Hidden Valley Model T Club

Hidden Valley Commutator

Newsletter of the Hidden Valley Model T Club, May 2014

May 2014 Hidden Valley Model T Club Commutator

Page 1

The Hidden Valley

Commutator is the

newsletter of the

Hidden Valley Model

T Club.

The newsletter is

published monthly

and distributed on-

line to all connected

members.

The 2012 thru 2013

members of the

HVMTC Board of Directors are:

President

Doug Lested

Tours

Stephanie Terrell

Treasurer

Diane McPherson

Secretary

Tony Bowker

Web Editor

Tony Bowker

Upcoming Events Saturday 10 May - HVMTC Tour to Doug and Neta Anderson’s House

with Installation Barbecue Lunch Assembly Time: 9:30 Departure Time: 10:00

Depart Location: California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Food and drink will be provided – there is no need to bring anything.

RSVP to Stephanie Terrell required [email protected]

Saturday 17 May - San Diego Heritage Museum Deep Pit Barbecue noon till

2:30 with free meal for Model T drivers. Call Warren (760-218-5085) for info.

Wednesday 4 June - Dinner at Charlie's starting at 6 pm

Saturday 7 June - MTFCSD Tour to Alpine - Meet at 9am at Histerical Auto

Works in Santee

Saturday 21 June - HVMTC Tour to Antique Engine & Gas Museum. .

Meet at 9 am at Performing Arts Center with a 9:30 departure.

Saturday 28 June - OCMTFC Swap Meet at El Dorado High School.

See flyer later in this newsletter

Wednesday 2 July - Dinner at Charlie's starting at 6 pm

Sunday to Friday 13-18 July - MTFCA 2014 National Tour at out of the

Four Seasons Hotel in the Kearney Mesa area of San Diego.

mip://0d02ec48/[email protected]


May 2014 Hidden Valley Model T Club Commutator Page 2

Minutes for HVMTC General Meeting at Charlie's Restaurant

April 2nd

, 2014

Meeting opened at 7:00 by President Doug Lested.

Members attending included Mac & Diane MacPherson, Anne Tunnell, Dale & Eleanor

Stanfield, John & Karen Pepe, Tony Bowker, Virgil & Sharon White, Lou Schweiger,

Warren Raps, Merleen & Ken Magers, Doug & Neta Anderson, Henry Keener, Jim

Ottaviani, John Chapman, Bob Anderson, Scot Uran, Richard & Twink Bumann, Bob

Millen, Vic & Stephanie Terrell, Phil & Kimba Ewing & Doug Lested.

John lead the Pledge

Doug welcomed everyone and commented that it was a large turnout. There were no

visitors. He explained that elections for the 2014-15 Board will be held later in the evening.

Diane assured the members that we have sufficient funds to continue, with a detailed report

available to members.

Stephanie spoke about the upcoming tour to Doug & Neta Anderson's Ranch, after a

discussion it was agreed that the club funds will provide all the necessary fixing for the BBQ

lunch. Doug Lested will lead the tour as Doug Anderson will be cooking. Later Doug will

lead us on a short local tour including a 3 mile dirt road. Doug requested an RSVP so they

can estimate the amount of food required. Warren mentioned the deep pit BBQ at the SD

Heritage Museum, one free meal to all Model T drivers.

There being no comments on the March Minutes, Warren proposed and Anne seconded

approval of the Minutes, motion was unanimously approved. Tony then spoke about the

Sierra Vista tour, which had 26 cars and 58 people. Warren commented that he enjoyed the

description and pictures in the April newsletter. Mac spoke of his adventures at the

Chickasha Swap Meet, the Grand Canyon and the subsequent trip to LA for an Auto Museum

Conference.

Doug then spoke about the election of officers. Warren proposed that the current slate of

officers be retained for 2014-15. This was seconded by Doug Anderson and was passed by

unanimously approved.

The officers for 2014-15 will be:

President - Doug Lested Vice Pres/Tour Chair - Stephanie Terrell

Treasurer - Diane MacPherson Secretary - Tony Bowker

Past President - Mac MacPherson

Diane will arrange to have the bank signature cards to reflect these officers.

Mac held the Opportunity drawing and Doug won $43.

Being no further business, Doug closed the meeting at 8:10pm.

