American Auto Club North West

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Happy NEW YEAR! .....And welcome 2012. The dawn of a brand new season, a year we your committee hope will be even greater than the previous years. We know how you lot work hard at this great hobby of ours, be it in the preparation of your beloved motors, or just enjoying the social side of the club. That’s why we strive to maintain the NO BOLLITICS rule, God knows as I've always said "there’s enough crap in our lives with work and sometimes home, we do not need it in our HOBBY”. The grey suits are always coming up with ways to screw us down, be it through our pockets or with green issues.
On April 15th one hundred years ago RMS TITANIC hit an iceberg. We all know what happened on that fateful night, but did you know that there is an iceberg season every year, when during the spring the newly broken off bergs flow south. Shipping has always kept track and documented these flows, it just happened the TITANIC sailed head long into an unusually high number of icebergs one hundred years ago; it must have been down to the global warming back then.....all those gas guzzling modal T’s??? Did you know two other boats sank just 17days earlier? Yes folks, two boats sank with all hands. Both Oxford and Cambridge crews had that sinking feeling, whether there were icebergs on the Thames that year was not reported, but oxford went on to win the race two days later on April 1st 1912.  19 days later on the 20th Bram Stoker died; the author who wrote about an aristocratic blood sucker who bled the innocent to death. Yes folks, that was one hundred years ago, global warming and a nation being bled dry. It’s a good job we don’t have that sort of thing going on these days.........
Can you tell I've not spent as much time in the garage as I should of over the holidays. As some of you know, my Christmas present arrived in October and thanks to the pen pushers, no documents till November keeping me off the road. As frustrating as it was, it did give me time to make sure the Ranchero was thoroughly waxoyled and prepared for this new season, kicking off with January's Krispy Kreme meet, and hopefully as many events as I can fit into the ever growing show season. I know Glen and Bev will sure make us all welcome for our Lakes weekend in June, and the Jackson clan surpass themselves every year with Americana International setting the standard for any show organiser to aspire to.  So come on, shake off those winter blues, let’s all go for a cruise. Hang the garlic from the mirror and watch out for icebergs............
                                         Here's to a great year with great friends.  Graeme S. 

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American Car Market 1970`s

The American Muscle Car enjoyed its hey day from the early 1960s through to the early 1970s when changing emissions standards and motoring costs had a dramatic effect on the market.

Highly valued in the USA for their large engines, these high performance cars, which sometimes came in the form of 2-door sports coupes, sometimes full size vehicles, were extremely powerful and affordable.

The Rocket 455, for example, was a fiery red model made by Oldsmobile in 1968 with a 455 cubic-inch V-8 engine that powered these vehicles through to the Muscle Car era of the 70s.

Depending upon the tuning and carburetor of the vehicle, Muscle Car engines were capable of producing from 275 up to an astonishing 400 horsepower.

The Delta 88, for instance, produced in 1968, produced 310 horsepower and 490 foot-pounds of pulling power, or torque, as it is known. Four-barrel carburetors produced a 10:1 compression ratio in some cases.

The cars were highly desirable, especially among the youth market, as youngsters would use them for drag racing. But concerns were eventually raised over cars that were not as big on safety as they were on power.

Ralph Nader, who led the safety lobby, protested that the cars should not be available for public sale, flagging up concerns over brakes, handling and tire adhesion due to their power.

Consequently, motor insurance costs rose as the industry placed surcharges on high-powered vehicles, pushing them out of the affordable bracket and out of reach for the younger driver.

Another blow to the Muscle Car era came through Detroit`s attempts to counteract rising emissions. In 1973, the OPEC oil embargo resulted gasoline rationing and price controls.

These fuel economy problems and rising emission standards led to the end of an era. Before the oil embargo 100-cotane fuels would be used, such as Esso Extra and Texaco Sky Chief.

But after the Clean Air Act of 1970 when octane ratings had to be dropped to 91, unleaded gasoline was introduced and eventually took over. Tetraethyl lead was also removed as a valve lubricant.

The knock-on effect of these forces against the Muscle Car led to the fast demise of the market. Engine compression ratios were lowered, meaning that from 1971, horsepower was reduced.

