Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska. Tinkering Times Shakedown Goes to Raven s Perch

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1 Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska Tinkering Times Volume 56, Number 5 May 4, Shakedown Goes to Raven s Perch On Saturday, May 7, the Antique Auto Mushers will head out on the season s first planned driving event. The tour will take us to Raven s Perch at the Knik River Lodge, located at the end of East Knik River Road ten miles past the Knik River Bridge on the Knik River Road. We will meet at Northway Mall at 10:45 AM, in front of the former Office Max at the east end of the parking lot. We leave promptly at 11 AM Ẇe will drive north on the Glenn Highway and exit at Eagle River. Remember to stay in the middle of the three lanes to continue directly into Eagle River proper. We continue on the Old Glenn through Eagle River and on towards Chugiak. If the skies are clear, watch for a good view of Denali as we pass the Chugiak Volunteer Fire Station and Klondike Concrete. Continue on to the Peters Creek exit area (the stop sign at Ski Road). Turn Left then make an immediate Right onto the Glenn Highway onramp. Continue north on the Glenn Highway. We may have some folks waiting to join us at the traditional gravel pull-off just beyond Eklutna. Exit onto the Old Glenn, then Just before the Knik River crossing turn Right onto East Knik River Road. Continue on this to the end. CAUTION! During a recent reconnoiter a particularly nasty frost heave was noted at approximately mile 9.5 of East Knik River Road. The approach to it gave the illusion of a moderate bump it was not. My Imperial bounced hard a couple times. Watch for an orange cone on the right side of the road, which did not do justice to the danger. Perhaps by now the ground has thawed and it may have settled down but be cautious nonetheless. Lunch is planned for 12:30, their menu is here: cdn1.buuteeq.com/upload/8394/ menu-2016.pdf After lunch, and for those wanting a bit more fun, a drive to the Musk Ox farm is planned. Donn AACA Alaska Regions Joint Meet in VALDEZ 2016 WHEN? June , 2016 WHERE? Host Hotel Location: Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn, 100 Harbor Dr., (AAMA bring side dishes and supply BBQ and Games) Location: Thomas Kelsey Plaza (Next to the Ferry Terminal) Schedule: Friday, 17 June: Drive to Valdez (6-7 Hours from Anchorage) (7-8 Hours from Fairbanks) Arrive Valdez before 6:30 PM for BBQ at Kelsey Plaza. Saturday, 18 June: Breakfast On our Own. Best Western has a Complimentary Breakfast. 9:30 12:30,Car Games at Kelsey Plaza 12:30 2:00 PM, BBQ & Valve Cover Races (Remember your Valve Cover Racer!!) 2:00 5:00 PM Valdez Museum 6:30 9:00 PM, Awards Banquet Roma Restaurant (Best Western Hotel) Sunday, 19 June: Breakfast On your Own. Head back Home. Call Scott Hulse for further information and to confirm your attendance. Hulse@alaska.net Phone: (cell) or Raven s Perch, Old Knik Road May Meeting May 11 will be our inaugural rolling meeting for the 2016 driving season. Be at Day Break Center at 6:30 PM so we can get the meeting over and go for a drive. Itinerary will be announced at the meeting, but you can figure on our stopping somewhere to eat. Thanks go to Sara Stoops and the Goldings for our snacks after the April meeting.

