Waukesha Old Car Club

t o promote the interest of automobiles for

the mutual enjoyment of the members

Visit our new website at www.waukeshaoldcarclub.org Waukesha Old Car Club is on Facebook

Spark

and

Sputter

August– September

2014

PO Box 645

Waukesha, WI 53187

Waukesha Old Car Club

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2014

President Ron Wichinski

Vice President Steve Heinemann

Treasurer Jim Young

Secretary Roy Tomasczak

Board Members Joe Couture

Nic Gengler

Jim Haas

Victor Perugini

Harry Rozanski

Bob Schumann

Wes Sodemann

Mel Stark

Tom Sznaider

Frank Wilke

Editor/Board Member at Large Bob Merner

Dues Member dues are $25.00 per year and are due

on February 15 of each year. Members receive a 50% discount on dues by working a mini-mum of 4 hours for the club throughout the year. Members who have not paid their dues by the due date will not receive credit for hours worked and will have their name re-

moved from the roster.

Club Meetings The club meets the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm at Fox Run Lanes in Waukesha. The board meets the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm at Fox Run Lanes in

Waukesha.

Spark and Sputter The club newsletter is published 6 times a year on the even numbered months. The deadline for putting articles and photos in the newsletter is 2 weeks prior to the newsletter

being published.

Send items to be published to Bob Merner or

email at romer512@gmail.com

Cover Photo

It was back in 2008, I has in the process of redoing our „40 Chevy‟s interior and putting A/C in. I was looking for a car so we could go to shows. Looking on E-Bay and Craigslist it was getting a little crazy, and I wasn‟t sure what I wanted for a

car…(I like sooo many “different” cars)…But I had a „56 Chevy in High School so I was leaning that way. Most of the “really

cool ones” were out west, California, Arizona, so looking at those was iffy. One day I was looking at Craigslist and I saw a „54 Chevy for sale in Racine, WI. The guy had lots of pictures and a pretty good description of the car. I gave him a call and we set up a meeting. I asked Dan Calvano to come with me to

look at the car. When we were traveling down there, I asked Dan if he knew this guy, he said he thought so. When we got close to his place Dan said that this was the guy who had purchased his „41 Willys a few years ago. So we looked at the car, took it for a ride, really loud pipes! Ended up buying it.

Now a side note on this car, I would look at cars for sale in magazines and if it looked interesting I would cut out the ad. So that night I was sitting there and I said to my wife, “I have a picture of this car”. I found the picture and called the guy

(he was in New York state), I told him I had purchased a „54 Chevy that was very similar to the one he had for sale a few year prior. I asked him to describe the details of the car and

he matched them up correctly. He also said he had sold it to a guy in Maryland, which matched up to the title I had. Now for the bad news, he told me the guy that bought it from him “raced it” a lot…which turned out to be very true. I have since installed a new motor….GM Goodwrench 350….a rebuilt 700R4 and a 9” Ford rear end. NOW the car is a great cruiser and gets 22 MPG on the highway and is a lot more fun to drive

than before. This car is a great driving and good looking car. People always look at it and ask, is it a „53 or „54, there‟s a pin stripe on the side of the car with “Fifty Four” written on the side so they kind of figure it out that way.

Fun with cars…yah…and fun with the people we meet…yah….that is why we have them…get out and drive…and have fun with your car.

Jerry

THE BLACK 54 CHEVY 210THE BLACK 54 CHEVY 210THE BLACK 54 CHEVY 210

Owned by Jerry and Linda Congemi

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Set up for the show begins at 6:30 AM.

Car Show Central is located in the shirt tent next to the registration tent and is staffed by Mark Oravetz

and his crew. Direct anyone who has questions or needs assistance to Car Show Central.

If you need a work assignment or have finished your work shift, go to Car Show Central to record your

hours worked. This is important as it affects your dues payment in January.

All workers should wear your red club work shirt. The red shirt identifies you as a WOCC member and is

your meal ticket at the food tent. New members, your first red work tee shirt is free. Additional shirts

can be purchased at Car Show Central tent for $9.00.

Club members who work at the car show may purchase a car show tee shirts for $9.00 each.

Members who bring their show car are asked to park on the asphalt.

Club members and band members are asked to park their non-show vehicles in Fracaros Bowl parking

lot or Waukesha Early Learning Center lot on west side of building.

Parking in the playground area of Frame Park is reserved for Handi-Cap parking. We attempt to keep a

few spaces open for the public who wish to use the playground area of Frame Park.

