Feb 2016 Newsletter - Modesto Classic Thunderbird Car Club

”Lil” Bird Drop-Ins
MODESTO AREA CLASSIC THUNDERBIRD CLUB, INC. NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 36 ISSUE #2—35TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
A Message From Our President:
I really enjoyed our January meeting with the
surprise 35 year anniversary event. Some of
you have been in our club that long, wow! In 1981 Donna
and I lived in Minford, Ohio, out in the country, where we
had built our "dream" home and planned to spend the rest
of our lives. My how things change! Little did we know
that we would someday have a 1957 Thunderbird and be in
a club with lots of friends like you.
Donna and I are looking forward to a fun filled year with
the club. We plan to attend QC in June, Hot August Nights
in Reno in August, and the CTCI Convention in San Diego
in September. We are sure many of you will tag along and
we will share lots of good times!
In addition, the club will be organizing outings and events
that we can all join in throughout this year. Hopefully
Tweety Bird will have her new outfit by early Spring to be
ready for all the fun. I have been busy spending Donna's
money on parts, labor and materials.
January is a little less active and the weather is not as nice
for cruising so it's a good time to plan ahead. If you are
looking for T-Bird fun in the meantime, go on a couple
websites and look at some amazing T-Birds: Minters and
Barrett Jackson. The beautiful T-Birds here really remind
you how lucky we are to own these awesome classics.
Pat has our website ready for launch this month. So check
out lots of great photos, memories, information, schedule of
events, etc. A really nice addition and upgrade for our club
and others to use and enjoy!
Officers & Chairpersons
President:
Jim Montavon.............209 522-8830 H
209 872-1333 C
Email: [email protected]
Vice President:
Jim Ridenour………....209 529-8283 H
916 342-7590 C
Email: [email protected]
Treasurer:
Elaine Rogers………......209 527-2639
Secretary:
Katrina Tellez…………...209 526-6103
CTCI:
Don Cose…………………209 835-2203
Board Members:
Earl Reedy……………….209 823-0258
Keith Rogers…………….209 527-2639
Newsletter/Publicity:
Pat Mason…………..……209 538-1130
Don't forget to submit your suggestions for events to Jim
Ridenour and help him get our business meetings nailed
down. I really appreciate the participation from all the club
members. Let's keep it up and enjoy a great time in 2016.
Email: [email protected]
See you on February 14th.
Give-A-Way:
Jim Montavon
Sunshine:
Shirley Mattos………….209 521-2498
Sandy & Joe Hood……..209 883-1122
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A Little History Lesson
Our newsletter was named “Lil” Bird Drop-Ins by Charter member Joe Stewart.
Webster defines “drop-in” as a casual visit, or a brief stop. The focus of our newsletter is
to promote club objectives, report news about members as well as club activities, publish
business meeting minutes, restoration tips, exchange of ideas, inspire, inform, build enthusiasm and encourage participation in club, regional and international events.
Our logo was designed by Marlon Helton and Jan Peterson with the help of an old typewriter. Our logo features the Thunderbird emblem at the base and the Modesto Arch at the
top. The Modesto Arch was built in 1912 to welcome automobile drivers to Modesto. On October 26, 2012 Modesto restored the 100 year old arch, funded by donations from the community, and hosted a “Centennial Parade of Cars.” Our club was honored to represent the
year of 1957. Keith and Elaine
Rogers drove their 1957
Thunderbird under the restored arch in the parade of
100 years of cars.
Centennial Parade of Cars
Elaine and Keith—October 26, 2012
The club’s original charter- August 4, 1982
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35th Anniversary Party
Table decorations were so perfect
Don Cose, outgoing President
36 in attendance at first meeting of the year
Ken & Roberta Van Dyke
Earl looking good!
Our hostesses: Pat,
Sandy and Katrina
Our guest
Janelle
Smith,
a past
member
Yes, we love to visit!
Jan & Don Wigle
35th Anniversary Cake
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BUSINESSMEETING—SUNDAY,FEBRUARY14TH,ATNOON
“TABLE26”(PREVIOUSLY“SWEETRIVER”)
2600GEERROAD,TURLOCK
HOST:JANPETERSON
DIRECTIONS: TAKE MONTE VISTA EXIT OFF OF HIGHWAY 99. FROM NORTH OF
TURLOCK TURN LEFT AT BOTTOM OF OFF RAMP AND GO EAST. TURN RIGHT ON
GEER ROAD. TABLE 26 IS ON LEFT AT INTERSECTION OF MINNESOTA AND GEER.
