The Rotunda Times - Ford & Mercury Restorers Club of America

The Engine Runs!byBill GipperichRecently I was telling someone how each time that I previouslyhave joined a car club I didn’t have a car that ran. I would let mymembership lapse before I got the car running, and didn’t go back tothe club when the car was finished.Last November was this first time in decades that my ’46 flatheadcame to life, and this time in my ’29 Model A roadster. I am moreconfident than ever that this year I will, for the first time, have anoperable car and belong to not just one -- but two car clubs at thesame time!I wonder why these guys are smiling?Fellow club members, Phil Lyon, Mike Fontana, Gene Johnson,Dick Monroe and Ed Goff (the usual suspects), came together at mygarage to deck the body on the chassis and get the engine started.After the obligatory coffee and doughnuts, I outlined the tasks whichneeded to be completed that day on a white board which helped toavoid confusion and let each one of us know what needed to becompleted so that the engine could be started. We lifted the body offof its mobile stand and onto the awaiting chassis.The tasks went like clockwork. Without any further discussion,the radiator was installed and filled, the fan belt adjusted, thebattery connected, the ignition wires strung over the firewall, and atemporary fuel supply jury rigged in place.We first cranked the engine over without plugs to bring up the oilpressure. On the first turn of the starter with ignition on it fired oncesignaling to me that it was going to run. With Dick as the throttleman, and my thumb on the starter button the engine finally came tolife and ran for an extended period of time.The carburetor had some issues and we were going through the smalltank of gas pretty quickly. Each time the fuel began to run out themixture would lean out and the engine would sound much healthier.All of our efforts to make adjustments couldn’t overcome the overrich condition. I didn’t care, my engine was running! I would soonwork through the remaining tasks and this year I knew I would drivemy car for the first time ever…(Editor’s note: Those of you that would like to see Bill’s engine run,please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5rKxa88tEw andsee the video that Bill put online!)The Rotunda TimesPage In MemoriamLawrence Lee LothringerClub Member Larry Lothringer died February 4, 2008 atApplewood Nursing Care Center in Woodhaven. He was86 years old and was buried with Military honors on Friday,February 8.Born March 25, 1921, in San Antonio, Texas, Larry was theson of Bernard & Agnes (Lee) Lothringer. He married PaulineGilbert on May 11, 1945. She preceded him in death on March9, 1986.A Heavy Equipment Mechanic, Larry worked at AcmeEquipment for over 20 years, retiring in 1976.Larry was a WorldWar II veteran of theArmy Air Corps,a member of theVFW Rock ofGibraltar Postin Rockwood and theA m e r i c a n Legion inTrenton.Phil Lyonrememberss o m estories thatLarry usedto tell ofhis days in the ArmyAir Corps in NorthAfrica. He waspart of a teamthat went inand recoveredaircraft that hadbeen downed forone reason or another.According to his oldbuddy and fellow Club Member Jim Chapp, Larry was able to“stretch the truth a little” in order to make a good story; and hehad plenty of them. One was that a Lockheed Lightning (P-38)had made an emergency landing in the desert. Larry repairedit, dug it out of the sand, and it was able to take off and fly itback to the base!Larry is survived by a son John (Lisa) Lothringer of Carleton,two daughters; Cheryl (Bob) Forry of Manistique, MI and AlyceSalinas of Flat Rock. He is also survived by seven grandchildren:Robert (Holly), Jeffrey, Katie (Cam), Cheryl (Paul), Jeny(Branko), Joshua and John; as well a great granddaughter Lilah.In addition to his wife and parents, Larry was preceded indeath by a son, Larry Lothringer Jr., and two brothers, WalterLothringer and Junior Lothringer.Larry was a Club Member since 1983. He usually had a smileon his face and drove an old pickup truck. “Not only wouldLarry offer you a beer when you walked past his swap space,but he would pop it open for you and not give you a choice!He was a truly great old Ford guy, and wherever he goes, I hopethey have an old tan 35 coupe for him to drive!” remembersPhil Lyon fondly.