February 2009
Chapter 50 – Classic Thunderbird Club International
Volume 37 Number 2
February Meeting is on
Friday, Feb. 6
Due to a school holiday on the 13th
PLEASE NOTE: THE SCVT BANNER IS MISSING (THE ONE USED AT THE
MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS). ANYONE KNOWING IT’S
WHEREABOUTS IS ASKED TO CALL JOE RYAN (650-344-3038).
THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
The Early Bird Fan is the monthly newsletter of the Santa Clara Valley Thunderbirds, SCVT. SCVT is
dedicated to the enjoyment of the classic 1955, 1956, and 1957 Ford Thunderbirds.
Address
Santa Clara Valley Thunderbirds
P.O. Box 26103
San Jose, CA 95159
Web Sites http://santaclaravalleytbirds.com
http://www.ctci.org
Meetings
Meetings are held on the second Friday of each month at West Valley College 14000 Fruitvale
Ave. Saratoga, CA. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the school board room.
Events
SCVT members participate in parades, displays, homecomings, regional and national
meets, local cars shows, and driving events.
Membership Dues are $40.00 per year per family and are due by January 31 of each year. SCVT is
Chapter 50 of the Classic Thunderbird Club International, CTCI. Membership in CTCI is mandatory to
participate in parades and displays sponsored by SCVT. See http://www.ctci.org for CTCI membership
requirements.
2009 SCVT Board Members
SCVT items for sale
Contact Bernie Epolite President
Joe Ryan
650-483-6256
Magnetic signs
Vice President Dennis Kay
Visors
Secretary
Don Reisinger
Baseball mesh caps
Treasurer
Ray Delgado
Baseball cotton hats
Editor
Marty Gerbasi
Summer jacket
Parades
Steve Pedone
Winter jacket
Displays
Montgomery Roach
Large patch
Activities
Gene Cox
Name badge
Fundraising
Al Thomas
License plate frame
Historian
Kathy Pedone
Personalized tote
CTCI Rep
Jerry Schwab
Logo T-Shirts
Logo Sales
Bernie Epolite
SCVT chairs
$15.00
3-Piece luggage set
Caravan tips
Box 1
Box 2
Box 3
6-Volt
Tents
Newsletter
email:
$25.00
Parts Boxes
Maintain your car.
Gas up and check fluids/tires.
Know who your leader is and follow.
Turn CB to channel 11.
Turn FRS to channel 7-11.
Leave enough space for merging traffic,
but keep up.
Gas up at scheduled pit stops.
Generic cars at the end of the caravan.
Deadline:
Send to:
$5.00
$8.00
$8.00
$15.00
$21.00
$39.50
$10.00
$8.50
$12.00
$10.00
$15.00
25th of each month.
Marty Gerbasi
16091 Crestridge Ave.
Sonora, CA 95370
gerbman@hub3.net
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Delgado
Charlie
Reisinger
Williams
unknown
THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
Presidents Message
Ryan’s Ramblings
February 2009
Marge Goldman, a SCVT member for almost 30 years, passed away earlier this month. We want
to send our condolences to her husband, Bill, and the family. Even though they moved to Nevada
several years ago, they continued their membership and attended several SCVT events each year.
We also want to send our condolences to Steve Pedone and his family on the passing of his
mother in January.
If you missed the Awards Banquet, the coveted Blunderbird Award went to….
Paul ‘Diesel’ Lynch. You may or may not know that Paul was Doc’s co-pilot on the 48 in 08
tour. At one of the fuel stops, Paul was putting fuel in the T-Bird, but it turned out to be diesel.
Remember, the green nozzle is always diesel! Paul is now a 2 time winner of this coveted award.
His first ‘award’ came in 1993 and also had to do with fuel or lack thereof.
The winner of the grill badge contest was Ray Delgado. They came out great! I want to thank
Backus Group, (Al & Jenny) for overseeing the production. These were given, as a thank you, to
those members that brought snacks or beverages to a meeting, participated in a paid display,
homecoming or parade, or hosted or co-hosted a club outing. We ordered a few extra, and if you
would like to purchase one, see the picture and write up on page 6. They will be sold on a first
come basis.
Our February event is being hosted by the Pedone’s. They are planning a Bocce ball tournament
with male & female teams at Campo Di Bocce in Los Gatos on February 28. It will be held
indoors so we won’t have to worry about the weather. See page 10 for more information.
