March 2015

Page 1
April-May 2015
The Sparkplug
TWIN COUNT Y REGION, AACA
“Live to drive, drive to eat”
GALAX, VA
[Vol. 19, Num. 4-5]
5]
Chartered: October 13, 1996
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
President - Jack Chafin 276 236-6853
V.P. - Jim Cox 336 657-8942
6669
Secretary – Jeff Goodwin 336 384-6669
Treasurer – Jim Davis, 4411 Pipers Gap Road,
Galax, VA 24333 276 236-8617
Editor - Tom Littrell luv2fly53p@centurylink.net
Tour Director- Victor Allen 276 728-5061
5061
New Member Director - Sonny Westmoreland 276
236-6971
728-5061
Program Director - Terri Bowman 276 728
Car Show Chair – Tom Littrell 276 236--8423
Historian - Doris Goad 276 728-0574
Webmaster - John Avery 336 982-3378
Web Site - http://clubs.hemmings.com/tcraaca/
TCR Past Presidents:
Robert Vaught …………………………..1996
…………………………..1996-1997*
Charles Rudy ……………………………1998
……………………………1998-2003
Tom Littrell ………………………………2004
………………………………2004-2013
*deceased
APRIL-MAY
APRIL
2015
Circulation 76
CALENDAR OF OPPORTUNITIES
(If anyone would like to feature an event
in your area,
rea, please contact the editor.)
•
MAY 9 – Annual “Jim
Jim Cox,
Cox master
cook” BBQ at Old Cranks Motorcar
Museum. Eat at 6:00 pm. There will
be a local tour beginning at 1:00 pm
from the museum. We’ll be back
before the meal!
•
MAY 16 – Annual “Feed your Face”
breakfast tour to Shatley Springs with
a short tour afterwards led by
Charles & Sarah Rudy.
Rudy There will
be a short car show last minute
meeting. (This takes place of our
regular 2nd Tuesday meeting.)
m
Gather
on Main Street in Independence in
front of the Historic 1907 Courthouse
at 7:00 am, departing at 7:30 am.
• MAY 16 – Blue Ridge Thunder
summer Cruise-In
In in Hillsville, VA,
5:30-10:00
10:00 pm. The band ‘Tangent’
will be performing.
Twin County Region, AACA members gathering at The Depot Restaurant
after a ride from Galax and other points on March 22. Not pictured are
Tom Littrell, Doris Goad and Roy & Shirley Truitt.
•
MAY 17 – Spring
g Charity Poker Run
beginning at the Hillsville VFW from
1:00-5:00
5:00 pm. Run will end at Paul &
Doris Goad’s home with a meal.
Proceeds will benefit the American
Cancer Society.
•
MAY 23 – Annual TCR “Memories
on Main” Car Show in downtown
Melissa
Armentrout
enjoying
her many
birthday
cards.
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Galax. Meet at Old Cranks Motorcar
Museum to move necessary materials
to Main Street. Parking and
registration folks should be available
by 7:46 am at the Farmers’ Market
area.
•
JUNE 13 – Claytor Lake Festival Car
Show and Fire Truck muster at
Claytor Lake State Park. See Nollie
Neill for addition info.
•
JUNE 20 – Blue Ridge Thunder
summer Cruise-In in Hillsville, VA,
5:30-10:00 pm. The Fantastic
Shakers will be performing.
•
??? – Volvo tour is still in the works.
Details are being worked on. It will
probably be on a Friday.
2015 REFRESHMENT LIST
September - ????????????????
October – Brenda Goad and Doris Goad
November – Simone Avery,
Goodwin and Wylene White
Nancy
* Coy & Bonnie Kimble will furnish drinks
for the remainder of this year. The club will
reimburse them for the bottled Cokes. *
Thanks to all who signed up to help. I hope
others will volunteer for those spots where
there only one or none has signed up.
NEW CARS IN THE GARAGE
Jeff & Nancy Goodwin have added to the
ever expanding herd. They have recently
acquired a 1964 Chrysler 300, which is a
California car.
Please let your editor know of any new
April-May 2015
acquisitions in members’ garages.
ASK THE CAR DOC
With apologies to “Click & Clack, the Tappet
Brothers” heard on National Public Radio at
10 am each Saturday, locally on WVTF, 91.9
FM or 89.1 FM. Listen in, it’s a hoot!
Ed. Note: Car Talk has been in re-runs for
two years. It is still fun to listen to as the
questions are timeless.
Dear Car Doc,
I recently bought a car that is one of those
new phenomenons called a “barn find.” It has
been sitting untouched for about 15 years. Do
you think a new battery, tires aired up and
some luck will get it running without
problems?
