The Brass Lamp - Horseless Carriage Club

March 2016
The Brass Lamp
The “Re-Marriage” of a Buick
by Bill Tabor
In fifty-five years of active travel searching out antique cars
and parts all across the Midwest, you gather a great number
of stories about finding and
buying a great variety of items.
All automotive. I had a cohort
in all these miles; his name was
Leslie West, Jr. {Bugs}. A real
character, but aren't we all characters?
This time we had a lead. A
farm on Old Finley River Road
south and west of Nixa, Missouri, there was a bunch of old
cars out by the barn. With great
anticipation I turned my pick up
and trailer off the highway and
onto that gravel country road.
We were both discouraged
when after thirty minutes at 25
to 30 MPH and still no old cars.
Then the river made a bend to
the right and the gravel road
started up a hill. There, near the
top of the hill you could peer
through the roadside brush and
see an old “Shotgun” farm
house. And there it was. Some
old farm equipment and CARS.
Most were Model T Fords, but
one was a mid-teens Doctors
Coupe. It looked to be in pretty
good shape. As we turned into
the farm an elderly gentleman
came out of the house to meet
us. The proverbial question?
“Yep, everything I've got's for
sale,” was just what we wanted
to hear.
I went to look at the Model Ts
and Bugs headed for what
looked like an old truck frame
and running gear setting under
the equipment shed on the side
of the barn. Why? I had no idea.
And what was I looking at? A
really strange sight. Every car in
that barn lot was missing the
hood and radiator. That was
strange. When asked, the old
man told me if he had to buy the
car he would remove the radiator
and sell it for the scrap brass or
copper. That put him a few dollars ahead.
Are there any parts in the barn? “Yep,
go on in I'm gonna sit down.” I headed for the barn but stopped to see
what Bugs was so enthralled with.
As I walked up he said, “It's a Buick.”
Now I knew why. Bugs was a died-in
-the-wool Buick man as had been his
dad. Buick people are, well, Buick
people. As I went into the barn I
knew my Model T trailer was going
to be overloaded on the way home.
Inside that barn was surprising. All
the car hoods were hung on the walls
and all were in good shape. The barn
was obviously still in use as a farm
barn but much of it was filled with
car parts. I gathered up some 26-27
Model T parts, a set of top bows, a
windshield and a pair of headlights.
Carried them all out and leaned them
against a post of the implement shed.
Continued on page 6 >>>
Joseph F Yochim
(314) 602-9498
President
Mark Goldfeder
(314) 878-2786
1st Vice President/Programs
Sharon Mercer
(636) 928-8672
2nd Vice President/Membership
Louis Allen
(314) 741-4158
Treasurer
Susan Ebert
(314-791-5461)
Recording Secretary
Dr. Gerald Perschbacher
(314) 849-5249
Corresponding Secretary
Directors
Bill Albertin(2016)
Al Mercer(2016)
John Clark (2017)
Ron Nelson(2017)
Jackie Allen (2018)
Mike Ebert (2018)
Ron Nelson
9826 Affton View Ct.
St. Louis, MO 63123
(314) 638-7131
Brass Lamp Editor
Don Hoelscher
(636) 939-9667
Webmaster
The President’s
Column…
By Joseph F Yochim
Greetings everyone: This month I
have a lot of information that I
would like to share with the
membership.
This calendar year 2016 marks
the 23rd consecutive year that the
Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri was again invited participate in the St. Louis auto show.
Corresponding Secretary Gerry
Perschbacher did a spectacular
job. This year there were eight
different automobiles chosen.
Special thank you to the following club members for displaying
their vehicles. Ron Nelson with
his 1958 Metropolitan two-door
hardtop; Ron and Dian Korb and
their 1923 Ford depot delivery
truck; Val Kibens and Joe Yochim
with a 1950 Buick special fourdoor sedan model 41D; John and
Mary Porbeck with a 1955 Packard Patrician; Richard Rottnek
with a 1928 Buick master six sedan; John Gallagher with a 1926
Franklin series 11A sedan; Lou
and Jackie Allen with a 1926
model T Tudor; and Kent and Bill
Zschoche with a 1957 Volkswagon Standard Microbus Type 2. If
you did not get an opportunity to
come to the auto show, take a moment and look at the pictures posted on the club website. The eight
vehicles in my opinion were the hit
of the show. Before I go any further I want to thank every single
member and the member’s significant other for all their help, cooperation and patience. This year’s
display was a huge success for the
club. That would not have been
possible without your dedication
and ongoing participation and a
personal thank you to each and
every one of you for your participation in the 2016 greater area St.
