JUDGING EXPLAINED                       by Duane Wilson Another year of judging cars for the CVR club has passed by.  I had a lot of nice weather to check out a total of fifty-one of your cars from twenty-two classes.  It was a real treat to critique your beautiful and unique automobiles. Special thanks goes out to those of you who gave me insight on a particular model or year.  I apologize if your vehicle was missed for judging due to one reason or another. I’d like to give some details on how I go about judging your vehicles.  The judging sheet which is our bible has all the criteria on it.  By now you should have received yours in the mail with scores from last year’s review.  Judging involves many categories such as body and sheet metal, interior, engine, undercarriage, bright work, engine and exhaust system, drive train as well as electrical.  For all the classes except modified, authenticity is a factor except in the last three areas noted.  It all starts as if the car was a perfect one hundred point car and points are deducted from there.  It is always helpful when everything can be viewed without obstruction.  Vehicles may loose points for a closed hood or if it has a seat with a blanket on it compared to one that is has all areas showing in open view.  For final tallies at the end of a year, a few tenths of a point between vehicles can make the difference of where it places.  On the body itself, I’m looking for misaligned body panels, scratches, dents, rust and a compromised paint finish.  Points are deducted not only if they are present but also on the degree of their severity.  Weather plays a big role in this as a sunny day can bring out imperfections that you didn’t know you had.  Cloudy and dark days may hide small dents, wavy panels and imperfections in the finish.  This sometimes can be a big challenge for me when judging. The condition and authenticity of the automobiles underside gets scored in the chassis section.  This includes everything from rust on the frame and floorboards to leaks from the engine, transmission, and rear end.  On most vehicles this is the area that gets the least attention to detail when detailing is done.  This is understandable as most of these cars are drivers.  For me, this is one of the most undesirable places to judge. I believe the engine compartment is the second most overlooked part of the car as it is the hardest part to detail because of the obstacles you have to work around.  When judging this area, the condition and authenticity are considered for scoring.  I judge on the degree of “crispness” and cleanliness.  Aftermarket parts must be noted and deducted from the points for all but the modified class.   Again, please note that it is important that the compartment is available to view-either by having the hood up or at least having it ajar so I can peek inside.  Otherwise, I give a standard equal score.  Thus, anyone with a viewable compartment usually fairs much better in this category.  Plating and bright work is another judging category.  Grills, bumpers, door handles, mirrors, emblems, moldings, lanterns and radiators are among the parts that get looked at.  Chrome, brass or pewter in nice condition can do so much for a vehicle as it accents the body.  Although this category isn’t rated high in the point scale, it still is an important category because every point adds up.     The interior section is awarded double the point potential as compared to bright work.  I check for faded or ripped headliner, carpet, or seats, and missing parts, pitted chrome and quality of paint finish.  Seats that are mostly covered with blankets, etc. are assumed to be ripped or faded.  I usually spend some time looking at the dash and steering column.  There is nothing I like better than a nice looking instrument panel.  Cleanliness is nice but I realize most of these cars are drivers so surface dirt is somewhat expected. The next three scored areas are those that do not have authenticity considered.  Per judging guidelines, your car needs to be running when the engine and exhaust grouping are critiqued.  I assume these to be in top condition unless I particularly find them not to be such as I notice excessive noise or smoke.  Drive train is a self-explanatory category.  I mainly assume the status of wheels, tires, axles, safety of brakes and steering to be in good working order.  The last scored section, electrical and accessories, is only awarded a maximum of five points.  I just assess the condition of these with a quick review.  A few years ago the club officers decided to add a lot more classes for vehicles to potentially be categorized in.  We now have a total of 29 classes available.  By having this many, the club has done an outstanding job to ensure that each member can belong to a class that fits their vehicle well.     I look forward to the dust off meet to start the 2007 judging year.  I await this time to see the changes your vehicles may have undergone during the winter months.  Maybe even some vehicles we have never had the opportunity to view will be rolled out.  The excitement builds!  See you soon with my trusty judging notebook in hand.

