Southern California Imperial Owners Champagne Brunch and Business Meeting - December 2, 2001
The SCIO has announced a great event on December 2 at "THE BARN" restaurant & saloon, 14982 Red Hill Ave., Tustin CA 92780 (714-259-0115, on the corner of Red Hill & Edinger).Members and Imperial owners should be on-site before 9:30 am, under the trees at this "authentically old" facility, right on a very active Amtrak line. This is a great viewing place for our Imperials. SCIO members will head inside THE BARN for the "$13.95 all you can eat" champagne brunch. Last year, the food was very good with outstanding variety!
After brunch, the SCIO will have a business meeting, which will include the annual election of club officers and planning for SCIO events during 2002.
Nothing on the schedule for the remainder of 2001 except the Friday night "cruise-in" at Bob's Big Boy, Toluca Lake, California - every Friday! My Imperial will be there often.
2nd Annual Cruizin' E Street Car Show and Cruise - San Bernardino, CA - November 10, 2001
Manuel Alvarez reported:
"We are having our second annual show and cruise November 10, 2001 in
San Bernardino California. Last year's show had about 160 entries, but no
Imperials - let's change that this year!! I will try to get my '55 running
for the event, and running or not I will certainly be there for event tech
support and 'errand boy' duties.
For more information, or to pre-register online, visit:
http://www.cruizinestreet.com/
"
Thanks everyone!
A reminder of the "Luxury Cars of the 50s" show coming up next weekend, Nov. 4 in Phoenix. Again, the location is Los Olivos Park at 28th Street and Devonshire (just north of Indian School) from 10 am 'til 3pm. There is no entry fee and no judging, just a good time kickin' tires and tellin' lies and (if we get some more Imperials) comparing the good, the bad and the ugly of all the different luxury car choices available. Please email me to let me know and maybe we can put together a nice picnic (hopefully we'll need more than a foot long sub!)
This is an idea I've long thought would be great fun, as very different from going to a single marque show with only Lincolns or Cads, or even Packards. We have to hold up our end and bring on the Imperials. I'll bring my '54 and will hopefully get friends to bring along their '51, '53, and another '54. Even if you don't have a '50s Imp, come on along and join the fun. I'll be happy to provide airport pickup for those who fly in.
Cheers,
Roger
15th Annual Car Show at the Placentia Heritage Festival, Placentia CA - October 13, 2001
"Several Imperial owners and SCIO club members came to our show last year and we would like to invite you back this year. Hope you can come!
Join us for the 15th Annual Car Show at the Placentia Heritage Festival on October 13, 2001. Showcase your car at beautiful Tri-City Park located in Placentia. Also participate in the Heritage Day festival, including a Pancake Breakfast, Parade, Live Entertainment, Food, Crafts, Games and More! There will be a 50/50 drawing, Cash Prizes and giveaways, and Trophies. A weekend vacation for two in a luxury Home in Yosemite park will also be given away as a prize. Pre-registration $15 by October 1; $20.00 after
To get to the park, go north on the 57 Freeway to Imperial Highway, then east on Imperial Highway to Placentia Avenue; south on Placentia Avenue to Rolling Hills Drive; east on Rolling Hills Drive to the entrance to the park.
Our website is:
Thanks! Pete Regla (pregla@home.com)"
Granada Hills Car Show, Oct. 14, 2001, Van Nuys, CA
"Granada Hills High School
Cheer would like to invite you and your cars to participate in our Car
Show, Oct. 14, 2001 - Van Nuys, CA. Please pass on this information to
your club members in our area. For more information visit our website, Car
Show. Hope to see you Oct. 14th!
Thank you,
Jana Davis
President, Granada Hills High Cheer"
Vendors & Sponsors: contact L. Deeds at (818) 832-4607 or Fresia98@aol.com
Also, SCIO club member David Freedman was recently pictured, September 9, in the Mexican Independence Day Parade in Los Angeles with Mexican diplomat Martha Lara, Governor Gray Davis, Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in his 1967 Imperial. David is the passenger (click for full-sized image).
Fall Fling VI, Woodley Park,
October 20, 2001 See cpwclub.com - more
later! Great Autos of Yesteryear, Color & Chrome, Los Angeles
County Mall, October 20, 2001 Doug wrote that this show will be: "at 500 West Temple St (between
Hill and Grand Ave) by the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where they used to
hold the Academy Award shows. DONATION $12.00. They usually have a number
of fabulous vintage Imperials and Chryslers on display, so bring your
cameras. The Imperials that they have had there in the past were almost
concours, showroom condition. Other cars entered for display will be from
the 1900s to the 1970s, significant milestone vehicles of the last 100
years. See you all there!" Packard & Imperial Fall
Meet in Anniston, AL - October 5-7, 2001 Jeff Carrothers sent a report: "Ok Robb, Here goes. First of all, I'm sorry that you could not
make it...and I wish you the best of luck with your transmission repair.
Maybe you can make it in the spring. 52 Packard Saturday we had a wonderful time enjoying the cars...it was great! Some
folks had dinner at the hotel restaurant Saturday night...others did a
cruise and overtook the local Sonic Drive In. Afterwards we watched videos
of Tom McCahill (testing 1957 and 1958 Chrysler products) until the wee
hours of Sunday morning. Steve Carter reported: The group from Birmingham arrived in caravan around 5:00 PM. Donald's
'56 with Deb at the wheel, followed by Jeff in his new '64 LeBaron (a
beautiful car with a gorgeous color combination), followed by (ouch my
memory) from New Orleans in a white over black '65 Crown, also gorgeous
and also formerly Jeff's car, then Donald in his '56 Packard (my favorite
of all his cars), then me in my '61 black/blue LeBaron parts car soon to
be mild custom or parted out for my nice '61 unless someone gives her a
home, then Tom and pal in his Rolls Royce. Upon arrival we found Kerry P
in his new '54 Imperial which is a magnificent automobile, resurrected
from the clutches of the infamous Mr. King, and his pale misty green '64
Crown. I have to hand it to Kerry, his cars always stand tall both
mechanically and cosmetically. The Soules' were there in his '65 300
convertible, always welcome, and of course others were to follow soon. The
gentleman who drives that 52 or 53 Packard sedan in oh-so-dignified dove
gray arrived before my departure. Working essentially retail I had to work today (anyone wanting a BMW,
Porsche, Audi, or Land Rover send me an email), I had a buddy pick me up
for the return trip to Birmingham. I'll return to Anniston early Sunday
morning in my '74 LeBaron which is also available to a good home, I hope
Elijah will take pictures and post on the site. Alas, I couldn't dig up
enough drivers to bring over my nicer '61 LeBaron or the '60 Crown Coupe,
so maybe in the spring. I'll detail my travails with my '56 coupe in a
separate email, since I need some advice. Simply, its been damaged while
in the shop. The Anniston meet is always fun and relaxed, and I encourage any and
all to attend." Announcement: "Hello Imperial Motorists, We've had a great response so far for our Anniston, Alabama get
together! The rooms are going fast, so please reserve your room ASAP!