The 1972 Olds 98 had its horsepower lowered to 255, for example and Chrysler discontinued their high performance engines such as the 426 Hemi.

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Tis the time to be jolly so the song goes, yes it is the time of year for parties and the rather LARGE gentlemen in red suit and white beard leaving nice expensive presents under the tree for you…..and hopefully me. But I’ve also found this period in time is always filled with quiet moments of reflection, a time to assess your actions throughout the past year, and a time to remember loved ones who are no longer with us physically. As you can guess folks I’m a firm believer our friends and loved ones never really leave us, they drop in and out of our thoughts at the funniest of times as well as relevant dates in the year, a song on the radio, a look in your child’s eye, or a familiar voice in your head…..that split second and they are there alongside you. Chatting with one of our members who’d lost his good wife this year, he was telling me how he’d had a couple of bad days feeling really down and missing her so much. I explained how those feeling never go, but with time they do ease. I went on to tell him how  Lesley had dragged me Christmas shopping up in Fleetwood and Cleveleys, we sat in a café, me mindful of the piped music when Glen Miller’s ‘In the Mood’ filled the air, nothing wrong there…..big bands are back in fashion? It was the intuitive notion ‘String of Pearls’ would be next, so when that oh so familiar tune started, a smile came over me and it was Sunday morning, mam was cooking breakfast and dad had his LPs on the gramophone again!  This put a smile on Mike’s face as he mentioned he’d been brought up with the big bands, I think he was surprised when I said I knew of Arty Shaw, Tommy Dorsey and the like. Although both my parents have been gone nigh on thirty years, they have never truly left me, and I know our Colin is lurking in the garage when I’m tinkering; after all it was his yank motors that got me started in the first place. So when Bing starts to sing this Christmas, I know that tear in your eye is for JOY and HAPPINESS remembering the GOOD times, for that’s what our loved ones do leave us…..Happy memories.

So on behalf of your committee and myself I’d like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year      Graeme S…..

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The club’s 2012 calendar is now available to buy!

Get it quick….even for your xmas gifts.

Great collection of American motors owned by our own members.

Is yours making an appearance? …….only one way to find out!

Also includes dates of all our club nights and many of our meets and shows throughout the year.

Orders can be placed through our editor Nick.

E-mail; nick_rockcentral@hotmail.com

Calendars are at the very good price of just £6!

Nick will have them available at club nights and meetings/events to collect. Calendars can also be posted out to you if you prefer (small postage cost to be covered). Please get in contact to reserve you a copy or two so that she can make sure they are put aside and you get some. Also to arrange payment details.

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Well what a mad mad mad year we’ve had so far!

From a record winter snowfall and extreme cold temperatures at the start of the year, to October kicking in with people flocking to the beaches as the sun turned on the heat at the other end of the scale.

The late autumn sun also brought you guys out to kick off our winter programme with good numbers, attending the Krispy Kreme and Southport Bowl/cruise; you certainly seem intent on making the most of your pride and joys.

I, and no doubt yourselves hear the same comment over and over again…“HOW DO YOU AFFORD TO RUN THESE MONSTERS”. With a wry smile you reply, you just do because of the sheer pleasure….. turning the key and hearing that V8 rumble and the smiles per mile.   

November heralds Nick’s Blackpool cruise through the lights, Mellissa’s secret hotpot birthday supper at the Brown Cow, and the booking of a room for the clubs AGM. In the past few years this has been at the George Carnell sports hall by the Trafford centre, but this year when Val and Bert went to book they are remodelling the centre, so dear folks we have seen and booked an alternative venue that seems to be an even better room and facilities that is just as easy to find as it’s down the road from old Trafford. In this edition of Rumble and Roars on page 5 you should find details and a post code to help you find your way to the Railway Club where you will be able to stand down some old chuffers and stoke up the fires of your elected committee, while enjoying a sumptuous Buffet and motor mind quiz. There will be a map to follow for the venue, and contact myself or Tom for points of view; drop us a line to keep us on the right track and express your thoughts.

                                Keep those wheels turning good friends,    Graeme S.