1. No category

1
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of our 1940 Fords
Vancouver Fraser Valley
Regional Group #120
Volume 29 Issue 4
April 2015
Visit us at
www.earlyfordv8bc.com
Happy Easter!
Great news from ICBC, see P. 8
Vancouver Fraser Valley RG #120, P.O. Box
602
Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 6H9
Executive Members
President Larry French
604 939 1379
VicePresident Monica Fitzl
604 5304716
Secretary Neva Ledlin
604 942 5651
treasurer: Roger Cooksley
604 530 6644
Membership Colin Dugan
604 582 0232
Events Cliff Haller
604 940 0997
Librarian Ron Morris
604 856 1949
Editor N. Ledlin
604 942 5651
Historian Les Henderson
604 576 0679
DirectorsAl Fisher
604 584 0554
Les Henderson
604 576 0679
Trustees Ray Mitchell
604 576 7476
Bob Lee
Sargeant-at-arms
604 937 5745
Dennis Groundwater
International Rep. Lloyd Harris
Sunshine: Marlene Thorpe
President’s Message There is great news for our old car hobby, as the 2Provincial
Government, ICBC and the Specialty Vehicle Association
of BC. have been working hard to improve the process for
registering an unfinished collector vehicle imported from
out side of the Province. You will now be able to
register vehicles purchased out of Province BEFORE!!
completing the restoration. This has always been
issue and kudos go out to those who worked so hard
on our behalf to bring this to fruition. You will be able
to get more information on the SVABC website. Your
events committee is always looking for ideas or
suggestions that could lead to an upcoming tour, road
trip or outing. Touring around in our old Fords what
could be better. Any suggestions can be passed onto
Les Henderson, Cliff Haller, Monica Fitzl or Barbara
Mitchell. Our next Club meeting will Thursday April
9th, come out early and check out the BC Truck
Museum which is our meeting hall. Cheers Larry
NAACC: John Carslon
SVABC Dennis Groundwater
Cover Shot Brandon Brozovich’s
1940 Ford 2 dr.in Orange,
California 2009 All photos by Joe
Ledlin unless otherwise noted.
Mark Your Calendars
April 10-12 Portland Swap Meet
Next Meeting: Thursday,April 9 at 7:30 at the Truck
Museum in Cloverdale. Al Fisher will be speaking about
fire safety in your garage Your NAACC membership
card /discount card & Imagewear card will be available
for pick up.
April 19 Maple Ridge Swap meet
April 27 Otter Co-op Car Show
May 3 DW Poppy Car Show, Langley
June 21 Old Car Sunday in the Park
August 16 Hougen Park
Highlights of this Issue
P. 8 Important ICBC announcement
P. 9 - 10 Bob Lee and his 1940 Fords & others
P. 11 -12 Cliff Haller: his 1940 sedan & others
P.13 Members’ 1940 Fords
P.14 Final days of Henry Ford
P.15 Pebble Beach Concours, SVABC AGM
P. 17 1940 Ford V8 Road Test in Australia
Join the Lunch Bunch on most Wednesdays at the All star
Diner on Austin in Coquitlam. Phone first as they may be off
on an adventure Photo by Dennis Groundwater
3
Wanted: light tan knobs for a 1937 Ford
cabriolet , (choke, throttle, etc.)
Michael Eaton 604 526 2499
email [email protected]
Wanted: 60’s or 70’s Mopar
Stationwagon, B or C body.
chrylser, Pymouth, or Dodge with a big
block engine (383 /440)
Wanted for twoing a 20’ travel trailer
Jonathan 604 790 0065
Will also look at 2 wheel drive
Ramchargers.
For Sale to a club member;
Bisheman Hoist, like new, two post
Chain driven
$2500 firm
Bruce Brown 604 856 8576
For Sale:
1949-50-51 Ford & Meteor car parts
1951 Ford pu front fender only
Bob 604 596 2785
For Sale: two 1949-1953 Ford rear shocks—
new Jim Banks 604 385 1324
Wanted: a Ford or FOMOCO carbon-tet 1
quart T-handle pump brass fire
extinguisher (no dents please, and state of
tarnish is no problem,) with or without
bracket.
