June 2005, Volume 8, Issue 6


General Meeting - June 7, 2005

No minutes from the June 7 General Membership Meeting are available for this issue since our Secretary, Irene Raff and Treasurer, J.O. Raff, were on a pilgrimage to Mecca (Graceland) and elsewhere.

When minutes are obtained, they will be printed in a future edition of the Trans Script.

Respectfully submitted - Irene Raff - Secretary.

HISTORY of BREE'S TRANS AM.

My car was the 420,039th car (not Trans Am) to be assembled in Norwood, Ohio. It was purchased for around $4,470 on December 24, 1974 in Baker, Montana with 2 miles on it. It had all the bells and whistles except for the 8-track player. Might have been someone's Christmas gift. The color was Sterling Silver.

Sometime later, for reasons unknown, it was repainted a metallic green. It was then sold to it's second owner in Montana. It cruised for a while until it hit a deer. It got another body and paint job. It was now painted dark navy blue. It cost the owner $1,800 in 1983.

In 1986 my brother was in the Marines and based in Southern CA. We grew up with muscle cars in mind (never owning one) and watching "Smokey and the Bandit" millions of times. One day he saw an ad in the classifieds and bought this '75 TA for $1,700 from a young girl. She had been the second owner and came from Montana. The car looked ok, but was well-driven and needed "work" bad at 126,000 miles. It was all my brother could afford at the time.

After sinking lots of money in this car, he tried to sell it, for it was becoming a money pit. In LA, no one wanted an old big car that was a gas hog and needed work. I told him I would buy it. He said it looked OK and had lots of power!!! It was time for me to get a second spare car and I could use some horsepower. And that "Smokey and the Bandit" movie was not forgotten.

By July 1990, I flew down to LA to visit my bro and drive this car home to Oregon. He would come back with me (to make sure it didn't break down and leave me stranded) to visit Mom and Dad anyway and then fly back to CA.

I made him get tires and do a quick stereo so we had tunes to travel in. I paid him $1,800. By then it had around 150,000 miles. I was going to get a cool car with power! I had never driven anything more than a 4 cylinder.

I should have known it was a bad day when we were too late leaving. A "quickie stereo job" put us leaving LA around noon. We had to wash the car too, for it drives faster if clean, ha, ha. I now notice the front end is all screwed up and the license plate sits on the dash inside. Stress cracks are visible at the roof corners. Cracks in the rear quarter panels and major rusting out areas. Well, it had been sitting in the hot sun on the Marine base for a while and was fairly old. I was optimistic. It was fixable.

The front seats were disguised by thin furry covers and the carpet was filthy and pulled away from the molding. That's OK, I needed a project. So, we head north and struggle up the I-5 grapevine and the car is heating up. My brother says "we'll be going downhill so he'll drive faster so the hot afternoon air will cool it off". We had a radar detector on the dash that slid back and forth across as we sped on the curves. It would detect Klingons or Romulans. Our cloaking device was on!

We stop at a gas station near the bottom of the mountains to refuel and hose the engine down and radiator. Another quart of oil and tranny fluid. The shifter is not working right.

The car is still quite warm so we continue our drive bringing the speed up around 90mph to help cool the engine. And we turn the heater on, not fan. Our legs were burning from the engine heat (we were wearing shorts) so we kept spraying them with water from bottles and ice from the cooler. The air cond. was broke of course, and no floor vents on this model. I was co-pilot. It was late afternoon, the traffic was heavy, posted speed was 65mph and we were flying with our cloaking device on.

A state cop was seen in the rearview mirror. By then we slowed down and he passed point to us and two other cars to pull over. Busted. The cop said he clocked us at over 80mph. It was a worthy ticket. My brother laughed at me later saying "at least we know the speedometer works"! Our radar detector didn't help us on that one for the cop said his gun was turned off.

We continue on, bringing our speed up again to keep the engine cooler. I notice the headliner has little silver tacks all over it. My brother says it was loose and he thought the tacks on the black kinda looked cool, like stars. The windows are down and air is whipping everything around. I felt a sting and noticed I was sitting on tacks that had been slowly working out of the headliner from the wind. All of a sudden, the whole headliner rips out and tacks go flying everywhere! The seat covers were flapping showing the original seats were ripped and very broken down. The interior looked very thrashed.

We drove through the night for it was cooler. My brother only had dark prescription sunglasses to drive by. I drove for the first time. I couldn't reach the pedals or see over the dash (I am short and the seats were very broken down). We took our clothes and shoved them behind me and under me to raise me up.

I adjusted the rearview mirror and it snapped off!

We continued to Oregon stopping for fuel and hosing the radiator off. A hose was split but we had no choice at that hour but to continue. We limped it home by 6am.

Later inspection revealed it was running on 7 cylinders. The shifter was froze later, for it had ran out of fluid in the tranny. The wipers fill apart the first time they got turned on and got stuck in the hood vent. I had my project, a money pit. I could see possibilities. It needed a LOT of work and money, of which I didn't have.

