Club plaques made in the 1970's

[BigDave LM6174]

Chuck, and Tom Thornton, all back bones of SoCal region.

[Corsairdeluxe]

Big Dave..... Guess who!

I was 6-5 @ 325 and Dave was 6-8 and I guess 240. The Henry J with it's huge front seat is the only car I know of that could house us both comfortably.

[Aeroman]

Dunno if I'll ever get back to SoCal. Still miss the old days of the very active club there. When I left in 1990, I gave Tom & Leona a photo album that I made up of all the members and their cars that I had pics of.
And that's Bob Metzel, not Bill. Other regulars that were also "the heart of the club" at one time or another: Bob & Tom Thornton, Leona Hoffman, June Parker, June Reinhardt, Rudy & Don Phillips, Don Noska, Jack Edward, Stew Whitsett, Gary & Jan Cochrane, Walt Smith, Jose Fernandez-Caso, Andy Sanfelippo(?), Les Hensche, Bill Bruce,  Don Naugle, Chuck & Pat Schnetlage, Irv Webster, Rock Brandt, Phil Hirsch, Mike & Linda McManama, Dave Ball (too tall) and Gordie. Give me a while, I'll think of some more.
I have one of those plaques on the front of Dad's Oldsmobile. I believe there was also a later one than you show, Dave. There was one that said International instead of National. I also have one of Tom Hoffman's clocks proudly hanging in my home office.
Is it really my fault that SoCal drifted apart? If so, I apologize, but I really think it is San Andreas fault....

[Aeroman]

Remember Bob Curson from Poway that always brought his parents? He rarely missed a SoCal meet. And Art & Arlene Griffin when they lived in Lompoc were always at SoCal meets. And the Arizona Desert guys were always showing up: Doc & Helen Bromert  & Chuck & June Ashton.
The first Hoffman's Hurrah in 1978 was my very first ever KFOC meet. It was a mini national every year with out of state members always visiting. Herb & Clara Long used to visit, as did Charlotte & Bob Dayton.

[Gordie]

San Andreas fault?  You're giving me bad vibes!.  Thanks for listing so many of the old members as they brought back many good memories.  We did have lots of fun and Hoffmans' Hurrah's were almost like going to a National Meet.  Rick,  I remember when you came to the meet with your Father and your Daughter must be a grown lady by now.  I just turned eighty last week but I still play with toys and intend to for many more years.  Thank you guys for making the trip so pleasant.  Gordie

[BigDave LM6174]

Wow, CorsairDeluxe, I always kick myself for not buying that car.  Where is that car now?

why is the picture labeled Mean Dave?  Was I mean to you?  Lol

I am looking for a Henry J once I sell my 62 Nova.  I hope soon.

I still have pictures of me with that Henry j.  Don't recall this one though

[BigDave LM6174]

CorsairDeluxe, Here is the only picture I had of the Henry J until now.  Geez I kick myself for not buying it that day.

[Corsairdeluxe]

Dave,that Henry J had been A kfoci calender car when it belonged to Gene Meyer.29,000 miles and the smoothest transmission of any of the nine HJ's I owend. Just a few photos

[Corsairdeluxe]

A couple more.It now resides in Denver in another members collection. He bought it based on photos and my description,sight unseen. When it came off the truck at his end,he called me and thanked me over and over. I had 2 Henry Js and an ALLSTATE. We moved to a two car garage. Something had to go. It was an exceptional car.

[Aeroman]

Gordie - happy birthday! I hope you're taking a Kaiser or maybe your '39 Mercury for a spin - do you still have one of them?
I may have brought Dad to a KF meet or two when he visited me in California, but I couldn't have brought my daughter to Hoffman's because she wasn't born yet. Both ex-wives went to various meets in CA, but I didn't have any daughters back then. Wonder who you meant. I did bring my daughter to the 2000 VT National and the 2003 MS National. And she's almost all growed up - 11th grade in high school now.

[Gordie]

Hi Rick,  Thanks and I never saw your Daughter but remember you talking about her.  Geez, my oldest daughter is now fifty one.  I still have about thirty cars but do not drive them much and am thinking about selling most of them.  The '39 Mercury convertible is all finished except for the upholstery and that will be expensive to do.  I guess my favorite is the original '51 Kaiser club coupe but I have owned the '40 Ford coupe for fifty five years now.  I bought it in 1958 for three hundred and fifty dollars.  I could have bought many for a hundred dollars but I wanted a real good one.  How times have changed!

[Aeroman]

Gordie - do you still have the Russian Gaz jeeps? I know the Dale is at the Peterson now. I also remember that you had two '39 Mercurys, maybe one was a '40.

[Gordie]

I never had any Russian Jeeps but I sold the two Playboys, the Crosleys' and the Pinto with 600 original miles and one of the '39 Mercs',  the red one.  I've bought and sold over 10,000 cars in my years as a dealer so have have had some nice ones over the years and was able to keep a few.  I wish I could have kept more of them including a '68 Shelby GT 500 convertible that I bought for $700 and sold for $1,300 after painting it and installing a new top.  The Dale I sold to the guy who bought my building.  The one that the Peterson has is a mock up with no drive line or interior.  Mine was the only running Dale.  My buyer also bought the '59 Ford that Charles Manson used in the Tate and La Bianca murders.  I don't miss that one!

[Aeroman]

Gordie, I remember visiting you at your shop (off Olympic if I remember correctly and in a residential neighborhood) and you had three blue Russian Jeeps, the make was GAZ. That was at the same time you had the Dale. They were towards the right front of the main room as you walked in. They looked more like early Land Rovers than American Jeeps. The Mercs were towards the back. This musta been around 1984-'86. I think you had just gotten the Manson Galaxy from the police auction.

[Gordie]

Hi Rick,  I just don't remember having any Gaz Jeeps but I did get some unusual stuff.  I still have the three wheel Reliant car but I'm too tall to fit into it.  The guy I sold the building to collects police cars and that is why he bought the Manson car.  He displays his old police cars frequently at city functions.