Details of the meet and how to register are listed below. Put your TorqueFlite in drive and turn the Airtemp on....It's time for
another fabulous Anniston get together! Alabama Packards would like to
cordially invite all Imperial owners to Anniston, Alabama for the weekend
of October 5, 6, and 7. The meet will be held at The Victoria, a Victorian
home that has been restored and 44 additional rooms added in the rear of
the property in the style of the original home. The hotel is elegantly
furnished and offers many amenities, including a 5 star restaurant and
piano bar. Rooms are $65.00 per night, which includes a complementary
breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning. The fun will begin Friday around 7 pm, with a cocktail party in Donald
and Debbie's guest house. Saturday morning we will gather in the hotel
parking lot and the Imperial Motoring will begin! We had over 20 cars at
our Spring gathering and everyone had a great time! Lunch will be on your
own. The Packard Club will be having dinner together Saturday night in the
hotel restaurant, at an approximate cost of $35 to $40 per person. As an
alternative, Kerry, Elijah, Robert, and I will be organizing a pizza party
for those interested at an approximate cost of $10 to $15 per person. Call Donald Taccone at 1-800-801-1956 7 am to 6 pm Monday through
Friday to reserve your room, or email him at pacdoc1956@aol.com. He will
need to know your room preference (smoking/non smoking/king
/queen/double), when you will be arriving (how many nights), what type of
car you will be bringing, and if you want to eat in the Hotel Restaurant
Saturday night. Just to let you know, the hotel policy is "no pets
allowed". You can also email me at Jeff@parkdev.com if you have any
questions. Please make arrangements as soon as possible, as the
availability is limited. The deadline to reserve your room is September
10. I'll be sending out updates as people register. Don't miss it! You can
find more information and pictures under "events" on the IML
website. Happy Motoring! Jeff Carrothers (56, 59, 60, 62, 64 Imperials)" San Antonio Mopar Show,
September 29, 2001 Hugh sent a report about this show: "Chuck Ariens' magnificent 1981 won first prize in its class at
the recent San Antonio Mopar Show. It was great to get a chance to see
this vintage of Imperial up close. I over heard many of my fellow club
members oohing and aahing over it, which is so appropriate. The bulk of
the show is two door sport cars, so they would appreciate a car of similar
type, only being more geared to personal luxury than speed.
Congratulations, Chuck. "As you may know I have been asked to do "on site"
registration that day. We will have available some 87 spaces, 64 of which
are already taken. In addition, the local AMC club usually shows up in
force, and that is some 20 cars, most years. If you are coming, it is time
to reserve your spot. Four Imperial folks have already done so. I
addition, "visitor" parking is going to be really inconvenient,
maybe a quarter of a mile away. I am toying with the idea of bringing out
the museum's 1958 fire truck to shuttle people back and forth. A reason for the confusion this year is that the Chrysler dealership
that had said they would host the event was bought out and the new owners
did not want so much hassle so soon after taking over. The show is at 'AUTOMANIA,' a classic car sales place on IH35, about
ten miles south of New Braunfels, about half way between New Braunfels and
San Antonio. One family is going to be staying at the Riverwalk on Friday night. Is
anyone else planning to stay over at all? E-mail me at hugtrees@stic.net if you have any questions, or need
directions. Contact Tim Klein if you want to come down from the Dallas
Area together." Mopars at the Petersen IV,
September 23, 2001 Report from Bob: "I was at the Petersen just for the early morning
- great show with a bunch of Imperials: Here's the announcement: The WPC Club, San Fernando Valley, will have an all-Chrysler car show
and parts exchange at the Petersen Museum on Sunday, September 23 from
8:00 until late! This will be a family event, with judging done by the
"junior Judges", the family members and friends no older than
16. There will be at least 12 fun categories and trophies.
Pre-registration will be $10/car or $15/car on the day of the event. This
includes admission to the Petersen. Contact Aaron Kahlenberg (818-755-9037) or Ken Sobel (818) 995-6865 for
more details or an entry form. Southern California Imperial
Picnic, Laguna Niguel Regional Park - September 15,
2000 The Southern California Imperial Owners Inc. (SCIO) will have a fall
picnic on Saturday, September 15, 2001 at Laguna Niguel Regional Park, on
La Paz Road just a few miles south of Interstate 5. It will start at
10 a.m. and the charcoal will going until 2 p.m.! There is a map at www.TeamChicago.com/Imperial/images/Laguna-Map.jpg Jim Stoneman, the SCIO Newsletter Editor (with Dianna!) sent the
following note: "Don't forget the picnic on Saturday! Hopefully, y'all got the newsletter, if not today, then tomorrow (at
least So Cal members)! Laguna Niguel Regional Park 10:00am to 2:00pm in Laguna Niguel. Don't forget to bring an Imperial (or Chrysler) item to donate for
auction. And, don't forget to bring something to eat! More details in the
newsletter. Hope to see you there!" Portland/Vancouver Northwest
Imperial Picnic and Junk Yard Prowl, Sept. 8, 2001 Here's two reports: Just a few words (not so few, it was a long and overall very, very good
day) about the Junk Yard Prowl yesterday! First off, a sincere thank you
to EVERYONE who was able to attend this event, and specifically to Loren
for spending the time, effort and no doubt some $$$ on organizing this,
and to Roger Van Hoy and his wife for their efforts on the picnic.
Secondly, it was great to finally meet more of our fellow IML members who
beforehand I had only read posts from. For us, our day was an early one, leaving Yakima at 6 am and taking the
usual Gorge route along the Washington - Oregon border. I was accompanied
by my father in law, since we really hadn’t done anything involving the
Mopar side of our family before, my friend John who works at a local
Chrysler dealership and is a Mopar guy from day one, and my 2 oldest sons,
Chris and Ryan. Traffic was light, the weather was beautiful and other than a couple
snack and restroom stops for the kids, we made it to Vancouver at about
10. The directions were spot on the money and we found All American, with
Leslie, Erik and Roger Van Hoy waiting for us. All American was great, not an all Mopar place by any means, but acres
of cars with some very unique vehicles. When was the last time you saw a
hearse circa 1941 or some vintage 50's ambulances? Lots of stuff you just
don’t see in any yards, this place is definitely not in a hurry to crush
anything. Imperials...yes, I saw 59's, a 56 that was purported to be a 55
and may or may not have been the prototype for the "Trettin
Checkerama Dreamcar", some freestanding years and some of the 64 and
later era...just so many different cars to look at I didn’t really get
to soak it all in. By the time we left, some very beautiful Imperials as well as some very
kewl non Imperial Mopars were waiting for us in the parking lot, I know if
I attempt to ACCURATELY list them by year and model and owner I will step
on someone’s toe, but suffice to say it was a treat to be able to see
these vehicles. Some that stand out in my mind were the red ‘61 ‘vert
(can you say show quality, this should be on a poster somewhere), the
black ‘51 Windsor, Roger's ‘66 (?) Belvedere ‘vert, and the light
blue metallic ‘70 (?) fuselage Imperial. I wish I had taken the time to
chat a bit more with everyone who was there, and found out more about
these great cars. After soaking it all in at All American Classics, our caravan headed
south east to La Tourell Falls for some great scenic views and a very nice
picnic lunch. It was a short hop along the gorge eastbound , a quick fuel
stop for a few of us, a little bit of Keystone Kop shuffling along the
exit to get everyone in one place and off to the Falls. A big hats off to whoever picked out this spot, we had a nice spot to
all sit back, enjoy lunch and engage in some mandatory Imperial content.
