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Reatta Man

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  1. Folks, If you need a replacement battery for your Buick or any other car, please note with caution that Wal-Mart stores are DROPPING the prorated portion of their battery line. Previoiusly, their batteries had a stated number of months, up to 96 months, with a 1, 2 or 3-year free replacement period, based upon the product you bought. After that, the replacement cost was prorated. They have now dropped the prorated period, and now only cover their batteries for the free replacement period. So, the 96-month battery with a 3-year free replacement period is now a 36 month battery, period. I just bought a Group 79 battery at Wally's that was less than half the cost of a dealer's battery ($77 at WM vs. $187) so I can live with the 3 year period. I know I won't have the car for anywhere near another 3 years, so I really don't care. However, if I was buying a battery for a long-term daily driver, I would look elsewhere, regardless of the price. Joe
  2. Some of those cars were equipped with T-Tops by the dealers, while others may have come from the factory with them. Do you know if her car had the T-Tops added by the dealer in Hawaii? Also, please post a photo; sounds like an interesting car. Joe
  3. Dave, That is what I was thinking when I suggested gas purchased at a marina. It has all the required taxes paid on it, so it is legal to use on the roads, as far as I know. Joe
  4. Also, I have heard reports of marinas selling non-ethanol gas since ethanol is NOT approved in most marine engines. On another note, I was in Branson, MO last week and noticed several stations advertising non-ethanol premium. And, once I got out of Texas and found stations selling non-ethanol gas, the mileage in my Camry hybrid went up several miles per gallon. So, I guess to get back to Willis' point of "making a product that harms...." I guess all you need is a powerful enough lobbying group in DC and a bunch of "shovel-ready" promises to throw around. Joe
  5. Joel, Congrats on finding the '60 you wanted. Those are BEAUTIFUL cars! You have pretty much confirmed what a lot of us have been saying about the ethanol mix we are getting now. There is a way to counteract the bad gas.....happens two weeks from Tuesday. But we can't talk about that in here....even though the bad gas is trashing our cars and is completely avoidable. And just remember; do nothing now about the 10% ethanol that you don't like now and you will LOVE the 15%, then 20% ethanol you could be getting down the road..... Joe
  6. Could the car be.....haunted? Stephen King on line one.......
  7. Gonna share this on my personal Facebook page; might generate some more interest in the BCA. As for the car, WOW! The 'war stories' about this car shared when it is restored and shown at car shows will almost be as awesome as the car.
  8. So, now all we need is a picture of a troll beating a dead horse while wearing a key lime pie? Scary.....
  9. By the way, since you and others keep coming in here telling us about the Riv club's annual dues, just how is that club doing? Are you gaining members? Anyone complainging because the newsletter doesn't come out more often? Anyone over there complaining about the dues being high at $30 per year? Somehow I would suspect if you go through every club on this forum, there are some members in every club unhappy about something.......
  10. Yep, was looking at that paint and wondering if it could be buffed out? I sure would hate to be the first guy to hit that with a buffing pad; I would think almost any modern buffer and even the mildest compound would to through that 63-year old paint in the blink of an eye. Then you almost have to repaint all of the green metal areas. Is the motor seized or does it still rotate? I've heard lots of stories about old Buick engines running with just the most basic repairs and replacement of parts, but a locked up engine would be another issue.
  11. Just wondering... If someone replaced the rusty rockers and resurfaced the rust spots and repainted the car, but just cleaned and varnished the existing wood, would you consider that original or a mild resto? It looks as if the rust needs to be stopped before it progresses, and the rusted out panels need to be replaced, along with any repairs made to the frame to make it safe to drive. If you do the "gotta do" stuff but basically leave the rest of the car intact, is that still original? And yes, WOW, WHAT A FIND!!!!! Joe
  12. Once again, THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!! Those of us that pony up the $50 want a monthly Bugle.
