Director’s Thoughts-AUGUST, 2014

August is officially the “Dog Days of Summer”. What does that mean to everyone? Well, to me, it means that the thing I want to do most is to sit inside in the air conditioning w/ my dog. August is also, traditionally, the last month for people’s summer vacations. People have been taking vacations throughout the summer, but August signifies the end of summer. The end of summer being the end of lazy, hot days at the beach or pool.

When Memorial Day arrives, I always think to myself that we have the whole summer ahead of us. 3 months of great weather, picnics, summer vacations, baseball, &, of course, car shows. Next thing, it is the 4th & then comes August, the month we all look forward to. August is when we get to show off our beloved Buicks @ DAF. Not only do we get to show off our cars, but the fellowship we share is very special to me. When we joined the Free Spirit Buick Club, everyone welcomed us with open arms. For this I am grateful! This is a club of good friends & good times. OK, enough of the mushy stuff!! Well, once DAF is over, there is Musikfest & the Allentown Fair, then Boom! Labor Day! Summer is over! In just a few weeks we will all be back @ the Starlite Diner & Lounge for the beginning of a new Fall/Winter season. Before you know it, we will be wearing warm clothes & winter jackets. 1 final thought: if you find yourself complaining about these “Dog Days Of Summer”, just remember this past January & February! At least we don’t have to shovel! HHH (Hazy, Hot & Humid)!

Weekend Tour, Huntington, Pa, August 8-10, 2014

Please join me on this exciting & relaxing adventure. I will be taking you on a weekend overnight adventure tour to Huntingdon, PA, staying @ the Comfort Inn. I will meet you in the rear parking lot @ the Cracker Barrel Country Store & Restaurant located in Hamburg, Pa on Friday, August 8, 2014 around 9:30am. You may arrive earlier for breakfast if you wish! Off we will then drive to our destination. During this adventurous weekend, I have made arrangements for us to visit the Isett Heritage Museum (antiques/collectibles), the Swigart auto Museum w/ lunch & a supper cruise on Raystown Lake & the Rockhill Trolley Museum. Please join in the fun & the interesting things we will encounter during this adventure on August 8-10, 2014! If you would still like to join me on this adventure, please call & submit your check to me, Sally, ASAP, before August 1st!! Thank you.

Cost for a couple = $157.50
Cost for a single person = $125.50 Cost for guests/children = see Sally
Checks made payable to “Free Spirit” chapter, submit to Sally Getz, 1060 Main
Road, Lehighton, Pa 18235 csgetz@ptd.net

Protect Vehicles in Hot Conditions

Dramatic fluctuations in temperature can wreak havoc on automobiles. While cars & trucks are designed to be reliable under various conditions, sometimes the weather can get the best of even the most reliable vehicle.

Many people associate car troubles w/ cold weather. However, cars are susceptible to breakdowns when it is hot outside. Extreme heat adds to an already high temperature under the hood, requiring ventilation & cooling systems to work much harder. Batteries, alternators, starters, fan motors, & cooling systems are particularly vulnerable to high heat. It’s easy for a car to overheat & breakdown. Proper maintenance & some hot weather drivers are going on a quick ride or an extended road trip.

+ Be sure the radiator is working properly & is filled w/ fluid at all times. This helps prevent overheating, which can strand a vehicle on the side of the
+ Hot temperatures cause items to expand, such as the air molecules inside of the tires. Make sure the tires are properly inflated so blowout do not occur.
+ Keep up-to-date w/ oil changes & other routine maintenance. Vehicles that are well maintained are less likely to be susceptible to heat strain.
+ Proper air flow is essential to cool an engine & keep a vehicle air conditioning system operating efficiently. If the cooling system has not recently been serviced, have it done before the hot weather arrives.
+ Replace an old battery & top off a functioning battery w. distilled water when necessary, particularly if evaporation has occurred.
+ Clean the vehicle so that it will better reflect the sun’s rays, cutting down
+ When the vehicle is parked, use a car cover or reflective shade in the windshield to protect the interior from sun damage 7 excessive heat.
+ Tinted windows can help block out more of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Make sure that tint is legal & applied properly if it is done after-market.
+ Plan road trips for early in the morning or late @ night to cut down on the amount of time spent driving during the peak heat & sunshine.
+ Passengers should wear appropriate clothing & apply sunscreen. Car windows do not block UV light, & passengers may be susceptible to sunburn even when they’re in the car.
+ Park in the shade whenever possible.
+ Never leave children or pets unattended in a vehicle, even for short
+ If the temperature gauge inside of the car reads hot, pull over, open the hood & turn the heat on inside the car to expel some of the pent-up heat.
+ Keep plenty of water on hand in the event of a breakdown to prevent dehydration until help arrives.