2 2 Tinkering Times May 4, 2016 Running Board Reflections Anderson Our president, Brian man of many cars, mostly Jeeps is pictured here in Loveland, Colorado in He s standing next to his 1980 Ford F-150 pickup, which he purchased just prior to moving to Anchorage. He traded in two vintage Jeeps to buy the Ford, which he quickly sold in Anchorage in order to buy, you guessed it, another Jeep. Ah, spring has sprung (about a month earlier than usual)! Birds are singing, trees are leafing, and an old car enthusiast s thoughts turn toward readying their vintage rides for another driving season. Change oil, lube chassis, check brakes, inflate tires, etc. If you re like me and you own more than one or two vehicles, you know that it can be a big job every year. Before that, it would be nice to finish the projects that were started during the winter and were supposed to be done by now. Then I can concentrate on the cars that really shouldn t need anything extra, but usually do. I have to remind myself that these are hobby cars we re talking about, and any associated burdens are strictly selfimposed. I know it will be worth the effort when I m cruising down the road with my fellow AAMA members, or engaging with the public during one of our many club activities this summer. Speaking of unfinished business, we need to complete the process for revising the bylaws. If you haven t already done so, please take a look at the proposed changes, and be prepared to vote at the May business meeting. Although we weren t able to post the draft bylaws on the website, I believe that all members with should have received a copy. Despite there being a significant number of adjustments proposed, I don t believe that any of them would fundamentally change the structure or operation of the AAMA as we have known it. We have a bunch of fun old car activities planned for the months ahead, and I hope that you can participate in as many as possible. As always, remember that it s safety first, and I look forward to seeing you out on the road. Brian From AACA President Hi Tom, I received a copy of the Tinkering Times newsletter and wanted you to know how much I enjoyed it. As the current AACA President I receive all of the Regions/Chapters newsletters as a courtesy, which gives me a good perspective on the activities being enjoyed by our members nationwide. Thanks again for keeping me informed and keep up the good work for the Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska Region. Bob Parrish 2016 AACA National President 2016 Officers President: Brian Anderson Vice President: Gwyn Wiedmer Secretary: Pam Tanora Treasurer: Donn Reese Sergeant at Arms: Milt Tanora Members at Large Dennis Allen Howard Hansen Scott Hulse Past Presidents (10 years) Brian Anderson (2015) Mike Wiedmer ( ) Howard Hansen (2012) Donn Reese ( ) Jeff Hassler/Donn Reese (2008) Jim Fredenhagen ( ) Fred Schurman (2005) Tinkering Times Staff Editor: Tom Cresap Proofing, scheduling and keeping the old man in line: Marcy Cresap Send correspondence to: Tinkering Times Tom Cresap, Editor P.O. Box Eagle River AK or tmcresap@mtaonline.net The Tinkering Times is published monthly by Alaska s premier classic and antique automobile club, Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska, P.O. Box , Anchorage AK Opinions expressed by authors of Tinkering Times including references about how wonderful we are are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska or any facsimile of reality, for that matter.

3 May 4, 2016 One Man s Treasures Our ads are intended for members and others who wish to sell cars and related items. There is no charge, and the ad will run for three consecutive issues before being removed. To pull an ad, extend it or to place a new ad, contact Tom Secured EnclosedStorage West Downtown Anchorage location 9 x18 x7-1/2 high space $125/month for single 2 spaces $225 Dave Syren, ZDDP available now from Scott Hulse. See him at the meeting or call (home) or (cel). For sale: 1930 Model A coupe; disassembled, but complete; very restorable; (more photos available from Jim Fredenhagen) $6500, Tony DeGange Cell: tdegange@gmail.com Tinkering Times 3 Schedule of Events April 30 Did you change your studded tires? May 7 Garcia s Lunch Run (Model A s, Jim Fredenhagen, ) May 7 Shake Down Cruise to Knik River Lodge (Donn Reese ) May 11 6:30 Rolling Meeting