Classic and modern cars gathered in the lot at Craft B&B (2658 Grand Ave) for the first Cars and Coffee event Saturday. The event offered a place for car enthusiasts to gather and free coffee from MoAV Coffee.
In addition to the weekly gatherings from 10 a.m. to noon, the group plans on a monthly event to raise money for local non-profits, and 10 percent of sales from Craft B&B, Cadillac Jax and Peppers will be donated, according to organizer Dallas Sluder.
The 124 Fiat Sports car is considered to be one of the greatest cars for hill climbing, it was very quick to respond to the curves. The 1600 cc 4 cylinder overhead twin cam produces great performance. The 5 speed transmission is smooth and very quick to respond when going thru the gears. The first Spider 124 was introduced at the Turin Auto Show in 1966. The 1973 still had chrome bumpers that were styled for the car, in 1975 government got involved and made them have large tubuler bumpers. Starting in 1982, the name Fiat was changed to Pininfarina. For those who would like to own a true Italian sports car the '71 thru '73 are considered some of the best. Performance est. only: 0-60 mph 11.5 seconds, 0-90 mph 32.3 seconds, 1/4 mile 18.6 seconds @75 mph. with a top speed of 108 mph. The light weight of this car at 2,355 pounds makes it like a rocket on a feather.
Car shows have been few and far between this year, but the true car buffs have been out and strutting their stuff.
Please enjoy these photos!
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Another Billings Car Guy Passes
Al Jenkins, almost made it to 100. He passed at the RiverStone Health Hospice House on September 6th. Al was known for his love of old Fords and his former business Al’s Bootery, He was a mechanical genius, especially on antique Fords, and he was always willing to lend a hand to fellow car enthusiasts. He had served as president and was an honorary lifetime member of several car clubs including the Goggles & Dusters, Early Ford V8, Roaring 20's, and Montana Pioneer & Classic Auto Club and was co-founder of the Billings All Original Car Show. Additionally, Al was a lifetime member of the Elks Club and Billings Rod & Gun Club having served on the gun club's board of directors for decades. He was instrumental in the U.S. Supreme Court lawsuit that opened the Big Horn River access for public fishing. Rest in peace Al with your beloved Ruby.
Is your show on CMYRYD's Car Show List for "2021"
Send us your cruise night or car show information. Just fill out the block on event page and hit send. We will try to have your event posted in 24 hours.
U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Commemorate Route 66 Memorial
By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to create a commission that would recommend ways to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which was commissioned in 1926 as the first all-paved U.S. highway. The “Route 66 Centennial Commission Act,” S. 1014, creates a 15-person commission with representatives appointed by the president of the United States based on recommendations from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. House and Senate Republican and Democrat leaders and the Governors of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The bill provides the commission with two years from the time that each member is appointed to make recommendations to Congress for celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. The commission may recommend the production of various written materials, films and documentaries, education programs, artistic works, commemorative memorabilia and celebrations to commemorate Route 66’s storied history.
A similar version of this bipartisan bill, H.R. 66, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 by a margin of 393 to 22. Because there are minor differences between the two bills, the next step will be for the House to take up S. 1014.
Did you Know...
There are over 15,000 classic and collectible cars in the Billings area, and thousands more statewide.
In an average year, Billings hosts over 100 car shows...large and small.
CMYRYD is Montana's only source for dates and schedules for car shows and events throughout the state.
Make sure your car show or event is listed on CMYRYD. Go to the Events Page to register.
Radial Versus Bias-ply Tires and What Those Tire Numbers Really Mean
by Les Roth
Today’s radial tires are a wonder of modern engineering. In the late 1800’s bias-ply tires were used on bicycles. They were used on automobiles from the 1900’s to the late 1960’s. Then in 1969, radial-ply tires were introduced. The radial tire was a major improvement over the old bias–ply construction. They rolled easier and improved handling and gas mileage. The old bias-ply tires were more flexible and seemed to follow ruts in the roadway. Bias-ply tires have belts that criss-cross the tire while radial belts loop across the tire.
If you own a classic car with wheels designed for bias-ply tires, mount radial tires on those rims at your own risk. Those rims were designed for bias-ply tires only. Too many classic owners have found they lost wheel covers and even worse, had major blow-out and control issues with their car when they used radials on bias rims. Remember, radial tires are designed to be mounted only on wheels designed for radial tires.
Ever wonder what all those confusing numbers on the sidewall of your tires really mean? What you are looking at is an alphanumeric system that describes your tire and its performance characteristics. Let’s use tire size P225/70R16 100S as our example:
In the above tire size the first letter indicates the type of tire and its intended use. The “P” indicates the tire is a metric size used primarily on passenger vehicles. You can also find tires with other letter designations. They include LT (Light Truck Metric), C (Commercial), ST (Special Trailer Service) and T (Temporary Spare),
Then the numbers 225 following the first letter indicate the section width of the tire. The section width is defined as the widest point on the tire measured from sidewall-to-sidewall. For example, this tire has a 225-millimeter width. The rule here is the larger this number, the wider the tire. And remember, this number is the width of the tire in millimetres. If you are using tires larger than those specified for your car, be extra careful in measuring the available space. Raised lettering on a tire’s sidewall can make the difference between a scraped sidewall and a tight fit.
Following the slash, the number 70 shows the height of the tire as a percentage of its section width. The rule is...the lower the number, the lower the profile of the tire. Our number is 70 and that tells you the tire’s height is 70% of its section width.
In our example, the next letter is “R” which tells you the construction of the tire, which in this case is radial. Other designation types may include “D” for bias ply construction and “B” for belted tires, but most tires today are of radial design.
Next the number 16 that indicates the size of the wheel that the tire will fit. This number is in inches and in this case, this tire would be designed to fit a 16-inch wheel. Nowadays, you’ll find tire sizes starting at 13-inches going up to 18-inches. If you buy aftermarket tires wheel sizes can run up to 22-inches or larger.
Then comes the number 100 which tire manufacturers call load rating. This number indicates the approved load rating of that tire in the Load Index. The Load Index starts at 71 (761 pounds) and goes up to 110 which would be 2,337 pounds for passenger vehicles.
And finally comes the speed rating. Our tire speed rating is “S.” Speed ratings start at M (81-mph) and go up to Y (186-mph). In this case the “S” rating shows our tire would be rated for 112-mph.
Car Tips:
1.Drop a business card with your name on it down the window slot in case you ever have to prove ownership.
2.In the glove box, keep a few handy wipes to remove the gas odor from your hands from filling the tank.
3. Remove auto grease from hands with baking soda and water.
4.When visiting a mechanic to have a part replaced, always ask for the worn or damaged part back. This way you'll be sure it was actually replaced .
5.A radio antenna will slide up and down easier if a coat of wax is applied occasionally. Wax paper works great for this job. Rubbing the wax paper up and down the antenna will do the job.
6. Get rid of tar on your bumper with an unexpected item from your fridge ~ mayonnaise. Wipe on, wait five minutes, then easily wipe off both the mayo and the tar. "Do not use on painted bumpers"
7. Only 5 percent of cars actually run better on premium gas as oposed to regular. Check your owners manual...