Al Fisher 604 584 0554 or
[email protected]
Purchase a Part of Club History:
See cover photo. Ross Blewett is selling
his 1947 Ford Coupe. It was previously
owned by Bernie Livingston. Several
members burned the midnight oil, in the
successful attempt to assemble this car in
time for the Wester Meet in Whistler 1991
A Dearborn winner. Columbia rear end
604 939 3600
Minutes for the EFV8 Meeting on March 12, 2015
4
Meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm.by President Larry French with approximately 27 members in attendance.
Larry French introduced guest speaker: Colin Kilmaster with a presentation on his visit to the Ford Museum in
Amsterdam.
No new members, no guests. The Fishers were thanked for the refreshments. The Needs & Leads book &
attendance book were circulated. No errors or omissions were identified in the February Minutes as published in
the newsletter. A motion to approve minutes by Joe Ledlin, seconded by Ross Blewett.
Treasurer’s Report: Roger Cooksley is absent, Les Henderson reported our finances.
Membership: Colin Dugan reported 65 paid up members. Members who have not yet paid will no longer
receive the newsletter.
Events: Cliff Haller: nil
Sunshine: Marlene Thorpe away. Neva sent cards to Alyn Edwards thanking him for his
presentation at our February meeting to Les & Karen on the passing of Les’ aunt, & to Ross & Joyce
Blewett on the passing of Comet.
Historian: Les Henderson: nil
SVABC: AGM on March 28th. Collect memberships or use PayPal on the web site. Discussion
about a possible event on Collector Car Appreciation Day on July 11th.
Librarian: Ron Morris: nil
OLD BUSINESS:
Old Car Sunday in the Park: Colin has the 2015 schedule available. Circulate Sign up sheet.
Sign up early for choice of shifts.
Hougen Park T-shirt design: Willie Fitzl sent the design to Griffin House.
NEW BUSINESS: nil
ANY OTHER BUSINESS? nil
Stories: Ron Morris spoke about his visit to the auctions & judging at the Biltmore Concourse in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
Bruce Brown reported that the farm has been sold & they will settle full time on Gambier Island on
April 25th. Andy Kotowich is frustrated that so many clubs will not permit kids under 16 to attend
social events and Tradex will not permit them to help with set up.
Needs & Leads: nil
Top Hat draw: Jere Edwards was the winner but was not present.
RAFFLE Jim Banks held, Harold Wellenbrink assisted, won by Larry French, Don Brown, Brian
Kettner, Michael Eaton, Ed MacAulay, Colin Kilmaster, Andy Kotowich, Ron Morris, Charlie Young,
Dennis Groundwater, & Cliff Haller. Larry thanked members for contributing prizes, including the
Fitzl’s for donating eggs.
Motion to adjourn by Ray Mitchell, seconded by Ross Blewett
From The Mailbox
5
V8 Views from Souther Ontario RG featured a
1951 Ford convertible. The club had a
presentation on Pathfinder Lubricants. Member
profile on a 1966 Ford pickup.
Early V8 Update from Queensland, Australia
reviewed Lorin Sorensen & his books. Story
about early racing cars. Tuesday lunch/picnic
runs continue to be popular. Great photos of
events.Report on recent swap meet. Article on
distributors.
V8 Rumbles from RG#109 had a photo from
Fords’n’Friends 2014, lots of planning for this
year’s event on July 19th. Member profile. Tour
of Achinback Foundry was outstanding.
Puget Sounds from NS Washington RG inc.
photos & report on the recent presentation on
EFV8 starters. “The best alarm clock is sunshine
on chrome.”
V8 Torque from NSW, Australia RG included
photos & reports on various runs. They have
several events planned. Reprinted articles on
1939 Ford Deluxe 4 dr convertible & a road test
of a Ford Customline from the V8 Times.
