VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Meets, Tours & Events My Central Meet Journal... Port Huron 2013

I spent the day today washing up the '51 for tomorrow's drive down the 401/402 to Port Huron Michigan. I did a couple extra things, like changing the rubber on the fender skirts to some new unpainted rubber, and washed out the trunk mat. My goal this week is to have the '51 go through the VCCA judging. I know it's not going to win a prize... and more than likely will be the worst car on the judging field. I'm really hoping to get a detailed "to do" list, as I'm going to be taking it off the road in the fall, and begin to get it ready for paint and detailing. More importantly, the model cars are waxed and packed, and my touring passport is now properly filled out! Looking forward to a great week! Stay tuned, and I will be updating this every night with pictures as well!

Well, an eventful Day 1 is now complete! We left Bolton at about 9:20am and headed for the Tim Horton's Doughnut Shop on Highway 401/Trafalgar Rd. at the edge of Milton. Ed & Linda Ansell were waiting there in their '65 Malibu SS. We loaded up on coffee and courage, and hit the 401! I led in the '51, and held a steady 60 mph. The '51 wants to jump out of 3rd gear on the uphill grades, and did so two or three times. Other than that, things went great. We hit London around noon and had lunch at Denny's.



The border crossing had us fairly nervous, after the experience of an hour wait in 100 degree weather on our way to Flint in 2011. Today went a lot better. I'm not sure what Ed said to the border guard, but they had a nice 4 minute talk and then it was our turn. The conversation went like this...

"Good Morning. What year is your car?"
"It's a 1951"
"It's a beauty! You have a nice time!

...and like that, we were through!

We headed straight to the Seaway Terminal which was a three minute drive away. I think it is the most unique setting for a VCCA meet as any that we have ever been to! The cars are all parked in a lot that backs onto the St.Clair River. They face a huge garage that we have full access to to house our swap meet, lunches, craft show and all of the rest of the events. Twenty or so cars had arrived, with more showing up. We met up with Dave & Vermayle Longmuir ('80 Corvette) and Barry & Pat Staples ('51 Bel Air) I ran around and took a few pictures of the cars. A special surprise for us all was the presence of the oldest running Chevrolet in the world, the 1913 Classic Six from the Sloan Museum.











We mingled around, renewing friendships for a while, and I hit the swap meet. I paid 20 bucks for a water pump, since I am without a spare after last weeks event in my '50 convertible! Our Canadian Group then headed for Applebies for Supper. There was an Ice Cream Social back at the Seaway Terminal, so we skipped dessert and headed back. We thought at the time that Barry and Pat took a different route. At the terminal we ran into Jim Koontz, (Backroads as we know him here) and he gave me the paint that I ordered from The Filling Station, and had shipped to his house. I met a few others as well, Including Brad Adcock that I "know" through Facebook, but met for the first time in person. Jim Koontz and Pinky Randell gave a nice "history of the Central Meet" speech, and Meet Chairman Mike Mcfarland welcomed us. Soon we heard that Barry and Pat had car troubles and pulled over. Dave Longmuir went to help rescue them, and the two of them were working on the car when Jane and I showed up. We have it narrowed down to an electrical problem, but it was getting too dark to work so Barry got the motorhome and trailer and we loaded it up. My wife told me (in her wedding vows, no less!) that she would not push Old Chevys any more... and there she was, pushing Barry's '51! It sure was nice to work on a clean car too! Barry's spare parts are cleaner than the good stuff on any of my cars! I'm sure we'll have him running tomorrow.

Day 2... a little on the uneventful side for you guys to watch here, but lots of fun for those of us in Port Huron. We woke up at 8:00 and had breakfast with the Longmuirs and Staples. Then it was off to the Seaway Terminal for a quick car wash and a trip through the field check. My '51 passed, which surprised me a little, as I had spent half the day on Monday trying to fix a reverse light that didn't want to work. I didn't find the problem and gave up. When I went through the check it worked just fine! Jane and I decided that Thursday was shopping day, so off we headed to the stores. First stop... Hobby Lobby! Of interest to you guys was this section in the home decor....



