Don Bruno. December 2018 Issue #305. President s Chatter. Editor s Note: If anyone has items for sale, just them to me and I

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1 December 2018 Issue #305 President s Chatter Yes, it really is December 2018 and this is my last President's message and I'm looking forward to the years ahead with Paul Dubreuil taking over the reins and leading the way. I want to thank the club for all your support and help. I was the President, but it all happened with all of the other officers and members who helped me along the way. I hope we will have better weather next year so we can have more activities and maybe even grow our membership. An event or tour doesn't mean it has to include all the members, although the more the merrier. We can do something with 2 cars, 5, 10 or all 25. The point is to have fun. I am certain Paul will do a great job planning, but he will also appreciate suggestions and offers from the club members too. Planning a tour isn't all that hard. Pick a spot to head to, plan a route, figure out some pit stops, set the date and off we'll go. Everyone in the slot as President wants to make it interesting and fun. It takes the club members to make it happen. Thanks again to the officers who served with me. Paul, Nick, Archie and Dave. See you all in the New Year! Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! Next meeting is January 29th. See you in 2019! President, Don Bruno Directions to our Meeting Meeting Location! The Harwinton Public Library (80 Bentley Drive Harwinton, CT 06791) From Route 8- Take exit 42 onto Rt. 118 east toward Harwinton. Travel 2.5 miles on Rt. 118 to Bentley Drive. Take a right onto Bentley Drive, the Library is a half mile on the left. Editor s Note: If anyone has items for sale, just them to me and I will be glad to post them in the newsletter. Our newsletter has a wide range of exposure being on the internet. Please your requests by the 15th of the month. Also, articles are always appreciated. cabrioletdave@yahoo.com

2 Minutes of Northwestern CT A s Meeting Tues., Nov. 27, 2018 Harwinton, CT Meeting Called to Order at 7:37 by President D.Bruno Guests: None Secretaries Report: Minutes of the October meeting accepted as read. Treasurer's Report: Read and Accepted. Membership: 25 Video Library: Many CD's of Model A Ford restorations and history. Contact Dave Habersang Club Apparel: Club logo is on file with More Then Words at 77 Migeon Ave, Torrington Web Site: Dave Habersang, Up to date Old Business: Review of the officers, A) President, Paul Dubreuil, Vice President, Ed Covill, Secretary, Nick Nesci Treasurer, Archie Bardwell Editor, Dave Habersang B) Discussion on having tour roster set up for the up and coming season in hopes to have each month filled for the year. One idea was to pick the weekend after the monthly meeting. Either a Saturday or Sunday. In addition someone to host a work shop. A work shop can be anything a member might need help with or a project you might want show everyone. C) Some ideas mentioned for tours, Cone's Train Station, Automotive Restorations (Stratford), Cruise nights, Car Shows as a group, Dust Off tour 4/7/19 Planning is in the works (Don Bruno), Rhinebeck car show first full weekend in May, New Business: A) Dues are due. See registration for within the Running Board Newsletter. B) NO Meeting in December next meeting January 29, 2019 C) Passing of the Gavel to Paul Dubreuil Respectfully submitted, Dave Chanko in Nick Nesci's absence.

3 Christmas in the 1930 s The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Christmas 1931-'32 for a boy with one of Lionel's first "0" gauge steam engine train sets.

4 Concerned about driving your old Ford in the snow? These conversions will get you anywhere...

5 Accor!ng to " Alaskan Depa#ment of F$h and Game, while bo% male and female reindeer grow antlers in " summer each year, male reindeer &op %eir antlers at " beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-december. Female reindeer retain %eir antlers till a(er %ey give bi#h in " )*ng. +erefore, accor!ng to every h$to*cal ren!tion depicting Santa s reindeer, every single one of %em, from Rudolph to Bli-en had to be a girl. We./ld ve kno0! Only women w/ld be able to &ag a fat man in a red velvet suit all ar/nd " world in one night, and NOT GET LOST!

6 Women s Winter Coats of! 1930 s... Unlike today, when a girl can choose (or thrift, or make) several coats in one season, our counterparts in the 1930s would have to choose very wisely. Most women had one overcoat, and that coat had to last through several winters. Because of that, overcoats needed to be chosen with great care and thought. It had to match your wardrobe, go with your other clothing, and fit your unique style. This is why, often times, vintage overcoats could be a bit bland. The flashy ones were fun, but were more the luxury of women who could afford to have an alternate coat- or else the purchase could be regretted the following year when the fashion forward coat was suddenly out of style! It s actually a great lesson to take with us into how we select our wardrobe today. Think of it as quality over quantity- or choose a great basic to mix with more inexpensive fun pieces, like a quirky hat, bag, or brooch.

