September 2022

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Prez Sez:

Fall is my favorite time of the year, especially in the mountains. I’ve never understood
why our classic car activities seem to slow down after summer. I hope we can continue
our garage tours and other tours through the fall and enjoy the fresh air coming through
our vents and windows.

We also have a lot of discussion in AACA circles about “passing the torch” on to the
next generation. This past weekend I was at Virginia International Raceway with my son
in law and grandsons. There were a lot of young people there enduring the heat
watching Porsches, Corvettes, Aston Martins, BMWs and the like zipping around the
course. It was a good reminder that there will always be plenty of car enthusiasts
around. Our success in sustaining the interest in classic cars (25 years or older) will be
in how we engage with future generations. One way we have engaged is with our
support of Blue Ridge Community College’s automotive program through various
activities including the annual car show with all the proceeds going to the college
automotive program. We’ve also enjoyed doing a cars and coffee at the college where
we displayed our classic cars and talked with the students who were very appreciative
and showed a lot of interest. We are going to do that again in a few weeks and I hope
you will join us and bring your classic ride.

Blessings to you and your family as we head into this wonderful season in Western
North Carolina.

David Parker
GSMR President

LDC Meeting

Thursday, Sept. 29, 6PM

Divebomber Vintage

The Chow Hound Restaurant

126 Park Lane Dr. Rutherfordton

September, 2022

WHATCHYAGOT

FOR SALE?

Members of GSMR/LDC only,

got something for sale?  Car?  Parts?

Send a description of what you have, in

25 WORDS MORE OR LESS

To: mm@cedarmountainlodge.com

with subject “GSMR SALE ITEM”

And we’ll put it in the next newsletter.

Promise.

Know of someone under the weather?  Going in for surgery or passed away?  Send information to our Sunshine Lady, Yvonne Jacobs at yvonne.jacobs43@gmail.com and we’ll post it here.

July 20, “get well” cards were sent to Jim and Mary Jo Mitchell, and Steve Nordt, and a  Sympathy card went out to the Ron Albrech family.

August 1, “Thiking of You” card was sent to Steve Nordt,

Sympathy cards have been sent to Opal Suave families.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?

Do you have fond memories of that first ride?  Photos?  Everyone has a first car, so tell us about yours in 200 words or less so we can put you in the spotlight.  Oh, and include a picture or two. Send it all to: Jrs190sl@yahoo.com.  Aka Jim Mitchell.

GSMR President: David Parker, 904-553-7060

Vice President: Mike Mucci 828-883-4770

Secretary: Diane Rogers

Treasurer: Colleen Mangeot, 513-490-1461

Board Members: Steve Nordt 732-233-4129;

Tom Furey 828-894-8898;

Hulon McCraw 828-606-2918; Keith Fisher 352-598-2467

Membership:  Kim LaRowe 828-7792378

Webmaster: Ralph Griffith

LDC President: Dave Chauncy 828-657-5269

Vice President: Fran Luczak

Treasurer: Tom Furey, 828-817-0536

Secretary: Sam Farance 828-980-1184

Club Merchandise: Lee Davis, 828-245-5943

Membership:& Museum Gary Barnett, 828-223-0002

Museum Rob Mitchell 815-441-2077

Editor: Mike Mucci: mm@cedarmountainlodge.com      Assoc. Editor: Jim Mitchell jrs190sl@yahoo.com—770-883-2316       www.gsmr.club

Newsletter of the Great Smoky Mountains Region and Little Detroit Chapter

of the Antique Automobile Club of America

EDITORS’ NOTES:

As we move away from the hot Summer months, touring and cruising becomes even more enjoyable.  We’ll attempt to post reminders and features on events closest to home and post others of particular interest such as AACA events, which are also covered in AACA’s “Speedster.”

In this issue we’re featuring member Tom Loftfield and his first car, a Model T.  We’re still looking for others.  How about your first car?  Give me or Jim Mitchell a shout.  Jim and I stand ready to post it in an upcoming issue.  (Jim’s email: jrs190sl@yahoo.com)

—Mike Mucci, Editor

Questions, contributions, comments: mm@cedarmountainlodge.com.

PLEASE NOTE:  DEADLINE FOR INCLUSION IN ANY ISSUE IS THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

Know someone who would

enjoy reading about our

Great Smoky Mountains Region?

