10 YEARS!!

Yes, this is the tenth year of Long Island Classic Cars.com!!

We started back in the summer of 2003 with an idea to create a place where everyone in the Specialty Car hobby could come to find out about what is happening on Long Island. Events and shows, cruises and more. What started as about 40-50 event listings has grown tremendously! Last year we had over 800 events listed for Long Island! From Brooklyn to Montauk, Bayside to Bayport – and all places in between! Other websites copy our event lists to post on their sites – they know where to come to also! We are the original – you can see our stuff all over the ‘net! We also have a section for all the CAR CLUBS to be listed. Because of that, many of the clubs have seen their membership grow from that exposure! Also, car show attendance has always been helped by our listing of the events. People can see well ahead of time what is coming up and plan in advance to attend. Plus, unlike print – we can make last minute changes as requested regarding the shows. We aim to serve.

Those are just some of the reasons for our growth and longevity. The main thing that keeps us going and growing is you – the car guys and car gals. Your interest and involvement is what makes it all worthwhile. So – thanks for being along for the ride – or should I say, “cruise”! There are still a lot of new things down the road for us, so buckle up and stay tuned!

Remember, there are sections on the site for CARS FOR SALE, CARS WANTED, RESTORATION & REPAIR, INSURANCE, FINANCING, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, PARTS & ACCESSORIES, WANTED ADS, AUTOMOBILIA, STORAGE, and much more! Keep taking advantage of it – and get all your clubs, events, services, and businesses listed!

I encourage everyone to go check out our CARS FOR SALE section too. I have had several people lower their prices on cars lately and there is a nice selection to choose from! Now is a good time to start hunting for that new treasure before springtime is here. You can be ready to roll! One fella who has a stunning example of an 80 Corvette (Original owner – museum quality car!) has just lowered his price five thousand dollars! Wow!! Don’t wait!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Another WOW! – is this weather!! On February 1^st when I started writing this edition of the Newsletter it hit 61 degrees! This has been the winter that wasn’t. I have seen many classics out driving around Long Island when they are usually shut-in tight and tidy in their garages until April. Compare that with what I wrote in the Newsletter last year at this time:

Record snowfall….frigid temps….hurricane force winds… I’m tired of it!! And its only mid-February! What did that groundhog have to say this time around? Who knows!! All I know is that I am looking forward to the Spring temps big time!!

…..It’s usually right about this time – mid February, that all of us car folks in the Northeast have had it with winter and are dreaming of the springtime so we can get our vehicles out and on the road again. Put winter behind us and start cruising again. You see, we kind of get in a funk and forget about things from the end of November (Thanksgiving time) through about now…

…. the impatience-factor kicking into a higher gear as we see others around the country (on TV) having a great time with cars!

Sadly, we know that we still have two months to go before our time comes, the road salt has been washed away by Spring rains and we can take the cars out. Finally… to get us going even more…..the Long Island Classic Cars.com Newsletter for February goes to “print” and we all get psyched!

Not this year! People I talk to have been working on their cars, driving them, and are way ahead of schedule for getting things done and ready for the upcoming car season. Lets hope March continues to be mild weather and we can all have that much more time using our vehicles this year.

So – here in this Newsletter, we have some great features for you that will no doubt amuse, enthrall, and stimulate all of your car senses. We are off to a great start in our tenth year! Thank you all for being a part of our website and our vision.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Please don't forget to read the last section of this Newsletter for some very important information!!

Enjoy…………….

___________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1 Editor’s Introduction

2 Automotive Trivia Contest

3 Cruise Night Information

4 Guest Writers’ Columns

Dennis Quitoni

“Tom Sebastian”

Rich’s Tech Tips

5 My Car Story

6 The Archive

7 Editor’s Closing

___________________________________________________

Long Island Classic Cars’

AUTOMOTIVE TRIVIA CONTEST

Submit your entry along with your name and e-mail address to: newsletter@liclassiccars.com

This contest is open to everyone! (LI Classic Cars.com paid personnel, regular column writers, and business advertisers are not eligible.)

Winners will be notified by e-mail and/or phone.

Please submit all entries by the 20th of the next month. (Ex: for February’s contest the entries are due by March 20th)

No substitutions of prizes will be allowed.

In the event of prize choices, winner will be given the opportunity to select the one they want.

All decisions are final and are made by the paid personnel of Long Island Classic Cars.com

Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of contest end or forfeit the prize to the runner up.

