FEBRUARY 2011,, Recipient of the 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007 thru 2009 Golden Quill Award Presented by Old Cars Weekly & 5-Time GTOAA Chapter of the Year: 1991, 1996, 1999, 2002 & 2007
About The GTOAA The Cruisin' Tigers GTO Club is an affiliated chapter of The GTO Association of America, the premier national organization for GTO enthusiasts. Every month, GTOAA members receive The Legend magazine, a Golden Quill Award winning publication, which is full of useful and interesting feature and technical articles on all GTOs, 1964-74 and 2004-2006. Members also have access to the GTOAA Technical Advisory Staff, can use 50 words of free classified advertising monthly, and can acquire GTOAA Club Store merchandise. The GTOAA National Meet is hosted by various local chapters, and is held annually in various cities across the United States. The acclaimed Concours and Popular Vote categories bring some of the finest GTOs together in one location. Other Nationals highlights include renowned technical and special-interest speakers, a multi-day swap meet, drag racing, autocross, cruises, and other great events for the whole family to enjoy. For an on-line preview of The Legend and to become a member on line, go to www.gtoaa.org. To receive a membership application by mail, write to: GTOAA, PO Box 455, Timnath, CO 80547, or send an email to membership@gtoaa.org for more information. For local chapter information, contact National Chapter Coordinator Bill Vantuono at chapters@gtoaa.org, or call 732-208-6860. Technical Advisory Staff Chief Tech Advisor: Steve Lucas 630-964-8508 Mechanical: Marvin Minarich Jr. 815-521-9566 Transmissions: (open: call Chief Tech Advisor) Engines: Ron Rocchi 847-966-0998 Electrical: Marvin Minarich Jr. 815-521-9566 Paint & Body: Marvin Minarich Jr. 815-521-9566 1964: Rich Edwards 847-394-0325 1965: Rich Edwards 847-394-0325 1966: Clay Novak 815-467-4685 1967: Marvin Minarich Sr. 815-467-0381 1968: Ed Dreksler 352-622-3281 1969: Doug Mecklenburg 847-437-7657 1970: John Campbell 630-554-3004 1971 & 1972: John Skwirblies 630-736-6072 1973 & 1974: John Skwirblies 630-736-6072 2004 thru 2006: Zdenek Jaks 708-813-4431 All Years of Judges: Mike Lannom 815-784-6492 Parts Interchange: Steve Lucas 630-964-8508 '70 1/2 -'71 GT-37: (open: call Chief Tech Advisor)
Cruisin Tigers GTO Club Officers & Staff President: Jim Stern (630) 462-0704 president08@cruisintigersgto.com 1st Vice President Rick Bogoff (847) 465-8754 ohmygto@aol.com 2nd Vice President Denny Vodvarka (708) 479-9569 dvgtoman@yahoo.com Treasurer: John Campbell (630) 554-3004 johnandpenny45@juno.com Secretary : Mike Brandt (630) 842-3305 secretary@cruisintigersgto.com Director: Rick Last (630) 964-6962 rickbettylast@yahoo.com Director: Doug Rudisuhle (630) 892-2536 gus067@aol.com Director: Jim Stern (630) 462-0704 JimStern@nrets.com Director Larry Hoehler (847) 259-2083 lshoehler@comcast.net Director: Steve Lucas (630) 964-8508 sjl67gto@att.net Director: Paul Weinstein (847) 812-3782 paw333@msn.com Director (Chairman of the BOD): Randy Ray (847) 249-1190 red694spd@yahoo.com Club History and Mission: The Cruisin Tigers GTO Club was founded in April 1989 by six GTO enthusiasts. Over the years the club has grown to the be the largest chapter of The GTO Association of America. The Cruisin Tigers is a not for profit club and is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Pontiac s ultimate muscle car, The GTO. The club acts as a source of information to its members through monthly meetings, a tech advisory staff and club website. The club welcomes anyone with stock, modified or an interest in The Pontiac GTO to join. Ownership of a GTO is not a membership requirement. Club meetings are held the third Saturday of every month and start at 4:00. Members are encouraged to bring their cars to monthly meetings. Club Events: In addition to monthly meetings; the club sponsors cruises, annual picnics, and the club s annual car show, The Indian Uprising. Members and their families can enjoy organized activities with other GTO enthusiasts. Membership: Membership dues are paid annually and collected April 1st. Dues are $30.00 and are subject to a prorated amount for new members. Membership in the GTOAA is not required... but strongly encouraged. Tiger News: Members in good standing receive the club s monthly newsletter Tiger News. In addition to free classified ads, members are encouraged to submit articles, tech columns and club event pictures. Deadlines for all submissions to the newsletter are the thirtieth of the month. All correspondents for the newsletter should be directed to: Tiger News Editor 2030 Audubon Drive Glendale Heights, IL 60139 - or - editor@cruisintigersgto.com Newsletter Editor & Membership Coordinator: Ken Smith (630) 853-3483 editor@cruisintigersgto.com membership@cruisintigersgto.com Tech Editor: Marvin Minarich (815) 467-0381 Club Historian/Photographer: Betty Last (630) 964-6962 rickbettylast@yahoo.com Social Director: Ric Murphy (847) 634-9158 lansystem@megsinet.net Promotion Chairman: Paul Weinstein (847) 812-3782 promotion@cruisintigersgto.com Advertising Chairman: Charles Singer (847) 304-0709 kcmsinger@sbcglobal.net Site Webmaster: Al Gierut (708) 460-2491 agierut1@comcast.net The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the entire membership. Reproduction of any part of TIGER NEWS is Prohibited without express written permission of The CRUISIN TIGERS GTO CLUB INC The Cruisin Tigers GTO Club Website www.cruisintigersgto.com
