The Official Monthly Newsletter Of Chesapeake Region .

THE CHESAPEAKE PAGE 3       APRIL 2018BOTH UNRESTOREDA Tale Of 'TWO' 1950 Ford Custom CoupesBy Cecil PolanChesapeake Region, AACAThe tale about my present Ford started in 1966 even though I neverknew it existed at the time. Here is how it happened. In the mid-sixtiesI was working for a company that had a fleet of dump trucks, workingin Martinsburg, West Virginia, on the construction of Interstate 1-81between Hagerstown, Maryland and Winchester, Virginia. There wasa local high school student who drove a Hawaiian Bronze 1950 FordCustom two-door coupe that I fell in love with and to keep this short,after some time and much haggling and the fact that he threw a rodthrough the block, I was able to buy the car.Fast forward to 1975 when I went to work for Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland as Transportation Director. Shortly after I started the new job, I drove my '50 Ford to work and it was spottedby another employee, George Messenger, the college electrician. Hewas all excited to see my Ford and told me he had one exactly like itin his garage that he had parked in 1972 with a tooth off the clustergear. He had been on a short errand when he knocked the tooth off andparked the Ford and would repair it when he had more time; he nevergot around to fixing the cluster gear.This began a special relationship between George and me. An interesting aside is that although he was a few years older, he grew up inCentral West Virginia, just over the hill from where I grew up. Georgebought the Ford in 1955 from Charles Holford who was a graduateministerial student, soon to leave for an overseas missionary assignment. Charles had purchased the Ford from his sister in 1954, who inturn bought the Ford new in Dearborn from a dealer 'just across thestreet from the factory' as Charles explained.Over the next few years, I kept trying to buy his Ford but Georgealways had some reason why he couldn’t sell it. At first, it was that oneof his boys might want it and then it was that one of his boys had anold car torn apart in front of the garage and the doors wouldn’t open, or'it really is in bad shape.' This went on for a few years until I decided Iwouldn’t ask him anymore, after all, he knew I wanted it so I would justwait and see what happens.About 1995, George retired and as we were talking one day, he askedme if I was still interested in the old Ford and I told him that when hewas ready to sell it to let me know. In June of 1998, George came to meand said that if I was interested in the Ford to come over to his houseand look at it. George had pumped up the tires with a hand pump andhad moved it out of the garage and looked it over, then moved it backin the garage. My son, Michael, and I went over that day to see the Fordand I must say it was pretty sorry looking at first sight, but as we reallylooked it over, we saw a very solid car. George said he never washed orwiped anything off at all, but there wasn’t enough dust to make a markon the dash with a finger. There was a hole above the left sun visorwhere a mouse had chewed to make a home above the headliner (stillthere)and it had aftermarket seat covers. It was in a wood frame garageTowed only TWICE in thousands of miles while the Polans have owned it!Garage mates, manufactured at the same time in different plants.that the squirrels and raccoon’s could get in and they ran all over the carand deteriorated the paint.We made a deal on the car and towed it to the college shop whichwas just three blocks away. The engine would only partially turn overbecause of stuck valves. I pulled the heads and put some Kroil on thevalves and freed them up, reinstalled the heads, put some fresh gas anda battery in and fired it up. It ran as smooth as silk. Then I got seriousand pulled the gas tank and had it cleaned and coated inside. I rebuiltthe wheel cylinders, all new rubber hoses, belts, ignition parts and puta kit in the carburetor and fuel pump. George told me that it alwaysran hot, so I had the radiator recored. I removed the aftermarket seatcovers and tried to vacuum the seats, but the vacuum just sucked theupholstery right off the seats. Next, I drove it home to West Virginia,80 miles with no problem. Since I was starting a restoration on a 1940pickup about this time, I began gathering parts for a future restorationon the '50 Ford and just drove it occasionally, since it looked so horrible.In May of 2003, 1 saw an ad for the Early Ford Club of America andsince I had only belonged to a local car club, I decided to join. I sawthere was a national meet coming up in a couple of months and decidedto go to Dearborn and see what this early Ford stuff was all about. Mywife, Kay and I drove to Dearborn in our 1986 Mercury Cougar, and assoon as we arrived, we were informed that we weren’t driving a flatheadand everyone had a good laugh. I must say that I had never seen somany old Fords at one time in my life.The one car that stands out in my mind was a barn fresh 1932 FordContinue to page 6,'Ford coupe'.This Ford coupe visited all the lower 48 United States and Canada.

