Tribute Photo Album of Russ Dolbear 1950 - 2023
New Retro Thophy
George Lake & Fred Schmoyer
The Original Miles Driven Trophy
for the Classics
Saturday, November 16. Co-hosted by the Thorsons and the Pattersons.
Place: Susan and Eric Thorson’s home (3025 E Whittaker Close, Williamsburg, VA 23185 in Governor’s Land). Near the entrance; there’s no need to stop at the guard gate.
Time: 11:30 AM gathering, lunch at noon. Lunch will offer a variety of sandwiches and salads followed by dessert.
We will be collecting for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, so if possible, kindly bring an unwrapped toy for donation and help make a child’s Christmas more joyful.
Please RSVP to Susan Thorson by November 9, 2024.
December 14th 11:30am Hosted by Lynn & Ron Padrick
At their home: 2 Davenport Road Cumberland Va.
Please RSVP by December 7
(more information coming closer to the date)
Russ had the honor of having his car photo grace the back-cover of CTCI's Early Bird magazine. Here is what Russ submitted, and was published that month:
Please send all correspondence to:
VCTC officer's emails will be forwarded to the designated individual
Footnote: President's Message page is a "throw-back" to the original T-Bird Times newsletter.
MILES DRIVEN AWARD
Trophy Award History
The idea for a ”most miles driven” trophy began back in 2006. Then VCTC President, Fred Schmoyer thought it would be fun to have a friendly competition to promote driving of our classics. Our trophy was designed and crafted by club members George Lake and Fred Schmoyer.
Mileage is tracked for Classic Tbirds driven to club events simply by noting the mileage from member’s home to the club meeting location using Google Maps. The noted mileage is doubled to create a round-trip total and then tabulated. The club member who travels the most miles for the year has their name placed on the trophy and is awarded The Trophy for a year.
In 2023 CTCI membership voted to include the "Modern Classic" Retro-Birds. In accordance, VCTC also includes Retro-Bird ownership. (VCTC has always welcomed Retro-Bird owners into the club.) In the latter months of 2023, VCTC membership voted to include a 'Miles Driven' competition for those driving Retros. George Lake and Fred Schmoyer were then 'commissioned' to build a new Trophy to recognize the 'Most Miles Driven' winner of the Retro Division.
The new trophy was exhibited at the November VCTC meeting. Mileage tabulation began in January, with a winner to be declared for the year 2024.
CURRENT TROPHY HOLDER
Some of you may be thinking about hosting a club event but are hesitant because you haven’t done it before or have concerns about organizing it. If that’s the case, no worries…it’s relatively easy to plan, there are no hard-and-fast requirements, and other club members will answer questions, provide advice, or help you plan. There are a few considerations to make things go smoothly and create the environment for an enjoyable social experience for club members.
Usually, plan for guests to arrive by 11:30 with things kicking off at 12:00. It’s best if there is a dedicated/designated parking area for those driving classic and retro TBirds. If meeting at a restaurant, the business management can often help identify and reserve a suitable area. When weather cooperates, we can have 10 or more classics at the event. Hosts should plan to arrive a bit early to confirm plans with the restaurant and direct parking.
For planning, usually 20-40 members attend our monthly events. The host will be required to provide the basic details such as who, what, where, when, and RSVP information to the club secretary for posting to the club web site. The club secretary will then post and send event notice to all members. This notification needs to be posted as soon as details are available. Ideally, the meeting would be held in a room large enough to seat everyone comfortably. If in a restaurant, it’s best (though not required) if the area is separated in some way from other customers to facilitate group discussion and business.
Since the pandemic some venues have started charging a room or service fee. In this case, VCTC will provide hosts with up to $150.00 to offset the cost of these room/service fees. These funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.
Options for lunch can vary depending on the venue. Regardless of choice, hosts should talk to restaurant management to inform them of the overall plan and coordinate necessary details. Ordering and paying individually from the standard menu is one option. If going this route, it’s best to coordinate with restaurant management to make ordering and serving go smoothly without excessive delay. Selecting menu items in advance or catering a buffet line is another possibility. Another option depending on the venue is to determine/provide the main course and have attendees contribute to the meal by bringing a dish to share. Generally, try to keep costs for lunch about $25 per person. Meeting hosts can collect lunch fees from guests as they arrive or guests can pay checks individually after lunch, depending on which option was used.
At the meeting site, you can expect the club President to discuss the plan and manage timing to briefly conduct VCTC business and make any pertinent announcements prior to serving lunch. This business generally takes less than 15 minutes. When complete, lunch is served and expect the rest of the day to go smoothly as the servers do their thing and attendees can continue mixing, meeting and eating.
