Director’s Thoughts, April 2016

Do you know there is a different name for the moon each & every month?

If you look out your window on Friday, April 22nd, @ 5:24 am, you will see the “Pink Moon”.

What is a Pink Moon? The full moon that appears in April is called the Pink Moon. This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring.

Pink Moon Name Variations – The Pink Moon of April is sometimes referred to by names associated with other signs of full spring. In other cultures, this full moon is sometimes call the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

When is the next Pink Moon? The Pink Moon dates are expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UT), the international basis for other time zones. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full moon dates shift from year to year. This year is Friday, April 22nd, @ 5:24 am.

Spring is in the air! Oh what a wonderful feeling this will be! The grass will turn green, the tulips & hyacinth will bloom, the trees will have buds, & the car season starts! Are you ready for another wild year of car adventures?

Well let’s get-um running!

Don’t forget about the April meeting this month on the 5th, our guest speaker will be Mary Ann Snell. Also, send in your reservation(s) for the April 22nd Mack Truck & Lehigh County Historical Society tour to Kathleen Duckett before the 15th! Get some of the local history under your belt.

Your elected Director, Sally Getz

“Free Spirit” Chapter Meeting Minutes, March 1, 2016

Director Sally Getz called the meeting to order @ 7:30 pm. There were 22 members present. On behalf of, & in appreciation of the “Free Spirit” Chapter, Don Sterner, was presented a past Director’s award for his gracious services as Director from 2014-2015 by Sally Getz.

Guest speaker, Mr, David Webster, was unable to present tonight.

Treasurer’s report for February given by Clarence Getz, motion to accept, Isabel Lenny, seconded, Dolores Kennedy, so carried.

Motion to accept February’s BOD meeting minutes as printed in March newsletter, Stacy Sterner, seconded, Thomas Sylvester, so carried.

Motion to accept February’s meeting minutes as printed in March newsletter, Shirley Schaffer, seconded, Kathleen Duckett, so carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. Historian – no report
B. Kempton – Flyers are ready, will be available for Hamburg meet, 03/06/16.
C. Membership –New member, Gerald/Ruth Engle, Bethlehem, Pa
D. Newsletter – All advertisers have renewed, THANK YOU!
E. Programs – Mary Ann Snell, “Living Wills”, will be Aprils’ guest speaker.
F. Publicity – no report
G. Ways and Means – Looking into adding items to ways-n-means dept.

I. OLD BUSINESS:
~AACA Philadelphia Convention, PA – David/Debbie Brady were the proud recipients of the James Melton Memorial Cup Award during this year’s convention held in February, 2016 w/ their 1932 Series 60 5-p Buick Convertible Phaeton, 68C. Congratulations!!
~Any member who would like to volunteer their time during the 50th Anniversary Celebration in July, please contact Mr. Dick Beckley, P O Box 128, Lewisberry, Pa. 17339. H=717-395-7128, dbeckley@epix.net
~Lehigh Auto Show, Stabler Arena, March 20, 2016 = “Free Spirit” chapter, again, this year, weather permitting, is invited to display BUICKS outside the fieldhouse where general public has to walk by to get into the building. Member participants will receive free admission tickets. GM will have 2016 Cascada Convertible on display. There are a few members interested in attending, weather permitting.
~Results on BCA windshield cards – the red/white/blue card = popular vote.