Tail-Less Tiger By Ken Smith Wow it s 2011! Are you enjoying the warm winter nights as much as I am? [That s sarcasm.] Somebody turn up the heat and I m not expecting anything under 70 degrees. It s our club s 22nd year (which just happens to be my lucky number), so bring it on! I have a list of items to cover for our first newsletter of the year, so let s get crackin : First, I must jump into my wayback machine and put out a Thank you to Betty Last & Jane Lucas for a great Christmas party on Dec. 11th (if my memory serves me right) and to Mr. & Mrs. Bogoff for assisting in the Christmas activities. At this event as has been the custom we always announce the new Tiger of the Year. And this year Charles Singer was selected and deservedly so. Charles always finds the time and puts in the effort to improve everything he touches. With the acknowledgement goes the back page of Tiger News for the entire year. It s our first New Gen GTO on this page in our club s history. Congrats! Next, we have this note from Lynn Minarich Also, on Dec. 19th, I slipped on ice, and fell down fracturing my right knee (the tibia plaeau) and also spraining both that knee and the right hip. I ended up with a large hematoma in both the right calf and ankle, and have been put on coumadin (blood thinner) to prevent blood clots. I am in a wheel chair, but am able to work full time (sitting side straddle to my desk with the leg elevated and packed in ice). I have a long road to recovery, but am doing well considering the injury I have. Marv Sr. retired last Oct. so he is taking good care of me, and is hauling me all over the place. Get well soon, Lynn and Marvin Take good care of your lady. Then, we need to recognize that Rick Bogoff s 66 GTO was the cover car on the January issue of GTOAA s The Legend and Randy Pribyl had an article about his 67 GTO s in the February issue of the same publication. Ken Arendt sent me this email Our Oldies Radio Station in Chicago is WLS FM. Check their website on www.947wls.com. When their website comes up, click on the Classic Car Showroom. Today's (2/13/11) Classic Car is a 1968 Camaro. Go down below the picture and Click on "Next". The 2/12/11 Classic Car of the Day was my GTO. Your car deserves this accolade. Last, but not least, I need to impress upon our club members that anytime your phone number or email address change you need to inform me, so I can update the club database. I tried to verify some information in this newsletter, but the phone number I had on file was disconnected. So it is what it is. Well, our first club meeting for 2011 is: Saturday Feb. 19th at 4 PM at the Mr. Beef & Pizza at 1796 South Elmhurst Road in Mt. Prospect, so we ll see you down the road! This Month s Cover By Denny Vodvarka On our trip to Pontiac, IL; 2nd Vice-President Denny Vodvarka had a moment to take our cover photo. The people in Pontiac take real pleasure in re-inventing their city. We say a large number of murals throughout their town that depict a simpler time. And it all works. Wait until their new museum opens and see if you are as fascinated with their community as I am. July 23rd mark your calendars for a Pontiac caravan.
Presidents Page - Jim Stern February, 2011 Our 22nd Year Begins! Time flies when you re having fun. That being the case, we must be having a blast! 2010 was a very good year for us. We hosted a record breaking show, sponsored an amazing display at Novembers Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals and grew by just over 25%, to a total of 285 members. We care about each other, enjoy being together, are financially sound, and have a dedicated staff. 2011 - BRING IT ON! November, 2010: We accomplish the impossible - again! My favorite November memory is of our participation in the 2nd Annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. Bob Ashton, Managing Director of this show, earlier challenged us to assemble a club display which contained one of each GTO production year like we had during the World of Wheels years earlier. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Rick Bogoff and Nick Spensieri we pulled it off. Our November meeting, held in conjunction with this show, was also memorable. A gathering of members, estimated to be over 100, packed a second floor meeting room with a wall of windows overlooking the main show floor. Were you there? December, 2010: Biggest Club Christmas Party ever! Betty Last, thanks for all you do! As has been the case for several years, we do not hold a monthly meeting in December. Instead we gather for a free members Christmas Party. My favorite part is the presentation of Tiger of the Year and seeing the kids reaction when Santa arrives. Charles Singer is Tiger of the Year and this year Mrs. Claus attended with her husband. Our Toys for Tots drive was well supported and we thank Bob Zeiger for transporting the gifts to a collection point at The Westmont Fire Station. The GTO Association of America survey report submitted. For 21 years we have complied with GTOAA rules by reporting an accurate and exact percentage of our members who also belong to their organization. This year was no exception; on Thursday, December 9th our report indicated that our paid membership had grown by more than 25% to a total of 284 of which 103 belong to their organization - a ratio of 36.3%, well below their minimum 40% requirement. Subsequently we were informed that no formal action of any kind will be taken by the GTOAA until the Chapter Survey deadline of March 15, 2011 has passed. Stay tuned... January 2011: Our Board of Directors met. This year 5 of our 7 Directors gathered for our Annual Board of Directors Meeting. Chairman, Randy Ray, was called out of town on business and Director Steve Lucas did not attend. Joining them were our current 5 Officers and 4 guests. The nearly 4 hour meeting covered a wide ranging list of subjects. The meeting minutes are being assembled by our Secretary, Mike Brandt, and will be completed soon. ATTEND MEETINGS, JOIN COMMITTEES - IT S MORE FUN WHEN YOU RE INVOLVED! Send Comments, Criticisms & Suggestions To: president08@cruisintigersgto.com
