Belltown Antique Car Club - P.O. Box 211, East Hampton, CT 06424 March, 2017

NEXT MEETING

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at the East Hampton Library at 7:30 p.m.

On the Agenda: - Plans for our April Engine Show in its new location

- Updates on tours and activities in 2017

- Status of membership renewals for 2017

- Legislative action, 2017 General Assembly

FUEL FOR THOUGHT

“There is absolutely no place for political bickering or a

scramble for credit in the essential job to be done.”

- Dennis Chavez, U.S. Senator from New Mexico, remarking on the necessity of enacting a

national highway improvement bill, in January, 1956. [Ed.: 61 years later our country needs a

long-overdue upgrade to much of its infrastructure, and the words of Sen. Chavez still ring true.]

CLUB NOTES

The February 1st Club meeting began with a bountiful pot luck supper which we enjoyed without exception. Don Liepelt won the award for Best Tamale Casserole. Thanks to everyone who made the supper successful! Despite the fact that we were satisfied and full, Jon Grant felt compelled to try to run a meeting afterwards.

Alan Carlson stated that he tried contacting Vinal Tech on a youth outreach initiative and has not heard back from them about a possible Club presentation.

Jon Grant acknowledged that the Club still has its show material stored in the trailer on our late colleague Bill Reardon’s property and said that the situation will be dealt with when the need arises.

There were no updates on tours and no new proposals were brought up. As noted last month, if more tours are going to happen, members have to volunteer to organize them! Alan Carlson said he will look into whether the Club might be able to visit a private car collection he is aware of in East Hampton. He will get back to us.

The next step in planning the April Engine Show is to order additional needed signage. The meeting approved a reasonable expenditure. Jon and Karl Helming will take the lead. The East Hampton Lions Club will again be invited to operate the food concession at the Engine Show. This year’s show date is Sunday, April 30th.

Alan Carlson reiterated his suggestion to post a notice of our next meeting in the Rivereast newspaper, inviting interested people to sit in and learn about the Club as a prelude to membership. No objections being heard, he will go ahead and do so. He also indicated that the local Masons lodge is interested to run the food concession again at our Vintage Motorcar Meet in August.

Jon Grant reminded us that lifetime member Larry Emmons has been staying close to home these days due to age and health issues. Larry would be pleased if his fellow Belltowners would stop by for a visit.

As of our February meeting there had been no news out of the Conn. General Assembly session that affected the antique car hobby. Since then we received a Legislative Alert from the 4C’s who keep an eye on such things on behalf of car clubs across the state. See “Hobby Headlines & History” on page 3 for their report on a new proposal to raise the minimum age for antique cars and the maximum allowable property tax assessment.

P. 2 of 8 The Belltown Bulletin March, 2017

MEMBER MILESTONES

Happy Birthday to: Mark Hoydilla March 1st (65)

Jean Hodge March 3rd (80)

Kaye Cannon March 4th

Kolieb Beckwith March 5th

Richard Shipman March 9th

Charlie Hnilicka March 16th (88)

Jon Grant March 18th

Carl Bjorge March 20th (75)

Bill Nitschke March 26th

Happy Anniversary to: Stan & Terri Mirecki March 26th (40)

Late Braking: Please welcome new members Dudley Diebold and Leslie Gillert to the Club. Dudley is closely associated with the DD Living History Farm Museum in Roxbury. Leslie lives in Mass. and is restoring a Scotty trailer. She is the daughter of member Jean Johnson.

Jon Grant said that member Len Nicholas has moved from his home in Haddam Neck into the Chestelm nursing facility on Rte. 151 (Town St.) in Moodus.

Bob Hellstrom reports that Nancy Thompson of Portland has passed away. Nancy lived around the corner from our late colleague Hazel Robinson and was active in the Buick Club. While not a member of BACC, she regularly showed up at our August Motorcar Meet with her son, Jack Roberts, and one of several interesting Buicks ranging from 1938 through the 1960’s.

HOBBY HEADLINES & HISTORY

In celebration of BACC’s 50th year (2017), we continue to seek out other 50-year milestones

In 1967, Plymouth was “out to win you over,” according to their ad campaign, and one of the ways they aimed to do it

was by introducing a restyled Barracuda that featured sleeker, more European styling. To better compete with the Ford

Mustang, Plymouth added coupe and convertible body styles to the Barracuda line that had formerly been available only

as a fastback. Sales jumped 40 percent.

