November 2019! ! ! ! ! Volume 37 No. 11

UPCOMING EVENTS

Parking on Railroad Ave across from Lunardi's

• November 17, 2019 - Annual Brunch at INCONTRO, 455 Hartz Ave Danville, CA. Be there at 10:45 to get parked and be ready for opening at 11 a.m. Parking area is off Railroad Avenue – shown above.

• Then have a Happy Thanksgiving and rest up for Christmas

• Send your 2020 event suggestions to NCKCC News, before 2020 arrives, so we can hit the road with clear vision for 2020.

FROM THE PREZIn past years, there has been no “official” club activity scheduled for the month of November. This year we plan on taking December off from Club activities to allow our members to get a head start on all their holiday preparations.

Having by-passed October, the Club is alive and well and living in Danville. Our last activity for this year is usually one not to miss: The NCKCC Annual Brunch. Our location this year will be the same as last year at the “Incontro Ristorante”. The restaurant is located at 455 Hartz Avenue. The date is Sunday, November 17th, time is 10:45 AM. More details on the “Annual Brunch” are also in this newsletter.

Also, with the New Year just around the corner, it is time for our members to start thinking about what they want to see on our slate of Club activities for 2020.

Please pass on your suggestions to any of the Club officers via e-mail, phone or at the Annual Brunch. The planning for next year’s activities list will again be conducted via email and phone so be sure to suggest lots of activities, be they old or new. In January, the Club officers (thru the NCKCC News) will compile a list of “Club” and/or “suggested” activities for 2020.

Take care, hope you can all make it to the Annual Brunch on November 17th at the “Incontro Ristorante” in Danville.

Jim Wagner, NCKCC President

ANNUAL SUNDAY BRUNCH – NOVEMBER 17 10:45 AM

Yes, we are trying some different timing this year. I even forgot to warn you last month than there IS a November event.

This all started at our 2018 Annual Brunch, when Gabe (owner & bartender) suggested we do our Brunch earlier and that he would reserve part of his parking area behind the restaurant to display our cars.

I have contacted Incontro Ristorante, 455 Hartz Avenue, Danville, and obtained 20 Brunch reservation for Nov 17th starting at 11:00 am. (Brunch runs from 11 to 2:30)

They also offered to advertise our little show on their website. (to give us some publicity and draw a few extra customers)

So I’m now asking you to commit to attending this popular year-end event along with your show car. (Thanks to: Bob Kluber, Dave & Joyce DeCato, Tom & Irene Wallters, Steve & Rosie Rhodes, Chuck & Sue Maddux, Jim Wagner & guest Enrique for signing up promptly.)

NOW WE STILL NEED A FEW MORE !!

Here is the Menu:

INCONTRO SUNDAY BRUNCH

All you can eat Italian buffet, omelette & waffle station. Includes a glass of Mimosa and Coffee

Omelette & Waffles Station, French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Antipasti platter, Assorted breads, Soup of the day, Fresh Salads, Seasonal Vegetable, Hot Pastas, Chef Choice Entree, Pizza, Fruit Platter, Desserts.Some food items changes weekly. Please call for more details. (925) 820-2349 or website info@incontrodanville.com

Fresh house made bread served with your meal.

Pasta & Desserts are made daily on the premises

The cost to the club will be $27.59 (w/ gratuity), but the NCKCC will charge members only $18 per person. (Guests are welcome but we will ask $28/person for them.)

Please send your check for $18 per person (member families) or $28 for each non-member guests to NCKCC, 3317Ellesmere Ct, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 or remit via PayPal to www.nckccwebguy@gmail.com

Pray for good weather and let’s fill up those 20 (or more – we’re at 13 now) reservations and dust off your show car for a November Show.

NCKCC News Page 2 November 2019

In 1952 Tritt did a redesign for a Willys Dealer named Woodill. This became the Woodill Wildfire, one of which I purchased as a result of a “Wanted to buy” advertisement placed in Hemming Motor News. When Willys merged with Kaiser, Dutch Darrin bought a G-2 body from Tritt and used it as a basis for a Sports car he was designing for Kaiser. {Another Editors note: Wikipedia claims that only about 15 complete Woodill Wildfires were completed and sold as turnkey finished cars but claims another 285 were sold as kits. Wikipedia also reports that a September 2012 TV show on Discovery Channel featured one of nine known factory built Woodill Wildfires still in existence. The shows host reportedly sold the car to a collector for $100,500.}

My Woodill Wildfire was purchased in 1992, sight unseen except for photos, from a Dentist in Old Hickory, TN. I had the Ford 60 engine and transmission rebuilt. The fiberglass body was in bad shape so I refurbished it using the knowledge I gained from 2-years of fiberglass classes in Milpitas and a visit to the Fiberfab facility in Santa Clara. The restored body was sprayed with lacquer – wrong choice! Fiberglass should be painted with enamel because expansion causes spiderweb cracking in lacquer.

Above: Here is the Woodill Wildfire body refurbished and ready for the chassis.

