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| ✳ ✳ ✳ Mar 23, 2008 ✳ ✳ ✳ Remember boys & girls... the Council’s General Meeting in April will be in Colorado Springs, details are in the Minutes of the March meeting, included herein. Who’s New... - Coming back... Keith says he’s heard from AACA, Poudre Valley and they’re planning to rejoin the Council. - Still waiting to be sure... some other past members are hovering, maybe they’ll drop down soon? TBD? What’s New... - Looking for a new place to hold a car show... Keith H was contacted by the “Outlets at Castle Rock” who offer to set aside part of their parking lot[s] to let your club set up a car show. If you want to look into this contact Samantha Cohen, Mktg & Spl Events Mgr at 303.688.2800 x314. - Update - Cruizin Havana... from Dick Thompson: This cruise, on Sat June 21st, has a lot going on in addition the cruise to make it a real family event. Four festival sites along the 4.3 miles of Havana in Aurora. 20 Car Dealers. Over 70 Restaurants all with special menus for the Cruise. Entertainment at each of the sites. Boy Scout Pine Wood Derby. A Poker run with a grand prize of a 50" Big Screen TV. Event Hat Pins for all entrants. Inaugural T-Shirts for sale. Full Color Programs. The Council and DARE will benefit from the sale of Program Advertising and Sponsorships just like we did from the Colfax Cruise. As for Colfax we will need clubs to help out, operate this event. Suss Pontiac wants 10 to 15 Pontiac’s. Bozarth Chevrolet wants 10 to 15 Corvettes. Naughton Ford wants 10 to 15 Fords. Gibby’s, a sports bar and Havana Auto Parts wants ‘some’ Street Rods. Each of theses businesses is willing to make a contribution to club[s] who park at their sites. I figure about $10-15 per vehicle, but that will be between the clubs and businesses to work out. We will put the interested clubs in contact with the business to work out details, amounts of contributions. In addition to club functions, clubs have the opportunity to help out at the four festival sites in the same way clubs worked things at the Colfax Cruise. Clubs can buy T-Shirts for $4 ea, sell them for say $10? Make, keep the profit. We will also need club members for traffic control, say 25 people per site to make sure things are done right. DARE will furnish the on-site police protection at the festival sites and they are working at getting some Police Cadets to help as well. We will have a meeting Wed eve Mar. 26th at 7PM at the Village Inn on Federal Blvd. just North of I-70 for any and all clubs who are interested. Please call me, Dick Thompson to let me know if your club is interested, will attend. - Update - Colfax Avenue Cruise... from Dick T.: Colorado Select Auto Centers, NAPA and DARE are back for this years event. We also have had very good meetings so far with Bandimere and American National Insurance for sponsorships. We are still talking to KOOL 105, but it does not look good for them for this year. They have changed their broadcast format and are not providing a lot of public services. We have already signed a contract for East High School and it looks very good rght now that we will get Colorado Mills on West Colfax, Invesco Field parking lot, JCRS Shopping Center, and space at University Physicians Building on the East side of CU Med Ctr on East Colfax. So start talking to your clubs now about the Colfax Avenue Cruise and we will be scheduling a planning meeting soon. - GENTLEMEN, start.. ...ah-h-h, make that TUNE your engines. Sat 12-Apr at 13:00,Vic Cooper from Colo. Dept of Health will be sharing some tips on how to tune your [ANY?] spark ignition internal combustion engine for Maximum Power, Economy, or Minimum Emissions. Admission - free. One of the Forney Museum of Transportation’s ‘Gearhead Lecture Series’ presentations. With renewed focus coming on and prospects of positioning our Enthusiast motor vehicles in an unfavorable light by some groups and media types, here is an opportunity to maybe learn something about ways to tune your ride to run better and/or cleaner. Hey, it’s even priced right - for ‘Tax Month..!’ - Mercury hazards... mandated on you at home and in the workplace. Via new federal mandated use of compact fluorescent lights. They use less power, but utility companies may just raise rates to keep their income stream the same. Remember, Denver Water did that, was it last year? Do read article from “the Boston Globe” at http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/26/ “what to do when...” - It’s too quiet..? Which should remind us all that ‘rads never quit.’ EPA Chief Johnson held off Cal’s Emission Test standards, but whoever wins the White House will appoint a new EPA Chief. Which way will they lean/ go? Up to you! Voters elect decision makers. So listen to all the candidates - carefully. Club Views & News... - Colorado Springs R&C had full day starting with breakfast at “Western Omelette” in Penrose [..funny, Humpty Dumpty was missing..?] they then went on off to do a ten stop garage tour. Wow! Also had their annual Chile Feed, a Mrs Anderson sent Chocolate Chip Cookies. [..hm-m-m..? Chocolate Chip Cookies - with Chile Dip..? Ah, thanks anyway, pass the milk please...] - Arkansas Valley Car Club will all be rolling on over to have a ball next Saturday night in Buena Vista. Their info might not have any holes in it? But the balls will - it’s their Annual Bowling Night. Enjoy..! - VMCCA, Royal Gorge Chap are planning their car show. Had 38 folks turn out for a breakfast mtg. Percentage-wise that’s great. Otherwise they still haven’t figured out the combination to the vault, so they’re meeting in the bank again one night soon... Doing the Santa Fe Trail Day Parade in Las Animas. - American Truck Hist. Society had a good meeting just being social as they get ready to start final planning for tours and shows that will be coming up over the next few months. Pix from last yrs meetings has some neat trucks. We can see some of them at upcoming shows, watch the Calendar. - Model A Ford, High Country are gong to look at the stars. No, not Paris, Brittany, et al..? Going on an Astronomy Tour to Chamberlain Observatory. [.going to look at stars that are bright - vs..?] NL had pix from their banquet in Jan - where they dressed in costumes! Outgoing Pres Dick P. and spouse were there as “Baloney Bill and his First Lady.” Council Rep Alan Eber was done up as 1/2 of Abbott and Costello, ask Alan which one... Always humor in these guys gatherings, bless ’em. Learned something I didn’t know from their NL - March is “Women’s History Month.” - Colo Classic T-bird Club is one of our clubs where the NL typically has lots of pix of members smiling, enjoying themselves at club events. The glue that binds... Have a busy calendar with Tours, Pot-Luck Dinners, Wine & Cheese tasting, Tech Days and one to send off those going on the “48 in 08 Tour” to the Capitols of the contiguous 48 states. [..Naughty. Naughty. Put you over 3,000 miles...] - Front Range Mustang Club... might be found at the Albaq Car Show May 25, or the Mustang Club of America Nats in Park City, Utah in August, are looking to the Rocky Mountain Mustang Roundup in Steamboat in Jun, see Calendar. [..pardon me, off the end of what you see now - but it’s there...] - Cadillac-LaSalle Club also has pix of smilin’ faces at events in NL. Calendar is full of neat events, parades, tours, road-trip tours, Grand National in New Joisey [..gonna be naughty, go 3,000+ miles..], Fall Color Tour, and of course - Taco & Burger Runs... Yum-m-m... Remember when there was an Oldsmobile? Remember the ad line, “It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile?” Well this NL has a few pix of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. Speak of ‘aggressive styling?’ If the styling isn’t aggressive enough how about it’s 550 HP V-8 with six speed trannys? Zoom. Zoom. Zoom... - Rocky Mtn Performance Mopar... are being pro-active, encouraging members to write polite letters to Gov. Ritter re his targeting collector, special interest motor vehicles. Speaking of getting with the program, they have ‘bout 60, yes 60 events listed for Bandimere - and note that those are just ‘the more popular events’ for their members. Talk about a full plate..? RMPM is a good example of one group of folks who have some serious hardware that likely gets over some test limits when they ‘run’ them. But how many minutes a year do they get run like that? Meanwhile Colo now exempts all the daily drivers that get ‘real dirty’ if a sensor goes bad..? - Falcon Club have a loaded and fun calendar laid out. Started at Heritage Square, be doing tours, a Casino Run, buncha’ Pot-Lucks, car shows, National n Springfield, Missouri, ending the year with Annual Christmas Party. And - a raft trip in June on upper Colorado, Kremmling to State Bridge. - RM Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club is going to have a ‘Chicken Run!’ OK, now that some of you have mental images of Natalie Wood and James Dean and whatever his name was all lined up and ready to play Chicken..? Relax. HET folks are going to White Farm Restaurant for lunch... Gotcha! NL had neat pix of the Disney “Cars” display - with a blue/ wht Hudson off to the side with eyeballs filling the windshield. Gotta love those ‘bathtubs,’ so neat... - Buick Club, Mile High Chap are filling their calendar up fast. NL has neat article about past concept cars. And NL Ed Dave Felice informs of and takes key notes from Lee Iacocca’s book “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” Think of any of today’s corporate moguls who would cut their own salary to $1 a year until getting the company [Chrysler] back on it’s feet as he did? Should be good reading... - Southern Colorado A’s..? Well, a few clubs have pix of their officers, etc. in their NL. Here - we find a likeness of ‘the’ George Washington over the President’s Comments column? Well, looking like Geo. wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I’d maybe hope to not have any wooden teeth tho... These A folks came up with an idea some other clubs might want to consider? They have done a flag with a logo like they use on jackets and T’s to display on the lead car in parades. They have parades on their calendar so looks like it will get used soon. - Studebaker Pikes Peak Chapter are always active, as calendar evidences. Doing a tour of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs. Could be an easy ‘hit the highway tour’ for you Metro clubs too. Basically just South of the Air Force Academy. - Studebaker Conestoga Chapter is touring Timeless Travel Trailers restoration facility, planning to get together, travel South for ‘the Abbey Show.’ NL has interesting article, contains abstract from a Boettcher and Company prospectus from 1955. Covers some of what was taking place in Studebaker-Packard [and much of the auto industry] at the time. - Southern Colo Mopars are off and running. And we all know how Hemi’s and 440's run - nice tail-lights you have there... Few things going on, main event coming up appears to be their Annual Mopar Festival coming up in May, see Calendar. But meantime there are cruises, trips to Bandimere, couple of parades and shows. They’re busy, hard working - and fast... Just Misc Bits of... - Postage Going Up again... Effective 12-May-2008 the rate for ≤ 1oz goes to 42¢; the rate for 1-2 ozs has not been set, be +16/17¢..? [.naturally they decide on this after making a special stop at the PO to ask in Dec - before doing my part of the budget.] Effect on Council? Mailing NL’s will go from 58 to 59¢ IF 17¢? Otherwise no affect for NLs, misc basic mailings will be up a nickel each. - Colorado does not require insurance to pay sales tax if your vehicle is totalled, need to buy another! 28 other States do require insurors to pay the sales taxes. Including Connecticut, the insurance capital of the U.S. [..Is this legislation we should get, have introduced, support..?] - Estate Sale of Roger Knight’s collection... has 13 nice vehicles from 1929 Fords to Cads to a 1933 Rolls Royce. If interested contact Jim Reeman for info at h: 970.454.2656 c: 970.302.3806 - Word from Rocky Mtn Performance Mopar folks - heard that Geico Insurance is actively trying to identify customers who might occasionally race [drag strip..] their vehicles - cancelling insurance on those rides. If true - got Geico - get gone... - Stude Conestoga Chap NL had interesting table of results from testing Penetrating Oils. Rusted on fastener needed 516# to break free dry, only took 238# with “WD-40,” 127# with “Liquid Wrench,” 106# with “Kano Kroil” - and 53# using a mix of Acetone and Power Steering Fluid! All tested after 8 hours immersion. Other Matters... - End of an Era... Is the question posed by recent article found in MSN Autos. In particular any hi-po ride that likes gasolene. We in our Special Interest Group believe in clean air, clean water, a better healthier environment, etc. - but done sensibly, reasonably. So, keep informed, inform us so we can spread the/ any word. Read