at Day Break Center (Chair?) May 14 9:00 AM Adopt-A-Road (Cresaps, ) May 21, 22, 23 Homer Run (Jim Fredenhagen, ) June 8 6:30 Rolling Meeting at Day Break Center (Brian Anderson) June Chena Hot Springs Tour Alaska Model A s (Jiim Fredenhagen, ) June 16 Day Break Senior Rides (Please call Diane Allen, ) June Anchorage Summer Solstice (Donn Reese ) June Joint Meet with Fairbanks (Scott Hulse, hulse@alaska.net Phone: or ) June 23 Serendipity Senior Rides (Please call Diane Allen, ) July 4 Anchorage 4th of July Parade (Kurt, ) July 4 Chugiak 4th of July Parade (Allens) July 4 Glennallen Parade (Hulse) July 9 9:00 AM Adopt-A-Road (Cresaps, ) July ABD Tour (Fairbanks event, Scott Grundy, sgrundy55ply@gmail.com) July 13 6:30 Rolling Meeting at Day Break Center (Chair?) July Hope Weekend (Dennis and Diane Allen, ) August 10 6:30 Rolling Meeting at Day Break Center (Kimzeys) September 3 Adopt-A-Road (Cresaps, ) September 14 6:30 Regular Meeting at Day Break Center (Chair?) September Denali Park Tour (Tamea Isham, ) October 12 7:00 Regular Meeting at Day Break Center (David Jensen) November 9 6:30 Regular Meeting at Day Break Center (Tanoras) For Sale: 1956 Pontiac Chieftain V8, A/T, radio, heater, 2000 miles on rebuilt engine, new rear springs, rebuilt front end, radials, detailed trunk/engine/ interior, everything works Reduced to $19,100. Art Isham For Sale: 1957 Ford Skyliner Retractable Hardtop. Runs fine. Needs restoration. Reduced to $18,000. Art Isham For Sale: 1959 Ford Skyliner Retractable Hardtop. Good driver. Needs TLC. Reduced to $22,650. Art Isham For Sale: Four 600x16 bias ply tires; new. $200. Curley, or curlypac@gmail.com (For more treasures, see p. 4)

4 4 Tinkering Times May 4, 2016 Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska April 13, 2016 Meeting The meeting was called to order by President Brian Anderson at 7:00 pm. Brain thanked Vice President Gwyn for leading the March meeting. There were 33 members present. New Member A new member was present, Debbie Hansen. Guest Speaker Tonight s visitor is Verne Monette, from Interstate Battery. Verne was very knowledgeable in answering the many questions we had for him. He presented us with a great program, lots of good information and quite entertaining as well as informative. Verne left us some Interstate Battery promotional items Verne assured us there would always be a 6-volt market source. Monthly Report Pam Tanora read the minutes for the March meeting, and they were approved. The treasurer presented his report. Milt collected $3.24 for lack of a nametags. New Business Bylaws have been updated by the board and are for review by the members on the club webpage. Be sure and look them over before the May meeting as we will be voting on the revisions at that time. May Rolling Meeting Rolling meeting for May, meet at 6:30, no leader yet. Planned Events Don is preparing a Shakedown Cruise to the Knik River Lodge, off the Old Glenn Highway. Summer Solstice car show will be held June 18, 12:00 6:00pm. We will have the same spot we had last year in front of the old city hall building on 4 th Avenue. Providence Extended Care requested some cars for Father s Day June 19 th. July 16 & 17 is a vintage market in Wasilla and Melissa requested some cars if available. Jim reported the Homer trip is set and ready to go. Be sure and call Ocean Shores and mention the car club for your reservations. The date is May 21. Scott reported on the Valdez Trip, Joint Meet, apparently Mineral Creek is still snowed in so there are other places to visit, the Fish Hatchery, Forest Service Fish Viewing area, Museum, and the Visitor Center. Tam reported the dates for the Denali Trip. Drive to Denali on the 19 th and travel through the park on the 20 th, (Tuesday). You must register online in May. Jim invited the club to a Model A event, Saturday, April 16, travel to Talkeetna and the Denali Brewing Company for lunch. Also on May 7, the Model A group will have lunch at Garcia s in Eagle River. Bruce Campbell in Skyliner Art Isham, presented a recent copy of the Skyliner Magazine. On the cover is Bruce and Marl Campbell driving their Skyliner. Included is a story about them. Art is also in this issue, as he is selling a Skyliner. 