KEITH’S KORNER  (Notes from the CVR Historian)                                       by Keith Korbut  Loomis Automobile 1896-1904                                    Westfield, MA The Loomis Auto was a product of Gilbert J. Loomis of Westfield, Massachusetts.  Mr. Loomis was educated in Westfield with a strong interest in machinery and all things mechanical.  Upon graduation from school, Gilbert went to work for the Overman Wheel Company in Chicopee which was then manufacturing the Victor Bicycle and later the Victor Steam Automobile.  With the knowledge he gained during this period, he returned to Westfield and opened his own bicycle shop and began experimenting with an automobile.  His first car was a steamer in 1896.  During that time, he met Frank Duryea who was at work in Springfield.  This led to Frank and Charles selling Mr. Loomis the 1895 Barnum and Bailey Circus car that went on tour across the USA. The Loomis Automobile Company moved to a whip factory in Westfield to build cars around 1900.  They began work on six new cars.  All six were two cylinder opposed air-cooled models.  This led to the production of a car called the “Bluebird” in 1903.  An order for 500 automobiles was signed by Loomis to be delivered to the Bloomingdales Department Stores in New York.  The order was later called off when Gilbert couldn’t deliver in the time agreed.  The Bluebird didn’t bring much happiness to Mr. Loomis and he sold the company to Samuel Squires, a hotel owner in Westfield, in 1904. Gilbert Loomis was not a good businessman but he was an excellent engineer.  He went to work for the Pope Company, Payne Modern in 1906 and then finally settled in at Speedwell in 1907 as chief engineer.  In 1912, Gilbert left and went to Firestone Tire and Rubber.  He retired in 1948 from E.A. Wright Banknote Company.  Mr. Loomis passed away at 90 years of age in 1963. Gilbert Loomis enjoyed two distinctions as Westfield, MA's first builder of automobiles and pioneer automotive engineer and designer.  While constructing cars in Westfield, the first automobile song, so far as it is known, was published by the Chadwick Music Publishing Company in Westfield.  Ben Chadwick, composer of the song which appeared in 1901, was a well-known member of the police force at the time.  He was called the singing cop.  His song was titled, "My Automobile Boy."   The song's title contained a photograph of Loomis seated in his little one-cylinder car.  And in the summer of 1897, Gilbert Loomis purchased the very first automobile insurance.  It cost seven dollars and fifty cents for a thousand dollars worth of coverage. [Parts of this article were taken from the Standard Catalog of Automobiles courtesy of Beverly Rae Kimes.]

FEBRUARY MEET - Yankee Pedlar Inn                                                           by Steven Losaw On a brisk sunny morning, CVR members headed to Holyoke, MA to one of the area’s finest eating establishments.  It might have been cold outside but the atmosphere was warm and cozy inside. As we entered, we were greeted by a statue of a maitre d’ holding a tray of after dinner mints.  At our tables were nice cushioned arm chairs instead of the usual dining room chairs. While the others got together in conversation before the brunch, a small group of board members met to discuss membership issues.  After the short meeting, all went to the well stocked buffet for a delicious meal. The Yankee Pedlar Inn is an historic New England Inn in Western MA.  Built 132 years ago (1875), it has continued to operate as an inn/restaurant/banquet operation.  It offers seven beautifully renovated function rooms, 28 guest rooms and suites, office rentals, long term accommodations and a catering business.  The main restaurant seats 110 guests offering traditional as well as creative Yankee fare.  The award winning restaurant has great history. To View Photos CLICK HERE

THANK YOU The_Wall_Gang_Camp_Thank_You_Letter.jpg This thank you letter was received by Keith & Judy Korbut on behalf of CVR.  It recognizes our $1,000 contribution to The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp.  The contribution was partially the result of money raised during our holiday raffle.

ABOUT MEMBERS Dotty Baronas’ brother, Milton Scarborough, passed away on February 10th.  He was from Connecticut and came to the meets with us up until a year ago. Anne & Bill Hick celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on January 31st and were surprised by family members with a small party at the Somers Inn on February 3rd.

NAME, ADDRESS, VEHICLE CHANGES We are preparing to assemble our 2007 Membership Roster.  Any CVR member who has had any major “change of life” experience (and that includes picking up a new “old” vehicle) should contact Bill Hick to make sure your membership information gets updated appropriately. You can reach Bill at 413-596-4847 or e-mail him at bhick@charter.net or send him a note at: 3 Iroquois Lane Wilbraham, MA   01095.

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