Digital Newsletter Winter 2014 - Royal Pontiac Club of America

www.royalpontiac.org
Volume 21 Issue 4
Dec 2014
Inside this issue:
Romping on Woodward
Romping on Woodward
1–2
By Dr. Eric Schiffer
Points & Condenser
Fall Color Tour
3– 4
Trans Am Series Celebration
5-9
Happy Holidays to all… Fall has passed and winter is upon us. I hope all of you have properly
winterized and tucked your cars away for the winter. I’m sure there are many of you that are
silently waiting to see what kind of presents you receive that will help improve your cars. If only
others could read our minds!
Royal Pontiac Winter Gathering/Date Night… To help get us through the winter, the
Club will host a winter Date Night. This year it will be at the Library Pub in West Bloomfield, on
Saturday March 14, 2015 at 7 PM. Everyone will receive their own bill, so order as little or as
much as you wish. Come for a drink or just come by to have the chance to socialize. We need
an exact head count, so please RSVP with Todd Ansbacher by March 10, 2015. Check the
Club website for contact information. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Auto Zone gatherings…Continues through the winter months from 8:00 – 10:00AM in Birmingham. Even in the winter there is still a great gathering of cars and car guys/gals. The head of
Mustang Design has been showing up with some of his other directors in 2015 Mustangs. Ken
Lingenfelter has already brought a 2015 Z06, Yes, you heard me, a 2015…Member John Banach
brought a company 2015 Corvette for several of us to drive. The car definitely has as much
power as my C5 Z06, but the $73,000 price sticker for a close to base car and $79,000 starting
for a base Z06 will keep me loving my C5 Z06 for a long time.
Muscle Car Review Magazine… Barry Kluczyk contributing writer met with me, Brian Ballish, the Black Bird’s original engine builder, and John Politzer (Cheater, ’66 Geeto Tiger Mystery
driver), the original Black Bird Driver on Labor Day weekend. John rode with me in the Black
Bird from my home to our meeting at Little Daddy’s on Woodward at Long Lake Rd. Many stories were shared about the behind the scenes shenanigans that revolved around the Blackbird’s
mystic. I’m not giving anything away. You’ll just have to wait until the article appears in “Muscle
Car Review.”
Black Bird Die cast… ACME TRADER die cast company is shipping a1/18th scale of my 1968
Firebird, a.k.a. Jim Wangers’ Black Bird. ACME TRADER has sold out their inventory of 994
Black Birds and 68 more Firebirds with a red Bobcat hood stripe and red accent on the spoiler.
Retail price is around $134.99. Pasteiner’s Auto Zone Hobbies have some coming in or you can
check the internet and Ebay for availability.
(Cont’d next page)
SEMA 2014
10 –11
Grand Am Project
update
12-13
Vintage Article Featuring 68 Blackbird
14 –18
Blackbird Die-cast
19
Membership Application
20
Club Calendar
21
ROYAL PONTIAC
WINTER GATHERING
Sat March 14
7PM
Library Pub
6363 Haggerty Rd (north
of Maple east of M-5)
West Bloomfield, MI
48322
Please RSVP with Todd
Ansbacher for a head
count by March 11th
734-454-4644
Page 2
Royal Pontiac Club of America
Romping on Woodward (cont’d)
Dr. Eric Schiffer
Blackbird in 1971…I sent our webmaster Mike Kidd a 1972 article from the March 1971 “Popular Hot Rodding” about the
Blackbird. This was the ground floor of the cars development. Jim Wangers would NOT allow articles about the car to be released
until the car was considerably quicker then that the time published. There was a follow up on the Blackbird in the September 1972
issue of “Super Stock and Drag Illustrated.”
Points and Condenser Preservation Society…. Once again this fall tour was GREAT! Over 200 people began the morning at
Cauley Ferrari in West Bloomfield for a continental breakfast. Our mystery route took us through some of Michigan’s beautiful
back roads to Ford Motor Companies Romeo test track. Once at the Ford test track we were treated to driving our own cars for
a few laps around the 5 mile high bank track. I took my Z06 to the high lane. My wife Janis was a little nervous about being close to
the guard rail on my side and tipping over on her side. Oh by the way, we were paced by Ford’s soon to be released all aluminum
F150 and ran us clockwise around the track. Zingerman’s of Ann Arbor catered our lunch at the test track. I was able to take a
few pictures of this event prior to arriving at our final destination. Ford would not allow us to take pictures once we entered the
facilities. Our pictures from past tours should be showing you what you are missing out on.