On top of that, the falls were spectacular to see, my son and I walked the
trail down to the base of the falls and were able to walk right up to the
cascade of water. By volume it was no Niagara, but the distance the water
drops and the setting that it was in made up for that . OK, lunch is over and its time to go to WILDCAT ...the all Mopar yard
that I have been hearing about for years. This is what I personally have
been waiting for the most. But first...IMHO...we had to traverse DONNER
PASS! Now, I really try to be fair and even and stay fairly mellow in life.
Unfortunately I have hot buttons like all of us, and I get more than
somewhat irrational where my Imperial is concerned. I will say upfront
that I don’t wish any personal attack on whoever made the choice of
route, it may be very possible that nobody knew the physical lay out of
the roads we were about to embark on, it may be that no one actually said,
"let’s go this way", that doesn’t matter. I presume a
computer plotted the route since it is so easy to go on-line and say,
"I am here...I want to go there". Anyway, by distance it probably wasn’t more than 20 or 30 miles, but
the first 15 or so was a beautiful combination of ..oh, I don’t
know...40 percent grades, hairpin turns, switchbacks, more down grades,
more switch-backs...can you say: "I LOVE THE SMELL OF BRAKE LININGS
COMBUSTING"? Now like I said, a beautiful road if you were driving a
motorcycle, or a Porsche 911, or maybe something that wasn’t 5000 pounds
empty and didn’t have an additional half ton of people and stuff crammed
in it. Since I was near the end of the pack, maybe I was smelling other
peoples hot brakes too, or maybe it was just frustration...justifiable or
not, or who knows. Finally, the road got straighter and leveled out, and before long we
were at Wildcat. You could easily drive right past it, no billboards, no
neon signs, just a little painted sign that says Wildcat. You drive up the road a few hundred yards, next to a big garage, and
behind the fence is the closest thing to Mopar heaven on earth since Bob
Hoffmeister opened up his yard!!! Acres and acres of all and only Mopars!!!
A bodies, B bodies, C - D - E up thru X Y and Z bodies!!! A few Imperials,
I was looking for 61-63 parts but I did notice some late ‘50s, a ‘75
and a ‘74, and I know I probably missed some others. I had to look at some Barracudas, for my wife’s car, and my son had
to look at some 66-67 Charger stuff for my old Charger that will be his
before long. My friend John was having an out of body experience during
this time, even my die hard GM owner father in law was getting into this. My other big faux pas of the day, I spotted a power antenna and it
looked OK...so I rounded up one of the guys and asked him a price. I will
swear on oath I heard him say "25" for it. Sounded good, so I
spent all of 5 minutes pulling it to find out he said "$125".
Ohhhhkay...big pause, uh..." I guess I can just go put the thing back
"! No harm was done, they weren’t bothered at all and other than my
own embarrassment, no ruffled feathers. On the plus side, I know they have
the thing, and in a week or two I can contact them on-line and get it if
its still there, I just couldn’t justify it yesterday. Soon it was closing time, personally I could have spent another day
just browsing amongst the cars and the barn full of goodies...radios,
carbs, small parts, too much to name off hand. Suffice to say, a visit to
their website doesn’t really do justice to everything they have on hand. We headed west back to the Portland area for dinner. We stopped at the
Jim Dandy drive-in for some much anticipated burgers and such. I don’t
know who found or picked that, but a big thank you!! I could have spent a
few hours there just reading the old newspapers they had framed along the
walls, the old automobilia here and there, old advertising...I love places
like that. Soon it was nearing 8:30 and we still had a 3 hour drive. After saying good-bye, we meandered a few minutes getting oriented back
to our route eastward. By now, the sun had set, and we had a wide open
road heading home. The Imperial was feeling fine, the air was nice and
cool and the traffic got lighter as we went east. Okay...that was the long and short of it, I hope the others enjoyed it
as much as I did. Again, a big thanks to everyone who was involved, and a
big apology if I stepped on any toes during the day. I would recommend to
anyone if you haven’t found what you are looking for with the vendors
already on the IML website, to give these guys a call. Take care everyone - Mikey, ‘62 Crown Coupe" From Leslie: "Hi All, Well the "Junk Yard Prowl" was our most successful event yet.
Great turn out, great people, great cars, great fun. Titanic and I left
Florence at 5 am -still dark - cruised through the coast mountain range,
and got to watch the sunrise over the Cascades on our way to pick up Erik,
who was unable to get his ‘66 ready in time to drive it. This is the
first time Titanic has left the Coast since WPC Nationals 98 in Portland.
I was a bit nervous as she'd been in the shop since Memorial day and I had
only gotten her back on Thursday night... Just enough time, to finish
putting the door panels together and working out the last few bugs on some
uncooperative power windows... Yay, they all worked like brand new! The
new front end, shocks and sway bar bushings made a huge difference.
It didn't feel like my car, no swaying, no shifting, no jolting, instant
response, marvelous one-fingered steering, held the road like it never had
before, simply amazing! By the time I had driven the 60 miles to Eugene to
pick up Erik, I was starting to feel confident in Titanic's ability
again... Grabbed Erik, sun was up, day was warming up nicely and we
cruised into Portland in about 2 hours, only to discover we were the first
to arrive! First thing we spot is an incredible ‘42 Chrysler Hearse, it was a
SERIOUS basket case but still had these amazing carved panels on the
sides. We checked out the wall of hubcaps first as I was looking for one
for my non-Mopar...Came back and Roger and Mikey arrived. Ken Miller came
in his gorgeous haze green ‘67 convertible. I was glad I had hid Titanic
with her new but very faded doors and hood in the back. Roger Irland and
friends showed up in Dick Rohm's gorgeous ‘51 New Yorker with Highlander
Plaid interior and we headed to the back forty where they had the
Imperials. A huge selection ‘67 LeBaron, ‘67 sedan, several ‘67
hdtps, several ‘68's and a number of the finned wonders and the
‘64-’66's. Very impressive collection - also saw some other
great Mopars... When we arrived back at the front gate, Mark Hall ‘66,
Greg Bristow ‘61 convertible, Dave Duthie ‘64 convertible, Loren ‘64
Crown, Bill Ulman ‘66 convertible, and a beautiful ‘70 had all shown
up! We stood around and talked as the rest of the crowd did the junk
yard... From there we headed up the scenic Columbia Gorge to the Falls for
lunch... Mikey and I both arrived with smoking brakes at the picnic. The
lunch was fantastic and they surprised me with a birthday cake, Titanic
and I celebrated 18 years together and I couldn't have asked for a better
birthday!! After lunch it was off to the "Donner Pass" portion
of our trip, I have to admit even I who have grown up with these roads
found this one pretty hairy, but my Budd Brakes didn't give me a bit of
trouble and I spent a lot of time in 2nd gear on that section of road.
That was certainly a test of Imperial Durability Braking and Cooling
wise... I think the ‘67's won that contest! ;-) Wild Cat Mopars was truly amazing and the staff was incredibly helpful
and accommodating. Looks like the Imperial club will be getting a link and
our Club gathering photo's on their site as the webmaster ran out with a
digital camera. Mike and I carefully parked away from the front of the
yard as we were afraid the "two tone wonder" and the "Suede
one" might look like parts cars if left unattended to long ;-) The day went too fast, goodbyes at Wild Cat, more goodbyes at dinner.
