Fall 2013 Drive Whatcom

The Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record present

Back as in 1943: Troy Luginbill is restoring a World War II truck.

See C3 inside

Fall 2013

Drive

WHATCOM

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

A supplement of the

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

Restoring a WWII work horse

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Troy Luginbill opted for a "motorpool" restoration of his 1943 Dodge truck

By Brent Lindquist reporter@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — More than 600 World War II veterans pass away every single day, and Lynden Pioneer Museum director/curator Troy Luginbill has a variety of ways to honor their legacy.

"Back in late college I started World War II reenacting," he said,"and collecting WWII memorabilia. Working at a museum, you can never have enough collections, right? The one thing I didn't have was a vehicle."

The vehicle he chose to add to his collection, after much research, was a 1943 WC55 Dodge three-quarter-ton truck.

"I didn't want to get a Jeep," he said. "I wanted one size higher. I wanted to get a 1943 with all of the early features to it."

After about three months of searching, Luginbill found the truck he was looking for at a company in Minnesota called Midwest Military.

"He deals mainly in World War II and Korean War-era stuff," Luginbill said. "It was surplus from the U.S. Forest Service."

When he began stripping the paint off the truck to restore it, however, Luginbill discovered more layers. He concluded that the truck had been used by the Army and probably the Air Force before being put to work by the Forest Service.

So far, Luginbill has stripped off about 90 percent of the paint and repainted it, and he has found most of the appropriate equipment mounts. He still needs the 37-millimeter gun motor carriage that will sit in the truck's bed, and he doesn't expect to have the truck fully restored until the summer of 2014. Luginbill estimates that he is about 80 percent finished with the job.

For his Dodge, Luginbill opted for what is referred to as a "motorpool restoration," which leaves many of the imperfections and personality acquired by vehicles during their many years of use. For instance, the tires have a small amount of overspray and the vehicle is painted in the same manner that a military vehicle back then would have been painted.

For this restoration, Luginbill had help from local World War II veteran Pete Bouma.

Luginbill said this was the most special part of the process.

"I have my very own World War II truck mechanic. He went over the beach on D-Day and served on a motor battalion in World War II and actually worked on trucks like that for all of World War II and after," Luginbill said.

"That was just a really special opportunity for me to actually go through this restoration and have Pete there walking me through it."

Troy Luginbill is about 80 percent done with restoring his 1943 WC55 Dodge three-quarter-ton truck, which his wife named "Mabel." (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

When a truck turns into a food truck There’s more to food trucks than just what comes through the window

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

A new paint job and a completely redesigned interior turned a 1981 GMC delivery van formerly used at Boeing into a Lynden-based food truck for Jeremy TenKley. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

WHATCOM — What once offered parts for Boeing planes now serves pulled pork barbecue sandwiches, showing off the transition from parts truck to food truck for Jeremy TenKley’s JT’s Smokin' Barbecue rig.

To get a food truck business up and rolling, the paramount ingredient has nothing to do with food, but everything to do with truck. Sure, you can go to a website that specializes in food trucks and spend crazy amounts of cash to get a truck already tricked out to your needs, or you can go the delivery-truck-to-food-truck route, as TenKley did, and get a bit creative.

He scoured Craigslist, finding the 1981 GMC truck in Blaine. It was once used for delivering parts at Boeing.

The next step provided plenty more work, though: designing and crafting the truck.

TenKley worked on the design himself, enlisting the help of his uncle, Bud Vaughan, to perform the bulk of the work by welding in the requirements.

The first major decision for TenKley, because he knew he wanted to smoke all his own meats, was to figure out a home for the smoker. He’d seen a Bellingham truck with the smoker inside with ample ventilation, but he knew space would be at a premium, plus he figured it would be plenty hot enough already inside the truck — especially in the summer — without a few hundred degrees of smoker broiling him. So he decided to hang the smoker off the back on the truck’s patio in a custom addition.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM tire delivery portion of the truck has taken on a look for food, complete with the requisite full state Labor & Industries-inspected electrical unit and water system. (The gray water tank for used water must be 15 percent larger than the tank for fresh water and there must be a completely separate sink for hand-washing.) TenKley put all the required water needs directly behind the driver’s seat, hiding the tanks below a cabinet.

The entire inside was “gutted and retrimmed.” His serving window resides on the right side of the truck, with his longest counter and cabinet directly below it. To the side he made space for his required commercial warmer. The counter gives him prep space and the cabinets below allow him to hold all his service items. On the other side of the truck, small windows give some more ventilation, the required commercial refrigerator houses his cold sides and another counter offers him a bounty of prep space.