Totem Times from the Totem Model A& T club, had a
historic photo of King George inspecting a Mark VI in
1928, noting the road wheels as well as the tracks. Club
is considering charging Honorary members as here are
such a large number of them now. Lots of work on
Coastal Swap Meet March issue mentioned some
members had early T’s on display for save-on-Foods’
100th birthday. Article on Model T Ford tanks
The Kamshaft from Kamloops Chapter VCCC invited
members & vehicles to the ICBC announcement in
March. Photos & story about auction night, a club
fundraiser. article on the1939 GM Futurliner restoration.
Vintage Tin from Okanagan Chapter of VCCC had 32
events listed on the front page!!! Our very own Myrna
Nelson was profiled. Article on anti-freeze in antique
cars. Photos & story about Bruce’s shop Talk, welding
techniques
Smoke Signal from the Totem Classic Thunderbird Club
reported members enjoyed a day at the harness racing.
They have lots of events planned and include lots of auto
tips.
A friend who sent this to us, checked Snopes and said there is quite a write up regarding this info. VIN NUMBER - WARNING Here is INFO worth the price of your car....
WHAT WILL the car thieves THINK OF NEXT? The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to
the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #.
I didn't believe this e-mail, so I called Chrysler-Dodge and pretended I had lost my keys. They told me to just bring in the
VIN #, and they would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the keyless device if I wanted. The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will
return to your car.
He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is walk up to your
car, insert the key and off he goes to a local chop shop with your vehicle. You don't believe it? It IS that EASY. To avoid this from happening to you, simply put some dark tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN
Number Metal Label located on the dashboard. By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you CAN cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield by a car thief.
I urge you to forward this to your friends before some other car thief steals another car or truck. I slipped a 3x5 card over
my VIN NUMBER. PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS NOW!!!!! THEY WILL THANK YOU
FOR IT. P.S. snopes.com <http://snopes.com/> says that this is true !
Submitted by Dennis Groundwater, Roving Reporter
6
Bouquets to Colin Dugan
for all his efforts to collect
memberships, verify accuracy, write
receipts, & create the Club Roster.
Thank you to people who submit articles, jokes,
photos, tid-bits, etc. to the newsletter. This is
YOUR newsletter and it is up to each of you to
accept the responsibility of submitting interesting
information.
I feel very guilty copying the Tech Tips from
Southern Ontario RG as I have none to
share..other than put a pager on your spouse at
car shows and swap meets. Don’t want to lose
him after 45 years….
Dates to Remember
June 21 24th annual Old Car Sunday in the Park
August16
32nd annual Hougen Park
Web Users
Old Ford Dealer Movie-5 minutes in
duration submitted by Stew King
http://www.tvraaca.org/winacari.htm
Links from V8 Rumbles, Van. Island RG:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/nq2jY1trxqg?
rel=0
http://safeshare.tv/w/sLtCVDmZnm
http://safeshare.tv/w/uKAlfLZUsX
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/
video-toms-private-collection.955074/
#.VIxXZyfh2Dw.email
http://devour.com/video/car-grinder/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
blast_of_the_past/
Exciting news this month: ICBC will register
incomplete restorations as of April 9th.
We’ve all heard horror stories of owners
putting years of effort and piles of money into
restoring their dream car, only to discover,
when they go to license it, that it was stolen
sometime in it’s history & belongs to
someone else This ensures your restoration
belongs to you, and enables you to insure the
vehicle. When ‘Slime’ was undergoing
restoration at a shop, we insured it through
Hagerty’s. This allowed us to increase the
coverage as the restoration progressed.
At the SVABC AGM, Harold Wellenbrink
reported the most complaints he receives are
about the abuse of the Collector Plate
Program. ICBC is listening; take photos &
send with your observations to Mark Erickson
at email: [email protected]
I phoned the ICBC Squeal Line, gave them
the info, and they promised to look into it
immediately. This is anonymous—but don’t
report your ex-spouse.
