The Galloping Gazette
The Official Newsletter Of The
Central Virginia Mustang Club
| January 2005 | Issue
217 |
| |
The Galloping GazetteThe Official Newsletter Of TheCentral Virginia Mustang Club
|
CVMC News
CVMC Director Elections! We had a great turnout for the December Meeting and the election of five members to the Board Of Directors. I would like to thank everyone who did his or her CVMC duty and voted. So without further to do here are your new members to the CVMC Board Of Director’s.
Jimmy Clements
Rusty Wiseman
Richard Jones
Steve Coleman
David Lythgoe
Thank you for your commitment to CVMC!
By Tony Hall
CVMC Membership Drive! Yes, folk’s it is that time again. You need to renew your membership by January 1, 2005. The membership fee is a mere $25.00 shamoli’s. So, sign up now so you will not miss out on all the FUN in 2005! We have 42 CVMC members signed up for 2005 so far. Let’s make Our 20th year a record setting year.
BY Tony Hall
CVMC Christmas Party – December 4th! CVMC had a fantastic turnout for our Christmas Party this year. We must have had about 50 people there.
I would like to thank Joe and Heidi Helbling who own Howlett’s Tavern for such a great time. I would also like to thank Karen Lane for organizing the Christmas Party.
I hope everyone who attended had a great time and we look forward to another great year in 2005.
By Tony Hall
3rd Annual Toy Drive For Children’s Hospital – December 4th! The Tri-Cities Mustang Club had its 3rd Annual Toy Drive for the Children’s Hospital on Saturday, December 4th.
TCMC had about 20 Mustangs show up for the Toy Run to the Children’s Hospital including about 4 or 5 from CVMC. CVMC donated $100 toward the Toy Run
This has been a great cause since TCMC started this 3 years ago. CVMC has been proud to be a part of this worthwhile cause and hope to be a part of it in the future.
I would like to thank all of the CVMC members who participated in the Toy Run.
By Tony Hall
Photos By Ted Roberson
Mechanicsville Rotary/Ruritan Christmas Parade – December 5th! CVMC had a great turnout for the Mechanicsville Christmas Parade. I believe we had 20 Mustangs there.
We also had a few members there that we have not seen in a while. It was really good seeing them at the parade.
The parade was great! It moved right along. It was long and had a lot of people watching the Parade.
A bunch of us went to Outback Steak House at the parade and chowed down on some great food.
I think everyone had a great time. I know I did. I would like to thank everyone for coming out and supporting CVMC.
BY Tony Hall
Chester Kiwanis Club Christmas Parade – December 12th! CVMC had a fantastic turnout for our return to the Chester Christmas Parade. CVMC had 23 Mustangs, which exceeded the Mechanicsville Christmas Parade by 3.
The staging area was a little cramped but everything worked fine. As usual we had to follow behind a horse unit, which meant that we had to dodge the fresh little presents that the horses left behind. Well most of us dodged the little gifts; Kim McDaniel decided she wanted to give Ray Weidman a horse hockey shower (if you know what I mean). Good thing for Ray that she missed.
The parade was great and there were a lot of people outside having a great time. It is always great to see the kids at a Parade.
After the festivities some of us went to Applebee’s at Wal-Mart for an after parade feast. The food was good and the service was excellent.
After we finished chowing down went out into the parking lot and low and behold what did they find? A 2005 Mustang GT parked close to our Mustangs. The owners of the 2005 Mustang GT were checking out our cars and the club was checking out their New Mustang GT. I think all of us were impressed. I hope we were able to recruit another proud CVMC member.
By Tony Hall
Photos By Andy Phaup
CVMC At The Virginia International Auto Show – January 14th to the 16th! CVMC has been invited back to the Virginia International Auto Show again this year. It looks like we will have another great line up of Mustangs for display.
The show has been moved to January 14th, 15th & 16th this year. I hope many of you will come down and support your fellow CVMC Members.
Motor Trend will have the “Ford Concept Coral” at the show this year. The cars slated for the show are the Ford 427, Forty-Nine, EX and U.
