Jul-Aug-Sept - Mid

ELECTED OFFICERS
Director
Becky Woodall
(h)757 482 3386 (c) 767 641 1021
APPOINTMENTS
Membership
Dianne Taylor
(h) 410 876 0702 (c) 410 746 4061
[email protected]
[email protected]
Vice Director
Mike Murphy
Newsletter Editor
(h) 540 347 7356 (c) 540 270 6081
[email protected]
Secretary
Ann Fagan
(h) 410 517 0489 (c) 443 520 3526
[email protected]
Treasurer
Alice Oberender
David Young
(h) 410 8760702 (c) 410 375 2800
[email protected]
Webmaster
Jerry Howard
midatlanticvmcca.com
(h) 301 685 3944 (c) 301 514 0100
[email protected]
Sergeant at Arms
David Oberender
(h) 410 879 0913 (c) 410 459 9161
(h) 410 879 0913 (c) 410 459 9161
[email protected]
[email protected]
Past Directors
Executive Committee
Becky Woodall, Michael Murphy, Ann Fagan,
Alice Oberender, David Young
1999-2000
Charles Smith
2001-2002
Roy Lambden
Membership Services
2003-2004
Steve Smith
Name Tags - Clip, Magnetic, Pin
Darcy Erion [email protected]
2005-2006
Jim Scheidel
2007-2008
Chester Bradfield
2009-2010
Roger de Socarras
2011-2012
Howard King
2013-2014
David Young
(h) 301 932 5872 (c) 301 481 3706
Please Wear Name Tags to All Activities
Apparel Embroidery w/Logo
Dianne Taylor [email protected]
(h) 410 876 0702 (c) 410 746 4061
National VMCCA
2015
August 30 - 4 Glidden, Oklahoma City, OK
September 13 -18 Chrome Glidden, Sequim, WA
October 7 - 10 VMCCA Tent at Hershey C2C 49-50
2016
February 25-27 Annual Meeting, Gorda Florida
May 15-20 Western National, Show Low, AZ
Mid-Atlantic Region VMCCA
September 26 Picnic, Paradise, PA
Tom and and Nancy Pfahler, Hosts
October 21-25 Fall Tour Lexington, KY
Bill and Jane Johnson, Coordinating
November 14 Annual Meeting, Mimslyn Inn
Luray, VA Chester, Nancy Bradfield
Summer has arrived and hopefully you and your antique cars are
out and about.
Tours have started. I am proud to say that our 2015 Heritage
Tour is still being complimented by those who attended and talked about
by those who wish they had. We have had Mid-Atlantic members attend
both the One and Two Cylinder Tour and the first Tops Down
Convertible Tour.
We have many events coming in the Fall: our picnic in PA,
Hershey in PA, the Fall tour in KY, and the Annual Meeting in VA. Please look for details in
the following pages. Hopefully we will see you at many or all of these events.
Times flies and it is time to think about officers for our 2016
year. If you are interested in serving as an officer, please contact one
of the following nominating committee members: Jim Scheidel, Doris
Stone, or Roger de Socarras.
See you soon, Becky
.
Annual Picnic Annual Meeting ‐ Luray 1 & 2 Cylinder Tour 3 5 8 Hershey A Perfect Father's Day Cover Story 4 5 9 Fall Tour in Kentucky Tops Down Tour 4 7 Editor's Notes: . Wheels A Rolling publication dates clarification. Four issues are scheduled
on a quarterly basis and the target is to publish on the middle of the second month of the quarter.
The cover photo is adapted from a photo by Harry Hartman. Narrative and other photos are the
editor's unless noted to the contrary. Please Note Activity Reservation Deadlines Below.
DBY
Paradise, Pennsylvania that is - Saturday, September 26, 2015 and hosted by Tom and
Nancy Pfahler. Paradise is located in Lancaster County, and the PICNIC/MEETING will be
be at the Community Center, Paradise Community Park, 6
Londonvale Rd, Gordonville, PA 17529 (continue east on US 30 past
Paradise - Londonvale Rd will be the first road left after crossing the RR
tracks. Social at 11:00am and Lunch at 12 noon.