THE CHESAPEAKE PAGE 4APRIL 2018Hello Everyone!The President’s MessageFrom Paula RubyWell, the month of March has certainly, as they say, ‘come in like a lion.’ The weather has been quite unpredictable.We’ve either been in short sleeves -- or heavy coats shoveling snow. However, the unpredictable weather has not heldback the members of Chesapeake Region from getting many things accomplished.We started out the month of March conducting our 45th annual Collector Car Swap Meet. Preparations for theSwap Meet began many months before the date of the actual event. Tom Young has been busy since last year sendingout flyers to the prior-year vendors, inviting them to participate again in year 2018. Tom has managed this Chesapeake Region event for many years, and his tireless efforts are greatly appreciated. We had lots ofassistance this year. To avoid forgetting anyone, I will just say a big THANK YOU TO EVERYONEwho helped in any way.The week prior to the Swap Meet was a little scary, not knowing how the weather was going tobe on event day, Saturday, March 10th. On Friday, March 9th member volunteers gathered at theHoward County Fairgrounds site to mark all outdoor vendor spaces on the ground and to get thedining room set up for the food concession. The cool air and wind in the morning did not stop thejob from getting done. This year Gary Wilmer and Phil Hack managed the field layout of numberedvendor spaces. They had a great group of volunteers who showed up to lend a helping hand. Vicky Wilmer, MaryAllen and myself were busy getting the dining room set up for the next day’s preparation and selling of the food items.Vicky had a long list of members that had volunteered to donate a variety of homemade food items such as soup, barbeque and baked goods. We offered breakfast sandwiches in the morning and plenty of hot coffee and hot chocolateall day. Buzz and Barbara Diehl, with help from Bob Reinhart and others, operated the coffee station. Throughoutthe two days, we had 48 members help us in one way or another. This could be a banner year for our Swap Meetfund-raiser. Be sure to come out to the next membership meeting in April to hear all about the results.If the volunteer turnout for the Chesapeake Region Swap Meet was any indication of our membership coming outto help the Club, it was a good sign for the operation of the AACA Eastern Spring Meet, to be hosted by our Chesapeake Region in July. We will need DOUBLE the number of volunteers to help at that event. July will be here beforeyou know it. Registrations for the AACA National Meet are coming in daily. Norm Heathcote loves getting his mail.At this date we have over 150 cars already registered. We still have a long way to go, since we are expecting 500 to 700cars! If you have not registered or made your hotel reservation yet, please do not wait. Be sure to ask for the AACASpring Meet block at the Wyndham hotel. We will be offering a hospitality room during the four days of the Meet. Iam requesting any of our Club ladies or gentlemen to make some cookies or brownies now and freeze them. We willneed a lot of small items for snacks in this room. If you do not wish to bake anything you can donate cash and we willpurchase some items for you. Whatever you can do will be greatly appreciated. We will need everyone’s help in allaspects for this event. This will be a true reflection on Chesapeake Region and we want to make a good impression.Saturday, July 14th is the actual day of the car show. That will be the morning when we will need the most help, directing the participating show cars onto the show field. Be sure to mark your schedule to be available for volunteeringthat morning. The vehicles all need to be on the show field by 10:00 a.m. so we will be starting VERY EARLY to getthem situated into their correct classes. Much more information on the event will be shared at the upcoming Membership Meetings, so please plan to attend, so you know what will be happening.There are many events that have been planned for this year, so be sure to check out the event calendar listings onour website: http://www.chesapeakeaaca.org and in our newsletter, The Chesapeake Bulletin.In closing I would like to wish everyone a very Blessed Easter, don’t eat too much chocolate!Fondly,Paula

THE CHESAPEAKE PAGE 5        APRIL 2018NOTICE: Advertisements by members are free, subject to available space, if in the interest of the club andits members, i.e., antique (AACA defined) vehicles, parts, literature, memorabilia and automotive tools andequipment. Free ads run for one month and must contain the name of a member. Business ads cost 35annually for a nominal business card size space in TWELVE monthly issues. For ad submission or renewal,contact the Advertising Manager: GARY RUBY, 410.239.3492, rubys55chevy@comcast.netSteven B. MorganAgent/BrokerRidgebrook Insurance Group909 Ridgebrook Road, Suite 116Sparks, MD 21152Auto, Home, Business, Life Insurance443-595-3100 X131 800-218-0098www.ridgebrookins.comPipe Creek Trading CompanySales of antique and classic carsCar RepairsAppraisals3559 Old Taneytown Rd.Taneytown, Md 21787Tel: 410-756-1500Email: cars@verizon.netComplete RestorationofAntique, Hot Rods& Classic VehiclesHoward Kelly, Jr.717.630.0776410.409.7384 Celljalopyjunior@comcast.netStephen G. , Owner4 Nashua Ct., Bay 5Essex, MD 21221443.610.2769Specializing In:Door Dings * Large Dents * Hail Damage * Bumper Dentswww.PAINTLESSDENTDOCTORMD2.COMJack Anderson-Certified Appraiser-International Vehicle Appraisers Network222 Ritterslea CourtOwings Mills, MD 21117(410) 363.7088 home office(410) 916.4278 cell phoneEmail: byjack.com8 Winter AveGlen Rock, PA 17327P: 717-428-1305F: prueittandsons@verizon.netDriving Passion for Excellence