3rd Katie Langenbeck
Happy
20 Jeanette Voumard
Anniversary
22nd Keith Rogers
27th Marlon Helton
17th Jim & Donna Montavon
27th Dolly Reedy
24th Don & Bobbi Murrison
Please call Jim Ridenour and volunteer to host
one of the following business meetings:
March, August or November
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WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE
Our old website has been retired and replaced with a new spiffy website that “puts our
best foot forward.” We welcome your input for improvement.
www.modestotbirdclub.org
Give-A-Way Winners for January
IfyoumissedtheJanuary
meeting,youmissedalotof
fun.Aspecialhighlightwas
ournew“Give-A-Way”game,
developedbyJoeandSandy
Hood.Theypromiseatleast
11moreprizesinFebruary
andanew“twist”allowing
eachprizetobestolenonce!
WhatFun!
Iwouldliketothankeveryonefor
beingsopromptingettingtheir
duestome.Allduesweresentto
CTCIinDecember.Wearepaid
forthisyear.Ifyougetabillfrom
CTCIpleaseignoreit.Ihave
calledandwearepaidinfull.
Thanksagain!
ElaineRogers,
Treasurer
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If you are planning to attend this great event you need to make your hotel reservations now! If you are driving/trailering a classic car Sandy Hood suggests you stay
at Harrah’s where they provide free covered parking and free trailer parking across
the street. Registration of your car and event package can be done online at:
http://hotaugustnights.net
QC+XXXIX
31st Annual Fabulous Fords
June 9-12, 2016 in Tehachapi, California
Largest All Ford Show in the
West celebrating Fords from
1903 to 2016. The show will have
57 classes with over 1,800 entries. For more information and
registration forms see:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 901 Capital Hills
Parkway. Reservations: 1-800-465-4329, rate
$99.99 per night + tax, Reference Code “BTC” to
identify both event and room rate.
Hotel reservations must be
www.fabulousfordsforever.orgL
ar 9-12, 2016 in Tehachapi, Cali-
made by May 25, 2016
Have you made your hotel reservations?
The Early Birds of Southern California and the
Classic Thunderbirds of San Diego will be
hosting the 2016 CTCI International Convention
at the Crowne Plaza, 2270 Hotel Circle North,
San Diego, CA 92108. The room rate is $124 a
night. To make reservations call 619 297-1101
and mention 2016 Thunderbird Convention.
Registration forms are available online at our
web site www.modestotbirdclub.org and at the
CTCI web site. No refunds for cancellations
after August 15, 2016,
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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Well “Howdy” again,
What a way to start 2016! We are off to a great start for our
35th Anniversary year. I loved the enthusiasm of the discussions at our January business meeting and I am pleased we
were able to get all but three dates set for our monthly meetings. In addition we had one
group sign up to sponsor a tour. I am certain that March, August, and November meeting
dates will be booked by the end of our February meeting. In addition to our club’s meetings
and tours we have a big turnout for both the QC in June and the CTCI Convention in September. It is exciting to know that our club will be well represented at both events. Please
contact me if you think of a tour idea or would like to sign up to host one of our meetings.
Jim Ridenour
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA CAR CLUBS
Information Reported By Keith Rogers at January Meeting
Keith reported on the victories experienced this past October related to
legislation that looked to increase fuel taxes; increase vehicle registration;
charge tax on services and labor; and last but not least the proposed reduction of petroleum use by 50%. These all went down to defeat, but it is anticipated these
bills will be back in 2016. Now is the time to be alert to any and all legislation or regulations that proposes increases in taxes or fees.
Keith Rogers, Board Member
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
each member who contributed articles for this newsletter. Don Wigle
for his informative “Don’s Tech Column,” a great addition to our newsletter; Katrina for photos; Sandy and Joe car of the month; Keith the
legislative update; our President, Jim Montavon and Jim Ridenour the
only VP who writes a column for a club newsletter. This is your newsletter and input is always welcome. Deadline for submission is
Patricia Mason, Editor
the 25th of each month.
MEMBERSHIP BADGES
When leaving our meetings please drop your badge in the envelope next to
the badge box. Thanks, Katrina Tellez, Secretary
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Sandy’s Black Chrome
Owned by
Joe & Sandy Hood
Alias “Little Drug Running Bird”
It was 1989 when a 1956 Thunderbird was purchased
in Pleasanton at the American Auction. The car had a
broken window, the interior was tore up, and the gearshift
was stuck. The car would not start so a return trip home,
80 miles, was necessary to get tools to fix the car. Janelle
and Weldon “Smitty” Smith brought the car home and began the restoration.
When the paper work did not arrive from the auction company, numerous calls were
made and the truth was ultimately discovered. The car had been confiscated in a drug
deal by the DEA. It was a “little drug running bird!” Contra Costa County had sold the car
to the auction yard in an effort to recoup some monies.
After attending Hot August Nights and a QC meeting, the
Smiths joined the Modesto Area Classic T-Bird Club in 1990. They
left the club when they no longer owned the car.
