n e w s l e t t e r Cruising in the USA

The
n e w s l e t t e r
ISSUE 62
JULY 2011
Cruising in the USA
* FORD * MONARCH * MERCURY * METEOR * EDSEL * THUNDERBIRD * LINCOLN * FORD & MERC TRUCKS *
1949 through 1960
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Fabulous 50’s Ford Club
of Manitoba Inc.
29 Saturn Bay
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 0Z8
INFO. LINE (204) 453-FORD
www.fabulous50sford.com
The Fabulous 50’s Ford Club of Manitoba Inc. is a non-profit organization, dedicated to
the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of 1949 through 1960 Ford cars and trucks. Membership
is open to all 50‟s Ford enthusiasts. Ownership of a vehicle from that era is not a requirement. The
club was founded August 1994 and incorporated September 1994.
“The Customline” is published quarterly by the Fabulous 50‟s Ford Club of Manitoba Inc. [F.F.F.C.].
Members are encouraged to submit articles for publication. We reserve the right to edit any articles
or information submitted prior to publishing. Members opinions expressed in this publication are not
necessarily those of the F.F.F.C. Articles appearing in this newsletter are the property of F.F.F.C. and
permission to reprint must be obtained in advance.
All Club business is conducted through the official club address listed above. Classified advertising is
free for club members. For business advertising information, please contact the Treasurer.
Membership dues are $30.00 annually on August 1st. Membership includes spouse and family, if applicable. Membership applications may be obtained by calling the club‟s Membership Director, or
by writing to the address listed above, or through the club website at www.fabulous50sford.com.
2010 – 2011 Executive and Committee Leaders
President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Membership
Show Chair
Silent Auction
Silent Auction
Web-Site
Merchandise
Wellness
MACC Liaison
Newsletter Editors
Police Car
Roster
Ford Phone Line
Albert Lannoo
Adrien Poirier
Betty Lannoo
Doug Mosset
Dick Makar
Betty Lannoo
Joanne Bremaud
Silvia Hidara
Larry D‟Argis
Betty Lannoo
Pat Keller
Gene Hnatuk
Karn and Joe Sandy
Randy Oleskiw
Betty Lannoo
Larry D‟Argis
453-4871
488-1679
453-4871
735-2896
888-4939
453-4871
222-0975
255-5962
487-1559
453-4871
338-8163
253-5893
338-9590
338-5765
453-4871
487-1559
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[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
slest01@,mts.net
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
555 Empress Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3G 3H1
Ph. (204) 772-24ll
Fax: (204) 772-5198
Toll Free (800) 917-1988
website: www.landau.ca
email: [email protected]
INTRODUCING THE NEW 2011 F-150
With 4 high-tech new engines, including a revolutionary EcoBoost engine, the toughest truck line-up in the class is now the most powerful and
the most fuel efficient too.
It tows the most in the class - up to 11,300 LBS.
It hauls the most - up to 3,060 LBS.
It generates the most available power - up to 411 HP.
It gets you the most bang for your buck at the pump - up to
23 MPG HWY.
10 distinctive models. 3 cab configurations. 3 box lengths.
Whatever you need a truck to do best, the F-150 line-up delivers. This is the future. This is the new 2011 F-150.
What a Dealership
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President’s Message
July 2011
Well, finally, summer has arrived and the
events calendar is jam packed with Show and
Shine events every weekend such as: the Sunday Night Cruise Nights at the Pony Corral, the
Tavern United, Wednesday Night A & W
Cruise nights, local Car Shows, Devil‟s Lake,
Portage la Prairie plus several others that have
been well attended. The weather has pretty
much been in our favor so far. Let‟s hope the
sun continues to keep right on shining.
Over the past 20 years or so, Betty and I always talked about going to Minneapolis for the “Back to the Fifties Car Show”. Well we finally made our trip. This show is needless to say, VERY BIG. Before we left we
knew it would be a huge show but never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine what it would be like. I
can guarantee you that we may have only seen 500 out of over 11,000 vehicles. Fantastic Show! If you‟ve
never been there, add it to your bucket list because it‟s a must see. The road trip was perfect - a little bit of
rain, cloudy and overcast so not too hot for traveling. Most importantly nobody had any problems through
the entire trip. Incident free! Yeah! I know that a lot of you already know that Betty and I got lost in Minneapolis - not once but a couple of times. By the time we felt comfortable driving around, it was time to
head back home. The guys checked out the cars and vendors and filled their trunks up with all kinds of good
buys. The gals did their share of shopping to stimulate the economy, you understand, and used up whatever
space was still left for all their bargains. A great time was had by all.
On June 25th, about 30 Club Members attended the 30 th Anniversary Celebration at Wilf’s Elie Ford dealership. We were treated royally with great hospitality, goody bags, entertainment, food and drinks, and awesome cookies. Thanks to everyone at Wilf‟s Elie Ford for such an enjoyable day.
On July 8th, many of us attended the “1st Annual Collector Car Appreciation Day” on Memorial Blvd. This
event was well attended by the Car Clubs & Collector Car Owners. I would estimate that there had to of
been at least 400 or more vehicles on display.
Guess what! Our 17th Annual Flashback Weekend is fast approaching - September 9th. 10th & 11th. Again
we are asking Club Members to take some 50/50 tickets, sock-hop tickets, and jacket tickets and start selling.
Start collecting donations for our silent auction and hand them in to Silvia Hidara, Joanne & Flo Bremaud or
Betty and me. Also, if anyone is willing to volunteer a couple of hours of their time to help out with the Sock
-Hop, Cruise and/or the Car Show, this would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Betty @ 453-4871 or
by e-mail @ [email protected] and she will schedule you in.
Colored Posters for Flashback Weekend are ready now so if you have a place to display our poster to promote our event, please pick one up. Let‟s all work together to promote and host yet another successful
Flashback Weekend.
Just a little reminder to all Club Members, that it is that time of year again. Your Annual Membership
Dues are due on August 1st. You may forward your membership payment directly to Dick Makar or Betty
Lannoo.
That‟s it for now, Enjoy the rest of the summer, as we really only have about two more months left. Don‟t forget to keep checking the Ford Info Line and our Website for all new events and updates.
Bye for now
Albert
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MANUFACTURERS OF QUALITY OUTERWEAR
TEAM AND PROMOTIONAL JACKETS
RICK WILK
PHONE: 204 - 774-0063
FAX: 204 - 783-8819
701 HENRY AVENUE WINNIPEG, MB. R3E 1T8
MANUFACTURERS OF SWISS EMBROIDERY
ON GARMENTS AND CRESTS
TRENT AND TREVOR WILK
701 HENRY AVENUE
WINNIPEG, MB. R3E 1T8
PHONE: 204 - 774-7728
FAX: 204 - 783-8819
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Club Merchandise
Business Meetings
To order club merchandise other than jackets, call Betty
at 453-4871 or email her at: [email protected]
Meetings start at 7:30 pm at the Viscount Gort Hotel,
1670 Portage Ave. Meetings are always held on the
last Thursday of the month.
