|
MEMBERSHIP INFO
Membership Form Regional Map NATIONAL EVENTS PAST FEATURED VEHICLES LINKS Upcoming events | C L U T C H C H A T T E R REPORT RIDEAU VALLEY REGIONHISTORICAL AUTOMOBILE SOCIETY OF CANADA MAY 2009 Last Meeting Eighteen members of the region met at Tim Horton’s, corner of Cyrville and Innes Roads, on the east side of Ottawa, on Saturday, April 18 at 1:30 P.M. It was overcast and looked threatening for rain but it never happened. After some idle chit-chat for those of us inside the Tim Horton’s, a beautiful black 1958 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special 4 door hardtop, driven by Rheal Larose and his wife, Helene entered the crowded parking lot. They had some difficulty to navigate and find an open parking space. It was not due to all the cars but for a throng of people who gathered all around the Cadillac to view it. Once the car was parked, we all were handed an agenda sheet explaining what we were going to be doing for the duration of the afternoon. We formed up in convoy fashion and followed the Laroses to their home at Navan. The Cadillac parked in front of a garage that housed the other cars of the Laroses, a 1957 Chevrolet Belair 4 door sedan, 1959 Chevrolet Impala 2 door hardtop and a1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 2 door hardtop. One other “vehicle” of note was a golden colored 1967 CCM centennial special bicycle that Rheal has owned since new. After we checked over the cars, we toured the basement room full of die cast model cars such as Dinky, Corgi, Ertl and Brooklin. Rheal also had family photo albums not only of themselves, but of the vast collection of vintage cars they owned through the years, including the stories behind how they were bought and later some sold. After we absorbed this splendid vehicle collection both inside and outside, we all headed off to view a 1965 Rambler Classic for sale nearby and also saw a 1955 Nash Rambler in the process of being rebuilt. The people were not home at the time, so we left and headed west and onto the 417 and Queensway to exit at Eagleson Road in Kanata and then drove a short distance to a model train store where we were able to see a working model train in a landscape of roads, buildings and other terrain. The place was small so we carefully navigated around and saw many different gauges of tracks, model locomotives, and rolling train cars. Once this was all checked out, all we had to do was walk out of the store and into the Maple Court Chinese Buffet restaurant next door, where we as usual satisfied our Rideau Valley appetites and enjoyed a time of fellowship. Much gratitude and appreciation is extended to the Laroses for their great hospitality and arranging of this fine tour. ---------------- Bruce
Roster Additions Please add the following names to your 2009 Roster: Re-instated members: FREEMAN, Don FRE04 E-mail: donfreeman@sympatico.ca 21 Providence Place OTTAWA ON K2J 1N9 613-825-4341 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Victoria Coupe [B]
CHARBONNEAU, Guy (Associate Member) CHA07 32 Main St. KIRKLAND LAKE ON P2N 3El 705-567-5043 1942 Cadillac [?] 1950 Cadillac 62 Sedan [B] 1972 Oldsmobile [?] 1984 Buick [?]
New Member: PROULX, Dale PROxx 84 MacLaren Street Unit #2 OTTAWA ON K2P 0K6 613-680-0109 E-mail: dproulx@trinity-group.com 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria [A]
Activities – Rideau Valley: May 24th: – Safety Meet – Neil and Helena Tompkins. See details in Next Meeting below.
June 14th – Event with Pot Luck Supper, hosted by Laura and Blair Prior.
July 10th to 12th Family Picnic at Milton, hosted by York Region.
July 19/26th: -- Event hosted by Barb and Dave Black. Activities – National: June 20th and 21st: 32nd Annual Flea Market hosted by the Central Region of H.A.S.C. at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex, Belsyde Avenue, Fergus Ontario. See Klaxon for further details or call George Milne at 519-843-1838.
July 10th to 12th Family Picnic 2009 hosted by York Region. See Klaxon for details.
Activities – Non-HASC: May 24th: 17th annual Special Interest Auto and Motorcycle show, Town Hall Park, Oxford Mills, Ontario, in aid of the Anglican Parish, Oxford. Vehicle entry closed at noon. Spectator admission $3.00. Vehicle admission: first 75 cars and 25 motorcycles free. Show time, 12:00 to 16:00hrs. For info, call Chris Bryant at (613) 989-3046 after 18:30.
May 30th: Automotive Swap Meet at Rideau Carleton Raceway, 4837 Albion Road, 08:00 to 16:00 hrs., spectator admission free, sponsored by Wednesday Cruise Night. For further information, call 613-829-9198.