NEW since the last issue. There will be a tour after lunch to a car
collection in Lancaster. There is always something to do and enjoy in
Lancaster County. Make Reservations by September 15, 2015
Picnic menu - baked chicken, ham and cheese sandwich, potato salad, baked beans, fruit
cocktail, potato chips, assorted cakes for dessert, coffee, ice tea, lemonade, water and catered by
the Kinzer Fire Hall volunteers The cost is $12.00 per person. Make checks payable to MidAtlantic VMCCA and mail to: Nancy and Tom Pfahler, PO Box 58, Paradise, PA 17562-0058
Please bring items to
donate to the Picnic
Thanks, David and Dianne
Lexington—Heart of Kentucky Tour
VMCCA Mid-Atlantic Region
Fall Tour
Lexington, Kentucky
October 21-24, 2015
Come join us for the Fall Tour in the
beautiful horse country of Kentucky.
We will start our tour in the late afternoon
on Wednesday with registration followed
by a pizza and salad dinner at the hotel.
Thursday we will go to Keeneland Farms
which is a thoroughbred racing facility to
walk around and see actual horse racing starting at 1 p.m. and every half hour afterwards. We
will have reserved grandstand seating under cover. There will be vendors there
for lunch.
Friday we will travel to Berea (our longest driving day), have lunch at the Boone Tavern, and
visit the Kentucky Artisan Center with folk art and crafts.
Saturday we will take a charter train ride through the horse country, visit a toy museum, and
have lunch at a Woodford Inn, a restored bed and breakfast, etc. Our closing banquet and
business meeting will be at the hotel on Saturday night.
There will be other activities but this is a rough schedule. We will have early-bird tours for those
that are there on Wednesday. Let us know if you want Wednesday tour info before noon, and we
will get it to you.
THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE TOUR IS OCTOBER 1.
IMPORTANT: We have to purchase our tickets as soon as possible for the horse races on
Thursday. We would appreciate your letting Becky know if you want tickets and how
many.
Tickets prices are included in the registration fee.
Contact Becky at
[email protected] or 757-482-3386 to reserve your tickets now. (1st sent on 07/01/2015)
We would appreciate everyone's bringing something for the hospitably room either salty or sweet
or cheese, etc. We will have drinks and water. Thanks.
in Luray, VA If you were on the 2014 Heritage
Tour this will be deja vu - a great lunch. Save
the date November 14, 2015. Reservation
due by November 1 We will gather at 12 noon
in the lobby. Cash Bar will be open. Buffet
lunch at 1 PM in dining room. Cost $20
Meeting after lunch. Make checks payable to Mid-Atlantic VMCCA and mail to Nancy
Bradfield, 9219 Centerville Rd, Bridgewater, VA 22812. If you want to spend the night at the
Mimslyn it is $159.99. 800.296.5105 | 540.743.5105
There are many other hotels in the Luray area.
by Bill Beardmore
My wife Rickie & I purchased a 1931 Model A
Coupe in 1988. We did a frame off restoration in 1990.
It was a family project; myself, Rickie, our 2 sons
(Jimmy & Jerry), & several helpful friends completed the project in about 8 months. We have
driven the car over 105,000 miles since restoring it. The ‘31 coupe has obviously become a
beloved part of our lives.
Rickie and I were talking one day and said wouldn’t it be nice if we could teach Aimee
(our 16 year old granddaughter) how to drive our ‘31 Model A Coupe. She would then be able to
drive her Grampa to the Sully car show for Father’s Day. Sully is an antique car show that has
been sponsored by the George Washington Chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America and
the Mount Vernon Region of the Model A Restorers Club for 42 years. It is always held on
Father’s Day Sunday. The show would be something Aimee and I could do together and maybe
help spark her interest in the antique car hobby that Rickie and I enjoy so much. When we talked
to Aimee, she was excited & quickly reminded us that last summer I had taught her brother
(Jake) & her cousin (Lucas) how to drive the Model A and they weren’t even old enough to have
driver’s license! Did I mention that she only had a learners permit and had never driven a
standard transmission before?
