PRESIDENT S MESSAGE. San Diego Region. Volume 45 Issue 9 October 2008

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1 San Diego Region PRESIDENT S MESSAGE This issue of the Newsletter is devoted primarily to the Cruisin Grand Weekend and what a weekend it was! As one of the highlights of the program year, we saw outstanding participation, great fellowship, and wonderful opportunities to tell the Packard story to others. What did I like most? Letting a young girl from Philippi s Pizza honk a few horns, giving away bumper stickers to two young people and a couple of hats to new members, educating some car enthusiasts on their Packard questions, and meeting friends and acquaintances who just happened to drop by. Giving out awards is also fun. Good stuff. The weekend would not have been such a great success without a lot of volunteer effort, headed up by Mark Burnside who was the lead for the weekend activities. Other significant leads were Paul Santy for the Friday tours, Steve Ross for the Concours judging, and Phil Pizzuto for Camp Pendleton on Sunday. Note that every member of the board played a role in some way to make this a success, and a number of the wives also stepped in. Great work, team. Let s not also forget our sponsors Alan Taylor, Restoration Supply, and Yesterday s Radio and the Bernardo Winery all contributed to help make the weekend a success and reasonably priced please consider Alan for your next repair/restoration work, Restoration Supply for a variety of general supplies and consumables, and radio and interior plastic parts that Yesterdays offers. I ve personally used all 3 vendors in the past, and the Winery has a number of other special events worth your consideration. PI was also there, and their participation was also a key to the success of the weekend. The collection of Packards at both Cruisin Grand and the Concours was impressive. For this in part we need to thank our fellow Southern California participants we had cars drive down from as far north as Oxnard (Dr. Murphy, visit his museum if you haven t already) and from Palm Springs (the magnificent 4 Door Convertible Darrin of Dave France). I hope you all arrived home safely and without any problems. One of the better questions I was asked was if most of the cars had come in on trailers I saw a jaw drop when I replied that they were all DRIVEN in. Thanks also to Packard they built great cars! Todd Schonenberg President San Diego Region Volume 45 Issue 9 October 2008 Inside this issue President s Message/Calendar 1 Ads 2 Cruisin Grand/Concours 3-4 Photo page 5 Holiday/Christmas Party President Todd Schonenberg (760) Schoneys@cox.net V.P. Richard Schauer Packard1934@sbcglobal.net Treasurer Steve Ross (619) inewsx@sbcglobal.net Secretary Brian Wagner wagnerindy@sbcglobal.net Membership Karl Ramsing kpramsing@sbcglobal.net (760) Projects Paul Santy pjsanty@sbcglobal.net Historian Richard Mills rmills704@cox.net Newsletter Gary Wysong (619) gwysong@cox.net EVENT CALENDAR An additional event is being planned for October or November. Please watch for a supplemental and check the Packardsandiego.org website for more information. November 14-16: Arizona Region 35 th Anniversary Celebration at Lake Havasu, AZ Website: packardsandiego.org Find P.I. San Diego information, links to P.I. Chapters & P.I. National Events December 13: Annual Holiday Party at the Lazy H Restaurant in Pauma Valley January 11, 2009: La Jolla Motor Car Classic at La Jolla Cove

2 Packards International San Diego Region October 2008 Page 2 FOR SALE CARS AND PARTS For Trade or Sale: I have just acquired many Packard parts, some are: 1948 Parts: Front fenders, inner-fenders, springs, gas tank, front and rear bumpers (come with splash-guards & over-riders), wheels and rear window (all good); hood (fair); 1947 Hood (good); (4-dr) with no engine, rear fenders or trunk lid. (Street rod project?) I need back-up parts for my & Pass Executive. Bob Huntoon robert.huntoon@gmail.com Wanted: 46 or 47 Clipper Club Sedan with 8 cylinder engine. Fred Puhn at fredpuhn@cox.net or call For Sale: 4 fenders for a senior 36, Right front not in good condition, but other 3 easily prepped for paint/install. Call Rick Hagen R_Hagen@cox.net For P.I. San Diego Members: Do you have a collector car or parts for sale? To place an ad in our newsletter, Gary Wysong at gwysong@cox.net or call If you have an address at home or work, but get your newsletter