JULY 2016 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., OLD CAR GARAGE, 3232 GIRARD BLVD NE
TIMES
PLEASE NOTE: All meetings include Show & Tell. Members are encouraged to bring items to share.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, July 5, 7pm. The program will cover V8 tune-ups. Refreshments by the Jacksons
NEXT BOARD MEETING: TBD
BREAKFAST GROUP: Saturday, July 16th at the Range Café in Bernalillo. (See article.)
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
JULY MEETING PROGRAM – TUNING YOUR V-8
This month's meeting will cover basic tune-up techniques and equipment to get the best performance and fuel economy from your flathead. They were the "hot" performers in their day and can hold their own today with proper maintenance. Come review factory recommendations and exchange ideas on trouble shooting and improvement with our expert panel!
July Breakfast and Drive
Saturday, July 16th at 8:30am, club members will gather at the Los Ranchos Rail Runner station on El Pueblo just east of Second Street. From there we will drive north on Second to Bernalillo to have breakfast at the Range Café. Please join us in your flathead or modern iron.
Corrales 4th of July Parade and Azevedo BBQ
The 4th of July parade will start at 10 AM, cars are to line up at 9 AM at Corrales Elementary. After the parade, the Azevedo's are hosting a BBQ w/ hot dogs and hamburgers and lemonade. Bring your favorite side dish, salad or dessert! Families welcome, bring your swim suits. Don’t forget your chairs, sunscreen, bottled water and hats. If you try coming north on Corrales Rd after about 9 AM it will be closed around the post office. Use the following back route to the
Azevedo's: Turn east on Meadowlark (just before the service station), go to the end and turn left on the dirt road, make sure the ditch is on your left, continue north on the dirt road all the way to Hansen Rd and then turn right to 209 Hansen Rd.
Larry Azevedo
2016 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
President: Joe Abbin (roadrunnerengr@msn.com)
Vice-President: Lou Gorenz (lmgorenz@comcast.net)
Secretary: Beth Jackson (jbjaxun@gmail.com)
Treasurer: Frank Corey (frankford4@aol.com)
Director: Jay Hertz (jdhhag1@comcast.net)
Director: R. Jeff Jackson (jbjaxun@gmail.com)
Director: Bob Mathes (aimlessbob36@gmail.com)
Director: Al Seery (joalseery@aol.com
President’s Letter
Early Ford V-8 Shows and Tours Joe Abbin
In June, I attended two of my favorite car events, the LA Roadster Club’s Fathers Day show in Pomona, CA and the National Street Rod Associations’ Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals in Pueblo, CO. Both of these events were loaded with old Fords, mostly modified, but many retaining their flatheads. Both events had thousands of participants and many more spectators. Both events had associated tours that terminated at the events. Both also had excellent swap meets. Pomona was a two day event and Pueblo was a three day event. I keep thinking that our club, both national and local, could borrow some ideas from the hot rodders and street rodders to expand interest in our events.
One of the first ideas would be to encourage (even invite) the participation of flathead powered “specials” and customs at our meets. I expanded on this idea in last month’s message using Edsel’s custom roadsters as examples. If this concept is good for Pebble Beach it should be good enough for us.
The second idea would be to have more, simpler, and shorter tours and shows. Most street rod type events are one, two or three day events, which are much easier to coordinate.They are numerous in number and spread out all over the country and throughout the year. What about encouraging each regional group to host a local but well publicized show or tour each year where other groups and the public were invited? We do this now to some extent but not enough in my view. What do you think?
This month’s meeting will present tune-up info for our flatheads. I along with Bob Agnew and Gary McGlasson will cover basic tune-up of 1932 to 1953 flatheads. These vehicles were the “hot” performers in their day. How about your car? Suggestions and show and tell on this subject are invited! Next month, our meeting will feature the 1936 Fords in a presentation by Jay Hertz and Bob Quirici.
Typical Response for V-8 Tours is shown below. The last panel shows Frank Corey taking a selfie on the Santa Fe tour.