  13. Willis makes some good points (as usual) about the direction of the club. Where DO we want the club to be in 10, 20 or 25 years? If some say they want it to be limited to cars of a certain age or a certain era, then there are ramifications of that choice. They at least appear to be that this will be a smaller club, since there will be fewer of those cars around, and fewer people to collect them. If some say we want the club to grow to XX,000 members, then that will likely drive (force?) some changes. Should there be a driven class of cars less than 12 years old? Have other clubs tried this and what were the results? Should there be an electronic-only membership? Have other clubs tried this and what were the results? Should there be a push to use regional and national meets to raise money for a noble charity in order to draw more non-Buick interest to the club? Have other clubs tried this and what were the results? Should there be a merger with other national clubs? Have other clubs tried this and what were the results? Should there be an exploratory committee set up to receive and examine new ideas having to do with technology, membership, fundraising or other concepts that reports back to the board and then the general membership? If so, would the general membership agree to and be willing to abide by their recommendations, and thereby reduce some of this time spend debating the same ideas over and over in the forum? I'm really not sure where the membership is focused; is it on getting new members, preserving a type of club that we like and remember, or is it on just complaining to the board year after year, claiming that they don't listen? (Yeah, I believe some people have made their membership all about complaining and not about improving things....) Just some thoughts to consider. I, for one, would like to grow the club. And, if that means we have to vet out some different ideas and deal with the complaining as it comes when the change is brought about, so be it if the end result is a stronger, healthier BCA. Joe
  14. So, let's just say there is a $20 Membership At Large rate, combined with a $15-20 chapter fee. You pick up a few members (virtually all of them at the reduced rate) and pretty soon, at a chapter meeting or a chapter function, some members bring their back copies of the Bugle. Mr. $20 member says "what is that?" Mr. $50 members says "that is the Buick Bugle, the monthy magazine of the BCA." 20 says "where's mine" and 50 says "it is only mailed to the members who pay the FULL rate." You now have an instant class structure on your hands. Anyone want to take a wild guess about what that will do to the morale of a club, made up of a mix of upper-class $50 people and the "lower, common" class of the $20 people? One more thing to keep in mind; what do you do when national raises the $50 rate to $55? Do you raise the $20 rate to $25? Probably. And then you start loosing $20 members because "$25 is too #$%^ expensive." They are already a little resentful because they don't get the Bugle (which is passed around under their nose at the meetings) and then you raise their rates the same amount as the upper class?? HOW DARE YOU! Then you hear "those rich people need to pay their fair share, not pass it along to the little guys." And now you have another problem on your hands. Please think this through; I'm all for building up and helping the chapters, but does a two-class rate structure REALLY do that? Personally, I don't think so. You already have enough people trying to foster a two or three-class society in this country, and using class envy to get their political goals accomplished. I don't doing anything that builds a class structure in the BCA ultimately helps the club in the long run. Here is another thought to consider. Many of the past and current board members have posted messages in here about how most of the $50 cost covers the magazine. If you have a significant number of the current membership jump over to the $20 membership at their next renewal, what does that do to the Bugle? There has to be a minimum number of copies necessary to keep the cost-per-copy at its current level. If 1,000 members dropped their rate over the next year, is that enough $50 members left to keep the Bugle alive? I don't know, but if there is a guaranteed minimum in the contract with the current printer, and we go below it, I KNOW the cost-per-issue WILL go up. So, if you mess with the status quo too much, you may loose $20 AND $50 members in the end. It is a tough call, but that is why being a manager, director or any other kind of 'boss' is often much harder than it looks to most people. Joe
  15. Before anyone seriously suggests publishing the Bugle in black and white, please try the following: 1. Turn off the color on all of your TVs, including your high-def 1020 resolution screen, and watch EVERYTHING that way for a week. 2. Take every print product you currently receive, and make a black-and-white copy. Throw the color copy away; review your newspaper, magazines, club bulletins, church bulletins, sale ad mailers for your favorite stores and everything else in black-and-white. Do that for a week. 3. If you see a billboard, poster, funny cartoon on someone's wall or office cubicle, menu in your favorite restaurant or other full color item that catches your attention, ignore it, or ask someone to show you a black-and-white copy of that item. Watch them stare at you as if you suddenly started speaking Mandarin Chinese, but stick to your guns. BLACK AND WHITE ONLY, PLEASE!!! After you do all of that, and suddenly start to realize how much we all take color for granted, or start to realize how much more information and enjoyment we get from full-color products in our lives AND realize how color is now everywhere, rethink the idea of a black and white Bugle. One more thing; with modern printing, grayscale (black and white to non-printers) is now almost identical to the cost of color. So, stop assuming a non-color Bugle will save money; you don't know what you are talking about. As for a $20 membership being viable, to what end? Are the $50 members supposed to carry the club while the $20 members show up at the meetings, shows and other events and expect everything to work perfectly? We all need to step up and support the club. We are becoming a nation of skaters and coasters. Everyone wants things to work on time, as expected, but no one wants to volunteer, pay for it or provide any support to make sure things work. "Let someone else do it" seems to becoming the national motto. And, as for $50 being too expensive, don't worry. The board will probably be lucky to keep it at ONLY $50 for much longer. There are big changes coming in our society that will make that $50 membership seem like a gift. But, of course, we are not allowed to talk about anything going on in our government or society in this forum, so I will stop there.
