2023 Triangle Chapter Activities and Pictures

2023 Triangle Chapter Activities and Pictures

Triangle Chapter Holiday Party December 3, 2023
By Denny Oestreich
Following our long time tradition, the Triangle Chapter again held our Holiday Party at the Stag Club in Raleigh. We had 50 members attending. Many thanks to Bob Safrit for hosting us at the Stag Club.  Marilee Sanderson and the social committee organized the event with decorations, table favors, and hors d'oeuvres during our social hour. Jean Soehnlein arranged a great meal catered from Piper’s Tavern.  The meal choices on this years buffet were Chicken Cordon Bleu and Salmon, potatoes, and green beans. There were choices of delicious cakes for dessert. After the meal Jim Aldrich presented pictures from two car tours he and his wife Becky had taken with the Horseless Carriage Club of America in Sylacauga, AL and a Stutz Club tour around Columbus, OH.  After dinner we all participated in a gift exchange game and Trivia Contest. Example trivia question: "What was Henry Ford's wife's name and what kind of car did she drive?"  Each couple brought a wrapped gift that has a value of at least $15 and must be edible!  The trivia contest continues as names are drawn, gifts selected, gifts unwrapped, or gifts stolen. For over 25 years we have had a “Pink Elephant” disguised gift.  The member who discovers they are the recipient of the Pink Elephant has the duty to return it next year, wrapped in a mysterious way again. This year the elephant was disguised as a small pink elephant on a key chain attached to a box of candy.  In addition, those attending brought unwrapped toys for "Toys for Tots"!  The toys were taken to the Marines Toys for Tots drive in Wake Forest, NC.
BTW, in case you are asked,  Henry Ford's wife's name was Clara Bryant Ford and she drove a 1914 Detroit Electric until 1930.  


To see more of Randy Robertson's Holiday 2023 Holiday Party Pictures (Click Here)


Wake Forest Garden Club Event October 21, 2023
By Denny Oestreich
The Wake Forest Garden Club held its third annual Autumn Art and Plant Festival on the grounds of the Wake Forest Historical Museum on October 21. The event featured 34 vendors including art, flower arranging, honey and birding displays.  The event also included live music and 27 vintage vehicles ranging over 109 years. Les Tryon displayed her art while Dean Tryon organized and coordinated the vehicle display. The cars were not judged at this event but we had an opportunity talk to the public who enjoyed the show.  Several members of the Triangle Chapter brought their vehicles.  Riley Reiner displayed the oldest vehicle a 1914 Model-T.  Don Aikin displayed his 1933 Ford. Denny Oestreich displayed a 1957 Chevrolet. George Ashley displayed his Ford Ranger truck. Dean Tryon drove his 1948 Pontiac Woody Wagon while Les Tryon brought their new 2023 all electric Cadillac Lyriq. As a special display Bob Gahr brought a miniature train engine. The weather was very good for a fall car show and the public asked a lot of questions about our vehicles. I enjoyed showing my car, answering questions, talking with friends, driving my Chevrolet, and having two hot dogs at the show. 

   

Dean Tryon With his 1948 Pontiac Woody     Riley Reiner 1914 Model T -Don Aiken 1933 Ford


Bob Gahr with his Miniature Locomotive


NC Region Fall Meet September 16, 2023
By Denny Oestreich

The NC Region Fall Car show was hosted by Furnitureland Chapter at the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC on September 16, 2023.  Seven members of the Triangle Chapter attended the event. Jim Gill,  Riley Reiner, and Dan Fuccella attended the Board of Directors meeting held the morning of the car show. Jim Aldrich was there to view the show.  Of the seventy-six vehicles entered this show, four were from the Triangle Region.  Triangle Chapter members vehicles were Phil and Mary Farese - 1957 Cadillac Eldorado; Dan Fuccella - 1950 Willeys Jeep, Chris Tighe and Deborah Zastaoc - 1957 Bel Air Chevrolet Station Wagon and Denny Oestreich entered his 1957 Chevrolet. There were many nice vehicles from other Regions and Chapters including a 1917 Packard and a 1955 Cadillac.   