Then it was Loren, Bill, Erik and I off to the motel where we were
staying. We did however stay up for several hours drinking Loren's
wonderful home-brewed Spare Tire Ales and swapping stories. Erik and I killed most of today in one of Portland's historic antique
districts - both of us came home with several goodies! Then the 2 hour
cruise back to Walterville where I dropped Erik off and this time I got to
watch the sunset over the Coast Range as I drove home. Arrived back at 9
pm with a great Imperial weekend under my belt! Quite an amazing trip
after so long without Titanic on the road. A big thanks to Roger and Jan for helping us map out the trip and the
wonderful cake and Picnic Park selection(!), Loren for doing the maps and
the organizing, and thanks to the rest of you for showing up and making it
such a GREAT day!" Leslie, '67 Sedan, "Titanic" And the original announcement: The Northwest Imperial Picnic and
Junk Yard Prowl, scheduled for Sept. 8, 2001 continues to grow! What: 2001 Northwest Imperial Picnic & Junk Yard Prowl When: Sept. 8, 2001. All Day Event. Arrive between 8:30 AM & 11:00
AM Where: Meet at All American Classic Junk Yard, 15209 Fourth Plain Road,
Vancouver, WA We’ll leave All American Classic in Vancouver at 11:00 AM for caravan
of Imperials to Sandy, Oregon and the Wildcat Mopar Junk Yard via
Latourell Falls for a picnic lunch. We have local members who have
suggested a route for the cruise that allows us to picnic out of the wind
and then cruise on to the Wildcat Yard in Sandy. Loren_Erwin@email.msn.com and I'll put you on the list. Include your U.S. Post office address and I'll send you a set of maps
outlining the route we intend to take so you can link up with us at any
point along the way. Suggested AAA Lodging for the Northwest Imperial Picnic on Sept. 8,
2001 Best Western Sunnyside Inn I have a reservation for a king size
bed, non-smoking room for Saturday night with a AAA discount at $73.14. Some of us are now planning to stay
overnight in Portland. So, those who are going, get back to me with your
picnic choices. Those who are not yet committed who want to attend let me
know. I've gotten positive "can
go" responses from almost everyone who could not make it on any other
weekends so Sept. 8th it is! Thanks to all for their patience and
cooperation in helping get this event scheduled for a day when almost
everyone can attend. Now if only the drought will hold on for one more
month and a couple of days, we will be blessed with good weather. Loren Walter P. Chrysler Club Meet,
Parsippany, NJ - July 17-21, 2001 Dave Brown writes: "I just wanted to clarify about the
Walter P. Chrysler Club meet in Parsippany. It officially starts on
Tuesday July 17 and ends on Saturday, July 21. The car show is on Saturday
at the Sheraton Hotel in the parking lot in Parsippany. I look forward to
meeting Wayne and all the rest of you that will be attending the Carlisle
meet and the WPC Club meet. There is a description of the events that will
be happening at the WPC club meet under the "Events" section at www.imperialclub.com.
IF you plan on attending , I strongly urge anybody to become a member of
WPC Club now and pre-register for any of the weeks events you want to
participate in, otherwise you might not be able to get in on the action
due to space limitations. There is still some availability of rooms in the
host hotel for $97.00 a night." First Annual Imperial Cascades
Loop Run - July 5-8, 2001 Here are a few reports. First, the
full story and photos are on the Imperial
Club website. Also, Roger & Jan van Hoy sent a note: "We just got home at 8:45, about 3 1/2 hours on the road and 1/2
hour of pit stops from Yakima. Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality and excellent tour
guiding. We both had a great time and look forward to seeing the gang
again... ...Cascade Loop Tour (visited) some of the most beautiful parts of
this state with a group of the finest automobiles and traveling
companions we have ever met. We left Seattle bright and early at 7:30 AM Thursday for our tour of
the North Cascades. Our guide, Loren, had prepared detailed maps bound
in folders for each of us. Our first stop was at Diablo Dam, where we took an incline railway
car, a short walk, and a power boat ride on Diablo Lake to Ross Dam. The
views of the mountains and the surrounding hills were breathtaking. We then traveled east over the summit of the Cascade Mountains, with
more panoramic views around every corner. It was an awesome sight to see
a red '64 Crown followed by a white '61 convertible and a blue '66
convertible, very patriotic for the fourth of July holiday. The rest of
the caravan consisted of a bright red '61 Dodge Dart Phoenix
convertible, a '69 Ford Country Squire, and an '81 Imperial. That night we stayed at Winthrop, WA, a small town that time has
passed by. We were joined there by Dick and Jeanette in their beautiful
yellow '67 Crown. This town typifies the look of the wild west, with
false front buildings and wooden sidewalks. We did find they rolled up
the sidewalks about 9 PM. Up and going about 9:30, we traveled east and south through the high
prairies and orchards of central Washington, stopping at Leavenworth, a
"Bavarian" town nestled in the mountains. We then caravaned to
Lake Chelan, the Imperials of various vintages conquering the steep
mountain passes and rolling hills with ease. Next stop, Ellensburg, where Mike met us in his '62 coupe and
escorted us south along the scenic old highway to Yakima, the stop for
tonight. My wife and I came on home from there, so we can't wait to hear from
the others about the 3rd leg of the trip. Thanks gang for an
unforgettable journey." Dick & Jeanette reported: "We joined the Cascade loop at Winthrop and paraded south as far
as Wenatchee, and after lunch in Leavenworth, we hit the trail back to
Idaho...and the '67 started acting up, missing, hissing, no power,
barely made it up out of the Columbia River Gorge to Quincy, gassed up,
checked things over, and left for I-90, now the beast started puke-ing
on level ground, not just on hills, we had to nurse it ALL the way to
Spokane at +/- 55-60 mph. Got home 1930, all in all a great trip great
people, great cars, beautiful day, thanks everyone,..........now I have
to figure out what's bugging our IMP!" Ken Miller wrote: "Much has been written about the Cascade Loop but I want to add
my two cents although I am still out in eastern Washington. Touring with a bunch of IML’ers sure beats the heck out of
wandering around some car show seeing who has the most money. Although
we had some really nice cars in our tour, they all had a few ow-ies and
blemishes but nobody seemed to care. We enjoyed wonderful weather, incredible scenery (some even prettier
than Oregon - and that's saying something!), but most of all had a
chance to just talk with fellow Imperial lovers. What nice people! It's hard to describe the absolute joy of driving through the long
curves up and down the Cascades, top down, upper 70s, in my '61
Imperial. It turned 55,000 on the trip and it reminded me to just get
out and drive the wheels off of it. Its pitted chrome and fin dent
didn't reduce the pleasure one iota. Thanks Loren for putting this together. For heaven's sake fellow
IML’ers, come join us next year. This is what owning an Imperial and
being on the IML is all about!" And this was the planning: Final Route and Schedule for the 2001 Cascades Loop for Imperials Seattle to Winthrop, Washington, via the North Cascades Highway 20.
Overnight in Winthrop. I have reservations at the Winthrop Inn for
$65.00 ($5.00 more for your dog, Leslie). Talk to Jane at 800-444-1972.
