November 2004 Volume 22 Number 11

Transcription

1 November 2004 Volume 22 Number 11 Here are the Wine Tasters after enjoying some outstanding wines at Benessere Vineyards just south of Calistoga in the beautiful Napa Valley wine country. ACTIVITY NOTICE Sunday, November 14, 2004 is the Annual NCKCC BRUNCH at the Ryde Hotel starting at 10:00 a.m. Cost per person is only $18 after the Club Member Instant Rebate. Send checks to Treasurer before November 7th to assure your reservation. (See page 2 for more info)

2 Page 2 NCKCC News - November 2004 NCKCC ANNUAL SUNDAY BRUNCH NOVEMBER 14 By Carolina Williams Another year is now coming to a close and it s time to reflect on this year s joys and plan for next year s pleasures! Please join us for our annual champagne brunch, planning meeting and election on Sunday, November 14 th at the Ryde Hotel in Walnut Grove at 10:00 a.m. The cost will be $18 a person for members. Guests are welcome, but we must charge $28 per person for guests, since the club subsidizes club member s brunch in the amount of $10. Please make your checks payable to NCKCC and mail to the Treasurer, 3317 Ellesmere Ct., Walnut Creek, CA by Sunday, November 7 th. We must give the restaurant a firm head count by then. Although the menu changes weekly, a typical Sunday Brunch selection is served from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Price includes House Champagne, Orange Juice, Coffee and Soft Drinks. Driving directions are as follows to the Ryde Hotel, Highway 160, Walnut Grove, CA 95690: follow the signs to Walnut Grove. Go through Locke to Walnut Grove. Turn right over the bridge, then turn left onto Hwy 160. Follow road 3 miles to Ryde. From Stockton: Take I-5 North to Thornton/Walnut Grove Exit. Follow signs to Walnut Grove. At the stop sign turn left over bridge. Then left on to Hwy 160. Follow road for 3 miles to Ryde. From Contra Costa: Take Hwy 4 to the Antioch Toll Bridge. Go toward Rio Vista-the road turns into Hwy 160. Stay on Hwy 160 Rio Vista, Through Isleton, then left over the bridge, then right (still on Hwy 160) approx. 6 miles to Ryde. From San Francisco: Take 80 East to 580 East (toward Oakland) then take Hwy 24 toward Walnut Creek. Take 680 N.E. toward Martinez/Concord to Hwy 242 (Pittsburgh/Antioch) to Hwy 4 to the Antioch Toll Bridge. After the Antioch Bridge the road becomes Hwy 160. Stay on Hwy 160 all the way past Rio Vista, Through Isleton, then left over the bridge, then right (still on Hwy 160) approx. 6 miles to Ryde. A map is included on the address cover of the newsletter for your assistance. From Sacramento: Take I-5 South approx. 20 minutes to the Twin Cities Road Exit.At the stop sign Turn right

3 NCKCC News - November 2004 Page 3 WINE TOUR 2004 By Vern Hance In spite of an early October rain warning we had a good turnout for our annual Wine Event arranged by Leanne Jones. Although the weather was overcast, we stayed dry and saw no rain until late Saturday. We met at the Holiday Inn in Vallejo and found several of our group having breakfast. After another cup of coffee we headed north for the Benessere Vineyard near Calistoga. After a tour of the fascilities we started tasting. The Gewurztraminer was elegant and as we moved to the reds, the Sangiovese and the Zinfandels just kept getting better. I got spoiled right there and nothing surpasssed these wines for the rest of the day. Benessere is Italian for wellbeing and the wine lived up to its namesake. Next we went to the Frank Family Vineyard, where we learned that this was one of Marylin Monroe s favorite spots. Their collection of Monroe memorabilia is interesting. The first tastings were some of their sparkling wines. I came home with a red champagne which will be reserved for New Years Eve. Then after tasting several other wines we gathered in the picnic area for our lunch. Our final stop was the Von Strasser Winery. Here we were treated to a tour of their 6,000 square foot cave area and a private tasting area with our own guide. We savored the Cabernet and several other reds then moved to the sales area where I managed to get a taste of their Zinfandel Port (limit 2 bottles). It was good, but at the premium price it commanded I will have to have some very special occasion to open it! Another outstanding tour thanks to Leanne!! That enthusiasm was shared by attendees, Chuck & Sue Maddux + guests Frank & Nancy Carver, James & Wendy Wagner, Marty & Bette Rosenthal, Dave & Leanne Jones + guests Anibal & Sandy Valadas and Vern & Carol Hance.