NC Transportation Museum, Fall Meet Venue


Phil and Mary Farese - 1957 Cadillac Eldorado


Dan Fuccella - 1950 Willys Jeep


Denny Oestreich 57 Chevy, George and Barbara Senich
 

Randy Stone's 55 Cadillac


1917 Packard


Triangle Annual Ice Cream Social July 30, 2023
By Denny Oestreich
Triangle Chapter has held an Ice Cream Social for over 30 years. Tom and Debbie Pruett hosted our summer social at their country home this year.  More than sixty Members and guests attended with 25 antique vehicles and many regular drivers. The Pruetts obtained the ice cream and the members provided cookies, desserts, and other snacks. The weather was “warm” but the members found shady spots in the screened porch, the patio, and the empty garage to enjoy the ice cream and discussions. After the ice cream there was time to look over the members’ vehicles. 




Triangle Members Attend San-Lee Chapter Show June 3, 2023
By Denny Oestreich
Ten Triangle members attended the San-Lee Chapter Car Show in downtown Sanford on June 3, 2023, entering seven vehicles.  The show was the biggest show San-Lee has ever had with 139 entries plus about 20 Club cars. It was the hottest day of the year which is often the case on San-Lee show day. The display field was on Charlotte Avenue and in the city parking lot. There were even seven cars in the overflow show field area. San-Lee member vehicles were included in the show for display only. Triangle member attending were Floyd and Peggy Barnes, Henry and Tracey Burgwyn, Mike Hess, Brian Wingler, Dave Norris, Barry Kitchner, Courtney Johnson, and Denny Oestreich. Mile Hess and Denny Oestreich joined several others as Judges for the event. San-Lee gave away the large trophies to the winners including several Triangle members.  Besides looking at all the great cars other activities included the ice cream shop and a morning farmers market where you could shop for some early season strawberries, tomatoes, and other vegetables, and a couple antique shops for treasure hunting.  Below are a few pictures of Triangle cars in the show. 

       
San-Lee Charlotte Ave Show Field Behind Peggy Barnes Miata


      Peggy Barnes Miata                                        Denny Oestreich's 57 Chevy

        Brian Wingler 57 T-Bird                         Henry Burgwyn's 89 Trans AM


NC Region Show Hosted by the Triangle Chapter May 20, 2023
By Denny Oestreich

The Triangle Chapter hosted the 2023 NC Region Spring Meet in Cary, NC on May 20, 2023. The meet was held jointly with the Town of Cary’s “Wheels on Academy” car show.  The Triangle show was organized by Helen Dipietro and supported by many volunteers from the Triangle Chapter membership. The Town of Cary provided an excellent venue and logistics for our show on Dry Avenue at the end of North Academy Street.  The NC Region Show registration, refreshment and prize tents were in front of the Cary Arts Center.  With the recent city renovations, shaded streets, access to rest rooms, downtown atmosphere, and the public turnout, it was a good venue. Participants and spectators could see the 51 NC Region entries and the 112 vehicles in the Wheels on Academy show.  Of the 51 AACA entries 25 were Triangle Chapter members.   

John Dipietro prepared an excellent parking arrangement for show vehicles with the judged vehicles grouped together making it easier for the judges.  During the morning the NC Region entrants were directed by the Parking volunteers as they came through the show entrance on Dry Street.  Entrants then came to the Registration tent to get their prepared window cards and event information.  Marilee Sanderson organized the hospitality tent and Triangle volunteers helped entrants with refreshments including coffee, donuts, and other treats. There was also a tent to purchase chances on prizes and a 50/50 drawing. Perspective members could also join the Triangle Chapter on the spot with three new members signing up and two past members rejoining.

In addition to the AACA vehicles the participants and the public could view the display vehicles provided by Wilson and Becky Fausel and Floyd Barnes. Many entrants and members walked down Academy Street to view the Wheels on Academy show. Kids of all ages enjoyed cranking the siren and ringing the bell on Bob Ghar’s antique fire truck. Additionally, Dan Fuccella organized the youth judging with several excited kids judging a few vehicles and receiving a Judging trophy.  

