The Northern Illinois tour to the 2008 Grand National Meet

By Ken Bounds

Another Grand National Meet in Dearborn is over.  Twenty-seven NIRG members and family took 14 Flathead Fords and Mercurys to the meet and every one brought home a trophy.  It was a spectacular week in Dearborn with plenty of interesting activities, tours, seminars, and meetings for everyone, lots to eat, and a great concourse featuring hundreds of fantastic Flathead Ford products.

Our tour began the Saturday before the meet with our traditional “drivers meeting” at Homerun Inn Pizza in Addison.  Eighteen V-8ers attended that event with a short program about the plans for the next week, reminders, checklists, etc.  Everyone left with full tummies, a door prize, and anticipation of the big event beginning in about 36 hours.  Just enough time for polishing and any last minute work on the cars.  At 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 13, Dave Benck, Ken & Carolyn Bounds, Don & Elaine Braun, Stan Gaynor, Frank Koeder, Joe & Nell Kozmic, Joey Novak, Tom O’Donnell, Dan & Diane Pudelek, Art Russell, and Len & Irene Vinyard met at the Lincoln Oasis to begin the trek to Dearborn.  It was quite a sight to see that long line of 9 gleaming V-8’s stretched out along I-94.  As we traveled leisurely along, we decided to send Frank Koeder ahead in his ’39 Convertible pulling his Mullins to check the weather and traffic ahead. 

The trip was uneventful for about 78 miles until a voice cracked over the C-B radio: “Dave just blew a tire.”  Dave had a nearly-new set of tires on his ’36 Coupe but didn’t have a good spare.  Fortunately there was no damage to the coupe, a spare was obtained from Joe Kozmic’s ’37, the tire was changed by an able pit crew, and we were on our way.  Lesson learned.  Just don’t ask Dave what the charge is to have a new tire overnighted from Coker to the Dearborn Hyatt.

Our caravan pulled in to the meet hotel about 4:30.  Just enough time to visit the meet registration room to pick up our event materials, featuring a really neat bag provided by Bob Drake, and our driving pins, to find our parking spots for the week on the concourse, to check in to the Hyatt, and to enjoy a refreshing beverage.  Or two.  But about this time the biggest crisis of the day was discovered.  Dan & Diane realized that their carefully packed suitcase was sitting safely at home, 300 miles away.  Oh, oh.  Any excuse for a shopping trip!

Getting settled in, the real fun began:  gabbing with V-8 friends from all over the country and making many new ones.  While Stan Gaynor and Art Russell were off on the bus tour to the Motor City Casino, most of our group walked to a restaurant in the mall across the street for a relaxing meal before calling it a day.  We were delighted that our long-distance members from Oklahoma Rick, Marissa, and Kim Claybaugh were able to join us.

Tuesday morning began the process of car cleanup from the 300-mile drive, the operational check, car photos, browsing the swap meet for those needed parts, checking out the people’s choice auction, and lots more gabbing.  On the way to Dearborn we learned that our convertible had no brake lights, so it was under the car in the parking lot, install a new switch, and Carolyn was on to a successful run through the operational check.  When Dan went through the check the engine on his ’53 decided to shut off.  Back into the parking lot for a quick distributor swap and all was well.  You just gotta have those spare parts!  Also during the day several interesting seminars were presented, including one on glass trademarks (bugs).  With all these activities (and possibly more gabbing) Carolyn and I did not even start our car cleanup until after 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday night was a real treat.  Hundreds of V-8’s proceeded from the Hyatt to the Ford Convention and Events Center at Greenfield Village for the welcome dinner.  The event organizers had arranged for our group to be addressed by Henry Ford III, grandson of the company founder.  After his presentation Mr. Ford graciously talked with individual participants, signed autographs, and posed for pictures.

The V-8 Club provided a myriad of events, tours, seminars, and displays during the week.  Because of the large number of participants, some events had multiple start times and others were repeated on multiple days.  Members of our group had different agenda, so we won’t comment on the tours in sequential order, but will try to hit the highlights.  Most members participated in one or both of the casino tours, the welcome dinner, the Grand National Buffet, and the awards dinner.  There were also tours of the Ford Piquette (Model-T) plant, the great Rouge plant, Edsel Ford’s home, a ’33 celebration at Greenfield Village, the Ladies motor coach tour of Marine City (organ recital on a rare organ, antique mall) and Lake St. Clair (lunch & fashion show), and self-guided tours of Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford museum.

