Showing at the Museum

Volume 39 - Number 11 Established 1983 November 2018 Annual Auction and General Meeting November 7 Don t forget that our annual auction is scheduled for the next general meeting. Everyone should be checking their closets and garages for those treasures you may no longer have any use for, but someone else really needs. Remember that we are looking for quality items, not junk, and that these items generally should be automotive related. Proceeds from our auction are used to defray costs of our installation luncheon in January and to purchase door prizes for this event. We always have a great time at the annual auction, and there are some great bargains picked up each year. In the event that a real antique or otherwise valuable item is presented for auction, we request that a reserve price be set so that something really valuable won t be picked up for a fraction of it s real worth. Also, at this meeting, elections for Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Tour Chairman will be held for the coming year. Although we have names for these positions, if you are interested in serving your club (or if you know of someone who might do a great job - and have their approval) please be at this meeting so that we can act accordingly. The Ruckstell Review is the monthly publication of the Model T Ford Club of San Diego. Annual dues are $20. The club holds a dinner meeting on the second Wednesday in odd numbered months and tours during even numbered months. The date of the next event can be obtained by calling any of the club officers or by checking the Upcoming Events listing in this issue. The club is a Chapter of the Model T Ford Club of America, P.O. Box 126, Centerville, IN 47330-0126. Membership information for the 'National' can again be obtained from any officer. The main publication of the MTFCA is the Vintage Ford, which alone is well worth the national dues of $40 per year. Lifetime memberships are also available. Showing at the Museum Showing now through Jan. 26, 2019: Three Decades in the Rearview. This dazzaling exhibit features a retrospective of cars that have been displayed throughout our 30 year history. Congratulations to all the following members who observe their birthday in November: 1 Diane MacPherson 6 Steve Huges 13 Dee Reed 14 Carolyn Lemler Teri Nance 17 Jeff Tyler 18 Cecilia Judd 21 Reva Royal 23 Newell Booth 26 Ana Yeardon 28 Gene Train 30 David Hunt November Cookie Providers Cathy Rising Robin Bond The Model T Ford Club of San Diego 2018 Board President James Train 858-945-2637 Vice President Tony Bowker 619-922-3954 Secretary Janna Laughon 619-933-6205 Treasurer Susie Murdock 619-295-8357 Membership Carolyn Lemler 619-469-3042 Tour Chairman Kirby Pray 619-972-1138 Editor Chuck West 858-277-5421 Mbr. At Large John Chapman 619-384-2871 Historian Kirt Simpson 619-322-9454 Sunshine Chm. Greg Rising 760-532-9877 Past President Jerry Yeadon 619-405-5852 National Website: http://www.mtfca.com

President s Message Friends, on this Thanksgiving month, we have much for which to be grateful. Most of us are sufficiently well off to afford what, to most people, is a pretty pricey hobby, and that s certainly something to be thankful for. We have our wonderful old cars, and we re still allowed to drive them, which I hope will continue for many years to come. We have experts who can help us keep our cars running, many of them right here in the club! And we can still buy the parts we need for them. It s also the month for elections. Maybe you ll be grateful for the outcome, and maybe you won t, but go and vote no matter what. And this is the only partisan message I have for you for Election Day: VOTE YES ON 6! Repeal the gas tax! Jim Train, President Sunshine (and Showers) Report Just heard that Doris Chidgey recently fell and broke two ribs. Healing nicely and she is doing well. Neither she or Jack are driving now which probably explains why we haven t seen them at meetings recently. Judy Burrell receive severe burns down her front in mid September while emptying a pot of boiling water. We re glad everything is OK now but she might be roasting corn in the future. Tony Bowker has suffered eye problems for several months starting with cateract operations. His latest operation was just two days after the Speedster Run and appears to have been a success. Stitches will be coming our November 5th. Get well Tony, we need you! Contact Greg Rising (760-532-9877) with any information on the health or welfare of our members. Club Website Be sure to visit the club s website. Pictures of member s cars and car data are requested. The website can be reached at the following address: mtfcsd.com - - - Special to Club Members Only - - - A Members Only portion of the club website is available to members using a special password which will change fom time to time. To access this special section, use the current president s wife s name: Gene. Currently, the club roster is there, but more will follow. 2

