March 2005 Volume 38, Issue 3 • • • • !""" #$%&’ %( # %)*+ , %-+ % ./ #$% ’/ 0 1(2!/3 MARCH SPOTLIGHT March Program The March Meeting on Monday the 28th will focus us the “art” of car photography. Jim Seiber is the presenter. (see p. 7 for more details) Comstock’s are bringing treats. My ‘65 Caprice Custom Sedan Story By John Strampher I can still remember seeing the ’65 full size Chevys, in the fall of 1964. I was only 14 years old then, but I knew that someday I would own a ’65 Chevy, preferably an Impala Sport Coupe. I have owned about 27 Chevys since then, but not a full size ’65. A little over a year ago is when I noticed a ’65 Caprice for sale in Auto Trader. I made a phone call and went to see the car the next evening. The second owner’s son, John, who lived close to me in Burien, was selling it. I immediately liked the car, even though it was not an Impala. This is only the third ’65 Caprice Custom Sedan I have ever seen. Knowing how rare they are made me want it even more. It had been kept under a car cover for a few months, and was getting damp inside. Two of my car friends, Jay Carter, and Scott Ostermeyer, were with me that night. We took the car out for a test drive and we all liked the way it ran and drove. This is a very quiet, smooth car. The owner’s son, John was with us on this test drive. I went back a few days later to take another look and drive the car again. I made an offer of what I felt I could afford. We split the difference, and the car came home with me. I im- mediately parked it in my garage to get the moisture out of it. It has been garaged ever since. None of my cars, old or new, are al- lowed to stay outside! (cont. on p. 5)
March Program The March Meeting on Monday the 28th will focus us the “art” of car photography. Jim Seiber is the presenter. (see p. 7 for more details) Comstock’s are bringing treats.�
My ‘65 Caprice Custom Sedan Story By John Strampher
I can still remember seeing the ’65 full size Chevys, in the fall of 1964. I was only 14 years old then, but I knew that someday I would own a ’65 Chevy, preferably an Impala Sport Coupe. I have owned about 27 Chevys since then, but not a full size ’65. A little over a year ago is when I noticed a ’65 Caprice for sale in Auto Trader. I made a phone call and went to see the car the next evening. The second owner’s son, John, who lived close to me in Burien, was selling it. I immediately liked the car, even though it was not an Impala. This is only the third ’65 Caprice Custom Sedan I have ever seen. Knowing how rare they are made me want it even more. It had been kept under a car cover for a few months, and was getting damp inside. Two of my car friends, Jay Carter, and Scott Ostermeyer, were with me that night. We took the car out for a test drive and we all liked the way it ran and drove. This is a very quiet, smooth car. The owner’s son, John was with us on this test drive. I went back a few days later to take another look and drive the car again. I made an offer of what I felt I could afford. We split the difference, and the
car came home with me. I im-m e d i a t e l y parked it in my garage to get the moisture out of it. It has been garaged ever since. None of my cars, old or new, are al-lowed to stay outside! (cont. on p. 5)
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Puget Sound Region VCCA
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The Puget Sound Region of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America (PS-VCCA) is dedicated to the preservation, restoration, fun and enjoyment of vintage Chevrolet cars and trucks. Members are not required to own a Chevrolet. PS-VCCA chapter membership is open to all Chevrolet enthusiasts who are members of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America (VCCA). All Chevys from 1911 through 1980 may be registered with the region. General meetings are held on the 4th Monday of the month at Tillicum Middle School in Bellevue . Meetings in September through May are from 7:30PM to 9:30PM. June and August meetings are announced in this publication. No meetings are held in July or December. You can learn more about the club by visiting the website. You can see color photos of previous tours, parts for sale, wanted, etc. and there is a link to view our Monthly Newsletter “Tappet Clatter.” You can find the PS-VCCA website on the World Wide Web @ http://pugetsoundvintagechevrolet.org/
Wanted Reward! We are still seeking “Spotlights” of club member’s cars for 2005 Tappet Clatters. Please take the time to write up the history of your car and include two pictures and send them to Dave Haddock. Do it the way that suits you the best, but if you can do as an attachment to an e-mail that helps Dave put it to-gether. See the past ones in 2004 as examples. Reward? – You will get a professionally-printed, color copy of your edition and help us produce an interesting monthly publication. THANKS.