 Send them this issue.

Also visit aaca.org for

national/regional

info. & events

Bringin’ up the rear.

September Summary Schedule

Saturday September 3

Cars & Coffee at the Dixie Diner, Laurel Park

Enjoy breakfast starting at 7:30 with old car camaraderie.

WNC Air Museum: Planes and Automobiles

Open Show, all welcome  – 10AM to 2PM  – $10 Registration (See flyer pg. 13)

Final 2022 TCCC Cardinal Cruise-in, 4-8 PM

Cardinal Drive-in, Brevard — $10 per car registration

3rd & 4th Cars-Trucks-Tractors, Easley SC 3147 Earls Bridge Rd.

SC American Truck Historical Society  –  Info. 864-677-3453

Sunday, September 11

Heatherwood Cruise & Picnic 1-4 PM

(see flyer, pg. 11)

Saturday, September 17

AACA Car Show—NCTransportation Museum—9AM-1PM

For information, call 336-888-8211

Tuesday, September 20

GSMR Monthly Meeting, 6 PM Dinner; 7 PM Meeting, Bay Breeze Restaurant

Saturday, September 24

Cruise for Christ Car & Bike Show—9AM-3PM—$20 Registration

(see flyer pg. 12)

Thursday, September 29

LDC Monthly Meeting, 6PM Divebomber, Chow Hound Restaurant

Tuesday thru Friday, October 4-7

The big Hershey Region AACA National Show, Car Coral and Flea

(go to AACA.org for full information)

Classic auto accessories and garage décor

Vintage suitcases, beverage coolers, camping equipment and more for displaying in your classic car or garage.  For more information or to schedule and appointment,

call David Parker at 904-553-7060.

GSMR Meeting

Tuesday, September 20

6 PM Dinner; 7 PM Meeting

Bay Breeze Restaurant

783 N. Main, Hendersonville

1941 Buick Special, 6-passenger coupe.

Selling due to health.  Mostly original 81,XXX miles.  Licensed, runs good.

Radio & clock not working.

$22K.  Stuart Denison, 828-483-6265.

VAN’S AUTO SERVICE, LLC

TERRY THELEN, OWNER

(Answer later in the newsletter.)

What automotive pioneer’s name is associated with not only three automobile brands, but also a city in Florida?

David Dunbar Buick

Ransom Eli Olds

Horace Elgin Dodge

Additional September Schedule Notes From LDC

Nearly 40 members showed up at the historic Waverly Inn to share in the camaraderie and future planning of our club.  Six new members were introduced, including Christine and David Penny from South Carolina; Terri and Mitch Somers, who joined in July; and George and Athena Leinan—all pictured on the next page.  Our GSMR total membership is now 158.  Add LDC’s 102 members and we have a total of 260 strong.

“One-of-one” 1970 Dodge Challenger on display.  This hand-built “pilot car” (left) has been shown at GSMR/LDC shows and a garage tour by owner, Browney Mascow. It is now on display in a showroom of noted enthusiast and Mopar dealer Jim Benson in Greer, SC.  Factory-equipped with the legendary 426 Hemi engine and 727 transmission, the car has been featured in many magazines, calendars and automotive books.  It is currently displayed alongside a new Hellcat Redeye and a rare 4-speed ‘65 Chrysler 300

convertible equipped with 413 c.i. power.

Answer: B. Ransom Eli Olds

Automotive names such as REO, R.E.O. Spedwagon, Olds and Oldsmobile were all derived from Ransom E. Olds., as was the city of Oldsmar at the northern end of Old Tampa Bay, FL,  initially developed by Mr. Olds.

‘61 IMPERIAL “Rust-Free” Trunk Lid, $300

‘61-’63 IMPERIAL Dash Pad $150

Call 828-215-4846

Anthony Lacaria (LDC)

Proud new owner with younger brother; first version

with red wheels

Tom Loftfield

Having developed a substance abuse addiction to degreasing solvents, paint remover, and Go Jo, the notion had begun to grow in my mind that I wanted an antique car of my own. There was no way that our family fortune would accommodate a Rolls Royce, and even though my dad was a very gifted mechanic and machinist, we did not have access to a machine shop adequate to permit restoration and support of most true antique cars.

