A CTCI GOLD MEDALLION and GOLD AWARD Winning Newsletter

THE PREZ SEZ:

Unbelievable! Year’s end is within sight. We had another

great year for our Club. Great 4th Wednesday nights’ out and

fun after meeting cruises. Thank you, Sam and Buzz for making

2019 a fun year for our Club.

Don’t forget to RSVP to MaryEllen Pyka if you plan to join

us for our last event of the year, the annual Christmas Party.

(See flyer in this issue). The Christmas Party is a lot of fun, lots

of smiles as members open the gift they selected (and frowns

when the gift is stolen). Also don’t forget the Elmendorf

Holiday parade on Saturday, December 7th.

My apologies for forgetting that officers are elected

annually and therefore not making mention in the previous

newsletter of an election that needed to be held at the November

meeting. The nominations and election for officers did happen

and the 2020 officers are: President – Pocahontas Cole, Vice-

President – Buzz Durio, Secretary – Cheryl Busald and

Treasurer – George Kiolbassa. Congratulations to the 2020

Officers and to Sam Martin for the fantastic job he did as our

2019 Vice President.

Lastly, I am proud to be able to serve one more year as the

president of this great Car Club. Thank you to all of our club

members who attended our events and made the events fun and

enjoyable. If you don’t already know it, you are what makes our

Club one big wonderful family! Wishing you a happy and most joyful Christmas ever. May all of your Christmas wishes come true and Happy New Year! Pocahontas

2019 Officers President: Pocahontas Cole pocawaltcole@hotmail.com 210-314-1459 Vice-President/Activities: Sam Martin Secretary: Cheryl Busald Treasurer: George Kiolbassa CTCI Advisory Board Representative: Newsletter Editor: Pocahontas Cole pocawaltcole@hotmail.com 210-314-1459 Website: www.Tbirdsa Michael Goldman

December 2019 Business Meeting No Business Meeting In December

San Antonio Classic Thunderbird Club Meeting Minutes November 9, 2019

The meeting was called to order at 9:04 a.m. at Sarita’s Restaurant. Pocahontas Cole welcomed all the Club Members. Minutes: Cindy Goldman made a motion to approve the October minutes as read in the October Air Scoop, seconded by Marilyn Carron and the motion passed. Treasurer’s Report: George Kiolbassa presented the Treasurer’s report. Cheryl Busald made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report as presented, seconded by Sam Martin and the motion passed. Vice President’s/Tour Director Report: No cruise today. No FWN Out for November. Birthdays and Anniversaries: for the month of November were recognized. Sick Call: Polly Stone is recovering from fall at her home. Pocahontas Cole will have cataract surgery next week. Andy Hoekstra stated that he was having additional surgery on his nose. MaryEllen Pyka stated that several club members attended the funeral in Normana for Club Member Cheryl Meynig’s mother, Virginia Turner. Andy Hoekstra attended the funeral for Club Member C.L. Hood, who passed away last month. The funeral was held in the Dallas area where C.L. and his wife Sandra lived. Andy stated that there were many people in attendance at the memorial service. The funeral procession consisted of a large number of cars, with a large representation of T-Birds in the procession. Old Business: a. Pocahontas Cole reminded the ladies that the Ladies Group will meet December 17th at Guenther House for lunch. Please RSVP to Marti if you plan to attend. b. Elmendorf Holiday Parade – Saturday, December 7th. We will meet at Tripoint YMCA, 3233 N. St. Mary’s at 9:00 a.m. Hard tops will be stored at the Police Station, please bring a tarp or blanket to lay under the hard top. Bring LOTS of candy to throw. We will have lunch at Maverick Café after the parade. c. Christmas Party: Tuesday, December 3rd at Outback on IH 10. Social hour 5-5:30, dinner will start at 5:30. Members will be ordering from the restaurant menu. Christmas Gift Exchange will follow after dinner, Bring a wrapped gift value of $25.00. There will be one table for all gifts as last year. Please RSVP to Mary Ellen Pyka. New Business: a. No FWN Out in November and December. Planning in process for January 2020 FWN Out. b. Pocahontas Cole called for recommendations and a discussion regarding the Christmas Charity for the Club. Following the discussion, Cindy Goldman made a motion to split the donations by the club members and the matched club funds between a Veteran organization suggested by Don Meynig and SA Heals. Mike Goldman seconded. A vote was taken with 8 in favor and 5 against – motion passed. c. Cindy Goldman reported Fuddruckers seems to be working well for Wednesday Night Get-Togethers, clean and good food. d. Membership Dues for 2020 in the amount of $30.00 are due by the end of January and please consider joining CTCI. e. CTCI Election Results, Congratulations to Brian Carron who is now our Region Five Director. f. Buzz Durio asked about the election of the officers for 2020. Mary Ellen Pyka suggested that the current officers be polled to see if they were willing to serve as 2020 Club Officers. Sam Martin stated that he would be unable to serve another term. Buzz Durio was nominated as