by regular mail, Gary Wysong to be placed on our list. For Sale 1940 Ford Tudor Sedan Deluxe $25,000 or best offer (760) Members: Your Board needs your Recommended Services/Parts persons or firms that you have had favorable dealings with during restoration and preservation of your Packards. Please send person/firm (name/address/phone number) to Mark Burnside at markburnside@cox.net where he will post this on our updated website. We are also accumulating a list to publish for your use Karl Ramsing San Diego Automotive Museum needs Volunteers We need dedicated men and women to assist us as docents, restoration workers, library assistants and automotive detailers. Join a fun team of people who enjoy the culture of automobiles and the culture of Balboa Park. No experience necessary! We will train! If you have any questions, call Dean Endres at x2238. For Sale: 52 Packard Ultramatic Sedan, new paint white, very good chrome. In outdoor storage for a few years. Car supposedly runs great. Body shop will repaint car any color. $8,000 Contact: Triple A Auto Body & Paint, Angel Felix at Packard 4 door sedan, 1700 series, Model 110, Midnight blue, full on frame restoration, flying lady, mint orig interior condition. Price: $19,200 Send for 4 photos, ext and int. Sylvia Valenzuela, Cedar City, UT 1812sylvia@infowest.com Check these two websites for Packard Information: Packardinfo.com yesterdays-cars.com/packard_clubs.htm Buy Packard parts at the packardsandiego.org website From a 47 Packard Custom Super Touring Sedan: 2 front brakes, complete, with fresh linings, cylinders and drums cleaned. Asking $300 FOB Oceanside, CA, Jerry Coburn, Have you done any work on your Packard? Send Gary Wysong a note about any improvements you have made Packard Executive 2Dr Hardtop, 99.9% complete, some rust, project car, only 1,018 made. Dan Brumbaugh Packard Custom 8, unrestored. Contact: Beth Popa, Poway, CA Packard Member of the Month: We would like to feature ANY member(s) and their Packard. Please write a brief article about yourself, how and why you acquired your Packard, restoration progress and anything else you would like to share about your Packard. Mail or one or two photos and your story to Gary Wysong

3 Cruisin Grand Weekend What a weekend! Tour Guide Mark Burnside planned a marvelous series of events that kept us busy and entertained. It kicked off with a meeting of Packards and their owners for lunch at the impressive Stone Brewing World & Bistro on Citracado Parkway in western Escondido. Some of us chose from a plentiful list of beers, ales and wines as our appetizer, then selected our lunch entrée which some generously shared across the table. After this enjoyable lunch, we gathered to carpool across the parkway to the entrance of the San Diego Gas & Electric/SEMPRA Palomar Energy Center. Tour Director - Paul Santy arranged a very interesting tour of this remarkable power plant that was built in the small valley of an excavated hill. This design allows for the noise to be directed upward, making happier commercial neighbors in the adjoining industrial park. After parking the Packards, we were met by our guide from the facility, Carl La Peter. We donned hard hats, looking very official, and entered the control room with its many computer screens and indicators to run the power plant. We left this quiet sanctuary and exited to hear the loud hum of engines, turbines and fans and saw gas turbine generators, transformers, circuit breakers and miles of pipe and wires. The plant was automated, and could be run with one operator inside and one outside, with a small maintenance crew. The computers were capable of adjusting the power output every 5 minutes, according to needs of the California Independent System Operator, power grid. The Plant opened in April 2006, and is capable of producing 550 megawatts of power, enough to service 350,000 to 400,000 homes. The plant operates on natural gas to fuel two turbine generators and one heat recovery steam generator. Hot exhaust from the gas turbines is used to help boil water to operate the steam generator. This technology makes this power plant 55% efficient, compared to 35% efficiency for a more traditional power plant. We saw cables transmitting 230,000 volts of power that is distributed locally and throughout the southwest. After the power plant tour, we carpooled back across the parkway to wait for our guided tour of the Stone Brewery. The