Bob McAdam, NC Region Chief Judge, organized and assigned the car show judges. The judges visited every vehicle and marked their AACA judging sheets. As the judges returned their score sheets Bob tabulated the judging results and at the end of the show announced the winners. Special Triangle car show Trophies designed and assembled by Jim Gill and Fred Harley were given to each participant according to their judging results.  Bob also awarded the NC Region Herb Payne Award to Keith Townsend for the best 1925 or older restoration. Mike Hess was awarded the NC Region Ray Crooke Memorial Award for the Best 1958 and newer vehicle, and Jim Gill was awarded the NC Region Marshall Van Winkel Award for Best Pre-war Restoration and Bob Furman was awarded the NC Region award for the Best DPC entry.

Thanks to our many sponsors and to Triangle Chapter Volunteers who helped to run one our best Triangle Hosted NC Region events.  
To see a list the entries and what they were awarded (CLICK HERE)


                   Members Vehicles                        Hospitality, Awards, and Registration


 Keith Townsend - Herb Payne Award               Mike Hess - Ray Crooke Award Winner


       Fernando Lugo - Show Sponsor                       Dan Fuccella - Kids Judging

Bartlett Reserve Car Display Durham, NC April 28, 2023
By Dan Fuccella

Chili Cook-off, NC April 23, 2023
The Triangle Chapter annual Chili Cook-off was hosted at Joel Hoffman's home in South Raleigh again this year.  Thirty six members attended the event this year with only three Chilies to taste.  There were two corn breads to be tasted and many deserts. Honors for the best Chili went to Marilee Sanderson. The Hotest Chili was prepared by Debbie Pruett. The best desert was prepared by Josephina Lugo. Unfortunately no pictures were taken at this event.  
 

Goodguys Show Raleigh, NC April 21-23, 2023
By Denny Oestreich
The Triangle Chapter was invited to be the Feature Car Club at the Goodguys Car Show at the NC State Fairgrounds on April 21-23. Helen Dipietro organized a booth at the parking area for our club cars. Several members of the Chapter were at the booth to display our cars and talk to perspective members about join in the AACA Triangle Chapter. In exchange for being the Feature Club we were given access to the show and were permitted to use the special Parking are just inside the gate to display our cars.  In addition to displaying our cars we were able to register prospective members for a drawing for a free one year members ship.  Thanks to Helen and John Dipietro and to Ray Bader for organizing our participation in this event. 
Below are a few pictures of the event. 
 
                                        Goodguys Feature Club

   
     Triangle Chapter Booth                              Triangle Cars 

To see more Goodguys pictures taken by Wilson Fausel (Click HERE)  


AACA Southeastern Nationals April 13-15, 2023
By Denny Oestreich

I enjoyed three days at the Charlotte Motor Speedway from Thursday through Saturday April 13-15 judging at the AACA 2023 Southeastern Spring Nationals and selling parts at the Hornets Nest Region vendor area.  The event was a success after several years of Covid dampened activity and cancelations. There were more than 220 vehicles on the judging field including seven entries from our own Triangle Chapter.  There were vehicles in this show from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and other states as far away as Denver, CO and Kansas City, MO.  Following is the story of my adventure.    

On Wednesday before the event I loaded my pickup truck with parts that I could fit in the bed with the cover on.  This was fewer parts than my previous two years.  I drove to Charlotte on Thursday morning, leaving at about 8 AM and arriving at 11 AM. Our vendor spaces were in the Orange Field.  The buyers were already there as I unpacked, and I immediately began selling.  The early bargain hunters were anxious to buy after the previous Covid years with reduced attendance.

The Orange Field spaces were about an equal division between vendors and people just using their space to park their driver vehicles to get close to the action. I expected to see something special in the Blue Field however, it did not have any major attractions for all the disruption of vendor spaces. No one could understand why the Blue Field was closed to vendors this spring.  The Red and Green fields outside the track were very active and there were a lot of vendors and better yet a lot of buyers.