I bought the "OK" sign on the bottom row, and the long "Chevrolet" sign towards the left. The rest of the shopping sucked. Jane spent far more on clothes, so she owes me!

Back at the Seaway Terminal for a "Life's a Picnic" themed dinner and entertainment. There is borderline singing talent in our club. We should stick to restoring old Chevys! It did provide more of a comedic relief than anything! I tried to log onto Chat to write this, but it didn't pan out, as the Chat was down last night.

Big day today... Day three was car show day! I was up early for the judges breakfast at 7:00am. Found out I was judging trucks. Found out how little I knew about trucks. Luckily there were a bunch of guys with me that knew a little more than I did! Special thanks to Don Williams who guided me through this experience, and Bob (His last name has slipped me) that was our Team Leader. I wasn't too hard on the trucks, and didn't have to be since they were all beautifully restored. Afterwards I took a quick walk around one of them with Andrew Jurski (who knows more about pick-ups than I ever will!) and he pointed out 3 or 4 things wrong that our whole group missed. Oh well... I'm pretty sure we got the points order right though. I have no idea how my '51 faired, but I do know it was the worst car on the field (someone had to be... I'm cool with it!) and there was another car going for a junior as well in the class, so I'm out as far as a first goes. All and all a great experience! Here's shots from the show field...

After the show we had a few hours to head for lunch, then back to the hotel before the cruise night. We walked with the Longmuirs and Staples to "Atrium". It was in a vintage building, with a really cool interior that was reclaimed from old buildings in Detroit and Chicago. I thought the wainscotting that was made out of old interior doors (with some hardware still attached!) was really cool. The food and desserts were excellent! The walk there was past lots of vintage houses like this!





Across the road is a vintage gas station that was bought and restored by a gentleman that owns a State Farm Agency. We had been trying to stop at it all week for pictures, but there were always cars in the way. Now there were none! While we were shooting, the owner came out and took some photos too!

Next it was off to the River Front Cruise Night. This was a Flint-style cruise in, with the cars organized by year and paraded through down town Port Huron to the park. The public was invited in the local media to join us with there own cars there as well. We saw Andrew Jurski manning a table, giving out G&D's and applications to both the National and the Lower Michigan Region of the VCCA. Lots of the public came out, and it was difficult to get many good shots because there were so many people!







Freighters kept sneaking up on us while we were there. You wouldn't hear them until a loud horn blast announced their arrival!



After the show we headed back to Atrium for more ice cream! Their lot was full, so we had to park across the street! Barry wanted some pictures, and while we were waiting for food, others showed up as well! We saw Brad Adcock with his '62 getting photos too!

Thanks for sharing the pictures and updates, it looks like the weather held and you guys & gals are having a great time. My favorite picture is the one with the Chevys outside the standard service station..wow what a time warp. Lots of nicely restored vehicles and their proud owners enjoying some summer time fun. Thats what its all about :) Enjoy the banquet and thanks again for sharing!

Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!!

Nice to see the two maroon cars together. Shows the difference between the darker 1940-1946 marooon and the lighter 1947-1950 maroon.

Today was Day Four... Plaque Tour and Banquet day! The day started off rainy and continued that way off and on all day. We really appreciated the sun for the show and cruise in yesterday. Today it was really great seeing how many of the old cars made it out for the tour, despite the rain. We set out south, looking at the many beautiful houses along the banks of the St. Clair River.





No VCCA tour is complete without a U-Turn, and we made ours, with Staples and Longmuirs following, after missing Wills Rd. In our own defence, a lot of people missed the road too... and I heard a rumour about a certain green '62 that drove 10 or 15 miles past the road before turning back! Just down Wills Road is The Wills Saint Clair Car Museum. It is dedicated to the history of the Wills Saint Clair Automobile Company, and contained what must have been most of the worlds survivors under one roof! There were fully restored ones and rusty barn finds. Wills Saint Clair made cars from 1921 to 1927, building about 12 000 high end cars.