Slowly, for years I ordered parts, went to swap meets, and acquired "stuff". I did what I could on y own and saved and saved money for the big things. I was single and a hairdresser/nail tech and traded haircuts for labor when I could.

Working on the interior first, the front seats were re-upholstered and re-padded, new headliner, new back dash, new visors and carpet. The back window got replaced during this. I replaced the console parts, instrument bezels, door handles, knobs, motor for power windows, etc. I sand blasted the rims/wheels and repainted them stock colors, new rings and valve stem covers.

I finally got the engine rebuilt by a guy who drag raced with Pontiac motors and knew this beast. At least I could drive it to work now to keep the battery charged. That was always dead for there was a short making a drain (to be fixed later). Eventually I afforded the tranny to be rebuilt by another guy who drag raced for sport. Everything was kept fairly stock.

I married a man who was into VW's. He liked the idea of a chick with horsepower (although he drag raced VW's) and I converted him. We had to move and I sold my house. The small profit I made gave me enough to paint my car! After years of attending car shows and searching for the right color, I had it all figured out……..and Sammy Hagar approved.

By 1995 I had it painted my favorite color of red-orange. It needed a LOT of body work and rust had really settled in. We found tons of bondo on the roof where years ago it had been bashed in and maybe vandalized. Maybe when it was green? The front window got broke in the process and was replaced. The shop had their work cut out for them but they did a wonderful job, actually nicer than I had imagined.

Driving home, we stopped for dinner and was locked out of the car. Seems the door locks were put in upside down or backwards and the clear sealer had plugged them up. We thought we would never break in for the new window rubber seals were tight! I drove home in the dark paranoid a deer would jump out before I even got full coverage insurance. We live out in the country and had a long way to drive back.

For years I looked for someone to hand paint my graphic on. My cruising friends calling it a "Camero" to irritate me. By 2002 I got my graphics put on by the way of decals. IF I helped this guy. That was the deal. Everyone was afraid to "lay the big bird" or had never done it or didn't want to try and be responsible for messing it up. We did it. And we did it perfect. It was my 40th birthday present to me. So now my car looked like a completed Trans Am.

Last year I got a whole new exhaust system in and it sounds nice and loud, not stock. I am the sole driver for my husband says it is too loud and he looks better in the color blue. My next project is changing the hood scoop so it has a real functioning flap to intake air, for those of you who remember these old cars. My parts are waiting for me in the garage. The car's name is Bandit, for that is what my brother called it.

By: BREE MONTGOMERY

(Editor's Note……..We empathize and commiserate with you Bree! ….. but it was all a labor of love, wasn't it? We can all relate and in some instances are now facing many of the challenges that you experienced and conquered!!!)

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO CHANGE THE OIL IN YOUR CAR - FOR W0MEN

1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3,000 miles since the last oil change.

2) Drink a cup of coffee.

3) 15 mins. later write a check and leave w/a properly maintained vehicle.

MONEY SPENT

Oil Change………………..$20.00
Coffee…………………….. 1.00
TOTAL…………………….$21.00

OIL CHANGE INSTRUCTIONS - FOR MEN

(THIS WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO READ BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD MEN DO AN OIL CHANGE!!!!!)

1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store & buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner & a scented tree, write a check for $50.00.

2) Stop by 7-11 & buy a case of beer, write a check for $20.00, drive home.

3) Open a beer & drink it.

4) Jack car up. Spend 30 mins. looking for jack stands.

5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.

6) In frustration, open another beer & drink it.

7) Place drain pan under engine.

8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.

9) Give up & use crescent wrench.

10) Unscrew drain plug.

11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil; splash hot oil on U in the process.

12) Crawl out from under the car to wipe hot oil off of face & arms, Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.

13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.

14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.

15) Give up; crawl under car & hammer a screwdriver through oil filter & twist off.

16) Crawl out from under car w/dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.

17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer w/him. Decide to finish oil change tomorrow so U can go see his new garage door opener.

18) Sunday: Skip church because "I gotta finish the oil change". Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car. Cleverly dump oil in hole in backyard instead of taking it to be recycled!

19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.

20) Beer? No, drank it all yesterday.

21) Walk to 7-11; buy beer.

22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.

23) Dump 1st quart of fresh oil into engine.

24) Remember drain plug from step 11.

25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.

26) Remember that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back yard along w/drain plug.

27) Drink Beer.

28) Shovel out hole & sift oily mud for drain plug. Re-shovel oily dirt into hole. Steal sand from kid's sandbox to cleverly cover oily patch of ground & avoid environmental penalties. Wash drain plug in lawnmower gas.

29) Discover that 1st quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.

30) Drink beer.

31) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes w/oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip w/stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug & bang knuckles on frame.

32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.

33) Begin cussing fit.

34) Throw stupid crescent wrench.