He originally was debating on where to put the warmer and where to put the fridge, but his final decision turned out well, he said.

“I have been pretty impressed with the way the design worked,” he said. “I like the way it lays out.”

The trickiest part of the design was dealing with the elevated wheel wells, Ten-Kley said, but placing the counters over those allowed him to maximize space in the truck.

To help reinforce the aging floor, TenKley used a friend’s extra piece of rubberized gym floor to give his step a bit of bounce in the truck.

The outside of the truck also looks nothing like it did when Boeing used it, with a “pretty sharp” paint job reflecting the quality of the product, he said.

For electrical power, TenKley usually uses an extension cord, but he can also run the truck off a generator on the back patio if he chooses.

It hasn’t all been rosy for the old GMC truck. Along with the new tires needed due to routine wear and tear, TenKley’s engine blew shortly after opening his business on June 1, forcing him to shut down for repairs.

“It made for an interesting summer,” he said. “I’m not a mechanic.”

From Boeing to barbecue, turning a food truck into reality requires a hefty dose of “truck,” not just “food.”

Jeremy TenKley shows off the water system installed in his food truck, which meets state regulations by holding more "gray" water than clean water. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Lights On program gets locals ready for winter driving Everson and Bellingham hosted this year’s effort

By Mark Reimers news@ferndalerecord.com

Students from Bellingham Technical College helped at the Oct. 5 Lights On event at Bellingham High School.

(Courtesy photo/Nita Harksell)

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WHATCOM — Local automotive technicians banded together on Saturday, Oct. 5, to promote safe winter driving through an ongoing light replacement program.

The Lights On event was held at locations in Whatcom County: Bellingham High School and Everson Elementary School.

Pete and Nita Harksell, owners of Pete’s Auto Repair in Ferndale, helped coordinate the Whatcom County portion of what has become a two-county program with Skagit County.

Nita Harksell said the Bellingham location served 138 vehicles, with about 105 of those needing some sort of exterior bulb replacement.

The free replacements at that location were donated by Bellingham Napa Auto Parts while technicians from Unlimited Service, The Panacea Automo-

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DRIVE WHATCOM tive, Rod’s Japanese Auto, Rainbow Auto Service, Pete’s Auto Repair, Dr. John’s Auto Clinic, Bellingham Automotive and Angler Automotive all donated time.

Students from Bellingham Technical also contributed to the effort.

The breakdown of the most-replaced bulbs at the Bellingham site is instructive: • 54 marker lights • 51 brake lights • 46 license plate lights Headlights didn’t even break the top three.

The local KGMI talk show “In The Shop” was at the Bellingham site from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. promoting the event and encouraging people to come get their lights inspected.

“We kept fairly busy throughout the morning,” Harksell said. “We handed out packets to the drivers of all the vehicles that came through. These included a litter bag for their vehicles, a nice folder to keep the paperwork from the vehicle in, a list of our unit members and two fliers titled “Protect Your Auto Investment — Choose an ASE Certified Auto Technician,” and “Information To Assist You In Handling An Automobile Claim With Your Insurance Company.”

The Everson location served 60 vehicles and was coordinated by Service Pro of Nooksack. Seattle Automotive donated bulbs for that location.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

Marker lights were the top bulbs replaced during the public safety Lights On event at Bellingham High School.

(Courtesy photo/Nita Harksell)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Out with the old and in with the new Several new 2014 vehicle models provide plenty of new features

By Braulio Perez sports@lyndentribune.com

Above: The 2014 Honda LX provides similar features to the 2013 model and continues to focus on safety. Below: For truck drivers looking for plenty of horsepower and cargo room, the 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 makes a great choice.

WHATCOM — Over the last year, it seems as though different advances have been implemented into cell phones, laptops and several other pieces of technology. However, 2014 will also be a big year for technology advances for those in the market for brand-new cars.    Several new models are being released to the public for purchase in the coming months. Whether it be sedans, trucks or SUVs, there are new products for everyone.    Among the new sedans, the 2014 Honda Accord LX has been a popular sell in Whatcom County, continuing a trend from the 2013 model.    According to Northwest Honda salesman Matt Stillwell, the 2014 LX will be similar to the 2013 model, which provided buyers advances both from technology and safety standpoints.

   “They are the same, but they both offer the great quietness of the vehicle,�

Stillwell said. “There’s an added anti-vibration system, which makes the car less noisy.    “Another aspect of the car people like is the safety. The lane departure system for it is an added feature. A camera shows who is coming up on you within 70 feet.

