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296 - FULL ISSUE - Plymouth Club

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<strong>Plymouth</strong> ®Owners <strong>Club</strong>Box 416Cavalier, ND 58220-0416Phone: (701) 549-3746Fax: (701) 549-3744e-mail: benji@utma.complymouthbulletin.com_______________________FOUNDER-DIRECTORJay M. FisherAcken Drive 4-BClark, NJ 07066-2902(732) 388-6442TECHNICAL DIRECTOREarl Buton, Jr.2366 Glasco TurnpikeWoodstock, NY 12498-1013(845) 679-6185OFFICERS 2008-09PRESIDENTRobert S. Kerico4640 BoardwalkSmithton , IL 62285-3662(618) 233-8582VICE PRESIDENTBobbi Berkheimer36640 Hawk RoadHazard, NE 68844(308) 452-3980MEMBERSHIPSECRETARY-TREASURERJim BenjaminsonBox 345Walhalla, ND 58282-0345(701) 549-3746CORRESPONDING SEC.Tom Nachand5215 NW Cavalier Ave.Lincoln City, OR 97367(541) 764-2011BULLETIN EDITORLanny D. Knutson288 Strathmillan RoadWinnipeg MB R3J 2V5 CANADADIRECTOR 2004-09Philip Volpe40 East Edinburgh DriveNew Castle, DE 19720-2908(302) 322-5705DIRECTOR 2006-11Carl D. Wegner19,600 Cardinal DriveGrand Rapids, MN 55744-6189(218) 326-5965DIRECTOR 2008-13and of JudgingJoe Suminski68226 Winchester CourtWashington, MI 48095-1244(586) 752-3140The <strong>Plymouth</strong> Bulletin__________________________________________________________________________No. <strong>296</strong> May-June, 2009__________________________________________________________________________LANNY D. KNUTSON, editor (204) 889-8008288 Strathmillan Road, Winnipeg, MB R3J 2V5 CANADAeditor@plymouthbulletin.com / plybul@mts.netIt’s election time!Nominations for President, Vice-president, Membership Secretary-Treasurer andCorresponding Secretary will be accepted until August 15. Presidential candidatesmust have served on the national board and/or as a regional president.Submit nominations to President Bob Kerico: Bobkool344@wmconnect.comOn the roadwith <strong>Plymouth</strong> ‘63-- page 39 ---1-


From the Editor<strong>Plymouth</strong>ThingsPHOTO BY LEEANN LUCASPLYMOUTHTHINGSHINGS is one of thethemes of this BULLETIN . Frompedal cars to employee badges,postcards, decals and manuals to thingsnamed <strong>Plymouth</strong> that are no more thannamesakes of our favorite car and, ofcourse, Bill Brisbane’s regular coverageof <strong>Plymouth</strong>s in miniature, all these arethings that pique our interest because oftheir association with the vintage cars weenjoy and drive.Keeping with the theme, I dug outpictures of a few of my own <strong>Plymouth</strong>things. First, representing my ‘49 is acutout someone did long ago, pasting acatalog picture of a club coupe onto plywoodand cutting around it with a jig saw.It was found by member Mel Babitzkeand given to me as a 50th birthday present.I was also the recipient of the clearresin-encased ad picture of a P18 convertiblemade as a fridge (file cabinet, in mycase) magnet given by Craig Young. Theother items include a P15 brake light trophyI received (for what, I can’t remember)at the 1984 National Spring Meet inGrand Island, Nebraska, the first I anddaughter Signe attended with our ‘49. Ibelieve it was created by the late W. BillBartlett.The second picture, in keeping withthis issue’s <strong>Plymouth</strong> Miniatures column,is of a model I created, from the Petty kithe mentions, of my second car, a red ‘64Belvedere hardtop .The third photo is of memorabilia ofmy third car, a Tor-Red ‘70 ‘Cuda 340,four-speed, I ordered new. When I soldthe car in 1974, I sent it off with a set ofbeat-up mags and kept the Rallye wheels.They cost all of $33 (for the set) when Iordered the car. To buy repros today, you’relooking at approximately 20 times thatamount.We’re also pleased to feature our covercars, Kay Norton’s ‘50 P19 sedan and MarvRaguse’s ‘63 Sport Fury. Both cars havebeen in family (and, in Marv’s case, hisown) possession since new.Rounding out this issue’s coverage areaccounts from two members whose cars arein soon-to-be-released movies.-2-Junior Assistant Editor CharLeeBetter looking than his grandpaTHEHE FOURTHPICTURE is evidence ofgrandparental indulgence. CharLeescrambled onto the hood of the ‘49--something he’s not supposed to do--andsaid, “Grandma, take a picture!”Grandma, unable to refuse, rushed for thecamera and the above picture is the result.Grandpa, likewise, couldn’t keep himselffrom replacing his own mug with thesmiling likeness of his grandson on thispage. Fortunately, it all happened before Igave the car its spring wax job. Besides,with all the road scars the 26-year-oldpaint job has endured, one couldn’t tell ifthe beloved grandson had added anymore. As of this writing, CharLee is dueto become a big brother any day. We’llhave to talk with him about setting goodexamples.THENEXT <strong>ISSUE</strong> will celebrate the 50thanniversary of <strong>Plymouth</strong>’s ‘59 cars. Thefollowing issue will cover the 2009National Summer Meet held inWisconsin, which I was able to attend andthoroughly enjoy, thanks to the great hospitalityof our hosts, the DairylandRegion. See a précis of the event on thenext page. Fuller coverage is to come.ENJOYNJOY THESE PAGESof some of ourfavorite <strong>Plymouth</strong> things.-- Lanny KnutsonThe <strong>Plymouth</strong> BulletinNo. <strong>296</strong>, May/Jun 2009LANNY D. KNUTSON, editorLEEANN LUCAS, asst. editor


The<strong>Plymouth</strong> PressCLUB NEWS <strong>Plymouth</strong> Owners <strong>Club</strong> No. <strong>296</strong>Sun shines on Wisconsin meetThe sun did shine on the 2009National Summer Meet butnot without intermittent downpours(deluges, really) and amidnight thunderstorm, toboot. Concerns surfacedabout Saturday’s judgingshow, but “not to worry.” Thesun did shine.More than 80 <strong>Plymouth</strong>sdescended upon Oconomowoc,Wisconsin, and the OlympiaResort’s green and woodedsetting.Earlier in the week, tourswere conducted, first, to Jack’sAuto Ranch, a local auto salvageyard featuring vintageThe ‘70 Hemi Cuda of new member JohnArps was Best of Show for Group 3.makes, including <strong>Plymouth</strong>s.Some members camehome with needed parts.The next day’s tourstook in the WisconsinAutomotive Museumand the Venerable FireEquipment Collection.Members found both“Hello, this is Jay Leno calling.”How cool is it to be driving across the Upper Peninsula ofMichigan and get a call from Jay Leno?Jay called and told me he has been following my website foryears. I pulled over and we talked for about fifteen minutes abouthis getting the car, his Econo Jet car, his collection, etc.-- just twocar guys catching up.Jay said he could not disclose the price, but he said "I toldChrysler they had three cars and were never going to do anythingwith them, let's deal!"Anyway, that was my day.-- Mark Olson(See page 6 for a full report)The <strong>Plymouth</strong> Bulletin (ISSN 0032-1737) is published bi-monthly.Subscription through annual dues: $28 new; $26 renewal. Published by the<strong>Plymouth</strong> Owners <strong>Club</strong>, PO Box 345, 603 Central Ave, Walhalla, ND 58282-0345. Periodical postage paid at Grafton, ND 58237. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to The <strong>Plymouth</strong> Bulletin, PO Box 416, Cavalier, ND 58220-0416.<strong>Plymouth</strong>s met, as did their owners, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, forthe 2009 National Summer Meet.-3-displays fascinating.The auto museum featuredthe locally producedKissel Kar plus afull spectrum of makes,including a couple of<strong>Plymouth</strong>s. The largecollection of wellrestoredfire trucks andapparatus was found tobe simply amazing tomost who made thetour.Friday’s tour tookmembers to Old WorldWisconsin, a vast display ofrestored store buildings andfarmsteads, the latter arrangedaccording to ethnic backgrounds.The tour days broughtsome rain mixed with sunshine.Saturday dawnedbright and sunny. About halfthe <strong>Plymouth</strong>s registered wereentered into judging. Thisyear the cars were drivenPHOTO BY CHRIS SUMINSKIthrough judging stations. Thesystem requires fewer judgesbut, as found at this meet, ittook much more time to complete.Reviews were mixedand tweaking will be necessaryfor future use of the system.The banquet, featuringgreat food and live music, culminatedin the awarding oftrophies, 26 in total. The winnerswill be featured in theupcoming issue that will coverthe meet. The Best of Showwinners included DoranJohnson’s ‘34 PE coupe,<strong>Plymouth</strong>s park in the woods of OldWorld Wisconsin.Wayne Farrey’s ‘56 Belvedereconvertible and John Arps’ ‘70Hemi Cuda. The first Group 4car to be judged, JeffTarwood’s ‘80 Volaré, tookhome the Mayflower Award asthe meet’s best four-doorsedan.Thanks and praise go tothe Dairyland Region forbeing great and gracious hosts.-- LDKMembers RememberedWILLIAM F. SNYDER, Bucyrus, Ohio, died May 3, 2009, at theage of 82. He was a member of the Ohio Region. (See page 17)THE REV. ARNOLD J. TIEFENBACH, Regina, Saskatchewan, diedJune 7 at age 96. (See page 19)


From the PresidentHosted so well…WRITING, I have justreturned from OconomowocAtTHISin the Wisconsin resort areawest of Milwaukee. There, theDairyland Region hosted a <strong>Plymouth</strong>Owners <strong>Club</strong> National Meet at theOlympia Resort and Spa. We had agreat time at Jack’s Auto Ranch, theVenerable Fire Apparatus Museum,Olde World Wisconsin, and theWisconsin Automotive Museum.I had a thoroughly enjoyable timethere with about 200 other POCmembers who arrived to celebratethe <strong>Plymouth</strong> station wagon. Theshowfield had eighty-plus<strong>Plymouth</strong>s of high caliber. Halfof these were judged using theclassification scheme which nowincludes four judging groupsinstead of the three that we havehad for a long time.The judging was done stationby station (seven in all) with theowners moving from point topoint and interacting with thejudges at each point rather thanthe judging teams evaluating stationaryvehicles without the ownerspresent or moving their cars.We had a comment or two from eachowner about this drive-around systemafter having completed it. Although notnew to the POC judging procedure, thissystem had not been used recently andDairyland Region wanted to see, as oneobjective, whether this procedurereduced the number of judges needed ata judged meet. Dick Silhol and his peoplein Wisconsin worked very hard tomake this system work. I commendBrad Aylesworth specifically for all hishard work in the planning and the runupand execution on Saturday morning.He seemed to be everywhere on theshowfield while watching over the proceedings.We will continue to evaluatethis system and want to have feedbackfrom judges and owners in time for thenext September’s meet in Marylandwhere this procedure, or some variantof it, will be used. My sincere thanks toall the Dairyland Region members whohosted us so well.I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDERattending the fall meet with me inWestminster, Maryland, and hope thatPresidential limo: President Bob Kerico (LEFT) rides withEditor Lanny Knutson in Jeff Juneau’s ‘51 convertibleyou will be able to bring your prizedshiny <strong>Plymouth</strong> to the Eastern Seaboardin the autumn to have it judged. Thismeet promises a great array of tours tosome wonderful settings, and there isample information in this issue detailingthe particulars. Let’s all support theMid-Atlantic Region’s sponsorship ofthis meet. Over a dozen members of theMid-Atlantic were in Wisconsin for thesummer meet. Westminster is not farfrom Washington, D.C., Baltimore andGettysburg, Pennsylvania. So who isready for a Maryland crab feast? Makesme hungry just mentioning it.WE HAVE AN ELECTION just ahead of us-4-JEFF JUNEAU PHOTOfor the POC president position that Iwill be vacating at the end of this year,and the ballot for that election will be inthe next issue. I hope that you will exerciseyour vote as to who will preside inthe POC beginning in 2010. Take careto mail your ballot promptly before thedeadline to Paul Curtis who has graciouslyagreed to be the ballot teller thisyear as was done in the most recentelection two years ago. The candidatesfor president are those who have servedon the POC board or as regional presidents.THE SIX MEMBERS of the POC board ofofficers who were in Wisconsin for therecent meet convened to discuss clubissues. After some discussion and considerationthey decided that POC duesneed to be increased, for reasons ofever-increasing postage and cost ofmaterials. A decision was madeto make member dues $30 forrenewals and $32 for new membersannually beginning January1, 2010. This is the first increasein the last 10 years or so and isstill a great bargain when youconsider the benefits of membershipinclude the BULLETIN in yourhands right now, which just wonits 18th Golden Quill award,thanks to the skills of our editor,Lanny Knutson.It was great being with Lannyand Jim Benjaminson inOconomowoc, seeing both ofthese POC members for the secondtime in two years. Specialthanks go from me to Jeff and VivianJuneau for a lovely day, cruising in hisbeautiful 1951 <strong>Plymouth</strong> convertibleeighty miles over the sunny Wisconsinresort countryside. A special treat forme and a wonderful memory !I HOPE YOUR SUMMER SHAPES UP aswell as mine has after a long winter ofinactivity.As well, I hope to see you inCleveland with your Valiant in August.I know you will enjoy the rest ofthis wonderful issue.Be safe out there…---- Bob Kerico


Member assists Jay Leno’s purchase of a Chrysler TurbineTUESDAY, THE 16TH OF JUNE: Jay Lenotook possession of Chrysler Ghia turbinecar #991242. This car has nowbeen added to his extensive collection ofunique and outstanding vehicles. Thecar had been saved by Chrysler alongwith two others. When the car arrivedin California, William Carry of Detroit,Michigan, was present to assist Mr.Leno in the initial start-up and to dobasic preventive care of a 45-year-oldturbine-powered automobile.Chrysler retains two of the cars inthe corporate collection. Details of thetransaction with Mr. Leno are not public.Mr. Leno had wanted one of theturbine cars since he first saw one.Many years ago, Mr. Leno assistedFrank Kleptz of Terre Haute, Indiana, ingetting a running engine from Chrysler.Mr. Leno is a firm believer that cars areto be driven, not just sitting and collectingdust, and he plans to drive thenewest member of his collection. Whenthe author talked to him on WednesdayMr. Leno reported that he had driven thecar about 75 miles the day before andwas very happy. He and his crew, underBill's direction, made a few minorrepairs to the car (the passenger windowwould not go down) and checked it overcompletely before taking it to the streetsof Burbank. In one of the photos, wesee Mr. Leno under the back of the carremoving the museum plate, preparingto install the California license plate.William (Bill) Carry was theNational Turbine Service Coordinatorwho had created the service programand conducted training in maintenancefor the Ghia/Chrysler cars during thepublic testing program in 1964 and1965. (My father, Alden Olson[deceased] was user number 160.) Billis the probably the most knowledgeableperson in the world on the Chrysler turbinecar. I visited with him in his homein Detroit on Friday the 19th of Juneafter he returned from California. Hesupplied me with the above mentionedphoto. In the above photo, Bill Carryand Mr. Leno talk about the car. Thattalk was being filmed for Mr. Leno'swebsite.Mr. Leno called me on Monday tofirst tell me that he was getting one ofthe turbines. He talked to me for aboutfifteen minutes about the car and mywebsite. If anyone in the worlddeserves a turbine car, I feel that Mr.Leno is that person--the one most ableto keep a turbine car running. He islooking for a spare engine (they don’texactly show up at swap meets veryoften!). I hope to visit him soon and seehis entire collection along with thenewest car.Mr. Leno also has his Eco-Jet carlicensed and is driving it around. Billgot a ride and says, “Bring ear plugs anddon't eat too much or you might ‘looseit’!” The car is fast and is really a jet atheart. Bill also got a ride in one of Mr.Leno's Chrysler Airflows and was givencomplete tour of the Big Dog Garage.Both Photos were taken by MaryCarry, Bill’s wife.-- Mark OlsonPlease visit my web site atwww.turbinecar.com-5-