On the Friday before Father’s Day, I headed to St. Leonard, MD to teach Aimee how to
drive our 1931 Model A Ford Coupe … her first attempt at driving a vehicle with a clutch. We
started our session at the kitchen table explaining how a clutch and standard transmission work,
how she was going to practice, & some unique aspects of driving an antique car. I explained that
she was going to have to push a lot harder on the brake pedal to make it stop because there are no
power brakes on a ‘31 Model A Ford! The steering wheel is much larger than what she was used
to & there isn’t any power steering on a ’31 Model A Ford. If the car isn’t moving, she will have
to use Power by Armstrong!
We moved outside to the ’31 A and
the 300’ long drive way. I showed her
how to start it, how to use the clutch and
how to shift gears, all of which we repeated
over and over in the driveway. We then
moved from the driveway to the subdivision street. Shift from first, to second,
to third and using the gas pedal and clutch
all at the same time. She did great! She gradually increased her confidence & speed. We did
several circuits around the subdivision. The last lesson was how to take off on a hill. She again
did a great job! I’m still not sure which one of us had the biggest smile!
When we got back to the house, her mother asked how we were going to get to Sully. I
said I thought it would be a nice ride if we went through Washington DC. Her mother said that
wouldn’t work because driving with a MD learners permit is not allowed in the District of
Columbia. That meant we couldn’t get there from our house without going on the Interstate.
Aimee spent Saturday night at our
house and we got up early Sunday morning
to head to the Sully Car Show. I told her
before we got on the interstate that she
should stay in the far right lane & keep the
speed up around 50 to 55 MPH. She
received lots of honks and waves from
passerby’s on Rt.66. We arrived at Sully to
many cheers and applause as the 16 year
old drove the 84 year old Model A into the registration area. Again, lots of smiling from
both of us. She had driven about 65 miles with no problems at all.
Aimee spent the next 2-1/2 hours helping with registration. I told her she would be
helping me judge the 30-31 closed cars. Rick Menz, Aimee and I only had 10 cars to judge. Rick
& I pointed out the areas that were costing the contestant points. Aimee was tallying the points
after Rick & I gave her the numbers. After three or four cars, Aimee pointed out that the next car
had the wrong valve stems on the tires and the hub caps were not of the original design. She is
not ready to strike out on her own judging yet, but I was quite proud of her for picking up on
what Rick and I had been teaching her.
Once judging was completed, we enjoyed lunch and ice cream together under a big shade
tree. Trophies were given out @ 3:30pm and the announcer mentioned that Aimee was the
youngest driver in a Model A and that she had driven over 60 miles. As we headed home after
the car show, there was a lot more traffic @ 4:00pm than there was @ 7:30am. Heavy traffic
turned in to stop & go. Aimee received about a month’s worth of experience with a clutch in just
one day!
Aimee had driven about 130 miles and we had done a lot of laughing & smiling along the
way. Sully was the first time that I can remember that just the two of us had spent the whole day
together. She seemed to really enjoy driving the old car, learning about antique cars and enjoying
the old car family. I think we may have a young person to help carry on the antique car interest
that Rickie & I enjoy so much!
What a Perfect Father’s Day !!
by Becky Woodall
The first Tops Down Convertible Tour was based in Rockford, IL hosted by Tour
Directors Mike and Patti Werckle and their team from the Reagan Country Classics Chapter. A
couple of days we had the “tops down tour with the tops up” because of rain and other days we
needed sun screen. The rain did not stop the 75 cars touring points of interest in IL and WI.