Ray Mitchell is looking for interesting
presenters for our regular meetings; please
phone him with ideas & contact information.
Please contact Cliff Haller, our Events Chair,
with ideas and contacts for possible garage
tours and cruises and events.
Think about what our Club should do for
Collector Car Appreciation Day. The Fishers
& Ledlins have been attending the Mill Lake
Show in Abbotsford for the past 3 years.
Hugs,
Neva Ledlin
Clutch Chatter
Happy Birthday to:
Bruce Brown & Terri Fisher on April first
Stew King & Grant Bennett on April 5th
Sasha Olynyk on April 7th
Tobin Fitzl on April 12th
Pat Brown on April 18th
Patty Bennett on April 21st
Jerry Olynyk on April 25th
7
Larry French says Ross Blewett’s battery has
more miles on it than his cars. He takes it
back and forth from his son’s garage to his
home to charge.
His cooking skills haven’t improved any: he
cooked the battery & will use next month’s
allowance purchasing a new one.
Neither has his memory: he gave the Kelsey
Hayes wheels to Ross Barron, Neva has been
badgering him for years to sell them to her for
the 1932 Sedan.
Happy Anniversary
Willy & Monica Fitzl on April 1, 1989
Colin & Chris Kilmaster on April 8, 1995—20!!
Pete & Bernie Robb on April 9, 1966
Ken & Sandra Kilby on April 15, 1967
Harold & Myrna Wellenbrink on April 22, 1972
Buck & Jere Edwards on April 26, 1957
April 7, 1947 Henry Ford’s Death
Greater Pittsburgh RG#48 April 23, 1972
April 25, 1901 New York is the first state to mandate
license plates.
Myrna Nelson was born in Trail, B.C. and lived in Fruitvale(outskirts
of Trail) & Burnaby graduating from Burnaby South High School. She
also lived in the Yukon for five years, married, and has two sons and
mainly did clerical work thereafter. While living in Burnaby she met up
with an old friend who got her interested in old cars & joined the Early
Ford V-8Club.Now, Myrna wanted a classic car of her own,so one of
the V-8 members, Alan Edwards, told her of two vehicles for sale: a
1967 Mustang, & a1950 Ford Coupe. She bought the Ford and the
first time she took it to a car meeting she was so excited she did not
check the gas gauge. Myrna ran out of gas in the middle of a
highway in the evening with no gas can and a long way to a gas
station. She walked to a Chevrolet dealership & explained her
predicament and says, “Yes, there are nice people who work for
Chevrolet dealerships!!!”One of the salesmen drove her to a gas
station so she was on her way never to run out of gas again. It was
Slim & “Toodles” Easton who encouraged Myrna to join our chapter
when she moved to Kelowna in 1999. To quote Myrna , “They told me
what wonderful people the chapter members were and they were
right.” Thanks Myrna for all your work in our chapter.
by Myrna Nelson/Idelle Watkin in the Vin Tin, Okanagan VCCC
Myrna was our EFV8 membership Chair, Vice-President, and….filled
so many roles..always willing to help out.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Tobin
Fitzl who broke his collar bone while tussling
with his mates.
Bruce & Pat Brown have sold the farm! They
are moving to Gambier Island permanently.
Congratulations on achieving your dream
Best wishes to Allen Garr for a speedy
recovery following surgery.
Thanks to Slim & Toodles Easton for
forwarding the Vintage Tin newsletter which
contained a profile of Myrna Nelson.
Harold Wellenbrink has rejoined the Totem
Model AT club, according to their newsletter.
Snowbirds? Lost?
We have not received membership renewals
from Brad Barton, David Valentine,
Darryl Young,Kelly McKillican,Jim
Carmichael, Al Casselman,& Paul Poirier,
despite several email exchanges.
If you know them, please phone them &
encourage them to please continue to be a
member.
Best wishes & much love to Ross &
Joyce Blewett, & his brother, Milt, as
they nurse their sister-in-law, Milt’s
wife, as she struggles with cancer.
