SEPTEMBER 2026 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, September 1st, 2026 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 will be Refreshments by Joe Warren.

NEXT BOARD MEETING: Tuesday, September 8th, 6:30pm at Village Pizza in Corrales.

BREAKFAST GROUP: Sunday, September 13th at the New Mexico State Fair

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

SEPTEMBER 1st MEETING

The Stories of Two Early New Mexico Sheriffs by Montie Avery

Montie W. Avery has lived in New Mexico for most of the past 60 years after growing up in the far Northwest of Missouri and going to college in Dallas. While at Dallas Christian College he met and married, an Albuquerque native, Billie Kelsoe.

Growing up in a rural farming community which was miles and miles from any real adventure he developed a passion for travel, history, photography, reading, and writing. After 50+ years in the Insurance Industry, as an Investigator, he retired in 2015, Retirement provided additional hours of leisure time that could be filled with avocations. Joining multiple historical societies, characterizations of historical individuals, traveling (10 trips to Europe), photographing churches for an annual Christmas card, and historical interruption at Rancho de las Golondrinas

When Covid forced us to spend more time at home, he began to write an Email Blog which goes out to about 100 friends once a week. The blog went thru several renditions before arriving at its present series which is entitled “Forgotten New Mexico Tales”.

With almost 250 “Forgotten New Mexico Tales” to choose from you might hear him expound on such topics as: Was there a 47 NM star flag, Where is Blackdom, NM, Who is Vincenti de Silva, Gallup’s Coal Union War, Where is Bloodville, NM, Did Elfego Baca live in Albuquerque, and Poncho visits Columbus.

The September 1st presentation to the Flathead Ford Club is an adaptation of one of these Forgotten New Mexico Tales. It has three titles because of the many careers of the main character. “FIRST MAYOR OF SIX-GUN SIDING”, FIRST SHERIFF OF QUAY COUNTY” & INVESTI-GATOR IN OSAGE KILLINGS”. Join us to hear a few of James Alexander Street’s many adventures.

The September 1st meeting will be held at our usual location, North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, 7600 Carmel NE, at 7pm. Remember to bring your show and tell items and anything you might wish to give away for our raffle. Refreshments will be provided by Joe Warren.

BOARD MEETING

Tuesday, September 8th, 6:30pm at Village Pizza in Corrales, the board will meet to dine and discuss issues before the club. Please try to attend.

2026 September President’s Message – Jeff Jackson

In this newsletter is a brief history of one of Joe Abbin's ‘40 Fords. That got me thinking about my first car(s). Yes, I made car(s) plural because I don't know exactly which car I owned first. I know my dad would bring home cars and say, “this is yours and this is what you need to do to it.” The first was a 1958 Chevrolet. It needed the interior cleaned. The second was a 1961 Police Interceptor that needed to be sanded for a paint job. For the Plymouth I pulled a Tom Sawyer and got some of my buddies to help sand. The next car I actually drove on the street to school and back one evening before I had my driver’s license. It was a 1957 Dodge D501. It was a 354 hemi with two four-barrel carbs. You may not have heard of the D501 because there were very few built. Estimated as less than 110 ever built. Dern, I wish I had that back, but Dad sold it when I blew the transmission practicing speed shifting in the back yard, yep the back yard of our house. Then he brought home a 1966 Fairlane GTA. The one in my garage is nearly identical to our 1966. Yes, again I changed the sentence because by this point it was our car, Jeff and Beth's. Mom made a skinny blue pillow that we set on the console so Beth could sit next to me. While we don't have our original 1966 Fairlane GTA, we still have the original pillow. Shoot, reminiscing like this means I may continue this article next month.
Beth and I will be at the State Fair but will miss the September meeting. I know Joe will do a bang-up job mentoring the meeting, Montie Avery will be the guest speaker. See elsewhere in the newsletter for his topic. See y'all at the State Fair!

New Mexico State Fair Car Show

V8 Day at the New Mexico State Fair will take place on Sunday, September 13th. Please gather at the east end of the Fair Plaza parking lot at the NW corner of San Pedro & Lomas by 7:45 am so we can drive in to the fairgrounds together starting at 8 am. There will be no charge for those entering with the club. We will drive in according to year of the car driven and will try to eat breakfast together after getting set up.

Let’s have a great turnout this year!