Parts of the tour that I really enjoyed were: the mail boat ride around Lake Geneva (they
really deliver the mail), the John Deere historical site, Lowell Park where Ronald Reagan was a
lifeguard, Barnacopia where a tractor rotates in the barn’s cupola, New Glarus Brewery where
James bought a large glass of cherry beer (that many friends tasted), Lensing Historic Auto
Museum, and President Grant’s home. There were many more interesting venues but those
mentioned I remember the most.
As usual our Mid-Atlantic members stood out. We were recognized for having the
largest number of attendees from a single region. There were 26 of us: Chester and Nancy
Bradfield, Tank and Barbara Edwards, Robbie and Susan Gray, Mike Murphy and Sandy
Tierney, Bob and Sally Murray, Ronnie and Janice Shanholtzer, John and Doris Stone, Jim and
Marilyn Talbot, Emery and Shelia Turner, Jeremy, Tonya, Cole, and Zane Turner, LaVern and
Linda Warriner, and James and Becky Woodall.
Cole Turner (son of
Jeremy and Tonya, big brother of
Zane) won the plaque for the
Youngest Driver. He was also
presented with a National
VMCCA membership.
It was a wonderful tour
where we enjoyed being with our
members, seeing old friends and
making new ones. Some people
had extra time to spend with friends because on the morning we left the only elevator was not
working! You could visit as you rested on the steps between floors (there were four) while
carrying down your belongings.
Some guys are looking forward to the next tour where they hope to collect on the ice
cream promised to them!
Seeing the Countryside - up front & personal - on 1 & 2 Cylinders
While the "modern" convertibles were touring the Illinois and Wisconsin countryside the
first convertibles were touring the Ohio countryside in and around Findlay
- unfortunately, the two were scheduled in conflict and our 60 Fury
convertible had to sit out the IL/WI tour while our 08 Maxwell got to go
out and play. NO REGRETS as there is nothing like touring in the first
cars. It is about perspective - seeing the trees and birds in the forest, about
challenge - the 9% grade - up and down, about perseverance 10 - 20 HP
and planetary and non-synchronized sliding gear transmissions, about passion - reliving the
pioneer spirit of experimentation/development of the horseless carriage and learning how
different mechanisms in that era made things work and how to keep them working.
Kelly Hardison and David Copeland hosted
the 2015 National 1 & 2 cylinder VMCCA
"Old Millstream Road Oilers" Tour in Flag
City USA. Findlay, Ohio. Arriving at the
host hotel, we were not only greeted with a
hearty welcome and smiles but also handed
a comprehensive tour book describing in interesting detail the many sites we would visit
throughout the week and great directions. It made one just that much more eager to get the tour
under way to enjoy what they had planned and meet everyone. This was our first VMCCA 1 &
2 cylinder tour and we were welcomed with open arms as we arrived in our 08 Maxwell, joining
27 other couples in their 1 & 2 cylinder cars at the welcome dinner the first night.
Variety is the norm for 1 & 2
Cylinder car tours.. 6 Maxwells, 3
Renaults, 4 Buicks, 3 Reos, 2 Brush,
an 02 curved dash Olds, 03 Olds R,
03 Ford A, 05 Franklin E 06 Cadillac K - and a Mason, Northern, and Wolseley-Siddeley.
Variety was the
word for touring - except
the corn and soybean
fields - along country
roads that wound around
and through them, along
creeks, deep drainage
ditches and across bridges
dating back to the days of our cars - almost. From a Raptor (Birds of Prey) Rehab Center including an Eagle with a broken wing to the winged Plymouth Superbird in a Muscle Mopar
collection - all topped off with an ice cream stop. Later in the week there was the tour of Findlay,
home of Cooper Tire and Rubber, Marathon Oil, Kohl's distribution, and Whirlpool dishwashers
- quite a contrast with corn and soybeans. Add to that the site of the stopping of the unmanned
train in 2001, inspiring the 2010 movie Unstoppabale - historical and other museums,
motorcycle, small engine and tractor and combine collections and a Basilica and National
Catholic Shrine.
