RIP Art Fitzpatrick. PCPS Fall Color Tour. Annual Club Cider Mill Cruise. Route 66 Part III. Romping on Woodward. Vintage Article NASCAR Pontiac

Transcription

1 Volume 22 Issue 4 Dec 2015 Romping on Woodward Vintage Article NASCAR Pontiac RIP Art Fitzpatrick PCPS Fall Color Tour Route 66 Part III Annual Club Cider Mill Cruise

2 Volume 22 Issue 4 Dec 2015 Inside this issue: Romping on Woodward By Dr. Eric Schiffer Romping on Woodward RIP Art Fitzpatrick Happy Holidays to all Fall has passed and winter is upon us. I hope all of you have properly winterized and tucked your cars away for the winter. I m sure there are many of you that are silently waited to see what kind of presents you received to help improve your cars. If only others could read our minds! Cider Mill Gathering.Several members gathered in November at the Franklin Village Church to park our classics. The group walked through The Village Time Had Forgotten to the Franklin Cider Mill for some fresh cider and hot donuts. Check out the club pictures. Points and Condenser Fall Color Tour Members of the Royal Pontiac club ventured to Ann Arbor for breakfast and the start of a 75 mile color tour. The tour followed along the Huron River and Hines Park to finally finish at Henry Ford s Model T Plant on Piquette. There the group was treated to a tour and a catered lunch served by Slows Bar B Que. I can t wait to see where the spring dust off tour will take us. See article pages 5-8 for more detail. Points and Condenser Fall Color Tour On the road Again Route 66 Day 3 Vintage Article Club Cider Miill Cruise Art Fitzpatrick Illustrations Membership application Club Calendar Royal Pontiac Winter Gathering/Date Night To help get us through the winter, the Club will host a winter Date Night. This year it will be at the Moose Preserve (Woodward Ave at Square Lake Rd Bloomfield Hills phone (248) ), on Saturday March 19, 2015 at 6 PM. Everyone will receive their own bill, so order as little or as much as you wish. Come for a drink or just come by to have the chance to socialize. We need an exact head count, so please RSVP with Todd Ansbacher deucegto@yahoo.com by March 12, Looking forward to seeing you there! General Motors Heritage Center Pastiener s Auto Zone Hobby s is sponsoring a tour of the GM Heritage Center on Saturday January 23. Cost is $20.00 you must pre- register at Pastiener s. Upcoming Events: Sat March 19th 6pm Annual Club Winter Date Night. Moose Preserve Woodward and Long Lake. Please RSVP to Todd if you plan to attend. deucegto@yahoo.com

3 Page 3 Royal Pontiac Club of America Romping on Woodward (cont d) Dr. Eric Schiffer Auto Zone gatherings Speaking of Pastiener s, the gatherings continue through the winter months from 8:00 10:00a.m. in Birmingham. Even in the winter there is still a great gathering of cars and car guys/gals. North American International Auto Show Press week January including Thursday supplier day. The Charity Ball is Friday January 15th, $400 per person. Open to the public, January Auctions There are a lot of interesting auctions coming up in Arizona and Florida. MECUM Kissimmee, Florida January and Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, Arizona January Many interesting cars and collections are going up for bids. Mecum has 2 of the Trans Am convertibles going onto their block. This should make for entertaining TV. FYI the Lost number 8 has been sold by its owner since the 80 s and is now being restored at Scott Tieman s. Detroit Autorama February For those interested in entering their car you must go on-line for your application and instructions. SEMA and AAPEX I frequently receive SEMA online news and a monthly newsletter. Mike Kidd and I decided to share what is going on in the after market and specialty automotive industry with our members. I will be sending the latest industry news for Mike to put up on the Club website for members to access. Keith Wilson Keith passed away August 9, 2015, just 2 days before his 76 th birthday. Keith was a good friend of this club. He supported us through sponsorship of our club s awards and events. Like most car guys of the 50 s 70 s, he participated in the Detroit street action with his Pontiacs. He worked at Pontiac dealerships over the years, from parts counterman to General Manager. He organized many car shows including Bob Seller s and the Milford City car shows. He will be missed. Art Fitzpatrick Passed away in November, at the age of 96. He is most famous for his 285 Pontiac automotive art work that he and his late partner Van Kaufman did from 1959 to 1971.(AF VK) Art did a series of U.S. Postal Stamps in 2005 and Art was present for the opening of an exhibit of his original works at the Gilmore Car Museum in Kalamazoo earlier this year. Well, time to burn rubber Eric