Want to Ride
Dear WtoR,
As far as I can tell, one of the great Urban
Myths is the long stored auto that with
minimum preparation fires right up and
drives off into the sunset. I have purchased
several long-term storage cars and even
decided to reactivate some of my own long
unused cars. I have never had one start right
up and drive off with one exception. That
was a 1929 Model A Ford which had been in
storage from 1968 to 1999. That car only
required fresh gas, a new battery, new spark
plugs and air in the tires.
Normally the gas tank is full of garbage, the
fuel pick-up is vanished over, the fuel pump
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April-May 2015
is stuck, the carburetor needs cleaning and
jets unstopped. If the brakes are mechanical,
then the biggest problem will probably be
stuck drums on the brake shoes. If the brake
system is hydraulic, then the wheel cylinders
and master cylinder will most likely need
replacing or rebuilding. The brake lines may
be rusty and weak, just waiting to burst. The
next problem might be oxidized ignition
points which at the least will need to be filed.
The wiring might be an issue if corrosion has
occurred at connections and contacts or if
mice have gnawed on the insulation.
Chafin - President.
Before you attempt to start the engine, squirt
some oil into the cylinders through the spark
plug holes. Try to turn the engine over
manually to make sure it isn’t stuck. If it is
stuck, the starter could be damaged or teeth
knocked off the flywheel. If it’s free, use the
starter to turn it over without the spark plugs
to help cover all friction surfaces with oil. It
would be a good idea to change the oil before
this point. If the engine is free, some oil
pressure builds up, the old gas is drained, the
points cleaned, replace the plugs and give it a
try. Unfortunately, in my experience,
bringing a car back to life after a long
hibernation is an arduous task. Good luck!!
Car Doc
Sunday, March 22nd, is our annual tour to
the Depot Restaurant in Dobson, NC. Plan to
meet at Old Cranks Museum at 1:00PM, with
a 1:30PM departure time. (It's also Melissa
Armentrout's birthday - cards for her would
be much appreciated!)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Raise your children with a car
addiction……..they won’t have money for a
drug addiction!!!”
MARCH MEETING MINUTES
The Twin County AACA Meeting was held
3/10/2015 at the Old Cranks Motorcar
Museum in Galax, VA.
The meeting was called to order by Jack
Jim Davis gave the Treasurer's Report. After
the month's deposits and expenses, the end of
month bank balance was $5,706.65.
Victor Allen, our Tour Director, gave the
following updates:
Our scheduled Feb. 21st tour to Miles
Little's, in Charlotte, to see his large
petroliana collection, was cancelled due to
weather, and will be rescheduled. Date to be
announced.
Saturday, April 25th, is our planned tour to
Nollie Neill's in Ennis, NC to see his stove
collection. We will then stop en route for
lunch. Finally, we will stop to see Bill
Irwin's collection. Plan to meet at Old Cranks
Museum at 9:00AM, with a 9:30AM
departure time.
Saturday, May 16th, is our annual
breakfast/meeting at Shatley Springs in
Crumpler, NC. Plan to meet at the
Independence Court House at 7:00AM, with
a planned departure time of 7:30AM. A tour
will follow, after breakfast.
Saturday, May 23rd, is our annual
Memories on Main Show in Galax, VA.
Saturday, May 30th, is our tentative date for
the Spring BBQ, with chef Jim Cox as
BBQ'er extraordinaire. Tour to follow by
Tom L. on paved roads - details TBA.
A motion was made and passed to donate
$500 to help the Delp family, whose home,
possessions, and three children were all lost
in a fire. Our prayers go out to the family.
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A motion was made and passed to donate
$750 to Tom and Faye Littrell for the use of
the museum for our monthly meetings, and
various events.
Tom Littrell gave us a car show update. Tom
will contact Scooter, of Auto Roundup
Magazine, about covering our show once
again. Tom will check with the "Loose
Strings", who played at last year's show,
about once again providing us with some
great music. Tom handed out "Sponsor
Packets" to all members who will be
contacting sponsors for our 2015 show. If
you have any more ideas about who may be
willing to help sponsor the show, please
speak up! It was tossed about that if we could
get some more businesses to sponsor the
show, we may be able to eliminate the entry
fee. Grayson National Bank has already
committed, and donated $500. Please spread
the news on available vendor spots at just $10
each (note – food vendors are limited). Tom
will prepare a handout for members to take
along and pass out at any shows/
events/cruise-ins which will take
place before our show.
Club jackets - A question was raised about
ordering club jackets. Jack will contact
Wylene White about the requirements and
current costs, and report back.
Delicious snacks and desserts for the meeting
were provided by Faye Cates and Terry
Bowman.
We closed the night with a "What Is It?" 23
items were brought and numbered, and those
that wished had the opportunity to try to
identify each one. Nancy Goodwin won a
prize for the most number of correct guesses
(hint – paying attention to who brought the
item, many times helped to steer you in the
right direction!)