If there are multiple correct entries on puzzle, matching, fill-in, or Q&A contests - winner will be randomly selected from all correct entries.

A few simple rules:

1) Answer correctly

2) Be on time with your entry

We are re-running the Trivia Contest from the end of last year. No one got it – it’s a good one –

and we want to give someone a shot at the title!!

Here is this month’s Trivia contest….

1) In what year did AMC introduce the Rebel?

2) What does BMW stand for? (The real version please – no wise-ass stuff)

3) Talledega Super Speedway is 2.5 miles long. True or False?

4) Who was the Pontiac division of GM named after?

5) What is Mr. Tucker’s first name and how many cars did he produce that we know as the “Tucker”?

Send in your answers by 3/20/12 and be in the running to win the prize!

( Winner will be randomly selected from all correct entries sent in – if there are any! )

___________________________________________________

“EXTRA EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!”

The Cruise Nights are going to start in April.

I have already started posting the listings and updates in the EVENTS section of the website.

If anybody knows of any changes or new places – enlighten us and we will pass it on.

Winter Cruise locations:

SUNDAYS: *AM Cruise* Ocean Pkwy, Captree Beach Parking Lot through May, then at OBI. Babylon, NY

Public Gathering

CAR CLUBS – START SENDING ME ALL YOUR EVENTS & FULL INFORMATION ABOUT THEM!!!

___________________________________________________

Guest Writers’ Columns

Dennis Quitoni starts off 2012 with some very sage counsel and sound advice for us all. Before undertaking that “hop-up” project you have in mind, take note of Dennis’ vast experience and heed his words. You will come out ahead and be happy too.

(Dennis built a motor for me way back when ( the mid 80’s) and everything went fantastic. He was the consummate professional and the communication between us was great. That is how we first met. I recommend him to everyone.)

Rich’s Tech Tips starts off the year with a column you cannot resist. It also carries weight. What am I talking about? You will just have to read it to find out. Pesky little things they can be. Sometimes they just go kablooey and you get stuck. Curious yet?

In the My Car Story section we feature an absolutely beautiful station wagon. This car has been done stem to stern, inside, outside, and under the hood. Allen Leon is the owner and wait ‘til you see what he has done with this magnificent machine!

I do not think there is one detail left undone. I would love to have one like this in my stable.

Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

How to Make Your Performance Project a Successful One

By Dennis Quitoni

So, you’re heading out to a performance shop to build that hot rod of your dreams, or you’re taking that slug of a motor to a engine builder to increase it’s muscle.

An important step. So important, you better understand just what you’re getting into and how to come out of it happy. You’ve been thinking for a long time about this, but maybe you haven’t thought through what really will make this endeavor successful.

Here are some of those things to consider, and consider well:

***Do you have a plan?

***Do you have the finances?

***Do you know how long it will take?

***Do you know how much you want to be involved?

***Do you understand what the performance shop is selling you?

Allow me to explain. I’ve been in the high performance business for over forty years and I’ve seen great success in many projects, and sadly I’ve also seen some that didn’t end very well. Recently I started to realize that there is a path to be followed if you want to be happy and successful with that motor build up, or the modifications to that power machine of yours. Pay attention to this group of ideas that I promise you, will help make the project both successful and enjoyable.

First, do some homework on what you’re about to do. If you’re getting a motor built - learn about compression ratio, find out a little about lift and duration in the camshaft. Learn what balancing and blueprinting are all about. If its car work you’re having done, get to know a little about the importance of gearing, suspension, tire size, wheel offset, and other drive quality components. Talk to some manufacturers; learn about stall speed, carburetor size, and shock and spring stiffness.

Secondly, budget. By far the biggest reason that car projects fail is you not being on top of the money. You must have a very good idea of how much money you can invest and how much money you have to get the project started. Decide if the investment you’re about to make is worth investing in. But don’t let the worth of your ride in resale value be the deciding factor, know up front that you will not get back what you are going to put in. That’s a fact in 95% of the build-ups. Do this only if you are doing it because you want to. Do it for your own enjoyment.

Here is the third important criteria. The time factor. Many car projects get lost in the expansion of time. When you start, its fun and exciting, and if everything moves along in a timely fashion, it stays fun and interesting, but if you don’t have a good handle on the first two points I’ve listed above, the “slow down” happens. If you’ve planed the job to know what is needed to get the end result to match that plan, allocated the money spent to make it to the end, and have a reasonably good understanding of the time it takes to smoothly complete the job, then the time frame will closely align with your goals.