  16. My office is planning to go to the Texas Veteran's Home in Floresville, Texas on 20 Oct. I'm the planning officer for this trip. If anyone has any Bugles they wish to donate, I will make sure they get to the veterans there. Send me a PM for a mailing address.
  17. Mark, I appreciate your comments. However, please understand this isn't about PREACHING; this is about the mere MENTION of these "offending" words or subjects.
  18. Willis, The list of compromises about where we work is correct, but not related to this discussion. Ironic, isn't it, that the men and women who have died to preserve our freedoms willingly subscribe to a set of rules in order to preserve our society? But the thing to keep in mind is those military people swore an oath to preserve the constitution, and they were compensated for it. They make those choices for what they believe is the greater good--a free and open society. This policy is being pushed on us by moderators who, by their own admission, use an unwritten set of rules. That doesn't sound like a "greater good" or a free and open society to me. Same choice is true with an employer; we all make the choice to do ( or not do) certain things for our employer to PAY US. But no one says "follow my rules if you want to participate in your HOBBY..." Except here, of course. Two things to keep in mind; a) this latest wave of censorship, we are told, is due to a suggestion or an actual threat of a lawsuit against the AACA because of something a poster said in one of these forums. Ironically, this latest wave of censorship (no mention of God, and no mention of an ELECTION--called politics by some) could actually generate a lawsuit by some group looking to make a point and make examples out of organizations like the ACLU. And, keep in mind, the ACLU doesn't threaten or suggest....once they are on you, they are like a pit bull on steroids. Uh-oh, here comes a threatened lawsuit from PETA because I mentioned pit bulls in a negative way! (Don't worry; I have NO intention of mentioning this forum to the ACLU; I think they have gone too far in the OTHER direction most of the time.) The BCA, as of now, continues to live in their "mother-in-law's" house and live by her rules because she pays the bills and the BCA doesn't want to have to pay for, run or moderate another forum. Thing is, another one already exists...we could have discussions on Buicks, sans censorship, on our Facebook page... And, if they wanted their OWN forum, the software used by other car clubs and owners groups, is found FREE at phpBB • Free and Open Source Forum Software
  19. Well, here's the latest development in a nutshell. I told Peter that, after he told me references to religion and politics are forbidden by the rules, I said I checked and they are not restricted, he then told me that while not forbidden, the "rules" used by the moderators forbid it. So much for the rules; we are now in unwritten bureaucracy. Here's the points I am trying to make to Peter, the AACA and BCA: 1. While the fact that this IS an AACA forum, it is also a forum located in the United States of America. What exactly do we contribute to the greater good in here by censoring comments? And, do we offend more in the hope of not offending a few? Do we risk offending everyone in the hopes of not offending one? (Political correctness run amuck....) 2. Where does it stop? OK, I remove my reference to God in my signature. Now what? If a member named "Mohammed" comes into the forum, do we demand he not use his name because he is named after a religious figure? What if 'Jesus' Martinez becomes a member? Is he banned too? What if I use a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King in my signature? He is "politically correct" to a lot of people, but remember, he was the PASTOR of a large BAPTIST CHURCH in Atlanta! Is he out because he was a religious leader as well as a civil rights leader? By the way, here are two of his quotes I really respect and have used before that I think are really appropriate here: "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it's right." "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." 3. If this continues, where does it take the BCA and AACA? We are LOOSING members every day, while other forums and Web sites that exercise freedom of speech such as Facebook, MySpace, You Tube are growing by leaps and bounds. Do you see a pattern here? I do.... 4. If I recall, previous listings of BCA events have inclued mentioning "church services" when the meet was over a Sunday. Is that out, now, too? 5. Do you have any idea how fundamental my belief in God truly is to me, and probably many other members in here? While I may have "stepped on your toes" with my signature, you have ground my toes into the pavement by asking me to NOT talk about something that is as much a part of me as breathing. Do you realize how much easier it is to give up my membership and support of this organization than it is to agree to "not mention God?" The bottom line is this when dealing with censorship: Censorship is a dangerous, slippery slope that doesn't accomplish anything good or end well for anyone. So, please, please please....whether it is Peter Gariepy, VP of Internet at AACA, Peter Heizmann, the moderator telling me why he deleted my post and asking me to remove any references to God, or the BCA board members, I'm asking, respectfully, please rethink your policy of censorship.
  20. I also just sent this message to Peter: QUOTE By the way, Peter, I just reviewed the rules--again. They do NOT forbid political or religious references. The word 'political' or 'religious' or even 'religion' are found NOWHERE in the rules. Joe UNQOTE If any of you would like to review the rules for yourself, here is their location: AACA Forums - Forum Rules
  21. Allowing freedom of speech and freedom of religion does NOT result in legal liabilities. If so, virtually every other non-AACA forum would be sued, closed or with a huge legal liability. A while back, someone threatened a lawsuit over something, so they cracked down over people endorsing or criticizing businesses. It has now spread to this. And, as I said before, NO ONE exercises this level of censorship in other automotive forums.