Known as a good place for car clubs, with parking in back off the highway. Winthrop to Yakima, Washington via Lake Chelan, Levenworth, for lunch
in a small Bavarian village, Ellensburg via Blewett Pass (PEN, will you be
there to meet us?) and Yakima along the river road, Highway 821. Yakima to Mount St. Helens via Highway 12, across White Pass.
Visit the three Volcano viewing areas and return to I-5 and head for home
either north or south. 3rd Annual Midwest Imperial
Meet, Burlington and Washington, IA - June 9-10, 2001 "This year's meet, as Wayne
Jorgensen mentioned recently, will be held in Burlington, Iowa, along the
beautiful banks of the muddy Mississippi. The City of Burlington has
graciously agreed to let us block off Snake Alley, famed as Ripley's
Believe It Or Not's "Crookedest Street In The World" (eat your
heart out, San Franciscans) on Saturday afternoon, June 9. This will
provide a scenic setting for photos and a picnic/car show, as well as a
home base for an optional walking tour of homes in the Historic District
of Burlington, where many a fatcat riverboat captain built his home in the
mid-1800's. Later in the day we'll trek over to an affordable riverfront
restaurant, "Big Muddy's", for more eating and automotive
socializing. Some of you might not be able to
make it for Saturday's events, but that's OK...you can still join us in
Washington, Iowa on Sunday afternoon, June 10, for a multi-make car show
around the town's courthouse square. The Burlington crowd will be taking a
leisurely, scenic drive over to Washington that morning, with many
opportunities to swap cars and/or ride with other IML members. Those of you interested in making an
extended weekend vacation of it will find plenty to do in the area. For
those of you with children, you can camp in Geode State Park and take the
short drives to historic Fort Madison, IA or Nauvoo, IL, or tour the Amish
towns of Kalona or the Amana Colonies. For those of you without children,
one will be provided by your host for the weekend. IML'ers in Iowa, Illinois,
Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Indiana, or Wisconsin
will not want to miss this event!! Of course, hardy souls from further
away are most welcome to come. This year the long-distance winner will
receive a special prize of $50 in gas money...a $70 value if he/she
happens to be Canadian. For accommodations and complete
event itinerary, please go to: Try to let Mike or Wayne know that
you going to make it. (mtrettin@IowaTelecom.net)" First announcement: "Hey Gang: 2001 Southern IOC Meet,
Chattanooga, TN - June 8-9, 2001 - T & C famous Bottomless
Salad Bowl Total cost including tax and
gratuity is $22.50 per person. Hoosier Imperial Meet,
Indianapolis, IN - June 16-17, 2001 2nd Annual Northwest Meet,
Portland, OR - May 19-20, 2001 Here are Leslie's early reports and
Mike Sutton's report, in the "beat"
style: "The preliminary page is up for
the 2001 Oregon Imperial Meet. Take a look if you dare!?! "Well it's an exciting time
here in beautiful uptown Florence!!! After today's events we have this
update to bring to you: This is the announcement for the 2nd
Annual NW meet: What: Friday May 18th anyone in town
can meet for dinner at our 50's Cafe, Dinner at 7:30pm. You can't miss it
there's half a Cadillac on each side of the bldg, and a giant Bob's Big
Boy out front. This is just North of Hwy 126 on the west side of Hwy 101. http://www.imperialclub.com/Events/Oregon00/ http://www.florencechamber.com/EvRhody.html Imperialists
in Montgomery, AL - May 12, 2001 18th Annual Imperial Statewide
Meet - May 4-6, 2001 Bob (the editor) reports: "The Southern California Imperial Owners
Inc. (SCIO) hosted the Statewide Meet in Solvang, CA on May 4-6. We
had 55 or 56 cars show up (depending on when you counted &
entries/non-entries) which included 5 limos! These were 1939, 1949, 1954,
1956 and a 1964 Ghia, which won the Best in Show.
Several of us met at Donald's station in Birmingham Friday afternoon and
caravanned from Birmingham to Anniston. It was quite a site to be in a
line of cars on I-20 including a '56 Packard, '56 Imperial, '59 Plymouth,
'64 Imperial, '65 Imperial, and a '79 Rolls Royce. Debbie had to sit on
the greater Birmingham white AND yellow pages to see over the steering
wheel of the '56 Imperial!
We made it to Anniston Friday afternoon with no problems. Robert and
Laquetta Soule as well as Kerry and Carolyn Pinkerton were already there
when we arrived. We spent the rest of Friday afternoon playing cars
and had a really nice cocktail party and some good food Friday night. We
had to go rescue Bobby Wicker from Jackson, MS....his ammeter gauge in his
64 Crown decided to melt a few miles before he got to the hotel. Playing
Imperial Service Department is a lot of fun with flashlights!
Saturday morning I counted about 18 cars in the Parking lot...which
included:
53 Packard
54 Imperial
56 Packards (2)
56 Imperial
59 Plymouth
61 Imperial
62 Imperial
64 Imperials (3)
65 300 Convertible
65 Imperial
68 Imperials (2)
71 Imperial
83 Imperial
Sunday Chris Hawkins came by in his beautiful 1960 Chrysler New Yorker
Town and Country Wagon...and Murray VIce showed up in his 1965 Chrysler
300 Convertible. We played cars again Sunday morning and split up about
noon.
It was another great weekend at Anniston. I hope that more IML'ers can
make it in the spring. Maybe we can con Dick Benjamin and Norm Silverman
into coming. I have always enjoyed their posts and hope that I get a
chance to meet them some day. I think that Kerry and Elijah will probably
be posting some Anniston pictures soon.
Jeff Carrothers (56,59,60,62,64 Imperials0"
At the other end of the spectrum, poor old Mrs. Blueberry garnered the
fewest points of all the cars there. In fact, being judged at all was a
mistake, as I had intended to tape the sign with Do Not Judge showing,
but, in my haste, got it wrong. Oh well, it's all grins and fun, for me at
least. And, Treece did ask me if $10,000.00 would be enough to fix it up.
A thought to conjure with indeed!
There were four Imperials at the show. The two mentioned above, and
Dimitrios' 1968 and Tim's 1967, or is it vice versa? Sorry, guys, if I'm
wrong. I was waiting for someone else to mention the weekend, so tough
luck for procrastinating! Two other Imps tried to set out for the show,
but did not make it. Travis had problems with his 73 in Dallas, and George
could not get his '56 to move out of the driveway without thick, acrid
smoke pouring from the tail pipes. Two IML'ers from Houston, Guy and Mark,
came, with their families, but not their Imperials. George also came to
the show, so, at one point, we did have seven IML'ers in one place, from
five different cities, and I'll take that as a good step on the way to
more and better Texas Imperial events.
None of us folks are really show car people, it turned out, but there were
some great cars on display. A SuperBee with a $70,000 restoration, was
certainly ear catching, though I confess to walking right past it until
the money spent was mentioned. There was a fabulous 1958 Plymouth in
attendance, which won the long distance prize as well as first in class,
having come from Louisiana. The owners were a young couple. He found
several "Christine" models in the sales area. There was also a
nice 39 Dodge, and a mid '60s 300, the closest thing to an aircraft
carrier on wheels I have ever seen. That great big flat hood was enormous,
and the trunk too.
