I fully understand many of you are accomplished tourists along with cell phone numbers. If your daily destination has and have both better and additional thoughts on this subject. phone service, it is a good idea to list that phone number However, after many years of touring, these are some ideas in case a tourist gets lost. Locals are much better at giving that seem to work. directions than fellow tourists might be. ADVERTISING AND REGISTRATION ACCOMODATIONS OFirst of all, to gain interest in a tour, it must be for more than Motels that offer parking in front of the rooms lend them- just a couple of days. Not many car tourists want to travel selves to socializing. Central entrance motels, especially those 500 or 1000 miles for a two day event. The tour can be either with key card entry are awkward and kind of uninviting after a “progressive” where accommodations change every night or day of travel. If your tour is “hub and spoke” the central en- “hub and spoke” wherein just one motel is used with daily trance motels are not quite as unwelcome. Whatever the case, drives. As far as advertising, the best media is your State or do not get involved with making motel reservations. Simply National Club Magazine. If the organization has chapters, coordinate with the motels and then publish the phone num- send each Chapter Editor a flyer. Websites are a possibility ber and perhaps a code word. Block out a number of rooms too. The magazines may be willing to print your registration and then have a cutoff date of a week or so prior to the event. form, otherwise, request that interested tourists contact you for a personal mailing. Use old registrations forms for ideas DAILY TOURS as to what you wish to include on your form. The tour may Where the tour goes or what the tourists do is not as have itemized costs for various meals and events or it may be important as you may think. Most old car people just want “all-inclusive” which is much easier as far as bookkeeping and to associate with others and enjoy the driving. If possible it is ticket taking is concerned. always enjoyable to have some public event or a driving goal as the premier event of your tour. Secondary roads are usually TOUR BOOK preferred, but not always necessary or accommodating. This can be nothing more than a few pages stapled together. It should contain a schedule of events with departure times. Include some general reminders and relevant instructions. Approximate daily mileages should be included along with —Continued on page 15 October 2011: Premiere NAOC National Tour 3 premiere naoc national tour Debbie and Greg Childs made it look easy. When you think about the logistics of organizing, publicizing and Greg and Debbie Childs, tour hosts hosting a classic car tour, there really are all kinds of things to consider. Who’s coming? Are their cars reli- able? Will there be enough interest to even do it? What if somebody breaks down? Gets lost? What will we eat? They covered all the bases and pulled off a unique and thoroughly enjoyable week of touring in some of the most beautiful country imagin- able—the Beartooth Mountains of Montana. It all began on a Monday, June 6 to be exact. We gathered for a short Brother and sister act at Welcome Party drive to our catered Welcome Party, where we ate and drank and got to know the folks we would be touring with for the next week. There were Greg and Debbie, of course. Leo and Barbara drove in from Idaho in his 1950 Olds and Joyce and Ed brought their very nice 1958 con- vertible from California. They traveled with Richard and Sherry, whose Olds —Continued on page 8 Ed and Joyce from California Barbara, Leo, and Greg The art of Oldsmobiles Billings has lots of great neon Cynthia and Bob came down from Calgary 4 Runabouts to Rockets The beartooth challenge Everybody got good at lining up the Oldsmobiles Lined up at the Yellowstone County Museum for Welcome Party Yellowstone County Museum William Clark wrote on Pompey’s Pillar Our first day’s outing to Pompeyi’s Pillar was a little wet but Oldsmobiles don’t melt —More on page 8 October 2011: Premiere NAOC National Tour 5 NAOC MARKETPLACE Mail classified ad copy to: Editor, Wendy Crosby, Runabouts to Rockets, 16318 Riggs Rd., Stilwell, KS 66085.