In 2011 Ken Huckabee from Oakdale bought the car and kept it
two years. In 2013 he put an add in the Modesto Bee to sell the
Janelle Smith 1990
car. Joe Hood spotted the add the morning it came out and
knowing Sandy had always wanted a Thunderbird asked her if she was interested. Joe
called the seller, got some details and asked Sandy if she would like to go see the car.
Sandy was reluctant at first but found out it had originally been owned by the Smiths and
Joe and Sandy were on the road to Oakdale by 7:00 A.M. When they arrived the seller told
them he had seven calls on the car that morning. One buyer called while Sandy was test
driving the car and told the seller that she had cash and she was on her way to Oakdale.
The seller replied, “Well the lady who is driving it right now also has cash.” That evening
the 1956 Thunderbird had a new home.
Sandy and Joe immediately replaced the white after market vinyl top with a black hard
top complete with portholes. They added Kelsey Hayes wheels, wide white wall radial tires,
repaired the heater and air conditioner, added new carpet and new leather interiors. They
subsequently removed “buckets” of old wiring from under the hood and began the process
of detailing every little piece of the car.
All their hard work paid off and “Sandy’s Black Chrome” has become a winner at the local car shows bringing home nine trophies last year.
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Interior Door Handle Removal
On our Thunderbirds the interior-door handles, both the door opener and window crank, are held on
with metal clips, sort of in a C-shape but with ears to catch a tool. Since many Ford products use the same
clip, I've had many years of practice taking the handles off the wrong way, which is using two screwdrivers,
one to push the door panel back and a small one to try to pry the clip off. This method served me well and I
could usually remove one in ten or fifteen minutes.
After I bought the Thunderbird, I realized I would probably be taking off door
panels now and then, so I actually bought the correct tool for about six dollars at the local AutoZone. I soon discovered that my car had two different types of handles, and the
tool worked on only half of them. My guess is that one door was changed after an accident. The differences aren't apparent until the handles are removed.
The top handle in the picture has kind of a Y-shape where it attaches and is the
more common type. The bottom has a larger, round retainer for the clip to hold on the
handle.
Removing the handle with the Y-shape is quick and easy. Make sure to get the tool between the handle
and the plastic washer behind it, slide it in from the lever end of the handle--a little wiggling of the tool and the
handle is off in seconds.
The second type still requires a variation of the two-screwdriver method I've been using since I was fifteen.
The improvement I've included is using a pick instead of a small screwdriver. The pick I used for this was
even cheaper than the removal tool, a set of four, free with the right coupon from Harbor Freight. A mediumsized screwdriver is still needed to make a gap between the handle and the plastic washer. Using the screwdriver, pry the handle and the plastic ring apart near the lever to allow the pick to slide into a groove the retaining clip is in. Fortunately, the groove is even with the inside surface of the handle so it's easy to find: just
start as near the lever as possible, slide it back until you feel the clip, a little more of a tug and the handle is
free. With a little practice it only takes about a minute.
I read about another way to remove the clip. It involves sliding pantyhose behind the handle and pulling them
over the clip until they snag on the clip and pull it loose. [Pantyhose! Who still wears those? -Jan] I had no
luck with that method, and after removing the handles, I determined that it would be difficult to make it work
on the second type of handle. While it might work on the newer type, it didn't for me.
Don Wigle
[email protected]
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Date/Time & Place
February 14th, Noon,
Table 26, Turlock
Event
February Business
Meeting
March—TBA
April 3, Noon, TBA
April 17th, Knott's Berry
Farm, Anaheim, Ca
April 30th
March Business Meeting
April Business Meeting
31st Annual Fabulous
Fords Forever
Show & Shine Parkview
Christian Estates
May 3, Noon, TBA
Business Meeting
June 9-12, Holiday Inn & QCXXXIX at Holiday Inn
Suites, Tehachapi, Ca
& Suites
th
June 10 , 5:00 PM
Modesto Graffiti Parade
June 11-12th, 9:00 AM
Modesto Muni Golf
July 10, Noon, TBA
August, TBA
August 2-7th, Reno, NV
Sept. 4th, Noon at Jim
and Donna’s home
September, TBA
September 13-18,
San Diego
October 9, TBA in Tracy
November TBA
December 11th, Noon
Host For Event/Details
Jan Peterson Directions: From
99 take Monte Vista Exit East.
Turn right at Geer Road. Restaurant is on NE corner of Geer &
Minnesota.
Jim Ridenour & Mona Stebbing
Registration forms:
www.fabulousfordsforever.org
Jim Ridenour will coordinate
Jan & Don Wigle
Bakersfield Thunderbird Club
Kiwanis Club
Graffiti USA Car Show
Kiwanis Club
Business Meeting
Business Meeting
Hot August Nights
www.hotaugustnights.n
et
Business Meeting
Marlon & Terry Helton
Paso Robles Museum
CTCI Convention
Business Meeting
Business Meeting
Christmas Party at
Famiglia Bistro
Ristorante, Modesto
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Oh no!!!!! Better make hotel
reservations now!