Following the show, with a detour to Gruene where Tim was staying in a
silo B&B - a rustic relic from the outside and plush as all get out on
the inside - we went down to san Antonio to get George and scope out his
'56. Outside of pictures, a parts car in a dimly lit storage shed, and one
in a scrap yard, I had never seen a '56 before. George has owned his since
1976, and I was bowled over by its mesmerizing lines and features. In
shiny black, the car oozed taste. class and style. A magnificent car, and
a potential show winner in its own right, I am sure.
We dined, by this time a party of twelve, at a famous San Antonio eatery,
Earl Abel's on Broadway. We had an interesting meal in this home of the
city's elderly blue bloods, who looked more than a little askance at us,
in our shorts and sandals. I had never been there before and may never go
back, but it was fun to be there at least once.
I gave Dimitrios a ride IN the '58, on the way back from New Braunfels.
Note to self - riding with a PHD candidate in Engineering must be viewed
in advance as an exercise in humility. Not that scoring the fewest points
earlier in the day had not been some sort of preparation! He figured out
the car was running very rich pretty quick, along with some other issues.
But he seemed to enjoy it most when I got bored with a center lane slow
poke in front of me on the freeway and suddenly put the hammer down and
neatly passed it, accelerating up to ninety with ease, though not as
smoothly as I know the car can. The car should, with the correct settings,
deliver gobs of power, on demand, in an almost seamless, almost gentle,
way. This time, you could notice the acceleration from the engine sound. I
am going to have to work on that.
So, that was our day. A limited success, but a good step in the right
direction. I ended up tallying votes in the afternoon at the show, which
was never my plan. So it goes, so it goes.
Hugh"
And here was the announcement:
'62 2 door coupe - Barry Poynter
'60 convertible, white, red interior, swivel seats, great! - John
Brauniger
'62 4 door, white - Randy Harris & son Shakka
'66 LeBaron, black, nearly perfect - Mike Porto
'56 2 door, white, ditto! - Jay Weinert
'67 Mobile Director, black - Irv Axelrod
Also a very nice tri-tone '56 New Yorker St, Regis and Kenny Cassady's
original '64 New Yorker Town & Country wagon.
In the afternoon, I went to another show in Burbank, sponsored by
Burroughs High School. Many nice cars, mostly customs and hot rods, but
Dennis Thomas had his '57 Imperial on display (blue). Very nice shape. And
a great 300D convert."
From Mike Sutton:
"Good Morning all...
We have a good potential for a great turnout but need to add some definite
commitments for food. Many wish to bring what we need, so jump in with
your favorite picnic dish before someone else does. Suggestions: Hot dogs
or brauts, a pot & propane stove; potato salad; chips & dips; raw
vegetables & dips, cold cuts & bread; deserts, etc.
If you want to be on the list and are not, please drop me a line at:
12855 SE 97th
Clackamas, Oregon
Schedules and road maps for the Picnic and Junk Yard Prowl are in the mail
for all those who notified me they are attending and included their
address.
We have a group of about twenty people coming so plan to bring food for
about half of that number. If you aren't signed up for food, send a
suggestion and I let you know if we still need it.
The last planned stop on our cruise is at a diner that caters to cruise-in
groups for dinner near Portland after the visit to Wildcat.
1964 Crown Four Door Hard Top
It's official! Here are dates, destinations and routes for the Cascade
Loop Run. All those who wish to attend are hereby invited to make
reservations for:
Thursday, July 5, 2001
Check for information at www.methownet.com or search for "Winthrop,
Washington". For those with Imperial budgets, the Sun Mountain Lodge
has rooms from $160 to $620.
Friday, July 6, 2001
I have reservations at Cavanaugh's Yakima Hotel. (Recommended by
mikanlin62.) $95.00 with a king, 19 rooms left as of 2/12/01.
800-325-4000.
Mike says we can go cruising, or take a trip out to a local winery or
both. Possible cruise down 82 to the Teapot Dome Gas Station for
Photo Ops.
Saturday, July 7, 2001
I am sponsoring an "Imperial Fourth of July Barbecue" in Seattle
for those who want to come to town for dinner and fireworks. I live a few
minutes drive from either of two big fireworks shows that start at 10:00
PM. If you plan to stay in Seattle, try to get located north of downtown.
Traffic after the fireworks show plugs up for hours but we can park and
walk and avoid the jams if you are north of the city. You might also try
to get reservations at one of the motels with views of Lake Union or
Elliott Bay where the fireworks shows are located.
We'll leave the next morning for Winthrop and plan to stop at as many view
points and fun stops as we can find along the way.
For those who wish to join all or part of this Imperial Event, please make
your reservations now. Yakima fills up fast with summer league baseball on
the weekend.
Please send me a private message if you plan to join us for some or all of
the 2001 Cascade Loop. Include your return email address so I can put
together a separate list and keep everyone advised privately.
Our plans call for about 4 1/2 hours of driving per day except on
Saturday, when the trip back to Seattle adds about two hours to the
schedule.
Contact Loren Erwin, Loren_Erwin@email.msn.com,
1964 Crown Southampton
Mark your calendars for the next Midwest
Imperial Meet, June 9-10, 2001 to be held in Iowa.
Mike Trettin is planning Saturday (June 9) activities and will welcome
your suggestions. Sunday - June 10, 2001, we will again be at the
Washington, Iowa Car Show. This is a small car show, but it is held
in a very pedestrian and family friendly town of Washington, IA - around a
very lovely town square.
Although most of our cars are "drivers" -- we actually are
contenders for trophies in two categories. Last year we showed our cars
for free. But had we known, our members would have won in at least two
categories. One was "club participation" - last year the
total number of entrants from one club was about 6 - we easily beat that!
The other category was long distance award - last year's winner 185 miles.
We also beat that category, as we had members from as far away as Canada.
So this year, we are actually going to enter, the car show, and pay the
$12 registration fee. We will probably walk away with at least two
trophies for our efforts. Of course trophies really aren't the point - fun
is - but what the heck!!
The show promoter is very accommodating and will create a special class
for us. Either an "Imperial" class or a special interest class.
What is our pleasure?
Both have some merit. When were any of us at a "mixed" car show
where there was an "Imperial" class? However, some of us don't
have an Imperial, but a related Chrysler product - NY Brougham for
example. A special interest class would allow us all to park together.
What are everyone's thoughts? Who wants to come? See you June 9-10, 2001!
Wayne Jorgensen & Mike
Trettin"
Robert M. Soule announced:
"Greetings All! This year's Southern Regional IOC Meet will be held
in Chattanooga, Tennessee the weekend of June 8th & 9th.
Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, the Southern Center for
International Studies is not available.
Do not miss this rare opportunity to get together with a few of your
fellow IML members and see some fine Chryslers & Imperials. With the
110-mile move to the north, we expect some of you Nashville, Kentucky,
Virginia, and North Carolina members to make a special effort to attend
this event. Please RSVP by email or call Robert & Laqueta Soule
if you plan to attend the Chattanooga Meet, especially if you are planning
to attend the dinner and/or cookout (soule@chattanooga.net or (423)
332-4282). We need to know how many to expect for the Friday night
cookout, the lunch in Cleveland, and the Saturday night dinner in
Chattanooga. We would also like to know what make and model car you are
bringing to the Meet.