1967 also saw the introduction of the first four-door Thunderbird. Ford believed that

younger buyers would be satisfied buying Mustangs and Fairlanes and it was time to

make the T-Bird into a full-fledged luxury car. ’Bird lovers might have pointed to the

four-door model’s rear “suicide” doors as an indication of what they thought about the

merits of the idea. On the other hand, they might have been tempted to abandon the

now bloated Thunderbird for a new-for-1967 Mercury Cougar, named Motor Trend’s

“Car of the Year.” The Cougar sold nearly 151,000 units in its debut year.

General Motors was not to be outdone on the “personal car” front either. For 1967 the all-new Chevrolet Camaro joined

the pony car wars. At the other end of the scale, the Cadillac Eldorado switched to the front wheel drive platform of the

year-old Oldsmobile Toronado, resulting in a trimmer, sportier design that redefined that nameplate for Cadillac and led

Ford Motor Co. to develop the Lincoln Mark III to rejoin the personal luxury coupe market for 1969.

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. has changed its name to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

If you have ever been there, you’ll understand how well the new name fits. Founded in 1929, the museum isn’t just about

automobiles, but covers the whole spectrum of technical innovation in transportation vehicles, as well as home and farm

mechanization. “The Henry Ford” remains the name of the umbrella institution that is comprised of the aforementioned

museum, the adjacent Greenfield Village, the Benson Ford Research Center, and the Rouge Plant factory tours.

P. 3 of 8 The Belltown Bulletin March, 2017

HOBBY HEADLINES & HISTORY, continued from previous page

NADA, the National Automobile Dealers Association, was founded 100 years ago, when thirty dealers travelled to our

nation’s capital to lobby Congress not to impose a luxury tax on automobiles. Their point was to keep cars affordable for

average folks so as to promote the growth of the industry. Today NADA membership stands at 16,500.

The Connecticut Council of Car Clubs (a.k.a. the 4C’s) has just issued its first Legislative Alert from the 2017 session of

the Conn. General Assembly - A bill has been introduced to increase the Maximum Property Tax Assessment from $500

to $1000 for antique cars and to raise the minimum age that determines antique car status from 20 to 30 years. Below is

the summary information issued by the 4C’s on Sunday, February 12th:

On Friday, February 10, 2017 the 4C’s was provided with Governor’s Bill No. 7050, “An Act Concerning Enhancements to

Municipal Finance and Accountability” introduced by Representatives Aresimowicz and Ritter, and Senators Looney and Duff

has been referred to the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee. The 88 page bill is attached [Ed.: If any BACC member

wants a copy by email, contact me or Scott Macgregor]. This bill contains two provisions adverse to the antique auto hobby.

Section 42 on page 83 of the bill proposes to increase the maximum property tax assessment on any antique, rare or special in-

terest motor vehicle from $500 to $1000. Section 43 starting on the bottom of page 83 proposes to raise the age requirement of

an antique rare or special interest motor vehicle from 20 years old or older to 30 years old or older. This section does allow for

vehicles between 20 and 30 years old that have “Classic Vehicle” or “Early American” License Plates issued before October 1,

2017 to continue to use those plates. So the owners of these vehicles will not have to go back to the DMV and re-register their

vehicles with regular passenger car plates.

If these provisions are adopted, the maximum property tax assessment on an antique car greater than 30 years old will double

from $500 to $1000. For a current antique, rare or special interest vehicle between 20 and 30 years old the property tax assessed

value will increase from $500 to the fair market value. As an example, a 1992 Mustang GT Convertible currently assessed at

$500 would be assessed at approximately $5000 (the NADA Average Retail Value of the vehicle)

While the 4C’s alert deems these changes as not catastrophic to the antique auto hobby in the state, it does consider them

to be adverse to the hobby. Update: The 4C’s Directors met early in the week of February 13th and their position is (a)

they support preserving the current property tax assessment cap at $500, and (b) the definition of a Classic vehicle should

be raised from 20 years to 25 years rather than 30 years. They urge hobbyists to contact their state legislators to support

these positions, particularly if they are members of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee which is considering

the proposed bill (S-Art Linares, S-Steve Cassano, Devin Carney and Ted Kennedy are among the committee members).

BELLTOWN CLASSIFIEDS

Send your sell/wanted ads for cars, parts and hobby-related services to dan12david@yahoo.com

Help Wanted – Social media-savvy car enthusiast to take charge of BACC’s presence on Facebook. Great opportunity for a young person to get involved in the old car hobby and help our club in an impactful way. Call Jon Grant to discuss, 860-267-7507.