Our next stop was for lunch, a buffet that overlooked the St. Clair River. On the way back to Port Huron Jane and I stopped at a couple antique stores. Although nothing caught our eye, we did see Cousin Dale Carter picking up a vintage picture frame. Running a little behind the group, we caught up to them at the Fort Gratiot Light House, Michigan's oldest light station. The light is still in use today. We climbed the tower, but could only peek outside as the rain made the deck too slippery. Of note here was Eighty-something year old Pinky Randall climbing the stairs to the top!



Then it was back to the hotel to shower and comb my hair for the big banquet tonight!

Arriving back at the Seaway Terminal, we were in for a bit of a surprise. The hall was decorated with lighting, table cloths, and chair covers. What a great facility. We ate with a row of vintage Chevys in view behind us, giant freighters passing down the river behind them, and the worlds oldest running Chevy sitting right there in the same room. A room full of friends, both new and old. Who could ask for anything more? The meal was great, and the speeches well said. All of the awards were handed out. I'll have to update you all on that tomorrow, as I've left my book in the car, and I don't want to mess anyones name up! My '51 won a second Jr... and I'm awfully proud to be recognized by my peers, as it certainly isn't a show car!

Congrats on your award brewster!

Outstanding story and pictures Bruce. It was good to see you and to meet your wife. See you down the road. Jim

Thank you Guys! Great to see you and Lois as well, Jim... Sounds like it won't be a long drive for you next year!

Day Five, and we didn't set the alarm clock. We got up around 9:00 and decided that Atrium deserved a third visit from us. We saw the Ansells leaving and said our good-byes, and all of the other folks had left early.

I work in retail for a living, and when I find a business manager or owner that does things right in this day and age I really like to throw my support behind them. Since I don't live in the neighbourhood, I'm going to give a small shout out on our Chat Site and hope that those in the Port Huron area, or those passing through give this great couple a visit some day. Rock & Gayle own The Atrium, and were there (Not working... They had paid employees for that. They were managing and assisting) every single time we went in, opening, noon and night. They recently opened their restaurant (2008) and have been improving and renovating continuously since then. Having our large group camped three blocks down from them really surprised them, and they had the busiest week they have had since they opened. The service was understandably slower as they struggled to keep up, but they did not sacrifice the quality of their product and they were both on the floor talking to their customers and taking responsibility. This morning for breakfast they were back to their usual pace, and the service was fantastic. Part way through our meal a young man (18-19ish) pulled up, driving a beat up Neon, wearing baggy pants and unkept hair. He asked for the owner, and asked about a job in the kitchen. (Jane & I both thought "this won't take long!") Rock asked him if he had a resume, and he said "No, but I can get one if I have to." Now this is the part that surprised us both. Rock told the kid to come in and sit down. He had what sounded like a father to son type talk with this kid, and told him why a resume and appearance is important. He then asked him about his past experiences, and the left to go to the back for a tour of the kitchen. It was starting to get busy and we couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, but whether or not the kid got the job, I really think this man and his business deserve a big shout out! That, and my strawberry French toast was fantastic!!

Next we headed back to the mall so Jane could hit a fabrics store and Target. I ran into Lowes and bought a #3 Phillips head screwdriver and tightened the door latch plates so the doors would close right! Then it was off to our friendly border guards. The lineup started at the crest of the Bluewater Bridge, so I shut the car off and we coasted about 15 minutes down to the gates. We were through in no time, and decided we would hit the backroads for a while. Up through Ingersol, over to Paris and Troy and then back north to Milton where I had a baseball game to play. We won 19-13. Perfect end to a perfect weekend!