Early in the month of February, Mary and I, along with Scott (our 24 year old youngest son) flew to Naples, Florida to spend 5 days with our oldest son, Jerald (age 39) and his wife Teri, our grandson Jacob (age 4), and our grand daughter Sydney (age 3). Another grandchild is due to arrive in July. There must be something in that Florida sunshine or the water. We all went to the County Fair and watched the kids on the rides, just like we do here at home. One thing different is that crushed white sea shells are used in many places, like parking lots, instead of gravel. Another is that alligators seem to get front stage, as you can even buy little alligator heads for souvenirs. There are places along some roads that alert you to panther crossings (as endangered spe-cies). They are the same color as our cougar and much like them. Meanwhile back at home, Jim Martoza and Don Comstock have taken all the suggested revisions to the Club By-Laws and have readied them to be considered by the Executive Board at their next meeting in April. If the Executive Board approves then the proposal will be printed in the Tappet Clatter along with the date of the club meeting at which the vote will be taken. The proposal must receive a majority vote of the Regional members in attendance at the meeting in order to become a part of the By-Laws. HATS OFF!!! To the excellent job that Steve Grissom, Ana Maria Haley, Jim Martoza, Gail and Jim Darby, and all the mem-bers of the planning committee are doing for the upcoming 34th VCCA Northwest Meet in Bellingham, August 2 through 7, 2005. There was a good turnout of members at the Darbys on February 28th prior to the regular club meeting. Much was accomplished, and all in attendance enjoyed lots of good food! In the Relay with you, Jerry
Say “Hello” to a New Member Welcome to Don Boettiger. He has a '47 Stylemaster 2-Dr, and a '55 Nomad.
GARAGE NITES AGAIN!!!!!
First GARAGE NITE of 2005, April 13th at Dick Olson’s in Preston. 7:00 PM , early arrivals and quests welcome. Check out the progress on the 31 coupe " body off" restoration. Call for directions.
2005 Northwest Meet– We Still Need Your Gifts!!! Please, please bring more items to the March meeting. Current total = 35. Please, we need "new" gifts and gifts that can be given to either the ladies or to gentlemen. Time is running out!!! Thanks!! Ana Maria Notes to the Planning Committee: The 2005 NW Meet planning committee will hold a planning meeting on March 28th at 6 PM at the Darby's. In addition, I have reserved a community room for a meeting on April 17th (Sunday) 1:00 - PM - to 3:30 PM. Can you all please try and at-tend. We will go through all committees and agree on what is remaining to do - please add to your calendars and try and attend this should get us a long way to completing the planning.
The meeting is Sunday the 17th 1:00 - 3:30 PM at the Fair-wood Library 17009 140th Ave SE That is just north of the Fairwood Shopping center. If you need directions please e-mail me. I will try and have a similar meeting in May at the Bellevue Library. Thanks!! Steve
Joan Krasser 4-1 Marti Miller 4-15 Florence Helgeson 4-16 Ron Kohl AND Dale Krasser 4-19
Rod & Evie Schein 4-7
Attend the Board Meeting on April 14 We will be having a Club Board Meeting on Thursday, April 14, at 7:00 PM at Jim Farris's in West Seattle. Call for directions (206) 937-5636).