For Sale – Model A Ford Magazines - Original “The Restorer” magazines, published by the Model A Ford Club of America (MAFCA). 176 issues from Sept./Oct. 1961 through Nov./Dec. 1990 (3 issues missing). $225. Call Bill Nitschke, 860-322-4584 (home) or send email to williamjnitschke@gmail.com. [BACC member]

For Sale – Campbell-Hausfeld air compressor on wheels - 1 1/2 HP, 20 gallon tank, 110v, needs regulator. $50. Also have 3 pr. workbench legs, $15 a pair; a stainless steel 19”x13”x6” sink, $15; and a large tin box on wheels, 45” L x 21” W x 24” H, perfect for storing pet food or other items needing protection from mice, etc., $40. Contact Scott Macgregor, 860-399-7641 after 7 p.m. or email jscotmac@sbcglobal.net. [BACC member]

For Sale – Allen Model 1203 Test Set, for checking pre-electronic ignition & charging systems. Good condition, price reduced to $30. Also have first 150 issues of Hemmings Classic Car magazine - Free of charge, provided that you pick them up. Call Bob Clark, 860-827-1174. [BACC member]

P. 4 of 8 The Belltown Bulletin March, 2017

THE STRAIGHT SIX

The Bulletin interviewed Stan Mirecki, welder and railroad history buff, who owns more than one Packard.

Q1 - Stan, how did you get interested in Packards? Stan Mirecki: About 18 years ago, while I still had a ’54 Mercury, my son Zak found this 1940 Packard 110 business coupe in the newspaper and thought I ought to check it out. It was a nice original driver and so I bought it. A Packard wasn’t something I wanted to get someday. Once I got the car, I started looking into the history of Packard at the library. I liked their styling, the distinctive grille, and especially the pre-war bodies with the running boards. This coupe has a six-cylinder flat head engine and was their entry-level car from the time when Packard started selling more affordable models and not just luxury cars. Q2 - How did your involvement grow from there? SM: I bought a ’39 parts car for $200 and decided to try fixing it up. After starting to do so I realized it was too much. A guy wanted to buy the body for a hot rod, so I pulled out the engine and salvaged other good parts in case I’d ever need them or could sell them to get something else I needed. The second running car I bought was a 1941 120 sedan with the straight eight engine. That car is not registered right now. Four or five years ago I bought a ’39 120 sedan which doesn’t run that I want to get to one day. Now Packards are in my blood!

Q3 - When did your association with BACC begin? SM: I used to go to their Motorcar Meet back when it was at the high school in East Hampton. I never thought to join because I didn’t think I’d have the time. When I got the ’40 I had a chance meeting at the DMV with a cousin of [BACC lifetime member] John Peterson, who suggested I contact John for any assistance I might need. John knew everything about Packards and he had some great stories. Even though I got to know him back then (when he still had his service station and dealt in Packards), I didn’t join BACC until eight or ten years ago.

Q4 - What did you enjoy about those early BACC shows? SM: There used to be a parade through town and you’d get your picture taken in your car. Later the club would send you an 8 by 10 color glossy. I still have the photo of my two-

tone blue ’54 Mercury from the 30th Annual Meet [points to it, framed and hanging on the wall of his garage].

Q5 - You sold your Mercury and you have a ’36 Ford Tudor that your wife had taken a liking to. How does driving a Packard compared to that Ford? SM: I like the Ford, however, it can’t compare with the Packards in terms of comfort and how they drive. The Packards corner like a Cadillac while the Ford rocks like a boat. I won’t drive any of my old cars farther than about an hour from home now, but at one time I would take the ’40 Packard coupe on longer trips. We even went up to Maine in it.

Q6 - What’s at the top of your old car “bucket list” this year? SM: As long as I can keep the ’40 Packard coupe and my ’36 Ford running, I want to focus on making sure the ’41 Packard sedan is roadworthy and getting it registered.

Stan Mirecki and his 1941 Packard 120 sedan, waiting for spring to

arrive (Photo by Dan David)

“I just love the looks,

the quality, of that

Packard grille!”

P. 5 of 8 The Belltown Bulletin March, 2017

“ASK THE MAN WHO OWNS ONE, OR THREE!”

Unmuffled Exhaust from the Editor

As I wrote last month, there is always something to discover in the collector car hobby. Since then I spotted a 1955 Nash Ambassador Custom on BarnFinds.com that was listed for sale on CraigsList in Minnesota for just $2,000. While I already appreciated the distinctive Pinin Farina styling, this Nash was special in another way: performance. It was a rare LeMans edition, with a 140 hp twin-carbureted six under the hood. The bad news was that it had been parked next to a building that became engulfed in flames and the passenger side got, shall we say, a bit toasted. Anyhow, it’s probably worth saving because it’s a LeMans and, no pun intended, they were hot cars to begin with! I also learned via the BarnFinds writer that an even hotter (and rarer) LeMans with a 208 hp, 320 cid Packard V-8 was also available back then.