November Meeting Minutes By Sylvia Heidlauf Our meeting started at 4:05 at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont in one of the meeting rooms at the Convention Center which overlooked the show field. It was held during the Muscle Car And Corvette Nationals (MCACN) show. There were 68 people in attendance. Zdenek Jaks (the New Generation Tech Advisor) and Dana Mecum were at this meeting. Don Keefe (the POCI Smoke Signals editor) announced that the December issue of Smoke Signals will have pages devoted to the Indian Uprising. Larry Zydek (Vice President of POCI & member of POCI of IL) will get a box of December issues for our club to give out to Cruisin Tiger members that do not receive Smoke Signals (as POCI members). This was Sylvia Heidlauf s last meeting as Club Secretary. She thanked everyone for their support and help throughout the years. Ken Smith sent the Newsletter out on Thursday morning and some members received their newsletters on that same afternoon. (Way to go Glendale Heights Post Office). As of Monday, we now have 253 members in the Cruisin Tigers and as of the day of the show we now have 257. Ted Christo wanted to thank Ken Smith personally for introducing him to the Cruisin tigers club. His wife wrenches her own 1972 Formula 400 that was an article in the Nov. 2010 Tiger News. Bill Nawrot s last meeting as First Vice-President was also on this weekend. He thanked everyone for their support and he is glad that his term is done. John Campbell had knee surgery and that is why he was not at the meeting. We wish you a speedy recovery, John. Jim Stern announced the passing of club member (Sam Mancuso), who was our Indian Uprising charity (United Cerebral Palsy) contact. He was the heart and soul of UCP and we will continue to have them as our club charity for 2011. If you have not signed up for the December Christmas party, please do so now, before there is no more room. Treasurer s report says we are still in the black. Why is our club still thriving while others are declining or going under? Samples of responses from attendees were: 1) This club is high level 2) It is us letting you know we care 3) We are fun 4) We are at home and trying to preserve the name of GTO 5) We listen and we want to know about YOU 6) We have free pizza and soft drinks in April for our Birthday celebration 7) We have at least one remote meeting a year with food and soft drink. 8) Our annual Christmas Party, food, drinks and toys and Santa for the kids. 9) 75 tickets to the Muscle Car show that members did not have to pay for ($970 value) Charles Singer had 2 new paid sponsors for the newsletter: Auto Anything and Perfect Engineering. They want a full page & internet and we may have a doctor s office as a sponsor as well. Pontiac Enthusiast is no longer. It will now be called Auto Enthusiast. All other brand names are rolled into Auto Enthusiast.
November Meeting Minutes (cont.) By Sylvia Heidlauf High Performance Pontiac has a spread on the GTOAA Nationals. Randy Ray thanked the people who spoke up about our club and the guys who put our display together we even sweat well together. Ken Smith asked what is the meaning of life? and Randy answered The one who dies with the most toys wins! Josh Mancuso, Sam s son spoke about what our club has meant and means to his family and UCP. He is overwhelmed at how our club has made them feel. He then received a standing ovation with not a dry eye in the house. The winners this month were: 50/50 was at $138.00 John Heyser $638.00 was in the You Gotta Be Here and our non winner was John and Lori Valus. [A little side note from the Secretary: Again, I just want to thank everyone for their time and support in all they did to help me with my job as Secretary. It was an honor and a privilege being your club Secretary all those years. See you at the meetings in the cheap seats.] SAN Compiles State Laws and Regulations By Al Kern On behalf of hobbyists nationwide, the SEMA Action Network (SAN) has released a compilation of state laws and regulations governing specialty motor vehicles. The compilation is a one-stop shop for state resources listing each state s specialty vehicle definitions, registration and titling provisions, inspection criteria and other requirements and exemptions. Known as the Tag & Title Toolbox, the new compilation also includes key administrative forms that can be printed for titling and registering specialty vehicles at DMVs nationwide. Information on state emission inspection programs has also been added. Tag & Title Toolbox can be found online at www.semasan.com The term specialty vehicle includes the following vehicle classes: ancient, antique, assembled, classic, collectible, collector, custom, exhibition, historic, homemade, horseless carriage, kit, modified, parade, parts, rebuilt, reconstructed, replica, show, special interest, specially constructed, street cruiser, street rod and vintage. Given that a uniform system for defining such specialty vehicles does not exist among the states, applicable definitions for each state are listed separately at the beginning of each state s document to clarify the language in the statutes and regulations. For years, the SAN has researched individual state laws in order to identify states that would benefit from our model titling and registration legislation, said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. Using these statutes as an informational resource and reference tool, we drafted legislation to create new titling and registration classes for street rods and custom vehicles, including kit cars and replicas. Versions of this model legislation have since been enacted in 21 states across the country. The information is current for 2010, but subject to change in the future. SAN advises hobbyists to also directly consult the statutes and regulations for states of interest to ensure the accuracy of the information. SAN members can use this resource to determine their state s specific specialty car requirements and relay this information to their hobbyist network, McDonald added.