Our neighbor across the street, who was responsible for my addiction, came up with the perfect solution, a Ford Model T. These cars were so numerous that many parts were yet available in regular parts stores (including J. C. Whitney), and there was a plethora of people and companies flogging specialized parts. In Northeast Ohio there were numerous people who had Model T’s, so help and support would be available.

, I knew the Rolls was out of the question, but I did still covet that 1908 Buick across the road. That car never ran, because the radiator was Swiss cheese, and I am not certain that the neighbor actually understood the magneto ignition, but it sat; whole, complete, original, and essentially in sight just to tease and torment me.

However, the antique car neighbor did know best, so on 26 January 1962, my sixteenth birthday, a 1924 Ford Model T Fordor Sedan came home in pieces on a trailer. I put up $100, the full price, and became the proud owner of a Model T, making me a member of a now seriously shrinking club of people whose very first car was a Ford Model T.

With coaching from the antique car neighbor across the street, and a huge amount of very necessary help from my dad, that car was disassembled down to component pieces, engine rebuilt (sort of), some new fenders purchased, rust-outs on the lower body filled (the upper body was aluminum, Mr. Ford experimenting with this material for a while in those years). Safety glass was installed in all windows, new mohair upholstery fashioned on my mother’s sewing machine, new wood top members cut and installed, and finally new top material, purchased from a Model T supplier, pulled and stretched into position.

Continued…

Later version with corrected black wheels; young lady friends to the rescue.

Tom Loftfield—continued

No, it wasn’t an AACA 400-point car, but it ran down the road and made me extremely happy. And I was an AACA member between 1962 and 1968, more or less.

The parents of young ladies I was dating all asked me to kindly park on the street or the grass so the oil drips wouldn’t disfigure and degrade the paved driveways (if it isn’t leaking something then it isn’t a Model T).

It remained necessary to start by hand cranking even though it had a starter and generator.

The generator worked, but the cost of a rebuilt starter was beyond my high school budget, plus they were hard to get, scarce as hens’ teeth at that time (dinosaur days: no Internet). As a teenager, hand cranking was no problem, sort of appeared as manly in the eyes of the young ladies.

The only real problem was that the car had to be home before dark, had to use the family cars for later-evening dates and outings, such a bother!

, that 1924 Ford Model T Fordor Sedan was my wheels, my transport, my car. It took many friends on picnics across Northeast Ohio, drove in many parades, was even driven in the endless ice and snow of the lake-effect-snow area in which we lived (once I found and bought a set of Model T tire chains). The car remained stock. If Mr. Ford hadn’t put it on the car originally, it was not to be found on my car. While it was not an AACA 400-point car, it would likely have shown very well.

However, by then, and continuing to today, my interests had developed toward driving, not showing.family simply did not have the resources to hold a car just for show, I needed, and wanted, transport that was mine, so that poor car was driven to the point it eventually had a failure. All the while I was wanting that 1908 Buick.

David Penney and Hennie Jacobs     Pres. David Parker and Hulon McCraw                 Hennie and Yvonne Jacobs

New members, Terri and Mitch Somers          New members, Christine and David Penney            New members, George and Athena Leinan

Above:

Membership Chairman, Kim LaRowe with wife, Paula… seated with Dottie and Richard Marlowe.

If you haven’t gotten yours yet, simply show up at our next meeting/event and ask Kim LaRowe for yours.

From LDC

Included in this email is the LDC Calendar for September 2022 and a car show flyer.

Also, a message from our President, David Chauncy, to please bring any items from home that may be used for door prizes for our upcoming Little Detroit Car, Truck & Bike Show on October 22nd at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Forest City-Johnnie Adkins officiating.

We willa box at Divebomber that you can bring things by at any time from now until then.

We will also need help in varying degrees for the show. Don’t hesitate to call Dave to volunteer!

**We also want to remember the following families as they grieve the passing of their loved ones:

The Opal Suave Family

The Ron Albright Family

News from Detroit and around the corner…

Dodge 2024 EV Charger concept revealed.

Dodge revealed its first electric muscle car (right), the Charger Daytona SRT concept, at a mid-August event at its Pontiac, Michigan-based headquarters.  The two-door coupe is positioned as a preview for the automaker’s first EV, which is expected to go into production in 2024.  Word has it that the big v-8s of today will be gone at the end of 2023.  Hmmm. —Ed.