JANUARY 2025 TUMBLEWEED CLUB OF NEW MEXICO

RG #79, EARLY FORD V-8 CLUB OF AMERICA, PO BOX 21538, ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87154-1538

MEETS FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, 7:00 P.M, North Domingo Baca Mutigenerational Center,

7600 Carmel NE, Albuquerque, NM

V8

TIMES

PLEASE NOTE: All meetings include Show & Tell. Members are encouraged to bring items to share.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 7 pm at North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, 7600 Carmel NE, one-half block North and West of Paseo Del Norte and Wyoming. Program by Larry Azevedo on the early life of Henry Ford.

NEXT BOARD MEETING: Wednesday, January 8, 7pm at Village Pizza in Corrales

BREAKFAST GROUP:

CLUB WEBSITE: Be sure to check out our website at www.abqfordflatheadv8.com Updated “current Information and calendar” is on the current information page. More club pictures are on the website.

FORD V8 FOUNDATION WEBSITE: Another interesting website to check out is www.fordv8foundation.org

EARLY FORD V8 CLUB OF AMERICA WEBSITE: www.earlyfordv8.org

January 7th, 2025 Meeting

You all know about Henry Ford’s V8 Flathead and his life during the years ’32 to ’47. What do you know about Henry’s early life and how that might have affected his interest in automobiles? Find out at the January meeting as Larry Azevedo takes you back to the 1800’s.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, January 7th, 7pm at North Domingo Baca Center, 7600 Carmel NE.

2025 January President’s Message - Joe Abbin

The December meeting was our annual potluck Christmas dinner/party at the Sunrise Veterinary Clinic event facility hosted by the Abernathy family in Rio Rancho and capped another successful year for our club.

Thank you to all who participated!

The January meeting will feature our own Larry Azevedo who will talk on Henry Ford’s early years. This was a fascinating period in Henry’s journey to found a worldwide automotive empire. He was an early innovator, craftsman, entrepreneur, and racer! Don’t miss this one!

The meeting will be held at our regular spot, the North Domingo Baca Multi-generational Center near Wyoming and Paseo Del Norte. See you there!

Joe Abbin

January Birthdays & Anniversaries

Demetrio Lee (1) Chris & Amy Joiner (1)

Liz Johnson (14) Bill & Evonne Joiner (21)

Bill Joiner (21)

Don Gutierrez (27)

David McLain (31)

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

MONTIE’S SAGEING CCCXVII by Montie Avery

Many of us grew up with Christmas Traditions that included, a Christmas parade, midnight mass, posole, La Posada, nativities, Christmas trees, gift exchanges, family dinners, and Santa Claus. In 1966 a new Christmas Tradition was created to be a non-Christian holiday celebration which runs from December 26th to January 1st. The African American celebration, Kwanzaa, began in California and has now spread outside of the United States. Another Christmas time celebration has come to my attention. The Barales Community of Albuquerque just celebrated their second “I believe in Pancho Clos” event on the weekend of December 14-15. Something new to me and worthy of some further exploration.

Pancho Claus, Pancho Clos, Tex-Mex Santa has his origin in the Mexican American communities of Texas in the 1970s. Primarily a Texas thing this tradition has apparently spread to California and now to New Mexico. Pancho Claus takes its place with other Mexican holidays which are celebrated around America, Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day.

Pancho Claus Celebrations differ from Santa Claus in several ways. Pancho begins his Christmas Eve sleigh trip from the South Pole. His red and white suit is topped with a sombrero and not a floppy cap. A bushy mustache often substitutes for a flowing white beard. His arrival at parties is often in a low rider or on a Harley rather than by a sleigh or firetruck. His costume is often embellished by a serape. In one Houston community Pancho Claus arrives wearing a red and black zoot suit topped with a Fedora. On the San Antonio River Walk, Pancho Claus travels with a cart full of toys pulled by a burro named Chuy. In West Texas Pancho Claus is known as Pancho Clos to distinguish him from his North Pole counterpart.

Isn’t it interesting how our Traditions have developed to embrace other Cultures?

NOT A FORGOTTEN NEW MEXICO TRADITION

BUT

A NEWLY DISCOVERED NEW MEXICO TRADITION

CROSS COUNTRY IN A 1940 FORD COUPE

On September 10, the Clements set out in the Ford to a V8 meet in Clayton, New York, on the St. Lawrence River. We were ready to load the car for an early start and get over the hills before the heat set in (it was supposed to be a 90-degree day), and we'd get to Kansas before dark. Will filled the gas tank and noticed a leak in the filler pipe when the tank was full; it probably needed a new rubber connection. Turned out that the metal pipe had broken a weld seam and we needed a new one. Will "borrowed" a pipe from another car, and our early start was 3:30pm, Will driving, Jim as front-seat advisor, and Joyce in the jump seat as navigator and back seat driver. We made it to Tucumcari for the night. No alcohol-free gas was available, so we used regular and hiccupped our way across the panhandle to Dalhart, where we could buy good gas.

Things went smoothly until Nevada, Missouri, where the battery gave up the ghost, and we bought a new one. It was a smaller tractor battery, but it got us to New York. The next day was uneventful, until we got to Indiana, where we had miles of detours (not announced beforehand) through back roads and ran out of gas 31 miles from Huntington. We were towed and arrived about 10:00pm. Our wrecker driver took the car to a station for us to fill up, then dropped the car at a motel. No restaurants were nearby, and the motel snack machine was broken, so we had snacks and wine from the car and went to bed. Next morning, we found a place for a good breakfast and were on our way.