4 Page 4 Royal Pontiac Club of America RIP Art Fitzpatrick Unfortunately we have lost another Pontiac Icon since the last newsletter. Legendary Pontiac illustrator Art Fitzpatrick passed away in November. Here is a link to the obituary, in case you missed it on our facebook page. I have several of Art s illustrations throughout the newsletter as well.

5 Page 5 Points & Condenser Preservation Society Fall Color Tour Text Linda Kidd Photos Mike Kidd I have never been to a PCPS Points and Condenser Preservation Society meeting. I am not really certain what points and condensers are except that someone told me they used to be found in cars. But, this organization puts on amazing road tours that start out in automotive related sites like: Car & Driver or Road and Track offices, car dealerships, or exclusive car repair and detailing shops like Arbor Motion. After breakfast at the hosting site everyone hops into their cars for a two hour road journey through scenic Michigan minus the expressways. (cont d next page) Left: An Awesome survivor car, 1949 Buick Fastback Below: The front of the line at Arbor motion shows the diversity of cars participating.

6 Page 6 Points & Condenser Preservation Society Fall Color Tour Text Linda Kidd Photos Mike Kidd The cars in this road rally are amazing themselves. From a 1949 Buick to a DeLorean to a vintage MG your eyes feast on form and color. Yellow Prowlers sporting vinyl bras of black with yellow flames, red Ferraris, Lotus, Pontiacs, Corvettes and a hundred more cars flow from the parking lot following turn by turn directions to a final destination. This October s destination took us from Ann Arbor through Plymouth and Livonia s picturesque Hines Park. The exu- Above: Our destination the Ford Piquette Plant Right: Henry Ford s Office berant yellows, orange, and reds of the maple trees were framed in the yellows of the poplars and the greens of the evergreens in the park. As the drivers follow each other through woods, farms, and villages they make mental notes to return and get to know the smaller communities that brought life to the state we call Michigan. Eventually we reach our destination of the day, the Ford Piquette plant of Model T history. This is where the Model T was built using the assembly line method that made it affordable for the average man. The Piquette plant is a museum with secured parking in the courtyard of the building. The docents love the building and have many stories to share about Henry Ford and the other automotive pioneers. No

7 Page 7 Points & Condenser Preservation Society Fall Color Tour Text Linda Kidd Photos Mike Kidd matter how much you know about early automotive history, these docents will engage you with their stories about the personalities and dynamics of early Detroit. One of the docents shared how the pioneering spirit is alive and thriving in Detroit. He told us about students, some from other countries, who are investing their time and energy to make dreams come true. Once we got to the third floor we found more cars and heard about Henry Ford s secret room for the design of the Model T. (Cont d next page) Above: A great view of the Fisher Building from the 3rd floor of the plant Left: A view from the 2nd floor of significant vehicles in the plant s history (which also included building Studebaker s)

8 Page 8 Points & Condenser Preservation Society Fall Color Tour Text Linda Kidd Photos Mike Kidd Left: So how cool would it be to have this accessory kit for winter driving? Below: Mike Kidd2 We also found an assembly line of a different kind, a buffet of food put on by Slo s Bar- B Que. That restaurant is a destination of its own, but having two amazing Detroit venues paired on a Sunday morning/ afternoon excursion made for a memorable event. So, if you enjoy cars, vintage or new, love to drive the back roads of Michigan, like to visit auto related sites, and savor good food you may enjoy trying one of these road trips sponsored by PCPS. end