As an after-lunch option, consider if there are additional activities available at or near the meeting location which can be visited following lunch. While not required, this can provide opportunities for attendees to visit places they otherwise would not have known about. Previous examples include wineries, car/tractor museums, botanical gardens, and various historic sites. These can be set up as group activities or merely offered as information for those who might want to check it out.
Please consider if you have a great restaurant or unique idea for hosting an upcoming event. We are always looking for new places we haven’t visited before.
TIPS FOR HOSTING AN EVENT
** Tips for Hosting **
See Below President's Message
Classic Thunderbird Club International Chapter #36
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
RECENT PHOTOS
PHOTOS
ARCHIVED PHOTOS
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
TREASURER
Bill Brown
Patsy Gregory
Eric Best
SECRETARY
ACTIVITIES
CHAPLAINS
Stan Hostetler
Linda Twilley
Brenda Morrison / Carrie Hillman
EVENTS CALENDAR
CTCI Early Bird Back-cover Photo 2007
January - February 2007
Back Cover Car
A Caboose and a 'Bird in the Backyard—Doesn't everybody have one?
If it weren't for my love of electric and real trains, we would never have gotten into Thunderbirds. It all started in 1998 when I began a part-time auction business to help people liquidate electric train collections. I called my company The Wooden Caboose, Inc. Two years later, it came to my attention that a real wooden caboose within 30 miles of my house was in jeopardy of being scrapped by the City of Richmond, Virginia. They wanted it off their property at no liability to the City. After discussions with the decision makers at City Hall, I purchased the 1942, wood-sided caboose formerly used by the Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, for ONE DOLLAR. I set the ties, laid the rails, and then paid $4,500.00 to move it. My local county had to authorize the move, so an additional $1,217.50 was spent, and the move was made.
I removed the plywood siding on the rear of the caboose and discovered original graphics on the original tongue and groove wood siding beneath. Being a draftsman for 30 years, I duplicated those graphics, made templates, and recreated them on the plywood side you see in the photo, Built in 1942, retired in 1969, it is somewhat rare as most surviving cabooses are steel, not wood.
Years later, I attended an estate auction held by the widow of a deceased friend and fellow train collector, as we had discussed the possibility of auctioning her husband's train-related items through our company. That is where I came across my first Tbird. A red 1956, unrestored, jewel in-the-rough which looked great from 15 feet away, was on the block and after the bidding settled down, I raised my little ol’ hand one time and ended up buying our first T-Bird. I didn't have the courage to tell my wife what I had done for a couple weeks, as I cleared out a spot in garage to bring her home. A visiting fellow train collector accidentally broke the news to my wife, asking, "How do you like your new Thunderbird?" The cat was out of the bag. Alice never warmed up to the Redbird, due to the way it came into the family. But we enjoyed taking her out for long drives. You can read about our exploits in the July-Aug 2003 issue of the EarlyBird when we took our bucket of bolts on a three hour one-way drive to Callao for a parade at the invitation of long time members Lew and Jane Wright, CTCI #7867.
I was cruising around the Internet one day looking at Thunderbirds for sale and Alice happened to pass behind me, and she commented, "Oh that’s a pretty one, we should get that one!" You could have knocked me over with a feather! My Alice, interested in another Thunderbird? I didn't need to hear it twice. I started searching for a restored '56. Enter our purchase, a 1956 Thunderbird Green (Sage Green interior) built only 11 days after our original Redbird in March of 1956. It was restored by a Volvo Museum in Illinois, was purchased by a pilot and his wife back in the mid-nineties, and then went with them to Tennessee when they moved. It was for sale on eBay, and we bid on it, but someone outbid us by $100.00 at the last minute. However, neither of us had met the reserve, so there was no sale. The high bidder had zero feedback on eBay, and we had over 300 transactions with 100% positive feedback on eBay, so the owners of the "GREEN HORNET” (my nickname for our new car) contacted us with a SECOND CHANCE OFFER. After some photo exchanges, phone calls, and lots of questions, we officially bought the car on July 4, 2006. We trucked it in, sight unseen and with the exception of a tapping noise in engine, which we can’t decide if it is a lifter, valve guide, or rocker arm, we have enjoyed "OLIVE OIL" (Alice's nickname for the Green Hornet!)
Help us decide what we should call our new baby. Drop us a line at wooden-caboose@att.net. We really enjoy our friends at Chapter 36 CTCI and look forward to years of T-Birding here in the Commonwealth Of Virginia.