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My ‘65 Caprice Custom Sedan Story (cont. from p.1)
The ’65 Caprice Custom Sedan was a $200.00 option package, (RPO Z-18) for the Impala Sport Sedan. It was first introduced in February 1965; at the same time the 250 cubic inch 6 cylinder and 396 cubic inch V8 were introduced. This option package included special emblems, special front grille treatment, luxurious interior, unique full wheel cov-ers, narrow rocker sill moldings, and exterior trim similar to the Impala Super Sport. A color-keyed body stripe outlines the body sides. Also parts of this package were extra sound deadening, some suspension changes and a stiffer, more sub-stantial frame. This gave the car a smoother “Cadillac-like” ride. I have been told that these Caprices were introduced to compete with the ’65 Ford LTD. Chevrolet considered the Caprice’s debut as successful, and the Caprice was extended to an entire series, in 1966. The ’65 Caprice came standard with the 195 HP 283 V8, and 3 Speed manual transmission. The optional engines were the 250 HP 327 V8, 325 HP 396 V8, and 425 HP 396 V8. The optional transmissions were 3 Speed w/overdrive, 4 Speed manual, Powerglide, and Turbo Hydra-Matic, which was only available with the 325 HP 396 V8. Some other available options included power steering, power brakes, power windows, 6-way power seat, Com-fortilt steering wheel, Posi-traction rear axle, Soft-Ray tinted glass, AM/FM radio with FM stereo, Tri-Volume horns, whitewall tires, and more.
I know that a lot of guys won’t even look at any car with 4 doors. With me, if I like a car, I do not care how many doors it has. My ’55 Bel-Air is a 4 door too! I am the third owner of this car. The lady who owned it, had to sell due to financial reasons. Bonnie, I am trying to take very good care of your car! I have never had any buyer’s remorse either. My Caprice is equipped with the 195 HP 283 V8, Powerglide transmission, Four-Season Air Conditioning, Power Steering, tinted windshield, AM Radio, front and rear bumper guards, day/night inside mirror, full
width vinyl floor mats, front seat belts, padded instrument panel and outside mirror. Many of these options are standard on cars now! Some of the other standard features are the four interior lights, which come on when any door is opened, a trunk light, back-up lights, and parking brake warning light. The exterior color is Ermine White, with a medium blue pattern fabric and expanded vinyl interior. Black and light fawn were the other two choices for interior colors. The inte-riors also had extra foam padding, cloth and vinyl door panels, and special vinyl headlining. There were 15 solid color choices, and 6 two-tone combinations could be ordered. There were 3 vinyl roof color choices, black, blue, and fawn. I have never been able to find a production number for these cars. Only production numbers for 1966 and newer are avail-able. My Caprice has only a little over 68,000 miles on it, which is one reason it is still in very good condi-tion inside and out. There are some minor rust prob-lems, which I am repairing, and I will have the paint touched up. The interior needs only very minor cleaning. This is one of the nicest driving “old cars”, I have ever owned. I also want to due a complete tune-up, carburetor rebuild, and other maintenance items, which I am sure it needs. Even though I have not yet completed these things, this car runs very well! I am now living in a new home in Puyallup, waiting for Spring to get here! Then I can drive this Caprice and all of my other cars too! by John Strampher
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2005 Club Meetings & Auto Events Calendar
���� 19-20 Puyallup, WA. Almost Spring Swap Meet, 360-876-4511
� 28 General Meeting: @Tillicum @ 7:30 PM
���� 2 Oak Harbor, WA. Cruz’n the Harbor, 360-675-6420
The Puget Sound Region VCCA has been invited to participate in the Seattle Tacoma Region Horseless Car-riage of America’s annual May Breakfast Tour. This is an event that has been going on for years and is usu-ally the first major outing of the year. For many years the Tour preceded lunch at Anton’s Restaurant be-tween Puyallup and Sumner. When they closed a couple of years ago the tour starting location was switched to The Puyallup Elks Club. It’s always been a fun event to start the year’s touring. A number of Vintage car clubs participate in this event. It is a good way to see vintage cars of all makes on tour. This year the event begins at the Puyallup Elks with a breakfast buffet at 9:30 am. At 10:45 pm the tour de-parts winding through Tacoma and Point Defiance Park ending at the Bradley Huson Home at 12:30. The cost is $10.00 per adult and $6.00 for children. Gerry Greenfield, one of our members, has been organizing this tour for a number of years for the HCCA and Classic Car Club of America..
Mark your Calendars!!!!!!!!