Law would Allow Police to Search your Car 

If the police stop you in PA, they don’t need a warrant to search your car. And, soon, you could be in trouble even if they find nothing.

The state Supreme Court ruled, recently, that police are allowed to search vehicles without a warrant. The state General Assembly, meanwhile, is moving forward w/ a bill that would give cops the authority to arrest people caught w/ “secret compartments” in their vehicles, even if there is nothing illegal in those suspicious containers. It adds up to greater authority for police & prosecutors but less privacy for PA drivers.

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation making it a crime to possess a car w/ “secret compartments”. If the bill becomes law, anyone caught w/ such compartments could be charged w/ a first-degree misdemeanor & have their vehicle seized by police—even if the compartments hold nothing but air. A conviction would carry up to 5 years in prison & a $10,000 fine.

The split-decision from the Supreme Court allows police to conduct searches of cars based only on probable cause—that is, as long as the officers conducting the search have a reason to believe there are illegal goods or evidence of a crime hidden inside the vehicle. If police feel there is a probable cause to search a car, it is a strong & sufficient safeguard against illegal searches & brings state law in line w/ federal law allowing warrantless searches of vehicles. Defense attorneys & civil liberties groups disagree.

Police are concerned about vehicles that pass through PA on a well-known smuggling route between NY & Florida. Guns, drugs & even people can be smuggled inside those secret compartments. If police happen to catch a smuggler w/ illicit goods, they don’t need any additional laws to arrest the suspect. But if the bill passes, law enforcement will have another way to stop the suspected smugglers—even if they aren’t carrying anything. The objective is to get those cars & trucks off the road, so if you’re using the same truck to drive back & forth between Florida & NY. To find an example of how that law works in practice, look no further than Pa’s neighbor to the west.

Last year, Ohio made “secret compartments” illegal. The Ohio law, like the proposed bill in Pa, specifies the compartment must be “used or intended to be used” for the concealment or transportation of illegal substances.

If this bill becomes law in Pa, Pa joins a small but growing number of states in which secret compartments in vehicles have been made illegal at the request of law enforcement groups & district attorneys. The bill was amended in committee to require law enforcement to prove a compartment exists with the intent to be used for criminal activity before a vehicle can be taken.

“Free Spirit” Meeting Minutes, July, 2014
No meeting this month. HAPPY VACATIONING!!

Duct Story

It’s in every handyman’s toolbox, every family’s kitchen drawer, just about every hiker’s backpack 7 these days, it’s an inspiration to crafters nationwide. It’s duct tape. And it’s indispensable. Originally nicknamed “duck” tape for its water-repelling power, this tough, easy-to-rip sticky stuff, originally drab olive green in color, was 1st developed by the Johnson & Johnson Company during WW II for American soldiers to keep their ammunition kits dry. Post-war, civilians adapted the versatile product, soon manufactured in its more familiar silver hue, for around-the-house duties such as piecing together 7 patching heat & air-conditioning ducts—hence the later “duct tape” name. Duct tape is now available in dozens of patterns & colors & has also claimed fame as a trendy art & fashion material.

Duck or Duct?
Duct tape, made & marketed by several companies, is the official name of the extremely strong tape made of durable plastic, fabric mesh & rubber-based adhesive. “Duck” tape is its longtime nickname, as well as the mother of the popular Duct Tape brand manufactured by ShurTech in thru the Years…According to the WW II era 1945 Johnson & Johnson Annual Report, “Hundreds of thousands of miles of special waterproof tapes were used on tanks, planes & ammunition destined for overseas”. Duct tape has been carried aboard every NASA space mission since 1965. In a celebrated 2012 episode of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters, hosts Adam Savage & Jamie Hynerman are dropped on a deserted island armed w/ nothing but a pallet of duct tape. In a previous episode, they built a duct tape rope bridge & demonstrated it could hold up to 67.3 lbs. As Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) used to say on TV’s Home Improvement “If you can’t fix it, duck it”. Today kids make every kind of crazy duct tape craft. This past June, 2014, in Avon, Ohio, an Annul Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival was held. This annual Celebration attracts thousands to the Duct Tape Capital of the World! Events include a Duct Tape Parade featuring massive floats made of duct tape & pageant queens decked out in glittery duct tape gowns. Other attractions; duct tape sculptures up to 15 feet tall, past winners of Duck brand’s “Stuck on Prom” Contest & duct-tape fashioned gowns featured on TV’s Project Runway.

