Yes! The blooms have finally arrived! Gorgeous flowers are abundant! The sun has been working hard to fight off those pesky clouds and give us some glorious days! Mother Nature has opened the door to springtime!

Other perks offered this time of year: Girls in less bulky outfits! Cars galore hitting the roads! The smells of the season!

Pick your favorite!

They’re all good!!

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One of our readers has a great little site you should take a look at. It is a registry for certain special AMC products!

Joie Vaughan has created this….check it out!

http://www.joiesjeeps.com

“But we are not just about Jeeps, actually if you go to our site you will notice that our main focus right now, is on the AMC-Hurst SC/Rambler. I personally own one of these great cars, and in all the years I've had it, it still remains a mystery as to how many of them are left. After giving it some thought, a registry was created in honor of these cars and their owners. It seems that the rare breed of person it requires to own a car with a parts availability of almost zero, is as rare as the car itself.

We here at joiesjeeps.com have officially created The 1512 Registry to determine exactly how many Scramblers there still might be today.

Our mission is to document every car’s history. Especially the ones that are gone from our streets. For it is these cars as well as the extremely low production, that has lead to how rare they have become today.

There are approximately 330,000,000 people between Canada and the USA. There were only 1,512 of these Hurst SC/Rambler factory race cars made for NHRA F Stock class in mid-year of 1969. The simple math will tell us that, at best guess, there is only a mere possibility of one car for every 218,254 people. WOW…so if we assume that only about 1 out of every 10 cars has survived then we are looking at odds that only 1 person for every 2.2 million people will own one of these cars today.

This registry can only result in increasing the value and popularity among enthusiasts of these great factory race cars other wise know as Rambler Scramblers.

We are seeking the cop-operation of present and past owners. Send us an email if you have a Rambler Scrambler story to share! scrambler@joiesjeeps.com and please visit us at http://www.joiesjeeps.com “

Joie, thanks for a great contribution to the hobby! Our pleasure to help you spread the word and we are proud to have your site featured in this edition of the Long Island Classic Cars.com Newsletter!

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Here is another reader who has a very interesting item to tell you about. Bill Gannon is his name, and he holds and promotes the FAST drags over at Englishtown’s Raceway Park. Check out his site all you Muscle Car owners! Here is a chance to compete head to head with stock vehicles from the heyday of the 60’s and early 70’s. Don’t miss it!

http://www.musclecarrace.com/

The events are also listed here on Long Island Classic Cars.com in the EVENTS section.

Sounds like great fun Bill!!

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Please take note of one of our new advertisers: ELITE COACH WORKS of Glen Cove, NY.

Elite has a history of turning out excellent work on classic vehicles. The owner, Jan DeGuire is meticulous about what he does. Whether you have a Jaguar, truck, muscle car, classic, or modern vehicle; Jan and his crew are very proficient at full body restorations as well as area work, repair, and touch ups! They have a nice turnaround time and will work with you every step of the way. Tell them Long Island Classic Cars.com sent you!

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More car clubs are listing their events, meetings, cruises, and shows for the upcoming season.

You can check them out in the EVENTS section on the main page of the website. http://www.liclassiccars.com

If you are in a car club, get your club and your stuff listed ASAP! The sooner it is up on the site and everyone has access to it, the more people will plan on attending your events! Remember to list your rain-dates as well.

A few more clubs have already signed on:

Long Island Corvette Owners Association (LICOA): Established in 1959, they are a large club with about 250 members. They are also an active club with many shows, meetings, cruises, events, and more. New members are welcome!

Long Island Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society: This club has a large membership and following, not just here on Long Island, but nationally. They are one of 5 chapters in New York State and one of 97 around the country. Have a truck pre-1980? Then this is the club for you!

Centurion Cruisers: Here is a club for all sorts of Law Enforcement Officers. A wide range of personnel and types of vehicles are in this club. They have meetings and events of all kinds. If you had or have a badge; check them out.