T-Shirts
Many club members enjoy getting together for dinner in
a special section of the restaurant before the meetings.
Everyone is welcome to join in the fun. Newsletters are
distributed at the meetings that are marked in red.
Sizes: Small, Medium,
Large, XL and 2XL
Cost: $10.00
2011 Meeting Dates
August 25
September 29
October 27
November 24
No December Meeting
T-Shirts
Sizes: Youth, Small,
and Large
Cost: $10.00
Club Jackets
T-Shirts
Summer and winter jackets
are custom-fit with arm
badges with your name and
vehicle with the Fabulous
50‟s Ford Club of Manitoba
logo on the back.
Sizes: Youth, Small,
Medium, Large, XL,
XXL, and XXXL
Cost: $10.00
Fall/Winter Jacket
$250.00
Black wool melton with white
leather sleeves
Spring / Summer Jacket
in white or black
$150.00
Fabulous 50‟s Ford Club T-Shirts
Black w/White Crest
Sizes: Large and XL
Cost: $10.00
White w/Colored Crest
Sizes: Large and XL
Cost: $12.00
Ford Caps
Black or White mesh
or Black cloth
Call Rick at Star Sportswear at 774-0063 to arrange for
a fitting and to discuss cuff preferences and other options. You will need to present your membership card
when ordering your jacket. Star Sportswear is located at
701 Henry Ave. Winnipeg, MB., R3E 1T8.
Cost: $10.00
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Membership Matters
Milestones and Celebrations
Please refer potential new members to
Dick Makar, Membership Chair at 8884939 or [email protected]
In the past few months, we have welcomed
the following new members into the club:
Ivan & Sylvia Smitke
Gary & Linda Conway
Don & Shelley Broomfield
Jerry & Gayle Abells
Modest Mosset wins “Best Ford” Award
Doug Mosset‟s luck follows him wherever he goes. When
he attended a Portage Vintage Cruisers event, his car
gook the “Best Ford” prize. Doug‟s quote was “I won the
best Ford even though we certainly didn't have the best
one there. The Judge came forward at Elie and told me
why. To each his own!” Congrats Doug, you do have a
beautiful car. For more info, on the Vintage Cruisers
event, read Lorne Edwards‟ report on page 36.
Flo and Jo Bremaud posed for a family photo with their
daughter, Stephanie and new son-in-law Ali and Ali‟s son,
Adam. Stephanie and Ali‟s wedding took place in BC in
May and Flo and Jo are delighted to welcome Ali and
Adam into their family. A Manitoba reception to congratulate the new couple is planned for August.
Gord Atamanchuk posed for a family photo during the
Big Birthday Bash for Gord held in St. Francois Xavier in
April. From l to r: granddaughter Gabi, daughter
Sharon, granddaughter McKenzie, daughter-in-law
Dawna, and son Shawn. Many club members helped
Gord celebrate and we won‟t give out his age but let‟s
just say “it‟s really up there!” An oldie but a goodie!
Newsletter “Stuff”
Thanks to Otto So for his photo-wizardry in providing the
background for the President‟s new photo on page 5.
If it‟s July and you are reading your newsletter, then our
new process of collaboration with Adrien has worked
and we have completed the newsletter while Joe and I
were travelling. Isn‟t technology grand! A great big
thanks to Adrien for working with us on this newsletter
and for finding the technology that will let us do that.
Flashback Weekend
Silent Auction
If you can donate items for the Silent Auction,
Contact
Silvia at 255-5962 or
JoJo at 222-0975
to arrange delivery/pickup
There are many great activities going on during the summer that our members participate in. We would love to
include even a single photo and some info and that
wouldn‟t take anyone very long to prepare. Please keep
us informed whenever you can.
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Marcia Expands Her Fleet
Randy Rehyer Memorial Car Show
While checking out Marcia‟s new wheels on her Meteor in
Devils Lake, we spotted her Valiant patch on her jacket.
It seems that she not only has the 65 mentioned in a previous newsletter story but has since purchased a 63 convertible as well! Her regular “Krew” think that one of
them should get a 5.0 Ford put in to balance the scales.
Photo & Info from Deborah Evans
The second annual Show and Shine coincided with the
Winnipeg Bomber‟s first football training camp and the
Devil‟s Run. Members showed up early to get their spots
on the lot and enjoy the Show and Shine.
Rhonda Reyher
poses with
Larry D‟Argis as
they celebrate
Larry‟s “Best
Ford” award.
The other fellow
in the photo is
Paul Fitzakerley, Rhonda‟s
son-in-law who
was instrumental in starting
the Randy Rehyer Memorial
Car Show. This
year the car
show raised $8,000 for Prostrate Cancer research. Until
there is a cure, early detection is a man‟s best friend so
we‟ll repeat the advice from last year in hopes that this
checklist helps someone.
Wilf’s Elie Ford 30th Anniversary
Tell your Doctor if you have these Prostrate Problems
Don‟t put it off. If you have any of the following symptoms, go to your doctor. It may be something less serious
but the only way to know for sure is to see your doctor.
Need to urinate often, especially at night?
Intense need to urinate?
Difficulty starting and stopping?
Inability to go?
Weak, decreased or interrupted stream?
Sense of incompletely emptying the bladder?
Burning or pain when urinating?
Blood in the urine?
Blake Legault from Wilf's Elie Ford presented Abe Elias
with a clock for "Best Ford" award for his 1955 Ford
Sunliner Convertible. The 30 club members that cruised
out to Elie to celebrate Wilf‟s Ford 30th Anniversary not
only had a nice drive but yet another fun and food filled
day enjoying each others‟ vehicles and company. For
more on this event, refer to page 25.
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Marcel Lafond
Finds another Ford to Love
Some of the features that really captivated Marcel‟s attention included the two
rear deck antennas, cruiser skirts, lake
pipes, spinner wheels, and the continental
kit. In addition, the Fairlane has a 292 cu
in. engine, automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, air conditioning,
and an interior that matches the exterior
colour scheme.
Marcel has named his car “Blue Bell 2”.
From Larry D‟Argis, I learned that the
chrome pieces
above the
headlights of
the car are
called eyebrow mouldings. Their
purpose was
to prevent
premature
rusting on
these vulnerable areas
and they were an option on the „57.
Larry offered yet another enticing tidbit of
information. Marcel‟s „57 Fairlane is the
same car model that Robert Mitchum drove
in the 1958 hit movie “Thunder Road”.
Way to go, Marcel! We‟re glad to see
you back behind the wheel of a fabulous
50‟s car again!
Let‟s take a closer look at a few more of
the „57 Fairlane‟s features.