2004 2006 Seat Clips By Clay Novak January Board of Directors Meeting By Mike Brandt At approximately 2:00 PM on January 15th Jim Stern took roll call. The following members were in attendance: Jim Stern, Rick Bogoff, Rick Last, John Campbell, Paul Weinstein, Doug Rudisuhle, Larry Hoehler, Mark Grimmenga, Bill Nawrot, Mike Brandt, Denny Vodvarka, Ken Smith and Charles Singer. Absent were: Randy Ray, Steve Lucas and Sylvia Heidlauf. Since no other club members showed up to voice any concerns at the beginning of this meeting, the meeting went into closed session at 2:19 p.m. Jim Stern said the state of our club is very strong. A question was posed about inviting other club members to vote on critical issues. Evidence of the clubs strength was demonstrated by the full display at the MCACN of all years of GTO production, 1964-74 and 2004-06. Also there has been a 25% membership growth to a total of 284 active members. Our status with the GTOAA seems to be in limbo. We are the first club to view the new Pontiac Historic Museum in Pontiac, IL set to open, July 23, 2011. A unanimous show of support was given to keep Randy Ray as BOD chairman. The board is asking Mike Brandt to draft amendments to the by-laws of our club. All members received a copy of Treasurer John Campbell s club financial report. It was discussed that we should possibly set up an annual budget. With the realization that the economy had no impact on our club s treasury, it was decided we will not set up a budget and continue to do things as we have in the past. After analyzing our major budget categories, Tiger News seems to be our major expense (printing and postage). At present, one quarter to one third of our members receive Tiger News electronically. After some discussion it was agreed upon that we would let the membership know that Tiger News will be delivered electronically to all members beginning May, 2011. If they choose to receive the hard copy of Tiger News, they must let Ken Smith know. A motion to accept the treasurer s report was passed. Discussion was initiated about advertising for the club in High Performance Pontiac and Smoke Signals. It was reaffirmed that we will continue with UCP as our main car show charity. A secondary charity proposal by Jim Stern was for Friends for Therapeutic Equine Activities (an organization to help kids with physical and mental challenges). After Jim s presentation, the motion was voted on and passed to make them one of our secondary selections. Our charitable giving guidelines shall remain the same as last year. Some of our membership appreciation expenses include: our April club anniversary celebration, Christmas charities, and annual Christmas party. Also, various club activities such as visiting Rob Lozins warehouse and the purchase of MCACN tickets were discussed. Our future involvement in MCACN was discussed. Rick Last passed out a list that broke down the cost of the Christmas charity and Christmas party. Next we discussed some club activities such as cruise night participation, breakfast runs, and road rallies brought up by Randy Ray. Rick Last passed out a copy of the general Uprising Show review showing our strengths and weaknesses that we need to overcome. Areas that need attention or modifications are: awards presentations, food, celebrities, drag racing and marketing and advertising. A newsletter update was given by Ken Smith. He stated we need more member input for the newsletter. As stated earlier to reduce club expenses the newsletter will be are going completely electronic starting in May 2011, with exceptions for club members that request a hardcopy. This is basically due to the cost of printing and postage, which exceeds the annual dues for each member. Charles Singer gave us a website update. He is working with a website designer to come up with a final draft. Paul Weinstein gave a breakdown of how our club has been represented on Facebook. He stated he has had the Cruisin Tigers on Facebook for approximately one year. Most of the members in attendance were not familiar with Facebook or how it would help promote our club, so he explained how Facebook works.
January Board of Directors Meeting (cont.) By Mike Brandt Many questions were posed on how this would affect the club. Rick Bogoff stated he had a negative experience with Facebook and immediately deactivated his account. This started a lot of discussion between the board members about concerns of privacy. Being that there has been no negative impact in the last year, it was agreed to leave things as they are for now. In regards to the National Pontiac Historic Museum in Pontiac, IL, a few of our club members were invited on a tour of the new museum site and the town. It was discussed that we would actively participate in the grand opening on July 23, 2011. We will try to arrange a caravan to Pontiac, IL for the grand opening. The final topic was our relationship with GTOAA. We didn t achieve the minimum 40% level of our members in GTOAA to remain an accredited chapter, so the future designation of our club within their organization seems to be in jeopardy. We await their decision on our future affiliation. The agenda was complete and the meeting adjourned at 6:09 p.m. Westmont Toys For Tots By Bob Zeiger On December 16th, Bob Zeiger delivered the collection of toys that were brought by members to the club Christmas party to the Westmont Fire Department. I m sure we made a lot of kids enjoy the season. Elvis Presley Memorial Day Car Show By Randy Pribyl Last year club member Randy Pribyl took his 67 GTO to Memphis for the 1st Annual Elvis Presley Car Show at Graceland and won. This year the following invitation was sent out We want to cordially invite you to participate in the car show on May 27-29, 2011, and put your vehicles on display for car show enthusiasts and Graceland guests. Hundreds of classic automobiles from car clubs across North America will be on display throughout the 70 acres that surround Elvis Presley s Graceland. Attached is the Elvis Presley International Car Show Exhibitor/Vendor form, which you can submit to secure your spot for 2011. Also, be sure to go to www.elvis.com/carshow for more details about the 2011 Elvis Presley Car Show as they are announced. So pack up you git-tar and head for the open road. Thank you thank you very much.
Pontiac Oakland Automobile Museum By Ken Smith On December 13, 2010 five club members (Jim Stern, Bill Nawrot, Doug Rudisuhle, Denny Vodvarka & I) went to Pontiac, IL to sit in on a discussion of a new museum that will be opening this July. Tim & Penny Dye have decided it is time to let the world have a gander at their very unique & very large collection of Oakland and Pontiac automobiles. The City of Pontiac had their Mayor and a couple of other officials sit in on the slide presentation. If the Dye s collection were only of the vehicles, that would be enough for most mere mortals. However, we are dealing with a couple that appears to never have said NO to adding to this amazing list of Oakland & Pontiac paraphernalia. Here is just a taste of what is available for this museum: A Pontiac buggy from between 1893 & 1899 (Pontiac made buggies before they added the motor) A 1924 Oakland with its original paint Road maps Oil containers and cans Badges from the guards of the manufacturing plant Achievement pins Belt buckles Filters Stuffed tigers as promotional items Brochures Posters Every Pontiac hood ornament between 1946 & 1956 A functional print shop with a 1902 printing press A line-o-type machine They are currently planning a Saturday July 23rd grand opening and have asked us to set up caravan of as many Pontiacs as we can muster to park in front of this museum. For those of you that went to the Pontiacs in Pontiac cruise that we did a few years ago, the museum is right across the street from the court house. It will have 10,00 square feet on the first floor and aims to expand into the second floor of this building soon. So mark your calendars July 23rd. And enjoy a day on the open road. [Photos were taken by Bill Nawrot.]
