Gas Light www.richmondaaca.com

The Official Newsletter of the Richmond Region AACA

December 2013 Volume 61, No. 6

OFFICERS

Budd Lacy, President 804-252-219613294 Greenwood RoadGlen Allen, VA 23059

Tommy Nolen, Vice-President 804-586-28925805 Centralia RoadRichmond, VA 23237

Alice Cameron, Secretary 804-798-8125PO Box 588Ashland, VA 23005

Mert Fowlkes, Treasurer 804-288-4439106 Gaymont RoadRichmond, VA 23229

BOARD OF DIRECTORSDoug Moss 804-550-9781Tony Smith 804-353-4224Jim Wilson 804-285-4486Andy Fuhrman, ex-office 804-467-1458

Legislative RepresentativeReggie Nash 804-320-263610670 Cherokee RoadRichmond, VA 23235

Public RelationsDarlene Hatcher 804-598-1962

Youth CoordinatorsAndy & Mary Beth Fuhrman 804-467-1458

Car ShowBudd Lacy, Co Chairman 804-252-2196Bruce Woodson, Co-Chairman 804-264-8551

Old Dominion MeetBarbara Andres 804-675-0206Alice Cameron 804-798-8125

Gas Light Editor

Jerry Andres 804-675-02062401 Grey Oak DriveRichmond, VA 23236

President’s Message

I hope everyone had a great Thanks-giving filled with great food, friends, and fam-ily.

In November, ten members went to see Tommy Cox at the Magnolia Assisted Living Center in Chester. Tommy was happy to see us. He showed us an interesting arti-cle that he wrote for a Magazine (Once an

Editor always an Editor). His room was filled with Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia , antique bottles and his old typewriter (he used this typewriter on the Gas Light for a number of years).

The planning phase of the Old Dominion Meet is mov-ing along nicely. This meet promises to be among the best ever thanks to Barbara & Alice leading the way.

At the ODMA Planning Meeting, it was announced that I will serve as ODMA Vice-President for the next two years. After two years as Vice President, I will move up to serve as ODMA President for the next two years. I’m looking forward to the challenge and hope that I will be able to contribute to that organizations continued success.

Now onto December. On December 7 I have planned a Fun Run to Blackstone, VA. We will meet at Hancock Vil-lage Shopping Center and leave there at 9:00 AM, travel through Winterpock, and arrive in Blackstone at Bevell’s Hardware (a genuine old fashioned hardware store) that has a massive model railroad display set up for the Christmas Season. I have invited the Crater Region and also the Model A Club to join us. (More Details on this Event are on page 5).

Also, on December 15 we will be having our annual Christmas Party. The party includes a full buffet and will cost $20 per person. If you have not already sent your RSVP, please do so without delay. (Please see page 6 for details). We will be doing a Chinese Auction after dinner. Those that would like to participate should bring a gift for a man or bring a gift for a woman. Please don’t forget that dues are now due (national and local).

Budd

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Richmond Region AACA Past Presidents

1952-1953 David Garriques 1977 Hugh Hawthorne 2005-2006 George Duke1954 Frantz Hershey 1978-1979 John Puryear 2007-2008 Peter Francisco 1955 Jerome Powell 1980 Hugh Hawthorne 2009-2010 Morris Cameron 1956 Kenneth Adelstein 1981 Lee Crenshaw 2011-2012 Andy Fuhrman1957 David Garriques 1982 Morris Cameron1958-1959 Warner Hall 1983 Robert Smith1960 Harold Via/John Adams 1984 Morris Cameron1961 John Adams 1985 Fred Phipps1962 Charlie Kidd 1986 John Adams1963 Ellis Walton/Jerome Powell 1987 Fred Phipps1964 Jerome Powell 1988-1989 Morris Cameron1965 George Taylor 1990-1991 Dayton Leadbetter1966 Donroy Ober 1992 Morris Cameron1967 James Brannon/Fred Singleton 1993 Wendel Bowles1968 John Glisson 1994-1995 Dayton Leadbetter1969 Gary Greene 1996 Richard (Dick) Ivey1970 Reggie Nash 1997-1998 Mert Fowlkes1971 -1972 Hugh Hawthorne 1999 Alice Cameron1973 Bill Bowman 2000 Kenney Baker1974 -1975 Jimmy Jones 2001-2002 Dayton Leadbetter1976 Jim Whittne 2003-2004 Tommy Nolen

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December

5 Richmond Region Business Meeting , 7:30 PM

Belmont Recreation Center

1600 Hilliard Road Richmond, VA

7 Fun Run to Blackstone

Leave Hancock Village Shopping Center

@ 9:00 AM. ( Route 360 West to Winterpock Rd..

Left on Winterpock , then first right into the shopping center)

Please see Page 4 for Details.

15 Richmond Region Annual Christmas Party

(RSVP By December 5)

Please see page 2 & 5

January 2013 ……...See Page 6

December Calendar of Events

Upcoming Richmond Region Events

Last Tour of the Year Heading to Blackstone Set for Saturday, December 7Budd Lacy has been working extra hard this month. He has been planning the last tour of 2013 and has put together an outing that’s so good it could make memories that last a lifetime!

