|
Mid A Chapter of Vintage Thunderbird Club Newsletter March, 2008
National VTCI Contacts
Mid-Kansas’ Club
Song “Silver Thunderbird” by Marc Cohn Mid-Kansas
Thunderbird’s
Website:
http://www.kansastbirds.org **Other
North
New Advertiser: At the end of last month’s newsletter you saw a new
advertisement. Dennis
Rittenhouse, whose shop is just a stones throw east of Udall can repair almost
anything electronic including vintage car radios, and home radios and
electronics. Dennis knows that
the Newsletter goes to all North Central chapters and then “everywhere” once
it hits the webpage. He has
already received a couple radios from out of state. With the important shows and conventions coming up, let’s
get those ailing AM radios down to Dennis and get them operating as they
should. Give Dennis a call and solve
your audio problems right here in our own back yard. New Member: The Vintage Club is proud to introduce another new
member to the club, John and Barbara Godfrey, who reside in the Benjamin
Hills area. Known as “Jack,” our
man Godfrey is a died-in-the-wool Vintage Oldsmobile man who has shown his
cars at “other brand” regional and international events. John recently fulfilled another dream
by purchasing a Thunderbird.
More specifically, a silver 2004 Current Thunderbird! John and Barbara are now looking
forward to cruising with us and registering the beautiful 2004 in our NC
Regional in June. To John,
Barbara and the Bird, we say Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the club! February Meeting : On Sunday, February 17 our club
converged on its old familiar meeting site, the Home Town Buffet for our
February meeting. There we
circulated applications for Lois Johnson’s Cruisin Against Bruisin show at
Hutchinson and passed out applications for our upcoming cruise to Neodesha on
May 17. We also discussed—guess what—the Dream
Car Show and passed out literature and sales brochures. Chairman Tedd is working with the
lists of suppliers and beating the bushes for new prospects. We also discussed—guess what—the NC Regional. Regional Convention
Update: A few of our fellow North Central
Regional clubs have sent checks to help us with the Convention! Regional Convention Treasurer Lynda
Fichter also reports that hotel reservations and applications for the show
are trickling in. Please go ahead and register for our Convention
early ‘cause we need the operating capital! Prez met with Jerry Blackerby and John Moler in
February, both of whom are using their cunning and wile to raise funds for
the Regional Convention from Wichita merchants. This is a different “sell” from the Dream Car Show. The boys are having to cater to folks
who can conceivably profit by having their name listed in the Regional
Convention brochure. Letters
have gone out to ten (10) of the national Thunderbird suppliers such as Concours
Parts, Larry’s, Mac’s, and Thunderbird Headquarters. This is with hopes of collecting
advertising fees as well as Silent Auction items and door prizes. If you have any suggestions as to
prospects for this important feature of the convention, let Prez know. If you
can lend your sales talents to the club please let us know ASAP. Also, our
Prez recently strolled the Cessna Citation showroom and is excited about our
upcoming tour. Event
Chairpersons Susan and Richard Carlisle are happy to report that Cessna Citation
ace salesman and VTCI members Todd and LouAnne Duhnke have the Cessna tour secured,
subject only to security guidelines and the absence of any disgusting world
events in the meantime. Sunflower Swap Meet
Complete: The Sunflower Swap meet at the Kansas
Coliseum was a success, thanks to a couple of hard workers from our clubs. Flying the banner of the Wichita
Classic Thunderbirds (CTCI), the booth was under the care and custody of CTCI’s
Carl Johnson while Mid-Kansas Vintage’s John Moler represented the Vintage
club. The swap meet itself was a huge affair, with classic and vintage parts
from all Fords and several “other brands.” John reports that he and Carl sold many items for our
members, many of whom were observed wading through the parts at different
times of the two days. Included in these shoppers were Mike Mawhirter, Todd Duhnke
and son Karl, Steve DeVore, Richard Carlisle, Prez and Secretary Bev, and a
host of other club members. John Smith, noted author of technical articles
for the Early Bird magazine, high honcho in the National CTCI club, and
current President of the Kansas City Classic Thunderbird chapter was also
present. John attended the
Classic Club meeting that morning, then later at the swap meet was overjoyed
to find a very rare carburetor for a ’57 E Thunderbird at a bargain
price. Stories like that make a
swap meet worthwhile. Kansas City Club
Comes Through: Over the February 23-24 weekend,
Tim and Laura Pundt and kiddos from the Vintage Thunderbird Club of Kansas
City delivered a Lincoln trunk full of goods from the Kansas City chapter, as
promised, to be used at our North Central Regional! This, in addition to the check their
VTCI Chapter had sent previously.
Our club really
appreciates this influx of items we can use as door prizes, silent auction
items, etc. Regional Convention
veterans Tim and Laura also scoped out the Airport Hilton, dined at The
Legends and found both to be entirely to their liking. Tim and Laura report that they are
really looking forward to our Regional.