Vice-President. Mary Ellen Pyka made a motion to accept the slate of officers presented for 2020. Cindy Goldman seconded – motion passed. g. Pocahontas Cole mentioned the names of military veterans in our club as Veterans Day draws near. H. Cheryl Busald made a motion and seconded by Cindy Goldman that $100 be donated in Cheryl Meynig’s mother’s name and $100 be donated in CL Hood’s name. The donations will be sent to the requested charities. Motion passed. The Door Prize of funny socks was won by Cheryl Busald. Being no further business to discuss, a motion to adjourn was made by Cheryl Busald and seconded by Cindy Goldman. Meeting adjourned at 9:58 a.m. Submitted by Cheryl Busald, Secretary

December Birthdays

07 -Cheryl Busald 25 – Cindy Goldman 26 – Pocahontas Cole 31 – Stan Andrews

December Anniversaries

29 – Marc & Mimi Markel

Member News

• Healing prayers for Andy Hoekstra who underwent nose surgery again.

• Pocahontas Cole is recovering from cataract surgery in both eyes. (she will be able to see stuff and wont’ be able to remember what she saw!).

• Ken and Troy Rowe will be moving into an assisted living facility soon. The move will provide both of them with the care that Ken needs.

Please don’t forget to keep us in the loop if you hear of any Club Member who is ill or is having/had surgery. We wish everyone good health, and stay safe!

Classic Ladies Group Holiday Lunch Tuesday, December 17, 2019 The Classic Ladies group are invited to celebrate this Holiday Season at the Guenther House. We will plan to meet at the Guenther House at 10:30 a.m. We will tour the Guenther House first and then have lunch there. RSVP to Marti Schumacher@marti.schumacher@gmail.com or 210-346-1269

City of Elmendorf Christmas in the Park The Elmendorf Holiday Parade is Saturday, December 7th. We will be gathering at the Tri Point YMCA Facility, 3233 N St Mary’s Street, departing at 9:00 a.m. and driving to the Elmendorf Police Department, where we will leave the Thunderbird hard tops. (Bring a tarp, large plastic sheet or a blanket to lay the hard top on). We will then drive to the parade staging area. It’s a fun holiday event, so let’s get those T-Birds ready to jingle rock down the streets of Elmendorf! Bring candy!

Did you know the Texas Legislature passed over 800 laws during the 2019 session? Here are two of the new laws. House Bill 547 Photograph your license, then go fish… Ever forget your hunting or fishing license on your afternoon excursion? It might be good to snap a photo on your phone. A photograph of the document can be used to verify having a valid hunting or fishing license. An image of the information from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department website also may be used. House Bill 2048 Driver responsibility program: Nearly 1 million Texans can get their driver’s licenses back after the driver responsibility program ends in September. The program was supposed to encourage people to drive better but it ended up creating financial hardships for people convicted of traffic violations who had to pay fines as well as annual surcharges to keep their licenses from being suspended. “Individuals who could not pay were losing jobs and homes, becoming homeless for a minor ticket that wealthier drivers could simply pay and forget,” Phil Telfeyan, executive director of Equal Justice Under Law, said in a statement. “The repeal of this discriminatory policy is a huge step in the right direction for the State of Texas.” To make up for lost revenue, state traffic fines will grow from $30 to $50, the $2 fee drivers pay for motor vehicle insurance policies to be issued will increase to $4 and fines for some traffic offenses, including driving while intoxicated, will grow.

Membership Dues are $30.00 per year and

include spouse. Dues are due by January 31st.

Make your check payable to San Antonio

Classic Thunderbird Club and mail check

and membership application to:

San Antonio Classic Thunderbird Club

George Kiolbassa

7317 Triple Elm So

San Antonio, Tx 78263

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Outback Steak House 12511 IH-10 Frontage Road

Social Hour – 5:00 p.m. Dinner– 5:30 p.m.