Marcel found the exact car that he was looking for when he noticed
this 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Sedan with imitation hardtop on
EBay. After agreeing on a price and making the car‟s purchase
subject to personal inspection, Marcel and fellow club member, Neil
Frantz, headed south to about 75 miles SE of Washington, DC
where, to Marcel‟s delight, the „57 Fairlane proved to be everything
he had hoped to find.
And so it was that Marcel and Neil
arrived back in Winnipeg on a Friday
the 13th in May with the car safely
secured in Neil‟s trailer and hauled
by Neil‟s truck. Many thanks to Neil
for helping make Marcel‟s car buying
dream come to fruition.
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John Novak’s
1970 Plymouth Roadrunner
The story about my 1970 Roadrunner
goes way back in time when I was young
and had more hair, when I had a girl on
each arm, and gas was 25 cents a gallon.
In those days I could go out every night
and, okay, okay, let‟s forget the youthful
details and I will just talk about my 1970
Roadrunner.
Simply said, I always liked Mopars. They
were the first cars I noticed in my teens
and they really appealed to me. I feel
every car guy or gal remembers the first car that he or
she looked at and went “WOW”.
My first car crush was the neighbour‟s boyfriend‟s 1970
Challenger. I was 15 at the time and I still remember
when he would come over to her house. Her name was
Debbie and she was 19 and so hot! Sorry, I got off track
here. The car was a 1970 silver Challenger RT with a
440. The guy drove it down the street like he stole it.
From that time on, I noticed Mopars more and more.
I got my first car when I was in high school in Calgary. All
I could afford then was my brother‟s old car that he got
from our Grandfather. It was a 1965 4 door Buick Skylark. It was not the hottest car on the streets but it was
mine and it was in great shape. One of my friends, Rob,
had bought a used 1970 orange Roadrunner with a hemi
that only had 19,000 miles on it. I had never even sat in
a real muscle car until he bought that car although I had
looked at them and thought “wow”. When I went out for
a spin in Rob‟s Roadrunner, I was in WOW heaven. A
group of us would go cruising to Banff or across the border to the USA or on other drives in that car. At the time I
never dreamt that thirty years later I would buy that specific car.
In 1996 I decided to live and work overseas. At the time
I thought that I would be doing this for many years to
come so I sold my house and my cars including a 1970
Dodge Challenger RT. It was very hard to part with this
car but I did.
In September of 2001 the world changed when the Twin
Towers were attacked (9-11). I returned home to Calgary from working overseas and then got a lead on a
job in Winnipeg. Before long I was headed here in my
2003 Oldsmobile. I bought a house with a large garage
which meant that I needed a muscle car because man can
not survive with a double garage and only an Oldsmobile. However, “needing” and “getting” are two different things!
since 1996 and she really wanted to free up room in the
garage. I let her know that I had always liked the car
and I was interested in buying it. After I got back to Winnipeg, Rob called me and we discussed the car. He had
it appraised and we worked out a deal. Before long,
the first muscle car I had ever sat in was on its way to my
garage in Winnipeg.
When it arrived, I took stock and determined it needed
some work done. It now had 120,000 miles on it. The
suspension, brakes, and most of the steering components
were all original and needed to be replaced. The rear
end had to be rebuilt. The engine had been rebuilt at
85,000 miles and required little attention, but I did some
minor adjustments. The interior was not the greatest but it
was all original. The car had been painted years earlier
and it was not that bad.
Over the winter months of 2002 and 2003, I worked on
the car. I had it ready to go in the spring of 2003 which
is the same time I met Candace. On our first date I asked
her if she liked collector cars. She replied “yes” and I fell
in love.
Over the next two years I replaced the interior and had
the car repainted. It still has the original numbers matching components and the original vinyl roof. I have both
build sheets and the original owner‟s manual.
It is a great car to cruise in. It turns heads almost everywhere we go with it. It has won numerous awards over
the years, and attracts people to it at car shows. Just like
I did so many
years ago,
people take
a look at the
Roadrunner
and they go
“WOW”.
Enough said!
In the summer of 2002 I returned to Calgary to visit family and friends and met up with my friend‟s wife that
owned the Roadrunner. I found out it had been in storage
- John
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The Balancing Beam is Sponsored by
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It’s a Plucky Group that Dares to Exhibit their Cars at Rodarama
Photo and Info Contributions
by Deborah Evans
Year after year, the weather conspires to turn our joy at the thought
of the first real car show of the
spring into either a snowfest or a
mud bath. Fortunately for the car
loving crowd, our Winnipeg hobbyists are a plucky group that takes it
all in stride and is eager to display
their beautiful vehicles.
Rodarama has a tried and true formulae that is popular with the car
crowd. It includes great vehicles of
every description, lots of participant
door prizes, a social with a silent auction in support of the Children‟s Rehabilitation Foundation (CRF) and tons of
tasty food, vendors that cater to the
automotive hobby, a pedal car display, lots of car show socializing
amongst participants and spectators, a
Participant‟s Lounge with friendly hosts
and refreshments all weekend, opportunities to win raffles on neat carrelated items, a draw for a 350 engine, and car awards.
Everyone‟s heart just melted when the
MSRA President presented a custom,
tandem bicycle to Jillian, one of the
courageous youngsters that we have
met courtesy of the CRF.
Rodarama is such fun that the
awards are simply a bonus factor
and a way to close the show.
It seems every year there‟s one vehicle that just takes everyone‟s breath
away. This year it was a 1937
Lincoln Zephyr Woodie that cruised
away with the awards for Best of
Show, People’s Choice and the newly
-established Tom Milne Memorial
Award.
Bob Stefishen
59 Edsel Corsair
Gerry Stefishen
51 Chevrolet Deluxe
Ted Delorme
1958 Ford Custom 300
John and Sue Courcelles
1957 T-Bird
Don Swaffer
56 Mercury Station Wagon
Tim McRae
1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Brian McGinity
1957 Chevrolet Convertible
Carl Holley
1958 Ford
Tony Labossiere
1956 Chevrolet Belair
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Dave Walsh
1978 Pontiac Le Mans 2 Dr. Sedan
Gary Conway
1966 Monaco Convertible
Dave Walsh won a
model vehicle
Gary Minchin
1933 Dodge Rat Rod 4 Door HT
Dale Hickey
Deborah Evans
1930 Ford Model A 5 Window
Coupe with #1 fan, the Root Bear
Carl Holley
won a car
model too.
A special
thanks goes
to Carl for
again coordinating
the Fab 50s
club display
at Rodarama.
Larry Hosaluk of Roseau, MN did all
the paint, wood work, mechanical,
and fabrication on his 1937 Lincoln
Zephyr Woodie and what an awesome vehicle it is!