Minutes of the June 7, 2016 Meeting
Beth Jackson, Secretary
Joe called the meeting to order. There were 20 people present, one of those our speaker and two of those brand new members. Welcome to Richard and Barbara Polk. Richard has a 1946 Ford Pickup. The minutes of the last meeting were accepted by acclamation as printed in the newsletter. Treasurer Frank reported that the club is solvent. Joyce reported for the car council that the Museum Car Show was successful, very high quality entrants this year although the car count was down slightly from previous years. The Route 66 theme worked very well. The Car Council All Clubs’ Picnic is coming up on Sunday, August 14th. New officers will be elected to the Car Council at their next meeting. On June 22, at 6pm, council members and volunteers will meet at The Old Car Garage to stuff envelopes for the September Swap Meet. Pizza will be served and volunteers are needed. Bob Agnew reported that he missed the Museum Car Show because he was the “coffee guy” on a tour to Show Low. He put a trailer hitch on his ’51 and towed the tear drop trailer.
The Memorial Day Club Picnic was a little short on V8’s but there was a good turnout with lots of visitors. Food and the weather worked out quite well. Jim & Joyce won the Dick Precit Award for their 1949 Ford Tudor, congratulations! The Village of Los Ranchos was very gracious in letting us use the facilities. $180 in raffle tickets were sold which helped offset costs. The picnic cost was $145. Good job once again, Joe.
The June breakfast will be Saturday the 18th at Milton’s Café. It will be discussed at break as to whether a board meeting is needed next week. An additional National Meet has been scheduled for Bakersfield in October. Bob said we can hang our memorial plaque on the wall in our meeting room.
Joyce was very generous to bring cookies to share. The meeting was then adjourned for refreshments followed by our interesting speaker, Larry Icerman. Larry gave us a presentation on the history of the Concorso de Santa Fe along with a slide show. Thanks to Larry for increasing our knowledge.
July Birthdays and Anniversaries
Beth Jackson (12) Max Glover (15) Jay & Helen Hertz (3)
Don Gorenz (25) Jim Kontny (26) Harvey & Marka Catchpole (21)
Memorial Day Picnic Pictures
FLATHEAD FORMULAS
CLOCK LUBRICANT
A 50-50 mixture of kerosene and glycerin works great for old pendulum style clocks to free them up.
SHOP SAFETY
Always wear safety glasses when working with brake fluid, batteries or mixing any chemicals.
Remove conducting jewelry when working with electrical systems, especially near battery posts or under dashes.
Train your grandkids early to enjoy flatheads – they also come in real handy when your car needs work under the dash!
Larry Azevedo in Food and Flathead Formulas.
HISTORY OF ROUTE 66 by Joyce Clements
At the turn of the 20th century, 1% of the roads in the U.S. were fit for automobiles to drive on. On May 29, 1919, the Gallup Independent reported: "At 11:30 last Friday, an auto driven by J. Dannley and owned by Gallup Mercantile Company got stuck while passing the Second Street alley crossing between Willis Studio and the old telegraph office. It took two teams and fifty men three hours to get the car out. This incident took place in the heart of Gallup's business section." A. T. Hannett had been elected mayor in 1918 on the promise of paving some of Gallup's streets. By 1920 the improvements were starting. In 1921, the Arizona legislature failed to fund road improvements between Sanders, Holbrook, and the New Mexico state line. Since these towns depended on each other for supplies and trade, the citizens of Gallup turned out with picks, shovels and teams to repair a 20-mile stretch of road for their neighbors. The residents of St. Johns, Arizona, turned out to "repel the foreign invasion by demanding the governor call out the National Guard". The Gallupians went ahead and repaired the worst of the roadway for the coming tourist season. "Why," one man said, "there could be as many as 50 cars a day traveling between the two communities."
A growing number of tourists wanted better roads in order to visit the West. The railroads had run advertisements about vacation spots, especially the new national parks. Bandelier had been declared a national monument in 1916; in 1919, the Santa Fe Fiesta began; in 1922, the first Gallup Indian Ceremonial was held; Carlsbad Caverns became a national park in 1923. Gallup's red rock country had been prominently featured in the Santa Fe Railroad ads.
In 1916, the Federal government had passed the Federal Aid Road Act. This was passed under the auspices of providing roads for mail delivery. The states had to have a state highway engineer with some authority over how the funds would be spent. The goal was to make a cross-country system out of existing roads and mark them with numbers. The states would pay half the cost of road improvements. A committee was appointed to identify the best routes. Cy Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had been campaigning for improved roads since the early 1900's. He was on the committee that determined the eventual route and numbering of Route 66, insuring that Tulsa was on the road. He was later dubbed the "Father of Route 66". By 1926, the path of the road was settled; since Route 70 and Route 60 were already assigned to other roads, Cy chose number 66 for the road from Chicago to Los Angeles. Then grading, graveling and paving started in earnest. Between 1920 and 1927, more than 1700 miles of improved roads were completed; by 1932, 5700 miles were improved. It would be twelve years before Route 66 was completely paved. In 1926 the pavement ended in Kansas.