LettersSupportive club“family”I RECEIVED THE BULLETINtoday and have not had achance to read the articles buthave looked through the pictures.What an issue tobehold! I want to thank bothof you from the bottom of myheart for what you wrote aboutStan and me. My son and twoof my grandsons are gettingthe ‘69 Fury III convertibleready for sale. I showed themthe magazine and they wereawed by the international pictures.But when they readwhat you had written about us,they were ready to cry. But Iam hanging tough and my carclub "family" is very supportive.Thanks again.Jan PeelIndianapolis, IndianaQuill congratsCONGRATULATIONS on yourlatest Golden Quill. It’s definitelydeserved.Michael OwensAustin, TexasIT WAS GOOD TO SEE YOU inWisconsin and to observe theappreciation members showedfor the great job you do withthe BULLETIN.The other morning I wason the Old Cars Weekly websiteand was surprised to findthat the Mid-AtlanticMayflower got the GoldenQuill Award under the categoryof Regional Compactunder the Luxury Regionalgroup. I had been looking inthe Economy Group andmissed it before.David YoungWestminster, MarylandCONGRATULATIONS to you,David, as editor and to theMid-Atlantic Region. Thatmakes three Golden Quillawards this year for the<strong>Plymouth</strong> Owners <strong>Club</strong>, as theCascade Pacific Region wasalso awarded a Quill. -- LDKSouthern Hemi.exposure: e: 295HOLA LANNY! Bulletin 295 ishere. Guauuuuuu! So exciting!Thanks a lot. It was verykind and generous from you. Iwill present the 295 to myclub friends at our next Fridaydinner, showing and explainingthe BULLETIN content atthe same time the new editionof La Luneta will be presented.Big hug and regards toCharLee.Orly BangiardinoBuenos Aires, ArgentinaTHE LATEST <strong>ISSUE</strong> was wonderful.SO MANY nice autosto look at and stories to read.I always look through theBULLETIN quickly and then letDon have it to read through. Idon't get it back for a week orso during his “read and enjoy”time. Then I read it slowly.I see that the Valiant willbe one of the autos showcasedat Cleveland in August. I surewish August was a coolermonth; my (‘66) Valiant needswings or a C5-A to transportit.Thanks and take care.Now, get back to work on thatnext issue of the BULLETIN!Ann PellegrenoRhome, TexasWOW!!! What a super great,wonderful, marvelous, etc.,etc., BULLETIN. Thank you!!!!!Best regards.Andy WeimannHarwinton, ConnecticutTHANKS SO MUCH for the greatnewsletter. What a great club!Hopefully, I can start participatingsoon.Bob HildebrandLangely, British Columbia-6-Crank-out ‘38?I RECEIVED my March-April BULLETIN and it is great as always. Ihave question for (Jim Benjaminson) regarding the 1938 P6 onpage 40 owned by Lars Sorensen. The windshield looks kind oflike that of the ‘37 models which could be cranked opened. As Iremember, the domestic ‘38s had the fixed windshield that didnot open. Did the export '38 <strong>Plymouth</strong>s have the windshields thatopened like the ‘37 models? Thanks Jim for any info here.John ReddieCohasset, MassachusettsI'M NOT SURE. I think all ‘38s had a permanent windshield. Idon't know the history on Lars’ car but it’s possible it was assembledin South America (Fevre & Basset maybe?). If so, it’s hardto say how “true” it was to U.S. standards. I'll ask Lars and findout. -- Jim BenjaminsonTHANKS SO MUCH for your response and asking Lars. I’ve neverowned a ‘38 <strong>Plymouth</strong>, unfortunately, but all that I rememberseeing, have had the windshield that did not open. The chromearound Lars’ windshield seems larger that the ‘38s that I rememberand seems more like that of the ‘37. Lars has emailed me andapparently his ‘38 windshield does open. Interesting. -- John R.IT WAS PROBABLY SHIPPED as a CKD for assembly in SouthAmerica or it may have left-over parts from the ‘37 models.Thanks for making the observation, it’s worth making a note of inthe BULLETIN! -- JBYES! My car has an opening windshield and it definitely lookslike it’s been there all the car's life, although it is quite clearly a‘38 (tell me if I'm wrong!). Could it have been a Canadian production?If so how can I find that out? -- Lars SorensenMore on this mystery to come…


y Adrian SternLima, PeruI<strong>Plymouth</strong>s of theSouthern HemispherePerubought my 1934 <strong>Plymouth</strong> PEconvertible in June 2003.The car came from a group ofunrestored cars owned by thebiggest collector of antique carshere in Peru.What I know of the history ofthe car is that it came to Perufrom Argentina in the 1980s withsome other antique cars. All ofthem were driven more than 4000miles. After they arrived, they were kept, without beingrestored, in part of the museum warehouse. Finally, with toomany project cars and not too much time, this old car loversold part of his unrestored collection. I bought this car, and,at the same time, my father bought a 1959 German sport car,aBorgward Isabella.Ihave been in the old car hobby since the ‘80s and haverestored a 1929 Model A and a 1934 Ford roadster (which Istill have). I was looking for something different from a Fordbut, at the same time, something that could be driveable.(The Model A, with its inefficient brakes, is something toostressful for today’s driving.) At the same time, I wantedsomething with a beautiful design.When I saw this car, I knew it was the car I wanted. Theproblem I thought I’d have was convincing my wife of buyinganother old car. With this particular case, that wasn’t so difficult.I have to say that my wife’s dad was Argentinean, andBought it! Adrian Stern with his new acquisitionPlease buy itmy wife’s second name is Allende. Well, the plate of the carhas numbers as every plate has, but it also has the name of theplace in Argentina where it came from: Villa Allende (villa inSpanish means a small town). When I told this to my wife,she was amazed of this coincidence and said… “please buyit.”As it has been since I have been in this hobby, I havealways wanted to follow a true restoration--meaning endingwith a car with the exact characteristics as it had when itrolled from the assembly line on its first day--and here camethe problems.When I saw the car in the collector’s warehouse, I noticedthat it was right-hand-driven. That didn’t surprised me, asall cars in Argentina were right-driven until 1949 whenthey decided to change sides. The rare thing was that, aftermaking a more detailed exam of the car,Ifound that thecar was originally left-hand-driven and that the steeringhad been changed. Luckily, it wasn’t that difficult to find anew steering and a central steering arm and return the carto its original condition. Still, I don’t know why, if the carcame from Argentina, it wasn’t imported to that countryright-handed. Maybe its first origin was in another SouthAmerican left-handed country… maybe.Also, when I had the car in my garage and started makingamore thorough exam, I found that originally the car had aworld are not that manybut that we are a reallygreat bunch of guys, don'tyou think so?If anybody wonderswhy I am only saying allthis now, well, it is becauseTPB only gets to me withthis delay--usually...blamethe postal service. Goodthings take their time..ha,ha!So there: congratulations toyou THE PLYMOUTHBULLETIN people!!Lars SorensenValparaiso, ChileTHANKS A LOT for the March-April BULLETIN. Just when Ithought I knew “everything,”along comes that lightgreen/dark green/white roof1956 Dodge Mayfair sedanwith a Custom-Royal typebody side molding pasted onthe side. Is there no end toMoPar weirdness? Also, goodto see that ‘41 De Soto “ute.’Re: De Soto, we had a rareone appear at the annualYpsilanti Orphan Car Show. Itwas a Custom 3-window coupe,cream, with a rare accessory.Most ‘41 De Sotos have, ontheir front fender tops, eithernothing OR that long die-castchrome spear containing theturn signal. This car had neither.Instead, the car had therare “silver streak” chromeand-body-colorornament whichmimicked the trim above andbelow the taillight. The ornamentresembled the fender toptrim used on that DeSoto “ute”shown in the BULLETIN.Congrats! re the GoldenQuill award.Jeff GodshallRoyal Oak, MichiganRoadking mystery y solved-41-Please buy it: The title of Adrian Stern’s article in BULLETIN 295 wasaccidentally deleted.I JUST RECEIVED the March-April BULLETIN and it is great!Also, congratulations on receivingGolden Quill #18!I'd like to thank AdrianStern for his kind commentsabout my helping him. Whathe doesn't talk about is thegreat help he has provided me.I picked up a second ‘34 convertiblea little over a year agoand since then he has had thetop windshield frame piecemade and chrome plated forme. He also had the windshieldwood header bow andthe wood trim that helps holdthe top down to the body made.Oh yeah, did I also mention hemade up a metal bow that wentin my first convertible? I'msure there are a couple of otheritems I don't recall. As he said“For all I am very grateful.”Thanks Adrian.Ed PetersonWalpole, MassachusettsTHANKS FOR FORWARDING Ed’scomments. I want to tell youthat his help was a lot morethan what I did for him. BestRegardsAdrian SternLima, PeruI JUST GOT MY LAST <strong>ISSUE</strong> andam really enjoying it. Theseries about <strong>Plymouth</strong>s of thesouthern hemisphere is excellent.This is different stuff thatis right up my alley. As youmay know, my DeSoto is on theroad, and I'm using it when Ican.Cam ClaytonKaslo, British ColumbiaI WANT TO CONGRATULATE youon the excellent magazine thatissue No. 295 came out to be!A wonderful report on everything<strong>Plymouth</strong> around theworld. Great job; very welldone indeed!This will also show<strong>Plymouth</strong> fans in NorthAmerica that we foreign<strong>Plymouth</strong> fans (FPF for short?)of other places all around the-7-IN THE MARCH-APRIL BULLETIN, page 59, (Jim Benjaminson)asked for identification of the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Roadking emblem.Our family owned a 1940 <strong>Plymouth</strong> Roadking on which Ilearned to drive and kept waxed for many years. This was theonly automobile in our family, and we shared it the entire timewe owned it. I used it on dates and made certain it was polishedeach time I used it. Because of my dedication to a shinyclean car, I am still very familiar with all of its components.The emblem shown was on the center of the dash,attached to the radio delete plate where the radio dials andspeaker were located if you were lucky enough to be able toafford a radio. We did not have the radio, as much as I pleadedmy case with my father. He thought the dashboard lookedjust great with the wood-grained radio delete and the <strong>Plymouth</strong>Roadking emblem occupying the center of the beautiful dash.The emblem was chromed with the ROADKING highlighted inred.The less expensive 1940 Roadking we owned had thisconfiguration which could be removed for the radio and radiogrille to be installed in its place. The Deluxe models had theradio plate installed at the factory which contained the speakergrille and space for the dial and knobs.I am a member of the club but still do not own a<strong>Plymouth</strong>. If I can find a #2 1940 two-door sedan or convertibleor a ‘56 Belvedere hardtop or convertible, I will dislodgea Ford or two and enjoy a <strong>Plymouth</strong>.Bob SchultzState College, Pennsylvania


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WEDNESDAY AM - Harley Davidson MotorcycleFactory Tour in York, PA - USA Today praised the tour asone of the ten great places in US to see how things are made.http://www.harleydavidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Factory_Tours/ york .jsp?locale =en_US Established as anassembly facility in 1973, the York facility covers more than230 acres and has over 1.5 million square feet under roof.Their demand for tours is a couple of years in advance; weare limited to one group of 50 at 10 AM Wednesday.Lunch On Your OwnBeginning on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, therewill be organized caravan driving tours and optionalpre-mapped on-your-own driving tours throughout the scenicrolling countryside in and around northern Maryland andsouthern Pennsylvania from the host hotel: Best WesternInn Westminster, Maryland. Reservations can be made byphone (410) 857-1900 or email salesbw2@comcast.netSpecial room rate of $99.00 expires Aug. 1, 2009.The various tour options were on display at the GrandNational and illustrated in prior issues of the BULLETIN. Theorganized tours include: Harley Davidson factory tour,National Air and Space Museum (bus tour); driving tours toan extensive antique automobile, tractor, farm equipment,and household appliance collection, robotic dairy farm,antique automobile restoration shop, covered bridges ofFrederick County, Camp David Museum and a winery.The special events include the opening dinner at the allyou-can-eatfamily style Friendly Farms restaurant, CrabFeast (plus other turf and surf items), Ladies Tea Saturdayalong with the Car Show and the sit-down awards banquet.The pre-mapped optional tours are offered as analternative or supplement to the organized tours to meet thespecial interests of individuals. They are described brieflybelow, and additional information will be mailed to eachregion.REGISTRATION: We urge early registration,as some tours and events are limited. Select fromthe tours and events listed and check as appropriateon the registration form.WEDNESDAY PM – Antique Automobile, Tractor, FarmEquipment, Appliance Collection -- We will caravannortheast to Hampstead, MD, to the farm of Herbert Wessel.Herb has restored and assembled what is probably the largestcollection anywhere of the rare Case automobiles. Alsopending is a visit to a belt-driven machine shop, antique carsand memorabilia.Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Region Dinner –Not far from the Wesselfarm and located in thescenic Pretty BoyReservoir environs, theFriendly Farm Restaurantoffers Family StyleDinners. Included will beall-you-can-eat chickenand ham with selected vegetables and dessert.THURSDAY AM – RobotsDown on the Farm – Drivingtour to a Robotic Dairy Farm.In the era when the first<strong>Plymouth</strong>s came off the assemblyline, dairy farmers couldcount on keeping their handswarm on cold mornings, butthe downside was the mandatorymilking morning and evening 365 days a year. Now,computerized robots do it and keep detailed records toboot. Bossy is in control and decides when she is ready tobe milked, sleeps on a water bed and has access to a motorizedback scratch 24/7. And, the farmer can attend to otherchores or enjoy a little leisure. Buffet lunch is includedwith Robotic Tour.-9-


THURSDAY PM– The Way thePros Do It –Visit to AlPrueitt and SonsAutomobileRestorationShop. Located45 minutes fromWestminster inGlen Rock, PA,Al Prueitt’s shophas turned out anumber ofawarding winningcars fromAuburns toModel Ts. Theshop consists oftwo floors of restoration operations, body, painting, mechanical,trim and upholstery.Dinner -- Maryland Crab Feast (all you can eat) – plusfried chicken, 12oz steak, lump meat crab cakes with soup,salad, dessert, drinks –soda, tea, coffee. There are probablydifferent ways to eat crabs but there is only one Marylandway.FRIDAY AM – CHOICE: Bus trip to National Air andSpace Museum OR Driving Tour of Covered Bridges ofFrederick County or Camp David area or winery.Bus trip to National Air and Space Museum – Travel bybus to Dulles Airport to tour the Steven F. Udvar-HazyCenter in Chantilly, VA (near Dulles airport), with over 150planes on display. Lunch on your own at the Center. Thetour will be limited to the capacity of the bus (55) – a waitlist will be developed if demand warrants it and will activateif sufficient numbers are reached to add another bus.Driving Tour– CoveredBridges of FrederickCounty – No, Meryl Streepprobably won’t be there, buta caravan of vintage<strong>Plymouth</strong>s will be--touringthe back roads through threecovered bridges of differentdesign a few miles southwestof Westminster.Buffet lunch at Cozy Restaurant which has a Camp DavidMuseum containing artifacts dating from 1929.After lunch -- a choice -- Drive the back roads to HistoricLinganore Winery – OR – take a driving tour through theCatoctin Mountain/Camp David area and conclude at aDairy Farm Outlet for Ice Cream.SATURDAY – Show Day at the Best WesternLunch on your own - fast food, delicatessan, restaurant, ashort walk from the show field.Women’s Tea at HistoricWinchester Country Inn.This is for the ladieswhile the men check outeach others’ cars. We areencouraging period dress-- hats or an entire ensemblethat corresponds to theera your <strong>Plymouth</strong> wasplying the roads.Transportation will beprovided from the BestWestern. Limited to 40persons.SATURDAY – Awards Banquet – This will be a sitdowndinner in the Best Western Banquet Hall. There arethree menu choices – priced accordingly – select one fromthe list on the registration form.------------------------------------Camping facilities are available – If you need informationplease email the coordinators.T-shirts have meet logo on back and POC logo on front.Gray with blue/red lettering.Optional pre-mapped toursto other points of interestThese tours can be an option to the organized tours duringthe meet or a pre/post activity. The first group is within a25 mile radius of Westminster and will take from 20–45minutes; The second group is 35-60 miles and will takearound 1-1/2 hours and Amish country around 2 hours.Tours – Utz and Snyders Factories, Hanover, PA; HanoverShoe Horse Farm, Hanover PA; Union Bridge Railroadmuseum; Gettysburg Battlefield and Eisenhower Farm;Boyd’s Bears; Union Mills Homestead; Carroll County FarmMuseum; McDaniel College (Western Maryland); WakefieldValley Golf; Baltimore Harbour and environs; AnnapolisHarbour/Chesapeake Bay; Washington, DC; Ladew Gardensin “Horse Country” in Baltimore County; C&O Canal BoatRide drawn by mules; Harper’s Ferry.Antiques – Westminster Antique Mall, New Market, MD;New Oxford, PAMuseums – Clock and Watch Museum, Columbia PA;Tucker Automobile Museum, Alexandria, VA; B&ORailroad Museum Baltimore; Smithsonian Mall,Washington, DCAmish Country – Lancaster, PATrain -- National Toy Train Museum, Amish Village-10-