The March event will be hosted by the Kay’s and it is an eating event! It is scheduled for March
14. See page 10 for more information.
April 4 & 5 is the Flea Market display and our goal is 55-65 plus cars for each day. If every
member would display a car, we wouldn’t have a problem meeting that goal. You don’t have to
display your TBird. We need any 50’s or 60’s model car. We have always had a great time at the
Flea Market. See page 11 for a write up of this event or contact Geoff Dye for more information.
It looks like this will be the big money maker for the club this year, so let’s all participate.
We still have plenty of dates open for you to host an event. Contact Gene Cox for available
dates. He also has some suggestions if you’re not sure what type of event you would like to host.
Let’s go have some Fun, Fun, Fun. Joe
SEE YOU AT THE MEETING ON FRIDAY, February 6th
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
Meeting Minutes, January 8, 2009
President: President Joe Ryan called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Officers present were Joe Ryan,
Dennis Kay, Ray Delgado and Don Reisinger. On the sad side, it was announced that Marge Goldman,
a long time member of SCVT and friend to all of us had passed away after a lingering illness. It was
also announced that Steve Pedone’s mother had passed away. A moment of silence was held in their
honor and cards from the club were sent around. Joe asked if anyone had a lap top computer projector.
Ralph Citti had the ability to get one and will bring it to the Awards Banquet. Joe also announced a
change, in that members will be able to nominate candidates for the coveted Blunderbird Award and
make a presentation outlining the reason for the candidacy. He also announced that there was a letter
from our CTCI rep that was available for review.
Vice President: Dennis Kay thanked the Kay’s and Joan Peterson for providing the refreshments and
drinks for the evening. Membership is now at 57 paid members for 2009. The signup for beverages
and refreshments was passed around to get the final openings filled. The anniversaries for the month
were read. They are: Billy & Heather Mann- 1 year, the Pedone’s- 2years, Jon & Anna Schwab- 3
years, the Hamblin’s- 4 years, the Kay’s- 16 years, the Obniski’s- 18 years, the Schebetta’s- 21 years,
the Croxton’s- 21 years, the Jensen’s- 28 years, Doug & Sue Eichenbaum- 32 years and the Rivera’s35 years. The buy/sell board was passed.
Secretary: November meeting minutes were published in the Fan; questions and/or corrections were to
be discussed at the break. No changes or corrections were reported and the minutes were approved.
With no December meeting, there are no minutes for that period.
Treasurer: Treasurer Ray Delgado read the treasurer’s report. The condition of the Club treasury has
improved significantly.
Activities: Activities Chair, Gene Cox, discussed the reports of prior events and the events scheduled
for the upcoming months. The Senior Bag Stuffing sponsored by Jill Schwab was held in midDecember and a total of 707 bags were stuffed and delivered. Rich Eichenbaum related our
experiences at the Holiday Party held at the Eichenbaum’s home. Joe discussed the Awards Banquet on
Saturday, January 24th at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Clara. Everyone is on pins and needles with
anticipation of who will get the coveted Blunderbird award. The results of the contest for design of the
SCVT grill badge will be announced and they will be presented to event participants at the dinner. The
Pedone’s are planning a Bocce Ball Night in Los Gatos in February and the Kay’s are planning a
hamburger tasting and evaluation tour in March. A show of hands was made for Kool April Nights in
Redding on the 17, 18 & 19 of April. There is space available for the Morro Bay trip. There are events
looking for sponsors throughout the year.
Logo Sales: Bernie announced availability of some new items.
Displays: Flea Market - Geoff Dye spoke about the revitalized Flea Market display, which will be held
on April 4 and 5. We can supply between 55 and 65 cars per day. SCVT is the lead organization in this
event.
Parades/Homecomings: The San Jose Union school district is considering dropping sports, which
would impact the number of homecomings we could participate in. This could seriously impact the
Club’s income for 2009, which could be partially or wholly replaced by a successful Flea Market
display. Jerry filled in for Steve and had information on the Tet Parade, which will be held on February
8. 25 cars are needed.
Editor: Marty was not available but he sent word regarding article input.
Club Directory: Carl announced that he would take new pictures if people want them or they can
supply their own if they have a good picture.
CTCI: Jerry Schwab reported that there would be an article on club activities in an upcoming CTCI
Early Bird Magazine.
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
Historian: Joan Peterson advised that the most recent historical information was at the back of the
room for inspection during the break. Please send any pictures of events to Joan for inclusion in the
history book as well as on the web site.
Fund Raising: Al & Jenny covered the theme for January raffle and described the prizes available.