2026 OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

President: Jeff Jackson (jbjaxun@gmail.com) 505-908-7565

Vice-President: Joe Abbin (roadrunnerengr@msn.com) 505-263-1946

Secretary: Liz Johnson (diesel_buster@yahoo.com) 505-281-5747

Treasurer: Amy Joiner (amy2001tweety@hotmail.com) 505-382-8724

Director: Larry Azevedo (dribblebit@comcast.net) 505-410-1909

Director: Larry Bost (LBost111@gmail.com) 505-379-7891

Director: Debbie Louie (GusandDebbie@gmail.com) 505-225-9488

Director: Anthony Wagner (anthonywagner@comcast.net) 505-270-5015

Director: Roger Wilbur 505-603-5031

Newsletter Editor: Beth Jackson (bjaxun@gmail.com) 505-908-7564

Minutes of the August 4th Meeting

VP Joe Abbin called the meeting to order exactly on time at about 7 pm.

· August anniversaries and birthdays were noted, which are also in the August Newsletter.

· Bill Joiner provided refreshments

· Treasurer’s report: nothing new.

· No guests nor new members

NMCC

Complete listing at https://www.nmcarcouncil.com/nmccc-upcoming-events-page.html

· Joe requested a volunteer from the club to attend the NMCC meetings.

New Business

· Breakfast – Saturday, August 8th, 0830, The Range, Corrales

· The club needs articles for the newsletter – don’t be shy

· Endowing some sort of CNM scholarship for the automotive arts was mentioned, and will be discussed at the board meeting. It would be a productive use of the of the reserves generated from the Tumbleweed 2000 Tour event. An interest-bearing account was also suggested.

· A volunteer is needed to bring the stanchions to the State Fair on 9/13, since the Van de Velde’s won’t be in town. It was suggested that the club purchase a trailer to use for the fair.

· Pistons for Patriots show is August 22-23, registration is $50/car or the group rate of $30/car

· EFV-8 elections are coming up for 2027.

· Next month will be a presentation by Montie Avery

August 2026 meeting events

· Debbie Van de Velde gave a very comprehensive presentation of jams & jellies, the differences between the two, and other preservation methods. She brought in examples of each and all the hardware needed to make preserves. She also talked about all the other things she does in the course of running a small farm.

Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:40 PM.

September Birthdays & Anniversary

Joyce Clements (4) Nick & Diana Bakas (6)

Anthony Wagner (5) Larry & Lorna Azevedo (21)

Jeff Jackson (8) Max & Johanne Glover (23)

Evonne Joiner (22)

Amanda Baird (30)

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

The Joe Abbin 1940 Ford Gasser in the 1960 Era and Today

Joe Abbin

I owned the pictured 1940 Ford coupe from about 1959-1963. I sold to it to my friend, Ralph Powell about 1962. He sold it to Tom Prevender, who sold it to Bobby Ford (I think).

It ran as a gasser on Eubank the entire time I owned it. First with a well-equipped 286 cu.in. flathead in C Gas. It ran 17 seconds, 80 mph quarter miles, about the same as a 1957 Chevy at the time. No fan, so it ran hot on the street (imagine that). NHRA then demoted the car to F Gas, then X Gas (haha). I traded the flathead to Tom Dadian for a 1934 Ford Tudor (complete & running) while I built a 1956 Mercury 312 cu.in. Y-block engine as an upgrade for the flathead.

My friend John Smith had a 1932 Chevy coupe with a 265 cu.in. small block Chevy with dual four-barrel carbs and a Duntov cam. That car was one of the quickest in town and the first car I ever rode in that the engine could turn 7000 rpm! I thought I should be able to do that with a Ford engine, my Mercury Y-block.

My Y-block project engine was bored .125 to 332 cu.in., had 13:1 Jahns pistons, an Offenhauser 6X2 intake with Holley 94's (with Country Club Malt Liquor velocity stacks), an Isky E-4 cam and valve train at first, then a wilder Crower-Schneider cam with beefier valve springs later. I gas welded a set of individual headers using coat hanger wire filler (lots of sparks which ruined my new glasses). Finally, the car was complete. A trip to the Lomas Dyno Tune facility (across from Frank's drive-in) followed a short break-in period. What kind of horsepower would it make and would it turn the magical 7000 rpm? The first pull on the Clayton chassis dyno resulted in the car launching out of the dyno twin rollers and blasting out through the facility exit garage door! No strap-down due to the dyno operator's low expectations and my ignorance. Luckily no harm done and I went around the building, re-entered the facility entrance and re-positioned the rear wheels between the dyno rollers. The dyno operator suggested several on lookers could stand on the rear bumper this time to prevent a second launch. Even in my youth I thought this to be a bad idea and insisted on properly strapping the car down. The result: the car maxed the dyno at 180 hp ("true" hp unknown) and turned the magic 7000 rpm, while bending two push rods which ended the testing.