Piston Ring displayed its 1955
Pontiac Pathfinder Sedan Delivery
which is 1 of only 1,210 such vehicles. It was available only in Canada and was built on a Chevrolet
chassis. It is always nice to see one of
Piston Ring‟s growing collection of
collector vehicles on display.
The Fab 50s and MSRA have many
members in common and it was nice
to see so many of them out volunteering.
Albert Lannoo and Larry D‟Argis
capably helped out with the difficult
task of judging vehicles. Our final
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Don Swaffer‟s “Early Bird” registration prize was a mechanic‟s stool
which will come in handy as he is
working on another project.
note of thanks goes to MSRA for a
great event and to the East End
Arena which let their vehicles to stay
indoors yet one more night. This let
some participants avoid the worst of
the snowy conditions that greeted
people and vehicles as they left for
home.
Glen & Deborah Evans Enjoy
Deborah a Model A that was for sale. And that was just
the beginning of their good fortune with this vehicle. It
turned out to be a 1930 Ford Model A Deluxe fivewindow coupe, finished in Elkpoint Green with black
fenders and running boards, and wheat coloured wire
wheels. Other features included a Cyclops-eye speedometer, rumble-seat, rear window blind, whitewall tires,
spare tire, and external
sunshade. The hood ornament even sported a
Quail in flight.
Contributions by
Deborah, Larry D‟Argis‟s Free Press article, & Karn
Glen and Deborah are one of a growing number of couples within the club in which both people own and drive
their separate vehicles. When they joined the club in
October, 2007 Glen had recently acquired his 1951
Mercury Meteor Tudor Sedan. Together, Glen and Deborah immersed themselves in the hobby. Amongst Deborah‟s favourite memories of those early days are:
You might say it was
love at first sight for
Deborah! The final factor was that the car
would be an ideal 20th
Wedding Anniversary
gift from Glen to Deborah. No word on whether he tied a bow on “Molly” or
not but I‟m sure Deborah‟s reaction was “over the moon”!
After a hard day at work, Glen would pick Deborah
up, turn on the oldies and head out to the Half Moon
just to unwind, and
Getting up early, packing a picnic lunch, and heading
off to attend a car show out-of-town.
But it is was more than that! There was also:
Eagerly anticipating spring so you would find out how
your car friends and acquaintances had weathered
the winter,
Meeting with the car crowd every week all summer
long to share stories and laughs, and
Most of all, just spending quality time with her best
friend, Glen.
It didn‟t take long after Glen got his „51 Mercury for
Deborah to start thinking about what her own dream car
might be. She had always loved the look of the vintage
cars. There was something special about that era. Those
“first” cars had character and looked elegant in their
own way. It was amazing to her that a car from such an
early period could be so advanced and that same basic
ideas continued to be brought down through the decades
to be seen in the cars that followed.
The Ford Model A slowly worked its way into her heart
even though she knew she would need to learn to drive
the car should she and Glen find it. In this case, however,
you might say “Molly” found Deborah. How else would
you explain a casual in-the-line conversation with another
couple at a Show and Shine pancake breakfast that resulted in the other couple offering to show Glen and
The bonus was that it had been fully restored and could
literally be driven home. However, the drive from Stone- 16 -
Their Very Different Fords
wall was down some gravel roads so they decided to get a friend to trailer the car home
this one occasion.
Once home, Deborah could not wait to take
her for a spin. True to her vision, Deborah
drove her Model A to its debut at our 2010
Flashback Weekend Car Show. She describes
the experience as “a real rush of adrenaline
with a burst of excitement”. The excitement
continued throughout the day as club members
and the public stopped by to admire “Molly”
and ask Deborah questions about the car.
Glen determined that the first improvement
that they would make to the car would be a real set of
signals. As he told Larry D‟Argis “When you use arm
signals people just think you‟re waving at them and they
wave back”. It seems arm signals aren‟t an effective
way to communicate any more. As both Glen and Deborah are regulars at both local and out-of-city car shows,
Deborah will be using turn signals a lot in the months and
years to come!
car shows over the past few years that the Evans are
going to have to build a trophy room to accommodate
their individual car awards.
Deborah and Glen find the Meteor a great car to drive
especially for the out-of-town shows. It rides smooth on
the highway and keeps up well with the highway speeds.
The Meteor has a 239 flat head V8 engine with Offenhausser racing heads and high rise intake with three two
barrel carbs and headers. Not much has to be done with
the car except for general maintenance to keep the car
purring like a kitten.
The crisp white interior and chrome accent trim, gives it a
bright and cheerful atmosphere to be in for cruising
around.
A nice added touch was a mural of a flaming meteor that
was done by a local artist last year. And, with the dark
purple metal flake paint sparkling in the sunshine, it
really looks like a meteor flying through the night sky.
In all Deborah and Glen owe it all to fate on finding
each of their dream cars. As Deborah would say “if it is
meant to be ours, it will happen when we least expect it”.
Initially winter storage was a concern but after a
lot of measuring and a little shifting around, it was
decided that “Molly” would be put on pan dollies
and placed cross ways at the front of the garage
and “Doc” and the daily driver, parked side by
side with just inches to spare. Yes, three cars in a
double car garage! Now, that what I call tight
storage!
If you are wondering why Deborah and Glen refer to their cars as “Doc and Molly”. It is because
their grandson thought the Meteor resembled
“Doc” the Hudson from the movie “Cars”; and
“Molly” was a nice old fashioned name Deborah
thought suited a temperamental 81 year old doll.
And, so they were named.
Glen continues to enjoy his 1951 Meteor 2 Door
sedan which has racked up so many awards at
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Cruising on out to Portage la Prairie for the Vintage Cruisers’ Show and Shine
by Lorne Edwards
The Vintage Cruisers of Portage la Prairie hosted the
club's annual show and shine Sunday, June 12th at beautiful Island Park.
It was a great afternoon, without the usual heat that has
made past shows ... a little uncomfortable. While it
looked like it might rain, the drops held-off until the winning numbers for the silent auction were read out around
3 o'clock.
This year, proceeds went to the Portage Women's Shelter. Volunteers for the Central Plains Cancer Care were
on hand to provide food and beverages. Members of
the Vintage Cruisers who are also members of the Fabulous 50s, Lorne Edwards, Jolene Fleming, and Rusty and
Elaine Rutherford, were on hand to welcome fellow Ford
Club members Neil and Vicky Frantz, Marcel and Sylvia
Lafond, and Doug and Carol Mosset for a day in the
park. Betty and Andy Nick also attended and Gord and
Dayle MacDonald made a brief appearance.
Doug Mosset took away the “Top Ford” award courtesy
of Westward Ford in Portage la Prairie.
Among the rides attracting lots of admiring stares were a
red 1968 Shelby from Whitmore, Alberta and Gord
Brunette's orange Boss 302 Mustang with 41 thousand
original miles.