Jim & Donna Montavon, 2508
Van Derk Circle, Modesto
Cose, Reedy & Montgomery
Registration: www.ctci.org
Dolly & Earl Reedy
Modesto Area Classic Thunderbird Club Minutes—Famiglia Bistro Ristorante
January 10, 2016 - Meeting called to order at 12:16 PM
Thank you to our hosts Joe & Sandra Hood and Pat Mason, and for helping with the decorations, Jan Peterson and Katrina Tellez. Welcome to Janelle Smith guest of Sandra Hood and Cindy Stevenson guest of Jim
Fenelon. This meeting marks the 35th year of the club. Original charter members present were Jan Peterson,
Marlon and Terry Helton, Don Murrison, Jim and Judy Lyon, and Ken and Roberta Van Dyke. Original
members not present; Galen Rydelius, Fran Miller and Ken & Betty Sparks. There were 31 members and 2
guests in attendance.
Treasurer Report: Given by Keith Rogers in Elaine’s absence - expenses from Sunshine, two months of
newsletter, website set-up, give away, Christmas party, and CTCI dues total $1,456.02. Income from giveaway, and dues total $1,420.00. Out of 25 memberships, there are 46 members, 43 in CTCI and 3 not, 28 classic birds, 2 retro birds and 1 purple big bird.
CTCI Report: Don Cose - nothing to report.
Secretary Report: Jim Ridenour - no meeting in December. Katrina Tellez - members please report any errors found in the minutes so that they can be corrected.
Meetings/Tours: Jim Ridenour - a signup sheet for the year’s meetings and tours was sent around. Also signup sheets for the Bakersfield Club Q.C. in June and the CTCI Convention for September in San Diego. Listings and registration forms for car shows will be added to the website, hard copies for those without intranet
access will be provided. Would like to see the club attend car shows outside of the Modesto area so will also
include some of those. One of the things that impressed Jim when attending car shows was the club that
had a plaque on each car’s dash showing recognition of their club. Jim would like to receive ideas for something similar for our club. Suggestions for tours on the 3rd or 4th weekend of the month could be lunch at a
restaurant in Locke, the Ryde Hotel (five minutes from Walnut Grove), the Rivers Edge in Knights Ferry,
Grand Island mansion, Jamestown/Rail town or even an overnight excursion. Cose’s and Montgomery’s
have volunteered to set up an overnight trip/museum tour to Paso Robles in September. Graffiti and Q.C.
fall on the same weekend and since the club has had a strong presence in the past; would members not going
to Q.C. consider representing the club by entering the Graffiti car show? A note regarding CTCI Convention, Jan Peterson attended the International convention and it was an incredible experience; hotel reservations are filling quickly for this year in San Diego.
Newsletter/Publicity: Pat Mason - Thanks to everyone for their input. The new website will be up and running on January 16th.The club will also get exposure from ads in the Modesto Bee and other local newspapers.
ACCC Report: Keith Rogers - Defeated at the state level last year were bills to raise taxes on fuel, registration
and labor. However the governor wants to increase the classic car registration to $65.00 and jack up the gas
tax. Keith made a motion to again renew the membership with ACCC for $125.00, motion second by Don
Cose, and passed.
Old Business: The newsletter title. Comments; Monty Montgomery on clarifying the title, stated that its
meaning is “Lil” Bird Drop-Ins” not Droppings. Patricia Mason would like a title that’s classy and friendly,
focusing on club news and its members. Don Murrison commented that according to the clubs by-laws, Article I, the name and insignia must be printed at the top of the page as it has been in past newsletters, and
that according to Article IX proposed amendments must be published twice in the newsletter before being
voted on. It was determined that Article I and IX pertain to The Constitution and By-Laws, not the newsletter. Jan Wigle stated that according to the newsletter of another club she had also observed the title and insignia being at the top of the page. Don Cose stated that the issue is to either maintain or change the title of
the newsletter. There were 16 NO and 3 YES votes, therefore the title remains as “Lil” Bird Drop-Ins.
New Business: In December three charities were chosen to receive the donated toys, one of which sent a
nice thank you letter to the club, and was read by Jim Montavon. The board elected to make Galen Rydelius
an honorary member. Members added the year they joined the club to the roster. Meeting concluded and
closed at 1:45 pm.
Respectively submitted by Secretary: Katrina Tellez
Give Away: Bev, Don Wigle, Jim Ridenour, Jim Darwin, Shirley, Don Cose, Jan, Donna, Gil, Earl, Judy and Ruben
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