Sticky Situations Duct tape will temporarily mend a window screen, patch a lawn chair cushion or reinforce a gas grill hose. But how about these ducky household solution?
+ Minus a Band-Aid? Cover cuts or scrapes w/ a tissue or paper towel, then top with duct tape for first aid in a pinch.
+ Pants a smidge too long? Make a temporary duct tape hem until they shrink
+ Got lint? Wrap duct tape around your hand, sticky side out, then pat or stroke the fabric to remove lint.

5 Driving Dilemmas Demystified

Admit it, how many times have you gazed longingly @ a tempting curbside parking space, weighed up the chances of squeezing in your car & thought, “Hmm, I don’t think so”? Or how about approaching a 4-way stop? Somehow we all muddle through w/ a “You go”. “No, you go” politeness. But know your rights of way & you’ll have much more confidence to “Go”. Finally, how’s your steering? “Fine” you say. But are you really holding the steering wheel the correct, proper & safest way? Or are you one of those “1 hand on the bottom” drivers? All & much more are revealed here. Improve your skills behind the wheel with these refreshers;
+ Parallel Parking Next to driving on ice or lapping Daytona, parallel parking is 1 of the toughest, most intimidating challenges you can face behind the wheel.

1.) See a space that might work? Immediately check your rearview to ensure no one’s riding your bumper. All OK? Now hit your turn signal & gently brake.
2.) Pull up alongside the vehicle parked in front of your space. Position your car so that your rear bumper is next to their rear bumper.
3.) Put your car in reverse. Look over your shoulder to assess the space. Now, as you start slowly easing back, turn the wheel hard to the right.
4.) As the rear of your car eases towards the curb, now start turning the wheel to the left, making sure you clear the car in front. Don’t hit the curb-repairing wheel scrapes can be expensive.
5.) Continue in reverse until you get close to the vehicle behind. Stop without touching. Now ease forward to center your car in the space.
6.) The key here is that practice makes perfect. Find yourself a quiet traffic-free area—an industrial park on a Sunday morning, or a stadium lot–& keep trying until it becomes second nature.
+ Self-Parking Cars They’re here—cars that park themselves. For < $400 you can make it an option on a number of affordable family sedans & SUV’s. Using an array of cameras & sensors, the vehicle can tell you whether a space is big enough. Then it will magically ease itself back into the space. All you do is control the gas, brake & gear selection. Hands off the wheel. + 4-Way Stop Every time you approach this labyrinth you probably take a deep breath. Rightly so, because it can cause confusion. Here’s what you do: Approach the stop sign & do just that-stop. And make sure you’re behind the white line, not over it. Vehicles have right-of-way in the order they arrived @ the junction. If 2 of you arrive @ roughly the same time, the vehicle on the right has Don’t be overly cautious. Waving people on if you have right-of-way slows down traffic flow & can irritate drivers behind. Be decisive so that other drivers know exactly what you’re doing. Don’t wait to be invited to move. + Crossing On Yellow Traffic intersections can be dangerous places, accounting for roughly 1.8 million accidents/year. So what should you do when green goers to yellow? First, never ever run a red light. > 714 people were killed & 118,000 injured in 2011, when figures last came out. No matter how late you’re running, it’s not worth it.
Approach every green light as if it’s going to change. And prepare to stop. Check your rearview to make sure no one is close behind, or coming up behind fast. Never speed up to “try & make it”. If you’re approaching an intersection & following other cars, cover your brakes & widen your gap. With red light cameras on the increase, more drivers don’t want a ticket for running a red, so they slam on the brakes. Many states have different yellow light laws. But the general rule is that if your car passes over the intersection white line before the light turns red, you can keep going. If you’re stopped in the intersection waiting to turn left, you can complete the turn on yellow. Enter the intersection on red, you’ll get a ticket.
+ Turning Right on Red It’s a good way to keep traffic flowing. You approach an intersection, & traffic turning right can do so on a red light (w/ caution). Here’s how to not fall about of the law; The 1 golden rule here is that before you turn right on red, you must come to a complete & irrefutable stop before the white line. Even a slow roll forward will get you a ticket. Make sure there isn’t a “No Turn On Red” sign anywhere. Heads-up. Pedestrians 7 cyclists have right-of-way. Only make the turn if it doesn’t affect other traffic. Vehicles on the other side of the intersection may be turning left, vehicles may be coming @ you from the left. Fast. Don’t pull out in front of them. Driving in NY City? Unless a sign is posted permitting it, right on red is prohibited, as it is in some other big cities in NY state.
+ Where to Place Hands We’ve all seen someone try to steer in a straight line w. 1 hand on the bottom of the wheel. Or holding a cup of magna-hot coffee, or with a cell phone planted at their ear. But hands should be firmly on the wheel at all times; Do it right & hold the wheel @ “9 & 3”. Here your hands are farthest apart so your steering inputs will be smoother & more precise. With your hands in the “9 & 3” position, when that pedestrian steps off the sidewalk in front of you, it gives you the largest steering wheel rotation. Shuffle the wheel when turning—never cross your hands. If that curve tightens more than you anticipated, you just keep shuffling & don’t get your arms tangled in a knot. Adjust your seat so your arms are at almost 90 degrees, making it possible to fully turn the wheel.