the overview article “End of and Era?” http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=45513&topart=utes Says Euro ‘greenies’ and some governments are proposing carbon-dioxide targets so strict that, if passed, not a single gas-burning model on sale today - including hybrids like the Toyota Prius would pass!? - Interesting new Hybrid Cars... Joe Baker also tells us to see interesting new hybrids cyber on off to: http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/ - China’s Competitiveness... Joe B gives a link to article that suggests China is now losing it’s [cheap and/or slave labor] competitiveness? Says he’s read that China has outsourced some 20,000 companies over the last few months. So for those of you who care, update yourself on China’s positioning at: http://www.manufacturing.net/News-Study-China-Competitiveness-At-Risk.aspx?menuid=36 - It’s For Your Safety... Remember when cities began spending your tax dollars for Photo-Radar? And their ‘party line’ was “we’re going to make this or that intersection safer.” Apparently it did, it worked. People slowed down, stopped running yellow / red lights. [a wonderful thing of course...] BUT after things got safer, cities figured out - the increased safety was cutting down their revenue production! They made more money running radar traps ..and getting fines from wrecks? So, the photo-cams are going away in a whole lot of places. Check it out... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id=23710970/print/1/displaymode/1098/ - See, listen, learn for yourselves... good programs on History and Discovery Channels about Global Warming and Global Cooling lately... be worth your watching. See for yourself the pros and cons of the various theorems being put forth..? Be knowledgeable, get prepared - for whatever..? - Global Cycles known about back when..? had a 5th grade science class [back in 1950] with a really good teacher who was informed, taught that the earth had gone through several hot-cold-hot-cold cycles, multiple ice ages, etc. But didn’t tell - what kinds of vehicular and industrial pollution man was making to cause those cycles thousands of years ago..? Maybe all those wild livin’ Wooly Mammoths were just having too many sock hops? Raised so much dust it blocked out the Sun..? HA.. Some Known Bills / Actions of Interest in / to Colo. are... Status of Bills in Colorado. To not duplicate, those bills reported on by Lobbyist Leo Boyle during General Meetings are reported in the ‘Minutes of the Meeting.’ Only bills or matters of possible or unknown interest or impact not being tracked by Leo will be listed here, basically just so they aren’t lost or forgotten. - Annual Special Interest MV Mileage Limit flaw..? Limit the miles we drive our Special Interest vehicles? In Feb NL started to use HET Club 2008 National Convention in Marlborough, Mass as a case in point, got interrupted didn’t come back to finish, pardon me..? It’s about 1,950± miles each way from Metro to Marlborough. So here is just one clear example of the forever ‘underthought’ use of 3,000 miles as an annual driving limit posing a problem to us all. For many of you, going to your out of state Nationals or to Hershey, can easily put you over 3,000 miles. Could we maybe set it at 4,000 miles? But 4,000 might still mean no miles left to drive the rest of the year..? Matter needs your input folks... - Commute Options? Recently held conference was addressed by Gov. Ritter and Mayor Hickenlooper. Focus was on ‘green’ business practices. The conference was hosted by DRCOG, RTD and RAQC and was sponsored by the Denver Business Journal. Objective stated was to help local business owners and CEOs bring greener practices to the office environment - including commuting practices of employees. What will come of this? Good we hope? TBD..? But, how many of you remember? In the early 70's many Metro businesses went to people working four ten hour days in order to provide a better lifestyle for people - and “to help the environment, etc.” Seemed to be working great, participants loved it. But - all of a sudden RTD business saw a decline from 5 to 4 days riding. A 20% loss of revenue! Parking meters, parking lots, restaurants and some stores all were impacted. Of course a loss of biz in all of these lowered their sales - and lowered Denver’s tax and other