8
KAMLOOPS - If you love beautiful collector or vintage vehicles, and you want to restore one from out of province for
on-road operation, you are in luck.
Government, ICBC and the Specialty Vehicle Association of B.C. (which serves car clubs and enthusiasts) have been
working together to improve the process for registering an unfinished collector vehicle imported from outside the
province.
Starting April 9, 2015, the new registration process will come into effect. This will allow vehicle owners to register their
collector or vintage vehicles purchased from out of province before completing the restorations to their vehicle. Prior to
these changes, vehicle owners ran the risk of not being able to register a vehicle they had invested time, money and
effort into restoring.
Vehicle owners will have peace of mind that they have met all of the paperwork requirements to register vehicles in their
names. Also, when the owner completes restoration of the vehicle and it passes a safety inspection, it will be simpler to
license the vehicle for on-road use because it will already be registered.
To be eligible for registration before completing the restorations to a vehicle, the vehicle must be at least 25 years old
(based on its model year) and be substantially intact, with over half the vehicle in an assembled state.
For safety reasons, the vehicle will be flagged in ICBC’s system to prevent on-road operation without a passed
roadworthiness inspection. To be licensed to operate on B.C. roads, the vehicle must pass a provincial inspection and the
owner must also provide the final details of the restored/completed vehicle to ICBC.
Quotes:
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone “This improved registration process is great news for collector and vintage-car enthusiasts who are
looking to restore an older vehicle that they have purchased outside of B.C. The new process cuts
through red tape and makes the experience smoother and simpler for owners of classic vehicles.”
Mark Francis, ICBC’s manager of provincial vehicle registration and licensing “Customers importing vehicles to B.C. that are 25 years or older will now have the certainty that
their vehicles are registered before undertaking the restoration process. As these vehicles will
continue to be required to pass roadworthiness inspections before being licensed for public roads,
we’re improving the registration process while maintaining our commitment to road safety.”
Nigel Matthews, president of the Specialty Vehicle Association of B.C. (SVABC) “The Specialty Vehicle Association of B.C. has enjoyed a long relationship working with the
provincial government and ICBC to preserve the cherished vintage and collector car hobby. The
new registration process is another positive step forward for collectors of purchased or inherited
out-of-province vehicles, to provide them with the peace of mind that their investments are
protected throughout the restoration process.
See photo Page 18
Bob & Sharon Lee Own Two 1940 Fords
9
I was told I was one of those kids…..from the beginning there
was always an interest in anything with wheels. Then of course
if it had an engine it was even better.
So as a young teenager an opportunity presented itself; there I
was at age 15 owning an original 1931 Model A with a stock 4cylinder engine. I drove it to school for a couple of years and
had a ball, parents liked it because it kept me out of trouble, I
liked the tinkering and of course the attention from the girls. As
time went along I installed a V860, followed by a 48 Merc
engine; finally in 1967 it was powered with a 350 Chev. I owned
the Model A for many years, enjoying family outings here in the
Fraser Valley, Washington and California. Sharon and our two
daughters have very fond memories with our like minded friends
from those coming of age days. I sold the Model A in the mid
80s; the heart of this car belongs in our garage according to
Sharon, who tried to buy it back without success. For me, time moves on.
I always lusted after the 1940 Ford cars. In 1977, my opportunity came about and off I went to Vancouver Island and
purchased a 1940 Convertible. This car was in excellent shape but needed a full restoration and I was ready. I completed
this labor of love in 1982 and we made the National Meet in Bend OR that year. I still have this car today and it has
performed as the day it was restored and on the road…the old girl still looks pretty good.
Now I’m up to the year 2000 and I get the word. A
1940 Standard Woodie is said to be available for
purchase in Seattle. No thoughts here; just how fast
can I get to Seattle; make the deal and bring this car
home. Have not touched this wagon…she is in
perfect condition as an all original Woodie and will
stay that way. I have driven her twice to the Santa
Cruz Woodies on the Wharf Meet and numerous other
events over the years. I can always rely on her
performance and stay on the road without issues.