The parking crew needs extra help in the morning when the show gates open to direct cars into the

correct areas. Otherwise people will attempt to park anywhere and waste parking spaces.

Food preparation begins approximately at 9:30.

Give someone a break; ask if you can help especially the food tent workers and cooks between the

hours of 1:30 and 4:00.

Pick up your yellow car show signs at the July meeting. Please put the signs out August 5 (the Tuesday

before the show). Pick up the signs after the show no later than August 11 (the Monday after the

show).

After the show when all the work is done the workers are invited to Fox Run for a pizza party.

2014 Car Show Tee Shirts for the general public are priced as follows

Kids $ 12.00 each, Adult M-XL $ 15.00 each, 2XL $ 16.00 each, and 3XL $ 18.00.

Important

information August 10, 2014

Car Show

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WAUKESHA OLD CAR CLUB Regular Meeting June 9, 2014

No minutes were taken as meeting was held at Murf‟s. See pictures on page 3.

WAUKESHA OLD CAR CLUB Regular Meeting July 14, 2014

The meeting was called to order. Officers and Board members and guests were introduced. Sunshine Committee– had no report.

Secretary’s Report– Roy Tomasczak said because the June meeting was held at Murf‟s no minutes were taken.

Treasurer’s Report– Jim Young did not present a report. Vice-President’s Report– Steve Heinemann said that he still has rosters for those who have not picked up theirs. President’s Report– Ron Wichinski said that our guest speaker this evening is Jerry Couri who will talk to the members regarding the need for the club to have additional insurance to cover the Officers and Board. After his

talk and a question and answer session it was unanimously accepted that the club was sufficiently insured. Committee Reports Iola Swap meet and Show–Tank Ksicinski reported that Iola was good, weather was great, the turnout under

the tent was good and everyone had a good time.

September 14, 2014 Same place as previous years, Pewaukee-Nettesheim Park, N26

Prospect Ave (Hwy SS) Starts approximately 9:30 am with the usual, coffee, donuts and juice. Bring your treasures from your garage, basement, attic, even your neighbors garbage. Bring a dish to pass, using your favorite recipe or a surprise.

The club provides the meat, condiments, plates, and the rest of the essentials. As usual, we eat at about noon, and the auction will start after everyone has eaten or approximately 1 o‟clock. Of course, the fuel for the party, beer, soda and water will be there also.

Any questions please call Tom Garibaldi 262-547-5212

PICNIC & AUCTON

Fire truck driver training for those of you who want the excitement of driving the fire truck, please call Tom Garibaldi @ 262-547-5212. A date will be set up. We will be using West high school parking lot.

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"Wreck of Engine #3"

An account from 80 years ago

On a clear and sunny day, May 11th, 1934 at 0830 hrs.

firefighters responding from both Waukesha fire stations to a small porch fire at 1027 Greenfield Ave. Station 2, on Hartwell Ave, traveling east on Arcadian Ave to Greenfield Ave. Responding from Station 1, Engine 3, are Lt. William Gedakovitz (Driver), Charles Richards (passenger) and on the tail board, firefighters, Bernard McCaffery and Frank

O‟ Brien. This Fire Engine, with siren blaring, travels east on Broadway to the five points, then turns onto Main Street traveling at a fairly high rate of speed. Meanwhile, backing slowly through the Main Street tracks, from the north, is a SOO line switch engine, with a tender and thirteen cars. There‟s a flashing signal at the crossing and witnesses see it operating, but it doesn‟t come on

until after the truck is past the Hartwell intersection.

The train‟s bell is ringing but the train‟s whistle isn‟t blowing. Lt. Gedakovitz finally sees the train and slams on the brakes 114 feet from the tracks, creating distinctive skid marks on the macadam (crushed stone) pavement. Firefighters O‟Brien and McCaffery cling to the back hand rail as the fire engine shakes violently. According to witnesses, the heavy Sterling truck seemed to bounce toward the tracks. Still skidding forward, in desperation, Lt. Gedakovitz pulls the emergency brake at the last second and veers the engine sharply to the left, trying to steer between a building and the tracks. The train‟s brakes are applied.

The rear of the fire engine hits the tender. O‟Brien and McCaffery are jarred off the tail board. O‟Brien is hurled under the train wheels and one leg is severed. He's dragged until the train stops 105 feet down the tracks, dying within minutes. McCaffery was thrown heavily against the truck and then to the ground suffering a punctured lung (believed to be from a pike pole) and other internal injuries. He dies at Municipal Hospital an hour after the collision. Lt. Gedakovitz, the driver, was thrust into the steering wheel and is also taken to the hospital for minor cuts and

loosened teeth. Charles Richards had no injuries.