Thursday had nice weather and I sold a lot of parts at bargain prices. Thursday afternoon I prepared for rain that was predicted on Thursday night and Friday. On Friday morning there was evidence of an overnight light rain, so the sales activity was slow and there were fewer buyers with umbrellas. At 11 AM it started to rain hard, so I sat in my truck until about noon.   When the rain let up there were very few buyers left so I began to pack up.  

After lunch on Friday, I attended the AACA Judges Training in the Race Track Media Center.  I had taken the training session at the January NC Region Meet in Raleigh but decided to take it again to learn more. There were a lot of interesting questions about AACA judging. After the Judges training, we were invited to look at three new 400-point cars at the Rousch exhibit.  They are considered 400 point vehicles because they are “as delivered from the dealer”. These cars were $80000 Mustangs modified by Roush Racing. Rousch is a Ford dealer who modifies these vehicles before delivery, so these Mustangs are officially considered dealer delivered Ford vehicles eligible for AACA judging when they reach 25 years of age in 2048.   

On Saturday I attended the AACA National meet where I had volunteered to judge. The Judge’s breakfast was slow to start because of a mix up with ordering the catered breakfast.  However, I did have the opportunity to mingle, meet, and greet many fellow AACA members including several Triangle Chapter members.  At our judge’s table we made introductions and organized. We were assigned 10 cars to judge, six Corvettes and four 1957 Chevrolets. Before judging I attended Dain King’s Continuing Judges Education (CJE) session on engines.  The CJE was based on material prepared by Mike Petersen.

At 11 AM judging started.  The six Corvettes were well restored cars whose owners were accustomed to National Corvette Restoration Society (NCRS) standards, so they were easy vehicles to judge.  There were four very nice 1957 Chevrolets on the field and, strangely, no ’55 or ’56 Chevys.

Several Triangle Chapter members participated in this show as judges or entered vehicles in the show. Triangle members attending the Judges Training were Denny Oestreich, Brenda Gerken, John Gerken, Ken Powell, Dan Fuccella and Fernando and Josephina Lugo.  Members Judging were Denny Oestreich, John and Brenda Gerken, Dan Fuccella, Riley Reiner, Mike Hess, and Mike Petersen. Triangle members showing vehicles were Fernando Lugo - 1957 Chevrolet, Tom Pruitt - 1997 Camaro, Jim Aldrich – 1923 HMS Stutz, Henry Burgwyn - 1998 Pontiac Trans AM, Brian White – 1915 Pierce Arrow, John Dipietro – 1990 Avanti, Dan Fuccella - 1950 Willeys, Brian Wingler – 1988 Ford Ranger, Courtney Johnston – 1937 Buick.  The weather was good, and the show went well and on time.  Those of us who judged even got a $10 rebate form Hornets Nest for the missing Judges Breakfast. This was a great show to renew acquaintances and meet new car friends.  Below are some pictures of Triangle Vehicles and friends.


  Jim Aldrich 1923 HMS                                       John Dipietro 1990 Avanti


     Brain White 1914 Pierce Arrow                    Henry Burgywn 1989 Pontiac Trans AM


        Courtney Johnston  1937 Buick                          Dan Fuccella 1950 Willys

    Fernando Lugo 1957 Chevrolet                    Courtney Johnston (C) Wayne Carini (L) 
                                            and Ralph Marano (R)


Dean Tryon and Ted Books Present at the 2023 AACA Convention Feb 9-11, 2023

AACA National Convention Carburetor Presentation 

By Ted Brooks
    This past Friday, my carburetor friend Dean and I presented his "Carburetors 101" seminar at the Antique Automobile Club of America's annual convention in Williamsburg, VA. I would say it was a success. There were roughly 400 people registered for the convention (including those with convention-related responsibilities, who had limited time to attend sessions). There were 5 other seminars going on at the same time as ours. We had close to 50 people, so I'd say that was pretty good for a topic as geeky as carburetors. We were scheduled for 11:00-12:00. The previous session ended at 10:30, and lunch was 12:15-2:15. We started setting up our display shortly after 10:30. We had about 15 carburetors on display, representing all 5 post-WW II carburetor manufacturers. We had multiple Rochester and Carter carbs, as well as Holley, Motorcraft, and Stromberg. Dean even brought a Marvel updraft carb from the 1920s.