Respectfully submitted

Tony Bowker, Secretary



Tour to The Flower Fields

This was special... Thanks to John Freeze, the Palomar Model A club were invited to display

cars at The Flower Fields in Encinitas and other local clubs were invited to come along. The

turnout was stupendous, with over 30 Model As and Ts rattling from San Marcos to The

Flower Fields a on a beautiful crisp Saturday morning. I counted nine Model Ts, seven

assembled in Escondido and two more joined us in Encinitas, one of the best turnouts for

many months.

The group from Escondido included Tony & Heather Bowker, Greg & Cathy Rising, Dale &

Elenor Standfield, Vic & Stephanie Terrell, Doug Lested, John & Karen Pepe and Phil &

Kimba Ewing all in Model Ts and Ken & Marge Magers in a Ford V8 Business Coupe.

Joining us in Encinitas was Richard & Twink Bauman and Warren Raps & Henry Keener,

both in Ts. Some of the A's came from Hemit, quite a drive.

After assembling in a reserved parking lot at The Flower Fields, we were lead in convoy

style and parked on one of paths amidst 500 acres of ranunculus, quite a sight.

Apparently they are grown from seed and after flowering the roots are harvested, then sold

all over the world. The pictures say it all, difficult to imaging 500 acres of flowers.

The group starting in Escondido Greg's '27 & Doug's '22 in the parking area

Tony's 14 and & Dale's 22 in the parking area Phil's Rust Bucket and Johns 26 Pickup in the parking area



Rich explaining something about his radiator Tony's 14 with the flower fields behind

Twink & Heather Greg testing blocks for the MTFCA 2014 National Tour

500 acres of ranunculus from the east 500 acres of ranunculus from the west

It was a great tour, Dale had a minor problem after lunch, but it was soon resolved and

everyone had a great time. Wonderful day out, thanks Doug & Ray

Tony



I ran across this on the MTFCA 2014 Forum, enjoy.

Across America in a Model T - at age 17 CYNTHIA MARTIN Special to The Globe and Mail Published Saturday, Jan. 11 2014, 6:00 AM EST Last updated Saturday, Jan. 11 2014, 6:53 AM EST

Road trips are common for the Matthews. During a 27,000-kilometre tour in a Westfalia camper,

serendipity drove past via Banff’s Model T rally. Noting his wistfulness when he reminisced about a 1957

trip, Beth conceded: “Maybe it’s time you get one.”

In the summer of 1956, in sleepy St. Louis, John Matthews, then 16 and his father drove home a 1923

Model T that they had purchased for $200, dismantled it and then performed a rebuild. He drove to school

sitting atop the gas tank, attracting suitable attention and, by the following summer, Matthews and three

friends John Dawson, Norman Luttbeg and Reed Webb had acquired a running board luggage rack, spare

tire, cook stove, sleeping bags and tents. It was July, 1957 and California was in their sights.

“Our parents let us go because they didn’t think we’d get more than 20 miles away,” Matthews said. From

St. Louis, across Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, northwest to the Oregon coast, then

south to Del Mar, Calif., they drove that Model T 6,600 kilometres – “likely longer than almost any trip

taken in the 1920s.”

Through towns and without interstate highways – a venture not unlike John Steinbeck’s Travels with

Charley: In Search of America – there were few transport trucks bearing down, and the maximum speed

was 60 km/h. Matthews said they talked to hundreds of strangers, “mostly old timers”, who took an interest

in the car. After the first few encounters, Matthews said they’d roll their eyes seeing oldsters approach, but

“at this more sentimental stage of my life I know what those guys were feeling with their dreamy looks,

running their hands over the fenders.”

There were numerous mechanical fixes along the way, such as the sudden engine rattle forcing a tow to a

shop, where the owner knew they’d thrown a rod. Matthews said he borrowed a car to visit a farmer

rumored to have one in Yankton, N.D. “A Model T connecting rod hung like a trophy on his barn wall,”

Matthews recalled. Two dollars later, it was his and “we returned to see the [shop] owner sitting down to a

birthday dinner. But he had it fixed by 11 p.m., wanting no payment, sending us off with the tip to substitute

the Babbitt bearing with bacon rind or leather.”



Some grades were too steep, so three of them would run behind, sometimes pushing the Model T – “a sight,

as well as aggravating, to drivers behind us.”