9 Page 9 On the Road Again...Route 66 Day 3 Text Linda Kidd & Mike Kidd Photos Aleta Kidd & Mike Kidd Starting the night of day two, rain was in forecast again. Mike checked the weather forecast, and saw that St. Louis (our original destination for day 3) was expecting 5 inches of rain the next day. The weather channel was showing highways being closed, and we decided to re-route our trip to Springfield IL, which we had planned to visit on the way to St Louis. We had originally planned to reverse our route in St. Louis and spend day 4 in Springfield, so some quick phone calls got our reservation cancelled at the hotel in St. Louis and we would spend an extra day in Springfield visiting the many Lincoln sites in town. The overnight rain had stopped when we pulled out of Pontiac, IL and the forecast gave some hope we might arrive in Springfield before the heavy rain started. Just south of Pontiac we come across an original section of Route 66 built in the 1930s. On our left are railroad tracks. On the right is Highway 55. We find a place to park both cars and discover a park like setting to walk and enjoy the old road banked by large displays of state maps. Each map is situated at distances related to the highway map scale. Really cool idea. The walk together is enjoyable as we walk, read, take pictures of the state signs, and a few selfies. It is wonderful to be taking a walk on the old pavement that carried so many people between states to visit family, go to work, or move to a new home. There are also gardens with local flowers and benches which look inviting, except that they are saturated from the heavy precipitation. Well it s raining again. Michael and Aleta navigate the route in the 73 Grand Am. Shelby is selecting the first round of music in my 11 Camaro. Songs with rain lyrics begin to run through my mind. (cont d next page) Above: Aleta and Shelby in front of the California sign, the end of the route and park. Left: Ah! Raining again! Let s get going!

10 Page 10 On the Road Again...Route 66 Day 3 Text Linda Kidd & Mike Kidd Photos Aleta Kidd & Mike Kidd Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down, Have You Ever Seen the Rain? The rain becomes a downpour! I can barely see Michael s taillights. I can t see any road markings. Is it due to rain or construction? Perhaps dirt has covered the lines in the center of the road? More songs enter my mind. Who ll Stop the Rain? Now I wonder where Noah left the ark? White knuckles grip the wheel. Shelby puts on headphones and plays games on her phone while hugging her neon green bear. At least she is comfortable. I have Shelby text Michael to pull over because I can t see the sides of the road. He stops. Shelby and Aleta switch cars. Michael s 73 Grand Am is having a window leak. He wants to look for a hotel with a big awning or covered drop off area to wait out the current downpour. He will follow us. We follow the GPS and I take the wrong right turn. Now we have a 2.5 mile rerouting. We are back on track. At one of the exits we go straight because our view is blocked by a semi. Michael takes an exit to the left because he spots a hotel. (cont d next page) Above: Comfort Suites excellent trunk mat drying fixture. Left: The Lincoln home

11 Page 11 On the Road Again...Route 66 Day 3 Text Linda Kidd & Mike Kidd Photos Aleta Kidd & Mike Kidd We are on I -55 calling Michael and Shelby. Phone calls, texts, and twenty minutes we find an exit with a gas station with a large roof like cover. The rain is letting up. Michael and Shelby find us. Shelby and Aleta switch cars again. Michael is calm, but I am certain he was as frustrated with our miscommunication as I was anxious about getting lost in the rain. Right: Shelby not quite as excited as the rest of us to tour Lincoln s home Below Right: Great Coaster from the Brewery changing clothes for our trip into Springfield and dinner. Michael takes everything out of the trunk in the Grand Am to dry things out. He also finds a great use for the glass shower, it makes a great place to hang the trunk mat to dry! It s a miracle! The rain has stopped. Springfield is only 2.4 miles away. There are great parking structures, just in case it rains again. We visit the home of Abraham Lincoln and the neighborhood surrounding it. We get a really good idea of the type of person he was. Lincoln was a true family man, hard worker, and thinker. He was an inventor too! He had an engineering mind, always wondering how things were made. He even built models of vehicles and home improvements. Mr. Lincoln was definitely a self-taught man. We reach Springfield, IL by lunch time. Michael promised Shelby we would find a Cracker Barrel restaurant. She loves the chicken dumplings and souvenirs. We all enjoy the trip down memory lane as we see the antiques in the dining room and gift shop. The rain is beginning to subside and we almost feel like Singing in the Rain as we find the Comfort Suites. The upgrades are lovely. The king suite has an arched entry and half walls separating the family sitting area with sofa bed and recliner and a dramatic floor lamp. There is a separate kitchen area. The bathroom has a huge shower walled with glass. The marble vanity has lots of storage nooks filled with fluffy towels and space for our stuff. We take our time getting dry and