Our route from the Hancock Village Shopping Center (Wal-Mart) will take us through the Historic Winter-pock District to Scotts Fork, Amelia. There is much local history along this route. Budd grew up in the area so he will be filling us in along the way.

When we get to Black-stone our first stop will be at Bevell’s Hardware, home to the famous

Christmas Holiday Train Display. Thousands of folks come from near and far to see this spectacular sight each holiday season.Beginning over 30 years ago as a small train display on a 4’x 8’ sheet of plywood with two trains and very little scenery, has now grown into a 18’x 56’ train display. The display features more than 10 trains, with realistic mountains, bridges, animation, large circus and amusement park, lighted houses, a beautiful snow village, burning house and town, accident scene, farm scene, replicas of local business both past and present and much, much more.

This amazing display was featured in the De-cember 2010 issue of Classic Toy Trains including five pages with pictures of some of the trains and scenes.

Following Bevell’s there is much more to see in Blackstone and Budd doesn't want us to miss a thing while we’re there.

We will tour the Robert Thomas Carriage Mu-seum. The museum has a very impressive display

of 28 fully restored horse drawn vehicles that represent every walk of life from the farmer to the wealthy. Pleasure vehicles, hearse, sleigh, surreys, wagons, and various buggies are all displayed in a carriage house. Guides and interpretive signs offer a glimpseof The Robert Thomas Carriage Museum has a collection horse-drawn era. Travel back in time to when carriage making was an art. Imagine riding in a carriage fit for a queen or a simple family buggy or cart.

After visiting the car-riage museum we will take a short walk next door to visit a fully functioning eighteenth century tavern.

After all this (or sooner) we will have worked up an appetite and will be ready to

eat something wonderful. So lunch will be at Farmers Café. When the locals get hungry, they eat at Farmers Café. In the inter-est of the friendly down home hospi-tality Blackstone is known for, the

owner of the restaurant will give a 10% dis-count to those participating in the tour.

After lunch we will stroll down the streets of the historic downtown area. There are some nice shops and beautiful old build-ings. Blackstone also has a large Antique Mall for us to visit.

Budd has invited the Crater Region as well as the Model A Club to join us for this last Fun Run for 2013.

Please Go. It will be a lot of fun!4

More Upcoming Richmond Region Events

RICHMOND REGION CHRISTMAS PARTYDECEMBER 15, 2013

TIS THE SEASON FOR BEING THANKFUL FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, OLD CARS, ENDLESS CELEBRATIONS, PARTIES AND FESTIVE GATHERINGS..….ALL IN STYLE!

Location: The Rumble Seat Grill at 4:30 pm

Buffet Dinner Featuring: Baked Tilapia, Roasted Loin of Pork, Chicken Marsala, Sautéed Green Beans w/Roasted Red Peppers and Garlic But-ter, Vegetable Medley, Mashed Potatoes. Plus Medley of Bars, Lemon, Pecan and Hot Cobbler.

Chinese Auction and more Celebration follows the BuffetPlease RSVP by Dec. 1 ($20 per person)

Alice Cameron

P.O. Box 588 Ashland, VA 23005 Please make check payable to: Richmond Region AACA

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January 2013 Calendar of Events

26 Richmond Region Annual Banquet Belmont Recreation Center

1600 Hilliard Road Richmond, VA

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TECH TALK: Terry Fide with no Brakes By Bruce Woodson, Jr

The following characters are fictional, but the diag-nostic problems are real. Get ready to wrestle with those mysterious MG foes - Joseph Lucas and friends!

Terry Fide was still shaking when he arrived at my repair shop. The tow truck driver was gently unloading the pristine 1970 MGB as Terry began recounting what had recently happened.

“I was driving the “B” back from MG Indy 96 and had been driving nonstop for about the last 3 hours on the highway. As I took the Short Pump exit heading for home, I rounded the bend and sud-denly came upon a tractor trailer blocking the way. I stood on the brakes but the pedal went straight to the floor! I instinctively began down-shifting, swerving, and using the parking brake, and managed to stop only 2 inches from the big rig! The car and I are safe, but I was one scared Indy car driver.

I left Terry Fide in the waiting area and got behind the wheel of his all original 18,000 mile car to pull it into the shop for a diagnosis. The first thing I noticed was the brake pedal was solid...right at the top...in fact, there wasn’t much pedal travel at all! I didn’t think that Terry would fib about a prob-lem like this, and as soon as I started the car I knew he hadn’t. The pressure differential light on the dash was glowing red, indicating that the brake pressure had indeed dropped in either the front or the rear of the car.