Mason Harding, after a round of clapping for
the most unusual item, brought in
the
highest decibels to take the other prize. He
April-May 2015
had provided us with some great highlights
of his years in a 3-man submarine, diving to
unbelievable depths.
Upcoming events:
Thursday (4/9) thru Sunday (4/12) is the
AACA Hornet's Nest Region Charlotte Auto
Fair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Goodwin, Secretary
TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Mason Hardin provided the following:
1. The 1953 Corvette was available in how
many colors?
2. What was the first car fitted with an
alternator rather than a generator?
3. Which car was the first to have the radio
antenna embedded in the windshield?
4. What was GM’s 100 millionth car built in
the US?
5. Which was the first car to have the horn
button in the center of the steering wheel?
6. What car has the distinction of having the
lowest price of any mass produced car in the
US?
NEW MEMBERS
Twin County Region, AACA has new
members but your editor doesn’t have the
information. Stay tuned until month.
APRIL TCR MINUTES
The Twin County AACA Meeting was held
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4/14/2015 at the Old Cranks Motorcar
Museum in Galax, VA.
The meeting was called to order by Jack
Chafin - President.
Jim Davis gave the Treasurer's Report. After
March's deposits and expenses, the end of
month bank balance was $6970.78.
Sonny Westmoreland noted that there are
still
two
complimentary
AACA
memberships available, but they both expire
in September. If you know of anybody
wishing to join the club, please speak up.
Wylene White updated us on current prices
for club jackets: The heavier, lined jackets
are now $89.99, if the club orders 1 to 4. 5 or
more orders will bring the price down to
$84.99 each. The lighter weight jacket is
current unavailable. The supplier is looking
for a new source, and will keep Wylene
updated, if and when they become available.
Victor Allen, our Tour Director, gave the
following updates:
The Volvo plant is once again giving tours,
but Victor is waiting for a call back for
further information. They will be looking for
what day and time we wish to go, and how
many plan to attend.
Our previously scheduled tour to see Miles
Little's large petroliana collection, in
Charlotte, is on hold due to his surgery. It
will be rescheduled to a later date.
Saturday, April 25th, is our planned tour to
Nollie & Pam Neill's in Ennis, NC to see his
stove collection, etc. (He notes that it is one
mile up a gravel road.) We will then stop, en
route, for lunch. Finally, we will stop to see
Bill Irwin's collection. NOTE NEW TIME Plan to meet at Old Cranks Museum at
8:45AM, for a 9:00AM departure time.
Saturday, May 9th, is our annual "Jim Cox
Spring BBQ". Tom & Faye Littrell will lead
us on a tour, beginning at 1:00PM, on paved
roads. The BBQ dinner is planned for
April-May 2015
6:00PM at the Old Cranks Museum.
Saturday, May 16th, is our annual
breakfast/meeting at Shatley Springs in
Crumpler, NC. Plan to meet at the
Independence Court House at 7:00AM, with
a planned departure time of 7:30AM. A tour
will follow, after breakfast.
Saturday, May 23rd, is our annual
Memories on Main Show in Galax, VA.
Car show update:
Tom notes that Scooter, of Auto Roundup
Magazine, will not be able to attend our show
this year.
Jack is looking for more judges for this year's
show. He listed last year's judging teams, and
is hoping for some more volunteers, to make
the judging go faster.
Jim Cox is asking for more volunteers to help
park the show cars downtown.
Faye Littrell is looking for some more help
at registration.
If you are available for any of these
requests, please speak up!!
Mileage plaques for 2014: Mike Westervelt
handed out mileage plaques (500+ miles
driven, some restrictions apply...) for the
2014 driving season.
Tom closed out the evening with several
informative, short videos, beginning with the
Model T, and ending with the modern day
Tesla factory in California.
Delicious snacks and desserts for the meeting
were provided by Marlene & Jo Rudy and
Geraldine Smith.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Goodwin, secretary
TINY SHOP HINTS
Here is a column designed specifically for
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member contributions. Please email your
editor with your favorite shop tricks that
work for you.
1. This is not exactly a shop hint per se but it
might help you once you are in the shop. I
was rebuilding the wheel cylinders for a 1950
Chevy. The bleeder screws were unusual in
that there was no way to attach a length of
tubing to make bleeding more effective. The
original ones just ended with a 3/8 hex end.
There were some “modern” bleeder screws in
a Chevy specific catalog that would be a
replacement. They were priced at $3.95 each
plus shipping and 7 days on a UPS truck.
(They come from Washington state.) I took
the catalog and the original part to my friends
at CarQuest of Galax. Denny couldn’t find
any of the correct size in the “Help” display.
In case you aren’t familiar with this section
found in most auto parts stores, there are
many of the most needed parts there, often
with multiple sizes of the same item in one
package which forces you to buy some of
what you don’t need. He searched the
computer. He took the original to match the
thread size and pitch with a nut. He goes back
to the computer and finds the correct one.