In about 2017 I decided to update the car mechanically to allow driving in today’s traffic. The 1940 Ford frame and V-8 60 were sold and I searched for a modern frame with the right dimensions. I learned that 1976 Corvette frames with a wheelbase of 98” would work. The wrecked 1976 Corvette I bought came with a 350 V-8 and transmission which I had rebuilt. Then I cut the frame to extend it to a 102” wheelbase and boxed it inside and outside of the frame rails. I was planning

NCKCC News Page 3 November 2019

SOME HISTORY OF MY WOODILL WILDFIREAND VINTAGE FIBER- GLASS SPORTS CARS

By Wayne Wenger

There are many names associated with early days of fiberglass auto body innovation. Some that quickly come to my mind are John A. Wills, Bill Devin, Eric Irwin and Bill Tritt of Santa Anna, CA.

Tritt began in 1947 selling small fiberglass boats like the 21-footer called the Green Dolphin. In 1949 Ken Brooks (an Army Major) approached Tritt to build a fiberglass auto body on a Detroit chassis. This was exhibited at the 1951 L.A. Motorama identified as the Brooks Boxer.

Due to the Korean War, Tritt had difficulty obtaining polyester resin, however Bud Crawford, of Naugatuck Chemical, happened to see the Brooks Boxer on the Tritt loading dock. Crawford contacted Earl Ebers, head of Naugatuck (part of U.S. Rubber), who came to California the next day. After viewing the car he committed to supply Vibrin resin and ordered another Brooks Boxer and naming it Alembric 1.

Somehow Harley Earl, a well known GM designer dating from the 1920s, learned about Naugatuck’s fiberglass car and requested to borrow it for 3-months so GM could study it. This fiberglass car was considered by many to be the seed for the Chevrolet Corvette first introduced in 1953.

Meanwhile Bill Tritt was using the plug molds to build a G-2 sports car in 1951 and 1952. {Editor’s note: It appears that the Tritt G-2 was also known as the Glaspar (Tritt’s Company name) G-2. Many of you may know and remember John Knebel, a NCKCC member from about 1953 to the present. John Knebel built a Glaspar G-2 in 1953 based on a 1946 Mercury flat-head V-8 and Ford suspension. Knebel stated he drove this car to Las Vegas with his wife Dorothy on their honeymoon in 1954. The Glaspar G-2 was upgraded by Knebel with a Buick V-6 engine and automatic transmission, at his daughter’s request, so she and her fiancé could drive it on their honeymoon in 1985. This extra information was documented in an August 29, 1983 article in the San Raphael Independent Journal, where Knebel was interviewed about his car.}

NCKCC News Page 4 November 2019

to keep the same color scheme using enamel but decided to install the body on the Corvette frame, mount the front bumper and grill and leave the paint until later. I am hoping to have it road ready by November.

Above: Here’s the rear view of the modified Corvette frame with engine, transmission, rear bumper and exhaust system installed.

Shown below are two views of a restored Woodill Wildfire carried out by Frederick J. Roth. For more information and pictures of the Roth restoration, search Google for “History of the Woodill Wildfire by Frederick J. Roth”

THE KAISER DARRIN - As noted previously, Dutch Darrin, a noted designer for Kaiser, used the G2 body as the starting point and basis for the unique Kaiser Darrin fiberglass sports car. Kaiser produced them in 1954 with 435 made and over 300 still accounted for by the Darrin Owners Roster.

The first seven or so bodies were made by Glaspar and were delivered in seven pieces -- the hood, doors, top well cover, deck lid, rear section and front-end assembly. The 300-lb. body, when assembled, was mounted on a modified Henry J chassis, and the engine was a 6-cylinder, 161-cu.in. Willys F-Head producing 90hp. The car weighed 2,175 lbs. and sold for $3,668.

The sliding doors were the unique feature of the Kaiser Darrin and this required side curtains for windows. The car was very complete, including a convertible

top, and there were many extras. Production of the Kaiser Darrin came to a halt after only nine months.

MORE NCKCC HISTORY ABOUT BILL TRITTS FIBERGLASS CARS

The car shown below (lower left corner) is John Knebel’s Glasspar G-2 after its redesign to power it by a Buick V-6 and auto tranny. Note that it is one of a few that used a Nash front grille.

NCKCC News Page 5 November 2019

The photo at right shows Knebel receiving his vintage award at NCKCC’s 1994 show in SanLeandro.

These photos were copied from our 1992 and 1994 Newsletters.

CARS FOR SALE 1957 PORSCHE SPEEDSTER ReplicaLike new; 3,000 miles; 2332 cc VW T-1 engine. Professionally built by JPS Motorsports. Asking $35,000.Contact: brianc@chinnockcellars.com or (707) 259-1626 (510) 918-0155

1965 AC COBRA ReplicaLike New. Less than 1000 miles.Always garaged, Professionally built.New 351 Cu. In. Windsor Engine and Tremec Tranny. Asking $32,000.Contact Mike at: 1 408 847-4139

1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K replica, 350 Chevy engine, Edelbrock computerized EFI, R700 4-speed auto tranny, running gear from '75 Camaro, Vintage Air heat/air, power steering brakes, new wide whitewall tires in 2015. All black areas repainted in 2015. All Maintenance performed by AAA Certified repair shop in Benicia. Asking $27,000. Contact Chuck Maddux at (707) 745-4361: email camnsam@att.net

NCKCC News Page 6 November 2019