During the 1920's, Gallup and Albuquerque were feuding with one another over the best route to California. Gallup argued that the road go through there because it was shorter. Albuquerque argued that the route through Socorro, Magdalena and Springerville was safer and had better roads. Gallup then challenged Albuquerque drivers to races between Albuquerque and Holbrook. The races all started in Los Lunas. Gallupians took the route through Laguna, then west into Gallup. The Albuquerque group went south to Socorro, west through Magdalena, then north to St. Johns and on to Holbrook. The races ended in Holbrook ten to twelve hours later, and Gallup usually won. The Gallup drivers soundly defeated the Albuquerque "Speed Demons" in 1921; Gallup citizens insisted that this proved the route through Gallup was the best and shortest way. They then stepped up their campaign to get people to California via Gallup, the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater, etc. Starting in 1921, Gallup citizens constructed campgrounds at both ends of town. Later they added shelters for cars, toilets, washrooms and outdoor fireplaces. Mayor Hannett tried to get Fred Harvey to build a new, modern hotel in Gallup to accommodate visitors to the Indian attractions in Gallup. The first Indian Ceremonial was held in 1922 by the light of headlights and campfires in a park outside Gallup. By coincidence, the old Harvey House caught fire. The fire department showed up, and just as the water was beginning to flow, someone cut the hose. The building was completely destroyed, and Fred Harvey built the El Navajo Hotel, which opened in 1923 in time for the tourist season.
In 1924, Mr. Hannett ran for governor on a good roads platform, and won. He had the road from Santa Rosa to Romeroville and Santa Fe improved and hard-packed. This was to become the official Route 66. When Hannett ran for re-election in 1926, he lost. Convinced that he had been cheated out of the governorship by the politicos in northern New Mexico, Hannett decided to get even. He straightened the route from Albuquerque to Gallup, bypassing Los Lunas. He also used a ruler and decided to construct a road from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, a distance of 69 miles, thereby allowing travelers to go across the state without going through Las Vegas and Santa Fe. He had 31 days until Governor Dillon was inaugurated, and with the help of highway engineers E. B. Bail and Sam Fulton, they did it. Bail started in Moriarty, and Fulton started in Santa Rosa, planning to meet halfway at Palma. Crews worked day and night through December, including Christmas, knowing they would be out of a job soon, anyway. The new governor took office, and his first order was to send someone to stop the construction. A snowstorm prevented his arriving on time, and he got there in time to see traffic already rolling on the new road. Blasting through Tijeras Canyon was started. The travel distance through New Mexico was shortened by a little over 100 miles. Governor Dillon was impressed with the work done, and the highway crew kept their jobs, with instructions to continue improving the road. This section of road was eventually paved after Clyde Tingley became governor. In 1937, paving was completed, and the road was designated as the official Route 66. Gallup was on the map as a major travel stop. In Moriarty, Mr. Crossley immediately opened a filling station, garage, cafe and tourist court. His was the first filling station in New Mexico to offer public restrooms for tourists. The first motel in New Mexico had been opened on the original Route 66: the Apache Inn at Valley Ranch on the Pecos River.
In 1928, C. C. "Cash and Carry" Pyle, a sports promoter, instituted the Great American Foot Race to be run from Los Angeles to New York. The race was soon dubbed the "Bunion Derby". Pyle was promised sponsorship money along the way by various cities and associations, and the winner of the race was to receive $25,000. Pyle and his crew accompanied the racers in two large, double-decker buses. The race started on Route 66 in Los Angeles, but when it reached Albuquerque, the city fathers did not fork over the money. Pyle then veered of the current Route 66, through Santa Fe, and went straight east through Tijeras Canyon. Their 13-ton luxury bus collapsed a bridge near Clinton, Oklahoma. When they reached Chicago, that city did not come through with the promised $60,000. Of the 199 starters, only 55 finished the race 84 days later; Andy Payne, a 19-year-old Cherokee from Oklahoma. Pyle was broke, but he paid the prize anyway. A return race in 1929 from New York to California, was run. Pyle got no sponsorship money, so no prize money was given.
