January 2015 - Gold Rush Car Show

JANUARY 2015 NEWSLETTER
PREZ SEZ
Calendar
Jan 20 – Club Board
Meeting 2:30pm at
the Holiday Inn
Express
Jan 21 – Regualr
Club Meeting 7pm at
FRSC Downtown
Jan 22 – Gold Rush
Car Show Committee
Meeting 2:30pm at
the Holiday Inn
Express
Feb 14– 29th Annual
Rotary Round Up
6pm at the Municiple
Auditorium tickets $25
Feb 18 – Regular
Club Meeting 7pm
at FRSC Downtown
Feb 19 - Gold Rush
Car Show Committee
Meeting 2:30pm at
the Holiday Inn
Express
Another year begins and we are full swing preparing for the 2015 Gold
Rush Car Show. I want to thank all of you for a great year in 2014, and
ask for you to continue supporting the club and I as we continue to grow
our club, and our outreach to our community. I always start the New
Year off with lots of hopes and dreams, and this year is no exception. I
have high hopes for our club and for our car show this year. All of you
will help to make those dreams a reality. I hope to grab your attention
this year with great programs at our monthly meetings and more
involvement from everyone to make this club what you all want it to be!
Again, Thank you all!
MEMBER PROFILE: Tom Piantanida
I got lazy this month, so I profiled myself. I’ve been
a car guy ever since the hormones kicked in. My
first car, at age 15, was a Ford three-window,
rumble-seat coupe. Wish I had a photo to show you,
but all I have are the images in my mind. The little
green coupe was hiding behind a gas station in
Monsey, NY, when I fell in love with it. Nevermind
that the left front fender was torn and improperly
repaired, and the dent in the driver’s door “oil canned”, to me it was beautiful. My
forty dollar purchase would be worth thousands today. I was too young to have
a drivers license, so I only drove the 85 horsepower, three-speed floor shifted,
mechanically braked “Green Hornet” on the driveway. I about wore out first gear
and reverse. By the time I got my license, the thrill of owning the ’36 had worn
off and I began to see all the repairs that it needed. Besides, there was this
metallic blue ’49 Mercury coupe at Bill Niven’s Cites Service gas station that I just
had to have. I sold the Green Hornet to a schoolmate and borrowed some bucks
from my parents to buy the Merc’.
The Merc’ was in good
shape, but the interior
was kind of drab; Sears seat covers helped a lot.
My cousin was in vocational auto body, so I gave
him the car to use at school. It got nosed and
decked, the headlights were Frenched using ’52
Merc’ headlight ring, the chrome was moved
back from the front fenders and started on the
doors, and skirts were added. The car was
painted Biscaye Blue Metallic. I added three
deuces, headers, dual glasspack exhausts, and
lowering blocks; and the Merc’ became my high
school ride. No photos of the Merc’ survived my
many moves.
However, photos of my next car have survived. I
sold the Merc’ to another schoolmate and
bought a 1950 Oldsmobile convertible. The
green convertible with tan Hartz Cloth top had a
’52 Olds mill and dual-coupling Hydramatic. I
added lowering blocks and dual exhaust. The
photo of the Olds’ (and me) graced the front
cover of my first book, KENNY’S KEMPS*. The
Olds’ met an untimely demise when the U-joints
gave up the ghost on a steep hill in Teaneck, NJ.
Thus far, there have been 43 cars in my life –
some classy, many mundane – and I will
highlight a few here. The first is a Colonial White
1956 Ford Victoria to which I added cruiser
skirts, a continental kit, lowering blocks, and
tiny antennas in the taillights. Within months
after I bought his car, I had a minor accident
when my mind was on the girl next to me instead
of on the intersection. Since the hood had to be
replaced anyway, I talked the bodyman into
using a 1955 hood instead of the ’56. (1956 Ford
hoods have a fake scoop the cuts a notch out of
the hood; ‘55s don’t have the notch.) That way
the bodyman only had to fill a couple of small
holes in order to nose the hood. I had one f the
few nosed 1956 Fords around. The photo below
is taken from the cover of my second book,
entitled DAVIES LAKE EPISODES. It was take
just outside the parking lot of Davies Lake,
where I parked cars every summer from my 14th
through my 18th.
Among the more noteworthy cars I’ve owned
are a couple of racecars. My first was a 1965
Corvair that my late wife and I morphed into a
pseudoYenko Stinger. At one time, the SCCA did
not recognize Corvairs as race eligible, but did
allow Yenko Stingers to race. Yenko Stingers
were late model Corvairs that were shipped to
Don Yenko Chevrolet in the white, where Don
massaged them into racers. Ours became a
Yenko Stinger by virtue of having Yenko sail
panels, Yenko deck lid, and not much more. We
developed this car during the eight years we
raced it. It never won a race while we owned it,
but it was reliable enough to amass sufficient
points to win the year-end championship
several years. We sold it to buy a D Sports Racer.
Here are both cars.
