LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 1 MARCH 2018 While I m writing this article, the wind is blowing gusts over 50 mph and the rain is accumulating quickly. Yesterday was so nice we went to Seaside in the 30 Model A roadster for Pizza. For those of you who know my wife Ann, I get led to the Pizza Parlor every Friday Night for the last 40 years. A few of us, about 20, went up to Aberdeen Washington for the Spaghetti Feed put on by 3 local car clubs up there. We had a good meal and good time. I was informed afterwards that I had parked in a tow away zone but the church people couldn t make the call, and left it alone. Not even a note on my car but one on the car next to mine. The best part of the trip, other than the Spaghetti Feed, was the mandatory stop at Clarks Restaurant for ice cream on the way back home. There was only a couple who didn t make the stop for ice cream. The weather was better than I expected because I washed and detailed the car the day before. For those of you who were not at the last club meeting, the Swap Meet was a success with the entry slightly down, and the Vendors slightly up from last year. Hopefully someone will volunteer for next year s Swap Meet Chairmanship. Our Swap Meet booth is a year round prospect of collecting items for the next year. Just drop off at my store Clatsop Power Equipment any time during business hours, or at my shop at home. The next meeting will be held at Steve Jordan s Shop on Thursday night at 7:00pm April 19 th 2018 I m going to assign a few projects to member s that DON T show up so you might want to be there. Well, that s enough B.S. for now, Talk at you later,
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 2 Lower Columbia Classic minutes minutes of regular meeting March 15 th, 2018 Steve Jordan's shop, 35232 Helligso lane, Astoria, Oregon The regular meeting of the Lower Columbia Classic Car Club was held March 15 th, 2018 at 7:00p.m. At Steve Jordan's shop. President Fred Mestrich called the meeting to order. It was moved and seconded to accept the minutes as printed in the BACKFIRE the motion carried. The swap meet profit was $. Booth sales were down. Registration was also down, but the admission was up, and we have increased the price of admission. The exhibit hall was down. The 50-'s cruise reunion is going well. The artwork is complete. We are getting sponsors, and fliers will be going out soon. We need parking volunteers. Please talk to Darryl Niemi if available to help out. We will also need help setting up starting at 10:00am Friday morning. You are welcome to meet up at Pig and Pancake for breakfast at 8:00am before set up starts. On Saturday set up will be at 6:30am. We are needing raffle donations. The website is looking really good. Thank you Robbie! The newsletter is doing well. Keep sending your articles, they are wonderful! The Warrenton high school is getting ready to start building. The social activity is the Spaghetti Feed in Aberdeen on the 25 th. We will meet at 9:00 at the DMV. RSVP Judy. Attendance drawing was let it ride. Meeting adjourned at 7:35pm. Secretary Margot Gittins.
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 3 The annual Invitational Spaghetti Feed held at the Aberdeen, WA. High School and hosted by the Midnight Cruisers, the Push Rods and Beach Boyz Car Clubs was a huge success, attended by some 176 gearheads from Southwestern Washington and Northwestern Oregon. Clubs attending were Prairie Street from Yelm, WA., T-9-O from Tenino, WA., Yesteryears of Shelton, WA., the Lug Nutz of Grays Harbor, Lower Columbia Classic s and of course all three of the host clubs. Twenty three members of our club met at the Astoria D.M.V., departing at 9:30 and picking up members along the way a good showing for L.C.C.C. and an absolutely beautiful day for a drive. Those clubs who received an invitation and refrained from attending missed out on a beautiful drive, good food and great camaraderie in a super venue. BIG THANKS go out from Lower Columbia Classic s and this writer. Ramblin `Round With Steve In other activities, Lower Columbia Classics Youth Education Outreach program registered two high school students from the Knappa / Svenson area in the advanced Auto Electrical/ Electronics class at Clatsop Community College for spring term. For those interested, the actual class no. is Auto 135D2. Our Youth Ed. Outreach Committee is made up of Darryl Niemi, Ernie Atkinson, Oliver Yackley, Jim Wood and Burt Young. Those members have been hard at work developing the program and getting the word out to the schools. The club supports youth education in the automotive arena with teaching aids, tools and now, financial assistance with tuition. Give committee members a large thank you when you see them, As you probably already know, the Warrenton High school is developing an auto-tech vocational program. Your car club has been supporting that effort by mentoring the Youth Car Club at the school for the past two or more years, in the personage of Darryl Niemi. I think it is safe to say that Darryl s efforts have been instrumental in the schools decision to move forward with this program. Thank you Darryl. I mention the Outreach program, simply to inform those members who don t attend meetings and therefore may not know details of the program. The thrust of L.C.C.C. is youth automotive education. It is the only recipient of our event proceeds. I can t think of a better!