- 20 -
Dennis Anderson Introduces his 1955 Mercury Sun Valley at Royal City Car Show
We caught up with Dennis at the Royal City Show and
Shine in New Westminster, BC on July 10th where he displayed his recently acquired 1955 Mercury Sun Valley.
Of the cars he owned, he most enjoyed driving his „55
Mercury 2 Dr. HT the best. So even though he owned a
high-quality 1954 Mercury Sun Valley, he was on the
hunt for a „55. An Internet search brought him to a car in
Miami, FL whose owner had spared no expense in having
it restored in North Dakota. When the financial downturn
in the USA shattered his dreams of cruising off into the
future, the owner reluctantly put the car up for sale.
Five phone calls and many, many more photos later, Dennis was hooked on the car but he needed to shed one or
more of his cars before he could seal the deal. So, he
sold his „55 Mercury Montclair 2 Dr. HT and 1954 Mercury Sun Valley, made the purchase, and drove to Blaine,
WA in mid-May to pick up his new treasure.
The car came with a trunkload of “extras” such as a
spare whitewall tire in the trunk and one in the continental kit, boxes of literature on and shop manuals for the
„55 Merc Sun Valley, extra valve covers, two boxes of
tubes for the AM/FM radio, and much, much more. The
beauty is in the details. The seats are reupholstered in
leather. The previous owner had an odometer in kilometers installed because the „55 Sun Valley of his youth had
been built for export so its odometer was in kms. There is
a push-button lubrication system, Mercury spinners, a 12
volt battery built within a 6 volt battery case, air conditioning that looks factory installed, and the list goes on.
The car made its public debut at the Royal City Show
and Shine where it attracted so much attention that we
had to make repeated attempts to get photos of the car
itself [no spectators].
- 21 -
Jim and Donna Cameron have a 1962
I located ”The Lady” in Coeur d‟Alene, Idaho. “The Lady”
is the name we have given our 1962 Ford Galaxie 500
XL Convertible. Ford introduced the XL model mid-year
for the first time in 1962. It is an upscale model of the
Sunliner, which gives you bucket seats and a console. Our
particular convertible is finished in Corinthian White
which was not used after 1962 models until about last
year when it appeared on the new Ford pick-ups.
Having been raised on a farm in rural Manitoba (Roland)
I began my life long interest in electro-mechanical fields
through performing extensive repairs on farm machinery
and various vehicles.
My very first car was of family origin. It was my parents‟
car which they had purchased brand new from the local
Chevrolet dealer. [Yes, there was a dealer in our small
town of 450 people. In fact, there was also a Ford
dealer!!]. The car was a 1952 Chevrolet Deluxe 4 door
sedan. It was a pretty snazzy car for the day, equipped
with a mighty 6 cylinder engine, 3 on the tree, and
fender skirts. It had no radio, but did have a mechanical
wind up clock. The „52 was finished in metallic grey which
might have been one of the first years for such a paint
job?
I then moved on to a fairly non descript 1961 Ford 4
door sedan and eventually to a 1962 Ford Sunliner
(convertible) which I happened upon while working a
summer job at Burnell Motors in Winnipeg. It was a
trade-in that some lady had found too big for her so she
had opted for a smaller English import. I paid the steep
price of $500.00 in 1968 for that beauty. The Sunliner
was Chestnut in color, and had only 42K miles as I remember. It was in excellent condition.
As time moved on I became employed by an international x-ray company and they provided company cars
to service personnel so in 1970, after many good times,
the Sunliner and I sadly parted company.
Thirty-seven years pass. I have married Donna, have
three children and 1 grandson, have been on lots of
camping trips, and have repaired more cars for friends
than I can remember. I find myself in front of the computer absentmindedly browsing E-bay to see if there are
still 1962 Sunliners out there. After a few months of surfing the net and asking questions of various sellers, I realize that I have the bug and need to pursue this interest.
So I posed the question to my wife Donna, thinking that
she‟ll say “you‟re nuts” but she was very enthusiastic to
proceed. Now the quest is on!
“The Lady” had been repainted in 1999, has the original
power train (transmission has been rebuilt) lots of TLC
and only 78k miles. Approximately 6 weeks of negotiating took place between myself and the seller before we
came to an agreement. Now you may call me crazy, but
I felt I trusted the seller enough to purchase this car online without actually seeing it. He answered all questions
without hesitation and provided many extra photos as
requested. I procured the necessary paperwork and insurance, bought an airplane ticket and set off. It was a
gorgeous sunny day when I arrived in Coeur d‟Alene and
the seller had the 1962 all shone up, top down and waiting for me. There was no disappointment. She was everything I had hoped for and more! It was at this point
where I started referring to the 62 as “Her” and “The
Lady”. It just seems to suit her.
I thanked the seller and we were on our way home, top
down, sun shining. What more could we ask for? It was
absolutely beautiful driving through the mountains with
the top down and no wind. We arrived at US Customs
and all was in order. The Customs Officer seemed more
interested in the car than in the paperwork!
Now we proceed to Canada Customs and the fun begins.
All I can say about this encounter is that I‟m sure glad
that they aren‟t all like that one! After an hour and talking to the Custom Officer‟s superior, we were on our
way again.
This is probably the longest trip “The Lady” has ever
made. We are doing well and make Cranbrook, BC for
the night. The next leg of the trip takes us to Fernie, BC
at which point the generator decides it is time to retire,
permanently. So, I was off to the local Napa store to buy
an alternator, some threaded rod, connectors and
wrenches. A mounting was fabricated and the alternator
mounted. All systems are go and we are on our way
again.
The rest of the trip is fairly uneventful except for the
wind and rain in Saskatchewan. On day 4 we finally
arrive home in Manitoba to be greeted by our beloved
mosquitoes!!! After being in storage for most of the past
30 years, “The Lady” has arrived in her new home.
A dentist and his son worked on rebuilding this car from
1999 to 2002 as a father-son project. I‟m not sure what
happened, but they decided to sell and the car went
through three more owners before becoming available
for sale on E-bay, at which point I bought it.
- 22 -
Ford Galaxie 500 XL 2 Dr Convertible
I had “The Lady” appraised and was pleased to learn
that the condition coincides with what I thought I had purchased. Thanks to Randy, I‟ve been tracking down odd
pieces of trim to improve the overall appearances. My
goal is to keep the car as original as possible. So far so
good!
I removed the rear bumper and had it straightened and
chromed. It was during this process that I discovered the
corner braces for the bumper were missing. After searching the Internet for a while I remembered that a
neighbour used to have a 1962 Ford Wagon so I called
on him. Sure enough, it was still sitting in his back yard
and I could have the pieces I needed. How is that for
luck? I had a new blue top installed last year as the old
one was starting to crack. It looks pretty sharp with this
as opposed to the original white top. I also had the foam
cushions replaced in the two bucket seats. I‟ve added an
electric cooling fan to make stop-and-go driving more
manageable. Daytime running lights were unheard of 60
years ago, but due to safety concerns, I have added a
set. I found a nifty compact set at a farm supply place
and was able to mount them to the back side of the grill
without drilling any holes. A relay was used so that these
come on automatically.