Change of Address
Bernard Boback, 2263 Lakeside Drive, Harvey’s Lake, PA 18618
Arnold Rapoport, 200 Kirkland Village Circle, Briarholme Apt #235
Bethlehem, PA 18017
Please be sure to make these changes in your membership roster.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

AUGUST 2014 (NO MONTHLY MEETING)

8-10 – Huntingdon, PA chapter tour w/ tour master Sally Getz
9 – Show & Cruise, Pottsville, Pa. www.thegreatpottsvillecruise@aol.com Annual Duryea Day, Boyertown, Pa. 610-367-2090
30 – 49th
31 – Slatington Lions Club Show, Craig, 484-764-8899
SEPTEMBER 2014
2 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100/78, supper @ 6:00pm, meeting @ 7:30pm. Guest speaker is Mr. Tremba, AAA representative, to talk on “Aggressive Driving”.
20 – Carbon County Shrine Show, mmickey@mvnrc.com
21 – Star Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac Show, Easton, Pa.
OCTOBER 2014
1-5 – Carlisle Show, Carlisle, Pa
4 – 3 Annual NCPD’s Fallen Heroes Car Show, Pottstown, Pa
5 – Becky’s Drive-In Car show, Berlinsville, Pa
6 – !! NOTE DAY CHANGE !! Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 78/100, supper @ 6:00 pm, meeting @ 7:30 pm. Guest speaker is Bob Bohnenberger to share with us some very informative & updated information on “Retirement Issues”. Hope you can join us for this presentation. Also, nominations will be taken for secretary, treasurer, membership chairman, & 2 board of director members.
8-11 – Hershey Fall Meet, Hershey, Pa
26 – KEMPTON CAR SHOW. Members are encouraged to attend!

CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”
1927 Buick Sport Roadster (54) 3p, very rare car. Jack Bennett, representative for Rose Nemeth, (Erno’s wife,) Ringoes, NJ 908-303-5391
1955 Buick Century Riviera 2-dr htp, maroon/white, 122,000 miles. Is a daily driver, not a show car. $9750. Howard Kriebel 610-489-1253 after 6 pm.
1956 Buick Century Riviera Series 60 – 4 dr htp. Original 322 “Nail Head” V8 Road Master engine (255hp) w/ “Dyna Flow” A/T & factory dual exhaust. PS, PB, PW & S. Sonomatic push button radio, factory deluxe lighting pkg. 72,700 original mi. Frame/body solid. Garage kept. Pics available. $15,000.00/negotiable. 570-309-2367, Robert.stavish@gmail.com
1964 Buick LeSabre 4-dr, original interior, repainted once. 98K miles. $7,700 Rein Brueggeman, 864-882-8079 rbbrueg@bellsouth.net
1968 Buick Skylark Custom Conv – garage kept, Artic white w/ red int. 117K miles, original 350 2b, $15,750. 610-770-0532, info@auto-motives.com
1969 Skylark Convertible – kimberly.pavlick@scranton.edu
1981 Buick Regal – 4 dr dark green in color. Garage kept in Berks County. 75,000 mi. 717-576-7588, dgetz101@hotmail.com
1937-38-39-40 Buick Straight 8 Engine Motor, $1500 OBO, 610-349-7760, robinbrumfield@rcn.com
In Search Of
1951-52 Buick Roadmaster RH grille bar extension. C. Wenger @ 443-710-6624, crewzn@broadstripe.net
Late 1980’-Early 1990’s Buick LeSabre/Electra – In good running condition for daily driver use in local town driving, reasonably priced. Does not have to be in perfect condition. Harold, 610-826-2639.