Stay safe everybody. Cordially, Russ and Alice Dolbear
CTCI #32754 Chester, Virginia
2023 Trophy Winners Lee & Stan
** Please note **
6 Items on the "Classifieds" page under "More" Tab
1st Award Winner
Russ Dolbear & Fred Schmoyer
Bill Brown & Stan Hostetler
Bill is a multiple winner (4 times)
and has the highest mileage total!
If you are interested in hosting a monthly club meeting, contact Activities Coordinator, Linda Twilley
President’s Message October 2024
I want to start off this newsletter with a reminder that our annual charity drive will be next month. This is our only opportunity to give back to the community. Toys for Tots is a great way to show our gratitude and help some kids have a Merry Christmas. So, I ask all of you to attend the November 16th meeting co-hosted by the Thorson’s, at their beautiful home in Williamsburg, and the Patterson’s. Do not forget to bring an unwrapped toy or two for the USMC program. Also, this meeting will be our election for Board members for 2025. Just a reminder, we need a Recording Secretary so please let me know if you are interested.
We have certainly been blessed with incredible weather for driving Thunderbirds over the past several months and October 19th was no exception. Everyone who attended the October meeting came away very happy. We had a dedicated room; the food was excellent and the pumpkin pie was superb. I would like to thank Suzan and Jim O’Neale for hosting and providing the dessert and the fun trivial game. We had 22 members and one guest with 10 Thunderbirds parked on the lawn.
December will be hosted by Lyn and Ron Padrick at their historical home in Cumberland, VA. They hosted a couple of years ago and it was a wonderful experience. More details coming soon.
It is not too early to start planning for 2025 so please, if you are interested in hosting contact Linda Twilley our Activities Coordinator.
CTCI
CTCI is proposing a joint convention for 2025. This convention will be in coordination with VTCI and is planned for September 9-13, 2025 in North Grapevine, TX (Dallas-Fort Worth area). While the Convention will be a “Joint Production,” CTCI and VTCI will each hold separate judging for their organization’s cars.
A little 1956 Thunderbird History: 1956 Continental Kit how did it come about?
In the summer of 1935 Edsel Ford took his family to Europe, and like any other American auto executive, he was fascinated with the European cars sporting the spares on the outside of the “Boot” trunk.
Upon his return to Detroit he had a thought to somehow incorporate the external spare that he called the “Continental Look” on his special project car the Lincoln Zephyr. This car featured an insert spare tire mounted on the trunk. This one-off car was a huge design success and went into full production in 1940. It was suspended for the war until 1948 but returned after the war.
The Continental Kit came into play in 1955 for the Ford Thunderbird when Heney Ford II was overheard to complain about no room in the trunk for a set of golf clubs. The Ford engineering team set out to solve this problem relying on Ford’s experience with the Zephyr. There were some issues with the handling of the 56 Thunderbird that led to the redesign of the 1957 Birds that allowed the spare, once again, to be moved back into the trunk. The 57-redesign included mounting the spare in a more vertical position, enlarging the trunk with a bump up in the trunk lid and shifting to 14-inch wheels. Personal experience with owning and driving 55 and 56 Thunderbirds I never noticed any handling issue between the cars.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the home of Susan and Eric Thorson in Williamsburg on Saturday November 16th, and remember,
IT’S ALL ABOUT FUN X 3! Bill Brown
SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES!
"Trophy Love"
Nancy Schmoyer
George Lake
The Davidson's April 2009
The Most Tbirds at a Club Event 20 Classics & 4 Retros
Thunderbird Appreciation Day 2019
Chesterfield
November 2020
www.vaclassictbirdclub.com
Photo taken at Graves Mt. Lodge Syria, VA 2008
CLUB EVENTS
OTHER EVENTS
Note: Click on photos to enlarge and see more.
PAST AWARD WINNERS
2007 Alice & Russ Dolbear
2008 Alice & Russ Dolbear
2009 Linda & Bill Brown
2010 Linda & Bill Brown
2011 Peg & Gene Marianetti
2012 Sue & Steve Patterson
2013 Nancy & Fred Schmoyer
2014 Carrie & Lynn Hillman
2015 Nancy & Fred Schmoyer
2016 Linda & Bill Brown
2017 Peg & Gene Marianetti
2018 Paula & Eric Best
2019 Lee & Stan Hostetler
2020 Defered - pandemic2021 Linda & Bill Brown 510
2022 Lee & Stan Hostetler 786
2023 Lee & Stan Hostetler 748
Dedicated to the enjoyment, restoration, and preservation of the Classic Thunderbirds
All 'two-seater' Ford Thunderbirds
miles
1252
1050
2064
1222
1346
1276
1116
1068
946
1300
1030
1112
1126