The 2011 Pontiac Oakland Club International Meet in Bowling Green, Kentucky will be an outing that your entire family will enjoy, so Complete your registration form (on the back side of this page), get your hotel reservation, polish your car and Enjoy this great POCI event!
Web Browsing By Ken Smith Whenever a club member sends me web addresses that are relevant to our hobby (or just plain funny), I will place them in this column. If on the other hand, I don t get any this column will disappear for that month. Since we didn t create a Tiger News since last November there has been a lot of activity. So... I know we are not a Volkswagon club, but this is quite a factory (from Doug Rudisuhle) : http://www.flixxy.com/high-tech-car-factory.htm It s amazing what some people an fit in their basements (from Doug Rudisuhle): http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=dmrcuazro7a Club member Marvin Minarich Jr. singiing Mack the Knife (from Lynn Minarich): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txo-2fby_ya How to reduce the landfills? Convert plastic into fuel (from Doug Rudisuhle): http://www.flixxy.com/convert-plastic-to-oil.htm Access to information on the Pontiac Oakland Automobile Museum (from Paul Weinstein): http://visitpontiac.org/webpages/index.php?art=961 Pontiac GTO History Site (from Mark Grimmenga): http://www.greatoldcars.com/pontiac_gto_photo_archive.htm Pontiacs Online event schedule (from Jim Stern): http://www.pontiacsonline.com/events%20-%20upcoming.htm Very unusual speed trap (from Zac Dodge (a friend of the Editor)): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2xnwyx8yk8&feature=player_embedded Memory says it all (from Sandy Larson (another friend of the Editor), no comments): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzsaon2ldfu US 30 Drag Strip (from Tom Byrd): http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2010/04/video-us-30-dragstrip-in-1964/ Production number for the New Generation GTOs (from Charles Singer): 2004: http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item#faq_new_faq_item1 2005: http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item22#faq_new_faq_item36 2006: http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item28#faq_new_faq_item37 US 30 Drag Strip (from Tom Byrd): http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2010/04/video-us-30-dragstrip-in-1964/
Electrical Wiring For Modified Cars By Bob Cella The wiring harness on my 56 wagon was in sad shape. It was the first generation of plastic insulated wire from GM and it had deteriorated to the point it was dangerous. I had also experienced problems with accessories blowing fuses from corrosion and bad grounds. I decided to replace the harness and upgrade those areas that I felt were under-engineered from the factory and could be improved upon. Cloning the existing harness was not the answer because I had made many changes to the car such as an electric cooling fan, electric fuel pumps, after-market ignition system and modern radio. I also wanted the performance of a blade type fuse block. I chose a fuse block and wiring package from American Autowire in Bellmawr, NJ. I liked their unit because it came without any wires attached to the fuse panel and used a unique cage clamp design to connect stripped wire ends. The end result is a much cleaner installation than the usual components available. Each circuit was packaged in its own bag with color-coded and labeled wires, connectors and a wiring diagram. A complete wiring diagram showing all circuits connected was also included. I sat down with their wiring diagram and compared it to the wiring diagram in my 56 shop manual. From the two I designed my own. I have a CAD system so creating drawings in color was the easy part. Here are several of the modifications added: HOT START SOLUTION There are many of us who have experienced the weak or worse cranking speeds of a Pontiac motor on a hot start. The reasons are many and range from poor connections, high resistances, improper timing, etc. I decided to cure that problem. I keyed in on the poor battery cables available and the torturous route created by GM for the electrical energy for the starter solenoid. To me, these are the two aspects of the system that have the most impact on hot start problems. I installed a Ford truck relay on the fender liner adjacent to the battery. This relay has the ampere capacity on the secondary side to connect full battery current to the starter motor. The primary side is grounded by mounting the relay to the fender, so that only the ignition start wire need be connected. This wire was removed from the starter solenoid S terminal. Next I got a reel of 1/0 cable from my local NAPA store along with copper lug fittings that I soldered onto the cables and finished off with liquid tape. These lugs have holes for bolting to the battery, relay and the engine block. Finally I fabricated a copper jumper from a piece of scrap 12 gauge material. This piece was bent, filed and drilled to provide the connection from the starter motor lug to the S terminal on the solenoid. When the starter key is turned the relay is pulled in sending current via the large battery cables to the starter motor lug and at the same time, because of the jumper, full battery current to the solenoid. The solenoid moves engaging the pinion gear with the flywheel, and makes the connection to pass the current to the starter motor. Release the key and the relay drops out removing current from the solenoid and the starter at the same time. There are several side benefits. First the normal arcing within the solenoid is reduced. Second, there is no current available in the cable between the relay to the starter until the starter switch is engaged. This is a good safety feature when the cable normally snakes through the headers. American Autowire can be reached at 1-800-482-WIRE or www.americanautowire.com BATTERY KILL SWITCH I trust you have all seen the battery cable disconnect switch at car shows. I am talking about the infamous green knob unit that attaches to the negative post of the battery. A battery disconnect switch is an excellent way to avoid electrical fires. I had one of those switches too but did not like the fact that I had to open the hood every time I wanted to use it. It also did not help much in the way of security because I do not have a hood latch controlled from inside the car. Therefore anyone could open the hood and connect the battery. Finally, there is the issue of radio presets requiring constant voltage to the radio.
