By Bill Sangrey
On November 15, 2025, GRAACA held its 3rd Garage Day Event this year. 30 members registered, 28 members and 2 guests (Kevin and Vassi Calimer from Spring Grove, PA who have now joined GR) attended. We had a couple “not feeling well” cancellations. We wish Nona Davis the best in her continued recovery from the wrist-forearm injuries she suffered in a car accident. Carl said she has more surgery in front of her.
We accomplished the planned Garage Day “Projects”:
- Installed seat belts in a 1930 Model A coupe – which Bill has owned since 1967 and driven since finishing the restoration in 1974, without seat belts. A 52 MPH car (downhill, in overdrive High and a tail wind) BUT 47 MPH brakes. Yikes! Leave plenty of space to stop and do not let the disc brake car in front surprise you. Weeks of planning, design, cutting metal, drilling holes, test fit, and redesign, going back to “Surplus City” to buy more metal and more bolts. Even doing that multiple times over we still had to “file to fit” a few times during Garage Day. Several members had an actual hand in the work with the “A” going up and down on the 4 post lift several times. The “A” coupe seat fits tight in the body. Bill had removed the seat to strengthen the floor and cut slots in the seat frame through which to thread the belts. Even Jerry had a hand in the effort – but he did not get his hands dirty. Final result? The next day Bill tried on the belts we installed. They fit with some wiggle room left. Conclusion – Bill would design the installation differently. To strengthen that 95-year-old sheet metal floor he would use ¾” and 1 ¼” or 1 ½” tubular steel with the same 1/8”x3”x29” steel plate. Using angle iron made the project difficult.
- Then lunch: Chili by Pat Shaffer and Scott Sangrey (Jo Ann and Bill’s Georgia son) with corn bread and Jo Ann’s beef vegetable soup. Apple and pumpkin pies for dessert. Bill apologizes – he forgot to put out the iced tea and lemonade.
- Then to the basement for a paint buffing demo and “hands on”. Jim Yemzow and Bill explained the buffing products and how to operate the buffers and pads. Bill’s buffer is a variable speed, dual action (DA) buffer with a single 5” foam pad. Jim demoed the counter rotating, dual 3-inch pad buffer he purchased about 15 years ago, not available now. After doing an initial cut with a 6” wool pad, Bill handed Vassi the buffer. She followed the directions – well mostly. Key point Jim and Bill made: “After you put the buffing/polishing/swirl remover/glaze on the pad, smear it on the paint BEFORE you turn the buffer on.” Jim and Bill also said “Don’t lift the buffer before you turn it off.” Well, they didn’t make that last point clear enough. Vassi lifted the buffer while running – the buffing pad took flight. Bill said, “Guess you won’t do THAT again.” Perhaps a little too strongly ‘cause Vassi was sort of taken back. You had to be there 😉 Amazing results!
- The ’59 Crown Imperial fender went from a dull charcoal color to “see your face in it” shiny black. The hood was worse looking to start than the fender; the hood had suffered sun and engine heat damage. Bill wet-sanded a small area of the hood with 1000, then 1200, then 1500, and finally 2000 grit and then buffed the much worse hood. Not quite as good as the fender. The hood requires more work. But the net – Bill had no plans to repaint this car and now definitely won’t. It will be fine with the paint buffed out. To point out what the attendees saw that had nothing to do with buffing, because it will not “buff out”. Years ago, lightning hit the front of this Imperial – Bill understands the Imperial was parked in a 3-sided garage with the front end exposed. Lightning hit it, burned the paint off the front of the hood, melted the lead filler in the fender seams and melted the chrome trim on the leading edge of the hood. And turn signal lense has “dripped” out of its housing.
- Bill provided an update on his Mopar engine rebuild; a 1970 383 cubic inch Dodge engine that will go into a ’65 Plymouth Belvedere II 4 speed convertible. Bill originally planned to fire this engine up on the run-in stand during this “Garage Day”. But unexpected build issues caused him to postpone that. The latest stumbling block reared its head the week before the Garage Day – an out of spec camshaft, wrong valve timing (too early) and lift (too much), but worse – discovery that the cam was bent and would not turn easily when installed. Bill received a replacement cam the day before Garage Day. He still plans to schedule a (mini) Garage Day to fire the engine and do a 25-minute break-in using the test stand seen in the garage.
- During both the morning and afternoon “shop” portions, the ladies, in the house, discussed and worked on various craft projects: decorating holiday gift bags and ribbon-tile tree ornaments.
As this Garage Day concluded, Howard King and Carl Davis announced they will schedule more “Garage Day” events. If you have a project let them know. They can do the event/work at your garage or at another member’s place. If you need help – let them know. They’ll arrange it. Or if you don’t know how to do a particular project – let then know. They’ll get help to solve the problem. And we’ll enjoy another Gettysburg Region Garage Day.