I have attended numerous Wednesday Night Cruises at
the Pony Corral on St. Mary‟s Ave. “The Lady” and I attend several car shows each years - Altona (Legend Car
Club), Corn and Apple, Maad (Carman), Syl‟s (Carman),
Manitou and, of course, Flashback Weekend. We had
the honour of participating in the Centennial parade for
the Rural
Municipality
of Roland.
They even
provided an
RCMP officer
in full serge
to ride in
“The Lady”.
I‟m still not
sure whether
someone was
getting back
at me for my youth!!
More recently, our family has grown by one more - a
new grand daughter and we have started going to Arizona for part of the winter. We purchased a park
model trailer this last winter and will probably go for
longer periods from now on. There are plenty of car
shows and events to attend down there so we‟ll have to
look at taking “The Lady” as well.
Donna and I enjoy driving around (cruising) in “The Lady”
and all the attention that she gathers. Our grandson loves
cruising as well. Maybe he‟ll inherit “The Lady” one day!
- 23 -
1st Safe Cruising Parade
Collector Car Appreciation Day
On June 12 the 1st Safe Cruising Parade wound its way
from the Lieutenant Governor's House to the Pony on Wilton. When Lieutenant Governor Philip Lee got out from
the parade car, he walked over to Otto and his SSK replica and began chatting. Some folks wondered what was
going on but the answer is straight-forward. Otto has
been friends with the Lieutenant Governor for over 25
years.
By Lorne Edwards; photo by his friend Dan
In conjunction with SEMA and other areas of the country,
Manitoba held its first ever Collector Car Appreciation
Day in the shadow of the Golden Boy, on the front steps
of the Manitoba Legislature on Friday July 8th. This occurred thanks to the hard work of the Manitoba Association of Auto Clubs and Chairman Bob Chubala.
This was a very positive car event that gave the government and deputy police chief a first hand chance to experience the fun of a parade and see what a weekend
car show is all about. The parade was a precursor to the
1st Collector Car Appreciation Day being held in front of
the Legislature. Hopefully will be a big and productive
car show to wash out the negative image created by the
MPI and the Police force enforcement programs.
July was officially proclaimed Collector Car Awareness
Month in Manitoba due in large part to the work of Gord
Forman of MAAC and NAACC. Officials gathered on the
stage at Memorial Park to pay tribute to the hard work
car club members do on behalf of their chosen charities
and communities within Manitoba. They also recognized
the economic impact our hobby has in the province.
Representatives from both Manitoba Public Insurance and
the Winnipeg Police Service expressed their desire to
help our hobby grow and prosper.
500 to 600 cars gathered for the afternoon-evening
event which was incredible considering the evening was
the first home game of the season for the Winnipeg Blue
Bombers (who beat Toronto) and also a Friday evening
heading into the weekend.
I could not find my camera, but my pal Dan was kind
enough to send me his photos of the event for posting. An
important element of this event was that many of the car
clubs‟ charities had set up booths on the grounds to talk
about what they do and how car clubs help them
throughout the year. The Children's Rehabilitation Foundation spoke to the impact that we‟ve had over the years
with our fund-raising efforts.
We were entertained by Steve Elliott of Chilliwack who
does a great Elvis and who sounds a lot like Roy Orbison. I spotted about 15 members of the Fabulous 50's
Car Club but with so many people arriving, parking and
leaving at different times, it was a bit hard to keep
track.
This event was an important lobby effort on behalf of
our hobby to pro-actively talk about what we do, and
the positive impacts we have in our communities.
- 24 -
Wilf’s Elie Ford Anniversary
On June 25th, about 30 Club Members attended the 30 th Anniversary Celebration at Wilf‟s Elie Ford dealership, a long time sponsor. Club members were treated royally. We experienced great hospitality, received
goody bags, and enjoyed entertainment, food and drinks, and awesome cookies.
Congratulations Flo !
Best in Show
- 25 -
- 26 -
Club Donations to date: $58,884
www.thechromepit.ca
[email protected]
- 27 -
Back to the 50’s Minneapolis, MN Weekend of June 17 th, 2011
through the eyes of Silvia Hidara
Photos from Silvia and JoJo
The trip out was fairly uneventful as
in no major car problems. Minneapolis is a VERY large city and going
through at rush hour was not the best
timing. OK – so our Albertville stop
was the culprit but a few of us
women just NEEDED to shop and got
to do so although we were not allotted a lot of time. After settling into
our hotel, the men went to check out
the Fairgrounds.
Friday at 8 am, a group of us went
to the Fairgrounds. Talk about a lot
of cars and people! Cars parked
everywhere; not an empty spot in
sight.
We lost Albert at a set of lights,
then we lost Neil (who was in the
lead) and eventually we connected
with him so that he could lead us to
the site where Ronnie Lambert was
parked. Thank goodness for cell
phones as we were able to find Albert‟s
location. A group went out to find and
guide him and Betty back to our site.
It was simply too much to take in – wallto-wall cars and people. The day was
nice and sunny. Some women went to
the Women‟s Pavilion to look around
and then take the shuttle to IKEA. Evenings were spent sitting around in front
of the hotel comparing notes on what
we had observed.
Saturday am, the men went off to the
Fairgrounds while a few ladies chose to
visit a local mall. It started to pour
around 3 pm just as we made our way
to join the men and it didn‟t let up for
hours. The hardier amongst us stayed
put (through rain and shine) to look at
even more cars and to take in the evening entertainment.
- 28 -
Since our group was planning to
leave early next morning, some of us
chose to gas up that evening. Some
people should have traveled with a
map in order to avoid the scenic tour
of the city that night. A lone posse
went out in search of our fearless
leader who just didn‟t quite get the
concept of “stay put”!
The journey home was also uneventful except for a stop at the car museum in Rogers and a great lunch at
Denny‟s - a 50‟s style diner.
- 29 -
Meet Rance Pritchard
Although Rance and Norma Pritchard are
relatively new members of the Fab 50‟s Ford
Club, Rance is a long-time car guy, going
back to the 1950‟s and his initial membership
in the Cam Winders in the 1960‟s. To give
you some idea of what I mean, his daily
driver is a black 1953 Ford Half Ton.
His first car was a 1954 Austin Convertible
that he bought when he first started working.
Then there was the 1953 Chev 2 Door Hardtop that he used to race at Keystone Dragways. Over the years, he has owned and
worked on too many vehicles to mention but
among them are a 1931 Ford Roadster
Pickup with flathead engine, a 1959 Chevy
Convertible (lowered and customized), and a
couple of 1940 Ford Pickups. And then there were the
motorcycles – a 1947 Indian, 1956 Triumph 650 Twin,
and a 125 James (English motorcycle).