Louis auto show.
Every single person that walked
past our display of vehicles was
immediately mesmerized. Every
single person had a story to tell
from their memories of the past.
We could not pay for better exposure and publicity for the club and
our club’s mission.
Walking through the convention
center looking at all the different
vehicles—what a sight! There were
no less than 24 different manufac-
www.hccmo.com
(314) 991-HONK
Celebrating 72 Years
In
St. Louis!
2
Photo by Gerry Perschbacher all rights reserved
from the Kemp Auto Museum
collection. The winning ticket
will be drawn at the Museum of
Transportation in conjunction
with the HCCM Father’s Day
“Cars with Class” car show on
Sunday, June 19, 2016.
Tesla Model C
turers displaying over 100 different models. How sad in today’s
economic environment that you
cannot touch a brand-new vehicle for under $30,000. And for
those who would like to spend
just a little more money, Cadillac
will be happy put you in a 2016
SUV for just under $100,000. I
was amazed days after the auto
show to see just how many of
those $100,000 Cadillac’s are on
the road every day.
Looking at the future I took a
moment to check out the 2016
Tesla. The model X Tesla which
is their version of a SUV will be
available later this year at a mere
$80,000. And by this time next
year the model C will be available starting at under $30,000
with a 200 mile range without
recharging. The 2016 Tesla also
comes from the factory with autonomous driving capabilities.
Interesting enough on the March
issue of Time magazine is an image of a red convertible with the
top down. Three people are seated in the car and no one is in the
driver seat. The cover photo
reads: no traffic, no accidents, no
deaths. All you have to do is
give up your right to drive.
“Autonomous driving”—just like
in the movies—it’s here and it is
real. You will be able to have
your vehicle come pick you up.
Your vehicle will be able to go
park itself. I want a vehicle that
can do all that—and also pay for
itself!
With all that said…. The Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri
will again be participating in the
St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day parade.
This event is on Saturday, March
12, 2016 at Noon at 20th St. and
Market Street. The Club plans
to have approximately 10 vehicles in the parade.
Mark your calendars and make
plans for the annual HCCM St.
Patrick’s Day feast which will
take place before the general
meeting on Friday, March 18,
2016 at 6:30 PM. Members are
encouraged to bring a side dish
or dessert.
Remember the club is giving out
free raffle tickets as a bonus
door prize to members attending the regularly scheduled
meeting. Eight lucky members
received a raffle ticket at the
January and another eight at the
February general meeting.
Easter Concours d’Elegance:
The 56th consecutive Easter
Sunday Concours d’Elegance
car show will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2016 at the Forest Park upper Muni parking
lot. The upper Muni parking lot
has been completely overhauled. HCCM show chairman
Peter Bitzer reported to the
board of directors that all preparations are complete. The vehicle chosen for this year’s Easter concourse poster is a 1966
Dodge Charger. This vehicle
was chosen to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the
Dodge Charger. Club member
Andrew Dorris’ 1909 Dorris
stake truck has been chosen for
our 2016 dash plaque.
Any member wishing to help or
participate in this year’s event,
please contact Easter show
chairman Peter Bitzer.
Let’s all keep our fingers
crossed that the Lord will bless
us with good weather on Easter
Sunday. I hope to see all of
you at our March 18, 2016 general meeting at 6:30 PM. I will
look forward to meeting all
HCCM club members attending
this year’s Easter Concours d’Elegance show.
Last, but certainly not least, I
wish to officially extend warm
wishes for a quick and speedy
recovery to our long time
HCCM member Al Mercer.
Thank God for Angels—so glad
you are okay, Al.