4 of July Anchorage, Chugiak and Glennallen parades. Raffle Split the pot, total $74. The winner of half was David Jensen. Winners of the Interstate Battery caps were Marcy, Pam, Linda, Tam, Dutch, Diane, and Brian. Health and Welfare Brian reviewed birthdays and anniversaries. Jim Fredenhagen shared that members with health issues, Dorris Holland and Larry Yates, need our prayers. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 9:00, followed by good refreshments from Sara Stoops and Linda and Rich Golding. Respectfully submitted, Pam Tanora, secretary One Man s Treasures '40 Dodge Coupe. Dual carbs & dual exhaust. Radial tires. Strong runner. $13,000 OBO. Call Howard at '53 Kaiser Golden Dragon. $18,000 OBO. Call Howard at '77 VW Convertible. $11,000 OBO. Call Howard at '68 Dodge A100. Good running little truck. Fun to drive. $12,000 OBO. Call Howard at For sale: 2001 Toyota Corolla sedan; 130,000 miles; excellent condition; rear seat folds down to extend trunk space. $4,250 (includes 2-years registration) Kurt:

5 May 4, 2016 Model A s Share Trip to Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs Jim Fredenhagen has announced that the Model A group has planned a trip to Fairbanks June This is planned as Model A trip, but all are welcome. Sounds like fun. The group will leave Friday, June 10, at 8 AM, and they will be staying at Bear Lodge in Fairbanks. A discount rate, $119, is available. Be sure to mention that you are with the antique auto group. Plans include a Saturday drive to Chena Hot Springs and dinner with the Fairbanks club at Howling Dog; then, Sunday AM, visit Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Later, join a Tour de Fairbanks and dinner at North Pole. Monday, depart for Anchorage, via either Parks or Richardson. The Richardson group will lunch with a new Model A guy in Delta Junction, then head for home. Family Recollections, Photos of Vehicles Editor s note: Last month, I challenged everyone to send in photos of vehicles back in the day. So far, no photos are forthcoming, but Presi-dent Brian did come through with some dandies. Here, and on pp. 6 and 8, we have some prime examples. Enjoy! Tom Tom: I've really enjoyed the old photos you have included in previous editions, and wanted to contribute some, if you can use them. I've attached three photos of my father, which sort of make up a pre, during, and post-war series. Captions are also attached. Feel free to use them. Thanks! Brian Tinkering Times 5 AAMA Provides Senior Rides Diane Allen has announced the dates and times for the annual rides for seniors at Day Break and Serendipity. This is our chance to provide some diversion for clients at these two adult day-care facilities, and it provides some 2016 Denali Road Lottery We are headed to Denali again in September, and the only time to enter the lottery is the month of May. You can enter via internet at or call (6 AM to 8 PM AK time). Request dates in this order: September 20 (Tuesday), 19 (Monday), 18 (Sunday), 16 (Friday). Saturday has been reserved this year solely for active military. You will be charged a $10 application fee. If you are drawn in the lottery, a $25 fee will automatically be charged on a credit or debit card. All of these fees are non-refundable. You will be notified of your status via early June. laid-back fun and visiting for about an hour or two at each facility. The dates are: June 16, 1 PM at Day Break June 23, 1 PM at Serendipity If you plan to join in on this event, call Diane at The Centers have small parking areas, and we have to take care not to have too big a group. I will have a sign up sheet at meetings starting in May. Remember that you can go whether you get a lottery permit or not, but I need to know your plans. Details of the trip will be sent later to those who are interested. I suggest that, if you plan to go, you make reservations well ahead of time, like June. You can always cancel if your plans change, but lodging gets tight as September comes near. You can make reservations where you please, but Denali Park Hotel at (907) and Nord Haven at are good bets. If you have any questions, please call Tam Isham at or isham@gci.net. Anderson President Brian offered up this photo, taken in 1941 at Fort Custer, Battle Creek, Michigan. His father is sitting behind the wheel of a 1941 Ford GP, an evolutionary Army Jeep of which only 1,500 were produced. Of those, most went to military bases in the United States, but some were sent to U.S. allies overseas.