Here is a preliminary schedule of events for the Chattanooga Meet:
Friday - Dinner, informal hamburger/hot dog cookout at 7:00 PM EDT at the
Soules' house and then a garage tour.
Saturday - Mid-morning (around 10 AM), the group would drive to Cleveland
to see Ron Bird's collection. The drive to Cleveland is about 40 miles and
should take less than an hour. Mr. Bird has been collecting cars, mostly
Chryslers and Imperials, for over 30 years. He has recently decided to
thin his fleet so some of you may go home with an extra car or two. Ron
must own around 100 cars or more, many of them are in Cleveland at both
his farm and the restoration shop he operates in town. He has 6 or 8 cars
at his home in Hixson as well. I think he still has several more stored in
various garages around town. He likes Chryslers and Imperials from the
1930's, 40's, and 50's. He has also collected several Packards from the
1930's. His collection represents a wide range of condition as well. He
has some very fine, well-restored cars, and he owns some junk, and
everything in between. The finest car in his collection, in my opinion, is
a beautifully restored 1946 Town & Country convertible.
The following is a list of some of Ron's cars: 1938 Imperial roadster,
1939 Imperial coupe (2), 1933 Plymouth Roadster, 1928 Plymouth Sedan, 1926
Desoto Roadster, 1933 Chrysler, 1948 Plymouth Sedan, 1934 Chrysler Airflow
Sedan, 1948 Chrysler Limousine, 1955 Imperial Limousine, 1958 Imperial
Ghia Limousine, 1958 Imperial Sedan, 1965 Chrysler New Yorker Station
Wagon, 1939 Chrysler New Yorker Sedan, several 30's Dodge trucks, 1936
Packard 4dr Convertible, 1937 Packard Limousine, and on and on it goes.
Saturday Lunch - The Bel Air Grill in Cleveland, Tennessee. This 1950's
auto motif restaurant is the perfect place for our group to have lunch.
The food is very good and reasonably priced.
Saturday afternoon - Meet and drive, kick tires, etc., at the Hampton Inn
in Hixson, Tennessee.
Saturday Dinner - We will be dining at a well known Chattanooga favorite,
the Town and Country Restaurant. In my opinion the Town and Country is one
of the best restaurants in Chattanooga. The food is excellent and the
prices are very modest. We will have a private room and a well lighted
cordoned off parking area for all our Imperials. For those of you not
familiar with Chattanooga, the area around the Town and Country has
recently undergone extensive renovation and redevelopment. Within easy
walking distance there is a very nice new city park with a wonderful
"old style" carrousel located on the banks of the Tennessee
River. There are several excellent establishments, near the park, where we
may choose to have dessert. Due to the size of our group, we are
required to order from the banquet menu. This means that all of us will be
served the same meal. We have selected the following meal for the Saturday
evening dinner:
- 12oz. New York Strip
- Baked Potato
- Beverage & Dessert
Accommodations - The Hampton Inn in Hixson, Tennessee. Hixson is located
on the north side of Chattanooga and is easily accessible from Interstate
75 and 24. It will provide a good, centrally located base from which to
operate. All reservations must be made no later than May 12th. and are the
responsibility of each individual. I have reserved a block of 15 rooms,
but each attendee will need to call the Hampton Inn at (423) 877-3100 and
register their own room. Be sure to mention that you are with the IOC to
receive one of the reserved rooms, as well as the discounted group rate.
Rooms not reserved by attendees by May 12th will be released. Room cost is
$69.00 and includes an "Extended Continental Breakfast Bar." The
Hampton Inn has arranged reserved parking for our group with the Jewish
Museum, which is located next door. There are ample shade trees and
parking space available. Bring your lawn chairs for both the shade trees
and the cookout at the Soules' house.
Directions - Please email me at: soule@chattanooga.net for directions
and/or additional information. See you there!"
"Welcome all Imperials &
Chryslers!
The First Hoosier Imperial gathering around Indianapolis will begin at Mr.
Bill Bundy's (11 1968 Imperials). We will attend a cruise-in, car
show (with an Imperial Class) and some driving to locations around
Indianapolis. Visit the event homepage:
http://hometown.aol.com/indyimp62/myhomepage/business.html
For more info: Steve (317-357-1936,
eMail: indyimp62@aol.com,
subject-Hoosier Meet)"
Mopars in the Park,
Shokapee, MN - June 2-3, 2001
Herb Johnson (herbj@sihope.com)
writes: "I am inviting every one who can to attend "Mopars in
the Park". This is a 2 day Mopar car show in Shokapee, MN. It's the
first weekend in June. Last year there was 4 Imperials that were there
including my 68. It would be great to see more there this year. If you
need more info., directions, etc. email me. Thanks! Herb &
Yvonne Johnson ('67 Coupe, '68 Coupe)
One Imperial disabled, one with manic depression and no will to live, and
who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Today, after several hundred miles over the last 2 weeks....a 350 mile
trip to Oregon and some in town cruising....Mikey's 62 Crown had an oil
pump failure. He was able to shut it down immediately and upon some
teardown it was discovered that the pump inner rotor stuck, and sheared
the distributor drive gear. No metal was found in the oil, a new pump and
shaft were located and with fresh oil and filter hope is all will be well.
Leslie's car had been exhibiting some schizophrenic carburetor tendencies,
but appears to be a case of worn throttle shaft causing a minor vacuum
leak. Earlier this week a stuck needle and seat or a piece of debris under
a needle gave it some small flooding situation, but all seems well for
now.
One attendant had to return home after some serious overheating, but at
today's dinner the owner stated that other than having to stop several
times to let the car cool down, there was no lasting damage.
Roger Van Hoy's brown 81 Imperial made the journey from Washington state
with no problems and is a fine example of an 81.....nice to see one Roger.
So after today's events, we are gathering the sick and wounded , taking
stock of the situation......contemplating moving to Iowa and joining the
Checker List....and seeing if we can get back to town before closing time.
Stay tuned for more live coverage from the only station in Florence
covering the Second Annual Pacific Northwest Imperial Gathering!!
Take care all......Mikey /Leslie, and the entire channel 0 news
team."
If people come to town early we can do a driving tour of the lighthouse
and Cape Perpetua and make a tour of our local Mopar lovers Yard and
Warehouse. Please check in at the Cleaners on your way into town, if you
want to be included in the driving tour on Friday.
Saturday May 19th the Rhody Show and Shine - registration starts at 8:30
am. We'll actually need to be there earlier than that to get our cars in
and drive in together so that we may park together. This year I plan on
having everyone meet in front of the Dry Cleaners in the Dunes Village
Shopping center (Hwy 101 & 126) at 7am. This show is a first come
first serve basis. Show ends at 4:00pm with deli trays at our house. This
year my '68 Ford Wagon will be serving passenger service to old town or
back to the beach for people who don't want to stay at the show all day.