The Forty was quick and loud, providing endless entertainment on the street and a sinkhole for all my money and leisure time for about two years. It was a frequent contender on Eubank Blvd (our informal dragstrip). The new engine routinely overpowered my 1939 transmission and 4.44 ratio 1940 rear end particularly after the addition of re-capped drag slicks. The car was dangerous and handled poorly without front shocks (deleted to promote weight transfer and traction), brakes that were inadequate (one drum cracked, all of which were machined over the legal .060 limit), and no safety features, not even seat belts, and a nutty driver. Strangely it did mostly run cool even without a fan. Six volts and no generator were woefully unreliable for starting although reasonably sufficient to power the Mallory ignition. Other setback events included two fires (extinguished by opening the throttle(s) which devoured the flames), a record freezing event which cracked the block (requiring engine removal, disassembly, and repair), an exploding oil filter due to my excessive oil pump bypass spring adjustment, etc. Eventually the car over powered my wallet and enthusiasm and I sold it to Ralph Powell, even after terrorizing him and his mother (his financial advisor) by giving them a ride with open headers and missing floor boards. Sometime after the sale to Ralph, I saw the intake manifold including the carburetors and my Country Club Malt liquor velocity stacks for sale at Guaranteed Auto supply. Ralph had installed a more practical four-barrel intake and finished the exhaust system. Years later I learned Tom Prevender allegedly blew up the Y-block on Tramway Blvd while "tuning". RIP Y-block. Eventually Bobby Ford bought and rebuilt the car into the functional and beautiful orange street rod you see today.

THE GALESVILLE LIMITED

The Fate of a 1938 Ford School Bus

In 1949, John Schilling, a Galesville, Wisconsin farmer, spotted a 1938 Ford school bus in Little Chute, Wisconsin. He and his wife bought it for $255 and towed it home. John converted it into a vacation motor home. By 1951, the floor was lowered and the front extended 5 feet. Using 1938 Ford sedan doors and splicing in a section of a Chevrolet COE hood, he widened the cab 8 feet and gave it the look of a diesel locomotive. After furnishing the inside, it was ready to try.

Headed for Chicago, the bus made it as far as Richland Center, Wisconsin, before the flathead gave out, and the bus was towed home. John took the engine out of the family 1950 Ford and installed it in the bus. Then they drove to Chicago. On returning home, the engine went back into the car.

Next trip was to Waterloo, Iowa, for a cattle convention, after installing a Ford Big 6 engine. Forty miles outside of Waterloo, the engine seized. A friend and fellow mechanic came to the rescue and towed the old bus back to the farm.

The family had grown, so the bus was extended 5 feet to the rear, a big Buick engine with Dynaflow transmission was added at the rear behind a big truck axle and modified to run backward. The extra 5 feet gave room for a crib, washer and dryer. The family set out to tour the USA. Their trip took them from coast to coast, east to west and north to south. Everywhere they stopped, people came out to see and take photographs of the family and their conveyance.

As they entered Indiana, the Jeep had to be disconnected and driven, as the unit was 5 feet too long for the state law.

They visited the factory where the bus was originally built.

In Washington DC, they were able to park on Pennsylvania Ave. and talk with their senator and congressman.

In New York, they parked in a church parking lot, piled the whole family into the Jeep, and toured Wall Street at the noon hour, attracting a lot of attention.

In Idaho, travelling through the Rockies, the rear engine got so hot, it melted the distributor cap; a friendly native helped to get them back on the road.

In 1977, a couple of the kids found the remains in a scrap yard, rescued a few souvenirs and took photos.

The story of the Galesville Ltd. can be found in “Hemmings Classic Car,” March, 2017. More details and stories can be found there or by searching the internet using its name.

Joyce

Jokes of the Month

Nine Important Facts

1. Number 9 – Death is the number 1 killer in the world.

2. Number 8 – Life is sexually transmitted.

3. Number 7 – Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

4. Number 6 – Men have two emotions: hungry and horny, and they can’t tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.

5. Number 5 – Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks, months, maybe years.

6. Number 4 – Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.

7. Number 3 – All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

8. Number 2 – In the 60’s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.

9. Number 1 – Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today might burn your ass tomorrow.

Route 66 Speaker Series for July

September 26, 2026 11:00am to 12:30 pm

Central & Unser – Patrick J Baca Library - 8081 Central Ave NW, ABQ

Sondra Diepen – Route 66 New Mexico

East Mountain Library – 487 NM 333, Tijeras

Gary Herron - Motels on Route 66/Central Avenue in Albuquerque

Fred Luna Multi-Generational Center - 197 Don Pasqual, Los Lunas

Abraham Santillanes - Why turn left at Albuquerque? Albuquerque, Route 66 and the many roads that came before.

