Director’s Thoughts, MAY 2020

As I am sitting in front of my computer writing some thoughts to you, all I can think of is, what is everyone doing to keeping busy and to not going stir crazy as we are to stay home.  Some of the things I can think of are:

Eating, crocheting, painting as in artistry, playing card games, playing family games with family, knitting, baking, cooking, talking, RELAXING, puzzle books, reading magazines/newspapers/books, computing with friend/family, sitting outside to get a breath of fresh air, cleaning out your attic, sleeping, china cupboard cleaning, basement cleaning, working on your BUICK, TV watching, plain ole house leaning, writing your biography, plain ole talking with your spouse (conversation), painting rooms, Easter decorating, telephoning your friends/family, movie watching on your device in your home, cross stitching,  furniture refinishing, reading the “Free Spirit” newsletter, followed by reading the Bugle, sitting on your porch swing enjoying the day, getting the lawn mower ready to cut grass, playing games on your phone or Xbox 360, PlayStation, etc., continuing to work as long as you are able,  PRAYING & KEEPING THE FAITH!  

Can you think of anything else I may have forgotten?  If you do, please attend the May meeting (God willing) to share your thoughts and ideas you have been doing to pass the time during the “Stay @ Home” situation.

Now, back to business.  Hopefully we will be able to hold a May chapter meeting for there is quite a bit of information I need to extend to the “Free Spirit” membership.  But, if not, I will address them here:

May 5 = May chapter meeting.  Some of our members will be reminiscing about the 1986 Buick National from last months’ article.  If you attended this event then, please attend the May chapter meeting.  REMEMBER TO BRING APRILS NEWSLETTER TO SEE IF YOU IDENIFIED THE CARS.

June 7 = Chapter picnic @ Weeping Willow pavilion, Macungie, Pa.  See article further in this newsletter.

Chapter renewal dues are due in June.  Please see Dolores during the chapter picnic or send them in the mail.  Thank you.

July 15-18 = Continuing to watch to see what will transpire with the present COVID – 19 situation for the National to be held, Strongsville, Ohio.   

July 23-25 = AACA Gran National also continuing to wait and see what will be able to be held.  

August 2 = Looking for volunteers to help park BUICKS during DAF.  See article in this newsletter.

October 25, 2020 = 44^th annual Old Car Show with Flea Market, Lehighton, Pa

July 2023 Gettysburg Buick National = may need to be planned for 2024 or not at all, awaiting NMC decision.  Spokane, Washington has placed a proposal for the same year. 

                                                                              Your Elected Director, Sally  

Annual “Free Spirit” Chapter Picnic, Sunday, June 7, 2020

Macungie Borough Park,  Weeping Willow Pavilion.  Chapter will provide the meats, drinks, utensils, and paper products.  The following is the schedule for members to show-off in bringing and sharing their best items:

Last names begin w/ A-H = Dessert Selection

                                   I-P  = Cold Selection

                                   Q-Z = Hot selection

Members, put on your BUICK THINKING CAPS!  Bring your favorite selections for all to share!  

Don’t  forget to wear your BADGE, or you owe a $1.00 to Dolores Kennedy!  Also, you can renew your chapter dues during this time to Delores too!

Hope you can attend this year’s picnic!!                          

Sandy/Dan Reiniger

Das Awkscht Fescht, Sunday, August 2, 2020

Once again, I am looking for 4 volunteers to help park BUICKS during DAF, Sunday August 2, 2020 @ Macungie Borough Park.  You need to be there by 7 am and stay till 12 noon when pre-registration closes.  I will be there but to set up and to sell chapter Ways-n-means.  Please let me know:  Sally Getz, csgetz@ptd.net, .  Thanks in advance!  Sally

10 Interesting Facts About MАУ

10. Nаmеd аftеr Mаіа
Thе name Mау hаѕ bееn generated frоm Mаіа. Shе happens to bе a Greek Goddess, thе Goddess of fertility. Aраrt frоm thе fertility раrt, she also hарреnѕ tо bе thе Goddess of Spring аnd grоwth. May іѕ a blеѕѕеd month tо bеgіn wіth, ассоrdіng tо thе Romans!

9. Lоvе & Suссеѕѕ
Pеорlе whо аrе bоrn in May are more lіkеlу tо асhіеvе hіghеr success and mоrе lоvе in their lіfе. Evеn though іt’ѕ mostly a relative fасt, Mау people hаvе a better grasp on these elements of life thаn people bоrn in оthеr months.The bіrthѕtоnе for May is Emerald.

8. Emріrе Stаtе Buіldіng
Once the tallest building in the world and currently thе fifth tallest building in the United States, the Empire State Building opened fоr аll оn Mау 1, 1931. Thіѕ 443 mеtеr tаll buіldіng hеld thе hоnоr оf bеіng the tаllеѕt buіldіng оf USA untіl thе Wоrld Trаdе Cеntеr was completed in 1973. After the WTC attacks on 09/11/2001, the Empire State Building was temporarily the tallest but in 2014, One World Trade Center opened at a symbolic 1,776 feet.

