All of us have owned a car that was more than “just a car.”  In 1974 Joe Mac Donald of Knoxville, Tennessee owned a red 1965 Volkswagen Beetle convertible, but unfortunately, it was stolen nearly 40 years ago.   Joe really loved the car and always wondered what happened to it, but gave up waiting for it to turn up.  

As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait and the waiting paid off in January when the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol found the car as it was about to be shipped overseas for restoration.  According to the Associated Press, the current owner is a Michigan resident who had no idea the car had been stolen years ago.  Luckily, Joe had saved the car’s title and registration.  He will fill out the paperwork required to facilitate the cars return and wait for the happy homecoming. 

Maybe the moral of this story is…it pays to save important things and put them where you can find them years later.  It certainly paid off for Joe MacDonald.         Photo Courtesy US Customs and Border Patrol

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MY DAD’S CAR

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Corvette Museum Sink Hole

Click Here-Time lapse

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BLACK IS BACK

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WORDS LONG GONE

By Bill Henry

 A good friend forwarded an email the other day about words that are long gone from everyday usage.  Many of them are automotive related.  As cars have changed over the years, so have many of the parts and terms that were common place just a few decades ago.

 Take Fender Skirts for example.  My 55 Ford Crown Victoria had fender skirts, and so did a lot of cars from that era.  How many cars today use fender skirts?

 Remember the Straight-8 motor and how about the old Dyna-Flow transmissions.  Who can remember having a Suicide Knob on their steering wheel?  I can still remember my dad telling me it was dangerous and he was probably right.

 Remember the “Jockey Box,” now known as the glove compartment.  Ever have a Continental Kit on your car?   Throw those terms out to your grandkids and watch them scratch their heads.  Same with Running Boards and Foot Feeds? 

 But don’t despair.  I think everything is cyclical.  Just like suspenders and neckties…if you hang on to them long enough they’ll come back in style. 

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Many enthusiasts enjoy building or restoring collector vehicles at their own residence. However, some jurisdictions seek to limit your ability to store and work on projects on private property. The SEMA Action Network (SAN) aims to protect your projects with its “Inoperable Vehicle” model bill. It states that property owners may continue to store and work on project vehicles on private property if these vehicles are maintained out of ordinary public view. The bill is frequently adapted for use in state laws and local ordinances. By providing legislators and council members with this language, hobbyists can protect their vehicles from confiscation.

This year, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed into law SAN-amended legislation that originally threatened to add abandoned, unregistered, inoperable or junk motor vehicles to the list of items that constitute a public nuisance. Under existing law, counties and cities may remove a public nuisance at the property owner’s expense if, after notice, the property owner does not remove the nuisance. Under the SAN-drafted amendment based on this model language, abandoned, inoperable or junk vehicles stored on private property would only require screening from public view in counties having populations of 700,000 or more people. Unregistered vehicles could not be declared a nuisance under the SAN amendment.  Courtesy SEMA Action Network

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CRASH TEST…OLD VERSES NEW

But there's no question cars have come a very long way in terms of safety over the last fifty years. Don't believe it?  This crash test between a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu will put all doubts to rest.    Click Here

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GREAT FALLS CAR BUFF REUNION

My how time flies, it's been 5 years since the last Central Montana Timing Association Car Buff Reunion. So make plans for this labor day weekend. It will be on Saturday and Sunday August 30-31 at the Fairgrounds in Great Falls Central Park. What’s all about? You can show a car, but the main idea is to have a get together, meet old friends and chat about old times, Start time is Saturday at noon, and at 8AM on Sunday. Tables will be available for those who would like to set up a display. Just drop us a note with your info on it. If you are interested in attending, let us know and we will send a registration form.  Central Montana Timing Association    P.O. Box 887  Great Falls, MT 59403

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Current and former members of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus gathered again this past November to meet with SAN staff and enjoy the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. In attendance were (standing left to right) Delegate Jim Butler (West Virginia), Senator David Parks (Nevada), Assemblyman Bill Reilich (New York), Assemblyman James Oscarson (Nevada), Delegate Gary Howell (West Virginia),  Representative Joe Pitre (New Hampshire), Senator Ted Gaines (California), U.S. Representative Bill Posey (Florida), Assemblyman Richard Carrillo (Nevada), Delegate Scott Cadle (West Virginia), Representative Tom McDonald (Missouri),  Representative Stan Blake (Wyoming), former Senator Ryan Zinke (Montana), Delegate Danny Hamrick (West Virginia), Representative Bruce Hanna (Oregon), Representative Tim Freeman (Oregon); (seated left to right) Delegate Eric Householder (West Virginia), Senator Elaine Bowers (Kansas), Representative Chip Campbell (South Dakota), Senator Mark Manendo (Nevada) and former Senator John Brueggeman (Montana).   Courtesy Sema Action Network