By Tony Hall
CVMC Director’s Meeting – January 17th! The old date of January 16th had to be moved due to the conflict with the Virginia International Auto Show. The new date is January 17th at River City Diner at 7:00pm. River City Diner is located at the interchange of Parham Road and I-95.
All Officers and Directors are encouraged to attend. Any interested CVMC member who would like to voice their opinion is welcome.
We will be covering some changes to the By-Laws and map out our goals as a club for the next year.
I look forward to a great 2005!
By Tony Hall
CVMC At G-Force Karts – January 23rd! Back by popular demand CVMC will be returning to G-Force Karts on January 23rd.
We will change things a little. This time we will meet at G-Force at 2:00pm.
This is a bang up time (no pun intended) so, come on out for a great time.
By Tony Hall
Asphalt Angels – February 11th to the 13th! CVMC will be displaying at Asphalt Angels again this year. We have 10 spots open. There will be a sign up sheet at the monthly meeting in January.
This is Great Show so come on out and support your fellow CVMC members at the show and check out all of the cool cars!
By Tony Hall
A Message From Dave & Judi Dickey! We would like to wish all CVMC members a Happy New Year and hope their Holiday was a joyous one. We express our thanks for the support given us as new CVMC members. Dave would also like to thank all those members who volunteered their time and support for the CVMC 20th Anniversary Show.
CVMC Merchandise! Jacket and Show T-shirt Update!
There are still show shirts available in sizes L, XL and XXL. These will be available at the next meeting. You can also e-mail me at JWEI516560@aol.com or call me at 804-379-7480 if you would like me to hold a particular size.
Remember to contact Judi Weidman for information on our new CVMC Club Jackets. We are planning to offer a lightweight blue & khaki jacket and a fleece lined blue & khaki jacket. Be sure and come to the next meeting to see the jacket and place your prepaid order.
Prices:
Jacket with front logo only: $50.00
Jacket with front and back logo: $65.00
With your name: add $5.00
Same price for both kinds of jackets.
By Judi Weidman
2005 CVMC Cruise In’s! For 2005 Cruise Ins, I like to get all CVMC Club members involved. What I like to do is a little different. In need of all suggestions that any club member may have to hold the cruise ins and I will do my best to set it up. Last year I have posted suggestions on the forums and received a couple. For 2005 I would like to see more. This is your club to, lets all get involved. You can either post on the forums or my e-mail address is Mustangmlc99@aol.com. Lets make 2005 a great year.
By Mike Cole
Thanks! I would like to take a minute to thank everyone who has contributed to the Galloping Gazette and let everyone know that if you have an article that you wrote on anything Mustang and or Ford related please send it to me to be used in the newsletter.
Ideas for articles are but not limited to the following… Car Shows that you attended; Parades; Restoration Projects; Unique Mustang’s and or Ford’s; Unique people connected with Mustang’s and or Ford’s; etc… Please include any pictures.
Be sure to send your articles to Tony Hall at 7702 Hudson Drive Richmond, Va. 23229. Or hand them to me at the next club meeting. You can also e-mail them to me at svt95cobrava
News From The Blue Oval
Pony passion — '05 Mustang is blend of classic styling, speed
By Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press Columnist
It's hard to believe now, but I wasn't that excited when the metallic green 2005 Mustang GT arrived in my driveway.
I knew I liked the new car's exterior styling, a lovely update of classic Mustangs from the 1960s. I fully expected the coupe's combination of small size and a 300-horsepower V8 to make it an enjoyable drive.
I didn't think the 2005 Mustang had any surprises left for me. Sometimes the word wrong is insufficient.
The fellow who told the Wright Brothers they should stick to working on bicycles was wrong; I graduated to a whole 'nother category.
The 2005 Mustang is magic. Not some paltry what-card-am-I-holding parlor trick, but serious, Hey-Frodo-watch-this ring-for-me, sorcery.
I should have expected as much because Ford has been pulling rabbits out of this particular hat since the Mustang debuted in April 1964. Henry Ford II hadn't even wanted to build the little coupe, but Ford took 22,000 orders the first day and it set a sales record in its first 12 months.