She’s a keeper.
10
Last but not least project….currently you will find
me in my garage finishing a full restoration. I am
now in the muscle-car world. I bought a 1967 Ford
Rancher 390 4-speed out of California in 2010.
This project should hopefully be finished this
summer and on the road; powered by a bored out
390 with tri-power and sporting a dark moss green
prep and paint job by Sandy Morita.
As a side-bar I have also owned a 1969
280SL Mercedes, now owned by our
daughter and Sharon is happy with our 2005
Anniversary Thunderbird. I also have fun
as a hobbyist with Lionel trains, model
boats and planes. You will find Sharon and
me enjoying our cars and family at a little cottage in
Point Roberts most summer months; wondering
where the years have gone.
By Bob and Sharon Lee
30 Years of Memories with the EFV8 Club
Back in the 50’s, my passion was owning & working on old cars. My first was
a Model A coupe; at the age of 15 years, progressing to a 1934 Ford 3 W
Coupe, then on to a 5 W Coupe. I was young, little money, and
needless to say, the cars progressed lowly & never did run.
Skipping to the 60’s, I had moved from Winnipeg to Vancouver, married &
began to raise my family. The passion for cars never left but was focussing
on cars that I could repair for a daily driver. still no cash for specialty cars.
During the 70’s, I had an opportunity to buy a 1934 tudor—again, in parts. I
thought this might be a beginning to rekindle my passion. The car was in
pretty poor shape, with pitting, rust, and warped panels from sand-blasting It
was too big a project so sold to a Northern Alberta trucker.
11
Judy & Cliff Haller
In the late 1970’s, my brother-in-law called from Winnipeg about a collector from southwest Manitoba
who was selling his collection of 1934 ’s to start a harley Davidson dealership for Southern Manitoba.
He got rich on his dealings & I was all the poorer after buying his 1934 3W coupe. None the less, I was
happy with it & brought it home to sit in my Richmond garage for another 8 years. …still no money.
Finally, in the mid 80’s my career was improving so I looked for a car club to join to begin my hobby. I
tried the Model A & T club for awhile but I just didn’t fit.
One of my employees, Dale Miller, was a car enthusiast. He invited me to a V8 meeting in Cloverdale.
It appeared to be a perfect fit, Alyn Edwards was the President at the time, if I recall correctly.
My first exposure to National was the Western Meet 1986 in Victoria. Dale & I went for the Sunday and it
inspired. This might have been a premonition of things to happen: soon I was involved as a co-chair for
the Whistler 1991 Meet.
What a great few years; Victoria was followed by bend, Oregon in 1987, and my first grand National in
Dearborn.
By 1991, i had made lifetime friends in the V8 Club: locally, nationally, & internationally. I finished my
1934 in time for the first judging at Whistler. Judy & I had the time of our lives, & I was pleased to get a
first place for the 34—and..you guessed it..It RAINED at Whistler. The event was a huge success even
though we are still reminded of the rain to this day. the following year was a trip to Cour d’Alene for my
first Dearborn for the car.
30 Years of Memories with the Early Ford V8 Club (con’t.)
12
The friendships continue
and my knowledge of old
Fords continued to grow. I
now knew enough to begin
judging. I was also time to
continue improving the 34
to as close to perfect as
others would see it and
look for new projects. I’ll
leave that to another issue.
Cliff Haller
Cliff & Judy’s 1940 Sedan parked beside Dennis Groundwater
Editor’s Note: Couldn’t resist including this
non-Ford…Cliff’s latest creation/restoration.
Beautiful.
Cliff’s family are artists, the artwork in their
home is from his parents & sister. The effort
and attention to detail is his but the talent is
in his genes…
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of our 1940 Fords
13
Bruce Brown with ‘Blackheart,’ his 1940 Ford pick up. In the paint shop, is his
1940 Ford Coupe.
More 1940 Fords
in our Club
-John Carlson’s
1940 Ford 2dr
-Andy Kotowich’s
1940 Ford Opera
Coupe
-Kelly McKillican’s
1940 Ford 2dr
sedan
Les & Karen Henderson’s 1940 Ford Coupe, formerly
owned by Ron Harriman, one of the ‘Good Ol Boys.’