Firefighters Frank O‟Brien (52) and Bernard McCaffery (31) are Waukesha‟s second and third in the line of duty deaths. O‟Brien had served 28 years, only Chief Peter Wild had a longer record. Surviving O‟Brien are his wife Katharine and two daughters, Mary Ellen and Nonie. McCaffery had been on the department six years and is survived by his wife, Virginia. Many come to the joint funeral. Fire departments from southeastern Wisconsin fill in at Waukesha‟s stations during the ceremonies.

After an investigation, a verdict in March 1935, finds the firefighters riding in the front seat eighty percent negligent. Two law suits are filed against the SOO Line Railway by widows, Catherine O‟Brien and Virginia McCaffery. On July 2nd, 1936, the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirms judgments for the widows of firefighters O‟Brien and McCaffery totaling $23,800. The jury finds that the proximate cause of the accident was failure of Jacob Schmidt, the tower man operating the flash signals of the crossing, to give the driver of the truck sufficient warning of the approaching engine. This was the key question in the case. The front seat firefighters were exonerated.

The damaged 1927 Sterling (which was originally a 1915 Sterling that had a new chassis put under it at Pirsch in 1927) was rebuilt and retitled as a 1934 Pirsch. This same fire engine is now owned by the Waukesha Old Car Club.

The practice of riding on tailboards continued until NFPA Standards prohibit it in January, 1986. The photo was taken shortly after the accident. Note the broken pike pole at the back of the rig and also a well-worn area of the rear tire.

Javier Fernandez RollNRack,LLC CEO WFD Archivist Daniel Carstens <dandove@ameritech.net>

wrote: From the actual Fire Run Journal, for your information

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If you have an item to sell contact Bob Merner at romer512@gmail.com

to have it included in the newsletter. It will be listed it in two consecutive newsletters as

space allows.

For Sale: 1997 Lincoln MKVIII LSC for parts, or whole, except engine, transmission, differential, and a few other items. Body essentially rust-free with a few dings, window glass, independent rear suspension, leather seats, power sun roof, etc. Contact Jerry Oesterreich, 262-352-9349.

Swap Space

Wanted: Looking for a WONDERBAR radio for a 1958 Chevrolet Impala, or information regarding who can repair the radio that I currently have. Any assistance is appreciated Contact Jim Warwick @ 414-744-9490

For Sale: Complete convertible top, black, for 2004 Jeep Wrangler TJ. Has very little use. $600 or best offer. Contact Jerry Oesterreich @ gerbrioes@yahoo.com : 262-691-9595

For Sale: Power Probe III- PPKIT03 - Ultimate Circuit Tester

Kit Easy to read backlit voltmeter reads voltage in 1/10th volt Makes locating shorts and open circuits easier Gold series lead set includes: Power Probe III, ECT2000 & Gold Series Lead

set contains Gold Series 4mm leads and connectors continuity tester relay and Component tester works on 12-24 volts. Con-tact Mary Richter @262-544-6536 or woodltd@sbcglobal.net

Nader Kart Racing at the Briggs and Stratton raceway

W377 S1851 Gramling La Dousman, Wi

Racing starts around 10:am Admission is free Go to their web site badgerkartclub.com for more information. There are about 7-10 different classes, from adult to 9 year olds, running a variety of engine sizes, and straight drive to shifter carts. THE DATE: October 5th Meet at Fox Run at 10:00am

Of course, no racing in the rain

For Sale: 1985 Chevrolet IROC Camaro, 305 TPI, P/S P/B, P/W, T-Tops, fresh repaint, southern car no rust ever Asking $5,298.00 Contact Jerry Kawatski @ (days) 262-547-1771, (evening) 262-547-1621

For Sale:1961 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, original 59,000 mile Canada car, fresh repaint no rust ever Asking $21,980.00 Contact Jerry Kawatski @ (days) 262-547-1771, (evening) 262-547-1621

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Advertise your business here

The newsletter is published bi-monthly.

The newsletter is provided to all members.

The newsletter can be also be found

on the club website

The cost for a business card ad is $60.00 per year

Contact the Club for more information

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PO Box 645

Waukesha, WI 53187

August 4 Board Meeting

August 10 Waukesha Old Car Club Show @ Frame Park Page 4

August 11 Membership Meeting

September 2 (Tuesday) Board Meeting

September 8 Membership Meeting

September 14 Picnic and Auction @ Nettesheim Park in Pewaukee Page 5