4 Page 4 NCKCC News - November 2004 NCKCC STORE NOW OPEN By Vern Hance Store? What store? Well here is one of our better kept secrets. If you go to our website < you will find a link to the NCKCC STORE right on our home page. The merchandise is limited to four colors of T-shirts and two styles of caps, but we can easily add some other items if there is a demand. I would like some feedback on the T-shirt design in particular. The current shirt has the new NCKCC Logo on the front along with 3 club members cars. In talking to several people I got the impression that they strongly preferred the graphics on the front of the shirt. However we could (at no additional cost) have the same logo on the back plus a NCKCC Handcrafted Automobiles imprint on the left front of the shirt. (this would be the logo shown on the hats) Unfortunately, we can t have two different t-shirt designs unless we pay an extra fee for that service and unless we develop massive sales it does not make economic sense. internet business that accepts online orders and produces the merchandise, collects the money and ships the product to the customer. Our club sets our price above their base price and this profit is remitted to the club periodically. I have set the current prices with a $2 or $3 markup to provide the club some revenue. However, since hardly anyone knows about our store, our sales have yet to start. Another interesting possibility for you computer guys, is to design your own shirt or hat or coffee mug with your own graphic on it. The club won t get any money but it is a service that CafePress offers. Go to for details. I have already taken a picture of someone s car at the San Leandro, stripped out the background and sent it to him so he can creat his own personal car T-shirt. Well, now that you know, I expect sales of club T-shirts and hats to accelerate. Here s a look at the hat in case you re interested. I have considered adding a coffee mug with the same logo as the hat, so there is another feedback item you can send me. The company that makes this possible is called CafePress.com. They are an

5 NCKCC News - November 2004 Page 5 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The following seven new members joined us during our San Leandro Show. Louis & Jane Boscacci live in Novato, (415) , and have rejoined us after dropping out briefly. Louis has a M- B 500K Heritage kit for sale, still in the box. I learned that he also has an Auburn Speedster with a broken fender, which will probably be repaired soon with some advice he picked up at our San Leandro show. Welcome Aboard. We hope to see you at many of our monthly events and look forward to becoming better acquainted. SB-1784 COLLECTOR MOTOR VEHICLES (Approved by Governor July 5, 2004) SECTION 1. Section 259 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 259. Collector motor vehicle means a motor vehicle owned by a collector, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 5051, and the motor vehicle is used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, and preservation, and is not used primarily for transportation. NEW SMOG BILL - AB2683 On September 23, 2004 our Governor gave his approval to Assembly Bill 2683, authored by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-San Jose). The bill seeks to rid California s air of tons of harmful pollutants by ending the rolling thirty-year exemption on smog checks. The measure would permanently exempt all pre-1976 model year vehicles from smog checks while keeping vehicles with a model year of 1976 or later in the smog check program. Effective date is 4/1/05. An interesting feature of AB-2683 is its tie-in with SB-1784 which defines Collector Motor Vehicles. AB-2683 provides that, defined collector motor vehicles for which proof of insurance is submitted on that basis in accordance with BAR regulations, and that are at least 35 model-years old, shall be subject to otherwise applicable exhaust emissions standards, but shall not be required to pass a visual and functional inspection of emission equipment, other than a functional inspection of the fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuel leaks. Seems like a consolation prize for collectors that reduces the smog hassle for 35-year-old cars, provided they are not daily drivers. So now we have 35-year rolling exemption rather than a 30-year rolling exemption!