Long Island Ford – Mercury Club: Over 100 members, they meet monthly and are an active club. Dedicated to keeping the flame alive of life, fun, and style of the 1950’s. New members are welcome.

Long Island Street Rod Association: This club is for street rods and other vehicles 1948 and older. They have monthly meetings, two huge shows every year, and many more events. Over 100 members and new ones are always welcome!

Long Island Chapter Pontiac Oakland Club International: Another active club that has monthly meetings, cruises, a car show, and other events. All Pontiac and Oakland vehicles from every year are welcome! Check them out!

Still Cruisin’ Car Club: A family oriented car club open to all makes and models of cars and trucks pre-1970. They have meetings, shows several times a year, events, and of course…cruises!! Find out more on their website.

Long Island Thunderbirds: Here is a group of people that love T-Birds and Fords in general! They have many get-togethers, and meetings – not only indoors - they bring their cars and hang out! Get the monthly newsletter “Bird Talk” as well. Lots of fun!

They are all featured in the CLUBS section of the main page of the website!

http://liclassiccars.com/cgi-bin/clubs.cgi?

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2005 Cruise Night location updates:

TUESDAYS: McDonald's. Metropolitan Ave. & 69^th Road, Forest Hills, NY.

Sponsored by East Coast Car Association/Toys For Tots

TUESDAYS: Audrey Ave. Oyster Bay, NY (ON HOLD)

Sponsored by Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce

WEDNESDAYS: Long John Silver's/A&W. Union Blvd, South of Sunrise Hwy. West Islip, NY.

Public gathering

WEDNESDAYS: KFC. William Floyd Pkwy & Montauk Hwy. Shirley, NY

Sponsored by Bow Tie Boulevard Camaro Club

THURSDAYS: Wendy’s. LIE South Service Rd at Exit 62. Holtsville, NY.

Sponsored by The Fabulous 50’s & 60’s Car Club

THURSDAYS: Wendy’s Shopping Center. Montauk Hwy and Locust Ave, Oakdale, NY

Sponsored by Steve’s Collision.

SATURDAYS: Sonomax Station. 278 Greenpoint Ave. Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY.

Sponsored by East Coast Car Association/Toys for Tots

SATURDAYS: Kohl’s. Corner Grand Blvd and Commack Rd. Deer Park, NY.

Public gathering.

SATURDAYS: King Kullen Shopping Center. William Floyd Pkwy. North of Montauk Hwy. Shirley, NY.

Sponsored by Bow Tie Boulevard Camaro Club

SUNDAYS: *AM Cruise* Ocean Pkwy, Captree Beach Parking Lot through May, then at OBI.

Public gathering.

More Cruise Night updates as they develop in the next Newsletter.

Be sure to check the EVENTS page daily!!

http://liclassiccars.com/cgi-bin/events.cgi?

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GUEST WRITER(S) COLUMN(S)

Tom Sebastian pens his final installment of The Nordic Cars. Another fine and amusing article! This boy can write!!

“Rich’s Tech Tips” educates us about some precautionary measures we should take with our electrical systems, as well as how to fix things up once they are presenting problems. A “shocking” article to be sure! I tell you, this guy is a wealth of knowledge and experience! You can’t get free and expert advice like this anywhere else!

In this month’s “My Car Story” feature, Bob Finnan shows off his very rare 1969 Mercury Cyclone! A really cool car!! This is one of only a few of these NASCAR vehicles to have been made.

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Tom Sebastian

Tom goes from this……. to this!

The Nordic Cars, Part III

Rolling Sculpture

The P-1800

It’s a bit feminine, I’ll grant you that…

More like a Giulietta Speciale by Bertone than anything Carol Shelby would come up with. OK… But it was pretty!

From the outside and through the window, the ergonomics looked perfect. It looked as though Marshall McLuhan might have built it: Even before you got in you sensed the global-village, Sensurround, glove-like fit, leathery and tight; that tiny pop-up, Ferrari-like shifter looking just about perfect. Now for the big surprise. You got in.