Since then, more than eight million Mustangs have hit the road, and the car has become the embodiment of Ford fun for generations, surviving even the unfortunate Mustang II of the 1970s and the company's ill-advised wish to replace it with a Mazda-engineered front-wheel-drive car in the 1980s.
The all-new Mustang is in many ways the embodiment of all Ford would like to be: stylish, affordable and exciting. Prices for the 2005 Mustang start at $18,785 for a deluxe model with a 210-horsepower 4.0-liter SOHC 12-valve V6.
The 300-horsepower GT starts at a very appealing $24,370, and the well-equipped GT I drove had a $26,575 sticker price. All prices exclude destination charges.
Ford is expected to add a convertible this spring.
I fell under the Mustang GT's spell when I approached it and pressed the remote unlock. The windshield reflected the image of a guy in a leather jacket and black turtleneck. I hadn't even started the 300-horsepower 4.6-liter V8, and I already thought I was Steve McQueen.
The magic grew stronger when I turned the key. The single-overhead-cam 24-valve V8 rumbled to life with a sound that echoed the big V8's of classic Mustangs like the one McQueen raced through San Francisco in "Bullitt." Ford even taught the modern and sophisticated engine to give a little burp of a backfire to complete the déja Vu.
The Mustang GT's acceleration and handling lived up to that enticing engine note, and I found acceleration in the V6 models to be more than adequate. The GT's five-speed manual transmission shifted precisely. The cup holders in the center are awkwardly close to the shifter, but the layout is otherwise a huge improvement from the '04 Mustang.
A smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission is available with either engine.
The car's exterior and interior design continue the theme of melding the best of previous Mustangs with updated technology and ergonomics.
The 2005 Mustang's wheelbase is 6 inches longer than the '04 model, and the new car has infinitely more presence on the road, from its big round headlights to its sweeping fastback and the chrome badge -- complete with iconic running pony -- on its trunk.
The fastback design does create a substantial blind spot, but the little triangular rear-seat windows provide a good field of view for most maneuvers, although backing out of parking spaces can get dicey.
The dashboard's simple round gauges and clean, uncluttered aluminum-trimmed design also combine the look of previous Mustangs with modern materials and ergonomics.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive. Rear legroom is extremely cramped, but rear headroom is surprisingly good. The map pockets in the doors are too small to be much use, but the wide-opening doors make the Mustang exceptionally easy to get in and out of for a sporty car.
While the 2005 Mustang is up-to-date, it offers few cutting-edge features.
One of which is what Ford calls My Color, a nifty option that allows the driver to change the color of the lights for the chrome-ringed gauges. With My Color, you can personalize the gauges with any one of 125 colors, and you can switch to a new color in moments.
The three-spoke steering wheel connects to a precise and responsive power rack-and-pinion steering system that invites quick maneuvers, fast turns and other answers to the question WWSD: What Would Steve Do?
The brakes were excellent, stopping the car smoothly and with a firm pedal feel.
The Mustang has an independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and a solid rear axle with coil springs.
Ford has drawn a fair amount of criticism for not giving the Mustang an independent rear suspension, but I was more than satisfied with the car's ride and sporty handling. It absorbed bumps reasonably well, and dug vigorously into high-speed curves.
A good independent rear suspension would probably provide a smoother ride, but the solid axle accommodates the clutch dropping, burnout starts Ford expects Mustang owners to cherish. Ford will almost certainly use an independent rear suspension in some of the high-performance specialty models it will offer over the Mustang's life.
Traction control and antilock brakes are standard on the GT and optional on the V6 models.
The failure to make those important safety features standard across the line is my only serious complaint about the 2005 Mustang. I understand that Ford wanted to keep the car's base price under $19,000, but ABS and traction control make cars -- particularly powerful rear-wheel-drive cars -- so much safer and more manageable that no one should buy a Mustang without them.
The Mustang's traction control benefits from very effective programming that balances safety with the car's sporting character. The system is tuned to allow some wheel spin accelerating through fast turns. It intervenes before the car can spin out of control. The system also allows burnout starts on dry pavement, but it monitors spin to minimize slippage on wet or icy roads.
