IC VIBRATIONS February/March 2007

VOLUME 382A A Publication of the Michigan Region – Classic Car Club of America

After resolving to send timely this publication your editor finds himself in need of another pardon. The landlord at our business sent us a 30-day notice to move because he had leased the building to another. Since our business involves warehousing goods for our clients we had much to move – more than two hundred truckloads! Added to the many communications and utility links necessary to a business that uses extensive information technology, the job was sizeable. Happily we were able to make the move without suspending service to any of our clients and the cost of the move was kept to little more than half of our move in 2000. Another bright side of the story is that we found a building cleaner and more suitable to our business needs, and given Michigan’s stressful economy, at a 20% reduction in cost! Our affairs are mostly back to normal though our business is enjoying a level of growth atypical in the present Michigan economic climate. It makes me mindful that the Chinese alphabet uses the same characters to articulate opportunity as are used to express crisis.

Remember that Classic Vibrations is offered on line and by e-mail. The photographs are in color and you’d receive it earlier than mail.

Other important news to report in this edition is that of David Donoghue’s agreement to take on the position of webmaster for the Michigan Region website. Having established and managed the site for many years, your editor is deeply grateful to David for his willing heart. Given his savvy for technology we can look for an entertaining and informative forum for our region.

Long-time Michigan Region member Lee Belf was honored with the Classic Spirit Award at the CCCA Annual Meeting in Southern California in January! We are very very proud of her and the many of you who know this lady are no doubt mindful of how deserving she is. I can hardly recall an event from which she has been absent. Moreover, we usually find her volunteering in one capacity or another at our region’s events. Having worked with her to organize and manage the CCCA Annual Meeting in Novi several years ago I can testify to her exuberant competence.

The Michigan Region February kickoff event was a fine one! The day began with a gourmet lunch at the Detroit Athletic Club (arranged by board member Jim MacDonald) and a tour of the grand old building followed. Michigan Region member John Bluth delivered an excellent presentation on the history of the DAC which many of you will remember as the site of the banquet when the CCCA Annual Meeting was here in Michigan. Then on to the Skillman Library, which houses the largest automotive history collection in the United States! From there the group was bused to view original carmaker sites and the birthplace of many automotive innovations throughout Detroit’s eastside with John Bluth as our historian and guide. How grand that our region has access to so many important artifacts of an industry that we find so fascinating!

Attending the splendid event were Bob & Mary Anzalone, Lee & Floy Barthel, Carl & Carla Bekemeier, John & Carol Bluth, Mike & Patricia Brady, Brian Brady, Hildy Buterbaugh, Wally & Marlene Donoghue, Don & Vickie Gale, Wendell and Peg Gates, Tom & Criss Goad, Gumtow, Eric & Ginny Lundquist, Tom Lyon, Jim & Setsuko Martins, Jim McDonald, Dick & Audrey McNary, John & Jean Mead, Roger Melton, Larry & Patty Moss, Carol & Penny Pesta, Rich Ray, Katie Robbins, Larry & Nancy Seyfarth, Don Sommer & his guests Mr. Spencer & Mr. Sander, Gerald & Helen Szostalk, Mark & Pam Thomas, and Paul & Sandy Wise, who arranged a wonderful first activity for 2007. Many thanks for a marvelous event!

The first outing was oversubscribed (perhaps we’ll have to do it again soon) and many members had to be turned away from the kickoff event in February making it a tough act to follow but Paul & Sandy already had plans to share the long honored talents of craftsmen who are now the stuff of legends. After a satisfying brunch (at a budget value price) at Moe’s on Ten (at 10 Mile Road and Haggerty) the group traveled to ASC in Novi where concept cars are developed for Ford and Chrysler. Demonstrations of the Yoder machine and its metal-forming capabilities illustrated the techniques used by coach builders such as Rollston to create shape and form in the Classics of yesteryear.

Attending the event were Paul Ayres, Lee & Floy Barthel, Lee Belf, Phil & Carol Bray, Faye and Alex Buchan, Hildy Buterbaugh, Paul Clancy and guest, Larry & Lillian Colwell, Jim Cousens, Dave Dolby, Ed & Laura Cohn, Irv & Barbara Fishman, Tom Goad, charter member Maurice and Pat Horger, Doug Houston, Gerald Karinski, Greg Kosmatka & guest, Tom Lyon, the Machaceks, Jim & Setsuko Martin, Jim McDonald, Jerry & Judi Medow, former CV editor Larry & Patty Moss, Gary Reimer, Katie Robbins, Jim Schuster and guest, Larry & Nancy Seyfarth, Dan Sommer, Jay & Marty Wetzel and planners extraordinaire – Paul & Sandy Wise.

Another fantastic event is coming on April 14. Michigan Region members have already received their flyers announcing the rare opportunity to visit two private garages, one of which has more than 80 cars and trucks! Dick Gordon’s car shop contains early brass cars through the Classic Era and into collector models of the ‘50s & ‘60s. As is customary for our group, a gourmet lunch will be served at Dick’s shop, catered by Holiday Catering of Royal Oak. The second visit will be to the John Forster collection where some stunning brass era names such as Brush, Cadillac, Ford, Lincoln, Maxwell and Packard will be on display along with models through the classic era.

May 20 – Still in the planning stages is a trip to Flint visiting a nearby collection of vintage tractors.