PLYMOUTH OWNERS CLUB 2009 FALLFMEETMID-ATLANTIC REGIONSeptember 23-26, 2009 Westminster, MDMember’s Name ___________________________ Spouse/Passenger ____________________________Address ________________________________________City ___________________Zip ___________Phone (h) ________________ (c) ________________ Email ___________________________________VEHICLE REGISTRATION______ number of cars @ $ 45.00 by September 1, 2009 / $ 50.00 after September 1$__________Year ____ Model _________ Body Style _____________________ to be judged ____ be a judge _____Year ____ Model _________ Body Style _____________________ to be judged ____ be a judge _____--- Registration desk open beginning Tuesday , September 22, 5 :00 PM ---ACTIVITY REGISTRATION (See descriptions of activities on accompanying pages)WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009AM Driving tour to Harley-Davidson Factory, York, PA -- Free -- Limit 54 Number Attending ________PM Visit antique car, tractor, farm and household tools and appliances collection. Also, beltdriven machine shop, car and memorabilia collection (pending) Number Attending ________OR Optional Tour AM – PM Write in from list on page 14 ______________________________________Dinner at Friendly Farms Restaurant – Family style ham and chicken Number ____ @ $22.00 $ ___________THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2009AM Driving tour to Robotic Dairy Farm and Lunch Number ____ @ $ 20.00 $ ___________PM Visit Al Prueitt and Sons Antique Auto Restoration Facility -- Free Number Attending________OR Optional Tour AM -- PM Write in from list on page 14 ______________________________________Dinner Crab Feast -- all you can eat -- plus Chicken, Steak, Crab Cakes Number ____ @ $ 32.00 $ ___________FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (choice of organized tours)All Day Bus Tour -- Air and Space Museum (Dulles) Limit 55 lunch on own Number ____ @ $ 25 $ ___________All Day Driving Tour -- Covered Bridges, Buffet Lunch, Camp David area Number ____ @ $ 18 $ ___________OR Optional Tour AM – PM Write in from list on page 14_______________________________________SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2009Car Show, Pictures and Awards Banquet at Best WesternNoon - Ladies Tea at historic inn – Transportation provided - Limit 40 Number ____ @ $ 18.50 $ __________Awards Banquet (indicate number for each) _____ Chicken Marsala @ $ 27.00_____ 12 oz NY Strip Steak @ $ 40.00 _____ Orange Roughy @ $ 35.00 Total banquet $ __________T Shirt Order (# each) _____S _____M _____L _____XL @ $ 15.00_____XXL @ $ 17.00 _____XXXL @ $ 18.00 Total T Shirts $___________Registration Total $___________Mail Completed Registration to:Fall Meet InformationClayton E. MillerDavid B. Young/Dianne E. Taylor3345 Florence Rd (410) 876 0702Woodbine, MD 21797dbyoung@umbc.ed(410) 442 2305 ClaytonM4@verizon.net detaylor@towson.edu-11-


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Regional ReportCarolina RegionMY WIFE TANYA AND I left our mini-vacationto attend our May meeting at CurbMotorsports in Kannapolis, NorthCarolina. Arriving early, I used the timeto take many pictures of the race cars andother special cars located at the museum.One good thing that came out of callingthe meeting was that Tanya and I wereable to visit with Dean Mitchem who hadmajor surgery the week prior and wasrecuperating at home in Kannapolis. Heseems to be doing well and was in highspirits.-- Dean YatesNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT(responsible for regions)Bobbi Berkheimer(308) 452-3980 bobbib@nctc.netin 2002) and answered questions about theprocess of being an organ donor.Gary Rusher announced that OldCars Weekly had awarded our CPPC’snewsletter a Golden Quill Award in theregional compact class and then acknowledgedthe great work of editor CariCatlow.CAROLINA REGIONDean YatesPO Box 69Faith, NC 28041(704) 223-1195plymouth-man@carolina.rr.comCASCADE PACIFIC REGIONGary Rusher6125 HomesteaderWilsonville, OR 97070(503) 638-5521 chiefgr@hotmail.comCOLONIAL REGIONBetty Kibbe456 Holyoke St.Ludlow, MA 01056(413) 589-9854 winmil456@charter.netDAIRYLAND REGIONDick Silhol2404 W. Plum TreeMequon, WI 53092(262) 242-6139dicksilhol@sbcglobal.netDELAWARE VALLEY REGIONBill Tropia52 Breece Dr.Yardley, PA 19067-1513seehaas@snip.netDETROIT REGIONJoseph B. Lewis, editor9145 HazeltonRedford, MI 48239Russ Nardi, pres: (586) 566-5838rpnardi@hotmail.comFLORIDA SUNSHINE REGIONMichael Bonadonna455 North Cherry Pop DriveInverness, FL 34453-7975(352) 341-1019mlb5355@hotmail.comGOLDEN STATE REGIONNick DeSimone1423 Pecan Grove DriveDiamond Bar, CA 91765(909) 861-4950ndesimone@verizon.netRichard Butler, editor:mr.belvedere1954@yahoo.comGRAND CANYON REGIONTony Tricoci10206 South 43rd CourtPhoenix, AZ 85044 (480) 893-8687tx12@cox.netHEART OF AMERICA REGIONMike Schaefer12221 NE 136thKearney, MO 64060(816) 781-7117 schaeferfam@hotmail.comwww.plymouthclub.comHOOSIER REGIONKevin Reeves, President1002 S McDonald StAttica IN 47918 / (765) 714-0255kevin.50plymouth@comcast.netJan Peel, Editor, JPeel83719@aol.comHUDSON VALLEY REGIONRichard Wahrendorff1471 Rt. 213Ulster Park, NY 12487(845) 338-7871 rwwmds@hvc.rr.comLINCOLN LAND REGIONTerry Lash7078 North Rte. 159Moro, IL 62067 (618) 656-3865taylormd@madisontelco.comLONE STAR REGIONVan Massirer124 Canaan Church Rd.Crawford, TX 76638(254) 486-2366 vmassirer@yahoo.comLONG ISLAND REGIONPeter Marks47 Flintlock DriveShirley, NY 11967(631) 772-2270 NMPCM@aol.comMID-ATLANTIC REGIONCarl VanBibber6650 Fox Meade CourtFrederick, Maryland 21702(301) 698-9574 carlret@aol.comMID-IOWA REGIONJim Dooley29341 US Hwy 69Huxley, IA 50124(515) 597-3244eeyore@huxcomm.netOHIO REGIONBrian Underwood596 Wyandot RoadBucyrus, OH 44820(740) 482-2402bunderwood75@peoplepc.comMISSOURI "Show Me” REGIONTommy G. Pike1602 East DaleSpringfield, MO 65803groshong@socket.net (Loyd Groshong)PA OIL VALLEY REGIONJim Stoudt1290 Bankson Rd.Oil City, PA 16301(814) 676-6678bjjstoudt@zoominternet.netPRAIRIE REGIONPat Stanton1915 County Rd. 45Ft. Calhoun, NE 68023(402) 571-9973plstanton@mac.comROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONBill Sullivan1015 Redwood DriveLoveland, CO 80538(970) 669-3541 BVSULL@AOL.comTALL PINES REGIONRichard Tetzlaff23383 Malanie Trail NorthScandia, MN 55073-9745(612) 759 2103 ajorrj@aol.comWinter: R.Ramberg rar1082@gmail.comTULSA REGIONJerry Burch1111 South Florence Ave.Tulsa, OK 74104-4104jerryburch@cox.netUNITED KINGDOM REGIONBarry Reece“The Meadows” Cookley Halesworth,Suffolk IP19 0LU, ENGLAND.tel/fax: 01986-784305jillnbarry@reecejill.orangehome.co.ukWESTERN CANADA REGIONJim Hand923 - 37 St. SECalgary, AB T2A 1C9 CANADA(403) 272-1925Email: Rob Elliott elliott.r@telus.netDisappointingly, the meeting had to becancelled as only us three of us were inattendance.Curb Motorsports is really big inmany types of automobile racing and themusic recording business. The museum isvery interesting as you can see from someof the pictures I took. Curb Motorsports’website can give you a better idea on allthat they do:www.mikecurb.com/image_pops/museum.htmCascade Pacific RegionFIFTY-FOUR MEMBERS WERE PRESENT atour May meeting. Lorraine Griffey introducedthe evening’s speaker, CarolMcLaughlin of Donate Life Northwest.She brought the organization’s Threads ofLife quilt which included a square dedicatedto our late member Ray Dunn who hadbeen an organ donor. She talked about lifewith a transplanted heart (she received one-13-Richard VonAllmen spoke about thelate Ken Rose’s work for homeless veteranswhich had been the subject of a columnin the Oregonian .Robin Will announced that he had setup a rudimentary website which includes informationon the 2010 National Meet. He and MikeBade are working on a comprehensive


CPPC cars on tourwebsite for our club. Gary mentioned thatthere is a lot of excitement amongst peoplein the East about our meet with talk ofa possible east-to-west caravan of cars.Tom Nachand reported that he had toabandon the idea of a cruise toOconomowoc, Wisconsin. The distanceand time necessary were too great.Ken Rose’s 1949 <strong>Plymouth</strong> taxi is forsale. Mike Sweeney has bought Ken’s ‘35<strong>Plymouth</strong>.-- Robin WillColonial RegionMOTHER NATURE sure put on her bestdress for those of us traveling to theBerkshires for our meeting at the Whitmanhousehold. It is always a pleasure to drivewhen the sun is shining and there’s acrispness in the air. We knew spring wason its way! We enjoyed watching thewind turbine on Jiminy Peak doing itsstuff. It kept turning in in all directionswhile going round and round which meantthe wind was blowing on top of the mountain.(It doesn’t take much to amuse us,does it?)We had a great lunch, a great turnout,a great meeting and some fun along theway.Because of many conflicting schedules,we had no May meeting. Our Junemeeting will be our Second AnnualFather’s Day Weekend at Cape Cod inHyannis, Massachusetts. Our July meetingwill be a road tour to the QuabbinReservoir and in August we will celebrateour 35th year with an anniversary celebrationat the Publick House on Route 131 inSturbridge.-- Betty KibbeDairyland RegionWE HAD A PERFECT DAY for cruising toour May 17 meeting at Kathy and TomWagner’s home in Jefferson, Wisconsin.The sun provided perfect temperatures forcruising through the Southern KettleMorraine of southwestern Wisconsin. Ideliberately took a route that by-passedinterstates and main thoroughfares to takeadvantage of farm scenes and to enjoy thefun of driving on the rural roads of thearea. One of the interesting aspects of thedrive was watching farmers doing theirspring planting chores. If you are notfamiliar with the beauty of southwesternWisconsin’s landscape,make a point of visiting the area.The business part of our Maymeeting was longer than usual aswe covered committee assignmentsfor the national meet, making sure thatassignments had not been forgotten or leftto fall through the cracks. Due to thelength of the meeting, we took a break andhad a delicious potluck lunch beforeresuming.After the National Summer Meet, ourregional schedule includes three months ofvery interesting meetings and cruises. Allof these events are focused on the enjoymentof driving our <strong>Plymouth</strong>s and beingwith friends in pleasant surroundings.-- Dick SilholDelaware Valley RegionOUR ANNUAL SPRING BANQUET, held onApril 19 at the Coastline Restaurant, was abig success with 37 members and guestsenjoying good food and fellowship. JimCarmine graciously donated, for auction, aman’s leather belt on which the word PLY-MOUTH was inscribed. The bidding wasfierce, with Dwight Kloth having the finalbid. The proceeds were donated to ourtreasury.This year’s Betty Watson Award waspresented to Hank DeMayo in recognitionof his services in organizing various clubactivities throughout the year.OUR MAY MEETING was called to order byPresident Bill Tropia with 14 memberspresent. Bill started the meeting by talkingabout the automobile industry and howthe troubles affecting Chrysler andGeneral Motors were having a big impacton dealers. Dealerships were closing, andamong those locally affected are JarrettDodge and Berlin Chrysler, past sponsorsof our meets. The Jarrett Car Show willbe held on June 28 in Hatboro,Pennsylvania, thanks to Frank Jarrett, whowill be carrying on as an independentdealer.During Tech Talk, Frank Mollowtalked of the additives taken out of oils.He says that diesel oil is good for old carssince not as many additives have beentaken out of this oil.He also brought a tube of Goop gluewhich is detrimental to one’s health sinceit contains the deadly cancer-causingchemical Tolune. It is also found in spraypaints.-- Hank DeMayo-14-Detroit RegionOUR PLYMOUTH MOTORS are beginning torev up for the 2009 antique auto season.We held our Annual Dust Off Breakfast onSaturday, May 2, 2007. President RussNardi called our May meeting to order atRose’s with 15 members present, includingnew member Ray Carpenter of HarperWoods, Michigan, who drove his 1950business coupe to the meeting.Russ presented a sample page on ourwebsite www.plymouthclub.org entitled“Parts & Services Guide,” which includeslistings of local companies that offer specialservices. Paul Curtis was asked to furnishthe information on the foundry thatreproduced the side-mount wing nuts forHoward Sherman. Russ also passedaround club member business card layouts.These were discussed and a designwas selected.A report was heard on a past Moparmeet and upcoming meets and events werediscussed as were membership matters.During Tech Time, Dennis Oleksiakasked about the availability of the 3/4-inchWelch plug for his P20 transmission. Healso needs a source for gas tank strap nuts.Tom Russell announced that he is reproducingthe1934-36 tail lamp bracket reinforcement.-- Joe Lewis and Paul CurtisGolden State RegionRIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVEMUSEUM: The gloom still hung in the airwhen Bob and I arrived at our shop,Premier Auto, in Riverside. We turned onthe lights, rolled up the metal doors, laidout the promised donuts and waited forour friends and guests to arrive. Soon tenmembers were all milling about chit-chatting,drinking their coffee and looking atsome of the vintage cars at the shop.At 9:30 our caravan proceeded to ourappointed destination of the day, TheRiverside International AutomotiveMuseum. We took a slow cruise downVictoria, a charming and historic streetwith a wide median between the two onewaylanes. The median has several differentcolorful flowering trees and shrubsgrowing and some very old and tall eucalyptusand palm trees and an occasionalorange grove lining the sides.Our docent for the day, Pat Flynn, metus at the museum door and welcomed usin. RIAM is dedicated to preserving andpresenting the history of motor sports, theRiverside International Raceway and theOntario Motor Speedway.