THE CHESAPEAKE PAGE 6       APRIL 2018Phil Hack Installs Lap Belts In His Classic Woodie WagonBy Philip Hack, Activity Director,Chesapeake Region, AACAFor most of us, the purchase of a new collector car, no matter the condition, usuallybrings with it a list of items that require repairor modification. Sometimes these items are aresult of our own desires to upgrade the car toour personal liking. Sometimes they are justgeneral maintenance items. And unfortunately, sometimes they are the results of the sinsof the previous owner. If the seller was a goodhonest guy (which I sincerely believe mostare), we’re made aware of these items beforethe sale is made. Anyone who has been in thishobby for any length of time knows this welland expects it.My 1947 Chevy Woodie was no different. Aframe-off restoration was completed 17 yearsago and the car had been driven only 1,400miles since. I knew up front I wanted seatbelts. The previous owner was a good honestguy and let me know that the fuse (there’s onlyone) would blow occasionally. Since he hardly drove it, he never got around to diagnosingthe problem. Within the first 100 miles of myownership this single fuse blew and left mewith no lights front or rear. So beginning inJanuary it was time to get to work.Installing seat belts in a 70 year old woodencar is no easy chore. The front seat was relatively straight forward. I was able to bolt 3 setsof belts through the floor to heavy steel platesmounted underneath. The belts snaked nicelythrough the rear of the seat and virtually noneof the mounting hardware can be seen. Needless to say, shoulder harnesses were out of thequestion for a wood framed car. The secondand third row seats presented problems. Theseseats actually sit on a plywood deck which isbolted through oak timbers to the steel floorpan below. Securing seat belts to plywoodisn’t, well, very secure! Additionally, since theseats are easily removed, I wanted the beltsto remove easily also. I don’t know what I’mgonna ever haul, but you know, it just makesfor a better job. I was able to source belts withquick disconnects so that solved the problemof simple removal but what was I going to attach them to?Underneath the second row seat is a smallcompartment for storing the jack and assortedgoodies. The underside of the plywood is accessible here. I was able to fabricate a 4'' widesteel plate the full width of the seat and mountit to the underside of the plywood. I then installed heavy duty eye hooks through the floorand nutted them up to the steel. As a bonus, Iwas also able to bolt the seat supports to thissteel. It isn’t coming out.The third row seat presented another uniqueFirst things first. After laying out the material being used, Phil made all the necessary cutouts inthe substrait so the seat belts will be well secured, also easy to remove when necessary.Continued from page 3, 'Ford coupe'.Tudor sedan that one guy was running around the show in all the time. When the meet was over,I learned that he received a ‘Rouge’ award (an award presented by the Early Ford V8 club for originality) for that car. I thought that if he could do that with his, I could do it with mine. Up untilthis time, I was pretty much ashamed of the car. The next year was the Eastern Meet in Frederick,Maryland, just 45 miles from my house, so I had to go. One of the benefits of attending the Frederick meet was ending up sitting at the awards banquet with some members of the host club, theNational Capitol Region Group #36 and as a result, I joined that local club as well.I not only won a Rouge award in Frederick in 2004, but also at ‘FIFTEEN MORE’ Early FordV8 National Meets! The car had 65,000 miles on it when I acquired it and it now shows 89,000miles. I drive it everywhere. It has only been towed twice, the day I bought it, and when I had totrailer it home from Abilene, Kansas in 2010, after losing a piston.At the Batavia, New York meet, Richard Lentinello and Daniel Strohi took pictures and dida story for Hemmings Classic Cars under their ‘Drivable Dream’ series in October 2006 edition.George’s son saw the article and brought it to George and he said that if ‘he would have known itwould be so famous, he would have taken better care of it.’I’ve driven it in all the lower forty-eight states since the fall of 2010 and was on a Black HillsTour during the fall of 2015. I never hesitate to get in this car and go wherever I wish.What are the future plans for this Ford? Am I going to restore it? That was my plan, and I havespent more than 8,000 collecting parts. but my wife wants us to restore the one I bought in 1966.Remember that one?I said at the beginning that these two Fords were almost identical, at least when new, except forone major difference. Incidentally, I was the third owner of the first one, built in Norfolk, Virginia and actually knew the original owner who bought it new in Winchester, Virginia in 1950 andthe fourth owner of the present Ford. They were both built in August, 1950, one in Dearborn andone in Norfolk, and the only real difference in these two Fords is the interior.So, the question comes up again, am I going to restore this car? Well, since it is only originalonce and it does get a lot of attention at the meets and I don’t spend a lot of time washing andwaxing! Hmmm?problem. Here there is no access to the area between the plywood deck and the floorpan. Isolved this problem with 4'' long eyehooks whichextend through the dead-space and throughholes drilled in the floorpan. They’re securedwith traditional steel plates on the underside ofthe floorpan. Seems to work pretty well.I’ve got seat belts! The rear seats come out. Therear seat belts unlatch and come out. The eyehooks can be unscrewed to provide for a perfectly flat luggage area. I’m sure this systemwouldn’t pass 2018 NTHSB seat belt standardsbut I’m confident it’ll protect myself and mypassengers in the event of a crash. Now, howto protect my occupants from splinters?Continued to page 9, Seat Belts.Picture above: Third row seat: belt anchorsleft and center, another on the right side.