MECUM Auction… Burt Reynolds’ “Bandit” hit the auction with a pre-auction estimate for the hammer price to hover in the
$60,000 to $80,000 range. Well, it seems that there are quite a few fans of the Bandit, and a number of them have plenty of cash
to spend. The winning bidder paid $450,000 to sign his name on to the title of the car. The car is a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, and it’s
packing a 400-cubic-inch V-8 engine paired to an automatic gearbox. In the door jam is a plaque that commemorates this as Burt
Reynolds’ own steed. This wasn't a movie car, but rather one that was gifted to Mr. Reynolds who uses it as a promotional vehicle.
SEMA and AAPEX… I frequently receive SEMA online news and a monthly newsletter. Mike Kidd and I decided to share what
is going on in the after market and specialty automotive industry with our members. I will be sending the latest industry news for
Mike to put up on the Club website for members to access.
Rumor…No Jim Wangers is NOT selling his 1966 Geeto Tiger replica. It was decided that his nephew, Gordon Wangers, would
keep this car and the remaining 1969 GTO Judge from Jim’s collection.
Condolence to Fred Simons… For the loss of his wife who fought a long time illness.
Get Well to Keith Wilson…Who has been in and out of Providence Park hospital.
Well, time to burn rubber
Eric
Page 3
Points and Condenser Fall Color Tour to Ford Michigan Proving
Grounds Oct 2014
By Dr. Eric Schiffer
The fall color tour with the Points and Condenser Preservation society (PCPS). A 88 mile two lane color tour
along some of Michigan's beautiful country side from
Cauley Ferrari in West Bloomfield to the Ford Motor Test
Track in Romeo.
Unfortunately we were forbidden from taking any pictures
once we passed through the gates to Fords Romeo test
track.
Did have a great history lesson about the property. Once
owned by Edward Fisher, one of the seven Fisher brothers that owned Fisher Body. In 1928 he built a 264 room
mansion with materials from all over the world on 2,800
acres as a surprise for his wife.The farm was once the
largest Hereford cattle ranch in the world.
The big surprise was when Edward brought his wife from
the home they had built in 1924 in the Boston Edison area of Detroit that she "hated" it and refused to live there. Without
ever being lived in Edward tore the house mansion down within the year.
Ford Motor Company bought the property on Fisher Rd in the mid 1950's opening in 1957. The Romeo test track is
known as MPG.
http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/Proving%20Grounds%20Provide%20Site%20for%20Auto%20Torture%20Chamber.aspx
All 100 of the cars that where apart of our group lined up in four lines behind Ford's pass vehicle. Several pictures where
taken of our group by both Ford's official photographer and PCPS's photographer.
This time around we could run parallel to one another, change lanes and hit the high banks of the 5 mile oval track.
Naturally with Janis and I had to try the extremely angled high lane....Wow. It was steeper then Chrysler's track…
Members in attendance: Jim Gannes red 1997 Saleen
Mustang convertible, Larry and Janice Cohen red 2012
Corvette Grand Sport convertible. Myself and Janis in our
yellow 2002 Corvette Z06.
Page 4
Points and Condenser Fall Color Tour to Ford Michigan Proving
Grounds Oct 2014 (cont’d)
Click on link below for more photos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/108906868@N03/sets/72157648488847299/
Page 5
2014 SAAC-MCR Fantasy Trans-Am Event
Text by Mike Nyberg and Photos by Lysle Basinger, Phil Jacobs and Rich Tweedle
10 Fantasy Trans-Am participants standing next to their car parked in Le Mans style formation
The October 5th SAAC-MCR Harvest Happening open track event
included a Fantasy Trans-Am opportunity for early Pony cars. It was
an opportunity for owners of the type of cars that road raced in the
‘60’s and early ‘70’s to participate in parade laps to create photos that
looked like early Trans–Am races.
A couple of days after the event I received an e-mail from Mike
Matune, the author of an article titled “Mustang A Born Winner”
publisted in the October issue of Vintage Racecar. The article tries to
answer the question of where and who was involved in the long and
storied Mustang competition legacy after the car was introduced on
April 17, 1964.
“One of the first Mustangs to race after Ford introduced the car,
raced at the Waterford Hills Road Racing Course. Annually, the
season opener was Spring Sprints on Memorial Day weekend. That
May 30, 1964 Bob Acton, a plumber from Livonia entered a Poppy
Red Mustang “Notchback” with number 74, winning Sedan III. His
collaborator in the effort was a Ford Credit employee by the name of
Joe Bradley. Acton had a background in drag racing, but Bradley
was able to convince him to try turning corners and they went road
racing instead. The pair would continue competing through the beginning of 1965 at Waterford Hills and various Canadian venues with
a couple of different Mustangs before acquiring a GT350.”