75th
Anniversary
Up date from Bruce Brown: he has rented a forty-foot low
bed trailer and is making pallet/boxes to ship all his tools and
automobilia to the Island. The neighbour will drive it to the dock, it
will be shipped by barge to the Island, and delivered to his place.
‘Blackheart,” the Coupe, and the Harley will be stored in a
container at Debby’s.
“Mr. Ford is leaving us…..”
14
Henry Ford’s died on April 7, 1947. sixty-eight
years ago. He had suffered several strokes and
was frail and uncomfortable, but would have
lucid moments. To read about his final day, as
recorded in a new book, go to
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/
uploads//2014/11/
LastDaysofHenryFord_32_1000.jpg
After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last
year, British scientists found traces of
copper wire dating back 200 years. They
came to the conclusion that *their*
ancestors already had a telephone network
more than 150 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the Brits, in the
weeks that followed, an American
archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet,
and shortly thereafter, published this story,
in the New York Times: "American
archaeologist, finds traces of 250-year-old
copper wire, concluding *his* ancestors
had an advanced high-tech
communications network, 50 years earlier
than the British".
One week later, Canadian Dept. Of
Mines and Resources in Newfoundland,
reported the following:
"After digging as deep as 30 feet in NE
Canada, Jack Lucknow, a self-taught
archaeologist, reported that he found
absolutely dick-all. Jack has therefore
concluded that 250 years ago, Canada had
already gone wireless."
Just makes you bloody proud to be
Canadian, eh?
Parts Bin
15
(a.k.a.cleaning off my desk)
1949 to 1951 Mercury Cars to be at
Pebble Beach Concours
In addition to the display, Gross said he
will also put together a panel discussion
on the custom Mercury’s impact for the
Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum at the Inn at Spanish Bay. Other panelists expected to
participate include Pat Ganahl, Larry Erickson, Rik Hoving and George Barris.
Along with the postwar custom Mercurys, this year’s Pebble Beach Concours will
feature classes dedicated to Preservation Ferraris and Ferraris that Raced in the Pebble
Beach Road Races in the 1950s, duPonts, Pope automobiles, designs by Carrozzeria
Touring, postwar Cunninghams, Japanese motorcycles, prewar British sports cars,
Lincoln Continentals, and Shelby G.T. 350s.
The 65th annual pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place Sunday, August
16. For more information, visit PebbleBeachConcours.net.
- See more at: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/01/29/leadsled-mercurys-to-takethe-lawn-at-pebble-beach/?refer=news#sthash.IGPGaz7W.dpuf
Not part of Parts Bin but I’ve run out of space!!!
Specialty Vehicle Association of BC AGM
There was good attendance at the recent meeting and much of the discussion was focussed on ICBC’s
recent announcement regarding registering incomplete restorations. (See pages 8 and 18)
This has been an item of discussion since 2000, as prior to 1992, it was done. NAACC, VCC, CCCCC,
BCHRA, as well as SVABC have contacted ICBC about this. Since 2012, ICBC has supported this but,
due to the re-structuring & replacement of the computer system, we were told nothing could happen until
the end of 2015 or 2016. The other two changes that are coming are the moving of the Modified Collector
Plate to 1973/4 and including replica & composite bodied vehicles in the program.
There was discussion about how to get young people involved in the hobby. The MG Club hosted a learn
to drive a floor mounted stick shift event in Pitt Meadows last year that was well-attended. BCIT provided
a cutaway of a transmission, Hagerty provided some funds, and members loaned their vehicles (MG,
Jags, a tank, British sports cars, etc.)