7. Banning оf Maypoles
In 1644,  Englаnd banned Mауроlеѕ. Thеѕе are роlеѕ usually mаdе оf wood аnd lоng еnоugh tо ѕtаnd аѕ a сеlеbrаtіоn prop fоr Eurореаn fеѕtіvаlѕ. Mауроlе dances аrе hеld in May, uѕuаllу оn Mау Day. Hоwеvеr, ѕоmе Eurореаn countries celebrate Mау Day in mіd-ѕummеr аѕ wеll.

6. Nеwtоn’ѕ Maypole
Even аftеr ѕuсh rеѕtrісtіоn, people uѕеd tо put uр mауроlеѕ to сеlеbrаtе thеіr May fеѕtіvаlѕ. One such mауроlе, which was 123 fееt long, wаѕ рut up іn Lоndоn; thіѕ wаѕ done tо оbѕеrvе Charles II’ѕ rеturn. Hоwеvеr, thіѕ maypole wаѕ lаtеr used bу Isaac Nеwtоn to ѕuрроrt his tеlеѕсоре.

5. Mау Day
May celebrates mаnу days, bеgіnnіng wіth the Mау Dау оn thе fіrѕt dау of Mау. Thіѕ іѕ also knоwn аѕ labor’s dау. Labors were dіѕреrѕеd оn Mау 4, 1886 whо had gаthеrеd dеmаndіng еіght hour wоrkdау. Pоlісе fіrеd ѕhоtѕ еndеd uр killing fоur demonstrators; аnd thе dау is recognized as the International Wоrkеr’ѕ Dау AKA Lаbоr Dау еvеr ѕіnсе.

4. Other Days in Mау
Apart from the Intеrnаtіоnаl Wоrkеr’ѕ Dау, the month оf May houses fеw оthеr dауѕ as wеll. The 2nd Sunday оf Mау is celebrated as Intеrnаtіоnаl Mоthеr’ѕ Day. Mеmоrіаl Day іѕ сеlеbrаtеd оn thе lаѕt Mоndау оf Mау. May 5 is Cinco de Mayo; оn the first Saturday of May, Kеntuсkу Derby іѕ сеlеbrаtеd іn thе USA.

3. Nо US President Died
No U.S. president has ever died in the month of May.  Hоwеvеr, оn Mау twо of U.S. рrеѕіdеntѕ were bоrn. They аrе Harry S. Trumаn and Jоhn F. Kennedy.

2. Zоdіас Signs
Two Zodiac ѕіgnѕ hаvе оссuріеd thе month оf Mау. Thеу аrе Tаuruѕ and Gеmіnі.

1. The Indianapolis 500 is always held during
Memorial weekend in May.

Conclusion
Being the 5th month оf the year, May could have bееn a dull mоnth. But thеrе hарреnѕ to bе a lоt of іntеrеѕtіng facts аbоut this mоnth, аѕ ѕtаtеd аbоvе.

Fender Skirts

Fender skirts    known in Australia and the United Kingdom as spats, are pieces of bodywork on the fender that cover the upper portions of the rear tires of an automobile. 

Functions    Fender skirts are implemented for both aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons. Rather than air flowing into and being trapped in the rear wheel well, it flows smoothly over the bodywork. They are generally detachable to allow for tire changes and installation of snow chains. In GM parts accessories books, fender skirts are known as fender shields.

History    First described as “pants”, they were used for the streamlining effect by Frank Lockhart on a 1928 Stutz land speed record attempt car. Factory production of fender skirts began with the 1932 Graham-Paige. Aesthetically streamlined designs were copied to mass-produced models. The innovations introduced by Amos Northup, such as the V’d radiators, fender skirts, and sloping beaver-tails, became common after 1933. However, by the 1970s, fender skirts began to disappear from mass market automobiles. Fender skirts remained for some time longer on a few cars, particularly large American luxury cars. 

Fender skirts were often paired with whitewall tires. The extent of the skirt also varied, before the 1950s it was common for all but the very bottom of the rear tire to be covered, while by the 1960s fender skirts only covered some of the top of the tire, and were largely absent on cars other than top line models. For example, up until 1976, the Chevrolet Caprice, Oldsmobile 98, Buick Electra, Pontiac Bonneville and the Cadillac Fleetwood, DeVille and Calais models used fender skirts. The Cadillac Eldorado models sported fender skirts from 1971 thru 1974. Starting in 1977 only the Pontiac Bonneville retained the use of fender skirts on General Motors downsized cars. In 1980 the Oldsmobile returned the fender skirts to its 98 model. By 1985, fender skirts would disappear from all standard General Motors cars. In 1989, fender skirts were used again on the Cadillac front wheel drive Fleetwood models until 1993. For the 1991-1996 model years, General Motors generally incorporated fender skirts into the design of their full size sedans for the Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, and Cadillac Fleetwood. The General Motors EV1 had fender skirts later. 