The museum has only been thereabout a year and is somewhat small but ithas already collected quite a bit of memorabilia.A video in the front lobby plays forthe observer to learn about the history theraceway, the cars and the drivers. But theexciting part was through the glass doubledoors to the back section. Maserati,Ferrari, Jaguar and Porsche are all representedas well as some Penske and GurneyIndy racers.You can see the evolution of the racecar through the years. A shop there takeson the restoration of some of these oldracers. We spent over two hours admiringthe vehicles and questioning our docentabout them.We next headed on over to Delia'sGrinders for some lunch. With our hungersatiated, Nick DeSimone brought a shortmeeting to order. When the meeting wasadjourned we each found our way homewith some memories of a pleasant dayspent with our friends.-- Margie AmosGrand Canyon RegionOUR MAY 17 MEETING was held at Scott'sGeneration Restaurant and Deli inPhoenix, with 12 members present Afterthe meeting was called to order by TonyTricoci, our newest member, KenDickson,was introduced.Following reports, we discussedupcoming activities and the possibility ofhaving a website for our region.Our Tech Time guest speaker wasDwight Cervin, a new regional member,who is 90 years young. Dwight relayedstories about his childhood and adulthoodmemories and his relationship with<strong>Plymouth</strong>, Chrysler and Dodge automobiles.He brought pictures of FranklinRoosevelt and his wife in (now) antiquecars along with a <strong>Plymouth</strong> salesman’sdata book from 1935. -- Barbara Tricoci(We hope to include the account of Dwight’smemories in a future BULLETIN.--editor)Heart of America RegionOUR MUCH-ANTICIPATED TRIP toHamilton, Missouri, dawned sunny andpleasant with 24 members and five guestsattending, most in old cars. Our first stopwas at Kingston, the seat of CaldwellCounty and its 1898 court house. Nextwas the county historical society housed ina Civil War vintage home. Of particularinterest was a quilt displayed with embroiderednames of the men and their familiesof that area who had been involved in theCivil War. A peg leg like those used byamputees was of special interest to ouryoung guests.From there we continued to Hamiltonand the boyhood home of J. C. Penney, thetown’s best-known citizen. Our guide,Dean Hales, was very well-informed andregaled us with tales of J. C. Penney’s lifein Hamilton. He then led us to his ownhome where J. C.’s Cadillac convertiblesits in the garage.We visited the Memorial Library andMuseum which was full of interestingitems and memorabilia. The building thathad housed the J. C. Penney store hasbeen restored and turned into a hardwarestore by its present owners, Ed Ernat--sonof our region’s members Ed and Marilyn--and his wife. We marveled at the superiorjob they had done.Lunch was at Past Times, which has a1950s theme. After being pleasantlystuffed, we headed on to tour the HarperHouse, former home of a judge inCaldwell County which has been restoredto its Victorian beauty by its owners, JayJob’s parents. Jay’s mom, Jacque, hadstories to tell about the house and thenafter taking us on a tour, entertained uswith player piano music.Some of us bade farewell at this timebut others went on to view a film onChrysler and then stopped at Ed andMarilyn Ernat’s home for donuts and coffee.Altogether, it was a full and enjoyableday, planned by Mike and VickiSchaefer and the Ernats.TWO VISITORS ATTENDED our May meeting:Sean Keaton, owner of a 1961 Furyand Steve Conard who has two 1938 fourdoorsedans, one a Dodge and the other a<strong>Plymouth</strong>. Steve later joined the club.Mike Schaefer told of his family’sovernight trip to the Lawrence Swap Meetfor which they had made beds in their vanso as to be there bright and early. Next,Ken Reed reported on our trip toHamilton.Bill Krenzer brought up the matter offlowers or memorials for deaths in thefamilies of members and cards for thosewith illnesses. Karen Zammar was namedour new Sunshine Person who will takecare of future needs.New member, Mary Ellen Crocker,gave some interesting tips on uses fortoothpaste, such as cleaning CDs and tarnishedsilver. We were then entertainedby our in-house songwriter, Leslie Lunn,who sang his latest, Back Home. Such talent.-15-May’s Café Cruise was at the CornerCafé on Riverside with 15 membersenjoying a hearty lunch and visiting. Inspite of the rainy day, several drove oldcars.-- Winona KrenzerHoosier RegionOUR APRIL MEETING was at the O’Bryan’sNine Irish Brothers Pub in Lafayette,Indiana, attended by a very small but livelygroup of 12 members. After lunch, ourpresident Kevin Reeves reviewed ourupcoming meetings and tours through theend of the year.Memorial donations had beenreceived for Stan Peel and Janet Sadler.-- Jan PeelON MAY 23, 14 hardy <strong>Plymouth</strong> fanaticsmet at McDonald’s in Avon, Indiana, andset out for a drive to Greencastle, headingwest on US 36. In Greencastle, we took aleisurely stroll around the town square,visiting various shops and stopping at amilitary memorial which utilizes arestored German WWII V-1 rocket (betterknown as the Buzz Bomb). This is one ofonly two in existence in the U. S. Theother is in the Smithsonian.We then got into our cars for a shorttrip through a covered bridge. By then wewere getting hungry and headed for ourlunch stop at the Putnam Inn.After lunch, we drove on some backroads to the Harris’ Sugar Bush Farm.There we were met by the owners whoexplained some of the history of sugarcamps and educated us on how sugarwater is extracted, cooked and stored andthen used in different configurations asflavoring. We were treated to a variety offree samples which helped most of usdecide which products we wished to buyfrom their shop. Difficult choices!Some of our group took a guided tourinto the woods to see the actual workingsof a sugar water collection.Part of the group left the farm forhome while others traveled on to the KwikFreeze Ice Cream Shop for fuel andrefreshments. Our sincere thanks to Scottand Peggy Jones who “authored” our trip.-- Kevin ReevesHudson Valley RegionON APRIL 26TH we held our spring dustofftour. Starting in Rhinebeck with fourcars, we traveled to Hudson, New York,where we visited Olana which was hometo famous Hudson River School painterFredrick Edwin Church. There we met


Hudson River at OlanaFREDRICK EDWIN CHURCHanother club member and then traveledacross town to the Fireman's Museum. Theday was nice and everyone had a goodtime. We're working on a fall tour.May 2-3 was the date of theRhinebeck Car Show and Swap Meet.Despite threats of rain, we had five-membercars present for the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Classand found several other <strong>Plymouth</strong> ownerswho are interested in joining the club.-- Richard WahrendorffLone Star RegionOUR NEWLY ORGANIZED REGION met forits third meeting on May 23 at St. PaulLutheran Church in Crawford, Texas, with22 members and four guests. Members ofour geographically large region attendedfrom as far north as Fort Worth and as farto the southeast as Beaumont. An informalcar show took place before lunch,with lots of advice and pointers beinggiven. A brief shower about mid-daycaused the owners of convertibles toscramble to get the tops up in time toavoid a drenching.In the business meeting, the treasurer,Carl Bradley, reported that we have 62paid members plus two who joined thatday. In other business, the ActivitiesCommittee announced that it has tentativelyplanned a 4th of July gathering atWheelock, near Bryan-College Station.Wheelock has a barbecue and paradeevery year. Other possible activitiesinclude a trip to Independence when theroses are in bloom and a meeting atOktoberfest at Crawford in the fall.After the meeting, some of the membersdrove their <strong>Plymouth</strong>s on a tourthrough the countryside northwest ofCrawford, stopping at the historic PrairieChapel School and driving by the Bushranch. The tour went through a heavilywooded area and a low-water crossing onthe Middle Bosque River.The Region members would like toencourage POC members in Texas to joinwith us as we explore our state, learnabout each others’ cars, and get to knowone another.-- Mary MassirerLong Island RegionAFTER MONTHS OF PLANNING by ourregion and the Kiwanis <strong>Club</strong> of TheMastics, the second annual Wheels &Wings for Hope car show proved to bea smashing success. Held on a brightand sunnyJune 7, theshow welcomed325 carsand 5000 people atCalabroBrookhavenAirport. $3500was raised foreach of the sponsors'charities: TheSunrise Fund, whichhelps out childrensuffering from cancer;and CampKiwanis, which isfor special-needschildren.The show provideda full day ofactivities for all familymembers withforty vendors, akids’ corral featuringa dunking tank andmusical entertainmentincluding an acapella singinggroup from WilliamFloyd High School,which did an outrageouslygood job onsongs from the ‘50sand ‘60s, and theJeff Denny Band.Four vintage aircraft,including areplica of a GermanFocke Wulf 190,were on displayalong with the largenumber of classic,custom and musclecars on the field.Of course, the crownjewels of the showwere our members’rides: Marty Himes‘37 sedan, TomKinane’s ‘38 businesscoupe (High Sierra),Joe O’Connell’s ‘39sedan, Ed Purcell’s‘39 <strong>Plymouth</strong> pickup,two ‘48 P15 club--16-Second annual Wheels & Wings for Hopeshow a huge successMarty Himes’ ‘37Joe O’Connell’s ‘39Joe Russos ‘48Mike Nisis ‘52 Belvedere (and Tarantula)coupes belonging to Ron Fairclough andJoe Russo, Pete Marks’ ‘50 four-door,Mike Nisi’s ‘52 Belvedere, Mike“Butcher” Bridgwood’s ‘53 Belvedere,Tom Kinane’s ‘54 Belvedere, driven in byVern Walker, Rich Sikorsky's ‘54 De Sotodriven by Roger Lopera, Ed Sach’s ‘56Fury, Phil Rash-Flynn’s ‘58 Savoy,Warren Chang’s‘66 Valiant, EdLawler’s ‘68 Dartand Dave “L RedX"”Wegenaar’s ‘78Dodge Li’l RedExpress pickup.Opening ceremoniescommencedat noon with a ROTCColor Guard and thenational anthem.County legislatorsand a county clerkpresented certificatesof appreciation toboth sponsoring clubsand to Pete andNancy Marks fortheir work in fundraising for the aforementionedcharities.The day hadother thrillingmoments, as clubphotographer Jesse“Farquhar” Pattonwandered out onto therunway to take picturesof vintage airplaneslanding andtaking off. Luckily,his attention wasattracted, and wemanaged to get himback in without incident.Vern Walkerwas able to recruitthree new membersfor our club.After theshow, members ofboth clubs adjournedto the Manor Housefor a well-deservedbuffet dinner. A greattime was had by all,and all club membersdid an outstandingjob at their assignedtasks.-- Pete Marks


Mid-Atlantic RegionWE HELD OUR APRIL MEETING at the OldCountry Buffet in Catonsville, Maryland,with 29 members attending. Followingdinner, president Carl VanBibber calledthe meeting to order, welcoming newmembers Jon and Karen Straughn. Afterreports were given, our meeting focusedon the national meet our club will besponsoring in September.Before adjournment, Dan Blakeinformed the group of an upcoming carshow and announced that he is the proudnew owner of a 1967 red Barracuda convertible.Harvey Rapp passed out a copyof a consumer bulletin containing informationon the 1953 <strong>Plymouth</strong> and Chryslercars.OUR MAY MEETING began with a covereddishluncheon at the home of Clayton andEvaline Miller in Lisbon, Maryland, with30 members present. Reports were given,including Fran Byard’s announcement that61 pounds of can tabs had been turned into the Ronald McDonald House.It was determined that we would havea table at the June national meet inWisconsin where those attending wouldwear their yellow Fall National shirts andCarl VanBibber would make a pitch forour meet. Clayton Miller announced thathe had received 12 registrations. Theremainder of the meeting involved discussionof and decisions made concerningmany details of the meet.Following the meeting, Roy Kidwellgave a very informative talk on POC judgingguidelines. -- Karen FowlerMissouri “Show Me” Rgn.ON MARCH 28 our region plans to meet inCuba, Missouri, for a day of anticipatedfellowship and <strong>Plymouth</strong> car talk, goodfood and a visit to the World’s LargestRocking Chair which is located at theFanning 66 Outpost on Historic Route 66.However, as the day approached, theweather forecast was for cold temperature,rain and ice. At the last minute, the meetingwas cancelled. The weather turned outto be not as bad as forecasted but the daywould have been miserable and not wortha possible accident to limb or car.Loyd Groshong, Troy, Missouri, hostedour next meeting on May 16-17, 2009.As Tommy and I and Rod and MarilynAlms were approaching Troy on Fridayafternoon, the sky became black, the windwas high and rain was pouring. Aboutthat time, we got a cell call from LoydMissouri Show Me tourtelling us that there was a tornado warningfor the area. We finally got to our motelsand unloaded in the rain. By this time, wewere all wondering if it was meant for ourgroup to have a meeting! Good oldMissouri weather--as the saying goes: ifyou don’t like it, it will change in theblink of an eye! Because of the storm,Carolyn and John Mitchum and Virgie andBill Brown both decided to stop andovernight before they got to Troy, andarrive early Saturday. Ed Tremain and hisguest did not leave home until earlySaturday morning. Within a hour or so,the storm and excitement passed with notornado touching down this time! Weenjoyed a nice dinner and visit with Loyd.Saturday, the sun was out and it was abeautiful but cool day. Loyd had madeplans for us to meet a Chubby’sRestaurant, home of the “throwed rolls,”for an early lunch. Ten members and oneguest met up there. After lunch, Loyd ledus on a drive to see a very old bridge, theold town of Moscow Mills and took us ona trip through Cuivre River State Parkwhich has thick beautiful trees and foliageand interestinghills and curves.Our <strong>Plymouth</strong>ssure looked goodall lined up alongthe road. Thedrive ended witha tour of a localMoPar collectionbelonging to afriend of Loyd’s.Next, weenjoyed Loyd’shospitality andheld our meeting,after which it wastime for dinner aswe all managedroom for moregood food. Afterdinner, we wereprivileged to visityet another collectionof anotherlocal friend of-17-Loyd’s. There were three barns full of allkinds of collectibles from signs and cars toradios and telephones. This vast and interestingcollection was very neatly displayed.It was greatly enjoyed by all of usas there was something for every interest.Our host also provided refreshments. Bythis time, it was much cooler and as everyonehad had a very long day, good nightswere said.Those of us who stayed overnight,visited again on Sunday morning andreluctantly decided to forego a flea markettrip and start home.Again, our thanks to Loyd for his hospitalityand for planning our weekend.-- Glenda PikeOhio RegionA FEW MEMBERS in northeast Ohio met onMay 17 at Ryan’s Restaurant in Wooster,Ohio. Seven members were present.We discussed keeping our charter asan Ohio Region and setting up chapterswithin Ohio, such as the Northeast OhioChapter of the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Owners <strong>Club</strong>.We were looking at a roster of membersand notice quite a few in northeast Ohio.Bill Broal said he would volunteer toput an ad on Craig’s List to advertise,attracting new members and raising interestto the Ohio Region and/or chapters.We found that Trent Metcalf is thegrandson of Ira Metcalf, who was one ofthe founders of the Ohio Region back in1983. He has inherited Ira’s 1930Member Remembered -- Ohio RegionWILLIAM F.SNYDER, Bucyrus,Ohio, died May 3,2009, at the ageof 82. He was amember of the<strong>Plymouth</strong> Owners<strong>Club</strong> in which heowned 1946 and1948 SpecialDeluxe four-doorsedans.After retiringin 1988 from theBill Snyder’s 1946Special Deluxe sedan.Bill made stainedglass windows for therear quarter windowsshowing the Mayflower.seating and hose businesses, Bill devoted much of his time torestoring the Eagles building in downtown Bucyrus, working withstained glass, restoring dilapidated homes and businesses as wellas vintage vehicles.Bill volunteered time to remake the stained glass windows fora local school auditorium renovation and a depot restoration project.-- Brian Underwood