6 6 Tinkering Times May 4, 2016 Humor by Rich Golding I m gennin along in my Model A one glorious, typical Anchorage winter s day, not very long ago. The sun is out and it s 65 degrees. I m smiling, waving at the people along the way, as they stroll the local mean streets in their sunglasses, Bermuda shorts and tank tops. I m minding my own business, when all of a sudden my eyes glance across the dash towards the gas gauge. My heart stops! I m not only low on fuel, I m completely out of gas. And so is the car! Now you ve got to understand Model A gas gauges to fully appreciate the situation I have found myself in. First of all, they aren t really gas gauges, at least not in the same sense as the one in your modern car. They don t light up. There are Looking for Help With Model T Hi, My oldest brother, John, owns our father's 1924 Model T. It is currently residing in our barn here in Wasilla. He has decided to sell the car and is wondering if anyone in our club would be interested in purchasing it. We do need a bit of help in getting her out of our barn so that we can clean her and take photos. None of us brothers knows how to get the car into a neutral mode to be able to move it around. Any help would be appreciated. I will be on vacation and out of the state from April 21st until May 5 th, but if anyone can help, or is interested in the car, please drop me an rfoster@gci.com. My cell number is I will try to respond as soon as I can. Thanks Roy Foster, Wireless: rfoster@gci.com Put a Cork in it, Doc no digital numbers or an LED bar that acts like an electronic thermometer, reading the volume of fuel currently residing in your tank. Nor are there any warning systems of red flashing signals or buzzers or electric shocks to your adjustable lumbar region. Nope, you don t get any of those with a Model A. The rear of our gas tank is part of our dashboard. It sits directly in front of the driver and his or her passenger. An arrangement deemed quite reasonable, as per Calvin Coolidge era automotive safety standards. The gas gauge in the Model A was nothing more than a hole, about the size of a quarter, bored through the center of said dashboard into the gas tank. That hole is covered with a small glass lens, behind which bobs a cork attached to a floating lever that indicates the amount of fuel remaining. High-tech stuff. This was actually a great system in its day, as the ability to actually see your gasoline helped eliminate several possible problems common to that era. Such as bad gas. Specifically if your gas was spiked by some disreputable garage with... say... something that might have come out of the mechanic s horse... you could easily and effectively detect such a sham simply by scrutinizing the color of your petrol as it sloshed back and forth behind that little glass lens. This could however have a detrimental effect, especially on those that are easily affected by seasickness. But I digress. You might recall, several paragraphs ago, that I was shocked to find out I was completely out of gas. At least that s what the little bobbing gauge indicated. Yet I distinctly remembered filling up the car only that morning. As my addled brain began reasoning the problem out, I could not help but notice that there was fuel still sloshing back and forth behind the aforementioned glass lens. While reaching for my onboard supply of Dramamine, I quickly surmised that something was not quite right here. Further forensic examination through the looking glass revealed the floating lever thingy was lying lifeless and still on the bottom of the tank. Back in my garage a couple of hours later, following a thorough examination with a flashlight through the gas cap aperture on top of the tank, I realized that the cork that is normally attached to the floating lever was now lying precariously (See p. 7, ( Put a Cork in it, Doc) Family Memories of Cars Back in the Day Anderson After they returned from Europe at the end of WWII, president Brian s father and younger brother, Grant, purchased a nice looking used 1941 Buick Special, shown here in Chicago s Jackson Park in (Editor s note: is it just me, or does Grant, on the right, look like Tom Hanks?)