Electrical Wiring For Modified Cars (cont.) By Bob Cella Lets go back to the relay on the fender that connected the positive battery terminal to the starter. To the battery side of that relay I connected the main body feed that goes to the fuse panel. The body feed wire is normally connected to the starter solenoid. Under the dash I mounted a heavy-duty kill switch. It is a Master Switch with detachable key from Waytek, part #44075 at under $12. It will handle 100 amps continuously at 12 volts (1000 amps for 10 seconds!). I ran the body feed wire through the firewall to the kill switch and then to the fuse panel. The switch comes with a plastic L shaped key that you insert and turn 90 degrees. Now after I park my car and turn off the engine I reach under the dash and turn the kill switch key. The key drops into my hand! Now I can leave the vehicle with the peace of mind that all the current is cut to the fuse panel and cannot be restored without the key. The switch is easily accessible but out of sight. The radio is wired to the hot side of the kill switch to keep the presets. Waytek, Inc. can be reached at 1-800-328-2724 or www.waytekwire.com Their catalog is full of all the components you would need to wire a car including crimping and wire-stripping tools as well as plastic wire looms for a neat appearance. ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP There are two electric fuel pumps on my car. One is a racing pump that is loud and the other is a cruising pump that is quiet. I also like having two pumps because electric pumps have the habit of not giving you any warning when they fail! They are plumbed in parallel. Since only one or the other is on at a time I used a three-position toggle switch with a center off position, wired to the single fused location on the fuse panel. Instead of grounding the pumps to the frame I ran a ground wire to the lug provided on the fuse panel for that purpose to insure full current at the pumps. Along the way I added a toggle switch to the ground wire hidden in the car as one more level of security against theft. ONE WIRE ALTERNATOR To clean up the engine compartment I installed a one-wire alternator. A single hot wire connects to the battery (again at the starter solenoid on the battery side) and there is a ground wire. Do not rely solely on the bracket mount for your ground. Run a ground wire from the ground lug on the alternator to the engine block. There should also be a ground strap from the engine to the frame and from the engine to the body. Remember that a car with an ammeter has all the current flowing through the meter. If you install an alternator with a charging rate that exceeds the capacity of the meter you can burn it out if the system needs the juice! A voltmeter does not have this issue. REMOTE IGNITION SYSTEM I use a MSD ignition box and high output coil that is triggered by the factory points distributor. I like this arrangement but there are a lot of wires involved. To clean up the engine bay I mounted the box and coil on a plate and located it under the dash on the passenger side of the car. After all, the after-market ignition vendors always suggest you locate their parts in a cool and dry place. A firewall feed-through connector (JEGS) was mounted on the passenger side firewall for the coil wire. Finally, the distributor trigger wire is run through the firewall to the MSD box. One final comment. Designing and installing a wire loom of your own design may seem daunting but I assure you it is not. Plan it out well in advance and get the right tools. Make sure you understand what you are doing before you start. Take your time and you will be pleased with the results.
New & Returning Cruisin Members By Ken Smith CTGTO# 401 (Returning) Alvin & Cindy Weintraub 1250 China Road Macomb, IL 61445 309-837-1214 gto@macomb.com 1965 GTO hardtop CTGTO# 859 (New) Lester Banks 1338 North Massasoit Chicago, IL 60651 773-805-2926 1967 blue GTO hardtop 400/4BBL/Auto CTGTO# 862 (New) Ken Burtrum 7 Dayton Morton Grove, IL 61550 309-648-5445 kburt99@yahoo.com 1970 blue GTO coupe 400/4BBL/400 Turbo CTGTO# 865 (New) John Chung 8722 Green Valley Drive Houston, TX 77055 713-467-1642 gto4door@yahoo.com 1970 burgundy GTO hardtop 400.4BBL/Auto CTGTO# 868 (New) Scott Flahive 5502 Dale Circle Plainfield, IL 60586 630-745-7639 xdf73@hotmail.com 2005 black GTO coupe LS2/Auto CTGTO# 871 (New) Michael Havlon 14960 Kivon Avenue Midlothian, IL 60445 815-666-0874 linemanmike@comcast.net 1966 Tempest hardtop CTGTO# 584 (Returning) Keith Shrake Jr. 1508 Larch Drive Mt. Prospect, IL 60056 773-802-5998 67goatcoupe@comcast.net 1967 black GTO post 400/4-Speed CTGTO# 860 (New) Tim Best 7363 Talcott Chicago, IL 60631 773-763-0824 timbo7363@yahoo.com 1970 Judge hardtop CTGTO# 863 (New) Ronald & Donna Butts 8141 South Martin Luther King Chicago, IL 60619 773-962-3147 ronbutts1956@yahoo.com 1966 white GTO 455/4BBL/400 CTGTO# 866 (New) Edward Guevara 215 West Fremont Darien, WI 53114 262-206-2648 1965 gold LeMans 2-door 400/4BBL/T400 CTGTO# 869 (New) Gary & Kim Foster 9405 South 85th Court Hickory Hills, IL 60457 708-599-8164 garyvfoster@juno.com 1964 dark red GTO convertible 389/TriPower/4-Speed CTGTO# 872 (New) Calvin Hill 27992 West Route 120 Unit # 145 