<strong>Plymouth</strong>.Brian Underwood mentioned thatWilliam Snyder from Bucyrus had passedaway May 3. He had a 1946 and 1948<strong>Plymouth</strong> Special Deluxe four-door sedansplus other vehicles. -- Brian UnderwoodPrairie RegionOUR MAY 17 MEETING was held duringthe Prairie Region Swap Meet, our annualfund raiser, at the fair grounds in MissouriValley, Iowa, attended by 16 members. Atotal of 28 served as volunteers at the meetunder Chairman Dennis Cutshall.The meeting was called to order byPresident Pat. Following the reports,upcoming activities were discussed includingthe June National Meet in Wisconsinand the Septemberfest in Omaha.To identify ourselves as volunteers atSeptemberfest and elsewhere, we voted toorder three dozen shirts in Hemi orangewith black lettering. There will be a pocket-sizeclub logo of Chimney Rock on thefront of the shirt and the word PLYMOUTHon the back. Pat requested the <strong>Plymouth</strong>club present a trophy for Best Mopar ofShow at the car show. -- Larry StantonOUR JUNE MEETING, Mopars at ThunderMountain, held May 30-31 near Morrisonand Golden, Colorado, was hosted by JimSheaffer. It was another fun weekend ofenjoying our <strong>Plymouth</strong>s and friends.Eleven of our Prairie Region membersattended at this joint event with the RockyMountain Region.We mee Jim for dinner on Fridayevening at Fort Morgan, joining us for chitchat in the parking lot was a Mopar friendof Jim's. On Saturday morning we weremet for breakfast by Stan and CherylBaumgartner and several of Jim’s Moparfriends from the area. Later we journeyedon to the Red Rocks Grill where 45 RockyMountain and Prairie Region membersgathered for lunch. Later we enjoyed theamphitheater, the beautiful mountainscenery and cruising with our old<strong>Plymouth</strong>s.Later, we caravanned to the CusslerCar Museum, an extensive collection ofover 100 significant automobiles, rangingin years from 1906 to 1965. It was startedby renowned best-selling author CliveCussler and is a great collection of rarecars and lots of auto memorabilia.Next on the agenda was Prospect Parkin Morrison for a "Greet and Eat" with theRocky Mountain and WPC members. Weenjoyed lots a great food, drink and conversationwith a fun group of Moparenthusiasts.After a good night’s sleep, we headedfor Bandimere Raceway to participate inMopars at Thunder Mountain in a swapmeet, car show and drag races. The weatherwas great as we walked the many milesof activities. Over 400 cars were at thisevent.The Rocky Mountain POC providedfood and drink throughout the day in twotents, where we had a front row seat foractivities. Great Hosts! We did not get acount but there were many, many Moparlovers enjoying food and lots of greatconversation and sharing.Greg Berkheimer entered his 1963Sports Fury hardtop, Jeff Berkheimer a1967 GTX hardtop and MerrillBerkheimer a 1970 Barracuda convertible.Many of the Rocky Mountain membersentered cars in the show. A real surprisewas Greg winning a second place trophyin the Early B-body class. The cars werejudged by owners of other show cars.About 35 cool Vipers were in theshow and all but three participated in thedrag races. Jay Thomas of the RockyMountain Region drove in the drag raceswith her ‘70s Dart.Thanks go to Jim Sheaffer for hostingand organizing a fun event.-- Bobbi BerkheimerRocky Mountain RegionMAY 8, WOMEN OF ROCKY MOUNTAINREGION LUNCHEON: It was a “hat for alloccasions day” when the women went tolunch at the Country Buffet in Longmont.The hat could be old, new, funky, pretty orwhatever somone came with. We hadquite a good turnout of twelve. This wasthe first ladies-only event for our club.ON MAY 30-31 we attended Mopar atThunder Mountain @ BandimereSpeedway with the Prairie Region fromNebraska and the WPC club.On Saturday, the 30th, the clubs metat beautiful Red Rocks Park andAmphitheater near Morrison, Colorado.The natural amphitheater stage is backedby a large, tilted disc-shaped rock with ahuge vertical rock angled outward fromstage right and several large bouldersangled outward from stage left. Seatingcapacity is for up to 9,450 people.Geologically, the rocks are representativeof the Fountain Formation. The place was-18-known as the “Garden of the Angels” fromthe 1870s-1906 and the “Garden of theTitans” from 1906-1928. “Red Rocks,” asit had always been known locally, becameits formal name in 1928 when the areawas acquired by the City of Denver.Lunch was at the Ship Rock Grill,named after one of the rock formations.The food was great and the view from therestaurant was spectacular. Thirteen fromour club attended with eight members ofthe Berkheimer family and others fromNebraska and the WPC.After lunch, a caravan was formedand led by “Fearless” John Tuthill for atour of the Cussler Museum in Arvada.Next came a picnic hosted by the WPCmembers. Julia Tuthill took charge of puttingtogether great food for all. Of course,good conversation lead to many interestingtales being told and the meeting ofnew friends which is a plus. Speaking ofa plus: there was no rain! Clouds did rollin but that was welcome after a hot day. Itwas nice to cool off.May 31 breakfast was put on by Bettyand Chuck Putnam with the help of fiveothers. Betty’s homemade breakfast burrittoswere a hit along with luscious cinnamonbuns with cream cheese or caramelnut frosting from Santiagos Restaurant inArvada. Afternon snacks of all kinds wereavailable, so no one went hungry.Jay Thomas raced her Dodge Dart anddid well but there was no win this time.Also racing was Jerry Mueller with hisValiant. No win for Jerry either. JeffBerkheimer won the follow-up award forhis GTX.We look forward to Labor Day weekendwhen we will be enjoying theNebraska folks in their backyard.-- Betty PutnamTall Pines RegionWE HELD OUR MAY MEETING on the 17that the home of Rich and Carol Tetzlaffnear Scandia, Minnesota. A wonderful,warm sunny day greeted us along withRich’s ’56 Fords (Sunliner and pickup), aswell as his ‘36 P2four-door and ‘73 FuryIII which were on display in the yard.Seven old Mopars arrived carrying a totalof 12 members. Two more arrived in theirmodern car. Since the weather was sonice, we took plenty of time outdoors forvisiting and car talk.After that, we got down to our businessmeeting. After reports were given,our club expressed condolences to Jeff


Juneau on the recent passing of his brother.For our 2009 Fall Foliage Tour, wedecided to go back to our original plan ofgoing to the Duluth/North Shore area withRoger and Marion McLean doing theplanning. Following that, we discussedthree more upcoming meets, events andtours.We all enjoyed a delicious potluckdinner with thanks to Rich and Carol forhosting us.-- Happy <strong>Plymouth</strong>ing,Rog & Jean Ramberg“MY PLYMOUTHTHINGS(Tune: My Favorite Things)by Margie AmosGolden State Region<strong>Plymouth</strong>s in driveways,With cold weather covers,Bright shiny paint jobsAn’ fabric interiors,Chroming the bumper,Tune ups and brakes,These are a few of my <strong>Plymouth</strong> things.Cream colored Cranbrooks,An’ apple red Furys,Gold trim on Dusters,An’ Valiants with sixes,I glide on the road in my P–15,These are a few of my <strong>Plymouth</strong> things.Worn out shop coats,All greasy and dirty,Waxing and working,To make my car pretty,White side wall tires,Titanium springs,These are a few of my <strong>Plymouth</strong> things.When the weather’s bad,When the money’s tight,When I’m feelin’ mad,I simply remember my <strong>Plymouth</strong> things,And then I don’t feel so sad.Once again, given this issue’s theme, welook at Margie’s “My <strong>Plymouth</strong> Things,”even though the summertime weather mayreally not be so bad.Member RememberedTHE REV. ARNOLD J. TIEFENBACH, Regina, Saskatchewan, diedJune 7 at age 96. Aside from taking his post-secondary education atColumbus, Ohio; Dubuque, Iowa; and Columbus University in NewYork City, he remained a life-long resident of Saskatchewan.Ordained into the Lutheran ministry in 1942, he served parishes inthe province and taught religion, science and Latin at Luther College high school inRegina.Told by a doctor in 1972 that he should find a hobby, Arnold bought and restored a1927 Star. Then, a ‘36 <strong>Plymouth</strong> resting in the woods of his wife Marjorie’s home farmin Minnesota caught his eye. (The story of his acquisition and restoration of this carcan be found in PLYMOUTH BULLETIN 164, pages 26-27.)This is where your editor enters the story. I was serving as assistant pastor atChrist Lutheran Church, sharing an office with Marge, who was the parish secretary(two Norwegian Lutherans from Minnesota, we were more than figments of GarrisonKeillor’s imagination). I had purchased an engine from another parishioner who hadone in an unused combine on his home farm. This became the time I discovered thatChrysler had built two sizes of the flathead six: 23 inches and 25 inches in length.Being a Canadian-built car, my ‘49 had the longer engine. The combine engine had the23-inch block. Since Arnold needed the shorter engine, he purchased it instead of me.Arnold was of the make-do-with-what-you’ve-got school of restoration; borne,likely, of his Great Depression experiences. The upholstery, for instance, came from anold car coat and remnants of his sons’ trousers and backed by layers of defunct politicalcampaign signs. Instructions on how he made the gas tank for his ‘36 appear inBULLETIN 203 on page 30.Once completed (but never finished,as Arnold wrote), the <strong>Plymouth</strong>was taken on a 1200-mile round-trip toAshby, Minnesota, for Marge’s 50thhigh school reunion. Later, they drovethe car to Alberta for the 1990 POCNational Meet in Calgary.His son, Mark, has inheritedArnold’s <strong>Plymouth</strong> and POC membership.His son Karl wrote in his father’sobituary: “Arnold was a gentle man1990 National Spring Meet in Calgarywho will be remembered for many things: his faithful service to God and Church, thegreat joy he derived from family, the hours spent with his antique cars, and most especially,his unfailing wry humour and dry wit.” I enjoyed that wit and humor, as well asgenerosity and hospitality, of a man with whom I could discuss cars and theology at thesame time.Arnold was predeceased by his wife Marjorie. In addition to Mark and Karl,Arnold is survived by his daughter Joan and son Peter, eleven grandchildren and twogreat-granddaughters.-- Lanny KnutsonThe 1950 P20sedan of LongIsland Regionalpresident, PeterMarks. Thephoto was takenduring theregion’s co-sponsoredshowWheels & Wingsof Hope.-19-


Benji's OdditiesBuilding, pedals& photosALOCALMAN, David Hillman,made a trip to New York City.While there, he lost his NorthDakota driver’s license and called mefrom NYC to see what he could do toget another one. Because he was sightseeing,I told him that if he got close tothe Chrysler Building I’d like him totake some photos for me.Two years after his trip, he stoppedme at the local post office and said,“I’ve got something for you in the pickup.”He went out and retrieved an envelopewith two photos of the ChryslerBuilding.He had been in a cab and had mentionedto the driver that he wanted tostop and get photos of the place for afriend. The cabbie parked, blockingtraffic, so David could get the photos!I had never seen an actual colorphoto of the place before; just postcardtypephotos.THE PEDAL CARCAR PHOTOSOS are of a cardone by late club member Clarence"Louver" Braunberger of Fargo, NorthDakota. Clarence and two of his sons,Wayne and Glenn, ran a body shop inFargo. An old hot-rodder, Clarencehad a louver press at the shop anddecided the pedal car would look goodwith a louvered hood.Clarence was so famous for his louvers,he had the word LOUVER on hislicense plates. Many people actuallythought his real name was Louver!Clarence passed away on December 15,2008.Clarence’s s pedal car is aMurray, the same make as theMorellis’ Pedal <strong>Plymouth</strong> inBULLETIN 294. Although givingthe car an obviously differentinterpretation, Clarence stillcalled his a <strong>Plymouth</strong>.-20-Granddaughter BrynnGranddaughter Brynn at the wheelwith Grandpa Jim.THE PHOTO OF THE1933 PLYMOUTHYMOUTHTHE 1933 Pon the display stand that appeared onpage 7 of BULLETIN 291 caught myattention -- not because it was a colorphoto of a ‘33 <strong>Plymouth</strong> but because ofthe interesting background.First, I have to say I’ve never seen acopy of Chrysler Management, the inhousepublication in which the originalphoto appeared. It has to be one of themany magazines published by Chryslerover the years that has disappeared ashad the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Sales Promoter,Overseas Graphic (for Chrysler’s exportdealers) and others.After a few minutes of searching, Ifound the photo. It is of a prototype1934 PE sitting on the very same displaystand. I had first seen this photosome years ago when a club membercontacted me, saying he’d received thephoto from Chrysler after he had askedfor photos of a ‘34 PE <strong>Plymouth</strong>. Whenhe saw the photo, he knew the car picturedwasn’t a “real” ‘34 <strong>Plymouth</strong>.Close examination revels a straightfront axle (more readily seen in otherphotos I have since located that hadbeen taken of the same car in the samelocation). It also has ‘33 <strong>Plymouth</strong> wirewheels and hub caps and an unusual“bi-plane” front bumper with a split inthe middle. Also, the headlamps areadorned with fins that are much largerand more elongated than the fin used onproduction ‘34 <strong>Plymouth</strong>s, and the carhas externally mounted wind wingsrather than the built-in vent windowsused on production PE models.The background is exactly the sameas that in the ‘33 photo sent by Michael


Owens. This begs the question: Is the‘33 pictured in Chrysler Management a“real” production car or anther prototype?Are there any other model year<strong>Plymouth</strong>s taken against this backdrop?-- Jim BenjaminsonEditor’s s notes:DON BUTLER’S BOOK, The <strong>Plymouth</strong>and DeSoto Story, shows, on page 53, a1932 DeSoto seven-passenger sedanpictured in front of the same backdrop.MARV RAGUSE, member and Chrysleremployee, says the following about thestaging of those photos:The photo was shot against thenorth wall on the second floor ofthe six-story Engineering Buildingin Highland Park, Michigan. At thetime the building was only fourstories high. It’s not a factoryphoto, per se; I would call it anEngineering picture.On the north one-third of thefloor, a showroom or display areawas created. Other marketing shotsof the period also originated there.Years later, I was determined tofind where these pictures had beentaken and, much to my surprise, Idiscovered that my office wasabout 30 feet south of where thecar in the picture was resting. Allis now gone.I have, in my collection, many"original" black and white picturestaken of this early PC. The picturesare numbered PC3, PC4,PC5, etc.Notice that production hubcapswere not available yet for theshoot.PBThis winter hunting display of a ‘33 PDconvertible was staged in the same area asthe above photos. Note the curtains in thebackgroud similar to those between whichthe Chrysler logo center piece had beeninstalled for the display photos.FROM THE COLLECTION OF MARV RAGUSE, THIS PHOTOAPPEARED IN BULLETIN 173.-21-


Chrysler Factory Employee Badgesby Rob ElliottCalgary, AlbertaIhave collected several badges from these plants: Chrysler Corporation of Canada Limited; Chrysler Motors California; ChryslerCorporation, <strong>Plymouth</strong> Division; Chrysler, New Castle, Indiana; Chrysler Jefferson Avenue Plant, Detroit.<strong>Plymouth</strong> Motor Corporation, employee #78-165This was the first factory badge that I bought. I was working in Sandusky,Michigan, in 1990. On Sundays I would venture into Detroit. While wanderingthrough a flea market, my eye caught this employee badge. Other tableshad Ford and GM badges but this was theonly Chrysler or <strong>Plymouth</strong> badge I couldfind. The same flea market yielded a pair ofForward Look cufflinks. These started mycollection of Chrysler employee badges andForward Look items.The badge backs are typically unmarked;the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Motor Corporation, <strong>Plymouth</strong>Detroit Assembly Plant and Dodge Truckhave BASTIAN BROTHERS, ROCHESTER, N.Y.,stamped on the badge back. The AutomotiveBody Division pin has WHITEHEAD HOAG, NEWARK, N.J., PATENT AUG 2 2(?) (The lastdate digit is not visible.) The later <strong>Plymouth</strong> and Dodge plastic badges have instructionsas where to wear the badge and a return address. The engine division badgeback is blank.Early <strong>Plymouth</strong> badgeA brief chronologyOnas a 1926 model, was manufactured at Highland Park. In 1928 the6, 1925, Walter Chrysler bought Maxwell shares to form theChrysler Corporation. The Chrysler Four, introduced in July of 1925OnJuneChrysler Four was named <strong>Plymouth</strong>.The first production <strong>Plymouth</strong> was built June 11, 1928, as a Model Q, inHighland Park. By the end of 1928, 58,000 cars had been shipped to over 5,000Chrysler dealerships. Chrysler acquired Dodge Brothers on July 31, 1928.The Model Q ceased production on February 4, 1929, at 66,097 units. TheLynch Road plant started <strong>Plymouth</strong> production on December 28, 1929.Chrysler building construction started in 1929. In March, 1930, <strong>Plymouth</strong> MotorCorporation became a division of Chrysler Corporation, and Dodge and DeSoto dealerswere permitted to sell <strong>Plymouth</strong> cars.Walter Percy Chrysler died on August18, 1940, at 65 years of age.Chrysler Corporation of Canada, Limited, started production at the existingMaxwell-Chalmers plant in Windsor, Ontario, in June 1925 with 181 employees.The Jefferson Plant started producing DeSotos in June 1933.The New Castle, Indiana, Plant, a former Maxwell plant, started productionAugust13, 1907. This plant was one of the six original plants of the 1925 ChryslerCorporation.Los Angeles, California, assembly plant started <strong>Plymouth</strong> production on June15,1933. Chrysler acquired the Dodge Brothers and Graham Brothers assembly plant inStockton, California.Mound Road Engine Division started production of the <strong>Plymouth</strong> V8 in 1955.<strong>Plymouth</strong> Division badgeDATES AND PRODUCTION NUMBERS ARE SOURCED FROMChrysler: The life and times of an automotive genius BY VINCENT CURCIOAND FROM THE allpar.com WEBSITE.Chrysler Automotive Body Division badge-22-