II. NEW BUSINESS
~Received – J. C. Taylor award allotment.
~2016 Tours: Friday, April 22, 2016 – Mack Truck Museum & Lehigh County Historical Museum tours, tour masters Kathleen/Thomas Duckett.
Friday, May 27, 2016 – QVC tour, tour master, Stacy Sterner.
~July 2016 Celebration – confirmation letters have been, & are being sent out to those how have registered for this event. Please check them for correctness.
~Chapter Banners will not be allowed (NO SPACE) for display during this event as they have been in previous years, which is a shame due to members, you & I, who make up the chapters, who make up the BCA. This is a 50th Anni. Celebration of the BCA?!! It’s like a Birthday cake but without the candles.
~National BOD Meeting minutes highlights, 01/08/16 (member public knowledge) – BCA looking to increase general Commercial Liability insurance coverage. Obtaining several quotes. In the future, if anyone wants to purchase older Bugles, will most likely have to go through the North Texas chapter. 2016 event volunteers needed: registration/goody bag hand-out, car parking, entrance gate assistance, hospitality room, tour bus loading. NMC looking for chapters to consider hosting future National meets, especially @ California for 2018? As of 02/22/16, 2016 event registrations ; 786 registered, 380 show cars, 56 trailers, 67 vendor spaces, 498 BCA banquet, 258 BHA banquet 110 Dorney Cruise-In.
~AOW during 2016 event – Linda Merkle, curator of AOW museum approached Dennis Snell to see if “Free Spirit” chapter members would be interested on lending Buick related items to be on display during the month of July in conjunction w/ the 2016 event. The CHAPTER BANNERS CAN BE PLACED ON DISPLAY HERE!! All items would be recorded & pictures taken of whatever a member is bringing for on display.
~Future BCA National Meets – Sally received e-mail, 02/08/16, from Kevin Kinney, BCA National Meet Chairman, in regards to future meets. The NMC is looking or chapters, Regions or Divisions to host a BCA National Meet.
~New Division of BCA – Buick Performance Group is now officially the “Performance Division of the BCA”, 67 members. “Welcome”.
Motion made to adjourn Dolores Kennedy, seconded by George Grossman, so carried @ . Respectfully submitted: Thomas Duckett, Secretary

Friday, April 22, 2016, Mack Truck Museum Tour, Allentown, PA

Join us on a tour in the Lehigh Valley. We will meet at the IHOP in Allentown at 8:30am for breakfast or if you like just a cup of coffee. From there we will proceed to the Mack Truck Museum for a 10:00 am guided tour of the museum. Featured is Evil Knievel’s stunt vehicles & artifacts. All participants will receive a Mack pin. After an informative tour of Mack Truck we will stop at the Queen City Diner for a light lunch/snack (pay your own). From the diner we will proceed to the Lehigh County Historical Society for a 1:30 pm guided tour of the museum, & w/ an exhibit on, “An American Revolution”. Join us for a day filled with local American history!

• IHOP-1511 Lehigh St- Allentown
• Mack Truck Museum – 2402 Lehigh Parkway South – Allentown
• Queen City Dinner -1801 Lehigh St-Allentown
• Lehigh County Historical Society – 432 Walnut St. – Allentown.

Member = $5.00 per person
Non-member/guest = $8.50 per person
Please send check, made payable to “Free Spirit” Chapter, to Kathleen Duckett, 6023 Riverview Road, Slatington, Pa 18080, by Friday, April 15, 2016.

Friday, May 27, 2016, QVC Studio Tour, West Chester, PA

Since opening in the fall of 1997, QVC Studio Park, West Chester, PA, has become a popular destination for thousands of visitors interested in seeing live television @ it’s finest. At this state-of- the-art broadcasting facility, guests will see & experience how QVC products are sourced, tested, brought to life on air, & delivered to millions of QVC customers. There are views into QVC’s more than 58,000 square feet of studio space where guests may be able to watch QVC programs in progress & may even catch a glimpse of a favorite host or guest!

Our tour time = 11:00 am. Walking shoes required. EVERYONE MUST HAVE ID! Plus, ALL guests will go through a security search, including a metal detector & bag search. We will meet @ Starlite Diner & Lounge & leave by 9:00 am SHARP! For those who are coming from a different direction & do not want to meet @ the diner, meet at the entrance of QVC, 1365 Enterprise Drive, West Chester, Pa 19380, at 10:30 am. Lunch will follow the tour.

Member = $5.00 per person, child (age 7-12)=$4.00 per child
Nonmember = $10.00 per person, child (age 7-12)=$8.00 per child
Please send check, made payable to “Free Spirit” Chapter, to: Stacy Sterner, 121 Pheasant Drive, Kutztown, Pa 19530, by Friday, May 6, 2016

Buicks @ Barrett-Jackson Auction

The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona was conducted January 26th through January 31st. As the world’s largest collector car auction & occurring in January, it often sets the tone for collector car prices for the coming year. About 1500 vehicles were registered & they ranged from microcars to one of a kind custom creations. Here is a short report on some of the Buicks that crossed the auction block. All of these cars were fully restored, & appeared to be of a very high quality as seen on TV, & as reported by the experts present on stage.