12 Page 12 On the Road Again...Route 66 Day 3 Text Linda Kidd & Mike Kidd Photos Aleta Kidd & Mike Kidd After the tour of the Lincoln house, we are really hungry. We are attracted to an historic building nearby. The original house portion of the property belonged to neighbors of the Lincoln family. The site is now home to a microbrewery called Obed and Isaac s. We choose to eat inside instead of their patio as the intermittent sprinkles are following us. Our dinners were excellent, as were the beverages. A short drive back to the Comfort Suites to enjoy the indoor pool. From there we witnessed the sun coming out of the clouds, just in time to set. We knew it wasn t the right day to buy a lottery ticket. End Left: Downtown Springfield as the sky finally starts to clear.

13 Page 13 Vintage Article Motor Trend May 1973

14 Page 14 Vintage Article Motor Trend May 1973

15 Page 15 Vintage Article Motor Trend May 1973

16 Page 16 Vintage Article Motor Trend May 1973

17 Page 17 Royal Pontiac Club of America Annual Club Cider Mill Cruise Franklin Cider Mill, Oct 2015 Text Mike Kidd Photos Eric Schiffer The club's annual Cider Mill Cruise was met by a perfect crisp Fall day. The clear skies and bright sun quickly warmed cool fall morning air. The club provided the cider and donuts, and the cool morning made the warm cider mill donuts that much more tasty. As usual the town of Franklin was nicely decorated for Halloween. If you haven t been to the Franklin cider mill, I would recommend it. Franklin definitely has an old small town vibe about it. We had a pleasant walk down to the cider mill, from our parking spot in front of the old Franklin church. (cont d) Top: The group in front of the Cider Mill. Center: Some of the decorations around town. Left: Group photo opp with a friend

18 Page 18 Royal Pontiac Club of America Annual Club Cider Mill Cruise Franklin Cider Mill, Oct 2015 Text Mike Kidd Photos Eric Schiffer It was a pretty light turnout this year, despite the great weather. We had a fun time reminiscing over the cider and donuts and some took advantage of the farmer s market going on next to our parking spot. Don t miss out on this fun event next year, it s a great time to get your car out and enjoy a nice fall drive with some great people. End Above: Eric and Janis Schiffer Right: Jim Gaines and Janis Above: Jeff and Kat Reimus Right: Mike and Aleta Kidd Link to more Pics:

19 Page 19 Royal Pontiac Club of America

20 Page 20 Royal Pontiac Club of America

21 Jan 2016 Primary Business Royal Pontiac Club of America Address P.O. Box West Bloomfield,Line MI Address 2 Address Line 3 14 Royal Pontiac Club meeting, Denny s in Novi. Dinner at 6, meeting at North American International Auto Show, Cobo Hall Detroit Feb Royal Pontiac Club meeting, Denny s in Novi. Dinner at 6, meeting at Autorama, Cobo Hall Detroit Mar Royal Pontiac Club meeting, Denny s in Novi. Dinner at 6, meeting at 7 19 Royal Pontiac Club Winter Date Night 6pm at Moose Preserve RSVP required deucegto@yahoo.com Pasteiners (Auto Zone) Book store, Woodward Ave north of 14 Mile Rd Every Saturday morning from 8AM 10AM Weekly gathering year round Link to pics from previous events: Looking for Articles!!! Have you done any cool car events lately? Maybe a great tech tip? Why not share them with other club members? Would you like to share your pride and joy with other club members? Write a short meet the member article introducing you and your car. Be sure to include some pictures. We can also add pics of your ride to our members tab on the website. Please Mike Kidd with ideas or anything you d like to share in the newsletter. kidd101400@att.net