6 Page 6 NCKCC News - November 2004 ALLARD RIDES AGAIN As your Editor I have been a reader of Autoweek for some years. I have been offended frequently by their profound and repeated distaste for Kit Cars. A recent Autoweek article by Kevin A. Wilson appears to be a positively enthustiastic report on the Allard J2x Mk 1 built by Allard Motor Works (AMW). AMW purchased the Allard trademark rights from an unnamed company in California that built fiberglass kit cars. Here are some excerpts from the Wilson article. The Allard marque has been revived in the form of a J2X roadster faithful to the original s appearance, updated with modern technology, and we drove it over the [Watkins] Glen s original 6.6-mile public road course.... It s a blast to drive and appears to be a solidly engineered piece, with looks authentic enough to please not only the informed racing fans, but also the owners of the originals, assembled for the club s annual Allard Gathering. Built in Champlain, New York, by Montreal-based Allard Motor Works, the new J2X Mk1 has its own intriguing story. AMW founder Roger Allard knows of no familial relation to Sydney Allard, whose firm stopped making cars in While searching for Austin- Healey literature at a swap meet Roger tripped across some Allard material instead. A car with my name on it was interesting enough, but the more l learned about it, the more excited I got, Allard remembers. As he researched, he found a California company with rights to the trademark, building kit cars with an authentic-looking body in fiberglass using a mold pulled from an original J2X. The owner was ready to get out of the business, and sold Allard the brand and molds. Allard founded AMW in He arranged with the Allard Registry in England to have the cars included in the register and assigned serial numbers in a continuation sequence from the end of the original line in A new tube-frame chassis with independent suspension all around was engineered and the powder coated steel frame is a bit longer than the original s, yielding a four-inchlonger cockpit. It incorporates dual roll hoops under the cowl, side-impact protection (the thicker doors are one of the few visual cues that the body isn t an original), integrated crumple zones and protective structure around the driveshaft and fuel tank. The rear dual-control-arm suspension attaches to a subframe that also carries the differential in its nine-inch castaluminum housing and inboardmounted Wilwood disc brakes, a step up from the original J2 s dedion rear axle and drums. Up front, AMW s own dual-control-arm design replaces Sydney Allard s odd split solid axle, notorious for bizarre camber change. Four-piston calipers grab the front Wilwood discs. Wheels are 72-spoke Dayton wires, with sharp-looking but nonfunctional Allard-branded knockoffs, attached by five lug nuts.

7 NCKCC News - November 2004 Page 7 Under the hood is GM s Ramjet 350 V8 coupled to a Tremec five-speed. All the way around the course, it struts the stuff of a real sports car, with sharp turn-in, strong brakes and healthy doses of dragster-like acceleration out of the slower turns. Stuffing 420 hp into a 2800pound car is a formula for excitemeet, yet this 21stcentury chassis feels solid and eager to run. This is so even though, technically, it s a kit car. [emphasis added] You order a chassis built at the factory and then arrange with AMW (allardj2x.com) to have one of its approved installers put a drive-train in it. Allard is hot on the trail of the upcoming Chrysler Hemi crate engine as an option, and is negotiating for a Cadillac V8, perhaps the rear-drive Northstar setup from the new STS, or even its upcoming STS-V model. The car is a blast to drive, and exceeded our expectations in matters of build quality and modernity of its engineering, and the company s owner is as passionate as they come. We wish AMW success, not least because we d really like to drive the J2X Mk1 a few more times. After all, we need to check it out with a Cad, and a Hemi, and take it to Elkhart Lake and Pebble Beach and YEAR-END ROSTER Where you usually find pages 6 & 7, you will find I have printed our club roster, as it stands on November 1, There are undoubtedly a number of errors that should be corrected, but I can t do it without your help. There may be some that you have told me to make but I failed to do for various reasons. Please review your, name address, phone and address and then send a note to the Editor, 3317 Ellesmere Ct., Walnut Creek, CA or to nckcc@astound.net Please forgive the small print. I wanted to get it all on one page that you can post next to your phone or computer to make it easier to communicate with your fellow club members. Note that I have deliberately omitted your street address. Also for the kit car clubs and other organizations with which we share the newsletter, your page 6 & 7 will be blank. We trust you will understand in this new privacy-oriented world we live in. Reminds me that we are, after all, just car guys. If it s built right who cares if its called a kit car or not!