There will be more tickets given
away as door prizes at the
March and April meetings. Valued at $25 each the tickets are
from the Museum of Transportation. The tickets are for
the1958 Mercedes 180D raffle
Sincerely Yours,
Joseph F Yochim
2016 HCCM President
3
Blue Line Roads, Fried
Chicken and Pork
Steaks…Curing
Winter Blahs…
A Tour Perspective
by Larry Hassel
You “never look a gift horse in
the mouth”…especially in early
February when there is usually
snow and ice on the ground and
blustery winds...well, a group of
car crazies planned an awesome
tour and we had participation
from a multitude of organizations combined…including some
HCCM folks as well.
4
How does one define a great
tour and what are the ingredients aside from good weather,
pretty good directions and a variety of interesting people and
cars? When I was contacted by
Gary Sudin to participate in this
tour, hosted by the Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis, the
plan was to drive Gary’s 1966
XKE Roadster. It is a gorgeous
automobile and perhaps the
most beautiful automobile ever
built with flowing lines and near
aircraft type construction techniques that make this car fly
along the roads. However, the
discussion soon turned to my
pristine newly acquired 2000
Corvette Coupe with only 13,000
miles of dry weather on it…
clearly a time capsule car that
was maintained fastidiously in a
climate controlled garage on the
shores of Chesapeake Bay just
south of Annapolis, MD. Being a
past Jaguar owner (that is an epic saga for another time) and 2nd
longest serving Past-President of
the Horseless Carriage Club of
Missouri, Inc., I felt we might
have just enough credibility to
drive a very bright Torch Red
Corvette to a Jaguar event and
not be totally shunned. As Gary
described, it was like “Bringing a
Knife to a Gunfight.” I’m still trying to figure that one out??? I
figure it was more like showing
up to a black-tie event in
“OshKosh B’Gosh overalls” and a
flannel shirt…yep, just bought
‘em for the event!...and I do recall when I still owned the very
formal British “posh” Jag…we
arrived at the Governor’s Ball in
Jeff City. Sitting in style in “Bill
Blass Black” only to find we were
perhaps a “tad-bit” overdressed
for many of the attendees from
some of the rural Missouri communities, who were wearing just
what I described above—while
driving Ford pickups with traces
of at least three different kinds of
manure. Is that Chanel No. 5
you’re wearing…no, I reckon it is
Rufus the Hog!
Well, back to the tour…I was
pleasantly surprised to see that
this was a combined tour of Jaguar, Miata, Packard and Classic
Car folks with maybe a smattering of others (I saw at least one
Mercedes-Benz Club badge and
a few HCCMers). There were 64
persons in attendance with the
oldest car being the “Quick”
1941 Cadillac (above) followed
by the Albertin 1956 Packard
Executive (left), These two cars
held their own against new vehicles including at least one slinky
Jaguar F Type. “Symbiotic”
would be the term I would use to
describe the event…an unlikely
mix of cars, but a very nice harmonious outcome. The riddles
devised by Phil Taxman and Jim
Hendrix, our Tour Directors, were
certainly a challenge…even
stumping Mensa Member Gary.
We were “over-thinking” the
challenge and were close (but
no Cigar) on some of the ideas.
Both of us were “bamboozled”
by the statement “Not a major
accomplishment, but a
_____________________.” That led
to the answer “Junior Achievement,” and we were clearly the
underachievers when it came
to filling in that blank. We
came up with “minor inconvenience” in reference to the
construction work going on. I
think the best part of the tour
was at the beginning as we
traversed the merge ramp
from Ladue Road onto Highway 270. Somewhere between
2nd and 3rd gear, I found a need
to slightly “nail” the accelerator
pedal to the floor to catch up
to the vehicle in front of us and
when we dropped the manual
shifter into 3rd, we had made
up the distance at Star Trek
warp speed…and that sure felt
good as the big 5.7 liter V-8
roared with voracity and the
red Corvette tore up the asphalt.
Soon we were cruising down
Highway 94 into Missouri wine
country…the starkness of winter skies making for a certain
bleakness as we awaited the
festivities of springtime as this
area begins to come alive
again after a short hibernation.
