Hello once again Big River members!!

Hope all are doing well! 

This year is coming to a quick close! November 5^th we will have our picnic at the Grand Gulf Military Park. This will be our November meeting and as always, our Christmas party will be our December meeting.  We are still making plans for the Christmas party and hope to finalize it at the November meeting at the picnic. Also, November we will still take nominations for officers and board members. Hurry and get your name in the hat before they are all gone!

If you have not done so already, please let Wayne know ASAP if you plan to attend the picnic so you will have something to eat.  We will meet in Clinton on Springridge Road behind McDonalds between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. but be ready to leave at 8:30 and drive to Vicksburg were Tay and Dot will join us. Bring whatever you want for your burger and dogs, onion, lettuce, tomato, etc., and desert and drinks. Wayne will get the meat and chips and Jane has pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. By the way, we may have a potential member guest at the picnic that Wayne talked to Saturday at the Scarecrow show so lets show them how much fun this club is! 

Looking forward to seeing you at the picnic!  

Judy 

I don’t think I have to tell anyone, but November has arrived which means Thanksgiving will be here in just a few weeks, the beginning of another Holiday season and a little bit closer for another year to come to an end! It is that time of year to crave, cook and enjoy holiday foods and feed family and friends! Please be sure to give that THANKS to our good Lord for the many blessings that HE has bestowed upon us. I know that I am very thankful for the good life HE has provided Jane and I with. Most of you know I like to cook and I would like to say I am thankful for another thing which is that I have been able to carry on my mama’s legacy and recreate her rich cornbread dressing and giblet gravy! She died on October 13, twelve short years ago and there is hardly a day that goes by that I don’t miss her and think about her. My recreation of her dressing is pretty good but she put much more Love in her recipe than I do. Ya know what I mean, don’t you? OK, enough of that, hard to type with misty eyes! On with club stuff now. 

NOTE: BRC has set aside Saturday December 10^th as the day to have our annual CHRISTMAS PARTY! We have not exactly decided when, where or what we will be doing for a party but please try to reserve this date to be with your fellow club members to celebrate Christmas and have fun. I am sure we will discuss more options while we are at Grand Gulf. 

Next Jessie Buckley would like to invite all down for Florence Day on November 12th. Even though they will be in Panama City that day you can still come down and be in the 1st Annual Florence Day Antique Car & Street Rod Show. She sent me a pdf flyer with a registration form. Click on  FLYER  if you would like to open it and print one off.

Charles Bullock is trying to get together a group of cars to be in the Braxton Christmas parade on December 10th. Yes this is the same day we have set aside for the club Christmas party but the parade is not going to start until 5:00 pm so maybe those who live closer to Braxton can go on down and be in the parade after our party. Those wanting to participate need to be at the Braxton Community Center at 4:00. 

As Forrest Gump would say, “That’s all I got to say about that”! Here’s hoping you all have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Big River Classics Monthly Meeting
September 8, 2011
Wayne Hart Reporting

Big River Classics held its October meeting at the Golden Corral in Flowood. Members present included JoAnn Barbuto, Bobby Buckley, Bobby Clark, Tay Everett, Dot Everett, Wayne Hart, Jane Hart, Dale Holloway, Ann Holloway, Tommy Hudson, Patricia Hudson, Newt Mason, Carolyn Mason, Keith Thurman, Paul Webb, and Judy Webb with guests Nikki Webb, baby Bailee and niece Lauren.

Thanks to all who attended!

MCC Scarecrow Car Show
October 22, 2011
Madison, MS
Reported by Wayne Hart

Big River Classics had a display of 8 classic Chevys at the Mississippi Classic Cruisers' Scarecrow Car Show this year. Members who participated were Bill & JoAnn Barbuto with their '55 Nomad, Allen Carpenter with both of his '55 Chevys, Bobby Clark with his '57 Chevy, Wayne & Jane Hart with their '57 Chevy, Larry Holder in his '57 Chevy, Keith Thurman in his '55 Chevy, and Paul & Judy Webb in their '57 Chevy. Club member John Davis was also at the car show in the Grape (Chevy SSR). To those BRC members who did not make the show, you missed a special treat which was getting to see David Castle! David was there all the way from Mobile in his '64 Chevy convertible. He looked healthy, more skinny than wealthy, and no comment on the wise part. It was great to see him!

Congratulations to the Barbutos for getting to drive their Nomad to a car show for the first time! Their Chevy has undergone some major changes over the past few years and is looking fantastic! And the same for the changes that Paul Webb has made to their '57 convertible with the new seats and steering column. Paul wrote a progress report which can be read below under Projects & Stuff with photos.

Our little section of classic Chevys again looked very impressive if I have to say so myself, along with the rest of the many rides at this show. Congratulations to MCC for another large successful car show turnout this year with around 400 vehicles I heard! Photos below courtesy of Keith Thurman.