Gutierrez-Hubbell House - 6029 Isleta Blvd SW, ABQ

Prickly Pear Festival – No Route 66 Speaker

International District Library - 7601 Central Ave. SE, ABQ

Joseph Sabatini - North Fourth Street – Albuquerque's Original Route 66

Loma Colorado Library - 755 Loma Colorado Blvd NE, Rio Rancho

Jennifer Bohnhoff – The Civil War on Route 66

Martha Liebert Public Library - 124 W Malinche St., Bernalillo

Gordene MacKenzie – Agriculture, Architecture, Artists, Bootleggers, and Businesses along the Mother Road in Los Ranchos

Pueblo of Isleta Cultural Center - 71 Tribal Road 40, Isleta

Roger Zimmerman - Rerouting Route 66 through New Mexico

Raymond Sanchez Community Center - 9800 4th Street NW, ABQ

Aimee Tang – Chinese Merchants of Albuquerque’s Route 66

South Valley Library - 3904 Isleta Blvd SW, ABQ

Donatella Davanzo - Route 66 Connected: A photo-ethnographic exploration of the contemporary Route 66 in New Mexico

Special Collections Library - 423 Central Ave NE, ABQ

Hazel Lathrop - Tijeras Canyon - Five Miles of Road and Hundreds of Stories

Wheels Museum - 1100 2nd Street SW, ABQ

Lynne Franchini Peckinpaugh - The Italian's Pathway to Prosperity on Albuquerque's Route 66

SEPTEMBER 2026 CLASSIFIED ADS

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

For Sale: 1940 Deluxe Ford Station Wagon running and driving, rebuilt 59A (1946-1948 Ford/Merc engine), 12 volt, Columbia 2 speed rear end, excellent paint (Folkstone Gray) and body, chrome and trim, stock repro leather interior, new running boards, dual exhaust, etc. $75,000.

Frank Brown, crazyf232@aol.com, 505-710-6907

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

For Sale: 1941 Ford Deluxe Convertible.

Call Max Glover for more information. 505-249-7344 Cell or 505-792-2011 Home.

For Sale: 1935 Ford 5-window coupe, older frame-off restoration, 6-volt system. Good condition always garaged. $25,000 Neva Coffee 505-280-7406.

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.

Tumbleweed Early Ford V8 Club Calendar for 2026

January

Tuesday 6th Club Meeting 7pm North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, Program on Vapor Lock by Joe Abbin. Refreshments by Beth & Jeff Jackson

Saturday 10th Breakfast 8:30am Weck’s at 10131 Coors Blvd NW, in front of Harbor Freight

February

Tuesday 3rd Club Meeting 7pm North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, Program on Route 66 by Joyce Clements. Refreshments by Azevedo’s.

Saturday 14th Breakfast 8:30am at Hello Deli, 7600 Jefferson St NE, ABQ

March

Tuesday 3rd Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Program on License plates by Michael Weiner. Refreshments by Abernathy’s.

Saturday 14th Breakfast 8:30am at The Range Café at Cottonwood, 10019 Coors Blvd. NW, Albuquerque.

April

Tuesday 7th Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Memories of Rt 66 and Abq by Alan Carlson. Refreshments by Van de Velde’s and Wagner.

Saturday 11th Breakfast 8:30am Lantern Ridge Bakery, 12540 N Hwy 14, Sandia Park with a tour following nearby at Jerry Page’s.

May

Tuesday 5th Club Meeting N Domingo Baca Center, Jerry Page and his Wrench Collection. Refreshments by Clements

Sunday 17th Museum Car Show, 10am – 3pm

Monday 25th 11 – 2, Club Birthday Party

Saturday 30th Tulsa Route 66 Capital Cruise

June

Tuesday 2nd Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Meeting Cancelled due to venue being closed.

Tuesday 9th Board Meeting 6:30 pm at Village Pizza in Corrales

Saturday 13th Breakfast 8:30am Vick’s Vittles, 8810 Central Ave. SE

July

Tuesday 7th Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Comparison of the ’36 and ’46 Fords, Refreshments by Larry Bost.

Saturday 4th Parade in Corrales and Picnic at Azevedo’s, 209 Hansen Rd., Corrales, 87048.

Saturday 11th Breakfast 8:30am

August

Tuesday 4th Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, “Canning” by Debbie Louie. Refreshments by Bill Joiner.

Saturday 8th Breakfast 8:30am

September

Tuesday 1st Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Montie Avery on NM History. Refreshments by Joe Warren.

Sunday 13th State Fair Car Show, meet for breakfast after set-up.

October

Tuesday 6th Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Car Insurance. Refreshments by Chris & Amy Joiner

Saturday 10th Breakfast 8:30am

November

Tuesday 3rd Club Meeting 7pm N Domingo Baca Center, Officer Election and Larry Azevedo on Henry Ford. Refreshments by Liz Johnson.

Saturday 14th Breakfast 8:30am

December

Saturday 12th Club Christmas Party 1pm Potluck

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. Auto Glass Now, 8201 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque NM 87110, 505-897-9000. Also at 8310 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque NM 87113, 505-445-7022

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