The twisty road presented
some challenges and the need
to focus on potential clues to
answer more of the riddles and
the yellow line down the center
of the road, ever changing as
we traversed numerous hills
and curves from Defiance to
Augusta with a final destination at Washington, MO. A
white knuckle jaunt on the old
Highway 47 Bridge into Washington…and for a moment a
visualization of Bonnie and
Clyde making the crossing in a
1934 Ford V-8. Arrival in
Washington created a slight bit
of confusion as we missed one
turn and a critical clue. However, we knew the general direction we were headed and
safely arrived at the Knights of
Columbus Hall and the welcome of great fried chicken
and pork steaks greeted us.
Gary and I forgot to take along
a pen so we had to memorize
all of our “riddle” answers and
quickly recount them on paper
before Phil Taxman and Jim
Hendrix, provided the answers.
We scored 11 out of 20 and
that put us mid-pack. The
prize???, but of course a Missouri Meerschaum Corncob
Pipe from the factory in Washington that used to make General Douglas McArthur’s legendary pipes.
It was now time for leg two…
and soon, we were on snaking
Highway T looking for Grand
Army Road and then Fiddle
Creek Road. The roads grew
even more twisted as we still
continued to roll on good asphalt. That gave us some semblance of peace, knowing that
we wouldn’t be hearing “strains
of banjo music” anytime soon.
We arrived far too quickly at our
final destination…”Head’s Store”
in the little community that time
forgot – St. Albans. Upon arrival
we found open doors and the
little store still serving that community continuously since 1892.
Now Head’s Store has gone upscale, owned by the same folks
who own Annie Gunn’s and “The
Smoke House.” One can get
some mighty fine BBQ from the
affiliation with Pappy’s Smokehouse, but we were there for the
famous pies and hearty hot coffee. About the time we were
approaching the counter, our
friend, Sylvia Keller, arrived in her
“antique” Miata (which can finally
be at the Easter Concours this
year). We had called her earlier
to say…the Miatas are here!!!
The end of the tour came far too
soon and kudos go to the organ-
izers…one of the best tours I’ve
been on, and somewhat of a
driving challenge…thus the reference to “Blue Line Roads” on
maps…gee, does anyone use
those anymore?
5
<<<from front page
The old man looking said “26”. My
reply was “26 – 27 the only years
they will fit.” Bugs looked at the
old man, then pointed at the Buick
frame. “How much?” Answer:
“With those parts, $75.” A hand
shake and the deal was done. As
we pulled the Buick out from under
the shed we realized all four tires
still were holding air, not much but
still some air. Great.
Winched up on the trailer, the
Buick hung off the front and back.
We couldn't make any sharp turns
going home or the front bumper
would hit the back corner of my
truck. All four tires were on the
trailer and it was boomed down
front and rear. It was a bright and
sunny fall (and happy) Sunday as
we turned out onto to the river road
and headed for home. The sun was
just setting over the tree tops and
the trees had attained their full fall
colors—colors made even more
spectacular by the brilliant setting
sun. A really great day in the old
car hobby.
FAST FORWARD,
ONE WEEK LATER
Saturday morning was a typical fall
day. Beautiful weather with just a
hint of winter in the air. Wearing a
light jacket I put my tow bar in the
truck and headed to Bugs and the
Buick. When I arrived he was in
the shop wire brushing the old spark
plugs. He had washed the Buick.
Wow! It looked even better after
the wash job. The black paint on
the frame was still in pretty good
shape and those RED front fenders
were sparkling. He admitted he had
polished and waxed the fenders. He
went back to the spark plugs and I
took off the front bumper and installed the tow bar. Bugs had
drained the old oil and he came out
with oil and the drain plug. He put
in the plug and I poured in the fresh
new 30 weight.
6
With the spark plug still out and the
distributor cap off and the transmission in gear, I pulled the Buick for-
ward up the driveway. Looks
good. The distributor and water
pump are both turning the right
direction, so we start around the
block. Stopped several times to
check, all OK. Back to the house
we now parked on the street and
installed the plugs the distributor
cap and hung a gallon gas can on
the steering column with a hose to
the carburetor. We are ready to
try it. With Bugs laying on one
fender to play with the carburetor
we headed around the block
again. The bang, pop, occasional
wheeze and a little boom out the
carb told us we had more work to
do. Setting in the street we pulled
the carb off and into the shop we
went. Being very careful to remember where everything went
and saving the old gaskets we
took apart the carburetor.
finished with us taking turns on the
milk case driving around the block.