Norma is also a hobby enthusiast and often participates
in car shows and related activities. Rance and Norma
joined the Fabulous 50‟s Ford Club at the Flashback
Weekend last year and we look forward to cruising with
them whenever the opportunity arises.
His current project is a 1941 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe. It
seems that he had gone out to fellow club member Gord
MacDonald‟s place to look at a 1940 Ford Convertible
and, as conversations go, he asked Gord what else he
might have for sale. While taking the tour of Gord‟s vehicles, Rance‟s eyes latched onto the 1941 Lincoln.
PS - Rance received a particularly welcome surprise one
day when he picked up the phone and the caller was a
fellow from Brandon who offered to sell him a book with
photos of all the previous customization that had been
done to the car. So now he has the complete story of his
and Norma‟s 1941 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe and its evolution to the car they will drive “Back to the 50‟s” next
year.
A previous owner had started to customize the Lincoln
which made it less desirable to Gord as he values original cars more highly. At the same time, it was definitely
“project worthy” to Rance. The Lincoln may have been
love at first sight for Rance but it wasn‟t an instant buy.
It took a year before the deal was sealed.
Once his new treasure was home, Rance surveyed the
situation to see what was required. All the body work
was done but the car didn‟t have an engine or drive
train. After getting an engine from fellow club member
Ron Lambert, Rance had a 5 litre Cobra 302 installed
with overdrive transmission and a S10 rebuilt rear end,
air-ride, and a combined air conditioning/heating system. The customization continued with the installation of
1956 Packard tail lights which required a lot of bodywork by Rance‟s friend, Mark Burton and rear fenders.
The headlights didn‟t have the rings so Rance changed
over to a brand new set of replica 1937 Ford head
lights with the turn signals built in.
At the time of writing this article, the glass has yet to be
done. Since the top of the Zephyr had already been
chopped 3 inches before he bought the car, now the
glass needs to be custom-made too.
The car is driveable but it is not ready for a safety.
Rance is hoping to take it “Back to the 50‟s” in Minneapolis next year at which time it will still be in black primer
awaiting Rance winning a pot of gold which is about
what it costs to paint a car beautifully these days.
- 30 -
The following photos are of the fuel cell, the painted and
pinstriped rear end frame and the air tank and compressor for the air ride.
1960 Corsair 700 2 Dr. Coupe For Sale
This car was owned by the same family until recently. As
far as I know it's numbers matching and would make a
good restoration. Interior is rough, but the only thing missing is the radio and a window crank. The exterior is decent, quarter panels are in excellent shape, a bit of rust
over one of the wheel wells and on one of the rocker
panels, some rust under the back bumper. There is a dent
over the front passenger fender. Its red colour has faded
in the sun. It has a nice interior colour combo with split
bench seat. I have all four hubcaps and you gotta love
the engine in the back. It looks complete as best as I can
tell. I can e-mail more pictures. Asking $1,500. Contact
Lorne Edwards at [email protected] or [email protected] or call at 204-227-6894.
Rance has installed a
window in the trunk so
people will be able to
see the fine workmanship done under the car.
The next set of photos
demonstrate how the
rear fenders were built
and a 1956 Chev rear
bumper was narrowed.
1959 Thunderbird For Sale
2 door hardtop, PS & PB, auto with 390 motor, C6 transmission; colour "Sandstone Metallic Gold" (original colour), original leather interior. Chrome re-done, 5 new
Coker radial wide-white tires, 2 new mufflers, plus much
more. Lots of power, no rust, excellent driver. Asking
$15,500. Contact Rusty Rutherford at (204)239-0084
or e-mail [email protected].
Lead on a 1957 Ford Fairlane for Sale
Glen Blair of Sidney, MB. Is selling this project car with
390 automatic, 2 barrel, also 272 4 barrel available,
lots of extra parts plus some „58 Ford parts. Email him at
[email protected] or call 204-466-2623 for more info.
- 31 -
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- 33 -
Fellow Ford Enthusiasts from Ontario Drop by for a Visit
Ken and Cheryl Jones of Sarnia, Ontario bought their 1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan in June, 2010 when
the car‟s odometer read a mere
43,995 miles. They had the weather
stripping replaced and had a new
clutch assembly, transmission bearings, universal joints, motor and transmission mounts, shocks, tires, and
stainless steel exhaust pipes installed.
Now it was time to put some miles on
the car but what to do?
They decided to take a trip to Summerland, BC to attend a car show
while taking in whatever cruise nights
they could along their route. They
contacted Betty and Albert Lannoo
with the intent of catching up with
some of the Fab 50s cruisers for coffee as they made their way West.
Like most travel plans, things happen
and you adjust as you go. As they
drove towards Winnipeg, they realized that their head light lamps were
not working very well so they phoned
ahead to see if Albert could help. A
quick phone call to Adrien Poirier
and that problem was solved and the
lamps in hand a few hours later.
Ken and Cheryl arrived at Headingley Husky at 11 PM and then slept
in their car all night which must have
been chilly given that temperature
had dipped to +4 degrees. They
phoned Betty and Albert to let them
know of their arrival and by 7:30
AM they were having coffee at the
Lannoo household. Albert fixed their
licence plate which was about to fall
off and replaced two head lights.
After more coffee and a few more
stories, our fellow Ford lovers were
on the highway once again.
Their total trip: 3,160 miles, 2 litres
of oil and average gas consumption
of 18.2 mpg.
Ken and Cheryl wrote about their
trip for the June 6th edition of Old
Autos newspaper. It was especially
nice to hear from them that, of all
the folks they met on their trip, the
Winnipeg A & W Cruise crowd was
the friendliest bunch! Another wellkept secret about Winnipeg, eh!
Cruisin’ the Dub in Winkler
Don Wiebe, from Carman, sent in some photos of the Winkler A & W Cruise
night where participants supported the A & W charity which is dedicated to
fighting Muscular Dystrophy (MS).
They arrived back in Winnipeg on
June 1st - just in time to take in the
A & W Wednesday Night Cruise on
Pembina Highway where they got to
visit with many of our club cruisers.
And when the evening wound down
and everyone headed for home, they
did too although “home” for them
was a lot further away. When they
arrived back in Sarnia, Ken called
Albert and Betty to announce their
safe arrival with no major problems.