There’s also a forward collision warning system.�    Stillwell added that the dependability of Honda is another reason why he expects the 2014 model to be popular this year.    “Honda has always been known for being reliable,� Stillwell said. “These cars are built to last 250,000 miles.�    Some other technological features for the Accord LX include a touch-screen audio player, a push-button start, a voicelinked satellite navigation system and more.    For you truck owners, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will have a completely new look from the 2013 model and has plenty of new features. This year’s model is built for power — and a lot of it.    The engine for the 2014 Silverado has a new 4.3-liter V6, which has 355 horse-

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

power. It also offers 305-pound-foot torque, which is the highest of any V6 vehicle.

The 1500 is also extremely fuel efficient, offering an estimated 23 miles per gallon on the highway and 16 in the city.

Other features of the truck include more rear space in the double and crew cabs and cargo bed enhancements, such as a corner step rear bumper, pocket handgrips, and optional cargo tie-downs to make securing items in the truck much easier.

Lastly, for SUV enthusiasts the 2014 Ford Explorer features intelligent fourwheel drive, which provides incredible traction. The four-wheel drive, with a terrain management system, optimizes powertrain and braking systems, allowing the vehicle to deliver the right amount of traction to match the driving conditions.

The four-wheel drive system also includes hill descent control, which lets a driver set and maintain a constant speed while traveling downhill.

The new Explorer also has plenty of technological features. This includes an available sync with “MyFord Touch.”

This feature has simple voice commands, where you can make phone calls, choose music and control your climate.

Another feature is the available voice-activated Navigation System with SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link. The 2014 Ford Explorer’s four-wheel drive allows the vehicle to deliver the right amount of traction for driving This feature provides directions, weather conditions. The model also includes new hill descent control. forecasts, traffic updates and more.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Tire Safety: Everything else rides on it, literally Protection against avoidable breakdowns and crashes. Improved vehicle handling. Better fuel economy. Increased tire life. Those are just a few of the reasons to take five minutes every month to check your tires.

Use the handy checklist below to stay on top of tire safety: • Check tire pressure regularly (at least once a month), including the spare.

• Inspect tires for uneven wear patterns on the tread, cracks, foreign objects or other signs of wear or trauma. Remove bits of glass and other foreign objects wedged in the tread.

• Make sure your tire valves have valve caps.

• Check tire pressure before going on long trips.

• Do not overload your vehicle. Check the tire information placard or owner’s manual for the maximum recommended load for the vehicle.

• If you are towing a trailer, remember that some of the weight of the loaded trailer is transferred to the towing vehicle.

• Slow down if you have to go over a pothole or other object in the road.

• Do not run over curbs, and try not to strike the curb when parking.

• Remember to check your tires once a month!

There’s Safety In Numbers You can find the numbers for recommended tire pressure and vehicle load limit on the tire information placard and in the vehicle owner’s manual. Tire placards are permanent labels attached to the vehicle door edge, doorpost, glove-box door, or inside the trunk lid. Once you’ve located this information, use it to check your tire pressure and to make sure your vehicle is not overloaded — especially when you head out for vacation.

Checking Tire Pressure Because tires may naturally lose air over time, it is important to check your tire

pressure at least once a month. For convenience, purchase a tire pressure gauge to keep in your vehicle. Gauges can be purchased at tire dealerships, auto supply stores and other retail outlets.

Remember, the tire inflation number that vehicle manufacturers provide reflects the proper pounds per square inch (psi) when a tire is cold. To get an accurate tire pressure reading, measure tire pressure when the car has been unused for at least three hours.

Step 1: Locate the correct tire pressure on the tire information placard or in the owner’s manual (not necessarily the same as on the tire itself).

Step 2: Note the tire pressure of all tires.

Step 3: If the tire pressure is too high in any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the tire valve with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.

Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, add the missing pounds of air pressure to each tire that is underinflated.

Step 5: Check all the tires to make sure they have the same air pressure (except in cases in which the front and rear tires are supposed to have different amounts of pressure).

Checking Tire Tread Tires have built-in treadwear indicators that let you know when it is time to replace your tires. These indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear even with the outside of the tread, it is time to replace your tires.

You can also test your tread using the famous Lincoln penny method. Simply turn the penny so Lincoln’s head is pointing down and insert it into the tread. If the tread doesn’t cover Lincoln’s head, it’s time to replace your tires.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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