revenues! Quietly, in low profile, there were no more discussions, no press, all of the 4 x 10 places quietly reverted to 5 x 8s..? Updates and Items from SEMA... This is info received by Joe Baker, who sends it on to the Council. Joe does a real service to us in doing this. More complete info can be obtained from Steve McDonald at SEMA, stevem@sema.org on specific issues. - SEMA eNews, Vol 11, No. 9. . Washington state Greenhouse Gas Taxes Defeated. SEMA, with help and support form Wash.’s Motor Vehicle Enthusiast community, was able to defeat two proposed bills that would have created punitive taxes on 1.) vehicles that had larger [?] engines and 2.) incrementally taxed vehicles based on some levels of carbon components [?] in exhaust emissions. . Maryland Proposes Emission Test Exemption for Low Mileage autos. SEMA is supporting proposed legislation to exempt motor vehicles that are driven 1,000 miles or less per year from the state’s mandatory emissions inspection program. Vehicles of any model year would be eligible. [..might this be a solution for here..? wbc] - SEMA eNews, Vol 11, No. 12. . Enthusiast Vehicle Emission Exemptions Threatened in California. Legislation has been proposed that would repeal the current exemption from emissions testing for pre-‘76 vehicles registered by new owners in eight counties in the Central Valley. After 01-Jan-2009, new owners would be subject to annual tests for the life of the vehicle. Hearings to begin April 1st. [.who was it who warned, “What government gives you, government can take away.” wbc] . EPA Issues Tougher Ozone Standard. EPA concludes that the current standard of 84 ppb must be tightened to 75 ppb to adequately protect public health. The 85 counties are currently borderline, under the new standard 345 counties will not comply! Environmentalists [‘greenies’] recommended standards of 60-70 ppb! [..isn’t ozone created every time there’s an electrical spark, e.g. very time a light switch is thrown on or off? What about electric motors that have sparking brushes? How about the thousands of lightning strikes every day? How many billions, trillions of times do all these happen every day..?] Ground level ozone, the principal component of smog is formed when sunlight interacts with such as nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbons from industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, gasolene vapors and other sources. [..remember, true smog is blue-gray, NOT yellow-brown...] Items from SAN Newsletter... Info from SEMA Action Network’s monthly NL, passed on to keep you and your Club Members informed of things in other states - that you can bet will come here too. PROBLEM ITEMS / AREAS TO WATCH... - Arizona HB 2308/ Hawaii HB 2178/ Kentucky HB 271/ W. Virginia HB 4113... to have each state adopt emission standards adopted by California for new vehicles. - Hawaii HB 2106 creates a one-time tax credit [..$1 off taxes due for ea $ spent] to implement taxpayer subsidized purchases of hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles between 31-Dec-2005 and 21-Dec-2009. - Hawaii Gas Guzzler Bill HB ? will create punitive taxes or fees for engines above certain displacements; pay at initial registration plus annual renewals. Negatively impact choices to purchase, maybe safety too? - New Jersey AB 1495 negatively changes definition from “occasional travel” for vintage type MVs to mean ‘not more than once a week, plus exhibition and educational purposes allowed extra.’ - New Jersey AB 908 will raise the fines for anyone drag racing on public streets - and makes the offense punishable with jail time for a minimum of 180 days up to one year - without parole possible! - New Jersey AB 1905 creates a 50% tax credit for purchase of diesel engine conversion devices that allow use of other than diesel fuel. [..biodiesel, used Mac Fries cooking oil, etc...] - New Jersey SB 797 raises fines for street racing to $1,000 first offense, $2,000 subsequent. - Oklahoma SB 2021 will make it illegal to emit any [?] noise that can be heard from over 50 feet from a vehicle. [..no puns on this one please...] - Oklahoma SB 2021 will make it illegal to emit any [?] noise that can be heard from over 50 feet from a vehicle. [..no puns on this one please...] - Oklahoma HB 2777 will extend their tax credit subsidized purchase of ‘clean fuel’ vehicles to 2016. - Oklahoma SB 2021 will make it illegal to emit any [?] noise that can be heard from over 50 feet from a vehicle. [..SEMA wording on this not mine - no puns on this one please...] - Vermont SB 316 changes MV registrations so they’re based on EPA mileage rating, creates a program to remove “Clunkers” from Vermont roads! [.can you read between those lines as to their plans..?] SOLUTIONS... - Delaware, Street Rods - HB ? is SEMA Model Legislation to create a “Street Rod” vehicle registration and titling classification. Thru ‘48 originals, post-48 repros of pre-‘49 vehicles to be titled as YOM what they most closely resemble. - Georgia HB 931 will change eligibility for YOM plates from being 1970 or earlier to 30 years or older. - Hawaii SB 3133 creates a deposit on MV Battery and tire purchases [.incentivize proper recycling?]. - Oklahoma SB 2021 will make it illegal to emit any [?] noise that can be heard from over 50 feet from a vehicle. [..no puns on this one please...] - Idaho HB 364 amends salvage veh code to create a uniform policy regardless of MV type. - Indiana HB 1324 / Kentucky SB 34 / New Jersey AB 1592 / W. Virginia SB 75 will all require that the presence of an event data recorder be disclosed to vehicle owners; will establish how data can be retrieved from the recorder. [.how about adding who can legally access the data..?] - Iowa, Street Rods - HB ? similar to Delaware Street Rod Bill plus includes YOM plates. - Kentucky HB 214 will create a “tax credit” for kits that convert diesel engines to bio-fuels. [..here are good legislators - a tax credit is a dollar for dollar deduction from taxes due, not just an income reducer. Wonder if any of those folks want to relo to Metro Denver..? ] - Maine HB 1498 will change annual MV inspections from annual to biennial. - Mississippippippi.. HB 343 repeals MV Safety Inspection Law. - Missouri SB 749 will create tax incentives for purchase E-85 conversion kits. [do you have to install..] - Missouri HB1628 changes annual alt-fuel fee to exempt ‘historic vehicles.’ - Nebraska LB 941 will authorize ‘historic vehicles’ for YOM plates. [the “HV” def..?] - New York AB 9877 will prohibit the sale or use of any device to warn drivers of Photo-Radar. - Oklahoma HB 2961 creates an inspection program for all vehicles; exempting “ancient vehicles” [..what about ancient drivers..?] - So. Carolina SB 929 will make illegal any musical or artificial sound being heard from outside of an MV on public streets or around residential housing. - Vermont HB 613 will authorize vintage MVs to use YOM plates. - West Virginia HB 2881 will authorize recreational driving of vintage MVs, prohibit daily driver use. - Worth Repeating: Everybody... SEMA took care of us again. Working with the EPA they worked out a new set of rules re using auto paints. At risk was a potential ban of any use of auto type paint by individuals/ Enthusiasts, and would’ve maybe put lots of small body shops out of biz! New rules: ..individuals can paint up to two vehicles [of their own..] a year; also sets forth reasonable requirements for professionals. Once again, it was SEMA manning the trenches for us. New Stuf’... - Will your car rat on you..? Touched on before, worth remembering. Article from MSN Money: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/WillYourCarRatYouOut/ - Related - Info Source... Who is looking over your shoulder, into your vehicle computer, your home computer, your office computer, reading all your e-m’s..? If you care, you can keep somewhat informed at the “Electronic Privacy Information Center.” For free even... http://www.epic.org/ NL Humor for the Month... - From Colo Sprgs R&C NL... sign at a local ‘refreshment stop:’ No checks. No Foo-Foo Drinks. No Talking to Imaginary People..! - Jeannie Kreps, Plymouth Club asks... “What do the greenie weenies do when they see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?” Words From The Wise... People you know who always talk to you about other people, - well who do you think they talk about when you’re not around..? wbc 1939 - so far so good wbc |
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Note: This monthly newsletter is the creation of William Colburn. The views and opinions expressed here are Bill's and do not officially represent
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