So are we! One reason we
look forward to it is that these Conventions feature ONLY Thunderbirds and no boring cars.* * boring
cars, as defined in Funk and Wagnall’s third from last edition: Bor’
in (adj) Karz (noun): (1) Any motor
vehicle which was NOT manufactured in Ford Motor Company’s Wixom,
Michigan plant beginning in 1958. (Lincolns were built at Wixom but are
excluded due to Public Law O.U.KIDD #33) NOTE: Another possible exception to the
“boring car” rule is the 1956 Mercury 2-door hardtop, Turquoise and white,
with wide whites, continental kit, twin spots, and twin Smittys. This is a car that MIGHT NOT be
boring, but that is still being debated by our panel of experts. (attempting to verify the above reference with Funk and
Wagnalls is not recommended) Speaking of Car
Parts: Vice President Jeral Lipps and
Larry Fichter and assistants yet to be named, will be in charge of the
parking area for the Regional Convention. This will include all wash facilities, parking spaces, and
the premises for the swap and shop plus a myriad of other duties. At the February meeting Jeral and
Larry reminded all members who plan to have any items in the Swap and Shop to
get them ready for sale early.
Don’t wait until the last minute as some of us have done in the
past! WACCC: February 19 was the date of the quarterly Wichita
Area Council of Car Clubs meeting.
Our Prez, acting on behalf of both the Vintage Club and the Classic
Club took the Vintage Club Secretary along for advice, counsel, and support. There the current Cruizin Calendar
was discussed. A new car show is
in the planning stages to be held at the Orpheum Theater, with the profits to
the Orpheum Theater. Further
details will be provided. Lake
Afton, the Zoo, and other shows will be as shown in the Calendar. Bingo With the Birds: Driving sleet and freezing rain could not keep the
Thunderbirders away from Susan and Richard Carlisle’s place on Saturday night,
February 23. The Carlisle’s lakeside casa was the site of the Wichita Classic
Thunderbird Club’s Pot Luck Dinner and White Elephant Bingo Party to which
the Vintage Club was invited. This
offered a chance to get rid of that gift from Aunt Agatha from three
Christmases ago, and instead come home with valuable winnings! Vintage Club members seen bringing in
hot dishes, desserts, and white elephants wrapped in funny papers included of
course Richard and Susan, Kress and Klyda, Larry and Lynda, Av and Lois, John
Moler, and Rod and Bev. Fourteen
(14) more from the Classic Bird Club made for a well rounded group. After an array of hot dishes which
put the Home Town Buffet to shame, the bingo cards came out and white
elephant gifts were just a flyin’!
The weather, however, caused the driveway and streets around
Carlisle’s house to be lined with boring cars rather than Thunderbirds. We are happy to report no incidents
or accidents on the way home, especially since the Johnsons from Nickerson
and the Johnsons from Atlanta both had long distances to travel on
treacherous roads. It is equally
significant that no white elephant gifts were damaged! Prez Lands One Day
Contract For Thunderbird Showoffs:
At the
invitation of Exploration Place,
Prez has worked out a deal to show a very limited number of Vintage Birds at
the entry way of Exploration Place on Saturday, March 15! This is in connection with a special
“Looking Back” or “Remember When” segment of Exploration Place’s
programs. Prez sent out the
clarion call for volunteers to provide select examples of Vintage Birds. It is planned and hoped to have one
example from each three year model run of Vintage Birds. This will be from 10:00 to 3:00 that
date, with the promise the owners would get a pass to EP for that day with
tea and crumpets thrown in. Always willing to cooperate and share
with the Classics, our club alerted the Wichita Classic Club that another
date is available in this same segment for them to show their beautiful Birds
also. This is a new venture for
us as well as Exploration Place, so we will see what happens. National
President Lou Paliani Addresses the Chapters: Important Things
Every VTCI Member Should Know This if for everyone in the VTCI! The one thing I want all to remember is: Everything
you want to know about being a member of VTCI is on the VTCI Data Disc. The disk is updated every year. It is sent to all new members how
they join, every VTCI chapter
president and each VTCI
officer. They go out 1 November
each year. Here is a list of
what is on this very important and informative CD: 1. Current VTCI Bylaws
3. Judges Certification tests for
1955-66 4. VTCI
event guidelines for Planning
Regional/Internationals 5. the complete and printable Vol. 1 of Concourse Rules 6. All
the OFS changes and updates 7. Starting and organizing a chapter 8. The regional Directors guide 9. How to organize a road trip or
tour 10. The New Members packet It’s all there
and your club president has it.