Matthews thought they could put off changing transmission bands until southern California, but he was

proved wrong. “We started down a hill, let it coast to 90 km/h and I tried to brake. Nothing, even when I

pressed both brake and reverse pedals,” he said. “Speed climbed, the car shimmied, the stoplight at the

bottom of the hill was red and we were going too fast to jump. Just before the intersection, the light turned

green and we shot though, coasting up the hill to its other side.”

Police routinely stopped them out of curiosity and, in late August, near San Jose, Calif., they were waved

over by two men in suits driving a black Ford. “They had FBI written all over them,” said Matthews. “They

were from Ford Motor Company inviting us to the factory, to have pictures taken, be interviewed and

treated to lunch, then ‘a grand surprise.’. Being four hungry teenagers low on cash, they didn’t hesitate.

“They took us onto the factory floor, for the rare treat for outsiders – the Edsel production line.” Matthews

said the four were silenced by the car’s design, and were immediately worried for its survival when they

saw a worker trying to make a door close by slamming hinges with a sledge hammer. The now-legendary

lemon made its public debut just weeks later.

After arriving in Del Mar, they drove the T back up to San Francisco for Matthews’ uncle to sell, and the

return trip back home was by bus.

Fifty-five years later, Matthews found his first love in

Prince Edward Island; Canadian-made with its distinctive

fourth door by the driver. It cost him $12,000 and he

removed the modern ignition to reinstall original wiring.

Matthews has inquired about those who have taken long T

trips, finding most had support vehicles. “Although I was

17, the trip changed my life,” said Matthews, a retired

palaeontologist. “I came to appreciate older people more

and believe in the kindness of strangers.”

Would he do it again, if the opportunity arose? “In a heartbeat.”

Special to The Globe and Mail

Editor Notes At a recent meeting of the Model T Ford Club of San Diego it was brought up that members of that

club are invited to all the HVMTC meetings and tours. The MTFCSD too would like to

reciprocate and all members of the HVMTC are invited to all meetings and tours of the MTFCSD.

To help this interchange, editors of both clubs will add the dates of each other events to their

respective newsletters. Hopefully this will help increase the turnout on the events of both clubs.

Any thoughts on the new picture on page one?

Tony Bowker



For Sale 1926 Model T roaster pickup. All original with total correct, frame-off

restoration. Ruckstell 2 speed rear end. Trophy winner and ready to show or

tour. $15,000.

1927 Ford Model T Coupe – all original. Needs final assembly. All parts

have been powder coated, chromed or new. Engine and trans assembly

complete and in car. All work professionally done. Have $36K in receipts.

Asking $10,000. .

Don Swanson 249 South Highway 101 #507 Solana Beach, CA

92075 Phone:760-500-1997

Pickup and stuff for sale

1924 T roadster pickup, 12v system with alternator and

distributor. Ruckstell, 26/27 wire wheels with spare,

very good top and leather seat. Very good touring car.

Wood bed w/cover. Spare running engine. Adjustable

lifters, High compression head, external oiler, fuse

panel, Rocky Mountain brakes, turn signals, running

board tool box and fuel cans. Side curtains. $12,750

obo.

Very large collection of parts including 26/27 engine

(taken apart), alternators, starters, generators, bearings,

etc. Value of this is over $9,500, but will take $7,400

obo. A partial list of the parts is available and is

growing as I discover more parts.

Everything is located in San Marcos, CA. Dell ound 760-685-3461 [email protected]

Wanted II am looking for a 1926-1927 Rear Axle complete with brake assemblies and hubs for wire wheels. Drums are optional. Radius rods and torque tube are not needed. No Ruckstell axles. It has to be in good condition and restorable. Doug Lested Home: 760-918-1815 Cell: 760-845-5194 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

tel:760-918-1815

tel:760-845-5194




San Diego Needs You

The MTFCA National Tour in San Diego is fast approaching.

The dates are July 13-18 and we still have room for reservations. Ten years ago

we ran this tour mostly in the backcountry, but now it’s time to show off the

sights of “America’s Finest City”:

Hotel Del Coronado

Old Town

Point Loma Lighthouse

Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum

Warm sandy beaches

… and much more. The base hotel is centrally located and our best hostess is

running the hospitality room. Come and enjoy San Diego friendliness and join

us for banquets and try for door prizes. If you’ve been here before, come again

and experience our city from a Model T. It’s even better that way!

Contacts: Registration: Kirt Simpson (619) 749-3112

13219 Saddle Ridge Road

Lakeside, CA 92040

Email - Tony Bowker at [email protected]






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Hidden Valley Model T Club