I thought it was a coincidence that out Fantasy Trans-Am event occurred within a couple of days of receiving an article about how Waterford Hills Race Course played a very early roll in Mustang road
racing competition
(continued p.6)
The
urbanX
times
with
cone
counts
Mike Kidd with his 1970 Blue Firebird. Moves well with
a bored and stroked 478CID Pontiac engine, CNC Ported Edelbrock heads, Holley 950 CFM carb and 3.42 gear,
producing 630 hp on pump gas with best ET 11.03 @
123. Mike was instrumental in helping to make the
2014 SAAC-MCR Fantasy trans-Am event a success.
He prepared the flyer that was used to promote the
event.
Page 6
Fantasy Trans-Am
(Continued)
(continued from p.5)
Ten early Pony cars participated in the Fantasy Trans-Am
parade laps. Eight Mustangs and two Pontiac Firebirds
driven by eight SAAC-MCR members and two nonmember.
We had all ten cars parked in Le Mans angle parking formation. Each driver stood by their car for photographs.
We then went out onto the track for the parade laps.
Darius Rudis, the SAAC-MCR Open Track Event Coordinator, orchestrated various formations for each lap for
different photo opportunities. The object was to obtain
photos that looked like we were road racing.
All the Fantasy Trans-Am parade laps with the photo
(continued p.9)
Right: William Kidwell
next to his
1966 Shelby
GT350.
William’s
dad, Joe, purchased the
original
GT350 in
1982 . William started
the restoration with the
body work at
age 16. His dad installed the restored drivetrain in 2002. William
finished the restoration just in time for the first public appearance, at the 2012 SAAC-MCR Show 37 and GO37.
Shaun Burgess standing next to his modified 1970
Blue Mustang Sportroof. The ‘70 uses his front
coilover, rear 3-Link coilover suspension,
front/rear disc brakes. It has a 450hp/450ft-lb 393
Cleveland built by Barry at Survival Motorsports,
4spd and 9" rear. 18x9 front and 18x10 rear
wheels on stock sheet metal.
Shaun designs, manufactures and sells all the
chassis, suspension and brakes systems you need
to improve the performance of your early Mustang on the street or track. Visit his website at:
www.streetortrack.com
Right:
John
Yarema
with his
helmet
on the
roof of his
1965
GT350
Replica.
John has
made ma
ny modification to
stiffen the
chassis.
Added
disc
brakes
and Shelby suspension improvements. John rebuilt and installed a ’94 E150 302 CID engine, a World Class T-5 transmission and 9” 3:50 ratio rear axle.
Ten early Pony cars participated in
the Fantasy Trans-Am parade
laps. Eight Mustangs and two
Pontiac Firebirds...
Page 7
Fantasy Trans-Am
(Continued)
Right:
Gibson
Nichols
ready to
jump
into his
1966
Silver
Blue
Mustang
coupe.
Gibson
converted this
original 6 cylinder car into an attractive V8 GT Mustang by
modifying the powertrain, suspensions and brakes, as well as
many interior and exterior enhancements. The 1986 302CID
Ford V8 produces 210rwhp and 249rwft-lb torque.
Barry Levey keeping his neck warm standing next
to his Red 1966 Fastback. He recently installed a
427 CID engine, consisting of Dart block, with all
forged internals, dynode at 600+ hp at 6,400rpm
and 570+lbs-ft of torque at 5,100rpm.
Jeffery Reimus leaning on the roof of his 1969
Firebird. The engine is a OHC-6 cylinder 4bbl,
stroked to a displacement of 301CID,
dynode at 330hp at 4,800rpm, and 428 ft-lb of
torque at 2,800 rpm.
Right:
The author
with his
1970
Mustang
BOSS
302 decorated
with the
1970
TransAm
sponsor
decals.
Jeffery’s engine compartment is not the typical Firebird varity. I like the fluting (architectural term) in the top center of
the valve cover. It reminds me of the Strato Streak dual
hood moldings in a 1955 Pontiac hood.
Page 8
Fantasy Trans-Am
Oscar Madison leaning against his Black stock
1965 Fastback with the original 271hp hi-po engine
and 3.89 rear gear. He has added a 5spd, Shelby
hood, fog lights, and front disc brake conversion.
(Continued)
Jerry Ostalecki beside his Paxton supercharged Green
1966 Shelby GT350 Tribute. It has a 347 stroker motor
with Trick Flow heads, in addition to the Paxton. It also
has a 5 speed trans and 3:89 Traction Lok rear. The car
has several suspension and some chassis modifications.