That such a comfy looking piece of art – by Volvo, of all people! – could be so uncomfortable was a bit startling at first. Nothing like the ES Wagon of the same model number. But everything – that big wheel (and heavy steering!), those ‘too-low-in-the-saddle’ seats and that absolutely dangerous, ‘no-rear-view-to-speak-of’ were really quite horrid. Perhaps I was just the wrong size for it. Bigger guys do seem to like it more. And, then, so do many women owners. But, as with the ES model, when you finally get up to speed, it’s a fabulous cruiser! ‘A mystery wrapped in a riddle…’ shall we say.

Anyway… aside from being the sharpest car in the parking lot, it could outrun anything there. And, by that, I do not mean that Camry/Miata/Jetta or whatever parked next to you in a running start from where you are to the nearest streetlight. Chances are you wouldn’t have a prayer with that one. Slow as molasses. (My BMW 2002, with virtually the same HP and weight as this - 2400 lb; 135 hp - would trounce it under any conditions.)

No, I meant actual miles you could go in the thing.

Ask Irv Cooper out there in Long Island.

Even considering the lunar astronauts -- a story Volvo loves to tell -- Irv went father in his ’66 P1800 than anyone ever did in a car: 2,000,000 miles! In the same car! OK, granted: Not too many other people drive to Denver for dinner as he does. But the point here is that you simply cannot kill the thing. It’s as trusty as anything on wheels -- or tracks, or even hoofs.

And Volvo was quite clever in their early marketing techniques, at least in one sense. They got Roger Moore to drive it in a hit-TV series way back when called, The Saint. Remember? That’s when the car developed its reputation as the one-up model from Maxwell Smart and his Karmann-Ghia. (Moore was the intelligent detective who may have actually slept with women rather than just talked into their shoe.)

But the company was way off the beam in another, more essential, way: They came out with it at the same time (1961) and at the same price as the XK-E!!

No way, José!!… I mean, it was a nice car and all but… come on! Who could choose this over an E-Type!?*

These days, with so much industrial espionage going on, that oversight most likely could not happen again. (In those days, though, spies were busy with other things.)

But another way to look at it was that the Swedes were just some 40+ years too early. Because, if Volvo produced that car now -- with all the bells and whistles of their later cars, the superior performance of their latest engines, and all that advertising that goes along with a new release -- I honestly think this beauty would outsell everything in its class. I mean, Volvo could use a spunky two-seater right about now to spiff up their image. Aside from just a few models, their entire car line from the earliest days could be considered practical to a fault: NOT very pretty.

Just about everyone else has gone retro and they definitely should. Because right now, ‘The Thinking Man’s Car for the Upward Bound’ has about run its streak. (An image that much amuses Swedes, as Volvo ‘over there’ has always been viewed as the proletariat, working man’s car.) And Swedish folk haven't had a world hit since Bjorn Borg hung up his wooden racket.

Volvo is experimenting with a new sports car platform for their latest, ‘green’ engine technologies… But the concept car they are using is truly sad. And Volvo doesn’t need another ugly duck right now. The 1980’s Yuppies who kept their line alive are too old to care anymore… They are already out in the garden mumbling to themselves. The Kerry campaign may have been their last gasp. Aside from the ES Sports Wagon and the venerable, PV444 coupe, the P-1800 two-seater is the only one they could rightly draw from to impress a new crowd of fashion-conscious buyers… and, honestly, the P1800, with that Ghia design, is by far the more timeless beauty of the three. It would pass the Paris Hilton test (at least that!)… And then the go on from there.

Hell... A revival worked for Abba -- and they stunk!!

So, how about it, Volvo… Take another look at this thing and give us your best shot!! We know you’ve got it in you!

*I can hear Irv laughing right about now… He has outlasted every E-Type out there and probably hasn’t even had to garage his car.