All the information is printable and you can even make a copy of the
disk for your own use. It is
restricted to active VTCI members
only. It provides all the information you need
to plan a VTCI regional or
International with check lists and advice as to do’s and don’ts, understand
how cars are judge, class of judging, what class to put your car in and how to prepare it, what a
regional director does and all the
current changes to OFS publications and updates. Again…these are all printable. Do me a favor and ask your Chapter
presidents if they have one. I
mailed each one out personally because this information is important to all VTCI members and the purpose is to
provide easy access of this information to our members. This disk has been mailed out for at
least 4 years. Here’s some more stuff on the disk…what
to know what each board members gets each year for stipend, election rules,
voting procedures and how decisions are made…its all in there and current
each year. I’m writing this because I want you to
know all about VTCI and being a
member of VTCI. No mysteries, no secrets, no inner
circle…it is all out there for you to access. Should you have some questions or suggestions or other
items of information we can provide you on the disk…let us know! The VTCI management team wants you to have easy access to this
information. Please use it. Lou Paliani President, VTCI Business Meetings Set
for 2008: Vice Prez
Jeral and committee has set the March meeting for: Stroud’s Restaurant, 3661 N. Hillside, Thursday March 20 at 6:00 Our club continues its search for a
new club song. Prez has
registered his disgust with the music committee for its lack of approval for
all songs submitted. The latest
song offered, but rejected by the
committee is: “You Stuck My Heart In an Old Tin
Can, And Shot It Off a Log ” It is our Duty to
Inform You: 2008 Mid-Kansas chapter dues are
coming up April 1. If you want
to save yourself 41 cents, be prepared to re-up by paying your $20 at the
March meeting. Checks please,
‘cause with a flurry of cash and checks being tossed about it is easier for
the treasurer to keep track of your payment. Prez Gets Up Off One
Knee: Folks, Prez has been down on one
knee long enough asking ALL to join the VTCI. Although Prez is no longer on one knee, he still has hopes
of our club being 100% VTCI.
Big Bird Bazaar; Cars, Parts and
Services Here is the current list of known Cars, Parts, and
Services for sale: This
is YOUR newletter. If there is anything
you want to advertise to other club members, let PREZ know so he can persuade
the old Newsletter Editor to run your ad. Ads or sources of service for our Birds are free to club
members, but business card size ads run $60 per year. That’s less than $5 per issue ‘cause
we usually run 14 editions per year.
1977
Lincoln 4-door Continental:
Mike
Troilo offers his ’77 Lincoln for sale.
Mike is the second owner and this was originally a special order car
and the original owner’s name is on a plaque on the dash. Fresh Metallic bronze paint, the car
has 116,000 miles, the 460 V8 has new timing chain, all electrical relating
to ignition, Edelbrock 4bbl carb, glass packs, Michelins, cold air, new
windshield, new vinyl top, rust proofed, new shocks, brakes, TRW rotors,
master cylinder, radiator, power steering hoses. Asking $10,000.00. Call Mike at 265-2683 1929
Model A: Tudor sedan, restored. Left and Right Fender Mounted Spare
Tires (new) with tire covers.
Exterior rear mounted trunk.
Chrome excellent. New
Battery $9,300.00 1953
Ford F100 Custom Pickup: Known to all in
the show circuits as “Black Rose” 327 V-8, Tripower, Automatic Transmissionn Power
Steering, AM-FM Cassette, Total Custom Interior, Totally Rewired with modern
fuse panel, Manual tilt bed, Lots of Chrome. YOU HAVE TO
SEE THIS PICKUP TO APPRECIATE IT!
$24,500.00. 1964
Corvette Coupe: Silver, 327 V-8 Hi Performance 365
HP, Aluminum Knock Off Wheels, 4 speed Muncie Transmission, Total Brake
Rebuild less than 1,000 miles ago.
$34,000.00 1985
Corvette with these FACTORY options:
6-way
power seats, power door locks, 2 tone paint, Medium Blue Top and Dark Blue
bottom, Performance Axle 307 Ratio, Cruise control, Bose AM-FM Cassette, Rear
Defroster, Leather bucket Seats, Cragar Louvers Rear Hatch, Removable Roof
Panel,
Less than 10,000 miles. Always Garaged, Original Owner $19,000.00. Contact
Avory “AV” Johnson, Nickerson, Kansas
(620) 422-5104. If no
answer, leave message. I Will
Call Back. A
New Old Bird Available: Delano Motors, N.W. corner of W. Douglas and McLean Boulevard
has about a dozen classics waiting for restoration. Among the inventory is a
white over red 1958 Thunderbird HT.
Body looks good, interior does not. Easy restoration.
Nuff said. Convertible Top Repairs: Don’t let spring sneak up on your
convertible. Winter is a good
time to get our old Buddy Bud Roat to go through your convertible top
mechanism before we all need him at the same time in the spring. Bud is a busy man with his other
ventures and hates to be rushed.
Therefore, wintertime is a good time to leave your Bird at Bud’s place. Give Bud a call @ 683-9072 ******Advertisers****** D & M Rittenhouse Custom Products and Old-Time Radio Repair/Restoration Dennis & Maxine 4503 Hwy K-15 Udall, KS 67146 620-782-3901 Other items to be
repaired: Vintage Tape Decks Vintage Turn Tables Speaker Surrounds Electric Motors 15 hp &
Below Repair of Generators We Build Custom Amps Repair of Auto Electric
Controls Restoration on table top radio
cabinets. |
