April 2012
Tioga Transmission The Official Newsletter of Tioga Region Of Antique Automobile Club of America
March Meeting The March 19th meeting was held at the Tioga County Office Building in the conference room. There were fourteen members in attendance. Inside this issue: March Meeting Cont.
2
Summer Tours
3
Why Car Show?
3
Jim Thorp, Pa.
4-5
Safety Banners
6-7
June Tour
7
Spring Check Up
8
Do You Remember Summer Events
9 10
ful flea market. Attending vendors felt we needed more signage and advertising. Overall a successful event that we need to continue.
The Treasurer’s and Secre- A long discussion ensued tary’s reports were given about the uncertainty of and approved. The Hickories being ready Charlie then reported on for our car show in August. I need to make it underthe Winter Flea Market. stood that since January There were twenty-nine vendor spaces utilized. Af- we are definitely schedter all expenses were fac- uled to be at The Hickotored in we realized a ries if the park is open. profit of $500.00, this afThe problem is that much ter a donation of $300.00 of the information we are to the Owego Boys and receiving indicate that Girls Club. there is serious doubt that the park can be ready for The signs created by Matt the show. and Joe Vaglica were excellent and created added attendance to the success-
The plans for The Hickories are to build a new bridge at
the entrance to the park. The problem is that the DEC has refused permission for work to continue on the bridge through July as they are insisting the work would interfere with the fish spawning season. Since there was serious damage done to the electrical, sewer, and water services to the park, there is doubt that these services can be available in time for the show. I have been in contact with Willy Vermilya, the President of Triple Cities Street Rods, and he informed me that they are moving to the Apalachin Fireman’s Field for their show this year. (Continued on Page 2)
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March Meeting Continued Suggested alternatives for our car show locations were; 1. The Tioga County Fair Grounds. This venue would cost $225.00 and would require the additional cost of off duty police officers to control traffic on route 17c. 2. Bement Billings Farmstead, This venue also would cost $225.00 and would require off duty police officers to control traffic on route 38. 3. The Beds 4 Kids location, the former Owego Junior high School building. This venue would require a donation to a charitable entity and no police involvement. Although I prefer to keep the show in Owego, and preferably in The Hickories, we need to investigate all options for the good of the car show. After a prolonged discussion of the options for relocating the show if it should be necessary, we agreed to postpone a decision until the April meeting. The Lounsbury Insurance Agency of Endicott, who are local Hagerty Insurance agents, Contacted me on Monday March
19,2012 seeking to become major sponsors of our car show. I explained that our national by-laws prevented us from having a named sponsor in the name of the show but we could have commercial sponsors of our trophies and show books. As a result of these rules Aaron Lounsbury has agreed to fund both the refurbishing of our trophies that we had for last year’s show and the show book. In return he will have a free vendor’s space at the car show and the back page of the car show book for his advertising.
The April meeting will be our traditional breakfast meeting. This meeting will be April 21st at 8:30 AM at the Blue Dolphin in Apalachin. As we always do this is a Dutch treat meeting. We are planning to have representatives of the Lounsbury Agency at this meeting to get to know us. See You There
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Summer Tours YES!!!! Spring is here!!!!
are proud of from that golden time!
Club, and yes some of the members of the cruisers Cheryl and I are about to and hot rods actually behit the road to plan out our We have had some memlong in AACA but have not summer tours. The first bers express interest in tour is outlined in the flyer this tour during the March been invited to join us. We are making the effort to let I have reproduced on meeting, but we need to other enthusiasts know just pages 4 and 5. Yes we are have a count by the April planning to have another meeting to make the reser- who we are and how they overnight. Jim Thorp, Penn- vations. Hope you can make might fit into our group. sylvania is a unique town this fun outing. Other outings we are lookthat will appeal to all who ing at are the Cooperstown In keeping with the steps remember a time more Beverage Tour, Stops inIroquois, Onaquaga, and relaxed and scenic. These clude one winery, two Tioga Regions are taking, two days in the middle of breweries, and a cider mill. we will be offering this tour the week are made for the to these and other car The third tour is to French person who needs to get Asylum with a dinner stop clubs in our area. away for a mini vacation at the hotel in Wyalusing, Many of the cars in other Step back in time to the Pennsylvania. This is a trip clubs are actually cars that back to eighteen hundreds fifties and sixties with the DIAMONDS Luncheon Show belong in our club. The history. Mustang Club, The Corvette while driving cars that we
Why Car Show? There are some who ask why we hold a car show. The answer is that we are the people who educate ourselves as well as the public just where our automotive history began and how it evolved.
Yes, it is hard work putting together a show, but in the end we help to interest others in preserving the history and beauty of our advancement in transportation. American history has been completed by the
advancement of the automobile. Without the automobile we would still be trying to make our country accessible to all our advancement. This is our achievement and our goal
The Diamonds Luncheon Show
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AACA Safety Banners On page six you see the flyer Rich McConnell received about AACA Safety Banners. These banners are designed for high visibility warnings to other drivers for our cars on tour. They also provide club identification and help us remain together on tour. As you can see these highly visible banners fit on the trunk of any car and tell all who follow that we are running together. Cheryl and I were given a similar banner when we went to the 75th anniversary meet in Louisville two years ago. Even when we ran separate from other
members, we could always see the others as they passed. We also were greeted by outsiders who noticed us on the road.
