President’s Message

LOOKING BACK! LOOKING AHEAD!

Hello everyone! Welcome to Spring 2011. Hopefully, you survived the winter and are looking forward to a summer of cruising fun. Gas prices may challenge our resolve this year but these cars were meant to be driven and you love to drive them.

The first page of this newsletter “looks forward” to 2011. You’ll see our Annual Meeting is planned for May 15^th in Winthrop. The rest of the newsletter looks back to last year and will summarize our events from 2010. It was a good year with many nice days and fun events

First up: My apologies for the lack of GTOAM newsletters last fall. We are all very busy with our lives and I’m looking for help from you in this area. Maybe someone out there can “step up” and help with the publishing of our newsletter. Charlie and Rose have worked with me to issue our newsletters for many of the past years, and I bet ya Charlie and Rose have more “irons in the fire” than most of us. So, I’m hoping that there is someone out there that would be interested in helping out with your GTOAM newsletter. Maybe even incorporate some new ideas! Currently, I write the first couple of pages (Pres’ Message and events), then Charlie adds the rest of the pages (MAAC news etc). Then the Huntington’s print and distribute the paper copies and forward the electronic copies. To whoever is interested in helping, this process is wide open for discussion. You can take over the whole thing or help on one part. Please plan to be at our Annual Meeting on 5/15/11 to discuss.

NEXT EVENT
2011 ANNUAL MEETING

When: Sunday May 15^th 2011

Where: Fast Eddies Drive In, Rte 202, Winthrop

Time: We’ll eat around noon. Plan to arrive 11am

Our Annual Meeting is returning to Fast Eddies Drive In. We have had it here in the past. There is a great spot to display our cars and there is now a separate room for us to eat and hold our meeting. Just “keyword” search “Fast Eddies, Winthrop” to get directions. Plan to get there at 1100 to talk with old friends. It should be a fun “kick off” to our season. Hope you can make it.

Meeting Agenda Items:

1) Help with newsletter.

2) Plan our summer events (would you like to host an event?) Any new ideas.

3) Election of officers. Wouldn’t you love to be President? Vice President?

4) Open forum.

See you there!!

Now let’s look back

2010 YEAR IN REVIEW

First of all I’ll tell you that the town of Eliot, Maine celebrated our Bicentennial year in 2010. The reason that I bring this up is that part of the celebration included a Bicentennial Car Show. I’m surprised you didn’t read about it in the Portland Press Herald or Bangor News. Actually, there were a fair amount of cars in attendance considering it was held on a Monday night. What was noteworthy was that there were only four trophies handed out that night and GTOAM members won two of them!

Dick and Barbara Dubois won a trophy with their beautiful 1966 GTO convertible, and Paul and Julie Johnson won a trophy with their 1970 GTO convertible. Now that should tell you something about the values of Eliot residents and their eye for quality! I would show you a picture of these two cars but I’m sure that all of you know both of these cars by now.

What makes this special is that since the car show was part of the Bicentennial Celebration it is going to be captured in the Town’s DVD video and the hardbound book that will be published. So the Dubois’ and Johnson’s cars will be forever documented in the history books as show winners!

BRING A SPARKLE TO A CHILD’S EYE CAR SHOW AND TOY FUNDRAISER

September 19^th 2010

Lakeside Market

Waterboro, Maine

-The Elite Pontiacs in the front row-

Once again Bob and Joan Farwell spearheaded this event. This is not only a great event sponsored by GTOAM with great cars, good food and a nice setting. It is also a very worthwhile event that provides toys to many children who would not otherwise receive any. The weather was fine and we gathered lots of toys for the area children. Many thanks to Lakeside Market for all they do in hosting this event.

-Good eats on a Fall Sunday afternoon-

There was plenty of good food available and fine music and some very wonderful cars.

-Trucks and cars of all varieties attended-

-The donated toys were just starting to pile up-

GTOAM members always seem to do well at the raffle and this year was no exception.

--Thanks to Bob and Joan for a job well done and a cause well appreciated.-

SUMMER COOKOUT

CHARLIE AND ROSE’S

August 15^th, 2010

Charlie and Rose again were the perfect hosts for our summer cookout. Everything was perfect: The weather, The outstanding assortment of food, The good turnout, The tour of Charlie’s compound, and the sharing of an afternoon with good friends. Everything was perfect except the fact that there is no road from Route 1 to Charlie’s house. It seems that the town was fixing the road and had completely torn it all up.

Oh well, it was a minor detail and we persevered. After all there was great food and grog at the end of the torn up road.

Rose and GTOAM members manning (or is it womanning) the grill.

The food was outstanding as everybody shared chicken, steak, goat sausage, hotdogs etc from the grill… and fruit salad, potato salad, macaroni salad and many fine desserts inside.

The next part of our day was to tour the grounds. Charlie has got himself quite an operation. We started our tour at the “Big Building”. It is a 54’ by 102’ single story building that makes any car enthusiast just drool.

Charlie’s Big Building

Inside the front end of this building are no less than 10 cars, all ready for deployment. On the walls hang some wonderful memorabilia. In the middle is a small sitting room (lounge) soon to be set up with more car collectibles and memorabilia. In the back section is the working area for restoration etc.

The front end of the building with the ’77 Can Am & ’77 Bandit Trans Am. Also note the great signs on the wall.

Remember this?