At one time, my late wife and I decided that it
was time for one of us to have a very special car;
something that he or she had always wanted.
We went shopping, and I found a 1969
DeTomaso Mangusta. The Mangusta was in
third place on my all-time favorite pieces of
automotive sculpture – cars that got all the lines
right. First place was, and I expect always will
be, the Ford GT40, which I saw for the first time
at the 1964 US Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, NY.
The GT40 wasn’t racing but was displayed at the
track.
Second place on the list is the
Lamborghini Miura, which like the GT40 was
priced miles above our affordable range. The
Mangusta was consigned at a dealership in
Burlingame, CA, and I had only the vaguest idea
what it was worth. I hired an appraiser, who
determined that the value of the car was a little
less than two-thirds of the owner’s asking price.
I offered the appraised price and when the
dealer called the owner with my offer, the owner
scoffed. So, we left the dealership and went to
see a 1961 Corvette that my late wife really
liked. The Corvette was mechanically sound, but
cosmetically challenged – light blue with dark
blue coves, part red/part black interior. We
made the owner an offer and he said he would
consider it. When we got home there was a
telephone message from the dealer who said
that – after some prodding – the owner of the
Mangusta accepted my offer.
Almost
immediately, the phone rang and it was the
owner of the Corvette telling us that he accepted
our offer. What to do? We paid cash for the
Corvette and financed the Mangusta, so both of
us got our special car on the same day. We bead
blasted the Corvette down to the native
fiberglass and painted it white with red coves,
and then we installed a new red interior. I
insisted on putting in a 1959 Corvette grille
because the 1961 grille is so blah. Hers are
photos of both cars.
Over the years, I’ve owned a lot of interesting
cars, and I hope to own a few more before the
ultimate garage closure. I’ll close this piece with
two that are about as different as can be (if you
don’t count the 1968 Citroen DS21 Pallas.) The
first is a 1956 Continental MkII, the 18th
production Mark II made; and the other is the
Lotus Europa that I rebuilt from a basket case
over a two-year period. Enjoy.
THE ORO DAM CRUISERS
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Wow, it seems like ages since
the last newsletter, but then
there is not much news to
report. I bet you miss the car
shows as much as I do. Just so
that we don’t forget how
much fun the Christmas Party
was, here are some words
and photos.
Our annual
Christmas Party was held at
the Eagle’s Hall on December
7, and all who attended had a
wonderful time. Nobody left
hungry, that’s for certain.
Music was provided by Al’s
Pals, who made the evening
festive.
And then it was time to eat.
Before sitting down to dinner,
most of the members engaged
in friendly conversation.
Al’s Pals were occasionally
accompanied
by
Sugih
Spangler and even by a
children’s choir.
The big question was “Who
wants ham and who wants
turkey?”
And generous gifts of food for
the Oroville Rescue Mission.
These before and after photos
show that the members hit
the food a good lick.
He and Verna Mae even did a
mean Chicken!
Oro Dam Cruisers’ First
Couple had a wonderful time
and are looking forward to a
happy,
healthy,
and
After the main course, Verna
Mae and Siggi dished up the
dessert.
There were presents for all
the members.
Everyone was definitely in
the
Christmas
spirit,
especially Steve.
prosperous 2015.
TRIVIA
1. What car is this:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
MacLaren M8D
Ferrari 612P
Chaparral 2H
Porsche 917PA
Lola T163
4. What car is this:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
MacLaren M8B
Ferrari 612P
Chaparral 2H
Porsche 917PA
Lola T163
2. What car is this:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
MacLaren M8D
Ferrari 612P
Chaparral 2H
Porsche 917PA
LolaT163
5. What car is this:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
MacLaren M8D
Ferrari 612P
Chaparral 2H
Porsche 917PA
Lola T163
3. What car is this:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
MacLaren M8D
Ferrari 612P
Chaparral 2H
Porsche 917PA
Lola T163
ANSWERS: 1-c, 2-a, 3-e, 4-b, 5-d
‘ 50 OLDS RAGTOP, INSTALLMENT 5
Ever since Kenny bought the Olds’ ragtop, his friend, Al, had been bugging him to sell him the car.
Al loved the big Olds’ almost as much as Kenny did. The majority of the times that they double dated, Al
drove Kenny’s convertible while Kenny, of course, got the back seat. It was cramped, but it had its
advantages.
Al had been dating a girl named Ann from Haverstraw who promised to “fix Kenny up” with one of
her girlfriends. They had arranged a double date – a blind date for Kenny – for Saturday night. At about 6:00,
Kenny drove over to pick Al up. It was a warm summer evening; Kenny had just finished work at Davie’s
Lake where he parked cars, washed beer mugs, cleaned up trash, and generally acted as a “go-fer.” He was
ready for a night out. Normally, they would head to Victory Speedway to watch the stock-car races, but Al’s
girlfriend didn’t like the stocks much, so tonight they would head down to the Route 303 Drive In.