After the stock marked crashed in 1929, people were out of jobs and out of money. The drought of the 1930's starved out farmers; huge dust storms raised havoc and drove people off their farms. Banks foreclosed on the land and went broke. These "Okies" headed for California, the "Promised Land". Steinbeck memorialized them in "Grapes of Wrath". Whatever vehicle the Dustbowl refugees could find that would run, headed west. The family and all the belongings they could carry trailed along Route 66, working to earn money when they could. The cars and trucks were overloaded and frequently held together with baling wire and rope. These folks used the campgrounds when they could, and were often helped out by locals along the way. A great deal of the migration west trailed along Route 66.
Other states were paving their portions of Route 66. California and Illinois were the first to complete paving. In Oklahoma, the highway department engineer decided that he could pave twice the distance if the road was only half as wide. This resulted in a nine-foot wide stretch of road, including the concrete curbs. Someone had to pull over when two cars approached each other. Paving of the entire route was completed in 1938.
During World War II Route 66 was one of the major overland highways for men and materials. Ft. Wingate, seven miles east of Gallup, was a major storage facility for weapons during WWII. As it was on the edge of the Navajo Reservation, the Navajo Code Talkers were trained here. When trains and planes were booked, many GI's used the highways to get from assignment to assignment or to get home. If they didn't have an automobile, they thumbed their way.
As families took to the roads for vacations in the western states, 66 was often the chosen route; it was the shortest option. Motels, campgrounds, cafes, filling stations and tourist traps developed into major industries along the highway. Billboards went up advertising souvenirs, accommodations, and interesting sights to see. After World War II, many families headed for California, Arizona and New Mexico. Servicemen had been stationed here during the War and wanted to go back. Jack Rittenhouse drove the road in 1946 in a 1939 American Bantam at 35 mph and wrote a tourist guidebook. Also in 1946, Bobby Troup headed for California in a green 1941 Buick convertible he had purchased with royalties from his song, "Daddy". The Buick made it to California, using 75 quarts of oil en route. His wife, bored with the trip, told him, "Get your kicks on Route 66." A new song was born; Nat King Cole recorded it, and it became an immediate hit.
Tourist travel became so popular in the post-war years, that highways across the nation became jammed with cars. The trucking industry was also expanding. President Eisenhower, having seen the autobahns in Germany, envisioned an interstate highway system to aid cross-country traffic. The idea blossomed into limited access highway systems. The old highways were on their way out. Route 66 was one of these. Travelers were not sorry to see the new freeways. The stretch from Amarillo to Tucumcari was particularly dangerous, as was "Dead Man's Curve", east of Albuquerque. The old road curved around rocks, lava flows, hills, and generally followed the contours of the land. The new I-40 just blasted its way through the obstacles and shortened the route through New Mexico one more time. The last stretch of 66 to be bypassed was Williams, Arizona, on October 9, 1979. Small towns along the route either adapted or died. Cross-country travel was now faster and safer.
Some people refused to let the old roads be forgotten. During the mid-1980's, nostalgia and history buffs began to seek out the old roads and historic architecture along their routes. This has led to remarking the roads and getting federal funds to designate them as historic highways. Now you can find maps and guidebooks to direct you to the remains of old roads and the sights along them. Many books have been published about Route 66; associations to preserve the road have sprung up in every state crossed by it. There are also Route 66 associations in other states and in several European and Asian countries. Of the books, some are accurate, and some are embellished by the authors; all are entertaining. Take your pick of books on Route 66 and hit the road.
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 (for sale items will continue to be updated at the meetings). The deadline for submissions is the 20th of the month. Beth Jackson, 505-908-7564, or email: JBJaxun@gmail.com
Tumbleweed Early Ford V8 Club Calendar for 2016
July
Monday 4th Corrales Parade and Picnic at the Azevedo’s
Tuesday 5th Club Meeting – 7pmV8 Tune-upsRefreshments by the Jacksons.
Saturday 16th Breakfast – 8:30am, Range Café in Bernalillo. Meet at Los Ranchos Rail Runner Station at 8:30am.
August
Tuesday 2nd Club Meeting – 7pm1936 Fords. Refreshments by George Abernathy.
Sunday 14th All Clubs Picnic
Saturday 20th Breakfast – 8:30am w/ Rt 85 Museum/SW Garage Tour
September
Tuesday 6th Club Meeting – 7pm1941/1951 Fords. Refreshments by Glovers and Calderon.
Sunday 11th State Fair
Saturday 17th Breakfast – 8:30am, Truck Stop in Moriarity
Friday, Sat., Sun. 23rd, 24th, 25thLos Lunas Swap Meet
October
Saturday/Sunday 1st & 2nd - Northern New Mexico tour
Tuesday 4th Club Meeting – 7pmAuto Art, Perry & McLaughlin. Refreshments by Mary & Lou Gorenz & Jay Hertz.