• 1935 Buick Series 66C, sold @ $95,000
• 1953 Buick Skylark, sold @ $120,000
• 1963 Buick Riviera, sold @ $29,500
• 1970 Buick GSX, sold @ $74,000
• 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1-4 speed, sold @ $90,000
• 1972 Buick GS 4 speed w/ S/C, sold @ $52,000

Annual “Free Spirit” Chapter Picnic, Sunday, June 12, 2016

Annual picnic to be held @ Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie Memorial Park, Sunday, June 12, 2016. Lunch to begin @ 12:30 pm. You can join in & eat whenever you get there for we eat all afternoon long. The chapter will provide the meats, beverages, utensils, & paper products. You are responsible for bringing your EMPTY BELLIES, good foods, good Humor & good stories!

Last names which begin with letter

A-I = hot dish
J-R = dessert
S-Z = cold dish

This event is held RAIN or SHINE, so come on out & enjoy the day with your many Buick friends!

BCA 50th Anniversary Celebration, July 27-30, 2016, Allentown, PA

Now it’s only 4 months away for this SPECIAL CELEBRATION to take place! If you haven’t registered yet, please do so for only 1000 cars will be allowed for display! REMEMBER, YOU MUST BE A NATIONAL BCA MEMBER TO DISPLAY YOUR BUICK!! It has been printed in the local newspaper that this event will definitely surpass the 100th Buick Anniversary Celebration held in Flint, Michigan in 2003! Aren’t you curious to know whether or not this statement will be fact or fiction?

Life & Some Cars Just Keep Rolling

As they say, life just keeps rolling along. This spring a young girl got her driver’s license. It seems like just yesterday she was being pushed on a swing, going for walks in a stroller & watching her learn how to ride her bike. She is a smart girl & takes driving very seriously. But this story is not about the girl, but about the car she is driving.

It is a 4-door, dark cherry 1998 Honda Accord with miles galore on the odometer. Over the years the color has turned from cherry to eggplant/purple. This car is special because this is the vehicle that her parents brought her home from the hospital in when she was born more than 17 years ago. How many people can say they learned to drive in the same car their parents brought them home from the hospital in when they were born? It was carrying precious cargo on board then as it still is today!

The life through the years for this reliable car hasn’t been the easiest. As with military families relocation is a must. This car has been around as they would say. It spent a few years down south with the hot & high humidity. The car spent years climbing up & down the mountains of PA. It was often covered with feet of snow in upstate NY. The Honda survived a bad hailstorm in Colorado with no more than a few small dents on the hood & trunk to show. The car even spent time outside of the US. It crossed the sea twice. It spent a couple of weeks on a cargo freighter when it was shipped over to South Korea. It spent 2 years there & was shipped back again. It did take some time to get the car’s air filter system back to normal from all the smog & yellow sand.

As the young girl got in the car & drove away from the curb to take her on-the- road driving test, her mom sat on a bench. As she watched the taillights of the Honda, she thought back to the small baby girl in the back seat of that car & to now a young lady old enough to drive it. Where had the time gone? This 1998 Honda Accord has served this family & young lady well, & if a car could show emotions, it should be smiling from headlight to headlight!

Radials or Bias Ply Tires For Your Classic

Some purists think they want bias ply tires on their classic car because they look like the original style tires. Just hold on. Unless you don’t intend to drive the car (except maybe to an occasional show near home), you should be driving on radials. Why? Because they’re much safer. Let’s face it, you’ve got a lot rolling on those tires. I’m not just talking about your investment, but the safety of you & your family. Radial tires respond much better in an emergency, & that’s critical with all the cars on the road today. In fact, radials just may save your life. In a quick maneuver, the tire tread stays in full contact the road because of the tire’s construction, giving you maximum control. The radial’s sidewalls can flex, which is what keeps the rubber in contact with the road surface. Bias plies can’t do that, so they inherently handle poorly, & in an emergency, you can easily lose control of the car. Here’s a list of advantages over bias ply tires. You can decide for yourself if they belong on your car.

• Faster response & better control Smoother ride
• Less wandering, straighter tracking Less rolling resistance, better MPG
• Easier steering effect Better emergency braking
• Less road shock is felt Much better puncture resistance
• Better traction on wet roads Longer tread life

So, you see, radial tires are a smart decision. Anything else doesn’t make sense.