The April Tour will be an Urban Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, April 24th. beginning at 11:00. The location will probably be the Renton Walmart Parking lot. The details will be in next month's Tap-pet Clatter. Put the date and the time on your calendars now!
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March Meeting This month's program will focus (no pun intended) on photography. Jim Seiber will be sharing some tips on taking a photo of your Chevy. Perhaps you are ready to send in a picture to make the cover of the Generator and Distributor. He will pass on do’s and don'ts and other information on how to take a photo of your Chevrolet. He will talk about background, lighting and lots more. Members are encouraged to bring in a photo of their car/truck for comments on what design elements could have improved the image. We will also explore taking that "winning bid" photo for eBay.
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Langley Mystery Tour Revisited February 27th marked the most recent Mystery Tour to Langley. This year’s Who Done-it involved a television quiz show that was filming the last episode in Langley. Rex Barker, the game show host wound up dead, the victim of smoking a cheap loaded cigar. Ima Conumdrum sent M.C.Blowharder, who sent Max Focus to buy the same cheap cigars and fire-works. Frank N. Stein had also purchased a large quanity of fireworks. His son Ian gave Mr. Barker a gift shortly before his death. Phyllis Stein told Rex that smoking those cheap cigars would be the death of him. Even M.A. Barker had attempted to get Rex to stop smoking by giving him a loaded cigar that blew up in his face. Bea Wright was concerned that the game show was rigged and her son Bryce would not win. Dixie was born on February 29 so she was only 10 and though she looked and acted much older she was Rex’s “favorite”.
The Grissoms, Dave and Betty Roberts represented the Puget Sound Re-gion while Boyd and Dottie Ward, Sandy Bruin, and Ken Scott represented the Mount Rainier Region, and George and Ana Haley and Don and Sallie Comstock are members of both regions. Everyone works very hard gath-ering clues and later sharing what they discovered both from the written clues as well as interviewing the many suspects encountered walking the the streets of Langley. In the end everyone chose a murderer and ballots were turned in except Steve Grissom. After it was all over Steve declared he had chosen correctly. I think Bea Wright should have been the killer because her name was an obvious clue.
Everyone headed home before the solution was announced so we could be home to watch the end of the Academy Awards. It was a beautiful spring day with gorgeous views, flowers in bloom, loads of stores and cute shops to visit, and the best was the great company of those attending. See pictures of the tour on p.p. 10 & 11.
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Got Car Photos??? Speaking of photography, Ana would like to have a picture of every member's car so she can make a display for the Hospitality Room at the NW Meet. She plans to create a park with a green carpet and our Chevy cars on the carpet. On top of the display she will frame one of the Club Patches. Sounds really neat!!!!! Ana says that photos can be from the side, front, back, just the grill. It doesn't matter as long as it is a real picture instead of a digital image. She plans to mount each printed picture.
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Seattle Roadster Show
This year's Seattle Roadster Show was held on March 4th-6th at the Qwest Exhibition Center. Once again the show was overflowing with hundreds of hot rods, customs, street and competition machines, restored classics, muscle cars, of very cool, and custom motorcycles. Most were from are own Sunshine State, Washington. The weather was so great the trailer Queens could have driven to the event, but not many took advantage of the opportunity. What are cars for??? Driving. Spectators at this year's event had the opportunity to meet and Buy ($10) autographs from Cindy Williams and Paul LeMat who starred in American Graffiti. Or get your picture taken with them next to the yellow coupe or the black 55 Chevy that also starred in American Graffiti. Several cars from the TV show Overhauling were on display and were just as impressive in real life. All three Puget Sound Region VCCA members who participated in the Seattle Roadster Show came away with trophies. Don Boltz's 32 Chevrolet (right), Classification: Muscle Car/Production Stock, First Place / Class winner, Outstanding / Best Inte-rior, and Outstanding / Best Undercarriage. Tom Frankhouser's 1959 El Camino (below), Classification: Street Ma-chine / truck / Van / Wagon / (1949-1959). 2nd place / Class runner up.
Bob Helgeson's 1964 Corvette (right), Classi-fication: Factor Produc-tion Stock Sports Car (1982-Older). 2nd Place / Class runner up.