 

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PROJECTS & sTUFF

Project  Nomad
Barbuto '55 Nomad
Reported by Bill Barbuto

Another month has gone by and a little more has been done on the Nomad. This month is mainly the wiring harness was put in.  One Saturday Larry Holder, Alan Carpenter, Bobby Buckley and myself got together and started wiring the car. The temporary wiring on the ignition has been made permanent. All the lights and directionals are wired in. 

The car went to the front end shop to have an alignment. They could only do the toe in because the coil springs are too big, causing not to be able to set the caster and camber. I have to order new springs for the front. 

Next was the exhaust. I took it down to Delta Muffler Shop (one of our sponsors) and had the rear tailpipes made up. Thanks go to Billy Davis and Doc for the fine job. Now the car is running well enough, the next thing was to bring it to the Scarecrow Show in Madison for its first show. The car was driven to the show on 10/22 under its own power. 

The engine hasn't run since 2000. The car hasn't been on the road for at least 17years.

OH WHAT A FEELING!!!!  Thanks Guys!!!

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Webb 1957 Chevy Convertible
Interior Upgrades
Reported by Paul Webb

Some of you may have noticed that Judy and I have not had our 57 Chevy out lately, except for the Scarecrow show October 22. The reason is, I have been redoing some of the interior in the car. I have replaced the steering column with an Ididit chrome unit with a column shifter for the transmission. I have always disliked the floor shift in the car and much prefer the column shifter. At this point I have also changed out the steering wheel to a Corvette style 3-spoke design Teak wood wheel.

Next I removed the stock bench seat. I purchased two 2006 Monte Carlo bucket seats and had them reupholstered in the original style and color to match the interior of the car. The driver seat is six way power adjustable while the passenger seat is manual. 

Replaced the carpet with a one-piece design as the original is two-piece and would show the separation with the bucket seats. Much cleaner look with the one-piece carpet anyway. 

The console is from a F**d Explorer Sport, but it matched exactly what I wanted in a console. The armrest is very comfortable and lifts up so the inner compartment can be used for storage.  

Also had to have an instrument cluster housing chromed for the new steering column as the original chromed unit had been modified ( cut ) to match the old steering column. Of course it would not match up to the new Ididit column. 

That is most of what was done and I think maybe I am finished for a while. Judy thought it was just fine as it was and all I did was waste some time and a lot of money that wasn’t necessary.  Guess it’s just a man thing to fix what isn’t broken.

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Monthly report on Project "W"
Wayne's 57 Chevy Truck
Reported by Wayne Hart 

Another month has passed and I have no major progress to report on but I do have some minor things I can fill you in on. I have all of my brake lines plumbed in but I am waiting for my final engine cross member position before I tighten the front lines permanently and add brake fluid and start bleeding the system.

I have to thank Paul Webb once again. While he was replacing his steering column in his '57 to a shift type, he modified his old steering column into one that will fit and work perfect for my truck, tilt wheel with a shiftless column like I wanted. I'll just have to paint it up and put a new steering wheel on it when time comes and mount it to the floor as required. Already have it temporarily mounted for a test fit. 

A friend had given me both an engine and transmission cross member but the end pieces were missing to mount the cross members to the frame so I wound up buying a new engine/transmission cross member set which happened to be on on sale last month. The kit came with everything including hardware, the rubber motor mounts and transmission pad. Well the kit came with almost everything, everything but instructions! But hey, who needs instructions anyway? Oh yeah, Larry does! Sorry Larry, just funnin'.

As for my engine, another one of my friends, actually a distant cousin of mine, saw my progress pictures that I post on Facebook and he emailed me with an offer. That offer was for a free 350 that was in a wrecked 1991 Chevy Z71 truck, all mine if I would just come take the whole truck and get it out of his way. Naturally I took him up on his offer and so I pulled my trailer over to his house in Flora on October 16^th and we loaded that big ugly son of a gun up. I will not mention the snake that was in the truck and hitched a ride for about a mile before it decided to bail and stay in Flora! Anyway I got the truck home where I have now removed the engine and have it mounted on an engine stand ready to begin taking it apart for a simple overhaul I hope!. I plan to start rebuilding it when it gets too cold to work out side.

The remainder of the Z71 will be parted out if anyone is interested. As far as I know the transmission and transfer case are in working condition. Has a good sliding back glass too. I am willing to trade parts for parts! I know I will need an aluminum intake to fit an 87-95 sbc engine and preferably an Edelbrock 600 carb if anyone happens to have those laying around in your way! Figured I would start fishing before I went out and bought new stuff. Call me, write me, or just come see me!

I think my next plan of action is to get this motor temporarily in place on the frame and then put the cab in place to make sure the engine position and cab position are not in conflict. Then I can mark the cross member position and get all that welded in place. Let you know next month how all that turned out.
 

 

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Something Funny

PLACES TO BE OR NOT TO BE
Furnished by Jessie Buckley 

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots.  Apparently, you can't go alone.  You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito.  I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane.  They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there.  I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt.  That is a sad place to go, so I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense!  It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart!  At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

I may have been in Continent, but I don't remember what country I was in.  It's an age thing.

 "One day your life will flash before your eyes.

Make sure its worth watching."

 

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