7 MAFFI Newsletter Minutes, December 2018 This past Model A Day, we were fortunate enough to acquire Tim Kelly's Town Car and Town Car Delivery collection for a stellar display at your world class museum. The Board of Directors and trustees were sad to see the cars loaded up for their journey back to Connecticut at the festivities end. If only we had a Town Car of our own to display. As fate would have it, our President, John Begg, was introduced that day to Mr. Pete Walstrom of Washington who was in attendance to see Mr. Kelly's collection. It turned out that Pete owned a 1929 Town Car, and had thought of loaning it to The Foundation. He had restored it himself and wanted his efforts recognized and enjoyed by people from all over the country. The two men spoke a few more times over the weekend, and ultimately a deal was struck to ship the car from Washington to The Gilmore for display. It is a stunning car and has taken its rightful place as the focal point in the showroom entrance as the classiest model offered by Ford for A portrait of Henry himself hangs above the car with a look of approval on his face. Plan a visit to your museum soon, and see this amazing Model A in person. Greg Fish MAFFI Trustee

8 Tech Tips... From the Little Rhody Model A Ford Club Newsletter Make Me Laugh... The Very, Very, Very Last Laugh A woman s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side You know what Martha? What dear? she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth. I m beginning to think you re bad luck..

9 Distracted Driver Destroys Family s Treasured 1931 Ford Model A A two-year, father-and-son restoration of a family heirloom ends in the worst possible way. By Kyle Cheromcha May 24, 2018 Imagine owning something like a 1931 Ford Model A that's been in your family for generations, whose pristine condition is the result of a painstaking, years-long restoration undertaken with your aging father. Now imagine that car has been destroyed thanks to the disregard of a distracted driver in a Toyota Corolla. That's exactly the nightmare situation that William Smith finds himself in after a hit-and-run crash claimed the pre-war car that's been in his family for over 45 years last week. Smith had street parked the Model A in Orange, California on Friday as he went to work nearby; a while later, the telltale sounds of a terrible car crash reached his ears. Sensing something was wrong; he walked over and came upon a devastating scene. "I think they call it a panic attack, because I was crying and my hands were shaking uncontrollably," Smith told The Drive. A woman in a Corolla had drifted out of her lane, smashed into the rear corner of the Model A, and shoved it up onto the sidewalk. The impact bent the frame and the driveshaft, split the engine block, snapped all four wire wheels, broke the differential, and sent the hood flying ten feet into the grass. Aside from the obvious body damage, the car's entire structure is buckled and tweaked. It's totaled. But Smith didn't have much time to take it all in. As he approached, the woman hopped back into the Corolla and attempted to escape. "She got back into her car and tried reversing, so I got behind it [to block her], but she wasn't going to be able to get out anyway because her car was stuck in the spokes of my car's wheel," he said. "So she took off on foot, but the cops caught her about 20 mins later in a [nearby] neighborhood." It was at that point that she allegedly confessed to being on her phone at the time of the accident. Eighty-seven years of automotive history, 45 years of a family's stories, all ruined by the scourge of distracted driving. Smith's father got the 1931 Ford Model A as 16th a birthday present in 1973, and it's been a part of his life ever since. "He drove it to high school and college, and he gave it to me for my 18th birthday, and I've driven the car as my daily driver to college and work," he told The Drive. "My dad spent a countless amount of time, money, and effort on this car." It was torn down in the early 1990s for a full restoration, but it sat in pieces until a couple of years ago when father and son hauled it out of storage to finish what they started. The build had only been completed in the last six months. Smith is going to try and save what he can on the car, and he's looking into buying a new frame as a base for the rebuild, but the crash is a terrible body blow to him and his father. The Corolla driver took something important from them, there's no question. But she also presented them with a sliver of a silver lining. "My dad is not in any way happy about what happened, but he's put a positive thought in my head that at least we'll get the opportunity to rebuild the car again together," he said. "Because when we built that car, it was some of the best time we've ever spent together."

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11 Northwestern Connecticut A s 2018 Club Officers and Committee Chairpersons PRESIDENT Don Bruno 315 Pineridge Rd. Torrington, CT VICE PRESIDENT Paul Dubreuil SECRETARY Nick Nesci TREASURER CLUB APPAREL Archie Bardwell Don Bruno 20 Colin Drive Torrington, CT MEMBERSHIP Archie Bardwell 20 Colin Drive Torrington, CT GOOD CHEER CLUB HISTORIAN Dave Habersang EDITOR/WEBMASTER Don Bruno Dave Habersang