A large part of this project revolves around the mutual understanding and relationship between you and the performance shop you are dealing with. Be on the same page.

Point number four. Do you understand what the shop is selling you? If you are not comfortable with the sales pitch, or the way the work is explained to you, don’t start! You may not be capable of doing this work yourself, but you must have a very thorough positive feeling about what is to be done. Ask questions; learn as much about the process as you can. Know what is expected of you, and, the people performing the work. Get the finances clear to both parties understanding. Make the timeframe clear to both of you. Know what parts and materials are being supplied by the shop and what parts you are responsible for.

Number five. Your involvement. There’s a great amount of enjoyment in doing things yourself. It’s very satisfying to stand back and admire something you did with your own two hands. That’s the essence of the Hot Rod sport. That being said, not everybody has the talent, time, tools, understanding, or patience to work with their own hands. So be honest with yourself. Know your own limits, but do get ‘hands-on” where you can. Make notes, take photos, and read about the things that interest you.

So if you want to add muscle and horse power to that dream ride of yours, be logical about what you can afford, be in tune with the people you are sending your work to, and most of all, have a start to finish plan. I hate it when I see unfinished projects wasting away in someone’s backyard or gathering dust in the garage.

(As they say Dennis – “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.”) Pete

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tom Sebastian In Memoriam

Usually, this is the spot where Tom’s article goes. As you know, sadly he passed away near the end of last year.

We no longer have him writing with us, but I am sure his Spirit is looking down from Heaven (during a pit stop in whatever race he is enjoying driving in) and urging me to get the Newsletter out on time!

In essence, he is still with us in Spirit….

Here are some tributes to him:

“Tom was the best! I enjoyed everything he wrote. Sad to see he’s gone.”

Paul E.

“I was saddened to hear of Mr. Sebastian’s passing. Give best to his family. His writing will be missed”

Tony DiBertino

“Looking forward to his articles was a monthly thing for me. I will miss them a lot.”

Evan Fuller

“You know, he was a writer that came along once in a while. A guy who drove the cars he wrote about. I wish we had more like him. Gonna miss his skills.”

Terry Lunden

“No one was better than Tom at writing about his passion. Please give my regards to his family and to you too Pete.”

Tommy

“Gee, I was shocked and sorry to hear about this. My husband and I always read his articles first when the Newsletters came out.

I hope you can find someone who writes like he does. But I doubt that. He was the best.”

Cindy and Ron

(Tom – here’s to you my friend) Pete

Remember folks – you can check out all of Tom’s articles in our ARCHIVE section of the website.

Some great reading there!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

RICH’S TECH TIPS

By Rich Fiore

Five, Four, Three, Two, One ...Ballast Off !!!!

The electrical systems of our classic rides can be the least understood system. Although by comparison to today's modern vehicles, they are a walk at the beach and are fairly easy to understand. While many choose to upgrade to an electronic ignition system to replace the ignition points.... I prefer the idea of simplicity and easy replacement in the event of roadside failure.

All vehicles with a breaker point ignition system have some sort of a resistor in the circuit. Some use a resistor in the coil, or a resistance wire which feeds the coil. Chrysler used an external ballast resistor mounted to the firewall ( that little white rectangular box held in place with a bracket ).

So you would like to know what it does and why it is used? I'm glad you asked. In simple terms, a resistor in the circuit will limit the current flow ( amperage ) and voltage in the circuit. This circuit consists of the ignition coil and distributor points. On Chrysler products when the ignition switch is in the crank position, the ballast resistor is bypassed to provide full current to the points and ignition coil. On GM/Ford vehicles, a resistance wire is used and when cold, provides full voltage. As the wire heats up it magically turns into a resistor.

In the early 70's the technology changed and manufacturers replaced the ignition points ( a weak link in the system ) with an electronic control unit ( ECU ). The first on the scene was Chrysler. In these systems a dual ballast resistor was utilized. This is again to extend coil life and to also limit current to eliminate burning up the ECU. Even in this type of system the resistor is bypassed during cranking. Some have been known to remove the ballast resistor to increase the secondary voltage ( coil output ) to the plugs. There is a price to pay for this though. There may be some short-term gains but again, the points and coil will suffer and eventually fail.