Minutes of the Board Meeting Oct. 10, 2018 Held at Debby s Restaurant, La Mesa Attendees: Jerry Yeadon, Janna Laughon, Chuck West, John Chapman, Mac MacPhearson, Jim Train, Susie Murdock, Kirby Pray, and Tony Bowker. Start Time: 7:11 PM Jim opened the meeting Reports Board Elections: Jerry has volunteered for Vice President, Janna for Secretary, Susie for Treasurer, Kirt for Historian, and Kirby for Tour Chairman. We will vote on the officers at next month s general meeting. President Jim talked about the election to be held at the general meeting followed by the annual auction. Bring items for us to buy! He will check with the Butcher Shop restaurant to confirm our Jan. 29 luncheon. Vice President Tony had no VP news, but the Speedster Run is coming up. Everything is set. Past President Jerry reported on a restorable 1925 Model T Touring for sale in the Mira Mesa area. Treasurer Susie said we have money to run the club. Historian: Kirt was not able to attend the meeting. Member at Large John said that all summer car shows are ending in October. Tour Chairman: Kirby shared future tours and events: Oct 20-21 Speedster Run centered out of Ramona Nov 15 School visit to Lakeview Elementary in Lakeside 9 AM contact Janna at jannalaughon@gmail.com for information Nov 17 HVMTC Mott Museum Tour. Meet at 9 Am at the Park & Ride at Hwy 76 & I-15. Dec 1 Toyland Parade Dec 6 School visit to Vista Grande Elementary in El Cajon 12 PM (see Nov 15 for info) Dec 22 HVMTC will meet at Marie Callenders on Center City Pkwy in Escondido at around 5 PM for dinner then tour to see the lights. Put Christmas lights on your car if possible. Feb 17-22 Sierra Vista Nat l Tour Nov 16, 2019 Campo Train Museum s 100 th Anniversary Tour ***NEXT YEAR!*** The Rules of the Road will be published on our club s website The board agreed to change the trouble truck daily rate to $35 a day and $50 if the tour is over 75 miles. Editor Chuck is leaving space open in the newsletter for the speedster run. Anyone who comes across interesting articles or interesting stories, please share them with him for the Ruckstell. Extras Tony said that the Julian Mine Tour was an expensive tour for him. Please vote Yes on Prop 6 to repeal the gas tax. End Time: 7:49 PM Jim closed the meeting Respectfully Janna Laughon, Secretary 3

Ruckstell Review November 2018 The 2018 Speedster Run By Tony Bowker This was the 31st Speedster Run organized by the San Diego club. Doesn t time fly when you re having fun? This year we attracted a good entry of 20 speedsters and a couple of cars in the Other category, one a Touring and the other a rather nice 1911(?) Gentleman s Roadster? Among the entries were a number of T celebrities. Lee Chase was with his son in a 1915 Touring. Many will remembered all the wonderful tours Lee put on for Ts, including several European trips and many in the USA. We also had Debbie Francis, from the MTFCSC, who has organized many tours in the western areas of the USA. Then there was Humble Howard Genrich with his Lucky 7, who is enrolled in the Speedster Hall of Fame for his enthusiasm for Model Ts and spreading the word. The final celebrity was Joel Young. He was recently enrolled in the Model T Speedster Hall of Fame for his exploits in pushing the speed record up to 218 mph for cars with a Model T block. On Saturday afternoon with the usual gorgeous Ramona weather, the cars assembled at the Ramona Valley Inn for the technical inspection and check in. This year no one failed, though one was having battery problems and on another, a fan belt kept slipping off. In the end the battery was solved but not the fan belt. Just after 3pm, the cars were sent out down towards Escondido and then back to Ramona along Highland Valley Rd, always interesting. They ended up at the beautiful home of Cathy and Greg for a catered BBQ. Attending were all the speedster crews and most of the marshals. In addition several San Diego club members who were not part of the event Some speedsters assembled prior to activities showed up so it was fairly busy but the company was just wonderful. Most speedsters were able to leave before sunset, but then we lost two more. Again, we fixed one by borrowing the alternator from my 14 for the duration of the weekend. However, the fan belt was still a problem and another speedster was losing its low band. Sunday dawned as yet another beautiful Ramona day, and following a drivers meeting at 8am the first speedster was waved off by Greg at 8:20. They left in a random order but with the usual one minute interval between each car. The first leg took them along Old Julian Hwy. out of Ramona to Santa Isabel where Janna, Chuck and John provided coffee and donuts Several went into the Julian Pie shop to buy apple pies and had Janna carry them back to Ramona. Along the way we didn t lose any cars, but the Chase s Touring decided that Santa Isabel was as far as they wanted to run. While there, they met a bunch of kids and gave them a ride, kind of cute. 4 Lee Chase posing with The Family The Speedsters left the first check point, proceeded along Hwy 79, and then down San Felipe Grade to Scissor Crossing. This avoided Julian which we heard was very, very crowded. They went east along Hwy 78 and then turned back west on Borrego Springs Rd. to check point 2 in Borrego Springs to meet Jay, Roberta, and Dee. Unfortunately the planned stop at Christmas Circle was shot down as there was a Faire in progress, so the marshals chose a side road. Everyone found it OK, but one speedster became confused on leaving and then ran out of gas. However, aa ll s well that ends well. The 4000 foot climb up Montezuma grade posed no problems for most of the speedsters, though we did loose one due to previously unknown defect. They were picked up by Greg in the second of the two trouble trucks. Back at the Inn, the speedsters were checked in by Anne & Tony and everyone said it was