The Collector Car Appreciation Day in July is being planned in many communities. There is a cruise to the
100 Mile Car Show again as well as many casual cruises. Members were urged to just make it at a focus
at your usual event. PLEASE take photos & submit to the government, as well as SVABC. Contact a
local politician and take him/her for a spin. The idea is to give them some fun as well as impress with our
contributions to the community through charitable activities, economical impact, and social contributions.
Membership is only $5 and can be paid on PayPal. The low fee is to attract as many people as possible;
it is numbers that talk when you are dealing with government.
Thanks to Nigel Matthews, Cliff Haller, Harold Wellenbrink, & Joe & Neva Ledlin for attending the meeting
on behalf of the EFV8 Club. PS great research by the BCHRA on the Fenderless issue..I ran out of room to include.
What’s New in Your Garage?
Peter Hibbert, of Melbourne, Australia, commented
on the photos of Ross Baron’s new 1934: “ That is a
good coverage of Ross Baron`s hot rod. I have seen
it. MAGNIFICENT!
I notice he has used the early license plate off
his 1934 5W Coupe!”
16
With projects under way, Bruce asked
some members to give tech advice. If you
need advice in some department, I’ve
listed their numbers below:
Bill & Lynn McPherson sold their 1946 Ford
Coupe; currently looking for a special little TBird.
Electronics & wiring: Les Henderson 604 576 0679!
Joe & Neva Ledlin now have the 1947 Ford
Business Coupe registered, licensed, and on
the road..on blue & white plates, waiting for
collector plates.
Upholstery:Slim Easton 1 250 684 4505
Les Henderson has the motor & transmission
back in the 1967 Mustang, ..finally some time to
work on his own vehicles. Les retired so he
would have some time to work on his cars but,
because he is so knowledgeable, he has been
called on to work on other people’s cars.
Don & Lilah Warren’s shop, Rumbleseat
Restoration, was featured in an article by
Russell Purcell in the Vancouver Sun, March
26th.
Ron Mitchell, a long term member, now living in
the Okanagan, was thrilled to learn about
ICBC’s new registration for incomplete
restorations. He has a ‘few’ 1950 Mercs ready
and waiting.
Body & Paint:Ron Morris 604 856 1949
Don Warren 604 463 4290
Welding:Slim Easton, Ron Morris, Don Warren
Mechanical: Ron Morris, Rob Mays 604 857 1054,
Fred Muso
Radios:Pete Robb 604 857 4065
Transmission & rear ends, esp. Columbias!Ross
Blewett 604 9393600
Assembly:Bob Lee 604 937 5745,
Cliff Haller 604 940 0997!
Wood graining: Paul Poirier 1 250 470 9615!
Photography:Joe Ledlin 604 942 5651
Video-related:Colin Dugan 604 582 0232
Customizing: Dennis Groundwater 604 945 8784
Harold Wellenbrink 604 574 5457!
Any other expertise to add? Please contact the Editor.
More Information Regarding Jim Ratsoy’s Collection
A video I created from photos of visits to his collection can be accessed by going to Vimeo
Jim Ratsoy's Collection movie
https://vimeo.com/120985999, password : Ratsoy
Long-term member Alyn Edward wrote an article about the collection. It appeared in the Vancouver Sun’s
Driving Section on the same day our newsletter was posted, with an article about the demise.
I received this link from the Interior of BC
http://driving.ca/buick/auto-news/news/collector-classic-beijing-bound
17
Thanks to David Healey, editor of the Queensland
EFV8 newsletter.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Vancouver
photo by Alison Bradley
Long-term member, Alyn Edwards volunteered to drive this green baby bird in the
annual parade. His passengers in the St. Patrick's Day Parade’ Red Robinson and
Colin Elwood, happily helped push for the final block. Owner Natalie Speckmaier
purchased her 1955 in 1982 from Powell River. It was recently restored for this event.
It gathered great applause,and, stalling was considered part of the event & many
spectators offered to push for the last few metres.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone in Kamloops, shortly after the
important ICBC announcement. Note the Jailbar Grill on the Ford.
18