I had my own ‘Irv Cooper moment’ the first day I had the car. I purchased it in Massachusetts and drove it home -- in distant Central NY-- on the same day. – On the same, miserably hot day that only mad dogs and Englishmen would be caught in. I didn’t even see too many cars out there, let alone people. Then, there he was… leaning against his brand new Lexus while awaiting Triple A Repair Service. Overheated and dead in the road.

The price of my car? $7500, total. The price of his? $48,625 + Massachusetts taxes. The look on that guys face as he watched my thirty year old Volvo cruise on by? Priceless.

Next Time!! My Private Elvis

AND NEVER FORGET... HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS!

tmoore3us@yahoo.com

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Keeping Your Cars Aging Electrical System in Shape

By Rich Fiore

Like our bodies which show age over time, our car’s electrical system can do the same thing. A little ache here some pain there, before you know it the "dome light" ain't as bright as it used to be.

Electrical problems usually occur where a connection or contact is exposed to moisture, oxidation ( corrosion ), vibration or chemicals. Obvious the older the car, there is that much more exposure to this ca ca. All vehicle contacts and connections are exposed to some if not all of these factors. Under the hood are more chemicals and temperature extremes. Interior connections and contacts are free of the chemicals, but trapped moisture can be a problem since there is no heat to burn it off.

Most terminals are of the solderless variety. The wire is crimped to the terminal as opposed to soldering. It is quite rare to find anything soldered at the factory nowadays. They are usually housed in a "plastic block" connector. Every electrical device has some sort of connector for ease of factory installation and follow on replacement.

So what does really happen with age you say?

Well I'm glad you asked.

When new, all metal contacts allow current to flow freely with little resistance. Somewhat like a garden hose on the ground. As time goes by there can be an increase in resistance ( like stepping lightly on that garden hose ) and the current ( flow ) is reduced. Worst case scenario there is no flow at all. Basically an open circuit. Besides corrosion and chemicals, metals can lose their spring tension, hardness or shape. If the surface area of 2 contacts are reduced by this you have again effectively reduced the path for current to flow. Arcing can create this condition when contacts are opened and closed. This is found more so in areas which are of a higher voltage like your ignition rotor.

So obviously the most effective way to eliminate some electrical problems would be to re-establish these electrical pathways. Since it would be impossible to replace every electrical connector and wire in a vehicle, the next best thing would be to clean or replace the problem connection/contact or eliminate the connection completely. Being a Mopar guy and knowing the history of the bad firewall connections, I am familiar with the elimination process. The two biggest culprits are the heavy 12 gauge wires from the alternator and ammeter. I simply remove the pins from the connector, drill out the connector and slide a heavier 10 gauge wire through the connector thereby eliminating that connection problem. Keep in mind these connectors are installed during production for ease of manufacture. If this cannot be accomplished its time to clean or replace the terminal.

To remove the connector from its block on most connectors, a small screwdriver is used to push the "bobbed" end of the terminal away from what looks like a little "shelf ". The terminal will slide out and can now be cleaned. Some terminals will have to be pinched with a needle nose to be removed. To clean, use a very fine 2000 grit sand paper or contact cleaner if not easily accessible. Never use a screwdriver or wire brush since this will leave scratches. You want the surface as smooth as a baby's bottom. The crimped end of the terminal can also be source of high resistance. If you cannot replace the terminal with a factory terminal, you can try to carefully open the crimp and clean the surface as mentioned. If it cannot be re-crimped, solder it.

When it comes to switches and relays; carefully open and sand the contacts with the 2000 grit paper. As with all connections they must be clean and tight. Repeat after me class ... clean and _ _ _ _ _. If any connections or contacts show signs of metal fatigue you may want to carefully tighten connectors or rebend any arms for a tight connection. After cleaning connectors it is a good idea to put some silicone in the back of the connector to keep the schmutz out. For battery terminals there is a special grease which can be applied.