What Ruins Whitewall Tires

If you have your car serviced & the tires have to be removed for any reason, be sure you are there to supervise how they are handles. Chemical agents such as oil & grease Cn affect the white rubber to cause permanent problems. And guess what will cause the staining of whitewalls? Stacking tires w/ the black side of 1 tire against the white sidewall of another! Remember what I said about how chemicals from black rubber will leach into white rubber? Well, there is no protective barrier on the outside of the white rubber; so if the tires are stacked 1 on another, or even leaned against 1 another, it can happen very fast. It looks like a brown stain-& it’s permanent. All the cleaning agents in the world won’t get rid of it.

What it means is that you should never leave your whitewall tires unattended in a service shop. They might get moved & stacked. Also, be sure to tell the service technician right up front not to touch the whitewall itself with greasy, dirty hands. And, speaking of ruining whitewalls tires, right here is the perfect place to mention how NOT to clean your whitewalls. If you want to ruin them over time, 1 of the best ways is to use cleaners that contain bleach. Yep, whitewall cleaner. Now you are probably thinking “But I’ve always used whitewall cleaner”. Yes, it gets them clean alright, but what you will notice over time is that the whitewalls start to get dried out & lose that nice “smooth & shiny” surface quality (which also makes them easy to clean. If your whitewalls are dried out already, that’s probably why. Instead of whitewall cleaner, use a soap pad or a scrubby sponge with a cleaning agent like 409, Simple Green, etc. Never use tire coatings on the whitewall. They can cause discoloration, too.

Cleaning Tips (NO BLEACH)

One of the 1st things you will notice is that Diamond Back Classics are extremely easy to clean. Most whitewalls turn dingy or yellow because of the leaching of chemicals (mostly anti-oxidants) into the white material. Because our process uses a butyl lining to stop chemical leaching, you only have to clean the surface dirt. We recommend frequent cleanings with an abrasive cleaning pad. A fine or medium sanding sponge works well. These are available at most hardware stores.

Any good cleaner works OK – Castrol Super Clean, 409, Simple Green, Greased Lightning- just to name a few. Avoid cleaners that contain bleach. Prolonged use of these cleaners can “dry” the whitewall surface. Do not use products such as Armor All on white wall. This could causes light discoloration. Whitewall surfaces tend to “Dry” with time, heat, ozone, etc. A vigorous cleaning periodically will get rid of the dry surface & help maintain the tire’s beauty. Don’t be afraid to scrub!

AIR PRESSURE

Modern p-metric radials are designed for higher air pressure. This reduces rolling resistance, reduces heat build-up, and improves your car’s steering response. It also helps prevent damage to your whitewalls. Because of so many applications, specific air pressures cannot be recommended. A good setting for most applications is 35 psi COLD. Remember, air pressure fluctuates with temperature change – frequent pressure checks are recommended, especially when beginning a long trip. For the street-rodders who frequently use smaller front tires and for the resto-rodders who select smaller tires to achieve that “certain look,” we recommend higher air pressures. Diamond Back offers a large variety of smaller radials designed for higher air pressures – i.e. “H” or “T” speed rated. Remember, your front tires do most of the work. Tires designed for higher pressure (40-44psi) should be considered.