Left: Darius Rudis orchestrating
the formations fo the Fantasy
Trans-Am photos
Below: All ten 2014 SAAC-MCR
Fantasy Trans-Am participants
posing for a photograph at the
start/finish line
Page 9
Fantasy Trans-Am (Continued)
(continued from p.6) Session was during the lunch break. Once
the lunch break was over the early Pony cars were allow a 15
minute hot laps session for those who wanted to participate. Four
cars participated. One did not finish due to a broken fan belt.
The other three had fun pretending they were in a Trans-Am race.
We are hoping we can find some local road racers that raced at
Waterford Hills to participate next year. Until then, if you have an
early Pony car, get it ready to participate in the 2015 Fantasy
Trans-Am event.
Let the fun begin with everyone heading toward Hill Top
Turn.
Above: Eight of the ten Fantasy TransAm participants exiting Hilltop Turn
into the Pelton Bend tightly grouped
together.
Left: A few laps later the
participants start to spread
out
Right: Several lead
changes have occurred
in the later laps
Link to Video from Hot Lap Session:
http://youtu.be/B86u8AtBqL8
Page 10
SEMA Trip
Jim Boschan
More Photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/108906868@N03/sets/72157649437271712/
I have always wanted to have an opportunity to go to SEMA. Our esteemed club President has been telling me for
years how exciting and how much fun it is. This year I had to head out to Arizona via Las Vegas for a Bachelor Party
for one of my sons. When I checked the calendar I saw it tied in with SEMA. I called a friend who was able to get me
credentials and off I went!
I was in Vegas for the Shopping Center Convention in
May. The ICSC may take almost as much room in the
convention center but does not have even half the number of people that SEMA does. The crowd pours out
into the huge parking lot in front where manufacturers
have exhibits. Ford takes over most of the lot to use as a
race track. It was ringed by every model Mustang built
over the last 50 years. F-150’s and Mustangs shared time
racing around the track, often with spectators willing to
wait in the long lines for a spin. The F-150’s spent a lot of
time on two wheels and jumping off of ramps. Mustangs
spent their time speeding and spinning and burning lots and
lots of rubber. Gives “Built Ford Tough” a whole new
meaning.
Inside the convention center were Fords, Chevy’s and
Dodge products galore, in every stock and custom permutation from factory and custom car facilities. Mustangs were
the most dominant in numbers. Every supplier of performance parts were represented there. If you look at my
pictures you will get a taste of that. The models were
great, and the cars weren’t bad either. Although most of
the parts are for new car performance if you had questions about their use in a classic vehicle they generally
were more than happy to talk to you about it. Most of
the exhibitors were very gracious.
What surprised me was that half of the show, and the
entire South Hall, was devoted to trucks. No lack of performance enhancements available for them. There were
lots of fun things to watch, like Chevy hand building a
Page 11
Z06 motor, it looked so easy but I know not to try that at home. I met and talked with people I know, like Ken Lingenfelter, and people I knew about, like Chip Foose. When I told Chip I was from Detroit he asked if I had been to the
Motor City Casino. Recently yes, for the Sam Schiffer wedding I told him. He told me that he worked with the architects on both interior and exterior design elements. Is there anything he cannot do? I consider him an artist. What he
does on “Overhaulin” (very well attended at the show, the season finale with a 1957 Bel Air was taped there) is what
he is best known for. There are a dozen charities he is involved with that he does not publicize very much. He is truly
a class act.
I am glad I had an opportunity to go and hope to be lucky enough to attend again. Three days was hardly enough to
take in everything. It was an experience I shall not soon forget.
Hope you can all go too!
More Photos at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/108906868@N03/sets/72157649437271712/
Page 12
1973 Grand Am Project update
Mike Kidd
http://youtu.be/PJ-OBXFLDAw
It was an exciting spring/summer on my Grand Am project.
Since the summer newsletter, I had installed a ported set of
6X heads and a new cam. After the cam burn in I noticed a
clattering noise in the motor. Well time for a rebuild I guess!
Turns out the rebuilt engine the last owner was so proud of
had quite a few issues. Special thanks to member Lorin
Budzinsky for rebuilding the engine. Since getting the motor
back in this Fall we’ve taken it on a couple short trips.
One of our first trips was to Grand Blanc to take my niece
Helen to church and to let her drive the “route 66” trip car.
She was the one who suggested the trip, which
we have planned for late June 2015. The trip
was the reason I purchased the car last spring,
and since she now has her learners permit I
thought it would be fun to let her get some
practice driving the car. Despite her inability
to smile for pictures (teenagers!), she had a lot
of fun.