With all the parts in the carb
cleaner we went for a late lunch.
When one of the ladies looked at
the Doctors Coupe she said it was a
Grandma Duck Car. Like the one
Donald Duck's Grandma drove in a
Disney Cartoon. Thus the car got
the name of Grandma Duck.
After lunch we hand cleaned every part and reassembled the carb.
Success, no parts left over. The
next trip around the block went
pretty well, it seemed to run OK.
But it wouldn't idle at all without
dying. After figuring out where
and how the idle circuit worked
we were able to get it to idle
good. Just to be sure, one more
trip around the block and into the
driveway. All's well. Bugs found
an old wood milk case and C clamped it on the frame while I
took off the tow bar. The day
Early in the spring we were seen
driving a Buick Chassis and running gear around the neighborhood.
BUT THAT IS ONLY HALF THE
STORY. WHERE DOES THE
ROMANCE COME IN?
The Rest of the Story
That winter seemed to be extra
cold. Tinkering with an old car in
an unheated building was not that
much fun. Car club meetings were
the best part of the winter season.
There we could talk old cars with
close friends. Pictures I had taken
of the cars on Finley River were
looked at and re-looked.
It was at the April meeting, just
after Easter, when Carl Morton
came to me and told me he wanted
to buy Grandma Duck. But he had
a problem, He was working overtime, 10 hours a day 6 days a week.
The overtime would pay for the car
but there was no time to go get it.
Could Bugs and I buy it for him?
So it was that Bugs and I found
ourselves, with trailer behind,
turning down Old Finley River
Road one more time. We decided
that I had never actually bought
anything, so Bugs would do the
price negotiations while I again
gathered parts from the barn. He
was going to look at some of the
other Model Ts before ending up
at the coupe. The old man again
met us outside as he had before.
He looked like it had been a long
hard winter. He wasn't getting
around like last fall but he still
seemed sharp mentally. I told
him I was going to get a few
things out of the barn and Bugs
said he wanted to look at the Ts.
Inside the barn I took the hood
for Grandma Duck off the wall
and set it by the door. I picked up
a couple other pieces of T and
had them ready. As Bugs approached the Doctors Coupe I
took the hood and other parts out
to the coupe. It fit perfectly and
the black paint matched. That
came off this car the old man told
us. Back inside the barn I decided
to look in the loft for more parts
so up the ladder I climbed. The
loft still had a good bit of loose
hay inside as green pasture was
still a month away. I am looking
up on the walls and posts for
small things, there wasn't much.
Then I stepped on an old rotten
floor board under the hay. It gave
way and my leg went through and
I sat flat down in the hay.
What's that? On the back wall, all
still covered with hay, was what
looked like a car body. It was
standing straight up on end
against the back wall of the loft. I
think I can see a hint of red through
the hay. I scrambled to my feet and
rushed to the back, started pulling
the hay with my hands and, yes, it
was red—standing on its nose with
the back touring seat up against the
barn wall. I can't tell Bugs, he will
go bonkers if he thinks it would fit
the Buick. That might screw up our
whole relationship with the old man.
Back outside, the old man (I have
forgotten his name) was counting
the money for the Doctors Coupe.
We winched the T onto my trailer
and got it all boomed down and
ready for the trip to Carl's house. I
told the old man I wanted to show
Bugs some of the stuff in the barn.
OK, and he headed for the old wood
chair. Inside the barn Bugs started
looking at all the stuff. I was on the
bottom rung of the ladder before I
could get him to follow me up. He
stuck his head into the loft looking
at the front wall and said there's
nothing in here. “Come on up. I
want to show you something.”
There it is all still covered with hay.
“Oh, my God” said Bugs over and
over as he tore away more of the
hay. He went berserk. He wanted to
unload the coupe and take the red
touring body. I convinced him that
wouldn't be wise. And he finally
settled down enough so we could
leave. All Bugs could get out when
we left was “see ya”. On the road
home all I heard was “It's a Buick.