Electronic stability control is not available at all, and Ford's desire to keep the price low and the profit high led it to leave several other less important features off the Mustang's specification list. They include memory seats and side view mirrors, twilight-sensing headlights, height-adjustable shoulder belts, a six-speed manual transmission and a one-touch feature to slide the seats forward for access to the back seat.
Flaws like that would loom large in a practical family vehicle, but their significance dwindles in the context of a sporty car that looks this good and provides so much sheer enjoyment at an attainable price.
Ford Motor Co. has had a rough decade, losing sales and money at a distressing rate. The people who build, develop and drive Ford cars desperately need something to feel good about.
The 2005 Mustang is cause for rejoicing, for them and for everyone who believes cars should be fast, fun and affordable.
Election Results
The 2005-2006 Board of Directors & Executive Committee
The results of the election for the 2005-06 Board of Directors and Elected Officers are listed below. Although only 13 positions were open for the 2005-06 Board, 15 of the 19 candidates will be installed as National Directors. This results from the fact that four of the candidates were sequentially elected as officers along with 2 seats open due to vacancy in the 2004-05 Board.
Board of
Directors Serving 2005-2006
Josh Bolger
Lark Bragg
Austin Craig
Charles Hampton
Dean Hillestad
Ed Hockaday
Jim Keenan
Peter Marshall*
Steve McCarley*
Jim McFarland
Steve Prewitt
Ken Signor
Roberta Silverman
Monty Seawright
Wanda Whitsell
* Fulfilling
vacancy in 2004-05 Board of Director positions
Elected Officers
for 2005-06
Arley Whitsell President
Chuck Micele Vice President
Kay Kleschka Treasurer
Beverly Bragg Secretary
Bill Johnson Past President
Peter Marshall, a fellow CVMC club member was elected to MCA’s Board of Director’s. I believe this is the first time CVMC has had a club member be elected to MCA’s Board of Director’s.
Below are a few words from Peter Marshall.
“I'd like to thank everyone at CVMC for your part in supporting my successful election to the Board of Directors for MCA.”
“It is rare to have a car that appeals to everyone from 18 to 80 and invoke as much passion as Mustangs.”
“The CVMC epitomizes the best of what owning a Mustang is all about and the friendship that comes with being a member.”
Have a Happy Holiday Season!
Peter Marshall
On behalf of CVMC I would like to Congratulate you on your successful election!
By Tony Hall
By David Turnbull
We have finally got approval from Paul Russell, Mustang Brands Mgr. at Ford for the Pony Drive 2005 X-plan pricing for next June. This will get you a new Mustang at 4% above invoice, plus $150.00! On a GT Convertible, this could be around $3000!
I am now in the process of contacting the clubs we worked with on the original Pony Drive, to see if they would like to host another party for us. This trip, we will be traveling a LOT less and will have more time to visit the surrounding area. We are also asking the Ford dealers to get involved again and will support them with our cars. We hope to have 36-40 new Mustangs ordered and would like to see 50-75 of the old Mustangs show up to “escort” us along the highway!
The tentative schedule is:
June 11- Sat- Arrive Detroit
June 12-13- Cars will start production Sunday and be finished Monday. I have contacted Classic Design Concepts about some of their products to customize the cars. Some items are- light bars, concept hood w/ scoops in front, roadster cover, and they have a bunch more that they will have ready soon. We’ll have everything on the web site so you can order your parts and they will have them waiting for immediate assembly! I’ve already warned them to have a 24-hour shift Monday & Tuesday!
June 14- Tuesday evening party @ CDC
June 15- Noonish- head for Ft Wayne. Possible lunch stop in Toledo if they can get it together this time!
June 16- Ft Wayne-Indy
June 17-18 Indy. We’ll see if the locals can get us track time and possibly work with Ford & local dealers
June 19- Marshall, Ill- Terre Haute club that did such a great job last time! The Mayor invited us for a car show and we’ll see if he can get one set up for us!
June 20-22- St. Louis- Again, the club here did a GREAT job and this time, we’ll have time to see more. Without the rain!