brewery was much larger than we expected 75,000 square feet of space and capable of brewing 90,000 barrels of beer each year. Our tour guide, Phil, was very knowledgeable on the ingredients, chemistry, process and results of making good beer. We saw the ingredients and huge tanks where the mash, fermentation and filtering processes occur before the final bottling. Stone Brewery prides itself in using the finest barley, hops and yeast to produce some exceptional tasting lagers and ales. After the tour, everyone was invited to belly up to the bar and sample up to four brews. As we checked our watches, it was after 4 p.m., and time to drive the Packards to our parking area off Grand Avenue in Escondido. At Cruisin Grand, there were hordes of people anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Packards. Young and old alike, there were admiring glances at the cars, many comments and lots of questions for us to answer. As usual, there were many knowledgeable car people that knew their Packards, and some that made up their own facts about our cars. It was all fun, and after 5:15 p.m. we had our chance to walk across 2 nd Avenue to get our barbeque dinner, cooked over mesquite charcoal by our caterers, Jack and Cari. At about 6:50 p.m., we staged our cars to start our circular parade route up Grand Avenue and back. The parade started just after 7 p.m., included several city officials as passengers and pleased many spectators, even the ones that drove brand X cars and hotrods to the event. One of the founding members of the San Diego Region, Les Hill, was brought to Cruisin Grand as a spectator by his daughter. We fixed Les up with a barbeque dinner and a ride in the shotgun seat with Phil Pizzuto in his 39 Sedan for the Packard Parade. The following PI members registered to participate over the weekend with their Packards: Ralph & Connie McNeil, ; Dale & Debbie Costanzo, Touring; David Grice, ; Karl & Peggy Ramsing, Convertible Coupe; Dana & Lianne Graham, 1929 Dietrich Deluxe Dual Cowl Phaeton; Dal & Gwen Keil ; Jim & Catherine Woolsey, Limo; David Louzek, CD; Art & Linda Wesselman, Station Sedan; Todd & Debbie Schonenberg, Super 8 Touring Sedan; Steve Ross, Super 8 Touring Sedan; Phil Pizzuto, Door Sedan; Fred & Carol Mauck, Limo (substitute driven); D. David France, Darrin 4-Door Convertible; Brian Wagner, ; Gary & Ann Wysong, Door Touring Sedan; Leigh & Mary Lou Johnson, ; Richard & Janet Petrosino, (substitute driven); Mark Burnside & Sydney Kirkland, Limo; Ken & Sandy Ruminer, 1949 Sedan; Scott Melcer, 1953 Caribbean Convertible; Rick & Pam Zakhar, 1954 Caribbean Convertible; Don Hull, 1955 Patrician; Jay & Dee Johnson, 1956 Caribbean Hardtop (substitute driven); Joe Ventura, Leigh Johnson won the President s Trophy at Cruisin Grand on Friday night. On Saturday, September 13, 2008, the Vito s Park area of Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo was the site of the first San Diego Region Concours d Elegance. Twenty three vintage Packards from the San Diego and SoCal Region of Packards International Motorcar Club were on the field to be viewed and enjoyed by both Packard owners and the public. Nine of these fine motorcars were judged by a team of three judges. Bob Gunthorp was the judging team leader with Jim Woolsey and Dutch Parker. Steve Ross, was Chief Judge. Thankfully, the Chief Judge had very little to do because the judging team was extremely knowledgeable, competent, and proficient in judging these truly magnificent automobiles. Bernardo Winery is surrounded by residential areas, but once we arrived it felt like we were isolated out in the country. We snaked our way through their parking lots, finally driving down to enter the lawn at the south end of the property. What a pleasure it is to drive a Packard onto the grass! The green lawn enhances the appearance of any Packard. We backed our cars into position and started conversations with our neighbors. Several gazebos provided chairs and shade, and Carol Mauck set up her customary table to offer Packard wares. Many of us took advantage of the Café Merlot restaurant for lunch at the winery. Our sponsors staffed their shaded tables and talked about their services. About 2:00 p.m., three photographers dressed in black arrived and asked if they could photograph the cars. Later, the groomsmen from the scheduled 4:30 p.m. wedding arrived to have their photos taken near and inside some of the cars.