A cars charging system can be the victim of corrosion. The radio ( particularly AM ) can be a dead give away when there is a problem. Applying the brake or headlights can cause the volume to drop or cause a clicking thru the speaker. Start with the battery terminals and make sure all grounds are in place. Particularly the block to firewall and the small lead from the battery negative terminal to the body. Fuses and their sockets can also be a source of problems through corrosion and metal fatigue. Cleaning the sockets can be difficult but a Q-Tip dampened with contact cleaner can help when dealing the glass type of fuses. Don't forget to kill the power first. Squeeze the fuse block terminals together if they appear to have lost tension.

Wire insulation itself can become brittle and short out if it is not in place. Wires can be replaced ( one at a time boys and girls ), or shrink sleeve can be used for shorter runs. When it comes to tracing electrical problems, the rule is always start from the power source. My brother recently had a no power situation in the interior of his 69 Roadrunner. We started from the battery to the starter relay, then to the firewall connector. All was ok. From the firewall it went to the ammeter. There was no voltage out of the ammeter so obviously it was bad and it was bypassed. Keep in mind in this situation an ammeter is in series while a volt meter is in parallel. So if it goes bad it is like a burnt out fuse ... which means you get nuttin, nada, zero, zippo.

So when correcting problems or restoring a vehicles electrical system, it is a good idea to consider the effects of age. Remember to always disconnect the battery ground when doing any work on the system. It is also a good idea to have the vehicles wiring diagram and appropriate test meters and test light on hand. Remember... clean and tight does it right.

Quick and Dirty : When was the last time you cleaned your battery and engine block grounds?

(Rich, I seriously think you should start charging for this!) Pete

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My Car Story Bob Finnan: 1969 Mercury Cyclone

This racy looking car is a product of the ’60s. Back then America advanced at a rapid rate in many areas. Speed was cool and so was adventure! This car, nicknamed Midnight Sun, was purchased by its original owner the same week that man landed on the moon for the first time!

I bought the car in the summer of 1993 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It had only 53,000 original miles! It was in showroom condition and is still gorgeous now. After one test drive of this big block I knew I had to have it!

I enjoy driving and showing it. You don’t see many of these, in fact, hardly any at all. The color combo is very interesting and the car always gets a lot of attention.

The car has full documentation including; Protect-a-plate, retail buyer’s order, bill of sale, original owner’s manual, and a Marti Report that also documents the mileage on it. The report was derived from the Ford Database.

The car came equipped with the S code High Performance 390 Four Barrel engine, four speed, tachometer, power steering, remote left mirror, Magnum 500s, F-70x14 Wide Oval Belted tires, tinted glass all around, and the body side tape stripe.

According to Marti and Ford; only 213 were ever made with the 390 and 4 speed.

And only 57 were ordered with these paint and trim codes:

Dark Ivy Green Metallic

Light Gold Nugget Bench Seat.

(Bob, what a “neato” car! You never see these anymore) Pete

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Here is where you can access previous editions of the Long Island Classic Cars Online Newsletter.

October 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Oct03.html

November 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Nov03.html

December 2003 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Dec03.html

January 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jan04.html

February 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Feb04.html

March 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Mar04.html

April 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Apr04.html

May 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/May04.html

June 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jun04.html

July 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jul04.html

August 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Aug04.html

September 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Sep04.html

October 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Oct04.html

November 2004 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Nov04.html

January 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Jan05.html

February 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Feb05.html

March 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Mar05.html

April 2005 http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/Apr05.html

You can also access the previous Newsletters through a link on the main page of the website.

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Hey everyone! I can’t wait to see you and all the cool rides at the shows and cruise nights!! I am itchin’ to get out there!

Hope you enjoyed this edition of the Newsletter. We welcome stories, reviews, opinions, etc. So if you’d like to contribute or have an idea, send something in!

I would like to get someone who is interested in doing a column for the months of April through September that can write some car show reviews. Maybe you can include some details on how the shows were, attendance, events, etc, etc.

Anybody got any ideas? Volunteers? C’mon now, don’t be shy!!

Someone step forward!

Pete Giordano

Long Island Classic Cars.com