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General Meetings are held the third Friday of the month (except June and December) 7:30 p.m. at the Clements Center, 1580 Yarrow St., Lakewood, Colo. |
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COMING EVENTS - 2023
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September
3 Sonic Sunday North 4 Louisville Labor Day Parade 8 Board Meeting 8-10 Trinidad Tour 13 Just Lunch Bunch 15 General Meeting 16 Driveway Bowling 17 Restore Cars Tour October TBD Fall Colors Tour TBD Arvada Tour TBD Pumpkin Tour 11 Just Lunch Bunch 13 Board Meeting 20 General Meeting November TBD Turkey Trot Tour 8 Just Lunch Bunch 10 Board Meeting 11 Veteran's Day Parade 17 General Meeting December 6 Just Lunch Bunch 8 Board Meeting 10 Christmas Party 30 Lariat Loop Tour |
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Based on reported mileage, the Model A Ford Club of Colorado has driven more than THREE MILLION MILES since the Milestone Program was established...and it has driven more than 2.5 TIMES THE DISTANCE TO THE MOON since the inception of the MAFCA mileage program. |
Keep it safe
By Travis Easter
Overdrives, synchronized transmissions, high-compression heads, or higher geared differentials are allowing our old cars to keep up with traffic on modern roads. With the addition of turn signals, LED tail lights, seat belts, and not to mention cup holders, the Model-A’s are more enjoyable to drive. Unless you are an absolute purist of course.
However, outside of the car is a different story. I want to highlight a few things that will keep us safe on our many tours this year.
● Maintain extra distance between yourself and the vehicles around you. This is especially important with me-chanical brake cars as stopping dis-tances are much higher in these vehicles.
● Tour preparation (Brakes, Engine Oil, Transmission Fluid, Greased U-Joint, Diff Oil, Lube the water pump, chassis lube points, water level in the radiator, pack and adjust front wheel bearings, ignition components, tire pressure, headlights, and the horn.
● Spare parts, jack, (& make sure your spare tire has air) and safety equipment.
You are probably thinking, why is Travis going on about this? Well, great question. Safety…yours - mine - and everyone around us, simple as that. While on our last tour, I was last in the line-up (drove a modern) and noticed a few things that concerned me. We had to pull over on some roads, with faster traffic, due to issues with cars. While this isn’t a big deal, getting back on the road and up to speed posed some challenges. Multiple times. So, a few safety suggestions:
1. When a tour begins, we need to establish a “Sweep Vehicle”, and their job is to assist any vehicle having problems. All other vehicles should continue to a same place to wait for the other vehicles to catch up, such as a parking lot. The rest of us can pull off at the next exit, or where safe to do so. There are many capable shade-tree mechanics in our club that are capable of the simple side-of-the-road fixes. Make sure you look at the traffic before you get out of your car.
2. For longer tours, maybe break into smaller groups to avoid the traffic light problem that we often face.
3. The tour leader, is the tour leader.
4. Let’s make sure we communicate on those CB’s.
GENERAL TOUR INFORMATION
●CB radios will be used to advise of any unscheduled information such as break-downs, or road conditions. CBs are turned to channel 14.
●As we travel, try to keep the car behind you in sight. This will help to keep the group together.
●When a turn is made, ensure the car behind you sees you turn. Please wait to ensure the group behind you knows where we have turned, and can follow the route.
●Highway speeds will be approximately 50 mph (climbs permitting) by the tour leader’s speedometer.
●If you have trouble, someone will stop with you. Notify the tour leader via CB. The tour leader may pull the tour off and wait or continue to the next stop. Everyone need not stop to assist. The designated “Sweep Vehicle” will stop to assist, and advise the Tour Leader.
●Leave enough spacing between the cars to allow modern traffic to pass safely. Don’t “bunch up”.
●If you leave the group or have to make an unscheduled stop (for sightseeing, photo shoots, etc.); please let someone know so we don’t lose you along the way.
●If you are driving a modern car, please drive behind the “A’s” in the tour.
Overdrives, synchronized transmissions, high-compression heads, or higher geared differentials are allowing our old cars to keep up with traffic on modern roads. With the addition of turn signals, LED tail lights, seat belts, and not to mention cup holders, the Model-A’s are more enjoyable to drive. Unless you are an absolute purist of course.
However, outside of the car is a different story. I want to highlight a few things that will keep us safe on our many tours this year.
● Maintain extra distance between yourself and the vehicles around you. This is especially important with me-chanical brake cars as stopping dis-tances are much higher in these vehicles.
● Tour preparation (Brakes, Engine Oil, Transmission Fluid, Greased U-Joint, Diff Oil, Lube the water pump, chassis lube points, water level in the radiator, pack and adjust front wheel bearings, ignition components, tire pressure, headlights, and the horn.
● Spare parts, jack, (& make sure your spare tire has air) and safety equipment.
You are probably thinking, why is Travis going on about this? Well, great question. Safety…yours - mine - and everyone around us, simple as that. While on our last tour, I was last in the line-up (drove a modern) and noticed a few things that concerned me. We had to pull over on some roads, with faster traffic, due to issues with cars. While this isn’t a big deal, getting back on the road and up to speed posed some challenges. Multiple times. So, a few safety suggestions:
1. When a tour begins, we need to establish a “Sweep Vehicle”, and their job is to assist any vehicle having problems. All other vehicles should continue to a same place to wait for the other vehicles to catch up, such as a parking lot. The rest of us can pull off at the next exit, or where safe to do so. There are many capable shade-tree mechanics in our club that are capable of the simple side-of-the-road fixes. Make sure you look at the traffic before you get out of your car.
2. For longer tours, maybe break into smaller groups to avoid the traffic light problem that we often face.
3. The tour leader, is the tour leader.
4. Let’s make sure we communicate on those CB’s.
GENERAL TOUR INFORMATION
●CB radios will be used to advise of any unscheduled information such as break-downs, or road conditions. CBs are turned to channel 14.
●As we travel, try to keep the car behind you in sight. This will help to keep the group together.
●When a turn is made, ensure the car behind you sees you turn. Please wait to ensure the group behind you knows where we have turned, and can follow the route.
●Highway speeds will be approximately 50 mph (climbs permitting) by the tour leader’s speedometer.
●If you have trouble, someone will stop with you. Notify the tour leader via CB. The tour leader may pull the tour off and wait or continue to the next stop. Everyone need not stop to assist. The designated “Sweep Vehicle” will stop to assist, and advise the Tour Leader.
●Leave enough spacing between the cars to allow modern traffic to pass safely. Don’t “bunch up”.
●If you leave the group or have to make an unscheduled stop (for sightseeing, photo shoots, etc.); please let someone know so we don’t lose you along the way.
●If you are driving a modern car, please drive behind the “A’s” in the tour.