7 May 4, 2016 Tinkering Times 7 Alaska A s Host Their Annual Talkeetna Lunch Run; Many AAMA ers Tag Along by Jim Fredenhagen Nice day with a couple light showers on the way back. Eight A s and two other antiques, a 1966 Mustang (Henningsens) and 1938 Chrysler (Cresaps). We arrived at the Twister Creek Restaurant in Talkeetna at noon and had a great lunch. It s the home of Denali Brewing Co. and well worth the trip. Our lineup of cars turned out to be the town s major attraction for the day. We finally got back on the road around 2. At Willow we turned off and followed Ted/Colleen Kimzey to their cabin-in-progress at Deshka landing. Very enjoyable. Everyone made the trip without issues and we re looking forward to the next adventure. (Continued from p. 6) on the bottom of the tank. It didn t take a rocket scientist. Somehow said cork had obviously given up the ghost and had joined the choir invisible. Like most other Model A owners, I immediately turned to my vast and extensive library of manuals, how-to books and pamphlets for advice. After leafing through several, I found precisely the one I needed it had lots of pictures in it. The malady associated with the demise of the fuel system s floating cork is apparently not all that uncommon to us Model A ers. The book explained that it was a normal physiological function of the aging process. I winced as I read those words, as honestly, I always imagined this happened only to others. I never thought it would someday apply to me! The fix, although it appears simple enough, requires dislodging and detaching the glass lens and for lack of any better descriptor, catheterizing, removing and replacing the dearly departed cork. I shall not bore you, my dear reader, with the dreary details of this operation. Rather shall I be content instead to continue boring you with this narrative alone. I got on the phone with a Model A parts catalog guy somewhere in Georgia Twister Creek restaurant, home of Denali Brewing Company, was the site of the April 16th Talkeetna Lunch Run, hosted by the Alaska A s. Eight Model A s, a 1938 Chrysler and a 1966 Mustang participated. The Alaska A s and the Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska pretty much share membership, and we all share the love of old cars. Put a Cork in it, Doc or Alabama. I explained my situation, he was very helpful. Well, you re in luck! We have those corks in stock. They re fifty cents each. I can ship one out to you today. Where did you say you were located? Anchorage, Alaska. Wow! That s gonna cost you fifty dollars to ship it there! We have to charge extra to ship to foreign countries... blah blah blah, (you know the drill). "But hey, we ve also got a new high-tech neoprene cork that is an exact replacement for the older cork model. It will last you a hundred years. It costs seventy-five cents. His words rang in my ears. The original cork lasted eighty-eight years, I said, I don t think I m going to live another hundred years, so the neoprene won t be necessary. Given the shipping costs, I think I ve got a better solution in mind. Thanks for the help, though. I ll call you again when I need another part, were my words, though I was really thinking yah, right... don t hold your breath. Okay, came his response. Say, how s that winter weather up there in Alaska? I told him it was sunny and in the 60 s. Huh? he shrieked. It just snowed here, right after our hurricane and the flood. But he digressed. That night I took my wife out shopping. Not for clothes or food or jewelry. Nope, we went to the wine store. I searched and scoured the shelves, up and down every aisle. What exactly is it you are looking for? she queried. Aren t we just going to buy our usual four dollar bottle of West Virginian Chardonnay? My search stopped abruptly midaisle and I let loose with an very loud AHA, I ve found it! My Wife s eyes grew so large that I thought they were going to pop out of her head. But this bottle costs FIFTY DOLLARS! she screamed. Fifty dollars and fifty cents, to be exact. I replied. It s perfect! That night we enjoyed one of the best bottles of wine we have ever had. And my Model A s gas tank gauge is back together and functioning just like old times, with a replacement cork good for at least another eighty years or so. I d give anything to see the look on the face of the car s future owner/ caretaker, sometime around the turn of the next century, removing an expired cork from the same gas tank as I did, holding it up to the light and scratching his head whilst reading Chateau Baron de Rothschild on it.

8 8 Tinkering Times May 4, 2016 Two Studs in a Studebaker at the Dunes Anderson A 1940 photo of president Brian s father (standing) clowning around with his high school buddy, Harmon, and his well-used 1929 Studebaker. The photo was staged at the sand dunes along Lake Michigan while the young men were on a double date with the McAllister sisters. May Birthdays Linda Grundy 6 th Ken Evans 6 th Carol Jensen 13 th Boyd Watson 17 th David Jensen 20 th Barry Fowler 26 th Bill Thompson 27 th Debbie Hansen 29 th Diane Wohlwend 30 th Anniversary Ted and Colleen Kimzey 28 th AAMA P.O. Box Anchorage AK