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 4 By Jim Wood My love affair with this month's feature car started back in 1956 when I was 7 years old. My uncle had just returned from the U.S. Marines. He pulled into our driveway with a brand new car. It was a fresh off the showroom floor turquoise and white '56 Ford Crown Victoria. Before that I really didn't have any particular feelings about any cars. This car moved something inside me and I have been in love with it ever since. The first time I went to a club meeting at Ross and Patty Getchell s shop, I saw his Crown Vic sitting there, and that feeling came back. It was like seeing an old friend. Ross told me that his love of these Ford's started many years ago. He was cruising down Union Ave. in Portland when he passed a car lot. It had 3 or 4 of these '55-'56 Ford's in their line-up. He did a quick head swivel and went back to the lot to check them out. He too fell in love with these Ford's and hoped to own one some day. Sometimes our dreams can take a long time to happen. Around 10 years ago Ross located a '56 Crown Vic in South Dakota. It was supposed to be very restorable and came with a ton of extra parts. Now all he needed to do, was go get it. Travelling to Rapid City, S. Dakota in October can be a dicey weather situation, but that's what Ross and his two buddies did. Our current president Fred provided the truck and trailer while ex president Steve Jordan came along to give his expert advice. I'm really not joking about the advice part. When you are looking to purchase a restoration project, you need to know what you're getting into. Well the car passed muster and they dragged it back to Oregon. Mission accomplished! Ross started his restoration in his basement garage in Astoria. It wasn't too long before this wasn't enough
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 5 room for this project. Besides that, Patty was getting a little tired of being gassed with automotive fumes in the house! They found a great house complete with a shop out on Simonsen Road. You know, where all those car nuts live. They remodeled the shop, added a lift and have all the goodies 312cu.in. engine and Ford-o-matic transmission. Ross did upgrade a few items that this particular car did not have originally. Items that were available this year but not ordered on this car. Like power brakes, power steering and A/C. There is just nothing more he can do, this thing is perfect. Apparently other folks feel the same way. Ross and Patty have taken awards at every show they've been to. This includes Canada. Actually there was one show where the car wasn't awarded, but I think that make a garage into a mechanics shop. A short 8 years later Ross and Patty have the most beautiful '56 Crown Vic around these parts. They just don't come any better than this one. This car is painfully stock and pure. This is what they looked like brand new. It has the correct that's another story. Ross is very meticulous and exact with his work. He also worked as a mechanic for the Air National Guard for over thirty years. Once again I am amazed at the talent pool in this club. Speaking of "this club", without Ross and Patty's contributions we would be in bad shape. Ross does our newsletter and Patty does anything that needs doing. I would personally like to thank Ross and Patty for all that they do. Well, that's it for this month. Watch for me sneaking around your shop, I just want to see "What Are You Working On"?
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 6 FROM THE BACK SEAT THE GAL S PAGE Club Members who need a little Sunshine The names below have been submitted by the Sunshine Committee. Those listed are our fellow members and need you. ALL IS WELL WITH OUR CLUB MEMBERS!! (as we know of) Someone not up to speed let Judy Jordan, Sunshine Committee Chair know. Judy s Phone number is: (503) 325-1807 TRAVELS WITH MOM AND DAD One sunny 4 th of July a number of years ago, it was the last full day I spent with my Aunt Betty Jean. She was my Dad s older sister. Somehow I knew my time with her was short. After the parade, I noticed she was a lot more feeble and had trouble walking. It was a crowded scene in Hillsboro. I offered to walk her back to her car and drive her to the picnic at my parents place. If I say I m going to do something, I do my best to follow through on promises. The first trip was in 2015 after Aunt Betty Jean passed away after a bout of pneumonia. My Dad always wanted to see Alaska, and we went on a cruise to Alaska that included glacier bay. On that drive she shared with me what I meant to hear and directed me to her favorite drive. It was just a scenic drive, a back way through fields. This was a route she took from her home to my parents place. I think the red clover was in full bloom in one of the fields. She also asked if I would accompany my parents on some trips as they really had not traveled in many years. The last time they had been to Hawaii was in 1986 right before me and Jim got married. Anyway, I agreed to encourage and accompany them on some trips. The scenery was breathtaking, and my parents were happy to spend time with us, see Alaska for the first time, and enjoy all the great food (too much food) on the cruise ship. I booked the cruise on Holland America because I m part Dutch, and I just thought it was funny. Judy Jordan once again has provided individuals who will put together an article for this Backseat page. Thank you Judy!! January, Judy Jordan February, Patty Getchell March, Katie Scarborough April, Valarie Purdy May, Jul Grandbois June, Patricia Riley July, Linda Uphoff August, Dorothy Gillies Sept, Robi Nelson October, Gail Penuel November, Melba O"Bryant December,?