PA Fun Facts

You might think you know your home state like the back of your hand, but think again. There are always new and interesting things to learn about the place you call home– from historical facts, to weird laws, to state firsts, here are some quirky and fun things you may not have known about Pennsylvania.
1. The state insect is the firefly.
2. The oldest gas station in the US is located in Altoona.
3. Pennsylvania is one of the few U.S. states that is a commonwealth, which has no legal meaning but emphasizes the role of the people in the state’s government. (The others are Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts.)
4. The 3rd biggest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is Allentown, Lehigh Valley, PA
5. The nation’s oldest golf course is located in Clarion.
6. The Monongahela River, located in Western PA, is unique in that it flows north.
7. The first department store in the U.S. was located in Philadelphia. It was Called Wanamaker’s. “The Grand Court”.
8. The only president from PA was James Buchanan.
9. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers merged to form the “Steagles” for one season in 1943. The teams merged because both lost so many players to military service during WWII.
10. One weird Pennsylvania law forbids singing in the bathtub. Another forbids the sweeping of dirt underneath a rug.
11. PA has the highest Amish population in the world.
12. Kennett Square, PA is the mushroom capital of the world. It produces one million pounds of mushrooms per year and has an annual mushroom festival.
13. The most haunted house in the country was once considered to be the Congeleier House on Ridge St. in Pittsburgh.
14. The first complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton can be found in the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh.
15. The world’s largest furry convention, Anthrocon, occurs in Pittsburgh every year.
16. The 1st baseball stadium was built in Pittsburgh, Forbes Field.
17. In 1946, the world’s 1st computer was used in Philadelphia, “Eniac”.
18. Pennsylvania was the only colony of the original thirteen that did not border the Atlantic Ocean.
19. Benjamin Franklin started the country’s first zoo in Philadelphia.
20. The official state beverage is milk. Mmm.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 2016 WATCH OUT, APRIL FOOL’s DAY!
5 – Monthly meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Allentown, Pa. Supper @ 6 pm, Business meeting @ 7:30 pm. Guest speaker is our own Mrs. Mary Ann Snell. “Do you have a Living Will? Is a Living Will recognized in PA? Do you have a Medical Durable Power of Attorney?” If you are unsure of what this document is, please join us for a very informative presentation!
15-17 – Englishtown Swap Meet, Raceway Track, Englishtown, NJ
20- 24 – Spring Carlisle, Carlisle Fairgrounds, Carlisle, Pa
22 – Mack Truck Museum/Lehigh County Historical Society Tours
30 – 3rd Annual Michael Aquilina Memorial Car Show, Cherryville Pa

MAY HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY!
1 – 33rd Annual Ciff Cowling Field Show, Bath Pa
1 – GM on Display Show, Macungie Park, Pa 610-608-7904
3 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Allentown, PA. Supper @ 6 pm, business meeting @ 7:30 pm. Guest speaker is Ms. Jennifer Washney, Program Manager, Mission Delivery East Central Division, American Cancer Society, Inc. Do you know, or have heard of “Road to Recovery”? Please join us to find out that compassion is still living inside of each one of us in today’s society.
15 – 33rd Annual Show, Wind Gap, Pa 610-704-6586
21 – 8th Annual Show & Shine, Quakertown, Pa 610-349-6985
22 – 15th Annual BBC Pre WWII Car & Brass era show, Railroad Museum of PA, Strasburg, Pa. 215-313-2734
27 – QVC studio Tour, West Chester, Pa (Chapter event)

JUNE 2016 HAPPY FATHER”S DAY!
10-12 – The Elegance at Hershey, Hershey, Pa. theeleganceathershey.com
11 – Paoli Methodist Church Show, Paoli, Pa
12 – Annual Chapter picnic, “Weeping Willow” Pavilion, Macungie Park
17-19 – GM Nationals, Carlisle, Pa
18 – J. W. Rich & Bob Greens Museum tours. (Chapter event)

CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”

1939 Buick Special (41) 4-DR Trunk back Sedan, unrestored original car, Straight 8, manual transmission. Runs well! Rebuilt engine & components, brake system, drive train, transmission. Upgraded carb, electronic ignition, oil filter, NEW exhaust system. WW tires. Pics available. $16,500/negotiable. Ken Davis, 610-489-1649. kwmcdavis@verizon.net
1951 Buick Super (51) 4 dr. Excellent condition. Everything works, drive anywhere. Original paint interior. All mechanical things have been replaced or improved. 59,000 original miles. $11,500. William@ 610-970-7183, 484-948-6213.
1962 Buick Skylark Conv. Overall GOOD condition. Various NOS chrome installed. Runs/drives nice! Transmission, rear, top & rear window good. Dave’s Int. restorations, 525 Chestnut St., Emmaus, Pa 18049
1981 Buick Regal 4 DR dark green, garage kept. 75K mi. 717-576-7588
1987 Buick GN, T-Top blk w/ grey/blk int., orig parts, EXCELLENT condition, 3200 ORIGINAL miles. Stored in heat controlled garage. $28,500 (OBO), gbrentano@verizon.net
1951-52 Buick Mustache Bar to be rechromed, very hard to find! $400.00. William, 610-970-7183, 484-948-6213.

In Search Of

1948 Buick Special 2 door back chrome. Doug @ 570-573-0948.
1951-52 Buick Roadmaster RH grille bar extension. C. Wenger, 433-710-6624, crewzn@broadstripe.net
1967 Buick Electra Conv. 610-730-4599, dwebster80@gmail.com