Chrysler Canada badgeTwo higher numbered <strong>Plymouth</strong> Division badgesIndividual plant badgesCalifornia plant badgeNew Castle, Indiana, plant badgeJefferson Avenue (Detroit) plant badgePlant employee badges from the 1960sDodge Truck plant badgefront and rear<strong>Plymouth</strong> Detroit assembly plant badgefront and rearMound Road Engine plant badgeForward Look money clip [BELOW]-23-


<strong>Plymouth</strong> postcardsby Michael OwensAustin, Texas meowens@austin.rr.comIwant to share an aspect of the old car hobbythat I enjoy: Chrysler dealer postcards. I haveover sixty from the Chrysler stable, going back tothe teens--and mostly <strong>Plymouth</strong>-Chrysler,<strong>Plymouth</strong>-Dodge, and <strong>Plymouth</strong>-DeSoto--butfour of them are from those rare <strong>Plymouth</strong>-onlydealerships. A couple of them have interestingdealer messages on the back. None was posted.NORTHWOOD PLYMOUTH, 23100 WOODWARD, INFERNDALE (Michigan). Its message refers to THEEXCLUSIVE NORTHWOOD MARK I. YOU MAY OWNTHIS EXCITING-BREATHTAKING NEW PLYMOUTH FORONLY $1959.58 AT ONLY $44.59 PER MO. Have youever heard of the Northwood MARK I? Theshowroom signs are advertising the 1959 models.PILGRIM PLYMOUTH, 1170 NORTHERN BLVD.,MANHASSET, L.I. (NEW YORK), PHONE MA7-6880. Their slogan is PLYMOUTH IS OUR ONLYBUSINESS. They are also advertising 1959 cars.POWELL PLYMOUTH, 2934 PHILLIPS HIWAY,JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. On the back of the card theiraddress is also listed as 2934 KINGS AVE. There’s a1963 Valiant on the left side.FLATLANDS PLYMOUTH, 2222 FLATBUSH AVENUE(BETWEEN AVE. R & FILLMORE AVE), BROOKLYN, NY.NEW YORK STATE’S LARGEST PLYMOUTH DEALER. I likethis one the best because of the ‘67 Fury Fastop infront.I’m hoping one day to find a postcard or photo ofAnderson Motors Chrysler-<strong>Plymouth</strong> in Burlington,New Jersey. I grew up in Burlington in the 1950s and‘60s. My dad was a friend of Mr. Anderson and hisson-in-law, whose name escapes me (Ed “something”).This dealership was unique in that it was in the middleof the block on High St. (I think), and the used car“lot” was actually in the back of the building in largecovered garage. We moved to Texas in 1968 and Ibelieve that Mr. Anderson closed down a couple ofyears later as Chrysler had opened up a new “modern,improved” dealership a few miles away on Route 130. PB-24-


PlyTech1933 PC/PDAir Cleaner DecalOval or Square?InDirector, Earl Buton,289, ourillustrious TechnicalInBULLETINand his son, Jeff, wrote a terrificarticle on the correctrestored condition of the<strong>Plymouth</strong> engine compartmentand included photos of decalsnow available for the air cleaner,oil filter and crankcasebreather.I've never had even a hintof a decal on my ‘33 PC aircleaner. It must have departedmany years before I acquiredthe car. Thus, I proceeded tostrip the air cleaner’s paint tomake it ready for the renewalof the black paint and decal.I decided to use some oven cleanerto clean the copper “Brillo pad” air filterelement in the bottom. I've included aphoto of the result. I never thought thecopper would come up so bright!Perhaps this bright condition of the copperair cleaner element shouldbe included in judging?In any case, I keptstripping the paint offthe air cleaner bonnetand, to my surprise, Ifound a “ghost”imprint of the originaldecal, but it’s notthe oval one(#DD0328); it’s square.I’m now guessing thatmy PC air cleaner had theblue and white ‘32 PB “washthe copper gauze” (#DD0592) decal onit. I've included a photo of the strippedbonnet, and you can quite clearly makeout the square decal imprint.My PC is a very-early-in-1933 production#42, possibly part of the firstday’s run. Although it was assembled inWindsor, Ontario, the air cleaner isstamped with MADE IN USA on the bottomnear the venturi collar, so it’s not aproduction anomaly fromCanada.I'm going to stick myneck out and say thatthe 1932 PB decalwas brought overinto the first part ofthe ‘33 run and atsome undefined pointin the PC/PD production,when <strong>Plymouth</strong>switched over to theoval version, they possiblyhad an excess of PB decals andwanted to use them up before movingon to the oval type. As we all know,<strong>Plymouth</strong> wasted nothing. This wouldn’tbe their first part holdover from aprevious model.Since I found a square outline of theoriginal decal on my PC aircleaner, I put on the PB decalafter repainting the bonnet ingloss black. I've included aphoto of the finished job.So, if you strip your air cleanerand find a square imprint or anoval imprint, I would put on thecorresponding shaped decal aswe will now recognize eitherdecal as being correct for 1933.I would also like to hear fromanybody replacing their aircleaner decal. If you could sendme your car’s serial number(VIN) and indicate whether youfound a square or oval decalimprint, I would appreciate it.And just an added item. Thereis some question as to what theoriginal air cleaner looked likefor a ‘33 PC or PD. The so-called “helmet-shaped”air cleaner in these photosis the only correct air cleaner for a 1933<strong>Plymouth</strong> regardless of body style. Ifyou don’t believe me, look it up in theside pocket manual. As the Rev.Standley used to say, “It’s in the book!”-- Robert Davis1933 Tech. TAdvisorPS: Your tech advisor has been feeling a littlebit older lately. Last October I wentdown to the mailbox to find a letter from thefederal government which,after I duly filledout the reply, I sent back to Canada Pensionsin Ottawa. In October of this year I willreceive my first Old Age Pension cheque.Holy smokes Batman, where has the timegone! Oh well, those who hear me on thephone say I don’t sound 65; many who meetme in person say I don’t look 65; and mywife Pat says I don’t act it either. Ouch!I’m ahead of you, Bob. I’ve been gettingthose cheques for almost a year now. -- LDK-25-


PlyLitThe LittleOwner’s ManualIhave been collecting all forms of<strong>Plymouth</strong> and <strong>Plymouth</strong>-relatedChrysler Corporation literature forbetter than forty years. Starting withthat passion and a very young family, Ifound that it soon was necessary to sellliterature to support the hobby withouttaking away from the family.In the 1960s and 1970s, one of themost asked-for items was the 1934owner’s manual. As many of us nowknow, that year was when ChryslerCorporation came out with their firstservice manual and changed the formatof the owner’s manual from an 80-to-95-page -- a very comprehensive bookwith many helpful pictures and specs --to a much smaller size, 28-page booklet.The latter had absolutely no pictures andgave just a general overview of the car.Because they were of little value, manyof these owners’ manuals were probablythrown out.With the permission of ChryslerCorporation -- yes, I still have their letterdated April 17, 1970 -- I had severalgroups of good quality copies of the D-2411, which covers the PE and PF modelswith steering knuckles, etc, professionallyprinted. Over the years, I havesold over 2,000 copies of the1934owner’s manual. And now the plotthickens…I AM FIRST AND FOREMOST a collector.To this day, I will always check anew item purchased against what Ialready have to see which one is betteror if there are any differences. You canimagine my great horror in checking tofind a D-2411 book talking about axles(PG models) and not steering knuckles.In looking over these manuals duringthe last 38 years, I have found and collectednine different variations (someminor). In doing that, I uncover the factthat the Little Owner’s Manual was usedfor the last of the 1933 and thefirst of the 1935 model year. Ihave documented them, listing them bycomplete packets and the items within.The key to what they were used for is-26-1933 PC Standard literature -- above, top1934 PE and PF literature -- above, below leftThe 10-page differenceference between the 1934PE/PF and PG manuals


the license data charts which call outmodels:• 1933 PC Standard * cars after S/#1,817,101 (envelope #2455) (ID card) (O/MD-2411) (OSP D-2424) (License Data D-2413)• 1934 PE & PF (OM tan D-2411 w/caution)(L/D D-2562) (ID card)• 1934 PE & PF (envelope #2568) (O/M tanD-2411) (ID card)• 1934 PG (O/M grey D-2411 w/cautioninsert * Axles)• 1934 PG (O/M tan D-2411 w/caution insert* Axles)• 1934 PG (O/M grey D-2411 w/personalmessage * Axles)• 1934 PE & PF (envelope #2595) (O/M D-3054) (OSP D-2424) (ID card) (License DataD-2933 July 1934) (has caution in text -- notglued in)• 1935 PJ (envelope, stamped #3145 *D-2595 was crossed out) (O/M D-3054)(License Data D-3134 November 1934)• 1935 PJ (envelope D-3143) (O/M tan D-3054) (OSP D-2424 Rev 11-34)(ID card)(License Data D-3134 Dec 1934)1935 PJ literature -- above, belowI HAVESEEN one 1934 PG license datasheet which was with a car at a showand was not for sale. I continue tosearch for them and the correctenvelopes. There are two different sizesof ID cards. The first is 3.375 x 1.875with square corners, and the second is3.687 x 2.187 with rounded corners.Well, that is what I have for informationon the Little Owner’s Manual. Ihope at least some of you have found itof some interest. I certainly haveenjoyed collecting them and, now, sharingthem with you.-- Andy WeimannHarwinton, ConnecticutArtwork by the late Don Butler, done for the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Owners <strong>Club</strong>and appearing in his book, The <strong>Plymouth</strong> and DeSoto Story, Crestview, 1978.-27-


My 1936 P1 business coupeby Bill McLeanOrillia, OntarioIpurchased my 1936 P1 businesscoupe in 1980. The factthat it is an unrestored vehiclewas a definite attraction to me. Itserved my wife and me very wellat many car club functions untilour children arrived on the scene.Two adults and two children donot fit comfortably into a businesscoupe! Therefore, a 1936 P2 touringsedan was purchased in 1987.The P2 was driven to the 1988and 1998 Grand National Meets in<strong>Plymouth</strong>, Michigan. It also is anoriginal vehicle.Now that the children are grown and outof the house, the P1 coupe has been seeingmuch more use. The decision was made totake it to the 2008 Grand National Meet. We livein Orillia, Ontario, just over 300 miles from Detroit,so the jaunt was not too taxing for the car or the driver. Wetook a leisurely and scenic cross-country route to avoid majorhighways. The car runs nicely at 50 miles per hour. We don’tpush it too hard. The ferry ride across the St. Clair River toMarine City, Michigan, was one highlight of the drive down.To say that the vehicle is original is correct, but the vehicleis a little tired. The paint has been worn down in manyplaces, only small vestiges of the ivory-coloured pinstripingremain, the upholstery is a little tattered and the occasionalpuffs of smoke out of the tailpipe remind me that the engineno longer has its factory tolerances. The odometer reads55,750 miles, but undoubtedly is on itssecond time around.The car has a <strong>Plymouth</strong> Blue bodymounted on black fenders and chassis.<strong>Plymouth</strong> Blue is very dark. In fact, itis so dark that I thought the car was allblack when I purchased it.Of the 520,334 <strong>Plymouth</strong>s producedfor 1936, 92,835 were P1 business models,and of those, 26,856 vehicles wereP1 business coupes. My coupe wasbuilt at the Windsor, Ontario, plant.The P1 model was advertised at apurchase price of $510. Mine has onlyone windshield wiper, only one taillight,no oil filter, no heater, no trumpet horns,no passenger side sunvisor, no ashSTEVE BAROSKO PHOTOThe standard hood ornament for 1936-28-Recipient of a special award from the GoldenState Region’s Larry LaBrack at the 2008 GrandNational Meet, Bill McLean now tells his car’s fullstory.trays, no chrome rings around the headlights ortaillight, no stainless inserts or pinstriping on theheadlight stanchions, and it currently sports the very plain“standard” hood ornament rather than the ship ornament seenon most 1936s.In addition to the above, there is a surprising number ofdifferences between my P1 business coupe and the P2 Deluxemodel. The two most obvious differences between my P1 andP2 (other than the body styles) are 1) 17-inch steel artillerywheels rather than 16-inch; and 2) the reversed colours of theinstrument cluster – white letters on a black backgroundinstead of the more common black letters on white.Some of the more e subtle differferences: ences:• the bumpers are a simpler style that isless decorative• the instrument light switch has only onand off positions with no intermediateposition• there is no woodgraining on the dashor window moldings (just plain brownpaint)• the dash knobs are stainless steelrather than the mother-of-pearl finish onthe P2s• the shock absorbers are an inferiorsingle acting design• there is no bypass on the water pump• the thermostat and housing are smaller• the hub caps are a different design• the generator has a cut out rather than


LANNY KNUTSON PHOTOMcLean’s s pair of 1936 <strong>Plymouth</strong>s: his P2 sedan on the left; his P1 coupe on the right, both on display at the 1991 National Summer Meet atBrampton, Ontario, outside of Toronto. Below, Bill drives the P1 up for its official photo.a regulator• even the brackets holding the hood rodin place are differentThe car has given us a great deal of pleasureover the years. So far I have been ableto resist the urge to paint it!PBSTEVE BARASKO PHOTOSOn the showfield of the 2008 Grand NationalMeet in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with its neighboring<strong>Plymouth</strong>s, clockwise from lower left: DeanSkinner’s 1948 P15C club coupe, Richard Kulzer’s1948 P15C two-door sedan, Ed Juneau’s 1948P15C club coupe and tom Kayser’s 1937 P4 convertible.-29-