  22. Adam, Normally, I would agree and appreciate your advice. If I had called someone a name, made a poor judgement, or some other dumb mistake that any of us could make from time to time, you would have a valid point. But censoring a religious reference, or censoring just a reference to a constitutionally sactioned election is just TOO MUCH. The bottom line is, this forum needs its members more than the members need the forum. And, I am a member of several other automotive forums; NO ONE practices this kind or level of censorship. Joe
  23. Dear friends of the collector car hobby and members of the BCA, In the general AACA forum, under a posting titled "EPA threatens to increase Ethanol in gas to 15% " I posted a note, along with the other comments posted by other members, about how I hoped the November 2nd elections would change the direction of the EPA. That, along with my signature block, generated this note from Peter Je. Heizmann: I SENT THIS RESPONSE TO HIM: Peter, You obviously do not understand sarcasm. And, your censorship has gone TOO FAR. Unless you stop this, I will resign from this forum, and the BCA. I can't be part of something that seeks to take away the very constitutional freedoms that I have fought for as a military officer and Air Force civilian for nearly 30 years. To think that it has now become acceptable to actually demand someone remove a refernce to God and a legal election where people will excercise their right to vote is beyond belief for a forum hosted in the United States of America. Please reconsider your request and your policy. Joe N. Wiggins As a result of this, my reference to the November 2nd election has ALREADY BEEN REMOVED from the EPA and ethanol post. I am hereby formally asking the BCA board of directors to either start their own forum NOT censored by the AACA monitors, or get AACA to change the direction of this censorship. While my signature block was considered to be sarcastic and get readers to think about God, I am NOT pushing my beleifs on anyone. And, I have served nearly 30 years in the Air Force, and deployed to some of the least desirable parts of the world to support the mission so you would have freedom of speech in the U.S. Peter's demand, to me, is unrealistic and uacceptable. If this policy of censorship by the AACA doesn't change, I will request the moderator of this forum delete my account, and when my membership in the BCA is up for renewal, I will NOT be renewing it. I am 55, will retire in about 5 years, and have the resources to, I had hoped, travel to every national no matter where it is held, and spend whatever I wanted to restore old Buicks and enjoy this hobby. However, this atmosphere of censorship cannot allow me, in good conscience, to support this forum, the BCA, or its events. I'm very sad to say this; as I sit here typing this, my hands are literally shaking at the thought of having my right to freedom of speech be censored by a club and a forum that I have helped suppport with my dues. I thought there had been a lot of great discussion lately about how we could all make contributions to mentoring new members, keeping the events friendly to cars in all conditions, and thereby encourage their owners to participate. However, I can't go along with this kind of censorship. If you wish to discuss this further, my email address is joewiggins55@yahoo.com or you may post a message to men on my Facebook page. Just find the 'Joe Wiggins' on Facebook that lives in San Antonio. You might want to keep this info; I suspect that THIS post, along with my last one in the Ethanol forum, will soon be deleted. Sincerely, Joe Wiggins
  24. We are already forced to use 10% ethanol here in Texas at ALL stations. Personally, if this keeps going, I would like for the EPA to be forced to list TWO numbers on the window sticker for the car's mileage; the city and highway estimates on gasoline, and the estimates on 10% ethanol. THAT little piece of information will get a LOT of people screaming at their representatives to allow all stations to offer real gasoline, not some voodoo concoction that only an EPA bureaucrat would like.
  25. LOL....just remember guys, this hobby is sometimes called "horse trading" for a reason. EVERYTHING is an illusion at an auction....from both the seller and the auction house's perspective. And, potential buyers are walking around with books lookiing for paint codes, serial numbers, part numbers and other details for a reason....they are either trying to seperate the smoke and mirrors from reality, or they have already gotten burned once. Is that $400,000 'authentic' whatever REALLY worth $400,000, or was it worth more or less? Ask 5 people who looked at that car and were there when it sold, and you will get 7 opinions. Wait til tomorrow (or tonight, if beer is involved) and you will get 15 opinions out of those 5 guys. As for greedy kids wanting to sell dad or grampa's vintage, mint whatever for LESS than it is worth? Most of the time, those little darlings are trying to get MUCH MORE than the car is worth, which creates a different set of problems for the auctioneer....like trying to convince greedy heirs that their car is worth $60,000 instead of $180,000...because they saw that number in some book or magazine article.
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