Cruise at 6:00pm! Last year we made a few loops and then did other
stuff.... I think this year might be fun to take cruises in each
others cars. Bob and I rode with Loren and Patty last year, it's nice to
experience other year Imperials... So this year I suggest we switch around
on different loops... You can find out about places to stay (everything
from camping to first class accommodations) on the page for the meet:
http://www.imperialclub.com/Events/Rhody.htm
See the pictures from last year's Meet:
In addition to the car events, there is a Harley ride in, a Rhody Show,
Arts and Crafts show, a carnival, and numerous other things going on. This
is a BIG event for our little town. Read more and see a complete listing
of events on:
Jeff Carrothers notified us "Bill Mahoney has invited all IML members
to his house for the day on Saturday, May 12, 2001. His address is 4317
Remmington Court, Montgomery, Alabama.
Bill has a nice car collection, including a '56 Packard Caribbean
Convertible, a '36 Cord, a '47 Continental, and a '63 Continental
Convertible. We will gather at his house around 10:30 Saturday Morning,
kick tires, and have a picnic lunch.
Around 1:00 we will head over to see around 20 cars in the Knox Kershaw
Collection. Knox has some very rare cars including the one-of-a-kind 1935
Duesenberg "Morman Meteor", which broke all land speed records
the year that it was built. We will then proceed to Pat Ryans' and see the
Prisma collection. This consists of 40-50 cars. This is a great chance to
see some really unique and unusual cars. We would love for you to bring
your Imperial and join us for the day. Email Donald Taccone at pacdoc1956@aol.com
for directions/information or call him at 205-252- 0250 (7am to 6pm
Mon-Fri) . We hope to see you there!"
We had visitors from quite a distance - including Hans Schoor & Renee
Ransbottom from Switzerland, Ed Trenn from DC, Chris Hawkins and Cecil
McCall from Atlanta, Ed Trenn from DC, Bill White from New Jersey, Norm
and Louisa Hall from Michigan and a few others (need to check memory banks
on those!)
And we had Imperials that were new to the statewide meet, including 2 '66
LeBarons that put mine in the shade - a near perfect triple black one
owned by Mike Porto and a very tricked out "twin" to my Regal
Blue model - except for the hi-po engine, wire wheels, disc brakes, dual
master, overdrive and much chrome in the engine compartment! A serious
investment of time & $$!
My 1966 outside the Scandinavian Inn (click it!)
The show was great, as were the tech sessions by Roy
Braatz (spectacular '57 convertible) on the Southwind gas heater and John
Lloyd on "detailing for quality".
We had many entries for '56, '62-'63, and one each '72,'73,'74,'75,'81 and
'92.
Next year the Northern California Imperial Owners Club will host this
event, but it's still trying to settle on late April or May for a date.
The location will be Cambria, not far from the Hearst Castle. Join a club
for future advance announcements!"
Gregg Wright wrote: "My family and I spent a couple of glorious hours
at the California statewide meet this past Saturday. To see so many
'Imperial beauties' in one place was more than an awesome sight. I
have posted some pics my 8 year old son and I took at:
http://klia.net/imperial/solvang/
Imperial regards to all!"
Bill White ('55 Imperial Newport) also send a note: "I have posted
80% of my Solvang photos. If you click on the same image twice you can
view the highest resolution picture and also the best picture for down
loading. The final 24 pictures will be posted this weekend.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=16211&a=12890337&f=0&sp=0
Since PhotoPoint is going to a pay system in June these photos will be
removed at the end of this month."
The first
official announcement of the meet - with hotel reservation information
(meet headquarters) and event details - was sent by mail in early February
to 300+ current and former club members of the Southern California
Imperial Owners Inc., the Northern Imperial Owners Club (NCIOC) and the
Imperial Owners Association of Sacramento Valley (IOASV).
The registration
packet, with a registration form and complete meet details, was mailed
to the same list on March 4 – our goal was to encourage entries of
Imperials and promote good fellowship among Imperial owners and fans!
North East Imperial Owners
Club Spring Picnic - April 22, 2001
Where: Clayton Russell's house
28 Columbine Ave.
South Glens Falls, NY 12803
(518) 798-1214
Rain or shine! RSVP by April 15, bring chairs and a salad or dessert!
Directions: From most points (Southwest and East): Take I-87 North from
Albany 45 miles to exit 17N. At exit, take Rt. 9 North 3 miles to 2nd
light. Take Nolan Road on left. Go 3/10 mile on Nolan. Turn right on
Columbine Avenue, 2nd house on left (#28).
Bob Merritt, rcmerritt@aubcom.com
SCIO Event, The Nethercutt Museum - March 24, 2001
We had a nice SCIO event on March 24 at the Nethercutt Museum and Collection, 15180 Bledsoe Street, Sylmar, CA (see map or call 818-367-2251 for directions). The new museum and library are spectacular! We shared the parking lot with the Rolls-Royce club - many very nice mid-sized cars.
As many members will recall, the SCIO had a guided tour of the
Nethercutt Collection several years ago. Last year, an entirely new Museum
was opened across the street from the Collection and, unlike the
Collection, this is open, without a need for reservations. The Club tried
to also make reservations for the Collection guided tour, but this
wasn’t possible (everyone is always free to call directly to check for
cancellations). Tours are 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and last 2 hours.
So we were "unguided" and met at 9:30 am to visit the Museum. We
had lunch at about noon and drive to Pasta Michi’s Italian Restaurant
(13919 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar, 818-362-5827, 3.5 miles from the Museum).
This was a great location for lunch - highly recommended! After
lunch, a few returned to the Nethercutt or caravaned down to Memory Lane,
a well-known salvage yard specializing in "classics". After our
drive and arrival, we were again mostly "unguided"! It was a
very good day for Imperials!
Packard & Imperial Spring Meet in Anniston, AL - March 23-25, 2001
Elijah Scott reported: "First,
a big thank you to Donald & Debbie, Jeff, Kerry, and everyone else who
had a hand in putting together this terrific meet! This is the second time
I've gone to Anniston for the combined Packard and Imperial club meet, and
I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it was! I can't wait for the
fall meet in October.
I've uploaded some pictures from the meet at http://library.gcsu.edu/~elijah/Anniston/.
They're in random order right now, but I'll get them sorted out later.
Ever wondered what it's like to drive a '56 Imperial? Check out the MPEGs
of this experience on the web page above! Happy Motoring!"
And the announcement: "The dates have been set for the Spring 2001
Anniston Imperial/Packard meet! The meet will be the weekend of March 23,
24, and 25. Mark your calendars!
The meet will be held at the Victoria Inn in Anniston, Alabama. The rooms
are $65.00 per night, which includes a free southern breakfast on Saturday
and Sunday morning. Some of us will drive over Friday afternoon, and some
will be arriving Saturday morning. We will have dinner together at the
Hotel's restaurant Saturday evening. Last fall we had over 20 cars attend
and a spectacular weekend! You can read a report by Kerry Pinkerton and
see pictures on the Imperial Club Website under "events".
Call Donald Taccone to make your reservations as soon as possible. He is
available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at 800-801-1956 or
you can email him at pacdoc1956@aol.com.
Let him know your room preference (smoking or non) (king/queen/double), 1
or 2 nights, what car you will be bringing, and if you will be joining us
for dinner Saturday night.
Email Donald or myself if you have any questions. My email address is jeff@parkdev.com.
I am planning on driving my 62 LeBaron. I will put together a list of
cars/owners planning to attend as you let us know. Hope to see you there!
Jeff Carrothers"
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