Our PJ’sMovieAdventureby Ed HovorkaMundelein, IllinoisInever thought about being in the movies; not until thispast January when I received an email stating thatUniversal Studios was looking for picture cars for theirnew movie. I replied and received an email saying: “Veryinterested, send pictures.” A later email from car captainHoward Bachrach said “Huge response, taking longer toreview, will let you know.”“Oh well, that ends that!” I thought. February and Marchpassed with no word until the evening of April 2nd when I gota call. “Hello Ed, how are you doing?” Started to hang up onan assumed telemarketer, I heard her say “this is Kris fromUniversal Studios.” She now had my full attention! Theywanted us April 3rd, for a call time of 3:00 PM at State andGoethe in Chicago.Julie and I arrived on time, escorted by daughter Rita inher “modern” VW. We parked in the tent reserved for us, andthere I met club member Jim Reed with his 1934 <strong>Plymouth</strong>coupe and a new friend, George Niespodzianski, with a 1933<strong>Plymouth</strong> sedan. I also made some friends who were drivingother brands -- didn’t want to discriminate!We were taken to the costume area wherewe were dressed for the scene and then to aholding area. By 11:00 PM, Julie and Ritawent home, as they had to work next day. Istayed with the group until 2:00 AM whenthey took us to eat at a buffet in a school gymwhich had anything you could want. At 3:00AM they took us back to the cars. While wewere gone Vinnie had “aged“ the cars with adust-like coating and blacked out the whitewalls and anybright paint or metal.We then caravanned to an Art Deco hotel and parked infront. Cordless drills whirred as they removed all modernsignage and installed vintage street lights. This scene was ofa New Yea’rs party. About 50 background people walked thestreet and a group of old cars circled the block as the filmingbegan. Our PJ was in the center of the scene, so I had to getout of the car and wait on a side street. It was 35 degrees andlight rain. We were released at 7:00 AM and went home.I was called again April 7th and 8th to go to Wabash andWashington. The car was parked on the street as backgroundas they filmed on the fifth floor of the building across thestreet. This was next to the “L” tracks. Late at night they ranan antique car down the tracks.Kevin, the production supervisor, gave Julie a personaltour of the filming that night, and she got to see ChristianBale who plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis.The scene was the same on the 8th, but it was summernow, so we wore short sleeves and had our windows rolleddown.We were called again May 22nd and 23rd. The 22nd wasa day shoot at Logan Square, where Dillinger meets his girlfriends to decide what movie they would see. The filmingstarts with stand-in people to set things up for the actors. Inthe holding area, we hung out with the stand-ins for Polly(LeLe Ssbieski) and Ana Sage (Branca Kotich). We sawJohnny Depp for the first time. That night we stayed in adowntown hotel.The 23rd was the first night at the Biograph Theater onLincoln Avenue. The call time was at 4:00 PM. The workerswere like ants all over the street. Theyrebuilt the whole block, restoring it to a1934 appearance. The National Tea grocerywas stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables!The street was paved with bricksand streetcar tracks were installed. Thisnight we were in a group of cars that droveup and down the street all night. We werereleased at 7:00 AM and I went home andslept.Then there was a call-back for May 27th-30th. It was thesame scene. Our cars were stored in an old warehouse duringthe day, and we were put up in a nearby hotel. We had justenough time to grab some breakfast, sleep, shower,microwave the lunch they had given us the night before.Then we had to get back for the 4:00 PM call time. We did thesame scene every night. It became known as the “LincolnLap,” or “The Lincoln 500.” We were released again at 7:00AM Saturday morning, the 31st, and went home.June 4th brought us back to the Biograph with a call time-30-


of 4:00 PM. My driving chores varied from driving back andforth doing U-turns at the end of the block; sometimes I wasparked. Then at the finish I would start from in front of thetheater when the guns go off and Dillinger is killed, then drivenorth to the end of the block. When they said “cut,” I had tostop and back up the car to the theater… again and again andagain. We saw Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and other actorsevery night, but we were not allowed to talk to them.One night MichaelMann and JohnnyDepp had a conferenceright in front of thecar, but no cameraswere allowed on set!The Biograph scenewas wrapped up June4th.We were called again for a June 9th day scene on Clarkand Hubbard. It was a “cold winter day” so Costume put usin heavy woolen overcoats and we had to rollup the windows. It was about 90 degreesthat day, so every time they said “cut” Iwould bail out of the car to get some air. Inthis scene the FBI catches Dillinger’s girlfriend,Billie Frechette, and hauls her awayto jail as Dillinger watches. Billie is playedby Marion Cotillard, best actress in 2007.We saw a lot of her and Depp that day.On June 23rd we were called to Californiaand Augusta in Humboldt Park. On this setwe were told to “stick together, don’t wanderoff” and we had a police officer with us allday. He put on his vest whenit got dark. The Screen Actors Guild wenton strike July 1, so they crammed to finishby the end of June.And so our adventure came to an end. Julieand I had put in about 160 hours and haddriven our <strong>Plymouth</strong> over 300 miles on theset. I remember the calls: “PICTURE’S UP” (start theengine, be ready for anything!); “ROLLING” (cameras arerunning); “BACKGROUND” (background people start walking);“CARS” (begin driving); “ACTION” (the actors begintheir scenes); “CUT” ( stop, go back and do it again).What a ride!Watch forPublic Enemiesdue in theatersJuly 2009.Not the car but the soundIwas contacted in August, 2007, by Warner Brothers Studios. They were in a jam. AngLee's movie, Lust Caution, had completed filming and was scheduled for release thatOctober. They had discovered that the sound recordings of the 1942 <strong>Plymouth</strong>, used inmany of the scenes, were very poor. They were trying to find a <strong>Plymouth</strong> with the sameengine, but restored to a like-new condition so that the sounds would be more realistic.They came across my website and saw my comments about the "zero mile" P15 engine Ihad installed in my restored P15. Thesent a sound crew up to Santa Maria andwe recorded for a full day. I did all thedriving for the recording sessions. Mywife and I saw the movie and found thatthey had used my car’s recording for notonly the ‘42 <strong>Plymouth</strong>, but for several-31-other cars in the movie. It was a very funexperience. -- David Maxwell


Memberin theMoviesby Paul HorchWinnipeg, ManitobaInduring November and December ofmovie The Hessen Affair, someof which was filmed in WinnipegInthe2007, Winnipeg doubles for New York circa1946. The plot concerns a jewel robbery andis based on actual occurrences.Would you believe that not one single<strong>Plymouth</strong> was available for the filming? (Theeditor’s ‘49 was scouted for the movie butdeemed too new.)There were about 30 cars of the ‘30s andearly ‘40s representing many Americanmakes. Included are photos of the Dodge andChrysler cars used in the movie. Some, aslate as 1947, would pass as 1946 models inkeeping with the time period of the film.Paul Horch with his 1939 Dodge (Canadian-built but of the American style) on locationon Winnipeg’s Memorial Drive. Blackwall decals cover the car’s whitewall tires.On location a 1947 Dodge limo drives down Memorial Drive as Winnipeg doubles forNew York City. That’s a camera truck in the lower left of the picture.-32-A 1947 Chrysler awaits action.


Dodges abound: the ‘39 of Paul Horchis posed for feature shots at the ManitobaLegislature steps.The closest a <strong>Plymouth</strong> came to being inthe movie was this 1942 D23 businesscoupe featuring a Dodge-type grille on a<strong>Plymouth</strong> body. Sadly, this car was laterdestroyed in a garage fire believed to havebeen caused by arson.A 1938 Dodge rests in the parking garage.Not one but two ‘47 Dodge limos werefound for movie duty.-33-


My Granddad’s<strong>Plymouth</strong>A parable by Kay Nortonas written by Harold NortonTucson, ArizonaMyfastback, begins whenabout the familycar, a1950 P19 DeluxeMystorymy grandfather drove the car to my parent’shome in December l950. This wassoon after he had purchased the car for$1,800 at a local dealership in Bethesda,Maryland, having traded his 1941 maroon Dodgesedan. The 1941 Dodge was the only transportation my parentsand grandparents had during and immediately after WorldWar II. For me, this car was a special treat, as the it smelled-34-new and its color was abright green, calledChannel Green, whichshined brilliantly in thesun. Well, this was myintroduction to the<strong>Plymouth</strong> and a long personalhistory that has ledthe car down an interestingpath, including winningseveral national andlocal awards.First, let me backup a few years to bringyou into the picture. Mygrandfather taught me todrive the <strong>Plymouth</strong> on anold road that laterbecame the CapitalBeltway aroundWashington, D.C. I thentook my only driver testwith this car. I passedwith flying colors andhave been driving eversince, in the USA andoverseas. While I wasgoing to college, mygrandfather let me usethe <strong>Plymouth</strong> to car pool with friends, one ofwhom later became my husband. A furtherinteresting point about the <strong>Plymouth</strong> wasits participation a few years later in theGrand Bicentennial Parade inWashington, D.C., on July 4, 1976. Wereceived a jolly greeting in front of theVice-president Rockefeller’s reviewingstand from our friend, Willard Scott, who,dressed as George Washington, stopped theparade to chat briefly.Years later, when my grandfather was in his 80s, hedecided to stop driving and called to see if I would like tohave the car. My answer was an immediate yes, so my husbandand I hightailed it to Maryland to pick up the car andbring it to our two-garage house in the Virginia countryside.The other side of the garage was soon filled with my husband’s1939 Lincoln Zephyr four-door sedan. After somehard work to condition the <strong>Plymouth</strong>, I showed the car at variousmeets. That began its winning process by taking my firstnational <strong>Plymouth</strong> award and other local trophies in the1970s.However, everything had to be placed on hold, as myhusband was transferred to Nairobi, Kenya, in l981. The carwas placed in a mothball condition and stored in a recentlybuilt large garage at a friend’s house. When it became evidentthat we would not return to the USA soon, our friendarranged for the car to be stored in a heated garage in themountains of eastern Pennsylvania. There it remained untilApril, 2001, when my husband went east to trailer the


<strong>Plymouth</strong> and LincolnZephyr to Tucson,Arizona, where we hadretired. When he wentto pick up the car fromthe storage location, hefound the moths hadeaten the fabric, and thebrakes were frozen.That made for a delicatesituation as heloaded the car on thetrailer for the four-daytrip from Pennsylvaniato Arizona.It soon becameobvious that the<strong>Plymouth</strong> would needsome work to restore it to pristine condition. Being new toArizona, we began the restoration by asking club memberswhere we could get this and that work done. We found thatthe engine, which has 105,000 miles, and other critical partsof the <strong>Plymouth</strong>, did not need major work. Although we werein the early stages of the restoration, we decided to participatein the National AACA Founders Tour of Arizona, which covereda large part of the state. On the first day out, while wewere traveling through the White Apache Indian Reservationin northern Arizona, we were hit not once, but twice, byanother vehicle, which extensively damaged the driver’s sideof the car and shook both of us quite a bit. After all the policework was done, my husband looked over the car and foundthat it was driveable, so we proceeded down the road andcompleted the tour.We realized the damage provided us with an opportunityto have the repair work done to bring the car up to nationaljudging standards. While taking damaged parts off the car, wefound several large holes underneath the front and back seats,the wiring for the whole car badly worn, that lots of thechrome was pitted, that new upholstery and head liner wererequired and new tires were needed to replace the older tiresthat were barely used since they were bought in the 1970s.Then, there were a number of small jobs to be done on variouslocations around the car.Well, the hard work paid off, as we were awarded the firstnational junior trophy in 2007 followed by a national senioraward in 2008 at AACAnational meets. Thesewere our first nationaltrophies since we wereawarded first prizes bythe <strong>Plymouth</strong> 4 and 6Cylinder <strong>Club</strong> (forerunnerto the <strong>Plymouth</strong>Owners <strong>Club</strong>) at theNew Hope,Pennsylvania, andOwensboro, Kentucky,shows in the mid 1970s.In September this year,we plan to present ourcar for the NationalAACA Preservationaward. Also, we haveearned a number of trophies from local, regional and Arizonacar shows and meets. When the next national <strong>Plymouth</strong>Owners <strong>Club</strong> meet comes to the western states, we hope toshow the car.The other day, I was saying to myself that Granddadwould be pleased to see his car restored to its original condition.It continues to receive praises from and revive nostalgicmemories for meet attendees and honks on the road, whichremind me of the day he drove this car to my parent’s houseso long ago. My Granddad was proud of the fact that manyNASCAR racers used this type of <strong>Plymouth</strong> to win races untilthe high compression engines emerged on the scene. I thinkhe is smiling now.Background:The car was assembled in Detroit, Michigan,in late November, 1950, and purchased in early December,1950. It is a 1950 <strong>Plymouth</strong> P19 two-door Deluxe fastback.The total 1950 car production of this body style was 67,584.Less than 5,000 were produced after my granddad’s car. Total<strong>Plymouth</strong> production of all body styles in l950 was 610,936cars.Options purchased for the car include a heater, a radio, aFram oil filter, a cigarette lighter and turn signals; color:Channel Green.PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY DON SPIRO OF TUCSON, ARIZONA-35-


The Ace of CabsThis is what Uncle John had written on the back of the Ace Cab Fleet picture: “New Ace Cab Co. fleet taken in the summer of 1952,in the100 block of 3rd Street N.E., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Standing by the cabs: Ernie Baily,1950 <strong>Plymouth</strong>; John Munson,1952<strong>Plymouth</strong> #3; Bill Harris; John Mailese. All the other cabs are 1950,1951 1952 <strong>Plymouth</strong>s except for a 1951 Chevrolet. Standing bythe door of the waiting room is Paul Miller.” THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY LES BUNSANECK, CEDAR RAPIDS PHOTOGRAPHER.by Ernie BailySimi Valley, CaliforniaAs a belated Fathers’ Day tribute, I’m writing this to honormy dad, my Uncle John and his best friend Claire Stallman.Through the years I would have been honored to have each ofthese men be my “Dad,” so as you can see, I had the goodfortune to have these great men look after me.Dad had a love for Chrysler products that startedbefore I was born. Back in the late ‘40s and upthrough 1955, my dad and my Uncle John, alongwwith his best friend, Claire Stallman, and long time truckdrivingbuddy, Marv Henderson, joined together to create aUncle John and his 1948 Dodge cab-36-better cab company than those that existed in Cedar Rapids,Iowa.At the time, there were two other cab companies: CenturyCab and Yellow Cab. Dad,Uncle John and Claire joined witha Mrs. Burke who already had a cab company called City CabCo. and created the Ace Cab Company. They created the red,white and blue colors due to the fact that they were formerGIs just back from WWII, and because they were differentfrom the City Cab Co. colors. If I remember right from mydad talking about it, they wanted to offer better working conditionsalong with a better pay package to the drivers. That’swhy they started the company. Dad was an excellent mechanicand did a lot of the service work on the cabs for the company.They started with the office being at Mrs. Burke’s home.Each of the drivers was an owner/operator, althoughClaire did not drive the cab he owned.During the years Dad would buy a new Dodge or<strong>Plymouth</strong> and Mom would break it in for a few monthsbefore they put it into service. They would buy a newcar almost every year. He said they used Dodges and<strong>Plymouth</strong>s due to the fact the customers always went tothese cars because they rode better and were more comfortablethat the Fords and Chevrolets. That’s why inthe company photo you see primarily Dodges and<strong>Plymouth</strong>s.One of the other things you can notice in the photosis that Dad liked to dress his cars up with whitewalltires and added chrome trim. He would later help mewith my many Dodges and <strong>Plymouth</strong>s, becomingknown to my buddies and me as "the oldest teenager on


the block!” I hope to someday pick up a ‘50s <strong>Plymouth</strong>and restore it to look like the one in the picture showingmy twin brother Eugene and me in the little wagon. I currentlyhave a 1948 <strong>Plymouth</strong> Special Deluxe two-doorsedan that happens to be just like my parents’ first new carafter they got married.PBErnie Baily received a thirdplace trophy at the 2007National Spring Meet held inSanta Maria, California, forhis 1948 P15 Special Deluxetwo-door sedan.Dad and his 1951 <strong>Plymouth</strong> cab decked out with whitewall tires and extrachromeUncle John’s 1950 <strong>Plymouth</strong> City Cab and a stray ChevroletMore on KayNorton’s<strong>Plymouth</strong>The stouthearted six is an example of the engine that propelled JohnnyMantz’s P19 sedan to victory in the inaugural Darlington 500 in 1950.A replica was on hand at the 1966 race with Richard Petty’s famed #43<strong>Plymouth</strong> in the background. [BULLETIN 139]Kay Norton’s P19 sedan at the 1973 National SpringMeet in Owensboro, Kentucky, where it received a secondplace trophy in then Class 5 (1942-1950).[BULLETIN 81]-37-