(Gift exchange will follow after dinner)

We’ll Be Jingle Bell Rocking at the SACTB Club Annual

Christmas Party !

Since the fun is in playing the game, please bring a gift to balance out the quality in the selection. Everyone wants to go home with a gift they are happy with.

A Little Bit of Trivia American Graffiti - The owner of the Thunderbird was never more than a few feet away from his prized possession during filming, and was always wiping here and shining there. He also drove Suzanne Somers crazy telling her what to do and what not to do.

Make a fashion statement while displaying Club pride at our meetings and cruises by wearing your SACTB Club shirt.

Club Shirts, caps, patches are available for purchase

Shirts with embroidered Club emblem: S-XL - $30.00 XXL-$35.00 Caps - $12.00 Small Club emblem patches $3.50 (2 or more $3.00 each) Large Club emblem patch $8.00 Limited quantities available. Contact Treasurer George Kiolbassa (210) 648-5460 if you wish to purchase a cap, shirt or patch. For special embroidery, ie, name on shirt, Club emblem on other personal shirts, jackets, etc. please contact Richard Rocha @ 210-235-7001. He is located at 5322 San Pedro Ave. Tell him you are a member of the San Antonio Classic Thunderbird Club.

Our Club price for embroidering name on shirt is $5.00 with $5.00 set up fee. 2019 Cruise Days and Nights

Fisher’s Store & McDonalds 7765 Hwy 281 N. Spring Branch, Tx 1st Saturday of Month (March-October) 8:00-11:00 p.m.

Friday Night Cruise In Every Friday Night Kirby Korner 123 S. By Pass, Seguin, Tx Sherry Dawson 830-305-4570

Friday Night Cars 1st & 3rd Fridays 6:30-9:30 p.m. Dino & Ginos 18620 Bandera Rd, Helotes, Tx

**Biff Buzby’s Burgers has a cover charge of $5.00 (cash only) for each cruising vehicle parking space. You then get a $5.00 coupon redeemable on any food order at Biffs.

Don’t forget our informal outing is on Wednesdays from 5:30 till ? Except the Fourth Wednesday of the month! We’re Moved (again) and now meeting at Fuddruckers on IH 10. It’s a wonderful opportunity to drive our T-birds and to visit with club members over a burger and a brew!

Note: Car Shows, Swap Meets, Cruise Ins postings are for informational purposes only and not endorsed/sanctioned by the SACTB Club.

Ay Chiwawa's SBBLions Cruise-In 2nd Tuesday of each month Ay Chiwawa's Restaurant Singing Hills Shopping Center Spring Branch, Tx

Saturday Car-Night ( 6pm-9pm) Second Saturday of Each Month Old West Burgers 1005 Laswell Ln Bulverde, Tx

Club Humidor Cruise-In Every 2nd Saturday Of the Month 5:00-9:00 PM Club Humidor 2235 Thousand Oaks San Antonio, Tx 210-828-1261

Biff Buzby’s Cruising Night 12702 Topperwein Rd (Live Oak) Every Friday 6-10 p.m.**

Tech Tip(s) ……… Is That Oil Leak From My Rear Main Seal? Many Classic Thunderbird owners are plagued by oil leaking from their rear main seal area. This particular oil leak is costly to eliminate. Many owners have gone to great lengths to fix this leak. Some have gone as far as having the engine rebuilt only to have the leak reoccur within a few days, weeks or months of operation. Today's mechanics, many younger than your car, are