Lakemoor, IL 60051 708-250-7420 hillperformance@gmail.com 1965 black GTO hardtop 421/2x4BBL/4-Speed CTGTO# 594 (Returning) Chris Smetana 193 Key Largo Drive Romeoville, IL 60446-4146 630-310-4112 grp442@yahoo.com 1970 red GT-37 hardtop 400/4BBL/4-Speed CTGTO# 861 (New) Bruce & Regina Browere 166 Halkirk Circle Inverness,IL 60067 847-907-4985 brucebrowere@comcast.net CTGTO# 864 (New) Mike & Teri Carlson 117 Juniper Drive North Aurora, IL 60542 630-897-8746 mic1008@comcast.net 2006 orange GTO coupe LS2 CTGTO# 867 (New) Rich Doligale 10421 South Campbell Chicago, IL 60655 773-779-8880 1967 tiger gold GTO hardtop 455/4-Speed CTGTO# 870 (New) Jareel Hausfeld 325 Conors Drive Franklin, OH 45005 937-743-1700 hausfeldclassic@gmail.com CTGTO# 873 (New) Art & Alice Huntzicker on646 Suzanne Drive Winfield, IL 60190 630-260-9260 civet1959@yahoo.com 1966 silver GTO post 389/TriPower/4-Speed
New & Returning Cruisin Members By Ken Smith CTGTO# 874 (New) Dan Jensen 11944 East Grand River Portland, MI 48875 517-647-2474 dajensen@broadstripe.net 1971 dark green GTO 400/4BBL/M13 CTGTO# 877 (New) Kim & Teresa Lofgren 21186 Mathew Road Sterling, IL 61081 815-626-8916 1966 burgundy GTO convertible 400/4-Speed CTGTO# 880 (New) Bob Safranek 26 Monica Lake Villa, IL 60046 847-356-1382 bobssuperduty1961@ameritech.net 1966 white LeMans 2-door 326/2BBL/Auto CTGTO# 883 (New) Mike & Lisa Sparks 196 South Street Elmhurst, IL 60126 630-993-1996 mysparks@sbcglobal.net 1971 white GTO hardtop 455 CTGTO# 886 (New) Eugene & Sharon Woods 734 Florence Avenue Galesburg, IL 61401 309-343-3085 (Looking to purchase a GTO) CTGTO# 875 (New) Bill & Nancy Kollar 1335 Miami Lane Des Plaines, IL 60018 847-635-6671 mrspeed@woway.com 1960 red Ventura 2-door 389/2BBL/Auto CTGTO# 878 (New) Larry & Carol Peck 15170 Sandy Court Wadsworth, IL 60083 847-336-8266 lpeck28@gmail.com CTGTO# 881 (New) Eric Schoenfeld 555 Springbrook Trail North Oswego, IL 60543 630-809-7784 eschoenfeld@comcast.net 2005 red GTO coupe LS2/Auto CTGTO# 884 (New) Jack Stanaszek 190 Seneca Trail Bloomingdale, IL 60108 630-549-5400 jstanaszek3@hotmail.com 1969 red GTO convertible 400/350 CTGTO# 887 (New) Randy Van Fossan 361 Centennial Court Bourbonnais, IL 60914 815-939-0691 rrev@aat.net 1969 burgundy GTO hardtop 400/4BBL/4-Speed CTGTO# 876 (New) Rich & Min Kroon 5012 North Tripp Avenue Chicago, IL 60630 312-339-8930 webme@prodigy.net 1969 blue LeMans coupe 400/4BBL/T400 CTGTO# 879 (New) Bill Rink 22 South Wright Street Naperville, IL 60540 630-235-3859 1974 red GTO hatchback 350/4BBL/TH350 CTGTO# 882 (New) Keith Shrake 7715 Clarence Chicago, IL 60631 773-763-7021 CTGTO# 885 (New) Jack Roberts 94 Holiday Drive Somonauk, IL 60552 WELCOME! Active Membership Count = 285 WELCOME!
Muscle Car And Corvette Nationals By Various Club Members November 20 & 21, 2010 was the weekend of this event at the Donald E. Stevens Center in Rosemont, IL. The Cruisin Tigers were asked to display one of every year (classic & new gen) in a cluster and we did. Rick Bogoff & Nick Spensieri were the coordinators for our club and did an outstanding job. Atta boyz! Additional photos can be seen on the internet at: http://www.mcacn.com/gallery/mcclurg/ Here is a list of the attendees (with their vehicles & any awards): Club Display: Tom Wood - '64 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified Wally Visocnik - '65 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified Rick Bogoff - '66 GTO, not judged Terry Weiner - '67 GTO, Gold Concourse (his AMX or Javlin also won Gold Concourse) Denny Vodvarka - '68 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified (2nd Place in Model Car Contest - Custom Van, Adult Diarama) Mike & Diane Lannom - '69 Judge, Gold Concourse Nick Spensieri - '70 Judge, Gold Concourse Mike Sparks - '71 Judge, not judged Bill Nawrot - '72 GTO, Silver Concourse Joe Sparks - '73 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified Stanley Zabielski - '74 GTO, not judged Rob Lozins - '04 GTO, not judged Zdenek Jaks - '05 GTO, not judged Charles Singer - '06 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified Overflow Area: Jody Traylor - '64 GTO, Gold (not a CT member) John & Kathy Wright - '65 GTO, Gold Concourse Doug Rudisuhle - '67 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified Roger Zeivel - '67 GTO, Gold Concourse Randy Ray - '69 Firebird, Silver Street Stock/Modified Mike Sparks - 70 Judge, not judged Outside of Club Area: John Seiffert - '67 GTO, Gold Concourse Peggy Seiffert - '67 GTO, Gold Concourse Jim Zeivel - '70 GTO, Gold Street Stock/Modified Torry Caniglia - 70 Judge, (no information)
Muscle Car And Corvette Nationals By Various Club Members
Muscle Car And Corvette Nationals By Various Club Members
Club members, John & Peggy Sieffert, brought their beautiful 67 GTOs to the MCACN event and walked away with trophies What a surprise! In the 2009 Indian Uprising the convertible won a Top 5 award and not to be out done the hardtop won that same award the following year WOW! These cars are gorgeous! Newsletter Printed And Distributed By: Allegra Print & Imaging 460 Windy Point Drive Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Phone: 630-790-0444 Email: info@allegraprinting.net SERVICE LIKE NO OTHER, QUALITY BEYOND BELIEF!