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 7 Continued from previous page The next trip was this past January. My niece (their granddaughter), Alyssa, got married in Hawaii. Long story short, my niece s grandma lives in Hawaii and my nieces travel there every year to visit their Grandma Po Po (Marilyn). For months my Mom was saying she did not want to go, but I knew my Dad wanted to. My dad is 86 years old, and my mom is 79 (now 80). Somehow I talked my Mom into it! I enticed her with dress shopping, and she said you mean, it will be sort of like the cruise trip? Yes, yes, mom. We ll rent a car, and grocery shop, and I can cook some stuff instead of going out all the time. Really I think it was getting to go clothes and dress shopping that she liked. My mom and I spent a whole day clothes/dress shopping. Last January 21 st, the Hillsboro Airporter picked us up at my parents home and drove us all to the airport very early, and we flew over to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines on January 21 st. We were served complimentary mai tai and with my Mom s heart meds just the 1 drink made her tipsy. The Honolulu airport was very tough to navigate since my Dad walks very slow, and my mom gets claudication. Her legs sort of give out after about 2 blocks sometimes. The walk to baggage claim was at least a mile, and my mom had to sit down. Luckily, Wendy found a wheelchair for Mom and we were able to make it to the baggage claim! We d rented a large Suburban since some of the time 7 of us would be in the vehicle (Mom, Dad, me, Jim, Kristen, Ben, and Wendy). The first few nights we stayed at a VRBO (sort of like an AirB&B) in Hailua with bride, groom and their friends. It was fairly rowdy, but we were right on the beach! Around the time of the wedding we stayed in Hauula at an AirB&B next to the Wedding Estate. Once we were there, most of the meals were included in Alyssa s destination wedding. All we had to do is walk next door for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Jim was a great help on this trip. He chauffeured us around all week, and helped by doing things with my parents some of the time while I went hiking with our daughters. My Dad really enjoyed swimming in the ocean, and I had the opportunity to do that with him a couple of times. I m thankful we were all able to go and my parents were able to attend their niece s wedding! Valerie Purdy
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 8 Show Time The time has come once again for us to put on our Show. 50 s Cruise needs YOU. Yes the club you belong to needs your help. I know that a lot of you will come out and help at the Show. On Friday the 27 th we will have a no host breakfast at the Pig and Pan at 8 a.m. From there we will head out to Camp Rilea to get the field set up starting at 10 a.m. We can t be on the field any earlier 10. We will be marking the field with tape and putting up signs, etc. I would like you to think about how you can help. Call Darryl Niemi, Jim Wood or myself. On Saturday, we need help with parking of cars, both on the show car field and in the spectator parking area. We need people to help putting up tents, tables and chairs. We need help at 6 a.m. so that we can be ready for the show start time which is 8 a.m.. There is a lot to do besides these few things. At the end of the show we need help with clean up and breakdown. Very important jobs. So, PLEASE, call one of us so that we Can plug you into a position where and when we can use your help. With your help we will have a fun and successful show we can all be proud of. Darryl Niemi, 503-440-7848 Jim Wood, 503-931 4510 Burt Young 503-338-8719 Thank you all and hope to see You at the Club meeting or at the SHOW.
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 9 FOR SALE LOT & ANNOUCEMENTS This 1955 Buick Century owned and restored by Steve Jordan is For Sale. Spread the word. Questions, call Steve @ 503-325-1807 For Sale 1954 Ford 1/2 ton SNB 312 V8-c.4 Trans. $8350 - OBO Jon 503-728-3562 I have the following manuals available to any of our members. HAYNES, Ford pick-ups & Bronco 1980-1996 2WD & 4WD, Full size, F100-F350, Gasoline engines. CHILTON, Ford, pickups and Bronco 1987-1996 PHONE JUL GRANDBOIS 503-741-1796 WANTED/NEEDED Chairman for LCCC Christmas Party! Time for a change, the rewards are fantastic a different venue than the last few years, someone else to guide the process and bring holiday cheer to our members. Think about it YOU can make a difference and YOU are needed to step up to the position. Thanks for stepping up previous worn out chair Patty Getchell Call 503-440-3293 if you will step to the Christmas table. FOR SALE ENGINE HOIST FRESHLY PAINTED, IN GOOD CONDITION 75.00 CALL ROSS 503-440-3291
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 10 JOYCE ASPMO 4/8 ROSS GETCHELL 4/6 PATTY GETCHELL 4/5 KEVIN KELTY 4/12 CHARLENE LARSEN 4/25 MARGARET LAU 4/30 SARA MEYER 4/8 JENNY RALLS 4/19 TOM SARPOLA 4/28 KATHY SASSO 4/3 JERRY VANDERPOOL 4/3 CAROL WEBSTER 4/14 BURT YOUNG 4/6 HENDRICKSON 4/30 O'BRYANT 4/8 RILEY 111 4/23 VANDERPOOL 4/16 *SUPPORT YOUR SPONSERS*
LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC CAR CLUB 11 LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC S CAR CLUB P.O. BOX 1259 ASTORIA, OREGON 97103 BACKFIRE LOWER COLUMBIA CLASSIC S APRIL 19TH CLUB MEETING AT STEVE & JUDY S SHOP