- 34 -
“Classic Cruising the Dub” on Wednesday Nights
The cruising season at A & W locations kicked off on May 18th with a cruise to the 1875 Pembina Highway location
followed by burgers, root beer, prizes, and lots of catching up after a seemingly endless winter and wet spring. With
everyone anxious to start up those motors, and polish off the winter‟s dust from the car or truck, turnout was great. The
enthusiasm continued through cruises to the Selkirk, Manitoba location as well as
3095 Portage Ave. and 817 Keewatin St.
- 35 -
The Fabulous 50’s Ford Club of Manitoba
is pleased to host the
Sunday Night Cruise at the Pony Corral
4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
400 Wilton St. at Grant Ave.
- 36 -
Cruising to The Pony is a Fun Way to End the Weekend
Bob Stefishen
poses with his
“new” Edsel and
his prize draw for
the night. On the
left, he‟s posing
with our lovely
lady, Vicky Frantz
who is wearing
one snazzy jacket.
The outdoor burger and dog stand is
a favourite place to find club members.
Carl and Heather Holley perform
the parking/car direction duties
throughout the evening. Each week
features a different car club in the
prime parking spots on the lot.
And if you‟re feeling a bit chilly,
someone will always let you warm
up your hands on their coffee cup.
- 37 -
The Road to a Friend’s Place is Never Long - Devil’s Run 2011
Photos from
Bob Antonio, Doug Mosset, Marcia Galvin & Karn
When Stan Orness quoted the above words during the
closing ceremonies for Devil‟s Run, there were lots of nodding heads in the crowd. Then he and Sharon stood by
the exit gate and shook hands with participants as they
left Roosevelt Park and they thanked everyone for coming this year. It was a classy end to yet another fun
weekend at Devil‟s Lake. But the beginning of the 19th
Annual Devil‟s Run really began with a breakfast gathering at Letellier, Morden or Carman, depending on which
route the members took. We all experienced rough
road conditions. Friday‟s trip to the Casino Hotel took a
lot of patience as road crews tried to salvage as much of
the road as they could while the wind whipped up the
waves that were washing over the road. The road was
so bad that the muscle car get-together usually planned
for Friday afternoon was cancelled. Thankfully, by Saturday morning, the width of the road had doubled so
travel back and forth to the Roosevelt Park was much
easier. With so much standing water, the bugs were
pretty thick and the fellows who own the car washes
made a lot of money that weekend.
862 vehicles registered which is less than usual but with
so many road crews and flood evacuees in the area, hotel rooms were harder to find this year which may have
been one of the factors.
Most of the Fab 50s participants know the Devil Run attractions well and there are many of them: city wide garage sales throughout the weekend, swap meet (small but
interesting), open house at Black Magic Rod & Custom to
Whether you were nearby or farther
down the fairgrounds, you could see
the burnout competition on Friday
night.
Richard and Linda Batenchuk found
a good spot to watch the cars and
trucks returning to the fairgrounds
after the parade downtown. And
parade folks who still had candy
threw them to our group as they
drove past us.
This car was seeking the perfect
parking spot. Year after year the
bulk of the Fab 50s folks park in the
same part of the fairgrounds. The
cover page photos below the
“Diner” photo are all of Fab 50s
vehicles at Devil’s Run.
Don and Julianna hung
out with the Gimli Car
Club crowd.
- 38 -
check out the current project(s), a Women‟s World & Man
Cave shopping experience right at the fairgrounds, burnout competition, balance beam and muffler rapping competitions, and a flame throwing competition which was
deferred due to unsafe wind conditions, automobiles-only
parade through the downtown, a bus to take people to
shopping venues and to Collector Car Auction, and an
opportunity to have your vehicle printed on a Devil‟s Run
T-shirt. Throw in great entertainment by an Elvis impersonator (father and son combo) that did an “Elvis” show
on Saturday and an “Elvis Gospel Hour” show on Sunday,
The Shadows Tribute Band playing the favourite tunes of
the 60‟s that resonated with most of the crowd, and entertainment by Robbie Vee, son of Bobbie Vee.
Participants meals include a Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast, a steak dinner on Saturday night, and a
pancake breakfast on Sunday. Other concessions on-site
offer fare such as burgers and dogs or homemade pies
and ice cream. And with all that walking around to check
out the cars and trucks, a person can get very hungry.
Greg Brown and Heather Knight were attending Devil‟s
Run for the first time. In fact, this was their first overnight
car adventure and the irony is that they came “modern”
as Greg‟s car is in “restoration” mode. Even so, they
were having fun. Heather is a real bargain shopper so
when Marcia introduced her to the downtown shoe store
that was having its annual “Closing Out Sale”, she was
one happy participant. Apparently, she and Marcia got
a bunch of good deals.
The Collector Car Auction provided a few good deals
like a Jaguar that went for around $4,500 but most vehicles that came onto the block failed to meet the reserve.
The car show is the main event and Roosevelt Park provides a wonderful venue with lots of shady areas in case
the sun decides to bake the crowd. We are always
amazed at the number of Manitoban participants at
The Antonio‟s Ford and the Sandy‟s Mercury were parked in their usual spot with other street rods.
The park is a wonderful venue and the variety of vehicles to gawk at is breathtaking - truly something for everyone!
- 39 -
Devil‟s Run as well as the diversity of
vehicles on display. Bob and Pat
Keller‟s 1956 Mercury Montclair
arrived looking very minty indeed
after its just completed refresh!
Throughout the weekend, the
weather threatened to turn ugly but
then held out. At times, it was quite
deceptive as when a few members
took off their sunglasses to discover
that they now had “muskrat eyes”
with their face tanned all around
their sunglasses.
While some members tried out their
luck at the Casino, with mixed results
except for Pat who seems to be per-
ennially lucky, others were gathering
at Neil and Vicky‟s hotel room for
late night discussions.
On Sunday, the Under 21 participants park their vehicles in a special
area. The only participant awards
are for this group. This year‟s winner
“saved” a neighbour„s 1968 Ford
Galaxie with no motor or drive train
from the scrap heap when he was a
young lad in Grade 9. Over the
next three years, he did a frame-up
restoration and during his acceptance
of the “Under 21” Award, he thanked
his Grandma for sewing the seats for
his car. Nice touch!
And speaking of nice, if you are
ever having trouble with your vehicle, there‟s always someone from the
club who will help you check it out.
As Devil‟s Run came to a close, we
were reminded that next year‟s Run
will be the 20th Anniversary and
planning is already underway to
ensure that it is the best-ever! When
Stan mentioned that he was thinking
of bringing back The Shadows Tribute Band for a Saturday night
dance, the crowd roared its approval.
If you‟re interested in going next
year, book your hotel early as some
venues are already fully booked.
It‟s sure to be a lot of fun!
The entertainment drew some of us and as we enjoyed the tunes, others relaxed in the abundant
shade.
When we heard
they had come to
the Devil‟s Run we
went looking to
catch up with
some of the nice
folks from the
Nifty Fifty Ford
Club of Calgary.
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You need to keep the camera handy all the time
because there‟s always a vehicle you‟ve never
seen before like this delightful Buick.
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