I looked into this discovery some more and found out that Nash had secured the supply of Packard’s new OHV V-8 as an option for the 1955 Ambassador back when the two companies were talking about a possible tie-up. Instead, Nash and Hudson merged to form American Motors Corp. and Packard “took over” Studebaker. The Packard V-8 also was used in some Hudsons, however, by mid-1956 the deal was phased out in favor of a new V-8 developed by AMC. That happened just in time because the production of “real” Packards ended with the 1956 model year, and with it, the production of all Packard engines. For 1957 the Packard plant in Detroit was shuttered and the Packard name lived on only as a gussied-up Studebaker, built with the rest of the Studebaker line in South Bend. Within two years the Packard name was dropped altogether - a sad ending and a story that is already familiar to most old car enthusiasts.

Packard’s product extension down to the medium price field prior to WWII, a move that seemed essential to achieving a unit volume high enough for the company to survive, is often cited as contributing to the downfall of Packard as a luxury brand and the eventual demise of the company. At the very least, it was a short term necessity with long term consequences. In my recent reading about the post-war history of the marque, one thing seems clear: the company suffered it’s share of management mistakes. Granted, when war production wound down they found themselves in a desperate situation as regards their automobile business. It’s a shame that they didn’t keep a better grip on things like product planning, styling, marketing, and quality control.

All of which makes me nostalgic for what Packard was like in the 20’s, 30’s and even the early 40’s, and to wonder what it might have become in the decades that followed.

At one time, well before I joined BACC, Packard ownership among the membership was not as uncommon as it is today. Multiple Packard ownership is rarer still, which is why I wanted to interview Stan Mirecki. His Packards are survivors. To him they are usable automobiles, not investments or trailer queens. After I went to Stan’s garage I realized that I had not talked with anyone about owning a Packard since I was in junior high school. Back then (1963), a classmate’s father was still proudly driving the family’s black 1949 Packard sedan on regular basis. To me it was an oddity. Now I wonder who to ask about what became of that one.

A Motoring Mulligan: In the February newsletter I wrote about an organization dedicated to license plate collectors and gave notice of their Colonial Region winter meet in New Britain on February 4th. I did not realize that ALPCA swap meets are for ALPCA members and their guests only. Steve Rossi and I managed to weasel our way into the closed swap meet with some good luck, while a better-prepared Scott Macgregor arranged guest status ahead of time and was let in also. I apologize if anyone else from BACC drove to the event and was turned away when they tried to register.

Photos: BarnFinds.com

P. 6 of 8 The Belltown Bulletin March, 2017

CONNECTICUT AUTOMOBILIA

From the Steven Rossi Collection

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, March 1 - BACC monthly meeting at the East Hampton Library at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 5 - Antique Auto Flea Market at Powder Mill Barn, 32 S. Maple St., Enfield, 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. Fourth one of the season (held first Sunday of month), hosted by the Model A Ford Club of Conn. Donation $2.00. Contact Jim Way, 860-267-4626.

Friday - Sunday, March 10-12 - Frank Maratta’s Auto & Race-A-Rama Show, Mallary Complex & Better Living Center at Eastern States Exposition on Memorial Ave., West Springfield, Mass. For more info visit: www.fmautoshow.com.

Saturday, March 11 - “Essex Go Bragh” Irish Day Parade, Essex, Conn. Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. at Town Hall (29 West Ave.). Old cars, tractors, and bikes welcome to participate. Subject to weather cancella-tion. For further info, email Maryellen Barnes at Essex Park & Recreation Dept., mbarnes@EssexCT.gov.

UPCOMING EVENTS, continued from previous page

Saturday, April 1 - Automobilia and Literature Auction at the Nest Egg Gallery, 758 Four Rod Rd., Berlin, Conn. This no-reserve auction begins at 11 a.m. For info about consigning contact Jerry at 860-655-8682 or via email, glettieri@cox.net. For auction info go to www.automobiliaauctions.com.

Wednesday, April 5 - BACC monthly meeting at the East Hampton Library at 7:30 p.m.

Friday - Sunday, April 14-23 - New York Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Center, 655 W. 34th St., New York City. Open daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (closes Sundays at 7 p.m., including Easter). Info: www.autoshowny.com.