June 1-3 - The Grand Experience at Hickory Corners will honor All Cadillacs through 1970, all LaSalles and all Full Classics. The invitation and registration form can be found on the museum web site - cccamuseum.org/

June 10 - Carnival of Cars will again be held at the Packard Proving Grounds which is slowly becoming a stately venue reminiscent of its halcyon days. Check the details on the web: carnivalofcars.com.

August 19 - Annual Ice Cream Social. This year a swap meet is added and members are invited to load up their trunks with parts and paraphernalia that can be offered for sale.

2008 CRUISEavan - Chris Snyder has asked all editors to make our readers aware of the February 25, 2008 sailing date of the CCCA Panama Canal CRUISEavan. Details can be found on the CCCA website or by calling CCCA members Camille & DJ Cramer toll free at 866-794-7707.

In the last edition of Classic Vibrations your editor promised a full report on our trip to the annual meeting. As reported earlier the event was in Southern California and there were many splendid attractions to entertain attendees.

The world famous Getty Museum was more than can be satisfied in a visit as short as ours but the several hours spent were rewarded with marvelous architecture, painting, sculptures and gardens. It may be the best example of what a museum can look like if money is no object.

We next went to the home of Peter Mullin to view a truly exquisite venue and collection. The ‘garage’ was literally excavated beneath the back yard of Peter’s home and the turntable at the entrance of the building was symptomatic of the class and elegance of the estate tucked into what looked from the street to be an average neighborhood. The lovely garden was situated over the roof of the garage next to the pool and pool/guest house. Peter was a charming host and opened his superior collection of French automobiles to a horde of admirers who truly appreciated.

Our new Michigan Region webmaster David Donoghue and wife, Mia at Peter Mullin’s.

On Thursday we enjoyed a luncheon at the thematic 94^th Aero Squadron Restaurant before heading off to the Nethercutt collection San Sylmar where every automobile, Wurlitzer, Lalique and Royal Hudson steam locomotive seemed to represent “best in class”. The showroom replicated the palatial salons of the automobile dealer showrooms in the classic era. The back lot tour of the restoration shop was an unexpected treat and most of us were amazed at the commitment to deadlines for important shows like Pebble Beach.

Michigan region members Lee Barthel and Dan Sommer in the Nethercutt restoration shop. Note the many extra parts adorning the walls.

Car collections were in abundant supply for this annual meeting. Ron Verschoor was as capable a coordinator as we could hope for. We greatly appreciate his fine hospitality.

Michigan Region members Greg Kosmatka, Katie Robbins and Lee Belf enjoying the Ray Scherr collection. Ray built Guitar Centers of America into a national chain of stores.

Judging day included some of Hollywood’s glitter with the appearance of Jay Leno and Mark Tuttle, a friend of Wally & Marlene Donoghue. Mark wrote many episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies and produced and wrote most of the Three’s Company television series. He is a fine gentleman, a quick wit and a great thinker

Jay Leno arrives in his 1925 Doble Steamer. He later returned with a Duesenberg!

MR members Pam and Mark Thomas join part of the Donoghue clan (Amy, Steve & Ann) in a visit with Mark Tuttle and his Rolls Royce Phantom II.

The Michigan Region was well represented at the annual meeting. We enjoyed the company of so many of our own including the Brays, the Thomases, the Goads, Katie Robbins & Greg Kosmatka, the Donoghue family, the Messingers, award winning Lee Belf, the Barthels, and so many others who do not live in our region but are members. We also had a coincidental visit from the Bekemeiers who were out West visiting their son. How lucky we are to have so many active members!

Perhaps the premier event for your editor was the visit to the Ronald Reagan library where the colorful and all American history of our nation’s former president is grandly displayed. There is a former Air Force One, a Boeing 707 suspended from the ceiling and our banquet was held beneath the wingspan! When the sun set over the mountains the view was as spectacular as any I have experienced.

Sunday, our final day, we enjoyed another visit to a premier collection: Aaron Weiss’s, known as the Flying A Collection. Many outstanding classics occupy the well appointed space of this collection and our members enjoyed a leisurely stroll throughout.

Afterward, we proceeded to Lawry’s legendary Prime Rib for an excellent lunch. Not a soul left hungry, either for food or good conversation.

Jean and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and we look forward to the next annual meeting. There are so many fine folks to meet again and catch up. For those of you have not participated in an annual meeting we heartily encourage you to do so.

In this edition of Classic Vibrations your editor wishes to acknowledge the hard work of Rich Ray in planning our major fund raiser, the Carnival of Cars. Taking the job from Rocky Romeo who served so faithfully and so well for many years along with Joe Pitts and Dave Dolby and others, Rich has injected new life into the event. We also wish to recognize the fine work that Vikki Papesh provides to us in keeping the Carnivalofcars.com website. Please take a minute to express your appreciation to these good people whenever you can. The words of encouragement are always welcome. Finally, your editor thanks profusely Bobbie’dine Rodda for her kind offer to proof my work. Those of you who write or have written can appreciate the great comfort in having help in that regard.

“I feel sorry for the person who can’t get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile.” – Walter Chrysler, automaker

I can walk through the front door of any factory and out the back and tell you if it's making money or not. I can just tell by the way it's being run and by the spirit of the workers - Harvey S. Firestone