would help us to meet

your conflict needs.

IT IS YOUR INPUT

THAT IS NEEDED TO

MAKE OUR CLUB FIT

THE NEEDS OF THE

MAJORITY. You need

to communicate your

concerns and sugges-

tions if we are to

make the changes

that will fit the major-

ity.

Tioga Region will be

meeting at the New-

ark Valley Depot on

June 20, 2016. The

time is our usual

7:00PM. This will be

one of the last meet-

ings before the car

show so it is impor-

tant that we have a

major portion of the

membership present!

Tioga Region can not

continue to exist

without the support

of all the members.

As of the last several

months there has

been a definite lack of

support from the

membership. I realize

that there are con-

flicts in the obliga-

tions of the member-

ship with other inter-

ests, but it is one of

the issues that have

been addressed in the

past.

We are open to sug-

gestions for a change

of meeting times or

nights, but we have

not had an input that

June Meeting Information

A Joint Venture

On June 7, 2016 a

small group of car

guys got together at

the BOCES campus to

show the children our

cars. The following

clubs were repre-

sented, The Mustang

Club, Cruisin’ Bud-

dies, Iroquois Region

and of course our

own Tioga Region.

On the last page of

this newsletter you

will find a picture that

does more to tell of

the success of this

venture than anything

that I could write. The

car is my 1978 Monte

Carlo. The child was

confined to a wheel-

chair until he was

helped into the car!

Tioga Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America

Tioga Transmission

June 2016 Volume 16 Issue 6

Meeting May 16

We met at Route 96 for ice cream. Twelve people enjoyed the time

together .We continued on to the Depot for a video about Burma Shave ad-

vertizing..

Discussion followed regarding:

Shade tents will be provided for the car show

No privately owned umbrella or tents on the show field, signs will be cre-

ated to enforce this rule.

2500 copies- fliers with registration have been ordered for $178

Motion and approved to create an separate area for all Tioga Region cars at

the show.

This is intended to show our presence without the confusion of our cars on

the show field.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Klingensmith

Secretary's Report

Page 2 Tioga Transmission

Page 3 Volume 16 Issue 6

A Young Mans First Car!

more than two hours

late in coming home!

I had done some look-

ing at cars on the local

lots and had found

one or two that might

meet my needs. They

were not the most at-

tractive, but seemed

to fit in the $250.00 to

$300.00 range that I

thought I would be

able to afford with the

$100.00 Dad gave me

for a down payment.

My frustration was

compounded by the

fact that my father

would need to have

his supper before we

could go out looking.

At last we entered

Dad’s 1961 Rambler

sedan to begin our

search for the vehicle

that would give me my

independence.

Soon my frustration in-

creased as we cruised

right by the used car

lots that I had haunted

in my on the hoof vis-

its. My father said

nothing when I pointed

out the car I had de-

cided would be right

for that coveted first

set of wheels.

The six lane Parkway

leading to the city was

lined with car lots but

my father continued

past all the lots that I

had walked to! Soon

there were no more

businesses along the

section of road we

were traveling, then a

ramp provided the lo-

cation for a “u” turn.

June, 1962 location

Monroeville Pennsyl-

vania, nine miles east of

Pittsburgh. After a long

and frustrating battle

with my German heri-

tage father who insisted

that I did not deserve a

car until I had gradu-

ated from high school I

was given permission to

buy my first car.

That Friday I had been

promised when my fa-

ther got home from

work we would go car

shopping. You can

imagine my frustration

when the old man was

Page 4 Tioga Transmission

A short time later

Dad turned into one

of the largest used

car lots on the Park-

way. I had not

looked in that lot

because it was a

more expensive lot

and I was sure I

would not be able to

afford anything they

might have in stock.

By the time we were

out of the car a

salesman was at the

door with the keys

to a car in his hand.

My father took the

keys and led me to a

1956 Mercury! This

was a Montclair two

door hardtop that

was the top of the

line model for that

year! The bright yel-

low and black color

would make the few

of the friends I had

jealous as soon as

they saw it.

Although I objected

that I could not af-

ford such a nice car

Dad insisted that I

drive this beauty.

The test drive was

amazing, not only was

the car sharp to look at

but it also had POWER!

I was hooked!!!

When we got back to

the lot I attempted to

open the hood to

check the oil and look

at the massive v-8. My

father insisted that he

had checked the en-

gine and that as he had

already completed all

the necessary paper

work all I needed was

to sign the papers and

drive my prize home,

or as it was time, to

work.

It was irritating that I

would have to put in

four hours at my dish

washing job before I

could really go out on

my own to drive. I

could hardly wait to

have people see me in

this girl getter that I

now owned! I should

have said that the bank

and I owned as I now

had a loan of $550.00

to pay off before I

owned the car outright.

I watched as my father

drove away then

opened the hood to see

the engine for the first

time. The 312 cu in v8

was rated at 210 hp and

filled the opening with a

satisfying snugness.

I of course couldn’t re-

sist pulling the dipstick

to check the oil and

found that although the

oil looked new it was

down a quart.

I stopped at the first

gas station and filled

the gas and oil before

driving the half mile to

the motel where I

worked.

Four hours of washing

dishes never seemed so

long as they did that

night. I was aware that I

had to find a better job

to be able to afford the

beauty that now had my

name on the title.

First Car (Continued)

Page 5 Volume 16 Issue 6

Of course the weekend was

not the time to begin a job

search so that would have

to wait until Monday to be-

gin.