We arrived home in Bolton at 7:20pm, and I unpacked the car, mowed the lawn, snuggled the kitties (Jazz and Lenny... Lenmiester was thrilled to see us, Jazzy could care less!) and am now eating one year old stale wedding cake with the woman of my dreams! Tip of the hat to my wife Jane, who, on our first Wedding Anniversary day, will sit in an old Chevy all day to come home and eat stale cake with me! Thanks to all of you who tuned into my journal... See you for next years Central Meet in Ohio!

I almost forgot to update on the awards...

Best of Show, 4 cylinder era) Don and Linda Harbron, 1919 490 Touring.



Best of Show, 6 cylinder era) Lloyd and Marjorie Henige, 1930 Universal Phaeton

(The closest car to camera)


Best of Show, 8 cylinder era) Ronald Mroz, 1967 Impala SS 427 2dr Hardtop



Best of Show Commercial (Truck) David and Susie Bosley, 1951 3100 pickup.

Great job capturing the activities of the meet. I am glad that you and Jane had a good time.
I look forward to seeing you both next summer and hopefully spend more time hanging out together.

Chris

Great meet coverage!

Bruce,

It was nice to meet you at Port Huron and I would like to thank for posting your journal. Also the 50th Central Meet chairman Mike McFarland sends his thanks for posting your journal. Great job!

Dick

Great report.
Here is one for you.
Nice car.

Thanks Rod! Great picture!

Really Bruce,you've got to cut yourself some slack regarding your car, that 51 looks fantastic!! Great meet coverage as well!


Cheers, Dave

It was great to meet you and Jane in Port Huron! Great pictures of the activities. I hope you can pull off having another Central Meet in Canada. I really enjoyed the meet at Owens Sound a few years back. It was great seeing your enthusiaism about the VCCA & the vintage Chevrolets.

Bruce,

Great Coverage of the Central Meet! Although I saw you and your car in Flint,It was great to meet you and Jane in person.
Love the picture in front of the gas station with the cars and truck that looks like an old colorized black and white photo. I have a tradition of finding an old gas station or dealership to take photo of my car on a roadtrip.
When we stopped on the way home at the Gilmore Museum , I even got permission to go inside and got shots in front of the Shell gas station and the 1940's diner on the museum grounds! I almost took a photo in front of the F@#% dealer there as well.
We started the tour late did miss the first turn on the tour, tried a few left turns, going around in circles seeing the blue 54 doing the same but we gave up, drove back to the trailers for Ron Mroz's GPS only to find if we went another mile we would have found it! Seems the turn was more than the.5 miles down the road as it said.
Hat's off to Mike McFarland and the Lower Michigan Region for a great event!
Already looking forward to Ohio next summer.

Thanks for all of your replies, guys! Mike McFarland, Linda Harbron, Chris Cufr, and the rest of the Lower Michigan Region really pulled off a great meet. I'm sure they must have put twice as much work into it since the venue was changed at the last minute. The site they found was spectacular, and the rest of the meet was fantastic!

Dave: I don't think I'm tough on my car... I'm just realistic. I've had a body man look at it, and in three minutes he was able to point out some real issues that need to be dealt with. There is quite a bit of bondo in the lower fenders from previous work in 1964. Even though it was never on the road in the winter, it was stored in a dirt floor garage, which was not good for it. The paint looks 30 years old, and was not prepped right causing some bubbling. That, and the horrible gash I put in the right rear fender backing it into the garage!

Dave C... I realized after I got home that I didn't get any pictures of your speedster. I had a look at it though, and it really looks like a fun car!

Brad... Great meeting you too. We'll have to make sure John Brayton makes it to the next one! I saw the Wills road sign at the last second, and we turned around in the next driveway. There were cars coming toward us though, that went further past and turned around too!

It was great getting to know you Bruce also. Great job on keeping everyone that did not make it to the wonderful meet up to date. I look forward to next years meet In my wonderful State Ohio. Great picture of one of my cars (1951 black Conv.)