Our limited space allows only brief comments about the two factory tours.  The Piquette plant, Ford’s first property, was truly interesting because of the automobile history that was written in that building in just 6 years.  Here Ford produced a series of models leading up to the world-changing Model-T and began experimenting with the moving assembly line.  The building, which is being preserved and restored, houses an incredible collection of Fords and other brands from the early 1900’s and even a few more modern examples, including a ’32 Fordor V-8.

Unlucky timing provided some disappointment for the trip to the mighty Rouge factory.  The F-150 assembly line was unexpectedly shut down about two weeks prior to our meet, but all was not lost.  We still were able to take in information and movies about the great history of the plant and to see demonstrations of how the property is being converted to be more environmentally friendly.  Although the assembly line was not moving and the workers were not present building trucks, we still enjoyed the detailed guided tour of various stations along the line, learning how the newly-painted trucks are disassembled as they enter the building, how the components travel the line getting all the many parts and pieces attached, and how all the components return to the same truck for final assembly and quality testing.  Understanding the process was really enlightening and many observers expressed an interest to return to the plant someday to see it actually happening.

After a downpour during the night, concourse day arrived bright, sunny, and hot on Thursday.  Early in the morning the display area was a flurry of activity as participants got their prized V-8’s into place, dried off the raindrops, affixed the windshield cards, placed their fire extinguishers in the assigned spot, and brought out polishes, detailers, towels, etc. to do all the final preparations for the big show.  This is why most of us were here:  to show off our pride & joy and to see the hundreds of beautiful V-8’s our fellow enthusiasts had brought to this great event.  And what a super collection it was.  It took hours to walk the concourse and spend only brief moments enjoying each fine example of the classic cars and trucks that command our common interest.  Whether it was a Dearborn, Rouge, Touring, or Display car; whether it was an open car, a sedan, a coupe, a wagon, a truck, or a tractor; whether it was a classic “deuce” or a “modern” ’53, there was something there for everyone.

On a personal note, this was the first time your author had entered a V-8 in the Concourse class to be point judged after 16 National meets of displaying cars in Touring class.  Incredible hours of work go into getting a car ready to be critiqued by experts and I don’t think you can help but be nervous as the team of judges descends on your “baby”.  I was thoroughly impressed by the professionalism of the team, the respect that they showed for the car, and the procedure that the V-8 Club uses to clearly communicate with the owner.  My hat is off to the judges and to the V-8 Club for the process.

The culmination of the meet was the awards banquet Friday night.  President Craig Gorris introduced and thanked the many V-8 Club directors, officers, judges, and volunteers who contributed in so many ways to the success of the meet.  After a delicious meal, Craig turned the microphone over to Past President Tom Johnston for the presentation of awards.  As each award-winner’s name was called, we were handed our trophies by President Gorris and National Chief Judge Jerry Vincentini, while a photo of the car was shown on the video screen.  The sheer volume of awards made for a long evening, but when the dust had cleared we all had a nice plaque to commemorate the meet and the rewards for our efforts to preserve our V-8’s place in history. 

With several folks leaving either early or on their own, a group of 14 of us in 7 V-8s and one modern car began the journey home.  For the first time this week we had to drive in rain.  The downpour that hit us around Battle Creek lasted most of the way home.  Our Crestliner had the only problem on the return trip.  After a gas stop, the overdrive refused to work.  We proceeded on for several miles, then took an early lunch stop to check for electrical problems.  None were found and after lunch the overdrive had miraculously cured itself.  Everyone made it home safely shortly after noon.

Another Grand National Meet is behind us.  These special events happen only once every five years and 2013 sure seems like a long time in the future.  So, for the next four years we have no choice but to get our annual “fix” at the Central, Eastern, or Western National Meets.  Next year’s Central National Meet is just around the corner:  August 28 – September 1, 2009 in nearby Auburn, Indiana.  It is not too early to pre-register!