AACA headquarters.
This is not a program that the club can take on from our funds as you all know. If we are to take advantage We can’t buy these banners of this offer, we must orwith our club name imder our own banners and printed from AACA Nakeep them as our own. tional, as we don’t have 50 Cheryl and I are willing to members, but we could compile the orders and order the plain banner for enter them for the club, if our tours. there is enough interest. I have talked with the Vagli- We might also be able to cas and they have stated include in the order banthat they could add our ners for Iroquois and club name and the legend Onaquaga clubs if they “On Tour” for a fee of would like to have some for $5.00. This would give us their clubs. an even more custom sign If you are interested in this than that we could get from we will talk of it in April.
June 6-7 tour We will be traveling on roads other than the four lane highways for this tour. This will make it possible for our older cars to make the trip. I have been in touch with Rachel Travers the Sales
Manager for this event and she assures me that there are still space in both shows for us. We can chose either to make the trip early enough to see the show and then use the next day for some sightseeing
or shopping. Or we can reverse the order and see the show the second day. Either way we need to have a count so we can make the reservations by our April meeting
AACA Safety Banners Available
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Spring Check-up
SEE THE FLYING RAMPS
Yes I have already pulled the Monte Carlo out of it’s winter’s sleep! Sadly though I realized that it was time to stop ignoring the chrome or stainless inserts on the lower body panels. As you can see from the second from the top picture there has been some corrosion and dulling of these panels over the last four years.
Now I know you all understand that after six months of winter hibernation it was necessary for the car to be test driven about four or five times to make sure that it was up to another summer of fun.
I had not applied the breaks strongly enough. The car came to life and suddenly it tilted to the right then back level as the second ramp joined the first in a projectile flight across the driveway!
As I don’t have a lift, it is not my choice to dive under the car to change the oil and do other routine upkeep. So off to my favorite mechanic for a good check over as well as the aforementioned oil change.
As luck would have it there was more than the twenty feet of flight between the back of the car and the back of the house so the only damage was to my rear end rather than the rear of the car or the house.
Off I went to our local auto parts store, yes the same one that Charlie works for, and invested in a plastic jar By the way, I did put the of metal polish. car on ramps to get the An old wax applicator that bright work higher off the was lying around in the ground. This was aided by garage helped to smear the my mechanic’s stool to get goop in place and when a me down to a level where I haze formed I started with was not standing on my shop towels to buff the fin- head to work. ish. A sheepskin bonnet on It seems that for some the old duel action buffer reason unknown to me that provided the finishing the winter rest left the car touches to the job. with a small problem, It Of course this had all come was stuck on high idle! after the initial wash for When it was time for the the season. car to come off the ramps,
I will be thinking twice before I use ramps to get the car higher again. My mechanic is checking on the timing and idle so there will be no more strange rides for me this summer. I still need to finish the work on making the body pretty and maybe some readjusting of the carpet so the car looks good. Thank goodness this is just a driver!
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Do You Remember These?
They rumbled along two lane roads crawling up the hills with a tail of impatient passenger cars behind. Perhaps they might have been the reason that you were able to read the Burma Shave signs at the side of the road. The trip to Grandma’s house always seemed to be longer when caught behind one of these, but they were bringing NEW CARS to your local dealer. Cars that you might just soon be able to call your new car. Thanks to Howard for the interesting email.
Summer Events April 19-22 Southeastern Spring Meet Hornets Nest Region Charlotte, N.C. 704841-1396
May 17-19 Eastern Spring Meet Ontelaunee Region Wyomissing, Pa. 610=5623380
April 25-29 Spring Carlisle
May 19 Pen Yan, N.Y. The Windmill 315-946-6418
April 29 Troy Pa. Car Display 31st Annual Maple Festival
May 5 Caton N.Y. Parade 607-962-5539
May 6 3rd Annual Car Show Nichols Park Spencer, N.Y.
May 9-12 Eastern Div’l Tour (1987 and earlier) South Jersey Region South Jersey 856-575-5547
May 15 Dunkirk, N.Y. 43rd Annual Flea Market and Car Corral 716-386-7156
May 20 Ithaca N.Y. 18th BOCES Annual Car Show and Flea Market607-257-1551
May 26-27 Norwich, N.Y. Car Show and Flea Market 607-334-8549
June 3rd Horseheads, N.Y. Twin Tiers Vintage Car Club 35th Annual Fun Meet Car Show and Flea Market 607594-6331
June 3 Catskill Region Antique Classic Custom Car Show Rock Hill N.Y. 845932-8923
June 3-8 Sentimental Tour (1928-1958)Waynesboro– Staunton Region Shenandoah Valley of Virginia 540886-8056
June 14-16 Annual Grand National /Southeastern Special Fall Dual Meets Celebration City Region Shelbyville, Tenn. 931-6849379
August 13-17 Founders Tour (1932 and later) Allegheny Mountain Region Altoona, Pa. 814-251-2299
August 26 Tioga Region 27th Annual Car Show The Hickories Park Owego?
October 3-7 Fall Carlisle
October 10-13Eastern Fall Meet Hershey Region Hershey, Pa. 717-566-7720