If suspecting a ballast resistor as the culprit in a no start condition (after all else has been tested ), testing it is a fairly easy procedure. Using a voltmeter at the input side of the resistor with the key in the run position, there should be a full 12 volts. The output side should be approximately 9 volts when warm. If there is no voltage or a very low voltage present, replace the resistor.

So that's the theory behind the ballast resistor or resistance wire in your ignition circuit. The manufacturers have it there for a reason. 5,4,3,2,1, we have ignition !!!!!

Quick and Dirty : If you own a Chrysler vehicle do you keep a spare ballast resistor in the trunk?

(Thanks for the lesson and testing tip Rich.) Pete

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My Car Story

Allen Leon: 1956 Ford Country Squire

This 1956 Ford Country Squire was purchased new in Pasadena California. The original owner drove the Squire for six years until 1963 putting on 95,000 miles. In 1963 the owner became ill and was bedridden for forty years. His wife, who did not drive, left the Squire outside in their driveway uncovered until his passing in 2003. Their attorney, who knew someone who was a friend of mine, found out I had a Ford collection and he called me in 2007 asking if I would purchase the car to help settle the estate. After reviewing pictures, I consummated the deal and had the Squire shipped to Long Island in November of 2007.

The restoration began and was completed four years later in November of 2011. Steel reproduction panels were ordered to replace all the floors, quarters and the bottom six inches of all the doors and tailgate. The upper tailgate door could not be saved and I was lucky enough to find a clean replacement from the mid-west. The engine, a 292 V8, and the Ford-O-Matic transmission were completely torn down and rebuilt. This was an early ’56, so the tranny was not fluid cooled, it was air cooled through vents on the bell housing and special fins on the torque converter to dissipate the heat. The wood trim presented a different kind of problem. In 1955 Ford went from wood to Di-Nok, a fiberglass trim with a contact type covering. I found a wood grain expert in upstate New York who prepared the trim pieces, then painted, grained and clear coated the trim and window posts to match the original look. The large wood panels presented the next issue. I found a printer in California who had the program to print the wood panel on 3M contact paper, which then completed the wood issue.

The fuel tank was the next problem. No one reproduces the wagon fuel tank. It is thinner than the passenger car because the spare lies flat under the rear deck. I had the original tank cleaned and the inside coated with a protective sealant. After scraping the undercoating, I primed the outside, then used Eastwood’s “Tank Tone” spray paint, which gave the tank an original finish look.

No matter how much work I did on the mechanical and exterior, it would all have been lost if the interior was not done to perfection. Automat in Hicksville to the rescue. In order to highlight the wood tone exterior, we chose a Dark Brown Espresso and matching Colonial White. Automat stripped the seat frames, media blasted, primed and then painted them satin black. After repairing the springs, they reupholstered the seats. Additionally, Automat installed new windlace, carpeting and a new headliner.

Other options on the car are a heater/defroster, which believe it or not, was not standard. The car also has the Town & Country AM Radio with single speaker dash which I have had modified by Harrison Electronics in CA. They incorporated a twin speaker into the single speaker frame to enable stereo sound.

Mike Hagen in PA converted the radio to AM/FM, and it keeps the stock appearance. The car also has power steering and drum brakes. The wagon drums were 1” larger than the standard units on the regular passenger cars. As you can see, the car also has the twin rear seat option in the “way-back” which turns this into a 3-row, 8 passenger vehicle. The windows also are factory tinted green, “Easy-Eye’ as they called it back then. This particular car also came with a roof-mounted luggage rack. I had it completely re-chromed and my wife and I test mounted it on top of the vehicle to see how it looked. It is a beautiful piece, but I just think it detracts from the lines of the car, so I have not installed it since the restoration.

The accompanying pictures say it all. Special thanks to...

Wyandanch Machine, Wyandanch

Bruart Auto Collision, Huntington Station

All Weather Tire, Huntington

Secureall Locksmith, Huntington

Meineke Muffler, Huntington Station

Advance Transmissions, Smithtown

Arthur Gould, Water & Fuel Pump, Kings Park

Montrose Rebuilders, Generators & Starters, Babylon

Cap-A-Radiator, Farmingdale

Dons East Coast Restoration, Chroming & Stainless Steel, Lindenhurst

And of course, Automat of Hicksville

(That is one ultra sweet looking classic Al Thanks for the story!) Pete

______________________________________________________

The

See ya then!

Pete Giordano

Editor

Long Island Classic Cars.com

See ya then!

Pete Giordano

www.liclassiccars.com