Old Business: Larry announced the winners in the picture contest that he had developed and placed in
the most recent Fan. The winner - correctly identifying 17 of the 21 possible members – was Ray
Delgado.
New Business: Al Thomas announced that the Palo Alto Concours will be held on June 28 and SCVT
member Hal Schuette heads up the committee. The Marques cars for 2009 include the Porsche and the
Mustang. In addition to participation in the event by displaying cars, judges for the Mustangs are also
needed.
Tech Talk: There was a question regarding the testing of thermostats.
Buy/Sell: The Buy/Sell information was read.
Raffle: The raffle was held.
Announcements:
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned upon the completion of business.
Respectfully submitted, Don Reisinger, Secretary
Marge Goldman
Marge Goldman, an active SCVT member for 29 years, passed away
on January 3, 2009. Marge and Bill had been married for 43 years,
but had known each other since 1942 when they met in second grade.
They knew each other in high school and college (UC-Berkeley) and
were married in 1963. She will be missed.
Lifetime Members
Pete and Marge Gray
Bill and Diana Mann
Charlie and Isabell Vincent
2009 SCVT Snacks and Beverage Signup
Date
Snacks
Beverages
Date
Snacks
Beverages
Jan 9
Feb 13
Mar 13
Apr 10
May 8
Jun 12
Kay
Pedone
Croxton
Affrunti
Cox
Dye
Peterson
Lynch
Lerma
Citi
Schwab
Reisinger
Jul 10
Aug 14
Sep 11
Oct 9
Nov 13
Lynch
Maness
Hamblin
Miller
Kelley
Epolite
Berquist
Dance
Parker
Perry
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
2009 Santa Clara Valley Thunderbird Events by Gene Cox
Date
Jan 24
Feb 8
Feb 28
Mar 14
Apr 4-5
Apr 17
May 1-3
May 17
May 30
Aug 18-20
Event
Awards Banquet
TET Parade
Campo Di Bocce
Burger Bash
SJ Flea Market
Kool April Nights
Morro Bay Car Show
Friendship Day
Cars for ABC's at Brittan Acres
CTCI Region 3 – Convention
Vancouver, BC
Host
Ryan
Dance
Pedone
Kay
Dye
----Ryan
-----Heather Mann
Totem Classic T-Bird Club
SCVT Grill Badge
Here is our SCVT grill badge. A big thanks to Ray Delgado for submitting the winning
entry and the Backus Group (Al & Jenny) for arranging production. The badges were
given out to those eligible for the participation award at the 2008 Awards dinner. We do
have some extra badges and you may purchase one for $26.50 on a first come basis.
There is a limited supply so act fast!
The badge will be available for purchase at the February 6 meeting and, thereafter, from
Bernie Epolite our logo sales Board member.
If you were eligible for the Participation Award and were not able to attend the Awards
Dinner, you may pick your grill badge up at the February 6 meeting.
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
February 2009 Membership Anniversaries
Member
Years
Mike and Sandra Land
Paul Lynch
Kenneth Schock
Irma Hernandez
Michael and Valerie Williams
Norma Baldwin
Ben and Denise Gage
32
31
17
12
8
5
1
Parades by Steve Pedone
TET PARADE - February 8, 2009
The parade starts at 11:00 AM and runs to 1:00 PM. Staging will be same as all years
past – Feb. 8, at 9:00 AM, staging area along Market Street from St. John St. to Santa
Clara St. (contact Steve to find out the exact location). We have been asked that we have
a minimum of 20 - 25 cars and be willing to go down the parade route twice. Parade goes
on rain or shine. Contact Steve, pedoneschrysler@aol.com.
PAST EVENT REPORTS
Annual Awards Banquet – January 24, 2009 hosted by Joe & Pat Ryan
A great time was had by the 73 members and 5 guests that attended this year’s banquet.
Mark your calendars for January 23, 2010 as that is the date for the 2010 banquet.
Everyone enjoyed the food and no one went away hungry.
The 2008 Board was thanked and presented with digital picture key chains for their work
on the Board. The 2009 Board was introduced; it included new volunteers for Parades,
Steve Pedone; Editor, Marty Gerbasi; and Historian, Kathy Pedone.
Jerry Dance passed on the Parades duties to Steve Pedone and presented Steve with a hat
that said ‘Parades Chair’ and one to Kathy that said ‘Asst.’ Don Reisinger won the award
for the person that attended the most parades and homecomings.
Gene Cox had the ‘pillow’ awards for those that attended the most overnighters and they
went to Bill & Diana Mann for attending all 7 overnighters. Second place went to Larry
& Georgette Maness (see photo page 13)
Eddi Cox put together a great basket with items from most of our events; Pat Ryan won
the basket via a raffle.