May 30th & 31st: Heritage Power and Country Festival at the Cumberland Museum. For information, call Kevin at 613-833-3059 x223.
June 4th to 7th: 26th Annual Spring Barrie Automotive Flea Market, Burl's Creek Family Event Park. For further information, call (705) 487-3663.
June 5th to 7th: Carlisle All Ford Nationals.
June 13th & 14th: Odessa 2009 Flea Market and Car Show, Odessa Fairgrounds on Hwy. #2, 08:00 to 17:00hrs. Spectator admission $2.00, children under 12, free. Sponsored by the Upper Canada Region of ACCCC. For further info., call 613-389-1983. Web Site www.uppercanadaregionacccc.org.
July 11th: 5th Carp Show and Shine, Carp Fairgrounds, 3790 Carp Road, Carp ON., 08:00 to 15:00. Spectator $2.00, vehicle admission $10.00. Proceeds to Prostate cancer. For further information, call Glen at 613-832-2486. Web Site: www.carpfair.on.ca
July 12th: Merrickville Cruise and Shop, Blockhouse, 08:00 to 16:00hrs. Spectator admission free, vehicle admission $5.00. For information call 613-269-3863.
July 19th: Antique Auto Show at the Cumberland Museum – Open to All.
July 19th: 1st Arnprior Classic Vehicle Show, Arnprior Fairgrounds, 21 Galvin street, 07:00 to 16:00 hrs. Spectator admission, $1.00, Vehicle admission $8.00 pre-reg., $10.00 at the gate. Sponsored by Arnprior Lions and Agriculture. For information, call 613-623-7825. Web Site: www.arnpriorcarshow.ca
July 21st & 22nd : 30th Annual Malone International Auto Show and Flea Market. For info. call Brian at 613-543-0137 or visit their web sit at: www.maloneac.110nb.com
An Invitation to HASC Rheal & Helene Larose
The Dymaxion Automobile The Dymaxion automobile was a teardrop-shaped Aluminum-bodied three-wheeled concept car designed by U.S. inventor and architect Richard Buckminster Fuller. Fuller, who coined the word Dymaxion from the words dynamic, maximum and ion, felt that a three-wheeler wasn’t radical, it was simply logical. He originally conceived the vehicle as a flying automobile or drivable plane and apparently had long-range plans to add jump-jet style flight with jetbecame available. Designed with the help of Starling Burgess and Anna Biddle, the Dymaxion was said to be one of the biggest break-throughs in automobile design since the origin of the automobile some fifty years earlier, and one of the most significant and progressive cars ever built in the 1930’s. Burgess, a famous naval architect and aircraft builder, was hired to engineer the car and direct its construction while Biddle, a wealthy Philadelphia socialite and longtime friend of Fuller, agreed to financially back the project. Three prototype Dymaxion cars were built for Chrysler during 1933 and 1934, before Fuller ran out of cash, by the 4D company, in the old Locomobile factory in Bridgeport Connecticut. One of them was purchased by famed orchestra conductor Leopold Stokowski. Another person willing to invest money was Amelia Earhart but financial constraints forced Fuller to curtail his plans.
The car was steered by a single rear wheel and could do a U-turn in its own length. It seated the driver and 10 passengers, weighed less than 1000 pounds and was twice as long as a conventional automobile, having a length of 20 feet (6.1 m). The chassis consisted of two frames hinged at the front, with one frame carrying the engine and drive train while the other carried the rear wheel mount, suspension and steering on a huge levered A-arm, which swiveled like the tail wheel of an airplane. Power was provided by a rear-mounted 85 brake horse-power Ford V8 engine, which drove the front wheels through the rear axle of a contemporary Ford roadster, turned upside-down. The first prototype had a wicked “death wobble” in the rear wheel. The next two were bigger, heavier, and only marginally more drivable and the third had a stabilizer fin on top, which did nothing to cure the acute instability of the vehicle in crosswinds. This unusual steering system would ultimately bring about the project's demise. The car had no rear windows and to compensate for this, the second and third prototypes were fitted with an angled periscope.
Wind-tunnel tests were conducted by Fuller on three-wheeled teardrop shapes, having a V shaped groove running under the vehicle. A rudder was added to the vehicles, which was intended to unfold from the upper side of the tail and provide stability since, at speed, the rear wheel would lift and lose contact with the ground. By enclosing the chassis and wheels in this streamlined and naturally aerodynamically efficient teardrop shape, Fuller is reported to have driven the vehicle at a speed of 120 miles per hour (190 km/h). The fastest documented speed however, was 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). Fuller estimated that a conventional 1933 car would have required at least a 300 hp engine to achieve the same performance and claimed that the car had a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per US gallon (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg-imp), 30% less than that for a conventional car at 30mph and 50% less at 50mph.