35) Cuss for additional 10 mins.

36) Beer.

37) Clean up hands & forehead & bandage as required to stop blood flow.

38) Beer.

39) Beer.

40) Dump in 5 fresh quarts of oil.

41) Beer.

42) Lower car from jack stands.

43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil.

44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during steps 23-43.

45) Beer.

46) Test drive car.

47) Get pulled over & arrested for driving under the influence.

48) Car gets impounded.

49) Call loving wife, make bail.

50) 12 hrs. later, get car from impound yard.

MONEY SPENT

Parts……………$50.00
DUI…………..2,500.00
Impound Fee...….75.00
Bail……….…1,500.00
Beer……….…….40.00
TOTAL…….$4,165.00

BUT U KNOW THE JOB WAS DONE RIGHT!!!!

Dave Gershon.

TACA, GSC Meeting Place and Time.
Our meeting place is at:
CARROWS RESTAURANT
4601 N. Watt Ave.,
North Highlands, CA 95660

Please have all food ordered before 6:45 PM.

Birthdays.

Ted Bechtel, June 4th
Robert Olsen, June 7th
Keith Thorson, June 8th
J.O. Raff, June 29th
Dave Gershon, July 5th
Diana Dahneke, July 8th
Jaime Perez, July 15th
Aaron Bechtel, July 17th
Linda Olsen, July 18th
Bree Montgomery, July 19th

Upcoming Events.


GENERAL MEMBERSHIP - 6/07/05
7:00 PM, CARROW'S Restaurant.
4601 N. Watt Ave.
North Highlands, CA 95660.


JIMBOY'S CAR SHOW - 6/11/05
4:00 - 9:00 P.M.
3636 Taylor Rd, Loomis.


TOWE AUTO MUSEUM CAR SHOW - 6/18/05
Meet at Levitz parking lot at 7:00 A.M.
Depart at 7:30 A.M.


HELLGATE EXCURSION (OVERNIGHTER) - 6/25-26/05 (tentative)
Meet at Levitz parking lot at 8:00 A.M.
Depart at 8:30 A.M.


GENERAL MEMBERSHIP - 7/05/05
7:00 PM, CARROW'S Restaurant.
4601 N. Watt Ave.
North Highlands, CA 95660.


JIMBOY'S CAR SHOW - 7/09/05
4:00 - 9:00 P.M.
3636 Taylor Rd, Loomis.


RIVERCATS VS COLORADO/ LUDY'S BBQ - 7/16/05
Meet at K-Mart parking lot at 2:30 P.M.
Depart at 3:00 P.M.



GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL - 7/30/05
Meet at Levitz parking lot at 8:00 A.M.
Depart at 8:30 A.M.



GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - 8/02/05
7:00 PM, CARROW'S Restaurant.
4601 N. Watt Ave.
North Highlands, CA 95660.



ROARING CAMP GOLD PANNING / DINNER - 8/13/05
Tentative.
TBA.



NAPA VALLEY WINE RUN - 8/27/05
Meet at Levitz parking lot at 8:00 A.M.
Depart at 8:30 A.M.



HANGTOWN CAR SHOW - 9/03/05
Meet at K-Mart parking lot at 7:00 A.M.
Depart at 7:30 A.M.


GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - 9/06/05
7:00 PM, CARROW'S Restaurant.
4601 N. Watt Ave.
North Highlands, CA 95660.


JIMBOY'S CAR SHOW - 9/10/05
4:00 - 9:00 P.M.
3636 Taylor Rd, Loomis.


COPS AND RODDERS - 9/24/05
Meet at Levitz parking lot at 6:30 A.M.
Depart at 6:45 A.M.


P.O.C.I. - 10/02/05
Friday, Sept. 30 to Sunday, Oct. 2.
On your own.


GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - 10/04/05
7:00 PM, CARROW'S Restaurant.
4601 N. Watt Ave.
North Highlands, CA 95660.


VACAVILLE PONTIAC CAR SHOW - 10/08/05
Meet at K-Mart parking lot at 7:30 A.M.
Depart at 8:00 A.M.


APPLE HILL RUN - 10/22/05
Meet at K-Mart parking lot at 9:00 A.M.
Depart at 9:30 A.M.


GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING - 11/01/05
7:00 PM, CARROW'S Restaurant.
4601 N. Watt Ave.
North Highlands, CA 95660.


VETERAN'S DAY PARADE - 11/12/05
Meet at Levitz parking lot at 7:30 A.M.
Depart at 8:00 A.M.


SAN FRANCISCO/ FISHERMAN'S WHARF, WAX MUSEUM, ALCATRAZ, TEDDY BEAR FACTORY - 11/26/05
Meet at K-Mart parking lot at 8:00 A.M.
Depart at 8:30 A.M.


CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE RADISSON HOTEL - 12/10/05
5:30 P.M with no host bar.
Dinner is at 6:30 P.M.