We pressed on through Ohio, Pennsylvania and finally got to New York. We registered for the tour, checked into our hotel and had a good dinner and a good night's rest, after 5 1/2 days on the road. Next morning, dead battery again; something was draining it, and it was too small anyway. A fellow V8er loaned us a battery to get to the NAPA store and buy a good battery. Problem solved. Will disconnected everything electrical except what was needed to keep the car running. Now we could enjoy the tours and sights, visit with fellow V8ers from around the USA and Canada, and cruise the swap meet.

One tour was a boat ride on the St. Lawrence River to Heart Island to see Boldt Castle. It was started in the early 1900s as a Valentine for Mr. Boldt's wife; unfortunately, she died before the date, and the castle was never finished. After being left to the elements and vandals for decades, it is now being repaired and completed. The grounds and gardens are extensive and beautifully groomed. The interior is mostly restored on the ground floor; the other 3 floors are gradually getting finished, but the restoration still has a long way to go. What has been done is magnificent. We spent a couple of afternoons in the boat museum which had displays of all kinds of boats, from canoes to luxury yachts, as well as a large number of motors from small outboards up through V8s.

Boldt Castle

The car show had a nice variety of cars, including a surprising number of pre-WWII models. We were in Touring class and placed 3rd in our group. Will helped with the judging of the 1953 models and spent a lot of time studying other vehicles , looking for details and ideas. We also spent a lot of time with other v8ers talking about the trials and tribulations of driving the '40 cross-country. I was interviewed by a reporter from the Watertown newspaper, and our car wound up on the front page, as part of a long article about the meet. That was a pleasant surprise.

Soon it was time for the awards banquet, where we received a long-distance trophy, a 3rd place award, some gas money, and a great dinner with lots of pleasant company.

Homeward bound, we had some electrical problems which resulted in a 3-day stopover in Kingdom City, Missouri, waiting for NAPA to find the voltage regulator that we needed and they claimed to have. This is not an ideal vacation stop for travelers, but the local honey ice cream was a real treat.

We finally got the regulator and were off again. Next, we got to rebuild a fuel pump on the running board of the car, under a shade tree in the middle of farmlands in rural Kansas, using parts from 3 pumps we had in the trunk. Not all pumps are created with interchangeable parts. Then we got the last room available in El Dorado, Kansas (the Honeymoon Suite with a heart-shaped bathtub). We did get a good dinner next door.

We returned on the evening of September 29, tired but happy and glad we went. Total trip mileage per the odometer was 4,597 miles.

The faulty generator is now rebuilt, the wiring has been thoroughly checked and repaired or replaced, a new filler pipe will be installed, we will buy some fuel pump rebuild kits, and carry a gas can of good gas to get past Tucumcari where there is no non-ethanol gas. We're planning on another trip in June, 2025 to Illinois. We'll see what the outside temps are like then.

Joyce

Newsletter Note

Members are encouraged to submit articles, ads, and photographs for inclusion in the newsletter. Please understand we have a volunteer Newsletter Editor so try and submit typed and proofed articles, comments, and new want ads. The deadline for submissions is the 20th of the month. Beth Jackson, 505-908-7564, or email: JBJaxun@gmail.com

JANUARY 2025 CLASSIFIED ADS

For Sale: Radiator for 1953 Ford P.U. - very good $150. Gary McGlasson 505-250-1586

For Sale: 1936 Ford Cabriolet, $30,000. Tan exterior, LeBaron-Bonney interior and top. Working radio in box with correct controls is included. Extra parts go with the convertible. Bob Quirici 505-821-1646 or 505-350-2454

For Sale: Three disassembled 1940 Ford Trucks, with two titles and one flat head V-8 engine and transmission. Items sold as a package and not individually. $9500 or OBO. Contact Nick at 505-980-0841 or nick.s.bakas@gmail.com

For Sale: 1940 Mercury Sedan Coupe. Call Max Glover for more information. 505-249-7344 Cell or 505-792-2011 Home.

For Sale: 1936 Ford Phaeton, $40,000. Call Chris Joiner 505-382-8723.

For Sale: 1940 Willys. Former gasser. All steel. 468 cu.in. BBC, TH350 transmission, Ford 9” rear end, disc brakes all around, straight axle, Mustang steering box, Custom grey ultra leather interior, Kenwood stereo, alarm. No A/C, PS, or PB. $79,000. Joe Abbin, roadrunnerengr@msn.com, 505-263-1946. NM

Storage: Outdoor $25/month, secure yard. Joe Abbin 505-296-7678

Wanted: 1957 Ford ½ Ton Truck, Don Gutierrez 951-241-4959

Services Offered: Vintage engine rebuilding, any make, any model. Stock or modified. Dynamometer testing available. Results guaranteed. References available. Gary McGlasson, 505-250-1586.

Pictures from the Christmas Party

Businesses Used by Members

(Send us names of businesses you have used)

1. Starters and Alternators of New Mexico, 3711 Franciscan St NE, Albuquerque NM 87107, 505-344-5025, Eldon.

2. Skinners Carburetor & Distributor Service, 3100 Pan American Fwy NE, Unit 6, Albuquerque, NM 87107, 505-344-3704, Albert & Nic.

3. McBride’s Springs & Welding, 1010 2nd St NW, Albuquerque NM 87102, 505-242-2174.

4. Old Car Garage/World Wide Automotive, 3232 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque NM 505-881-2722, Bob.

5. The Santa Fe Detail, 7512 Avenger Way, Unit 2, Santa Fe NM 87507, 505-204-5120, Luis.

6. Auto Glass Now, 8201 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque NM 87110, 505-897-9000. Also at 8301 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque NM 87113, 505-445-7022

7. Wild Heart Ranch Texas, 3120 FM 1995, Van TX 75790, 505-908-7565