THE CHESAPEAKE PAGE 7       APRIL 2018Well Deserved Recognition Of A Remarkable Man, PatriotBy Bill Wurzell, EditorMost Chesapeake Region members are familiar with fellow member, 'Charles Gillet' andwith most of the valuable classic vehicles heowns. We know this because Mr. Gillet sharesthem freely at various local car shows and always enters at least one vehicle in the annual Motor Trend Auto Show at the BaltimoreConvention Center. Charles is also a big fan ofthe show each October in Rockville, Mr. Gilletspares no expense in sending eight or nine ofhis prized vehicles to the show.Chesapeake Region Chief Judge 'Gene' Sauter is the caretaker of the entire thoroughbredstable of vehicles owned by Mr. Gillet. GeneSauter and Charles have a long history together. In years past, Gene was employed in variouspositions in the numerous automotive dealerships, mostly as a head mechanic or chief service advisor. More about that later.But, what do we know about the man, people usually refer to as a sign of respect, 'Mr.Gillet.' Here are a few interesting facts aboutCharles B. Gillet, Jr.Charles was born into a well-placed, old lineBaltimore family on September 15, 1923. Charleswas educated in area prep schools. He graduatedfrom Yale University in the early 1940s. His military Naval service to his country began after hisgraduation. While at Yale, Charles was a champion swimmer. The Navy took full advantage ofhis swimming skills and he was soon involved inNaval Underwater Demolition Team, UDT. Hereceived orders to report to the Naval Base atCoronado, California.This is where men were trained to be NavyFrogmen, and where Navy Seals are trained today. Navy frogman training was arduous.anddangerous. Candidates learned about explosivesand how to use them to effectively to 'take out'enemy vessels and damage or destroy equipmentat enemy harbors, even the harbor itself!Today’s Navy Seals and Frogmen, likeCharles that preceded them are the very firstwave of men to go in and do reconnaissanceof the targets. Frogman find the 'chink' in theenemy’s armour and exploit it with explosives!They also note gun emplacements, number,type and tonnage of enemy vessels and theirlocation, natural and man-made obstacles thatmust be breeched during an invasion.Charles served in the South Pacific and wasinvolved in the brutal 'island hopping' campaign that brought the United States Navy andMarines ever closer to the shores of Japan. Oneof the Islands that was cleared of enemy fighters was Tinian. It was at a U. S. airbase on Tinian that the famous B-29 bomber 'Enola Gay'took off with the world’s first atomic bomb onboard, bound for the Japanese city of Hiroshima. But, the steadfast Japanese still would notsurrender and a couple days later another B-29dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki.This was the 'coup de gras' for the Japanese andthey then surrendered 'unconditionally' to thePictured above: M. 'Gene' Sauter and Charles B. Gillet, Jr. at a classic car Concours d’Elegancebanquet somewhere in the United States. These gentleman attend many 'concours' events fromAmelia Island, Florida to Pebble Beach, California with one or more of Mr. Gillet’s impressive vehicle collection. Photo courtesy of M. Gene Sauter family achieves.U

Phil’s Chevy followed by Jerry’s Kaiser 45th Annual Collector Car Swap Meet,'Dry And Cool' By Bill Wurzell, Editor Chesapeake Region, AACA The 45th Annual Collector Car Swap Meet . Baltimore Sun. Many of the old car clubs placed car show ads under the heading of 'old cars for sale.' One of the first people I ran into at a car show