David and Dianne
Harry and Kathy Hartman are relatively new members of
the VMCCA and the Mid-Atlantic Region, joining in late 2014
and attended both the 2014 Annual Meeting and the 2015 Heritage
Tour driving their 1954 Mercury Pickup.. Mercury trucks are not
commonplace and we asked them to tell us more about themselves
and their collection. Harry writes:
"We have three antique trucks. My first purchase was a 1952 Ford F1, The second
purchase was a 1952 Mercury M1 and my third purchase was a 1954 Mercury M 100. All three
pickups have flathead V8’s in them and all three of them I found on the internet and were located
in Canada.
I have always liked OLD Cars and trucks, but as I was raising a family, going to work
and buying a home that left little time or money for an old car or truck. I really didn’t want to
get a junkyard find and totally restore it. I always have admired the 55 and 57 Chevys as well as
the Plymouth Superbirds but could not afford either. Shortly after I retired I decided I wanted to
spend some of my 401 savings. I decided against classic cars and being a big guy, I could not
comfortably fit in to a model T or A. I remembered my father’s first pickup truck, a gray 1952
Ford F1 and all the memories of riding in the truck with Dad. He called the truck HOOPIE
cause above 45 mph it would shimmy down the road. So I decided to search for a HOOPIE for
me and found one on E-Bay. We went to New Brunswick, Canada to look at it, worked out a
deal with the owner and brought it home. While there, he asked if I had heard of Mercury
Trucks. I hadn't and that started a new direction.
So when I got home I started researching the Mercury trucks on the internet The more
read the more I wanted one. Mercury trucks were only made in Canada. In fact, I wanted a
“matching” Mercury Truck to my Ford. I found a 1952 Mercury M1 truck in Owen Sound,
Ontario Canada. We ended up purchasing it in November 2010 The truck was originally
purchased by an apple farmer in the Peterborough area, sold to a second owner who preformed
a "light" restoration and then
to Mr Hynd (whom we got it
from) in 2003. He did a frame
off restoration and a total
overhaul of the motor in 2009.
When we purchased the M1, it
had 83,215 miles on it. and we
have put another 2500 miles on
it. And he notes: When I got
home I decided to call the Ford and Mercury I now had the 52 Cousins."
The Trip North and Customs
The purchase of the M1 was interesting. I had to first pass a test. The test was in the
form of several questions. The biggest question that was on my test was, "Are you going to cut
this truck up and make it a street rod?" Of course I told the owner NO. I wanted to keep it as
original as I could. I asked the question WHY? I was told him that if I was going to cut it up, he
was NOT going to sell it to me. He was satisfied and we made the deal. After signing the papers
and paying for the owner turned to me and said, Mr. Hartman, now that we have closed this
deal, you need to hurry up and get out of town. I thought, what have I gotten myself into? He
then said, let me explain. I live next to the lake and we get 'lake effect' snow falls and if you
don’t get out of town tonight, you won’t get out of here for 3 to 4 days. As we were loading the
M1 on the trailer, it had started to snow. We made it out in time.
We are always asked, “How hard was it to bring
them back across the border?” With all three trucks,
all I had to do was go inside and declare them. I had
to sign 4 papers. It took me longer to wait in line to
get to the border crossing gate than it did to stand in
line, get the papers, and fill them out. When we
purchased the 1952 Mercury M1, I knew more than
the crossing agent. He brought me out two papers to
sign and told me that was all I needed to sign. I told
him I was not trying to be disrespectful but thought
there were 4 papers I needed to sign and would he
check and with his supervisor to see if I was correct. I did not want to travel 500 mile home to
find out that I needed 2 other papers signed. He checked and I was correct.