Front to back is the ’88 Fiero GT, 48 Pontiac Torpedo convertible, and ’72 Chevy Cheyenne Super PU.

Our members’ rides on display with the “Big Building” in the background.

After lunch we sat down in front of the big screen TV and watched a DVD of old GTO commercials from each of the various years. Now that brought back some good memories. Very Cool!

We even took a time out after lunch to adjust the timing of Don Winchell’s ’68.

A big Thank You to Charlie and Rose for hosting this fun time. Those that attended will agree it was a wonderful event.

---OTHER STUFF---

TRIVIA QUESTIONS

Here are some Trivia Questions from Dick Dubois:

During the sixties “Muscle Car Era” only three car models by three different car manufacturers had side exhaust pipes as a factory or dealer-installed option. One was the Corvette and another was the Shelby Cobra. Name the third car model and its parent company. (Clue: it’s a US made car).

One early major car manufacturer got its start in the 1800s by making farm wagons and later making war wagons for the Civil War effort. They were so successful that in the year 1881 sales figures hit $2 million! This wagon company later formed one the early car manufacturers. Name that car company.

Jeep recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary. In the beginning, over 135 manufacturers were asked to bid on making the Jeep for the US military at the start of World War II. Only one company managed to make the deadline and the requirements. They made the first few thousand units before another company stepped in and took over the task. Name the ORIGINAL company.

In which model year was the first year the GTO offered a shoulder harness?

See the answers to these questions at the end of this newsletter.

Thanks to Dick Dubois for sharing this Trivia.

It seems that he successfully answered 50 of these questions in 1992 to win 2^nd Prize in a Dennis Kirban Trivia Contest.

REQUESTS FOR FEATURE ARTICLES

Eventually, you’ll get sick of hearing about me! Please send me some stuff. Any input is welcome.

C’mon, there must be something that you could share.

NEW MEMBERS

Tom Santos – Goffstown, NH – 69 GTO and 65 2+2

Andy & Carol Yaegar – Westfield, ME – 66 GTO

WELCOME!

DUES

Are you up-to-date?

Please, if you haven’t paid your 2010 dues yet send your check of $10.00 (or $20.00) for two years. If you are unsure if your membership is current, just check the GTOAM roster at the end of this newsletter to see if you have “2010” under “Status”. Remember this is our only source of income other than the sale of tee shirts and hats. In saying that lets try to gain new members. Remember we accept any and all Pontiacs not only GTOs. And we welcome any and all new members that have an interest in Pontiacs. You don’t even have to own a car to join.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

You say that your GTO or other project is not “Ready for Prime Time”! How about telling us about your project and how it is going. Many of us have some very interesting cars that are in the restoration stages. Take some pictures and tell us your story. I think that it would be good reading for our members. Maybe it will give you that spark to get yourself going again to finish that project and finally get that beauty on the road. PJ

OTHER EVENTS

Check out the MAAC calendar at the end of this newsletter for other upcoming events in our area.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

JAVELIN/AMX - AMERICAN MOTORS

STUDEBAKER

AMERICAN BANTAM OR WILLYS OVERLAND

1966

GTO STUFF FOR SALE

1) 2 10' X 15' centerline drag wheels with used slicks

2) 2 15 x 3.5 front runner wheels with tires

3) Dash for a 71 GTO- good condition

4) Set of bucket seats for 67 GTO-good condition

5) Other interior/exterior misc. parts

Contact Mike King at (207) 724-3574 or whlsndeals@hotmail.com

T SHIRTS/SWEAT SHIRTS

Silk Screened:

Sweats are $20

T Shirts are $10

Hats are $5

Embroidered Shirts and Hats!!!!!!!

Shirts are $25

Hats are $15

Add $3 per order for shipping.

Lots of colors in stock

Rose is the contact for these. 563-5824 or rose@tidewater.net

Rose Huntington

78 Lynch Rd

Newcastle, ME 04553

Cruise Maine Article:

In December 2010, I was contacted by GTOAM member Al Woodman who told me that Cruise Maine Magazine was looking for an information article about GTOAM for their magazine. Cruise Maine is a magazine to celebrates old cars and trucks, great cruising roads and area car shows. It also has a website….so check it out. Here is the article that should be in their next issue:

The GTO Association of Maine (GTOAM) is a Car Club consisting of Pontiac enthusiasts from ME, NH, Mass and even NY. Dues are very reasonable at $10/yr. Our Club members laugh & say, “You don’t need to own a GTO or even a Pontiac to join our club. You only have to want to pay $10 and have a desire to hang out with GTO and Pontiac owners.” The mainstay of our club is the Pontiac GTO built between 1964 & 1974. Club members also have 2004 to 2006 GTOs as well. Other members have Fieros, Catalinas, Tempests/LeMans, Bonnevilles, Grand Prixs, Firebirds and Can Ams. We’ll even let Mustangs ride with us too.

We meet 4 times a year in different parts of the state. Our meetings always include good cars, good food, good conversation and good friends.

We send a newsletter out 4 to 5 times a years to keep members informed of our activities and of other statewide activities through MAAC (Maine Association of Automobile Clubs).

Check out the GTOAM web page at www.badgoat.net.

If you would like more info or if you would like to join our group please contact:

President: Paul Johnson, 439-2542, pjrunners@comcast.net

VP : Mike King, 724-3574,

whlsndeals@aol.com

Treasurer: Charlie Huntington, 563-5824

badgoat@tidewater.net