The last dish was finely

washed and the kitchen se-

cured, I now had time to

drive for the first time with-

out a destination or super-

vision.

At midnight I fired up the

Mercury and without any

destination in mind pro-

ceeded to put the first

twenty five miles on the

clock totally at my direc-

tion!

I had no qualms about park-

ing the yellow beast in front

of the house for all the

neighbors to see that night.

Saturday morning I could

hardly wait to get out the

hose and bucket to do hom-

age to the object of my

new found freedom in the

form of it’s first bath. With

the car now free of the light

coat of dust that had accu-

mulated over night I again

opened the hood to admire

the massive engine. Of

course the next obvi-

ous step was to pull

the dipstick to see

the oil level, to my

utter shock the level

was once again down

by a full quart!

A quick trip to the

service station down

the street provided

not only the needed

quart of oil but a

backup two quarts

just in case.

The next stop was at

the local parts store

where I found floor

mats and a suicide

knob in the proper

bright yellow to go

with the shinny out-

side.

Of course it was im-

perative that I cruise

the mall and a couple

of other local hang-

outs so the proletar-

iat could see how the

other people lived.

It was soon time for

lunch and as I had

promised my mother

that I would be home

for it I made a quick

return home. I had

driven all of fifteen

miles on this outing.

Within that same af-

ternoon I had added

another three quarts

of oil to the total

that I had purchased

and they had all

been added to the

engine. I now de-

cided that there was

a serious problem

with the car but how

could I tell my father

that this Lemon Yel-

low car might just be

living up to it’s

color?

I now had decided to

make the purchase

of the necessary oil

in bulk in the form

of gallon size con-

tainers.

It became a routine

that at each stop I

checked the oil and

added as needed.

The second gallon

container soon was

replaced by the

third!

First car (continued)

Page 6 Tioga Transmission

Monday morning my

job search was derailed

when the engine of the

Mercury died! Thirteen

quarts of oil in 189

miles could not delay

the inevitable.

The next step seemed

to be impossible, My fa-

ther proposed to tow

the Mercury 38 hilly

miles to a mechanic he

knew with his six cylin-

der automatic transmis-

sion 1961 Rambler

Classic sedan!!!

The mechanic con-

firmed that the car had

been sold to me with a

blown piston, bent rod,

bent crank shaft, ruined

bearings, and sawdust

in the pan to hide the

noise of the engine

tearing itself apart! To

make matters worse the

car dealer insisted

that he had sold the

car as is and he

would do nothing to

stand behind the

deal!

I was now $550.00

in the hole and

without a drivable

car!

Back I went to the

motel to wash

more dishes so I

could pay for a

heartbreak that had

n o more useful-

ness. That night

though my father

assured me that

there would be a

car in the parking

lot for me to drive

home when I left

work.

Half way through

my shift I was told

to come to the front

desk as I had a visi-

tor, my father was

waiting with the

keys to the car he

found to replace the

Mercury. It was a

good thing that it

was dark when I first

sew the car that

would be my conso-

lation.

The 1955 Plymouth

4 door sedan had a

six cylinder engine

with three on the

tree. The only addi-

tion to the basic car

was an AM radio.

The rust that had

eaten the fenders

was included with-

out extra charge. I

honestly believe that

the only thing hold-

ing the body to-

gether was the

paint! And it had a

dog of an engine!

There was never an

Industrial six Ply-

mouth that was so

beaten on but noth-

ing I did could kill

that gem!

First Car (Conclusion)

Page 7 Volume 16 Issue 6

The Grand National meet

at Williamsport Penna.

Was attended by at least

three of our members.

Bernie Sheret was one of

the judges who had the

honor of selecting cars in

his assigned class to re-

ceive the highest award

AACA presents to the

best restored cars in our

national organization.

John and Lisa Milton had

the reward to have their

Ute receive their first

Grand National Award!

Congratulations!

Bill Clark entered his

1957 Metropolitan for a

repeat Grand National

which he easily

achieved with the well

known car.

Bill also did an out-

standing job of cover-

ing the show for both

Iroquois Region,

which he represents

as their Secretary

and Newsletter edi-

tor, and Tioga Re-

gion, which he also

belongs to.

The picture below

shows John and

Lisa’s Ute at the

show and was pro-

vided by Bill for us

to enjoy.

Members At Grand National

Page 8 Tioga Transmission

For the last eight

years I have won-

dered who was actu-

ally coordinating the

Strawberry Festival

Parade as the

seemed to wait till

the last possible mo-

ment to send out the

information about

the lineup and times

to the persons who

would be involved in

the actual parade.

This year though

they have made it a

record! We are now

less than a week

from the kickoff

and they still have

not sent the infor-

mation!

Saturday the 18th is

the date but I have

no idea as to where

and when we are to

line up!

These people seem

to forget that we

have to let not only

our own members

know what is hap-

pening but also the

members of Iro-

quois Region and The

Crusin’ Buddies.

We have made all the nec-

essary arrangements that

they have requested, but

they have been dragging

their feet.

All I can say is that as

soon as I get some infor-

mation I will get it out to

you.

Watch your email for the

information. I hope that

they have not decided to

eliminate us from this

outing!!!

I Am Frustrated

Page 9 Volume 16 Issue 6

These

might not

be in our

club but we

do have

cars that

are just as

impressive.