June 22 afternoon- head for Kansas City
June 23- Day to get ready for the MCA National
June 24-26- MCA Show @ KC
In order to qualify for the discount, you MUST be a registered Participant. We’ll be continuing the list from this year so everyone will retain their number. I will be updating the list by the end of the year, so you can see exactly what we wound up with. Getting a $2000-3000 discount isn’t too bad for $55! And you still get a license plate!
Ford and Bill Gray are working on a lot of the logistics and details of what we will be doing. As we hear more about their plans, we’ll update this announcement. Tell everyone you know about this and lets see if we can hit the 4-dozen mark.
If anyone is an artist and wants to design the fender badge, please let me know. This will be similar to the 40th badge. Look at any ’04 to see what it looks like. Ford will delete the factory badging and we’ll install the limited edition ones what you drive it off the assembly line.
Superior Ford, across from the factory, will be the main dealer for us. This is where you’ll actually take possession of the cars. If you are ordering from your local dealer, make sure he knows it will be drop-shipped to Superior Ford.
Classic Design Concepts is already on board for those “upgrades”. They are the ones that make the light bars, roadster covers, sequential turn signals, concept hood w/ scoops, etc. Anyone that wants them to modify the car can contact them directly once we get a link established. There will be a lot of exciting options from them. The car will go directly there after you get it, so that it will be ready to leave on Wednesday. I have asked them for 24-hour shifts so the cars can be completed in time. They are also looking at having us there Tuesday evening for a party.
This could be quite an exciting event and by being 2 weeks, we can get more of you to come for the whole time or most of it.
Be sure to check the Pony Drive Website for any updates. You can do that by clicking on the Pony Drive Logo or the link below.
Dave’s Mustang Trivia
By David Lythgoe
Dave’s trivia will return next month.
CVMC Guess the plate
The object of this game is to guess which CVMC member the license plate belongs to.
News From The CCCCVa
This month I am going to divide this column into federal, state and other. First, the news from the federal government. In 2001 our government withdrew from the Kyoto agreement. The purpose of the Kyoto talks is to find ways to slow down global warming. The US position under the Bush administration is more market based instead of regulations. Even the Clinton administration wasn’t very pleased with the talks since industrial nations like the US would have more to lose than smaller developing nations. Those developing countries face no emissions controls until after 2012.
The US position now is to not do anything about global warming despite all the news concerning warmer temperatures in the last few years. The US is the biggest nation to reject the Kyoto Protocol to work towards reducing heat-trapping gases.
The US position has merit since the ozone hole over Antarctica has gone from 11 million square miles last year to 8 this year. The fact that the US has rejected this agreement does not make us look good in the world community.
Virginia’s DMV got in trouble with driver licenses after the 911 terrorists easily got licenses. Now Congress is taking a look at restrictions to driver licenses in an effort to thwart terrorists.
Michael Leavitt, Bush’s head of the EPA, has been selected by President Bush to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. No word yet on who will become EPA chief. Bush also picked Samuel Bodman to be energy secretary. Bodman has a reputation as a “problem solver”. Bodman will be entrusted to sell the Bush energy policies to the Congress including drilling in the Artic wildlife refuge in Alaska.
You’ve heard about those organizations like the Kidney Foundation that take in old cars, sell them and use the money for their programs. The IRS has now changed the rules so that it is more difficult for you to claim that $500 clunker is worth more. The maximum you will be able to take for the any vehicle will be $500 unless you can prove otherwise.
In state news there will be no full car tax rollback - well I guess maybe that’s not news. The governor has announced his plans for transportation and solving road problems. It will be up to the General Assembly and him to come up with a good plan. We sure need one.
DMV yanked 237 driver licenses because the clerks that were caught selling licenses "under the table" gave those 237 their licenses. Those people never showed up to reapply for a license.
In other news vehicle recalls are heading for an all time high this year. Recalls have steadily increased in recent years. As of September 30 there have been 462 recalls on over 24 million vehicles. And the recalls are for even more dangerous items than in the past. You may remember that a Japanese automaker got into deep trouble by hiding defects and not warning people.