It's off the car. Same color red. Oh
my God. It'll fit the Buick,” and on
and on and on.
In town at Carl's house, we had just
pushed Grandma Duck off the trailer when Carl and Shirley came driving in the driveway. They were
excited with the new, to them, Model T Coupe. Bugs gave Carl back
two-thirds of the money he had sent
to buy the car for him. He tried to
pay us. No way—we are all club
members. Bugs exuberance finally
broke thru and he started talking
about “The Buick.”
The next three weeks it was tough to
hold Bugs off going back to Old
Finley River Road again too quick.
Three weeks of “I'm sure it came off
my car. It is Buick. I know it is. It's
got to be off the frame, it's the same
color as the fenders, it's right I know
it.” And many more along that line.
Three weeks of “It's got to be the
body off my frame” all day at work
and especially all lunch hour. He
couldn't wait until Sunday, so Saturday morning early we were on the
road to Finley River Road. Things
went well. We were both happy.
Back home with the trailer, body
still on board, I parked outside Bugs
garage. He started measuring to be
sure, but you could look and see
they were a match. I went inside
and started calling some of the club
members. We need some help tomorrow! Sunday, shortly after
church was out, the guys started
arriving. It took eight of us, but the
body went directly from my Model
T trailer onto the big black frame
from whence it came. The body
looked very proud on its old original
frame and chassis. It looked pristine, even with a few stems of hay
attached.
Someone said “It's a miracle the two
pieces ever got back together.”
My answer was “I feel like a matchmaker. Two old high school sweethearts got back together in their old
age. It was a Buick Re-Marriage
made in heaven.” After all it WAS
Sunday.
Epilogue: Bugs never r estor ed the
Buick. Instead it remained much as
we found it, except now it was all
together as it should be: a true 1923
running and driving Buick Touring
survivor. The ‘23 Buick was later
sold at Bugs estate sale. I do not
know where it went or to whom.
7
Counterpoint—The Future of our Hobby
By Larry Hassel, Past President of HCCM
8
Historically, we’ve noted that
many an automotive collector
harkens back to cars from their
youth. It seems like nostalgia
and fond memories have driven the collector car market in
the past, and, on average, your
stereotypical collector is a middle aged to senior individual.
Discretionary income is the
enabler that often allows a
person to obtain a collector
vehicle. Often we find younger
people focused more on disposable income and the coverage of basic living expenses
with little funds to allocate towards the purchase of a collector vehicle. Often it would
have to be a true passion and
sacrifice generated from associations in one’s own family or
to someone who has created
an inspirational atmosphere to
spawn such a “collector vehicle” purchase. When younger
folks are able to purchase a
collector vehicle, they generally invoke a generational influence on their decision making
processes. Few young folks
would ever express an interest
in owning a 1926 Packard or
similar. It is probably beyond
their means in the first place,
but more importantly, it isn’t
something they can generationally relate to. You would
have to have a passion for history and a want to travel back
in time through such a purchase to experience the “feel”
of a different era and understand the challenges faced by
motorists of a bygone era. For
us “Baby Boomers” we were
more of a “motive” generation
than we find with recent generations. The “millennials,”
surprisingly, have little interest
in car collecting or even driving. Is it because many
“affordable” cars nowadays are
what we aptly term “cookie-
...“millennials,” surprisingly,
have little interest in car
collecting or even driving.
cutter” because they are so
similar and rarely iconic in design to set them apart from
the field? That’s probably just
a portion of the answer and
speculative on my part. Is the
hobby dead? No…I don’t
think so. It is just different
now.
When some of us go to an informal local event known as
“Cars and Coffee” we see quite
a few younger folks with a level of affluence purchasing
what has come to be called a
“tuner” car. There is also an
interest in cutting edge technology…technology as in
TESLA and similar. These
young folks are “technogeeks” as much as we were
“gear-heads” back in our
teen years and early college
days. A sense of “belonging”
to an organization is no
longer a priority either.