8 Page 8 NCKCC News - November 2004 FOR SALE COBRA-. Registered 2001 Shelby <200 miles, smog exempt, Arntz styling, Butler quality. 351 Cleveland w/ 10 setback, Jag rear-end, 4-spd top-loader, Hurst shifter, H.D. half-shafts and strut assy. 52% wt on 12 Z-rated rear rubber, 10 rubber front. 6-piston 13 Wilwood brakes. Hood, trunk, doors molded inside & out. Finished eng. compt. Marty Krueger or mck427@msn.com (3/02) COBRA Ford power, Jag rear-end. Silver w/ black interior. $21,500 Call Bob Elster (1/02) COBRA - VW KIT Snake body fits on your 3 shortened VW chassis. $6,200 Call Wayne McAllaster (510) or medusa427@aol.com (4/03) PACKARD 31 4-pass Coupe. All metal replica built on 67 Buick Wildcat running gear miles on rebuilt 430 CID V- 8, 4-bbl, 360 hp engine with chrome side pipes. $7,500 o.b.o. Bill Kaiser (10-03) NEW AHA Knott s Berry Farm Show and 2004 NCKCC San Leandro Show. Available as DVD or VHS tape. Each show is $16 postpaid in U.S. Send check to VMH Services, 3317 Ellesmere Ct. Walnut Creek, CA Call 925/ or vmh@mac.com for info on credit card payment via PayPal (9/04) Cars for Sale ads in the Kit Car Sun are for members only. Rate is $10 for 12 issues. FERRARI Testarossa (Dazzling Black Convertible) 34K original miles on Corvette platform. One of nine, cusom built by SCM Motors for Mid-east royalty. at $85K each asking $30,000. (5/03) MERCEDES 500K 4-PASSENGER. This all metal replica was built by H.T. Price with leather interior, 400cid Ford power, auto tranny, A/C, stereo/cassette, wood steering wheel. Call Diana (574) Write Orange Rd., South Bend, IN (3/02) MERCEDES 500K PARTS - For Classic Factory 500K: (4) door latch plates, patterns for tall tail light bases and side window frames. Also windshield frame patterns for 4-pass 500K. Call Diana (574) Write Orange Rd., South Bend, IN (3/02) Check out < for a photographic report on our 2004 San Leandro Show. MERCEDES 500K Heritage kit, unassembled, body in crate. Burgandy exterior/interior. All options. Stub Chevy front end, 350 engine and auto tranny (not rebuilt) $14,000 Call Louis Boscacci (415) (04/03) MERCEDES SSK (Gazelle) replica. 2.3 liter 4-cyl, 4-spd tranny. Excellent condition. REDUCED $8,950 o.b.o. Norval Gryte or <gryte@calicom.net> (10/03) MERCEDES SSK (Gazelle) replica. 2.3 liter 4-cyl, 4-spd tranny. Low miles but needs some TLC.. $4,500 o.b.o. Mike Brauner (10/03) MARLENE - 500K kit by CRL, complete but not assembled. White body & interior. Includes Ford 2.8L V-6 and auto tranny. Make offer to Andrew Moriarty (11/03) PANTERA Factory built, only one known to exist. Red w/ beige interior, Chev power.$35,000 Call Bob Elster (1/02)

9 NCKCC News - November 2004 Page 9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS November 14, 2004 Annual Brunch- Ryde Hotel. C. Williams, Champion December No Events Scheduled. Happy Holidays! Top right: Marilyn Monroe Room at Frank Family winery. Top left: Carol Hance, Marty & Bette Rosenthal and James Wagner enjoy the picnic. Below: Frank & Nancy Carver, Sue & Chuck Maddux enjoy Benessere wine 2004 OFFICERS AND APPOINTEES: Steve Cameron, President nckcc@usa.com Gene Stager, Vice President gmstager@foothill.net Vern Hance, Treasurer, Editor Ellesmere Court, Walnut Creek, CA nckcc@astound.net Tom Wallters, Secretary TWallters@nptest.com Pat Cooley, Membership Chair 646 Lido Drive, Livermore, Carolina Williams, Show Co-Chair Leanne Jones. Show Co-Chair The Kit Car Sun is published monthly by the Northern California Kit Car Club. Opiniors expressed by authors should not be be considered the position of the club. We are a non-profit educational organization and do not intend to influence legislation.