Car Number One was built in 1933 and was shown publicly in July of that year. Later the same year, at the Chicago World’s Fair, it was badly damaged in an accident when it rolled over, killing the driver, and seriously injuring two passengers. Although the driver was wearing a seatbelt, the canvas roof with which it was fitted did not offer sufficient crash protection. The cause of the accident was not determined however reports indicated that it was due to the actions of another vehicle, which had been following closely behind. An investigation into the accident exonerated the Dymaxion car but the negative publicity proved fatal and resulted in such a bad reputation that investors were prompted to abandon the project, blaming the accident on deficiencies in the vehicle's steering and dashing any hope that the Dymaxion might go into full-scale production. It was suggested by one source however, that the real reason why Chrysler refused to produce the car was that bankers had threatened to recall their loans, feeling that the car would destroy sales for vehicles already in the distribution channels and of second-hand cars.
Of the three prototype cars built, Cars #1 and #3 have disappeared and only the second prototype, Car #2, survives in the Harrah Collection of the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. This car is a 1934 Dymaxion Model: "2" 4D Transport, powered by a Ford V-8, L-Head, 75 H.P. engine having 3-1/16" bore, 3-3/4" stroke and a displacement of 221.0 cu. in. The exterior of the car has been fully restored, although it is just a hollow shell, as no pictures were ever found showing the interior of the car. It was in very bad shape and will be difficult to restore as the museum has no guide by which to reconstruct it and no-one has any idea what it looked like. The windows are thus painted opaque from the inside. Legend has it that this particular vehicle was found serving as a chicken coop however more recent evidence discounts that notion. --------------- Ted Tidbits From the PastFrom CCR9404 ... April 1994: In 1912, the only properly paved road in Canada was a 10 mile stretch form Montreal to Ste. Rose, Quebec. Some stretches of highway in Ontario and Quebec had been "macadamized" by compacting layers of crushed stone but drivers thought themselves lucky if they could "open up" for a few miles on a nice stretch of gravel, as a respite from the clay and sand surfaces and from the shaky bridges and steep hills for which passengers often had to jump out.
At this time, registered cars in Canada totaled as follows: Ontario (excluding Toronto) .............. 12,435 Toronto .................................. 5,315 Quebec (excluding Montreal) .............. 3,534 Montreal ................................. 5,118 Nova Scotia .............................. 1,435 New Brunswick ............................ 1,268 Prince Edward Island ..................... 35 Manitoba ................................. 5,010 Saskatchewan ............................. 5,773 Alberta .................................. 3,600 British Columbia ......................... 3,081 TOTAL .................................... 46,604
Saskatchewan had the highest number per capita with one car for every 94 persons in the population. Ontario had 1 for every 156 persons and Quebec, 1 for every 254 persons. California was the leading American state which 1 car for every 20 persons while New York had 1 for every 74. Next Meeting The next meeting of the Region will be our annual Vehicle Inspection Meet, to be held on Sunday, May 24th, at the home of Neil and Helena Tompkins, (RR #2 KEMPTVILLE ON -- Ph: 613-258-2688). Plan to meet there anytime after 9 A.M. Following the inspections there will be a short meeting followed by a potluck lunch.
Please make an effort to attend this function and have your vehicle inspected now, rather than having to make arrangements with Neil to have it done later. Note that you cannot participate in any event as a member of HASC without a current Inspection sticker affixed to your windshield.
The Last Word -- It’s Winter Before We Know It You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all... And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is.. the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go? I remember well.. seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like... But, here it is... my friends are retired and really getting gray... they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be.
Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done … things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.... So, if you’re not in your winter yet... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. Do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! There is no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so, live well for today, say all the things you want your loved ones to remember... hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things you have done for them in all the years past!! LIVE IT WELL!!! ----- ENJOY TODAY!!! ----- DO SOMETHING FUN!!! BE HAPPY!!! ----- BE THANKFUL!!!!!
Bruce Pettinger, Editor, 8 Woodlawn Ave, OTTAWA ON K1S 2S9 Phone: (613) 234-4266: E-mail: PettingerB@DFO-MPO.GC.CA
R. E. (Ted) Fiander, Regional Reporter, 3 Leeward Street, NEPEAN, ON K2E 5W4 Phone: (613) 226-5308 : E-mail: tedabel@magma.ca
|