However, a crowd always
gathers to hear about the
latest from Tesla Motors…as
in “electric” motors. The
buzz this past half of the year
was on the introduction of
“auto-pilot” technologies
and systems and the software feeds to give certain
Tesla-S models this capability. I can’t tell you much
about what constitutes a
“Tuner” car…essentially they
are “souped-up” rather generic and bland mini-cars. It
is what the individual does to
the car to make it special…
and that could involve lots of
carbon fiber and “flashing”
the chipset which controls
the car – essentially creating
a custom vehicle with
ground effects and electronic
enhancements. Fear not—
Maseratis, Lambos , Porsches
and Ferraris still turn heads
as do Jaguar F types and
even Aston Martins. There is
still a supercar mystique, but
the reality is that most of these
cars (and the requirement to
maintain their drivability while
being temperamental in nature)
are dreams few can hope to
make reality, let alone afford.
Does an Eight Liter Supercharged “Blower” Bentley from
the 1930s turn heads? Darned
right it does and it creates new
possibilities and a paradigm
shift. It is truly a rarity though.
It is almost always about our
sphere of influence that drives
our thinking. This is perhaps
why there is still a cult following
of Ford Model As and Ts…the A
being the more drivable vehicle
of the two…and this is a younger generation that has shown
interest because they are fairly
affordable and fun.
If I were to dust off my crystal
ball and make a few predictions
about what will remain in the
realm of “normal” collectability
and what of today’s cars will
become collectable and remain
relatively affordable…certainly
Model A and T Fords remain
good possibilities. Throw in
“the people’s car…the VW Beetle” too. The huge challenge as
we move to more modern vehicles will be the electronics and
the ability to repair and maintain these exotic computer systems…even a relatively simple
“lean burn” Chrysler from the
late 1970s with cheaply built
computer systems driving fuel
metering and ignition presents
a challenge to a potential collector market. Future collecti-
bles??? Clearly I’m in concurrence with Gary Sudin…
the Tesla is precedent setting and the roadster version
is already “iconic” with “not
too funky” styling. I’ll put
American muscle in that category as well…Corvettes and
Shelby Mustangs along with
Camaros followed by Chrysler Challengers, Chargers
and Hellcats of course; the
Mazda Miata has a cult following and maybe the old
Wankel Rotary Powered RX7 as well. Let’s not forget
Vipers too. I don’t see a Nissan Altima or Toyota Prius
achieving cult car iconic status, but maybe Z-Cars will.
These core transportation
vehicles “cookie-cutter” and
they are nondescript along
with the numerous Hyundai
and Kia plethora. I am speculating on the future. Your
guess may be a good as
mine. Is a “bathtub” AMC
Pacer funky enough to eventually become as collectable
as Tucker or a Cord? I just
don’t think so…nothing
about certain cars get the
blood pumping. Once I had
a “used Baby Diaper Green”
Mustang II Hatchback that
my parents gave me in my
college days (the result of
mom having too many Margaritas at the local Mexican
joint near Bud Anderson
Ford)…I hated that car and
rightfully so. It was, in my
opinion, a very dangerous
vehicle. It was just an extended Pinto. I begged my
parents to ditch this car and
take it back…they wouldn’t.
I would have preferred an
earlier “used” Mustang instead…like a Boss 302 or a
Mach I. Was I right on that
account from a collector
perspective? Looking at that
thought in hindsight, I was
absolutely correct.
Where are we going in the
future with this hobby? Get
out your sci-fi comic books…
wheels may become a thing
of the past with Maglev
technology (magnetic levitation). We’re suddenly seeing
this movement towards selfdriving cars. Call me oldfashioned, but I just don’t
like that idea of a computer
driving me to work, and I
enjoy driving for pleasure.
So…who knows what the future holds except the one
certainty of change. We’ve
come quite a distance from
the horse in a little over 100
years.
Gary Sudin, Fredbird,
and Gary’s 1966
Jaguar XKE OTS
9
CARS FOR SALE
1953 Daimler Conquest street rod. Chevy drive line, hydraulic brakes, new tires, rackand-pinion fly-in drive home. $6500. Jim Parkinson, 631-281-2797
AUTOMOTIVE PIONEERS TRIVIA CHALLENGE
“Hall of Fame”
Every month we will feature a description of one or more automotive pioneers. Can you guess the
identity of these inventive and creative people? Answers the following month.