CONGRATS TO ALL!!
April Meeting- Tool Talk Next month, the program will wrench with tools. You may have a Chevrolet factory tool that needs to be identified, bring it to the meeting. Maybe you have a factory tool kit for your older Chevy, bring it to the meeting and share it. Special service tools are excellent examples too. Perhaps you have a J-5544 Hood Spring Remover and Replacer to show us. How about the tool that you made with a kitchen utensil that assisted you with the servicing of your Chev? Tools that you have made for that tough to get to location are welcome. Basically, any tools that you want to share what you used them for or if you have a tool with no idea what it is for, bring it the April meeting and we will try to hammer out the identity of your thingamajig. Please contact Jim Martoza if you are planning to bring a piece of equipment to the meeting, so he can coordinate the presentations. Thanks .
NW Meet Cookie Time We enjoyed Lynn Boltz's cookies at the Banquet so much, we asked her to take on the responsibility of, "Cookie Coordinator" for the NW Meet. If you would like to make some cookies for the Meet, call Lynn. Three to four dozen would be great, more if you would like. Please contact Lynn as soon as possible, so she can get the Cookie Brigade preheated and know how many members are on the cookie participation sheet for future baking. Thanks— NW Meet Planning Committee
Langley Mystery Tour “sleuths” on break
���������������Classifieds FOR SALE
1951 Chevrolet Convertible. Nearly $50,000 spent on full restoration. Car is in Post Falls, ID restoration shop. Call Glenn Vaughn for full details on restoration work. 208-773-3525. (www.glennvaughn.com). Only ask-ing $16,250. [email protected] ‘60s to ‘70s 1/2 or 3/4 ton pickup sideracks, homemade but works to extend load, Jim Seiber, (425) 392-7865 ‘29 Chev Truck Rear End, hubcap to hubcap, 6 lug wheels, not original. Don’t know model of truck. $75 or trade for rear end with brakes for Chev 490. Located near Seattle. Call George (425) 481-4238 cell (425) 269-0265 ‘38 Chev Coupe, Master Deluxe, $11,500, Bill Barker (425) 643-0698 ‘33 gas tank $75, 1934 head $50, ‘47-’48 engines $100, call Don Comstock (253) 863-0420, [email protected] ‘36 Chev 4 Dr/stock, Open to offers, call Don Boltz (206) 242-4636 or email [email protected] ‘52 Chev, Powerglide transmission, call Dick Jones (425) 736-8798 or email [email protected] ‘89 Chev 3500, 2WD, 454, call Wally Martin (425) 876-3475
‘36 Chev Parts, wheels, radiator and shroud, hood, John Aryes 425 870-4086 ‘36 Chev 2-dr front seat, $100; ‘53 235 60,000 orig. mi., $350; ‘31 Chev truck 4-spd, 2 for $75; Chev 350 Turbo 350, $525; Misc. 53/54 Chev parts; Con-tact Mike Smith (253) 640-0337 or (253) 476-0741 ‘48 Sedan Delivery, I hope to find someone in the club that would appreciate a great daily driver. The car appraised in Jan 98 for $12,000 by Walt Blair and I am asking $13,500. Dick Selin (206) 547-9697 or (206) 369-7843 �
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‘51 to ‘54 powerglide rear end, Don Comstock (253) 863-0420, [email protected] '63 Impala 2 Dr Hardtop - friend is looking for one to restore. Must be running! Donna Onat 425-643-0762 ‘55-56, 1/2 ton, short-bed PU, Prefer 235, V8 Ok, David White, (206) 999-8138, [email protected]
‘38 Chev Radio, Bill Barker, (425) 643-0698, bill@barkerville.
Trailer Hitch, 1 7/8 in. for 2 in. receiver, Jim Seiber (425) 392-7865, [email protected]
WANTED
1936–1950 Passenger and 1/2 Ton Brake Shoe Cores. Also, 9 inch ‘38 to ‘53 clutch discs. Bring to any meeting. We will forward them to
990 South Second Street Lebanon, OR 97355
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