a great route. Of course the first car in was the Model T Land Speed record holder, which ensured Joel would not win. Due to some medical issues, we used the average speed of the cars in each section as the bogey time as I was unable to set it with Ricky (Tony s speedster - Ed.). There were a few STOP signs along the way, but no Traffic Lights. Of course the short run to lunch added three lights, just in Ramona. At the splendid buffet lunch served at D Carlos, Tony thanked all the Marshals and Trouble Truck Drivers and handed out patches to all participants. We acknowledged Cathy and Greg for allowing us to have the BBQ Dinner at their home on Saturday evening and Carolyn for the scrumptious cookies we ate in Borrego. Then we presented last year s winner, who won with zero penalty points, with a commeorative plaque. A zero score had never happened in the previous 30 years. Finally we acknowledged the three cars that tied for third place, Greg Cosner, Bill Shumate, and Dana Crosby, Acknowledgements: Somewhere along the way Trouble Trucks: Greg Rising, Ron Lambrecht Marshals: Greg Rising, Tony Bowker, Janna Laughon, Chuck West, John Wilkerson, Jay & RobertaWatkins, Dee Reed, Ann Tunnell Pictures: Karen Pepe, Janna Laughon, Bill Shumate BBQ: Cathy & Greg Rising Cookies: Carolyn Lemler, Tony Bowker Tony presenting First Place Trophy to Terry Loftus It was a really enjoyable event, great company with everyone having a good time. The Inn provided good accommodation, even when the power failed on Sunday morning. The BBQ Pit was excellent as always and D Carlos provided an wonderful Buffet. This event would not run without the Marshals and trouble trucks, they all received a well deserved round of applause. Finally I would like to thank Greg and Chuck for all the work they do behind the scenes to provide me with such solid support, thank you guys! 5