Later, we purchased the 1954 Mercury M100. The two Mercury Trucks have original Canadian
Flathead V8’s and the Canadian Flathead V8’s have embossed right on the heads, "Made in
Canada”. The hubcaps are unique to the early Mercury Trucks. To my knowledge,
no one re-produces the hubcaps. Many of the 1952 Mercury Trucks are seen with black
fenders and running boards. The reason is as standard equipment, the early Mercury Trucks
came through with black fenders. If you wanted your trucks fenders to
match the color of the body and bed
of the truck, you would have to
order it as it was an option that you
had to pay extra for. I like my
trucks to have double wooden racks
and I made racks for all my trucks ash on the Ford and 54 Mercury
and white oak on the 52 Mercury. As for where do you get
Mercury Truck parts? Except for the
lettering, all the other parts from the
1952 Ford Trucks fit with NO
MODIFICATIONS.
Dennis
Carpenter, LMC Trucks and Mac Trucks are three catalogs that have
many parts for the 52 F1 or M1. I added the rear bumper. In 1952, that
was a purchased option. All three of my trucks are kept in a garage I built behind my home. The
garage is heated with a wood pellet stove and plans are in the works to expand the garage as we
are running out of room for the trucks."
"Our interest in the VMCCA came from good friends of ours,
Scott and Penny Smith. They went on the 2014 Glidden Tour and came
back and told us about the VMCCA. They also told us that the MidAtlantic Region held events within a short drive from where we lived. We
felt it was a chance to meet other people that share some common
interests as well as we could share some information about our rarely
seen Mercury Trucks."
Driving and Showing the Trucks
"We enjoy getting "windshield" time with our trucks. We
drive them to go to Church on Sunday, out to eat, to car shows,
and just for a ride. I have two sons that like to drive our trucks
too. Sometimes we take more than one truck to a show. At a car
show, the Mercury always causes heads to turn. A few have
heard about the Mercury Trucks but most have not. It is always
fun to go to a car show and see someone look at the truck and
keep on going. Then, see them turn around and come back. It has
been fun being an educator about the Mercury Trucks. These
trucks are often one of the most photographed vehicles at a show.
"Besides VMCCA we are regular participants in our local AACA club (Queen City
Region). One activity is a "Poor man's Tour" each year. It is a two day tour within 100 mile
radius of Cumberland, Maryland. Also, our club is holding "fun runs". A Fun Run is where we
meet somewhere on a Saturday or Sunday and travel as a group to a restaurant in our antiques,
to enjoy a meal. If there is somewhere along the way to make a short stop to sight see, we will
stop. These Fun Runs are aimed to be not longer than an hour away from Cumberland."
Photography and Awards.
The trucks get around. Recently, Harry and his son
hauled each of the two Mercury trucks to the National Ford
Show in Tennessee. where there were over 700 trucks. The 52
Mercury received
Best in Class for
Mercury Trucks.
As one might conclude from the cover photo, the
train and truck are natural subjects and Harry has
just the trucks for the pictures. Western Maryland
Scenic Railroad has photo excursions and they are
invited to bring one or both trucks to be part of the
“staged” photo shoots. Harry apparently loves a
photo opportunity and the West Virginia
/Cumberland MD area offers many from
covered bridges to country churches and a
plethora of natural scenery. The 1952
Mercury made the front cover and was the featured story in the magazine “True Blue Trucks”
and appeared on the back cover of "Railpace Magazine"
Change of Pace
Harry writes: " Kathy wanted a “classic” for her to drive so we decided to start looking
for an automatic classic for her to drive to shows and events. We knew of an automatic that was
in Canada. The person we bought our 1952 Mercury Truck had a 1957 Mercury Meteor Rideau
500 (sister to the American Ford Fairlane 500) (Rideau after the waterway Kingston to
Ontario). In June, we travelled once again to
Canada and made the purchase and Kathy has
driven it to several shows now." "In looking at the
Rideau and the Fairlane 500’s the Rideau has
much more chrome and stainless both inside and
out. My internet research shows that 183,000
Ford Fairlane 500 2 door hardtops were made and
Ford, Canada made 2254 Mercury Meteor Rideau
500 2 door hardtops for 1957.
We welcome Harry and Kathy to VMCCA, the
Mid-Atlantic Region. We saw the '52 Mercury on the 2015Heritage Tour and look forward to
seeing the rest of their collection down the road.
DBY