     Dean introduced himself and did the first half of the seminar. I then did the second half. I finished right at 11:50, leaving 10 minutes for questions and answers.  Did I say 10 minutes? We didn't take the last question until 35 minutes later - 10 minutes into lunch time. Because I was at the podium when we opened the Q&A, I ended up fielding the majority of the questions.  My wife helped me set up and pack up. A number of people came up to her - some she knew, some she didn't - and told her how much they enjoyed the seminar. Among the interesting questions and comments:
- A guy relayed the story of experiencing carburetor icing in his 1948 Chevrolet on a cool, humid day.
- Another guy asked if the "BB" in Carter BBD stood for the check balls in the accelerator pump circuit. I told him, no - it stands for "Ball and Ball" - for a carb design originated by the Ball and Ball carburetor company, which Carter bought out.
- One guy asked the best place to buy a carb float for a Model A Ford. Our local club's Model A guru attended our seminar, so I pointed him out and said, "talk to him - he knows all the vendors".
- One guy asked if we planned to discuss the Marvel updraft carburetor of the 1910s and 1920s. As Dean gave a quick overview of how it worked, I walked to the end of the display table, held up the Marvel, and said with a grin, "You mean one of these?"

    Dean mentioned the carb book we've been working on (Dean writes, I review and edit). One of the guys walked up as we finished, saying please publish this book.

Additional Pictures from the AACA National Convention Feb 9-11, 2023
By Les Tryon
Les and Dean Tryon on attended the AACA National Convention in Williamsburg PA.  She says "Both Dean and I attended judging school. In addition we all attended several classes.
Dean and Ted presented the fundamentals of Carburation program and fielded questions afterward." Here are pictures Less took of folds you know.  

  Don Aikin, Riley Reiner, Dean Tryon               Mike Petersen, Anne Goldman

Triangle Chapter January Meeting January 22, 2023

The Triangle Chapter held the first meeting of 2023 at a new venue, Backyard Bistro, which is across the street from the PNC Arena. The room accommodated the 44 members that attended this meeting. The facility, service and prices were very good.  The business meeting was conducted by the 2023 President, Jim Gill. Jim presented the new officers and board members. See Dean Tryon's minutes above.  The Committees were announced and there was discussion about the various committee plans.  Helen DiPietro reported planning for the NC Region show in April is going well. After the meeting a scavenger hunt organized by Kimberly Hess was held. This involved table groups finding things on everyone had brought along with them. The list of 50 items included classic car keys, a two dollar bill, a tool to work on a car, a Splenda packet, an unused postage stamp, etc. The winning team found 33 of the 50 items. The activity was enjoyed by the members, especially by those who brought bags of possible scavenger hunt items along.  

Triangle at the NC Region Annual Meeting, January 13-14, 2023
The NC Region Annual Meeting was held at the Ramada Inn in Raleigh, NC on January 13 and 14. There were over 120 NC Region members attending the meeting from the many of the NC Region Chapters around the State.  On Friday afternoon there were three judges training classes held. An AACA National Judging School annual event required for judges was presented by Dane King. Three Continuing Judges Education (CJE) were presented. One CJE "What's the Point" was presented by Mike Petersen. A National Awards CJE presented by Hulon McCraw.  Saturday morning started with a Meet and Greet for members.  At 10 AM Dean Tryon and Ted Brooks of the Triangle Chapter gave a presentation, with a display on carburetors, describing the many functions and components of carburetors. This was followed a presentation by Eric Marsh who talked about AACA Tours with information about the six tours that AACA sponsors and how you can participate or even organize a tour. The afternoon schedule started with a "What is it Contest" with five mystery items to identify. Several Chapters discussed the dates and invited members to their 2023 Chapter car shows. The final event was the Annual membership business meeting was discussed.  We learned NC Region has over 900 individual members and publishes over 550 copies of the monthly newsletters. In 2022 there were 128 vehicles belonging to NC Region members judge with 32 members participating as Judges.  The new 2023 officers were selected by the Nominating Committee and approved by the membership.