not familiar with the workings and design of the Thunderbird engine. In addition, many engine rebuilding kits have unfortunately provided us with poor fitting or inferior goods. Any "regular" mechanic who is familiar with today's cars would not necessarily be knowledgeable as to what parts, supplied in certain rebuilding kits, do not work in our cars. The result of this loss of information is a misdiagnosed leaking rear main seal. If your car leaks oil where your engine is bolted to your transmission housing, you have a leak which may be due to a bad rear main seal. Your leak, however, may not be from the rear main seal but from the gasket located behind the oil filter plate which bolts to your engine block. This gasket is supplied in engine rebuilding kits but has been determined by many Thunderbird experts, Ken Smizinski being one of them, to be too thin to prevent oil leakage from behind the oil filter base plate. This leaking oil migrates down along the oil pump housing and drips down at the exact location where oil will drip from a leaking rear main seal. If your oil leak is caused by this gasket, you are a lucky individual. The cure can be done at home, the cost is less than $2.00, and you don't even have to change your oil! Prestige Thunderbird has made available a special oversized oil filter base plate gasket. This part is still numbered 6838, so you have to specify the "oversized" version when ordering. A diagram of your oil filter base plate and its assembly is located on the Prestige catalog. It, however, does not show the base plate gasket. To change your gasket, you will need to remove your oil filter or your canister and filter element if your car is not equipped with today's "spin-on" oil filters. After removing your oil filter, clean up any oil that was spilled on the block or floor. In the center of the oil filter base plate is a nut. Once the nut has been removed, you will be able to remove the base plate. Clean the back of the plate off making sure you remove any old gasket pieces or silicon sealant. Clean off the section of the engine block where the plate was attached in the same fashion. Install the new gasket using silicone sealant on both sides of the gasket. Reinstall the base plate making sure that the section labeled "top" is located in the top position relative to your engine block. Reinstall your center nut. Do not overtighten this nut. You may warp your base plate if you overtighten this nut. Reinstall your oil filter or canister and filter element. Add oil to replace that which you spilled on yourself or your car, if any. Start your engine and check for leaks. - reprinted from Classic Thunderbird Club of Chicagoland

Disclaimer: This and all other Tech Tips are merely reports of another person’s experience in attempting to make improvements to their situation. They are in no way responsible for the outcome you may get. The Air Scoop, its editor, are in no way responsible for your outcome; and you should use these tips at your own risk.

Get Your T-Bird motor runnin' Head out on the highway Lookin' for adventure And whatever comes our way……. Hemmings Motor News 2020 Great Race from San Antonio, TX to Greenville, SC !

Become a new member or renew your membership The SACTB Club encourages all of our Club members to become members of CTCI. CTCI is the parent organization of local Thunderbird Clubs and is the only international organization that is 100% dedicated to representing the owners of 1955, 1956 & 1957 Classic T-Birds. New Member Fee Information: Month Joining One Time Initiation Fee + Dues = Total (pro-rated chart) January thru March $15.00 + $37.50 = $52.50 April thru June $15.00 + $29.00 = $44.00 July thru September $15.00 + $19.00 = $34.00 October thru December $15.00 + $10.00 = $25.00 Renewing Member CTCI Membership 1 Year Renewal Price: $37.50 What Membership Means Whether your Classic Thunderbird serves as everyday transportation, a relaxing hobby or both, you will find valuable help in your restoration and maintenance problems in the TECH TIPS printed in the club publication, the EarlyBird. This informative, illustrated periodical is distributed every two months and contains a variety of interesting features. Articles about historical data, members and their cars, news of chapter events and activities, Are illustrated with photos. In addition, the EarlyBird offers an advertising service to those wishing to buy, sell, or swap parts or cars. Thunderbird Invoices Thunderbird invoices for the 1955 models after serial number 232214 and substantially all of the 1956 and 1957 models are available for CTCI members to purchase.

CTCI MEMBERS ONLY may purchase from the club store. If you are not a member, please consider joining CTCI and enjoy all the benefits of Membership including the Club Store.

CTCI takes pride in the quality of the merchandise that we offer in the club store. CTCI is

Licensed directly by Ford Motor Company to reproduce and use the Thunderbird and Ford Logo/image as it applies to the 1955, 1956, 1957 Ford Thunderbird during the time of original manufacture.

Visit www.ctci.org for more information.

2002 Ford Thunderbird, under 17000 original miles, Hardtop and Soft top, Hardtop stand, Thunderbird Car Cover, 6-Disc CD Changer, Dual Stage Automatic Air Conditioning, Optional Interior Accent and Chrome Wheel Packages, Chrome Exterior Accessories/Trim, Power Windows/Locks/Seats, Cruise &Traction Control, Power Tilt/Telescopic Memory Steering Wheel, Fog Lamps, Car Show Winner, Original Framed Window Sticker, Owners Manuals/Brochures, 2002 Thunderbird Book Asking $18,250 Call: Sam Martin-562 544-9369 or David Diamond 830 438-3515

’55 ’56 ‘57 Ford Thunderbird Parts Suppliers

Disclaimer of Endorsement - Any reference in this newsletter to any products or services do not constitute or imply the endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of any specific supplier/vendor.

Thanks to all for sending me pictures, articles, funny stories, jokes to include in our

newsletter. Keep them coming! Be sure to check out our website www.tbirdsa.com

Pocahontas Cole-Air Scoop Editor