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
There were some great candidates for the Blunderbird award. First we had Rich ‘Blinkie’
Eichenbaum talk about the origins of the award since he was the first ‘winner’. This
year’s nominees included, Rick ‘Antenna’ Deutsch, Gene ‘GPS’ Cox, Don ‘What
Direction’ Reisinger, Ray ‘PO Box’ Delgado, Paul ‘Diesel’ Lynch and Diana ‘Where’s
the keys’ Mann.
This year we had 3 people who nominated a candidate get up and tell why their candidate
deserved the award. Dennis Kay spoke about Don, Doc Dockter had a video for his
candidate, Paul, and Gene Cox got up and spoke about Diana. I also had an anonymous
source that nominated Don Reisinger for his blunder from 2007. Don’s ‘blunder’ took
place at last years Santa Cruz beach party when he ‘accidently’ left the main course at his
house in Los Altos.
This year’s Blunderbird award went to Paul ‘Diesel’ Lynch, who is a repeat winner (see
photo Page 13). Paul was responsible for filling Doc’s car with diesel fuel when they
were on the 48 in 08 tour. Next time you see any of the nominees ask them about their
blunder. Keep your eyes open and when you see something a member does that makes
them eligible for 2009, send me an email.
Ray Delgado submitted the winning grill plaque design, even though he thought it was
for a belt buckle, and was presented with a $50 check, which he immediately gave to
Judy! Ray then presented the grill plaques to those participant award members that were
present at the banquet. See photo Page 13.
Gene Cox presented awards to Doc Dockter and Bill Mann for their participation in the
48 in 08 tour. It was Doc’s dream tour and he ‘got ‘er done.’
This was a great way to start off the year. Looks like we’ll be continuing to have Fun,
Fun, Fun, through 2009.
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
Hi all SCVT members. I hope you enjoyed the ‘Guess the SCVT Members’ game. The
winners are Ray and Judy Delgado with 17 correct answers. Next was the Epolite’s with
16, the Cox’s with 15, the Dance’s with 15, the Affronti’s with 13, and the Mann’s with
12. Here are the answers to the game. The prize was a $25 gift certificate to Mimi’s
café. Thanks, Larry Maness
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
UPCOMING EVENTS
Campo Di Bocce-February 28, 2009 Hosted by Steve & Kathy Pedone and Joan Peterson
This will be fun! Come play bocce (we will have girls and boys teams) eat and drink.
We have 3 indoor courts reserved and can reserve a 4th if we have many more than 30
people. Our playing time is reserved for 2 hours. The bar with tables is close by as are
the bathrooms.
Date: Saturday February 28, 2009
Where: Campo Di Bocce, 565 University Ave., Los Gatos
Time: Arrive 11:30 AM to stage cars in the parking area (we may meet elsewhere and
drive in as a group)
Court Time: 12:00 Noon-2:00 PM
Food: Each Bocce Court has a station stocked with glasses, plates and utensils. During
the course of play, we will be served "Heavy Appetizers" such as pizzas, calamari,
antipasto, fruit and crab cakes. There's more to choose from, but we haven't finalized the
menu yet.
Cost: It should be about $36-40.00 per person but subject to how many people sign up.
There will be party favors and prizes for the winning teams.
Contact Kathy Pedone email: skpedone@aol.com or
Joan Peterson
If you want to participate please let us know as soon as possible-hopefully by the meeting
February 6th. When I have a more accurate head count I will let you know the exact
price.
Burger Bash – March 14, 2009 Hosted by Dennis and Sandie Kay
Get ready to enjoy not one, not two, but four or five delicious burgers on Saturday,
March 14. The Kay’s are planning a driving and eating event (what else would we TBirders do?) for early spring. We will begin in the South Bay and travel north to the 4 to
5 BEST burger joints on the Peninsula and East Bay. These will not be chain restaurants,
but rather independent businesses. In order for us to sample at each place without filling
up we will be in teams of 4 and divide each burger into quarters. Each person will have a
ballot and independently vote on each burger.
After the burger run the T-Birders will fly over to Foster City and partake of ice cream
sundaes with lots of toppings plus milk shakes at Sandie and Dennis Kay’s home. At that
time we will have the official “SCVT Best Burger in the Bay Area” announced, based on
all of the feedback from participants.