There are 165 in the warehouse which he can
have four for me by 7:00 am the next
day…..at 75 cents each. Moral to story! If
you can find a counterperson that’s willing to
go the extra mile and really search the store’s
resources, often you can find locally, what at
first glance might be only available in the
specialty catalogs, at a more reasonable
price. The same store located wheel cylinder
repair kits, a master cylinder, and a fuel pump
for this same car, faster and without shipping
charges. Be sure to check with your local
parts supplier first. Leave your money local!!
2. A couple of common items can have
multiple uses in the garage. I have a huge bag
of coated paper cups which I use to clean
brushes, mix items, put a small amount of
paint in, hold parts to degrease, store
miscellaneous small items, cover openings
April-May 2015
such as carburetor throats, gas filler pipes,
etc., etc. Do not use regular paper cups or
Styrofoam ones as most of the above liquids
will either leak or melt the cup. The next item
is a pack of popsicle sticks. I found a bag at
the craft section of a local big box store. I use
these all the time for disposable mixing
sticks; paint, body filler, epoxy adhesive,
fiber glass.
GET WELL SOON & SYMPATHY
Simone Avery continues to recover from
surgery. TCR is happy to report she was able
to attend the April TCR meeting.
Please contact Faye Littrell if you are aware
of anyone sick or in need of our sympathy.
NEW MEMBER INFORMATION
When recruiting new members, be sure to
explain that Twin County Region is an
extension of the Antique Automobile Club of
America. It is a requirement that one must be
a member of the AACA to join the local club.
There are a couple of free AACA
memberships still available for 2014. These
are first come, first served. See New Member
Director
Sonny
Westmoreland
for
particulars.
TRIVIA ANSWERS
1. Only one – Polo White
2. The 1960 Plymouth Valiant
3. The 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix
4. A 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado assembled on
March 16, 1966
5. The 1915 Scripps-Booth Model C which
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also had the first electric door latches
6. The 1925 Ford Model T Runabout at $260
Thanks, Mason for your contribution!
GRIN or GROAN
1. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I
can’t put it down.
2. This girl said she recognized me from the
vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.
3. I know a guy who is addicted to bake fluid.
He says he can stop anytime.
4. I stayed up all night to see where the sun
went. Then it dawned on me.
5. I wondered why the baseball was getting
bigger. Then it hit me.
6. Oh, upon my word!
ANNUAL CAR SHOW
May 23 will be here before you know it.
Please make your potential sponsor contacts
soon so we can complete our entry form.
After contacting Scooter, it is doubtful he
will be joining us this year. Apparently there
has been a change in his status quo at Auto
Roundup.
April-May 2015
TOUR TO NEILL’S and BILL
IRWIN’S on APRIL 25
Nollie Neill met the tourists at Old Cranks
Motorcar Museum and led the group to his
and Pam’s spectacular ridge top hide-a-way.
Once there, he and Pam treated everyone
with gracious hospitality. They opened their
impressive Glascock stove collection as well
as their toy and clown collection for all to
see. Even though the weather was less than
perfect, the view was still outstanding. After
seeing more stoves and parts than anyone
could imagine, it was off to Mountain Surf
for lunch. The next stop was to Bill Irwin’s.
Bill has a barn chock full of antique vehicles,
hit & miss engines, signs and more ‘stuff’
than can be described here. The following
TCR members were in attendance: Sonny &
Nancy Westmoreland – ’51 Thunderbird,
Coy & Bonnie Kimble – 1967 VW bug,
Nollie & Pam Neill – 1972 Dodge truck,
Randal & Tonda Strickland – 1928 Model
A, guest and future TCR member Park
Olson- 1953 De Soto, Jim & Joan Cox –
MI, Jack & Connie Chafin – MI, Ken &
Faye Cates – MI, Paul & Doris Goad – MI,
Benny & Susan Jennings – MI, Edsel, Jo &
Charles Rudy – MI and Tom & Faye
Littrell – MI.
FOR SALE
Please let your editor know of any For Sale or
Wanted items to be listed.
FOR SALE: Antique air from a 1933 tire.
Best offer or even trade for some 1931 air.
Nollie Neill explaining the layout of their various
collections while folks stood around in a little drizzle.
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April-May 2015
Photos top to bottom:
Top: Signage for the Glascock Stove Museum
Middle: Sonny Westmoreland checking out the company’s cast pot
Bottom: Some of Nollie’s toys
Top photo: Bill Irwin in red coat welcoming tourists to his place
Middle photo: One wall of Bill’s collection. Impressive
Bottom photo: This is a photo of a photo of one of the first Ford
dealerships in Alleghany County owned by Bill’s grandfather.