4 A 1940 Darrin four door convertible was present and was one of the show stoppers. This automobile was on the field at Pebble Beach in This model Darrin is one of nine still in existence of the original eleven built. It is not often that a local car show will have a Pebble Beach entrant in attendance. The winners at the Concours d Elegance were: Best 20s Packard 1929 Model 626 Convertible Coupe, Karl & Peggy Ramsing; Best 30s Packard 1938 Model 1600 Station Sedan, Art & Linda Wesselman; Best 40s Packard 1940 Darrin Model 1807 Four Door Convertible, D. David France; Best 50s Packard 1954 Caribbean Convertible, Jay & Dee Johnson; People s Choice Award 1929 Dietrich Deluxe Dual Cowl Phaeton, Dana & Lianne Graham; and Best In Show owned by Karl & Peggy Ramsing. The vehicle was complete with the original tool kit and a set of period golf clubs. President Todd Schonenberg and one sponsor handed out each award. To say that the competition was tough would be an understatement. Every car on the field was capable of winning on any given day and car show. Some of the cars not judged would have made the judges task more difficult had they not been for display only. The Concours was made possible by generous sponsorships from Bernardo Winery, Alan Taylor Company, Restoration Supply and Yesterday s Radio. All of these sponsors had a presence at the Concours event, and each of the class trophies awarded featured a sponsor s name. Please consider using products and services of these sponsors whenever possible. Both the San Diego Region and the SoCal Region of Packards International are truly appreciative of their generous support. The official photographer for this event was the lead judge Bob Gunthorp. Bob is active in the Antique Automobile and Mercedes Benz Club of America and serves as a judge for several major San Diego area car shows. On Sunday, the schedule began with a meeting at 7:30 a.m. in front of the hotel for the caravan to Camp Pendleton, an opportunity to share our cars with U.S. Marines. The caravan stopped at Rancho Guajome Adobe Park for refreshments, then continued to the military base for the 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. car show. All in all it was a fantastic weekend for a Packard lover, a variety of interesting events as Packards graced the roads of San Diego County. Cruisin Grand Friday Photos Power Plant Tour Cruisin Grand on Friday night Cruisin Grand on Friday night President s Award Les Hill by Karl Ramsing s 29 Ralph & Connie McNeil Leigh Johnson 39 Super 8 Touring Sedan Joe Ventura s Convertible Coupe Scott Melcer s 53 Caribbean

5 Concours Saturday Photos Packards at the vineyard Packards on the green Packards on the field Best 20s Packard Best In Show Ramsing s Best 30s Packard Art & Linda Wesselman s 38 Best 40s Packard D. David France s 40 Darrin Best 50s Packard Jay & Dee Johnson s 54 Caribbean People s Choice Award Dana & Lianne Graham Dana & Lianne Graham s 29 Dietrich

6 THE 2008 PACKARDS INTERNATIONAL SAN DIEGO REGION CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY PARTY Steve Ross On Saturday December 13, 2008 the Packards International Club, San Diego Region is again having it s holiday blow out at the Lazy H Steak Ranch in Pauma Valley. We can take this occasion to remember our fun times this past year with our Packards, make new friends in our club and visit with your Packardite friends. We have completed another fantastic year of Packard events with our annual Crusin Grand weekend and our CON- COURS D'ELEGANCE at the Bernardo Winery. We had a 2006 Pebble Beach entry at the show, a 1940 Darrin four door convertible, one of 9 left in the world. Our very own Karl Ramsing won first his class as well as best in show!! If we are lucky Karl will have the Great Gatsby at the party. You owe it to yourself to take a day and enjoy your Packard automobile and friends. We are having the party early in the afternoon so that those of you who are not comfortable driving the Packard after dark can make it home before you turn into a pumpkin. I encourage, beg, plead, beseech and will whine if necessary to get you to drive the Packard to this event. I will give a prize to the oldest Packard and the Packard that traveled the furthest to get to the party. Please do not forget to tell us your menu selection when you send your reservation. ANNOUNCING OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY/CHRISTMAS PARTY WHERE: LAZY H STEAK HOUSE IN PAUMA VALLEY WHEN: DECEMBER 13, 2007 MENU: COST: TIME: PRIME RIB, BROASTED CHICKEN OR SALMON, SALAD, BEVERAGE (SOFT), BREAD, BAKED POTA- TO OR VEGGIES. NO HOST BAR (PAY FOR YOUR OWN DRINKS) $30.00 PER PERSON 1:00 PM SOCIAL HOUR, DINNER AT 2:00 PM. EACH ATTENDEE BRING A GIFT COSTING UNDER $15.00 FOR THE GIFT EXCHANGE. DIRECTIONS: FROM I-15 TAKE THE CA STATE ROUTE 76 EAST TOWARD THE PALA CASINO. APPROX- IMATELY 15 MILES FROM I-15 AND ABOUT 9 MILES PAST PALA CASINO. LAZY H ON THE RIGHT AND HAS A LARGE SIGN. SEND YOUR CHECK WITH MENU SELECTION TO: STEVE ROSS, FRUITVALE ROAD, VALLEY CENTER, CA BY December 9, CONTACT STEVE AT; OR , INEWSX@SBCGLOBAL.NET DRIVE YOUR PACKARD S IF YA GOT EM!