Great weather has been ordered! A number of places are under consideration from Santa
Clara, Sunnyvale, Hayward, Fremont, San Mateo, etc. If you have a suggestion feel free
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
to contact Dennis and Sandie before the final choices are made. The final 4 to 5 places
will be announced at the February meeting and in the March Fan. At that time all details
will be in place. Mark your calendars … get your car and tummy ready… See you soon,
Sandie and Dennis Kay , denkay4adr@yahoo.com
San Jose Flea Market Display – April 4-5, 2009
by Geoff Dye
SCVT has been working with the San Jose Berryessa Flea Market to do a rain or shine 2day classic car display on April 4 and 5. SCVT is asking members to participate in
this event as we are getting paid for each vehicle each day. Vehicles from the 50’s
and 60’s are preferred so T-Birds are not mandatory. The Vintage San Jose Event would
like to present 55-65 vehicles for public display on Saturday and Sunday. Our vehicles
will be parked under a huge permanent tent with the wine tasting and the Joe Sharino
Band.
For those of you who signed up at January’s meeting, thanks for your pledge to
participate. Although January’s meeting attendance was a little light, I was pleasantly
surprised and encouraged at the number of sign ups.
For those who have not yet participated at the Berryessa Flea Market display, it is a fun
day with friends. Here’s what to expect: our vehicles are sheltered from the elements
under the huge permanent tent; security is provided by San Jose’s finest; our cars are
behind stanchions provided by the Flea Market; very clean restrooms; lots of shopping
for dry goods, fruits, and vegetables; lots of comfort food at reasonable prices; picnic
tables are provided by the Flea Market; fun place to people-watch.
If you can display your car, it would be greatly appreciated as we are getting
compensated for each vehicle each day. This would also qualify you for the 2009
Participation award that is given out at the annual SCVT Awards Banquet. You can
contact Geoff at geoffdye@yahoo.com.
Crusin’ Morro Bay Car Show - May 1 - 3, 2009 Hosted by Joe & Pat Ryan
It's not too late to join us for the Morro Bay car show. We now have 3 rooms left at the
Best Western El Rancho. We have a double queen, non-smoking, and 2 single queen
smoking rooms. The motel said they would air out the rooms before our arrival. It's a
great show and we have always had a great time. You can download the car registration
at http://www.morrobaycarshow.org/. The motel phone number is 805-772-2212. Let
them know you are with the Santa Clara Valley Thunderbirds. Joe & Pat 650-483-6256
CTCI Region 3 Convention- August 18-20, 2009
The Totem Classic Thunderbird Club of British Columbia is hosting the 2009 CTCI
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
Region #3 Convention, Aug 18th – 20th at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond
BC, a suburb of Vancouver. Make your hotel reservations at the River Rock Casino
Resort no later than February 28, 2009 if you want to be assured of the lower rate.
Although the dates for this event are August 18-20, you may wish to arrive on the 17th, if
you are judging or showing a Thunderbird. Phone numbers for the River Rock Casino
are 1-866-748-3718 or 1-604-247-8900. Be sure to reference the Thunderbird Function.
Also, you will need a passport for the border crossing, be sure to start the process soon if
you don’t have one.
A preliminary information sheet/ pre-registration form is currently available from Joe
Ryan 650-483-6256, or scvt57@sbcglobal.net.
SCVT Directory Addendum
None reported at this time.
BUY AND SELL
Adds placed in the Fan are limited to 3 months unless renewed.
BUY
57 Thunderbird – Bing Kunzig 949-831-9465 (12/08)
SELL
Really nice T-Bird pins. Al Thomas
1965 El Camino, bright yellow, 350, 4-speed, 3.73 posi, no rust, line-x bedliner, full 3inch exhaust, nice interior, 8K miles on rebuild. $21,500. Geoff Dye
1955 Thunderbird, maroon.
Dick Kirk - if interested, contact Specialty Sales at 707-
Bally $0.25 slot machine in good condition. California legal. Can send pictures. $600.
Joe Ryan 650-483-6256 (2/09)
No-Mar Deck Protector. Your choice black or white. $9.99
Parade Rest 2-Pad Set. Your choice black or white. $19.99
Ding Bats Dent Protectors. Your choice black or white $9.99
Don Reisinger . Don@Be-Ntouch.Com (12/08)
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
PHOTO ALBUM
Awards Banquet 1-24-09
Ray shows off his SCVT grill badge
Joe awards Paul his Blunderbird trophy
Bill & Doc receive awards for 48 in 08 trip
from Gene
Larry & Georgette display “pillow” award
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THE SCVT EARLY BIRD FAN
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