As I pulled the car inside I could tell the brakes were dragging. Once inside and up on the

Lift, I attempted to spin each of the wheels...the back wheels spun freely (in neutral with the parking brake off), but the right-front was difficult to turn and the left-front would not turn at all by hand!_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

This would explain the pedal phenomenon. The front brakes were obviously dragging, and after several hours of high speed driving, the front calipers had gotten so hot that the brake fluid had actually boiled! When Terry ap-plied the brakes, there was no liquid fluid to actuate the front system, and the pedal went to the floor. The rear brakes still worked, but not good enough in a panic situa-tion like Terry faced. By the time that the car arrived at my shop on a flatbed the calipers had cooled and the brake fluid had recondensed, making the pedal firm again.Question: How should I determine what the actual cause of this problem is? Could it be the calipers sticking, a faulty master cylinder, or something else? While you’re deciding what to do next, I’m going to grab a 7/16” flare nut wrench. That’s all I will need to find out why this MGB nearly got Terry Fide.

The answer to what nearly got Terry Fide will be in the next issue of the Gas Light.

“….I was one Scared Indy Car Driver!!!”

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Gotcha Covered!The photo on the cover of this issue was taken last Saturday (November 30, 2013) at Peter & Sharon Francisco’s Esso Station on Lakeside Avenue. I was there for my annual visit to see Sharon’s phe-nomenal Christmas dis-play in the Old Esso Sta-tion’s windows. The theme for the past several years has been based on the film A Christmas Story which happens to be one of my favorites.Peter’s 1928 Model A Ford was used in the Christmas display. Peter bought the car from Bill

Bowman in the early 1970’s back when Peter was just starting to collect cars. Restoration budgets back then were on a shoe-string. The car was a hunk of rust. It was in pieces and parts and was moved from Bill Bowman’s shop to Peter’s. It took about a year to put the car back together.Keeping his financial resources in mind Peter got some Fix All Paint and high priced primer and proceeded to brush paint the car!The car has an early 1928 drive train, which was in good shape when the car was purchased. It has a multi disk clutch and also has multiple shaft brakes.

When taking this photo, it was bright and sunny so getting the shot was difficult because of all the reflections off of the window glass. I had to take off my coat and hold it up over my head and put the camera lens right up against the glass and eliminated most of the reflections. A visit to the Esso Station to see this Christmas display is well worth the trip.

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FOR SALE: 1940 Oldsmobile Coupe. Needs restoration. Solid, complete car, motor runs-six Cyl. -Hydramatic! Brakes are apart - needs master cylinder, (available at Kanter’s.) Running boards need replacing - Have originals for pat-terns, (Have a source for this in VA too). Original upholstery, New battery & good tires! Asking $8500 or B/O.Andy Fuhrman804-467-1458

andyfuhrman@rocketmail.com_____________________________________________________________

FOR SALE: 1964 Thunderbird -390 Engine, 2 door hardtop - red with white ribbed interior, power steering, power brakes, power win-dows, automatic transmission, AC, console, AM/FM radio. Asking $21,950Bill & Jody Yuhase 804-752-2557Cell 804-477-4379

MarketPlace

FOR SALE1928 Chevrolet Roadster 1955 Packard Caribbean Conv. 1939 Packard 2-door Sports Coup1965 AMC 2-door hardtop 400H 1955 Ford Pickup (rebuilt engine) 1967 Dodge M-37 Mili-tary Truck 1937 Packard 2-Door Conv. Coupe 120

Bob Powell 804-389-2555 riplkp@comcast.net

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Memories

On January 29, 1954, the first Annual Banquet was held in the private dining room at the Hot Shoppe Cafeteria. After a pleasant social hour and dinner, Mr. Chester H. Lamb of the Virginia Depart-ment of Motor Vehicles gave an interesting speech on the growth of the state highway system. The possibility of special license plates for antique automobiles was mentioned , and Mr. Lamb was voted an honorary membership in the Richmond Region, A.A.C.A. In view of the short time elapsing since the last election of officers, it was voted that these members continue in their same capacities.

At the February meeting, plans for the coming year were dis-cussed. Also, it was voted upon that the club will meet hereafter at the meeting room of the Westover Theatre on the second Thursday eve-ning of each month. Up until this time, the group had been assem-bling at the various homes and businesses of members, but the in-creased size of the group necessitated a change.Editors Note: Photo of part of the group at the serving line taken on January 29, 1954 (almost 60 years ago)!

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Casual.Small Town.Chic.Friendly.

AtmosphereFor your business.

If your retail business could benefitfrom being located on a majorthoroughfare near a major upscaletourist destination then you shouldconsider The Hub orLakeside Town Center.

The Hub is one of Richmond’s oldestshopping centers and Lakeside TowneCenter is a new complex anchored byA restored vintage Gesso Service Station.Recently expanded, The Lakeside Farmer’s Market operates at the Center On Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Both locations are highly visible onLakeside Avenue and within view ofLewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Small and large retail spaces areAvailable starting at $695 per month.

Peter L. Francisco Co. Owner/Agent 804-262-6593

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Jerry Andres, Editor2401 Grey Oak Drive Richmond, VA 23236