With the Furries at Balboa Park by president, Jim Train Recently, my son Alex invited me (and Elizabeth Phoenix, my trusty 1924 Touring) to an event at Balboa Park on Saturday, September 8. Alex is one of the leading members of the San Diego Furries, which is a group of people who wear animal costumes in public. (Please don t ask me WHY they do such a thing.) The idea was that they were going to make a video of their activities, and they wanted to ride in the Model T as part of their video. I accepted the invitation, knowing (as they didn t!) that if the public in the park saw fifty people dressed up as animals, and a Model T Ford next to them, the people s focus is not going to be on the animal people. So, my wife Gene and I drove down from Kearny Mesa, via Linda Vista Blvd, down Ulric Street (and I do mean DOWN), Friars Road, Qualcomm Way which becomes Texas Street, then right to Park Blvd and straight into the park. The only challenge was the Texas Street hill, which is pretty steep. We started in Ruckstell low and Ford high, and about fifty yards from the top, it was obvious that we weren t going to make it. I had nightmare visions of doing a Laurel and Hardy, rolling backwards down the hill into oncoming traffic! So I stomped on the left pedal, and we went up in Ford low and Ruckstell low. I m sure I ll never do that again, because I had to put up with not only the sounds coming from the engine and the transmission, but also the sounds coming from the person next to me! After that, it was easy. Right a few blocks, then left onto Park, and a mile or so into the park itself. We easily found the Furries (they were nt hard to miss), and I parked next to them, just off the sidewalk. There was, of course, a steady stream of people coming to look at the car, and I happily explained it to them and answered their questions. Later, we drove over by the carousel, and I took several of them at a time around the parking lot, including some on the running boards, for their video. I haven t seen it yet, so I hope it came out all right. One of these furries was a human sized representation of the Egyptian god Anubis, the god of Death. I told him I didn t want him in my car, because we were having trouble enough already. The rest of them were foxes, squirrels, rabbits, wolves, etc, all about the same size. My son Alex was a large red dragon, complete with wings. Frankly, I m still not sure whether these people are just playing dress up (they are all adults in their 30s and 40s), or if they are delusional enough to believe they actually are the animals they represent. In either case, they all seemed to be having a really good time. And I got to show off the Model T, so I guess it was worthwhile for everyone. The drive home was uneventful, to the extent that a trip that distance in a Model T can ever be considered uneventful. I still have a lot to learn about furry culture (apparently there is such a thing), but any group that likes Model T s can t be all bad! Furries in Balboa Park The main attraction 6

--- Don Dechant was president Keep the Faith Kirt Simpson, Historian Blast from the Past The year was 1993-25 years ago -- Mark Ferguson and his girlfriend Kim (now husband and wife, and both longtime members) were first-time visitors to a club meeting -- Jack and Doris Chidgey won the Participation Trophy (later to be named the Don Chappelle Trophy) School Visits Scheduled For many years the Model T Ford Club of San Diego has enjoyed the opportunity to show and demonstrate the unique Model T Ford to school kids in the San Diego area. In the next two months, we have two such opportunities to do so again. Students will be well prepared to understand what they will be seeing. Our secretary, Janna Laughon, a recently retired school teacher, has provided instruction on the Model T and the man responsible for bringing it into the world. We usually have four to five cars to share with the students. If you would like to participate, please contact Janna Laughon at jannalaughon@gmail.com to let her know of your interest. Locations, dates and times of these two events are listed below: Date: Location: Time: November 15 (Thursday) Lakeview Elementary School 9205 Lakeview Rd., Lakeside, CA 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM (NOTE: Arrive after 8:50 AM please) Date: Location: Time: December 6 (Thursday) Vista Granda Elementary School 1908 Vista Grande Rd. El Cajon, CA 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM (NOTE: Arrive after 12 Noon) 7

1923 Doctor s Coupe - 12 volts, alternator, Bosch distributor, Ruckstell, Clymer windshield spotlight, Fat Man steering wheel. President, Jim Train, notes: This car is located in Idyllwild and is in beautiful condition. I drove it briefly in late June, but it needs some tuning up. The last owner bought it about eight years ago, drove it twice, then parked it in a garage, until he recently passed away. Now his widow needs to sell. Asking $16,000. Contact Jim Train for information (858) 945-2637 1925 Touring - All There. Has CA title. Lead from Jerry Yeadon. Bruce Tuckman 10264 Antrim Way, San Dego, CA ^619) 850-5190 Ruckstell Review Classifieds Policy For Sale items will be listed at no cost and will run for a three month period. Listing will be extended for an additional three month period on request of seller. It is requested that the Ruckstell Review Editor be notified when listed items have been sold so that they may be deleted. Have a Happy Thanksgiving 8

Upcoming Activities Date Activities in 2018 Nov. 14 MTFCSD General Meeting. SD Automotive Museum, Hall of Fame Room. 6:00 PM NOTE: Election of officers for 2019 and Annual Sale Nov. 15 School Visit. Lakeview Elementary, Lakeside. Details Page 7 Nov. 22 Dec. 1 Happy Thanksgiving! Toyland Parade. Save the date. Dec. 6 School Visit. Vista Grande Elementary, El Cajon. Details Page 7 Dec. 25 Merry Christmas! 9