The next weekend we attended the clubs fall
GA parked by Spartan Stadium
Niece Helen after her morning drive
cider mill cruise in Franklin village, followed by a
drive to East Lansing to watch our nephew play
goalie at Munn Ice arena (he’s on MSU’s D3 team),
and then back to Oxford.
We also took the car to Lapeer drag way to get an
idea how it would run. Unfortunately a problem
with the transmission governor limited the car’s
potential (wouldn’t shift into 3rd without lifting
completely off the gas), I was still able to get a best
of 14.08 out of the car (improving the car’s previous best of 14.93). I have since replaced the governor and expect to be into the 13’s on the next
visit. A short video of one of the runs is linked
above.
Page 13
1973 Grand Am Project update
Mike Kidd
http://youtu.be/PJ-OBXFLDAw
With the success of our shorter trips, we took an
overnight trip to London ON to visit friends.
We had a nice drive on some of the back roads up to
Port Huron followed by an hour or so on the 401 in
Ontario. We arrived in London just in time for dinner. The next day we drove to St. Thomas and Port
Stanley for lunch before returning home. The trip
ended up around 300 miles with no issues.
On the agenda this winter are new seat covers and
carpet. Thanks to member Jerry Schimelfening who
has kindly offered spindles and rotors to convert
the front brakes to 12” discs.
Racing a friends 5.0 Mustang at Lapeer
A couple unexpected projects showed up with the cold weather as the power steering pump started to seep
fluid, and the neutral safety switch sometimes sticks as well. Oh well, best to get these out of the way now.
So if you’re keeping score I have replaced wheels/tires, steering box and pump, alternator, radiator, AC
clutch, master cylinder and booster, radio, speaker wiring, rebuilt motor, rebuilt carb, hoses/belts, rear end
seals/bearings, governor and vacuum modulator, oil pressure sending unit, and added an MSD box, Trans Am
front sway bar, lower front springs and Bilstein shocks as well as an electric fan. While much more work
than I had planned (it’s a bit of a money pit!), I have to say it’s now a genuinely fun car to drive. It’s comfortable and also handles and accelerates well. I’ll let you know how the route 66 trip goes this summer.
Port Stanley on the Northern shore of Lake Erie
Aleta and I in front a monument to Jumbo
the famous circus elephant in St. Thomas.
Apparently killed here by a train.
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Jim Wanger’s Blackbird
Die cast model on sale, see details below:
Link to source or just search on Ebay or similar
http://www.mintmodels.com/1968BlackbirdPontiacFirebirdLimitedEditionDiecastModelCarbyAcmei.aspx
Page 20
Royal Pontiac Club of America
January
Primary Business
Royal Pontiac
Club of America
Address
P.O. Box 252402
West
Bloomfield,Line
MI 48325
Address
2
Address Line 3
www.royalpontiac.org
8
10
ROYAL PONTIAC MEETING, Denny's Novi
42nd Detroit Swap Meet Gibraltar Trade center, I-94
and N. River Rd.(Detroitswapmeet.com)
10- 18 Barrett Jackson Collector Car Auction, Phoenix, AZ,
Velocity TV or Barrett-Jackson.com
24
GM Heritage Center tour from 11AM - 1 PM. Pur
chase tickets though Pasteiner's Auto Zone Hob
by's in person. $20.00 Cash or Check (limited to150
people)
17-28 North American International Auto Show, COBO Cen
ter.
25
WPC Great Lakes Swap Meet, Gibraltar Trade center,
I-94 and N. River Rd
25
Script A Region Swap Meet, McDonald GMC Cadillac
5155 State St. Saginaw
February
12
ROYAL PONTIAC MEETING, Denny's Novi
March
6-8
Detroit Autorama, COBO Center
11
ROYAL PONTIAC RSVP DUE FOR WINTER GATHERING. Todd Ansbacher 734-454-4644
12
ROYAL PONTIAC MEETING, Denny's Novi
14
ROYAL PONTIAC Winter Gathering, Library Pub,
West Bloomfield
Pasteiners (Auto Zone) Book store,
Woodward Ave north of 14 Mile Rd
Every Saturday morning from 8AM – 10AM
Weekly gathering year round
Looking for Articles!!!
Have you done any cool car events lately? Maybe a great tech tip? Why not share them with other club members?
Would you like to share your pride and joy with other club members? Write a short “meet the member” article introducing you and your car. Be sure to include some pictures. We can also add pics of your ride to our “members”
tab on the website.
Please email Mike Kidd with ideas or anything you’d like to share in the newsletter. [email protected]