When making Kustoms, fender skirts are a must accessory to close the rear fenders and add a special kind of sleekness. In European automobile design, Citroën notably used fender skirts on nearly all models produced between 1950 and 1990, most prominently in the DS, 2CV, Ami, GS, SM, BX, and CX. As of 2015, the last mass-produced car with fender skirts was the 1999-2006 Honda Insight, although they are available for some new cars as aftermarket accessories (the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Volkswagen Beetle being some examples). Some cities, such as Los Angeles, have fender skirts on municipal buses for safety purposes, as they can prevent items in the road from slipping under the tires. 

In 2013, the limited production Volkswagen XL1 reintroduced fender skirts on modern cars

Rear wheel partially covered by a detachable fender skirt on 1969 Buick Electra 225

1952 Nash Rambler non-detachable front and rear fender skirts

Rear fender skirts look great, but flunk in other ways

Rear fender skirts certainly make a car appear sleek and extremely aerodynamic.  So it is just a matter of time before they become standard equipment on all cars, right?  Automakers continue to search for a wide range of styling tricks to reduce aerodynamic drag in an effort to improve fuel economy.  General Motors global styling boss Ed Welburn, interviewed last week on the sidelines of the Frankfurt auto show, said “anything that helps reduce the interference along the side of a car is a good thing.”  So it looks like removable rear fender skirts are a done deal, right? Not so fast.  It turns out after extensive testing by GM, removable fender skirts flunked. They are more of a problem than a solution.

According to Welburn, there are several drawbacks:

• The fender skirt causes tire pressure to increase. Although he did not say it, neither GM nor any automaker wants to create a design that increases the probability of tire failure.
• Removable skirts are difficult to keep in place properly, plus there’s the added cost of each skirt.
• Pick one: To use a fender skirt, the rear tires need to be narrower to fit inside the wheel well or the vehicle track needs to be narrower or the body needs to be what he called “pulled out” to accommodate the same size tires that are steering the car.

 Welburn said pulling the body out, essentially widening the body where the rear tires are located, increases aerodynamic drag.  While Welburn didn’t explain the other two choices described above, a narrower tire would reduce vehicle capacity and a narrower vehicle track could slightly increase the probability of rollover.  Says Welburn: “The short answer is, skirts don’t help on a production car.”

“FREE SPIRIT” Chapter 

6/1/2020-5/31/2021 RENEWAL DUES

Please fill in the following information and include a check for $12.00, made payable to “FREE SPIRIT” Chapter.  Submit to:   Dolores Kennedy, 2620 Ambassador Drive , Bethlehem, Pa 18017  

MEMBER NAME________________________________________

 SPOUSE’S NAME  __________________________________________

 STREET ADDRESS  ________________________________________

 TOWN, STATE, ZIP CODE  _________________________________

 TELEPHONE  _(____)_______________________________________

 CELL PHONE  (OPTIONAL)  ________________________________

 EMAIL ADDRESS  (OPTIONAL)  ____________________________

BUICK(S) OWNED____________________________________________________________      

PLEASE submit completed form to Dolores Kennedy by  JUNE 30, 2020

  Calendar of Events

MAY 2020                      “Happy Mother’s Day”

• 2 – Car show, Classic Auto Mall, Morgantown, Pa
• 5 – Monthly Chapter dinner meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Allentown, Pa.  Dinner @ 6 pm, business meeting 7:30 pm.
• 9 – 8^th Annual Vintage Car Parts & Literature Auction, Fleetwood, Pa
• 17 – Wheels for the Wheel show, Red Hill Museum Village
• 31 – GM On Display, Macungie, Pa  

JUNE 2020                          “Happy Fathers’ Day!”

• 7 – Annual chapter picnic, Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie Park, Macungie, Pa.  
• 7 – Lehigh Valley Region AACA Show, Meuser Park, PA
• 28 – Sieverling Pedal Car Museum Show w/ Open House 

JULY 2020                    “Happy 4^th of July”     

• 15-18  – Buick National, Strongsville, Ohio
• 23-25 – AACA Gran National. Allentown, Pa

CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”

1967 Buick Skylark 4 Dr Sedan 340 2-barrel, ST 300 Switch Pitch, PS, manual brakes, cassette player, no air.  70,100 original miles.  Maroon color Exterior, cloth maroon interior.  $10,00.00.  610-377-6130.

1967 Buick Special Deluxe Sport Coupe 2 dr, 300 2-barrel.  Spruce Green exterior w/ vinyl top, black interior.  68,305 original miles.  Power steering, manual brakes.  RH mirror, AM/FM radio.   Spinner wire wheel covers.  UNRESTORED.  Garage kept! $8,000.  610-377-6130

1991 Chevy Suburban, 2500,  Big block, 454 engine, 111,530 original miles.  2×2.  Turbo 400 transmission.  Black w/ gray interior, 3^rd seat, AC (front/rear), AM/FM radio, tow package, cassette player, power door locks/windows, vent shades, tailgate window, in GREAT condition.  Garage kept!  Very powerful!  $7,000.  610-377-6130 

Heater Core, NORS made in USA, fits 1982-87  Buick Regal/Olds Cutlass
Supreme $25.00
Heater Core NORS made in USA , fits large Buick 1978-1988 $25.00

Heater Core Good Used  Circular under seat fits 1954-57 Buick  Century $20.00.    Contact H. Kriebel..Sauenohr1@gmail.com