AD-DENDUM

Challenge your brand recognition IQ

Baseball’s Spring Training will soon start. Catcher Yogi Berra was famous for his “Yogi-isms,” even some

that he never said, but the late Joe Garagiola was once widely known for what car advertising pitch above all?

a.) “Buy a car, get a check!”

b.) “Baseball fans, you’ll want to drive home a Buick.”

c.) “The Dodge Boys are back in town!”

The correct answer to last month’s Ad-Dendum, Which car had a top-line trim level called “Bermuda?”:

(b.) 1958 Edsel station wagon (one-year only designation)

NEXT ISSUE

The copy and classified ad deadline for the April, 2017 issue of The Belltown Bulletin is Thursday, March 23rd. Monday, March 27th is the planned printing date. E-delivery is scheduled to take place on March 30th. Send your newsletter suggestions, comments, classified ads and other contributions to dan12david@yahoo.com (or call 860-526-3189). Your input is always welcome - it’s your Club and your newsletter!

BELLTOWN ANTIQUE CAR CLUB

President - Jon Grant Elected Directors* - Lee Harris & Mark Aldieri

Vice President - Karl Helming Sunshine Chairperson - Polly Beckwith (860-345-4256)

Secretary - Peter Christianson Newsletter Editor - Dan David (dan12david@yahoo.com, 860-526-3189)

Treasurer - Scott Macgregor Editor Emeritus - Bob Hellstrom

*) Plus previous president, Bob Sutton, as an ex-officio board member

Club web site - www.belltownantiquecarclub.org

Club e-mail address - belltowncarclub@gmail.com

Club mailing address - BACC, P.O. Box 211, East Hampton, CT 06424

Facebook - www.facebook.com/BACC-Belltown-Antique-Car-Club-116729245345421/

P. 7 of 8 The Belltown Bulletin March, 2017

Disclaimers and Words to the Wise: The opinions expressed by the authors of the content of this newsletter are theirs and are not intended

to represent a position taken by the Belltown Antique Car Club or its officers. Reproduction of this newsletter in whole or in part is subject

to prior approval by the editor. Information presented herein is for the edification and entertainment of antique automobile enthusiasts who

should use their experience, prudence and good judgment in applying it.

By The Way...

2017 BACC Membership Application/Renewal Form and Club dues were due and payable by

February 1, 2017. Send your form and check to BACC, P.O. Box 211, East Hampton, CT 06424

as soon as you can. If your renewal was not processed by the 20th of February, this copy of the

newsletter will have a reminder label applied below right indicating “LAST ISSUE.”

Misplaced your 2017 renewal form? Need one for a new

recruit? You can download it from the Club web site or

contact Peter Christianson (860-267-8394) for a printed

copy. Forms are also available at our monthly meetings

from Peter or Dan David.

As of mid-February the renewal rate was 60%.

As this issue was being finalized your editor suddenly recalled another Packard encounter of a different

sort. In the mid-80’s, Erick Wolfe, a former technician from the Philadelphia area, came to work in my

department as a field service analyst. Erick was a fellow who, throughout his long career in the motorcar

trade, was known for his tenacity and an unflinching urge to “tell it like it is.” In those days we were

just beginning to appreciate what a character he was. One time Erick was conversing with me about his

prior experience working with dealers, he and his wife Martha’s interests in historic preservation back in

their home town, and about his hopes for their young son. Somewhat puzzled, I asked him why he had

named the boy Packard. He replied, matter-of-factly, “Because it’s the best car ever made.”

Having said that, I don’t believe he ever had the opportunity to own one himself. A pity. RIP, Erick.

Thank you for being a member in

good standing for 2017!

E-Delivery Bonus*

For more information about the Henry Ford Museum, er, The Henry Ford Museum of

American Innovation, go to http://www.theHenryFord.org and follow the link to the

museum.

Want to learn more about the state of our road system? There is an organization called

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) that recently

released a report on the condition of our nation’s bridges. This subject ought to be of

concern to all vehicle drivers, not just those of us with collector automobiles. The

ARTBA study concludes that over 9% of our bridges are “structurally deficient,”

which means they are in need of repair but are not necessarily dangerous. Yet. For

more information visit http://www.ARTBA.org/deficient-bridge-report-home/. A

map is provided to indicate where these bridges are located.

*) The E-Delivery Bonus is a feature not found in printed copies of the newsletter that are dis-tributed via the USPS. A reminder: all links in the electronic version of the newsletter are “clickable” as long as your browser is open.