After some discussion about the convertible top – down for the breeze and the look, or up for the
privacy at the drive-in – they decided on down. The broken-in glass packs emitted their menacing tone as Al
wheeled the Olds’ up Middletown Road with Kenny riding “shotgun.”
By the time they got to Trap Rock, where the road crossed the New York Central mainline and
descended into Haverstraw, the sun was setting and gloom was descended on the sleepy riverfront town.
Just after crossing the train tracks, Al turned the key on the Oldsmobile, killing the ignition. The car’s
forward momentum would keep the engine turning over, pumping raw fuel into the exhaust system. This
mixture would explode as soon as Al turned the ignition on, emitting a tremendous report and shooting
flames a good twelve feet out of the dual pipes.
Al’s plan was to coast the Olds’ down the hill with the key off until they entered the natural acoustic
chamber formed by the glass-fronted A&P on the left side of the street and the granite-faced Rockland
National Bank on the right. The blast would reverberate forever, Al thought.
Just as the Olds’ reached the prime location, and Al reached for the key. Kenny saw him first – a cop
checking doors in the downtown area had just turned the corner in front of the A&P. Too late! Al turned the
key, and an instant later the explosive mixture in the Olds’ exhaust system erupted into a deafening blast
accompanied by a blinding flash of flames.
The cop “knew” that he had been shot at! He wheeled around like a dog chasing his tail, trying to
unholster his sidearm, all the while trying to duck his head. By the time the cop had drawn his gun and
realized what had happened, Al – with ears ringing – had the Olds’ up to speed and was heading through
town. The hot glass packs beat a tattoo on the ancient storefronts.
At Ann’s, Al slid out of the Olds’ to let her sit in the middle. Kenny would move to the back seat
when they picked up his date.
Kenny wanted to know about his date. “What’s her name? What does she look like?”
“Her name’s Valeta and she has a great personality.”
Nuts! thought Kenny. A great personality means she’s ugly.
“Yeah, but what does she look like?” he wanted to know.
“She’s about 5’ 5”, has long blond hair, and she’s very popular.”
With whom? Kenny thought.
“How come she doesn’t have a regular boyfriend?”
“She just broke up with her steady, same as you.”
Kenny felt a tightness in his stomach, just for an instant, when Ann mentioned his steady date. He
and Mandy had broken up two weeks ago, and it still hurt to think about it.
Valeta lived in Blauvelt and as the trio drove down 9W towards Valeta’s, Kenny tried to imagine
what she looked like. Maybe even like June Haver or Martha Hyer, he thought.
Once there, Ann went into the house to get Valeta.
From the front porch, Valeta surveyed Kenny while Kenny returned her appraising stare from the
back seat. She was not just cute; she was downright pretty, Kenny thought. The central third of her long,
blond hair was pulled back over her head into a loose ponytail that was tied with a blue ribbon. The rest of
her shiny hair fell around her shoulders in soft waves. The ribbon matched the soft blue of her eyes. Mandy
who? Kenny thought.
In the car, Ann made the appropriate introductions. Valeta had a great last name—Vice. Kenny let
“Valeta Vice” roll off his tongue more than once.
“Valeta is an unusual name,” Kenny opened.
“I think it was the name of one of my father’s girlfriends before he married Mom.”
“I’ve heard the name before,” Kenny continued.
“Really? Where?” she wanted to know.
“Prince Valiant and Princess Aleta have twin daughters named Valeta and Karen.”
“Wow!” Valeta exclaimed. “My sister’s name is Karen.”
They both laughed; the ice had been broken.
At the drive-in, Al selected the socially acceptable location for a first date. Not the very back rows,
known as the “Passion Pits,” or the front rows, occupied by station wagons full of rug rats and ankle biters,
but close enough to the back to be private. Valeta seemed comfortable with the choice.
Once settled into their slot, with the speaker hung on the driver’s window, Al asked, “Is anybody
getting chilly? Do you want the top up?”
“Could we put it up?” Ann asked, hopefully.
The right answer, Kenny thought to himself, as he and Al unsnapped the boot and stowed it in the
trunk. Then Al raised the top, and while he latched the header bar to the windshield frame, Kenny zipped the
back window into position. Now they would be cozy – and private.
There was an unwritten rule that you couldn’t “make out” at the drive-in until the movie was on and
the lights were off, so Kenny and Valeta made small talk while they waited. Apparently, Al and Ann didn’t
know about the rule.
When the movie finally came on, Kenny moved over to Valeta and kissed her. She kissed him back.
But as the movie progressed, he started to hear, “Don’t do that!” “Don’t put your hand there!” “Leave that
hooked.” And the dreaded, “I’m not that kind of girl.” By the end of the evening, Kenny was certain that
there would be no other dates. He was surprised when, after kissing Valeta good night, she turned and said,
“I really like you, Kenny. I’m just not feeling well tonight, if you know what I mean. I hope we can go out
again.”
So, it wasn’t him. The message was clear: She liked him, but the timing was wrong.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he told her as he headed for the car. It wasn’t the perfect blind date, but it
was close.