Cruisin Advertisers The Cruisin Tigers wish to thank all of our sponsors! Muscle Car And Corvette Nationals By Various Club Members
Cruisin Classifieds For Sale: (2) 255/50ZR17 G-Force TA KDWS, (2) 235/45ZR17 G-Force TA KDWS & (4)17x8 5_120.65 Boyd Coddington Smoothie Wheels $500.00 or best offer. Tom Glass cell (630) 278-6562 CT#553 Both doors for a 65 GTO with glass. Best offer. Don Smyczynski at 630-664-7336 2005 Pontiac GTO, Low Mileage, Like New. LS2, 6-Speed Manual. Emerald Blue Metallic with Bermuda Blue Leather Trim Interior. The Weak Economy Forcing Sale. $17000. Call 815-347-1278 or Email DENNYGTO65@AOL.COM CT#377 1969 GTO convertible. PHS documented. Project car. Call for details after 4 PM. Jim Micetic (773) 735-4079 CT#716 1964 dark maroon w/ white interior Pontiac GTO hardtop, 389, Tri-Power, 4 speed Hurst, chrome wheels, custom Auto sound system, traction bars & air shocks. 84,000 +/- miles. Car is in excellent shape. Reason for selling have only had time to drive twice in the past 2 years. Asking Price: $ 42,000.00. Cell No. (630) 761-5000, Ext 11 Email; J.Gaffney@GaflandLtd.com CT#448 '66 GTO passenger fender w/antenna port (I have had 22 years). Burgundy, straight, rust free! $250.00 I have more mint used and NOS NIB GTO items to list. Call Larry Banks at (630) 960-0502 if no answer, leave a message, I'll get back pronto!! CT#165 68 GTO - Both doors complete with glass and hardware, rear bumper (needs re-chromed). Best fair offer. Bob McCracken at (630) 267-5020 CT#189 1965 Teal Turquoise GTO post coupe. 389-TriPower; 3;90 gear; 4 Speed. Numbers matching car with the original invoice, bill of sale, Protecto-Plate & all repair orders for work done on vehicle. Asking $35,900. Call Ron Baratono at 630-670-4782 or email at baratono2004@aol.com CT#602 The following parts are used: 1 set front fender valences - $15.00 pair; 3 A/C compressor brackets will fit 67-69 - $20.00 for all; 1 console mounted vacuum gauge (excellent face, some chrome pitting & 1 small ding on bezel) - $125.00; 1 console mounted vacuum gauge (great chrome, excellent face with harness & connector) - $175.00; 1 reverb unit with switch & wiring - $130.00; 1pair of left & right outside door handles with button $15.00; 1 remote mirror with cable, knob & bezel (works fine) - $45.00; 1 A/C aluminum compressor bracket - $30.00; 2 hood springs very good condition - $10.00 pr.; 2 sets of front parking light lens, bezels & gaskets - $20.00 pair; 2x A/C dash ball vent assemblies - $20.00 pair. Call Dennis Parus at 630-377-1009 CT#1 1) Intake Manifold ( stock cast iron ) 4 bbl from a 1968 ( E298) pn. 9794234 $ 50.00 2) Intake Manifold (stock cast iron) 4bbl. from a 1970 (455) (C050) $ 50.00 3) Intake manifold Edelbrock Aluminum (p4b) $ 50.00 4) Trunk Lid from a 1965 GTO light rust $ 100.00 John Gloff at (847) 587-5552 CT#37 ============================================================================================= Wanted: 1964 Bonneville 389 MTR...set of Headers. Bob North (773) 254-8748 CT#664 Looking for a 1964-1967 Pontiac A Body. Please send information to Mike Brady at mbrady38@comcast.net 1968 1969 GTO parts. James Heyser (847) 952-1172 or gtojohn3@yahoo.com CT#724 ============================================================================================= Rental: Car storage space. Heated, air conditioned, fire & burglar alarms in Northwest Chicago suburbs. $100/month. Contact Rob at (312) 805-5680 CT#218 or email pontiaccollector@usa.com or Moe at (847) 363-8519 CT#796 Secure, dry & heated vehicle storage with a security camera. $80/month. Contact Roger Zeivel 847-395-9700 ext. 305. Questions call 847-207-6240. CT#21 ============================================================================================= (If your For Sale item has sold or Wanted item has been located, please inform the Tiger News Editor so your listing can be removed. Thanks.) HOPE YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU WANT OR HAVE AND WANT TO SELL!
2006 GTO owned by Charles Singer (Tiger of the Year) RETURN ADDRESS: The Cruisin Tigers GTO Club 2030 Audubon Drive Glendale Heights, IL 60139