Saturday 15th – Tour of Tome Hill with lunch
November
Tuesday 1st Club Meeting – 7pmElections, Table Top Show. Refreshments by Bob Payne and Bob Mathes.
Saturday 26th Breakfast and Antique Shopping Tour and Lunch
December
Saturday 10th Club Christmas Party Potluck
Saturday 17th Breakfast – 8:30am
V8 NATIONAL TOUR SCHEDULE
If you go to www.earlyfordv8.org, you can download all the information and registration materials for these meets, and/or find contact information.
July 11-15, 2016 – Western New York RG Golden Anniversary National Driving Tour, New York
August 8-11, 2016 – Eastern National Meet, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
September 13-19, 2016 – Great Southwestern National Driving Tour, Colorado and Eastern Utah
September 18-22, 2016 – Blue Ridge Parkway National Driving Tour, North Carolina
October 17-20, 2016 – Western National Tour "Let the V8s Roll", Bakersfield, California
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 2 – Cruise on Route 66 to Stop A.R.T. – Central Avenue – Sign in at Western View Diner, 6411 Central NW (one block east of Coors) 8:30-9:30am – Signs for car available – Cruise to El Mercado, SanPedro and Central – Music, prizes, silent auction, food vendors, roving reporters, commiserating with friends – Free to register – Object is to exrpress opposition to the two bus lanes scheduled for the center of Central Ave – info@savecentralabq.com or (505)261-7089
July 4 – 41st Annual Plaza Car Show – Downtown Plaza, Santa Fe – Buddy Roybal (505)699-2687 or
July 4 – Car Show – R C Sumthin's Ice Cream Shop, T or C – (575)894-1040
July 9 – 22nd Annual Summer Car Show Series at Hooters East – San Mateo – Setup 7am-10am – Show 10am-4pm, Open to all years makes and models, Entry $20 – 40 classes – 50 Special Awards, 50/50 drawing and raffle supporting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Music by: Steve's Cruisan with the Oldies – 505-269-0496 or 505-332-9222 for info
July 9 – Collector Car Appreciation Day Event – Mild to Wild, 324 Industrial Ave. NE – 244-1149 or
July 11 – Driving Divas Regular Show – Fastino's, 2600 Juan Tabo NE – Open to all, but only women drivers eat free– Starts 5pm – Melinda Otzenberger 401-2994
July 15-16 – TNT Races – Alien City Dragway, Roswell – Ben Thomas (575)626-8338
July 15-17 – 34th Annual Car Show – Downtown Farmington – Northern New Mexico Street Rodders – Bob Fuller rfuller16@gmail.com or www.Northernnewmexicostreetrodders.com
July 16 – Bear Canyon Estates Show – Enrichment Center, Bear Canyon Estates, 4440 Morris St. NE –
We would love to see you and your classic cars at our annual classic car show on July 16, 2016 from 10:00am-1:00pm. Thank you for your time and consideration – Erica Costello (505)293-0480 or Cell (505)288-7735
July 23 – 22nd Annual Summer Car Show Series at Hooters West – Alameda, – Setup 7am- 10am – Show 10am-4pm, Open to all years makes and models, Entry $20 – 30 classes – 25 Special Awards, 50/50 drawing and raffle supporting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Music by: Steve's Cruisan with the Oldies – 505-269-0496 or 505-332-9222 for info
July 23 – 25th Anniversary Clovis/Curry County Ethnic Fair – Hillcrest Park, Clovis – Car Show, Cultural Workshops, Fun Run/Walk, Entertainment – Selmus (575)749-6570 or price9741@gmail.com
July 29 – TNT Races – Alien City Dragway, Roswell – Ben Thomas (575)626-8338
July 29-31 – 10th Annual Route 66 Freedom Ride, Flight & Cruise Weekend – 8th & Aztec Aves, Gallup – Goal is 150+ cars – All proceeds go to two Veterans' organizations – Friday night Cruise, hamburgers & hotdogs at C of C – Saturday 10am, 10th Annual Gurley Motor Co. Route 66 Car, Truck & Street Rod Show, evening cruise to Courthouse for Beer Garden & Live Entertainment – Motorcycles do a "Freedom Ride" through "Tunnel of Fire" provided by balloonists – Steve@gurleymotor.com or
www.gurleymotorcoroute66carshow.com