More interesting stuff next month.
By Rick Nochta
Rick’s Tip’s will return again next month.
Central Virginia Mustang Club
Minutes of Meeting,
December 1, 2004
By Brenda Jones
The December, January & Director’s Minutes will be in next months Newsletter.
Welcome! We at CVMC hope you will be a member for many years.
Ed Adams, Andy Phaup, Llew Stakes, Richard Dawson, Frances Brown, Jimmy Clements, Sonny Coble, Herbert Hudson, Steve Coleman, Gordon Martin, Ray Weidman, Ben Brown, Donnie Nichols, Dave Dickey, Rick Jones, Jerry Duffey, Larry Boyd and Don Smith
Thanks everyone for joining and coming back for another great CVMC year! CVMC had 152 Members who signed up for 2004. CVMC has 42 signed up so far for 2005.
Dave’s Mustang Trivia Answers
By David Lythgoe
CVMC Guess the plate answer
Answer: Mike Cole’s
2002 Black Mustang GT
January Birthday’s
Looks like we have a bunch of birthday Guys & Gals!
January 5th Tom Enroughty, January 5th Karen Modlin, January 6th Chris Byrne, January 7th Andy Phaup, January 10th Graham Marsteller, January 10th Loretta Sherman, January 14th Ben Brown, January 15th Sharon Burke, January 15th Charlie Pruden, January 16th Gail Enroughty, January 17th Paul Meade, January 21st Brittani Jorgensen, January 23rd Andrea Whitney, January 25th Sydney Smiley, January 26th Marti Fann, January 28th Cynthia Brown, January 28th Corey Vanover, January 28th Sherry Phillips, January 28th Mike Barton
Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns!
Upcoming Car Shows For February 2005
Non-MCA Events
February 11th, 12th & 13th, 2005
43rd Annual Asphalt Angels Show.
More info at the club website: www.asphaltangels.net
Officers |
|
| President:
Tony Hall |
Vice
President: George Bobrovski |
| Secretary:
Brenda Jones |
Treasurer:
Karen Lane |
| MCA
National Director: Paul Oliver |
|
Directors |
|
| Carroll
Lipscombe |
George
Cosier |
| Dave Dickey |
Don
Lane |
| David
Lythgoe |
Bob
Overbey |
Rusty
Wiseman |
Jimmy
Clements |
Steve Coleman |
Richard Jones |
Volunteers |
|
| Newsletter
Editor: |
Webmaster: |
| Awards
and Trophies: |
Club
Merchandise: |
| Membership:
|
Parades:
|
| Cruises
Ins: |
Track
Events: |
| Show Chairperson(s): |
Judging: |
| Monthly
Door Prizes: |
Social
Events: |
Technical
Advisors - 1st Generation Mustangs |
|
Sonny Coble |
Bill
Jarvis |
| Carroll
Lipscombe |
Rick
Nochta |
| Richard
Jones |
|
Club
Sponsors |
|
Present
your club membership card at the following business to receive valuable
discounts. |
|
Mustang
Bill's Mustang
Bill's, Inc. |
H+M
Performance |
| Rick's
Restorations |
Lay-Oak |
|
|
Be sure to present your CVMC Membership
Card for a 22% Club Discount on parts in their parts department
|
| Ray
Broyhill Ford |
First
Class Towing |
| Seredni
Tire & Auto |
Weaver
Transmission |
| Advance
Mobile Glass |
Midas
Muffler & Brake Shop |
| Dave's
Upholstery Shop |
C.P.'s
Mufflers |
| Dockside
Mobile Marine |
Capital
Windshield Repair |
| Air
Conditioning Services |
Jeffe
Locke |
| W.B.
& Son Auto Care & Detail |
Beach
Construction |
| Carroll's
Tree Service |
Truck
Outfitters |
| Batteries
Plus |
Harold
Sales |
NAPA
Genuine Auto Parts Reference Cash Account #1918 |
|
Next Meeting
Wednesday,
January 5th, 2005 at 7:30 PM
At The Science Museum of VA,
2500 West Broad Street .
See Ya there!!