Answers for February Trivia:
Pioneer #3: Andrew Riker, VP and Chief Engineer Locomobile Company
Pioneer #4: Harry C. Stutz, Stutz Moror Car Company
Pioneer # 5 1860 – 1932
Started his bicycle company in 1890 and built his first car in 1896. He formed his Motor Carriage Co. in
1897. in 1905 he produced an 8-cylinder automobile, presumably the first 8
This pioneer also developed the first practical storage battery. He designed a successful speed governor and
he developed a light, oil burning, aircraft engine.
Who was this great man? Answer next month.
Pioneer # 6 1833 – 1917
In 1858 he bought his brothers share of their wagon company. Started making Auto bodies in 1899. And in
1902 he produced his first car, an electric.
In 1912 the first car carrying his name was produced. He remained President of his company until his death
in 1917
Who was this great man? Answer next month
Submitted by Bill Tabor. Most info from
CHILTONS COMPLETE BOOK OF AUTOMOTIVE FACTS,
Editor: Craig T. Norback. Published 1979
In Memoriam
Pat (Barlos) Peeples, 1961+ member of HCCM,
editor of the Brass Lamp, collector of Chevrolets
and Corvettes. Passed in January 2016.
10
Special Presentation
The Horseless Carriage, September 17, 1:30 PM,
History Museum of Monroe County, Illinois, by Dr.
Gerald Perschbacher. 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo,
IL 62298
The Brass Lamp
The Publication of the Horseless Carriage
Club of Missouri, Inc.
March 2016
Activities Calendar
Information in this calendar is summarized. See flyers for
events —go to www.midwestswapmeets.com
2016 SWAP MEETS CAR SHOWS, ETC.
March 27
April 9
May 21
June 19
September 11
September 18
September 25
October 9
Concours d’Elegance, Muny Lot
Auto & Cycle Swap, Effingham Fairgrnds
Missouri Baptist Medical Ctr. North Lot
Father’s Day Show, Mus. of Transport
Wheels in Motion, Westport Plaza
HCCM Show & Swap Meet, Hlywd Casino
Oktoberfest, St. Charles MO
Brass & Nickel Show, Mus. Of Transport
Member Incentive— At
each general membership
meeting from now
through June, the club’s
Board of Directors has
provided for drawing
numbers for eight raffle
tickets to be given to eight
attending members. This
is a $25 value. Each raffle
ticket provides a chance
to win a 1958 Mercedes
180D (photo, right) being
offered by the Museum of
Transportation on Father’s Day. Be sure to
attend for your chance to
get a free raffle ticket.
2016 Club Events Calendar
March 12
March 18
March 27
April 15
May 20
June 17
June 19
July 15
August 19
September 16
October 21
November 18
Noon—St. Patrick’s Day Parade
6:30 St. Patrick’s Feast, Logan
Easter Concours d’Elegance
7:30 General Meeting, Logan
6:30 Strawberry festival—
Intro new members, Logan
7:30 General Meeting, Logan
Father’s Day Car Show
7:30 General meeting, Logan
Picnic—11 AM Schroeder Park
7:30 General Meeting, Logan
6:30 White Elephants, Logan
6:30 Chili Cook-off, Logan
Alert! Please check the club web site monthly at
HCCMO.com for notices of club event cancellations
or changes in time or location due to weather or other
circumstances.
Reminder for Volunteers
Volunteering to work at the Easter show and/or the
September Swap Meet events held by the club earns
credit toward free admission to the annual Christmas
dinner and party. Your next opportunity is working
at the Easter Concours d’Elegance
The Brass Lamp is a monthly publication of The Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri ©2016 All Rights Reserved. Material from this
newsletter may be reprinted or shared by our club members with proper citation and written consent from the editor.
11
A Publication of the Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri, Inc.
The Brass Lamp
Past President Larry Hassel and Gary Sudin participated in a winter car tour in
Larry’s 2000 Corvette. See Larry’s detailed article on the tour on page 4
and musings on the future of our hobby on page 8.
www.hccmo.com
(314) 991-HONK