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On OrionRoadForty-five years after this ad appeared in theSaturday Evening Post, Marv Raguse took hisidentical blue 1963 Sport Fury sport coupe--whichhas been in his possession the same number ofyears--to the same curve on Orion Road for thesame kind of shot.The road, located in the north-central edge ofthe greater Detroit area, has been upgraded overthe years: widened, with shoulders and approachesto side streets added, and possibly even thegrade has been reduced. But the curve is stillthere and the <strong>Plymouth</strong> runs strong, as if it is herethat it naturally belongs.-- LDKWriting in PLYMOUTH BULLETIN 171, Marv said:I still remember my first impression (when seeingthe 1963 Sport Fury)--it seemed too good to betrue… Here was a <strong>Plymouth</strong> that in my mind wasso pleasing, so well-styled, so well-integrated, somodern in ornamentation and features, I had tohave one. Being only 16-year-old at the time, Iknew I had to convince my father that he, too, hadto have one. Once that was accomplished, the restis history. Twenty-five [now 45] years later, thatbeauty is still parked in my garage.Reflecting back on the features that made the ‘63<strong>Plymouth</strong> Sport Fury special to me kindles againthat special excitement that we try to plan into ourvehicles today, because, you see, that ‘63 <strong>Plymouth</strong>brought me in 1969 to Detroit and employmentwith Chrysler Corporation.I have owned this car essentially since new. My father bought it whenI was 16, and I became its principal driver soon after. Approximately10 years ago I gave it a complete restoration. It drives like a new carand is still a pleasure to take on the road.-39-


<strong>Plymouth</strong>byname<strong>Plymouth</strong> recordrSUBMITTED by Larry LaBrack of Alpine,California, the record bears not only the<strong>Plymouth</strong> name but its version of aMayflower logo. The text on the label:Thoughts of YouTales of Vienna Woods<strong>Plymouth</strong> Dinner Music OrchestraOnly for non-commercial use on phonographs inhomes(.) Mfg. and original purchaser have agreed thisrecord shall not be resold or used for any other purpose.An internet search foundnothing on the <strong>Plymouth</strong> DinnerMusic Orchestra. Possibly, it’s froma city named <strong>Plymouth</strong>. There is a<strong>Plymouth</strong>-Canton Symphony Orchestrain the Detroit area.<strong>Plymouth</strong> hangerALSO SUBMITTED by Larry LaBrack is this coat hanger froma <strong>Plymouth</strong> Cleaners and Launderers. An internet searchfound several <strong>Plymouth</strong> Cleaners in Devon, England, andone in <strong>Plymouth</strong>, Minnesota (home of late member RonOlson). A road atlas reveals the latter as the only U. S. citynamed <strong>Plymouth</strong> that has a Highway 55 (AKA OlsonMemorial Hwy.--named for a former governor, not our Ron)running through it. The Minneapolis suburb now has a<strong>Plymouth</strong> Cleaners on Bass Lake Road.THE TYPE FONT used for PLYMOUTH onthe hanger, similar to that used byChrysler’s <strong>Plymouth</strong> in the sixties, mayindicate the era it is from.-40-


<strong>Plymouth</strong> ButterMY WIFE AND I believe <strong>Plymouth</strong> Butter was produced untilthe late 1950s. Manufactured from “sweet pasteurizedcream,” <strong>Plymouth</strong> Butter was produced by the <strong>Plymouth</strong>Co-operative Creamery in <strong>Plymouth</strong>, Iowa. My wife is from<strong>Plymouth</strong>.-- Carol KastlerMason City, Iowa<strong>Plymouth</strong> vacuum cleanerWE VISITED the Don Garlits Museum in February while wewere in Florida. Always the loyal Chrysler supporter, Doneven uses a <strong>Plymouth</strong> vacuum. “Hey, as long as it still workswho needs one of them new- fangled Hoovers.”-- Marv RaguseOakland, MichiganSUBMITTED BY MARV RAGUSE<strong>Plymouth</strong> Binder TwineTHIS IS WHAT STARTED IT ALL. When it came to choosing aname for their low-priced car, Walter P. Chrysler found thename <strong>Plymouth</strong> attractive not because of the Rock nor thecolony but because it was a name known to all farmers, theirprimary sales market.Established in 1824, the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Cordage Company of<strong>Plymouth</strong>, Massachusetts, primarily produced ropes for sailingships. Eventually, they branched out into other products,particularly binder twine. In 1904, they set upoperations in Canada to gain access to the vastwheatland market on the Canadian prairies.Changing commercial and agriculturalpractices brought the companies to a close in1970.-41-<strong>Plymouth</strong> tractorINTRODUCED by the Fate-Root-Heath company of <strong>Plymouth</strong>,Ohio, in 1933, the tractor quickly drew the attention ofChrysler Corporation. Ready to sue, Chrysler’s lawyers discoveredthat the Ohio company had been using the <strong>Plymouth</strong>name for years on locomotives, trucks and even a car. A onedollarsettlement was reached (some reports add that three<strong>Plymouth</strong> cars a year were included in the deal) and the tractorbecame the Silver King in 1935.<strong>Plymouth</strong> locomotive: Nevada City, MontanaSUBMITTED BY JIM BENJAMINSON


<strong>Plymouth</strong> MiniaturesMiniature tire kickingMaybe it is because only one ofmy two daughters is a certifiedcar freak like Dad (wellalmost; I wouldn’t heap that plague onher with all the intensity that it affectsme). Or maybe it is due to the fact thatmy grandson is still too little to go carhunting, although there is hope in hiscase as he already plays with little carsmore than even Granddad did at his age.“Can’tcha just see” that big smile creepingover my face? Still, let’s give him afew more years before we call him an“extreme car freak.”What I am saying is that the practice(or could I call it the hobby?) of used carhunting or collector car buying just isn'tquite the fun it once was in the‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s when I wasgrowing up and when, I guess,a great number of my<strong>Plymouth</strong> Miniatures columnreaders were also “growingtheir wheels” so to speak.My father, bless his heart(even when his ticker wasn’tinto car hunting), would stopat any used car lot at any timeand any place, for me to take a look.Much of that happened long before I wasold enough to drive, but it happenedafterwards as well. “Hey, Dad, check outthat ‘48 Dodge convertible sitting in theback row of Elmer’s Used Cars!” We’dalready passed the lot and my dad had todouble back on a busy four-lane highwayat rush hour in Pittsburgh traffic, obligingme, as always, for a closer look. Iwasn't going to buy the car, as it wasalready pretty decrepit with a leaky, tornroof, but already in 1955, at age 11, Iknew it was rare machine and I justwanted a closer look. When it wasn’t a‘48 Dodge ragtop, it was a ‘50Studebaker convertible or a ‘51<strong>Plymouth</strong> hardtop (what a car!) or a ‘53Hudson Hornet hardtop with dual carbs.I even remember stopping to get a lookat a rare Kaiser Darrin roadster. It wasgorgeous but way beyond my scantmeans.I wasn't into foreign cars then, oreven now, but occasionally I asked Dadto stop for a better view of one of thosetoo; they were really rare back then. Itjust seemed like every used car lot andeven those belonging to new car dealershad an abundance of used cars that, evenby the standards of the ‘50s and up to the‘70s, were considered rare or collectible(though the latter term had not yet comeinto fashion among car folk).That’s just not the case anymore norhas it been, in my opinion, since the‘80s. Today's modern vehicles, whethermade in North America or overseas, allpractically look alike and pretty muchhave the same options and even similarpaint and interior finishes. Likewise,there are few, if any, rare body stylessuch as ragtops, two-door hardtops oreven pure coupes. Sure there is an occasionalMopar K-car convertible withwood trim, a big block Mustang, a ‘96Impala SS, an ‘03 Mercury Marauderand a few more, but the list is limited.We’ve seen a few more late model “rareones” on the field at Carlisle and otherold car events, but “nuttin’ like it wasback in the good times.” As to the bigtimecar auctions in Scottsdale and carcorrals at places like Hershey, most ofthe truly fine collectible vehicles arepriced way out of the average collector’srange or, when checked over carefully,are found to not really be worth theinvestment. Yet, the long-time collectorand car lover… yeah, we still do enjoytire kicking better than most other activities.We like to complain, but the funjust isn’t quite the same. I need not saymore.BUT WE' RE DOING THIS COLUMN tohave fun, so let’s forget the sour note on-42-all those current used cars resemblingbaked potatoes and pretend we can stillshop for a nice used <strong>Plymouth</strong>. Now asyou go to the pictures, you start to smile.Right, that’s a ‘62 Belvedere two-doorsedan you’re gawking at. It’s for sale--on this day in 1978--down at Solomon’sChevrolet in Smalltown, USA, sitting inthe second row, behind a line of newerChevys. I have seen the ad myself in thenewspaper and have to wonder who inhis right mind would trade a <strong>Plymouth</strong>for a bow tie Chevy? Well, it’s quitepossible that the styling of the ‘62<strong>Plymouth</strong> didn’t please its former owner,for we know that ‘62 was not necessarilya eye-catching year for <strong>Plymouth</strong> stylists.(Yet with the passage of time that stylingdoes grow on you; it has with me and I,for one, didn't like the car when it cameout. Remember, too, the thrust of our littleexercise: we’re searchingfor rare and different usedvehicles at a time when theywere still abundant.) This‘62 sports its original factorypale yellow finish with a redinterior. The hood opens(right...it is a model so thatshould not be a surprise!) andthe motor is also detailed infactory shades.Actually, this 1/64 scale model<strong>Plymouth</strong> was made by JohnnyLightning in ‘08 as part of an eight-carseries called “MOPAR or No Car.” Wecan all agree with that title.Looks like a creampuff to me, butChevy dealers always seem to ask toomuch for their trade-ins, even the non-Chevys, so maybe I'll just tire-kick a bitand dream on.As to the Johnny Lightning model, Ipicked it up at a toy show for $2.00. Itcame with no packaging, but it’s a realsteal for one on a tight budget, especiallyfor a <strong>Plymouth</strong> model seldom seen inminiature form.THERE WEREN'T MANY vintage carauctions or even Carlisle-style eventswhen I was a kid, but I am sure Dadwould have taken me for a look-see if Ihad begged him.Pretending again--and this is a longway to come from Solomon’s A-1 Used


Cars--let’s head out toArizona and a Barrett-Jackson auction and imaginethat this event is not just aget-together of high rollingspeculators but one where wecould actually bid a fair priceand drive away in our dreammachine. We’ve just spotted a‘64 <strong>Plymouth</strong> Fury two-doorhardtop equipped with dual four-barrelcarbs--quite likely an original Hemi car--going across the auction block. It stillwears its factory solid brown paint witha gold interior and full disc wheel covers.It looks showroom fresh all theway. The price? Affordable today at‘60s-‘70s prices, but we all know thatfew of us stand a chance at the real auction,especially when the object of ourdesire is an original <strong>Plymouth</strong> Hemi car.No problem, though, becauseGreenlight in ‘07, together with theBarrett-Jackson folks (they know how tomake money on the miniature scaletoo!) have produced this little <strong>Plymouth</strong>treasure in mini form. I found mine atthe same toy show mentioned above fora similar $2.00 (no packaging). It’s akeeper. It won’t make us forget that wedon’t own a real one, but itjust might help us all rememberthe days when used carhunting or car auctions werefun activities filled withmany an unexpected fourwheelsurprise.There just might behope for me, at least on theinspiration side, when thatgrandson gets a bit bigger and asks tosee some cars with Granddad. Whoknows what we'll find together? Maybewe’ll find a newer model Fiat with anold MOPAR badge stuck on it somewhere…or an older model Fiat withnewer MOPAR emblem!-- Bill Brisbanewilliamb@helicon.netBill Wheeler’s s ‘64 BelvederesWillard (Bill) Wheeler of Upland, California, isthe owner of a 1964 Belvedere hardtop coupe.Consequently, he has built a 1/25th-scale version ofhis car based on a model of Richard Petty’s firstDaytona winner. He then went on to turn another kitinto a convertible and yet another into a stock brownBelvedere as well as building up a Petty race car asthe kit creators intended. For the latter two, Bill createdthe Belvedere’s distinctive “shepherd’s crook”side trim which is missing in the race car kit.-43-


Clif’s s NotesDevil’s s RunHEYIT IS TIME to again talkabout our favorite car, the<strong>Plymouth</strong>. I saw a few niceones at the Devil’s Run car showheld in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota.In the show were Barracudas,‘Cudas, Road Runners and a nice‘68 Sport Satellite done up in semiflatblack. That car is rather different--notshow material, but a nicecar inside and out… and a nice driver,for sure.In the last issue, we left in themidst of a discussion on productiontotals, which is interesting to me andhopefully to you. Approximately250,000 intermediate <strong>Plymouth</strong>swere built in 1969 plus a bit morethan 100,000 Valiants. About 360,000 that someone checked the wrong boxesC-body cars were built, too, so it must when it was ordered. Maybe an olderhave been a good year for <strong>Plymouth</strong>. (I salesman wanted air conditioning butthought I was leaving one <strong>Plymouth</strong> out did not trust automatic transmissions.and then Barracuda jumped up and bit Who knows? One thing, or maybe twome--it put out some 30,000 cars for things, I do know: it got 20-plus miles‘69.) There must have been about threequartersof a million <strong>Plymouth</strong>s built was unknown. I wrapped the speedoto the gallon at 80 MPH and its top endthat year (someone will correct me if I around one time--I think it had to beam way off, as someone usually does. going about 135 or more. This car had“Mucho <strong>Plymouth</strong>s running around at a very high-ratio rear end, maybe 2:76that time, then.”or so. It didn’t have much on takeoffWe seem to look mainly at the musclecars for restoration and value, but Anyone who has had a weirdly-but it just went and went at the top.the C-bodies were maybe nicer to drive. optioned car, or has known of one,I did have a bit of a hot rod Fury back in please let me know atthe day. I bought it in the summer orcknelson@polarcomm.com.fall of 1972. It was cheap at the time, a I know my ‘72 had the weirdest combotwo-year-old hardtop for $1400 with no I’ve ever seen. I have seen some weirdtrade. It was oddly optioned with a color combos over the years like anvinyl roof, factory air and a three-speedon-the-columnmanual transmission. It 1970 to be exact, but its options wereoriginal red interior in a blue Charger,also came with a big block 383 two-barrelengine, but no power steering--normal.INweird, to say the least about the way it1970 THE VALIANTALIANT DUSTER tookwas optioned. The only thing I couldoff like nuts, selling almost 200,000 carsthink of at the time, and even now, isplus 24,000 340 Dusters in addition to-44-another 50,000 regular Valiants.The Barracuda line, which hadreceived a major facelift, sold well too.It appears they sold close to 60,000 cars,almost doubling their 1969 sales. But,that year, the intermediate B-body lineslowed with less than 150,000 made. Itsstyle was possibly nicer that the previousyear’s, so what was its problem?Maybe it was that lil' Duster, with wellover 200,000 units sold, that did it tothe larger cars. The 1970 C-bodieswere down in sales, too--to about250,000 in number.That lil’ Valiant was a goer with its340 motor. A buddy of mine traded a‘67 Camaro with a hopped up 327 fora Duster 340. The 340 was nuts comparedto that 327 even though the latterwas hopped up. If my memoryserves me right, he paid about a dollara pound for the Duster. His was thebare-bones model with the threespeed-on-the-floorand no optionsother than an AM radio. So, they say itweighed about 2700 pounds and wassold to him for $2700, after shippingcharges etc.That lil' car was never beaten on thestreet, except on the top end. We wonevery quarter-mile race we ran (I say“we” because he had me drive it a lot,too). Those were the days of fun in a lil'<strong>Plymouth</strong>. Three if us, as bachelors,took a 6500-mile trip with it inFebruary, 1971, getting 20-plus MPGwhile going from Adams, North Dakota,to Seattle, Washington, a distance of1500 miles, in less than 23 hours. Thistrip included going across Montana atwell over 100-plus MPH in those days ofno speed limits in that state. We had torun through a lot of mountains, too (fun,fun, fun!).My son now has a ‘70 Duster 340.Unlike his dad’s, his has been built up to409 horsepower with 410 pounds oftorque. It runs hard, very hard: 12:72on street radials at the local quarter-miledrag strip near Fargo, North DakotaThere’s more to come, later. If youwant to hear about other things, pleasecontact me. Until next time: GoodNight. -- CLIF NELSONcknelson@polarcomm.com

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