Post on 12-Aug-2020
into an auto parts store and you
are presented with an entire wall
of motor oils to choose from. Con-
ventional or synthetic, API and
SAE ratings, single or multi-
viscosity, formulations for high
mileage engines and don’t forget
about the multiple additives for
specific driving or operating condi-
tions. Choosing an engine oil
seems to be harder than finding a
solution for peace in the Middle
East. There was a time when a big
bottle of castor oil could be used
to prepare your food, cure bodily
ailments or to lubricate your
horseless carriage. Oh, for the
simpler times!
Fortunately, the commercial of-
fered perfect clarity. I should use
the oil being advertised because
“science” says so.
I’ll take a case!
I really hope that this company
was going for the chuckle, realiz-
ing that getting a bunch of car
people to laugh would bring them
into their stores. After all, car
folks are a humorous bunch of
people.
For proof of that just watch me do
an oil change on one of my vehi-
cles. I’ll also show you some cool
“science” with how cat litter ab-
sorbs any type of oil!
Tommmmm
Because, You Know...Science
News from the Northwest Vintage Thunderbird Club
August 2020
Volume 37, Issue 8
Thunderbird Flyer
Ford’s Studiosonic Sound
System
2
FOMOCO Fetches a Pair of Four
Legged Robots
4
Old Portland
Vortex I
6
Hyundai’s Mobility Vision
mmmmmmmmmmm
7
A commercial for one of
the large auto part chain
stores played on the radio
recently. Like most of
these spots it was telling me the
benefits of doing an oil change
myself. As a hobbyist mechanic, I
will say an oil change is probably
one of the easier tasks an auto
owner can perform. That is until
you try to twist off an oil filter that
was installed by King Kong! Any-
way the ad finished by saying that I
should use the synthetic oil they
just told me about “because, you
know...science”.
Now, granted, I will be the first to
say that I do not know everything
about motor oil these days. Walk
Courtesy of SEMA
Page 2 Thunderbird Flyer
Prior to the introduction of the 8-track tape player in 1965 and FM stereo in ’66, Ford brought automotive entertainment into cars
with the Studiosonic Sound System, a miniaturized reverberation unit that created “music hall” sound for the American driver.
Laurens Hammond was granted a patent for a device that created a reverb or echo effect by running a signal through series of
springs creating a delayed sound. Early Hammond organ reverb units were housed in a large speaker cabinet, but eventually they
were miniaturized to fit into organs of the same name and the Fender Twin Reverb electric guitar amplifier. The Studiosonic used a
Club member Eric
Johansson has sever-
al of these reverb
units available. Con-
tact him for details
about condition and
pricing.
Page 3 Volume 37, Issue 8
compact but specially dampened spring reverb. Adding a delay or echo between the front and rear speakers created a more spa-
cious sound. The Studiosonic delivered what Ford said was another dimension to listening enjoyment with the simple flip of a switch
and twist of a knob.
The pages above are reproduced from June 1964 Shop Tips from Ford, a publication sent from Ford to company and independent
centers servicing Ford vehicles.
Page 4 Thunderbird Flyer
Thunderbird Trivia answer on back page
What year would the Ford Thunderbird first receive an “Opera
Window”, the small glass opening in the C pillar of the vehicle?
FOMOCO Fetches a Pair of Four Legged Robots
T hese four-legged dog-like robots can sit, shake
hands and roll over. They also can perform 360-
degree camera scans, handle 30-degree grades
and climb stairs for hours at a time.
That’s because they are actually 70-pound quadruped ro-
bots with distinctly dog-like mobility. They’re part of a Ford
manufacturing pilot program designed to save time, reduce
cost and increase efficiency.
Fluffy, the name given by the robot’s handler Paula Wiebel-
haus, is one of the two models Ford is leasing from Boston
Dynamics, known for creating sophisticated mobile robots.
(The other Ford robot is named Spot after the product’s
actual name.)
The robots, which Ford is piloting at its Van Dyke Transmis-
sion Plant, are bright yellow and easily recognizable.
Equipped with five cameras, the robots can travel up to 3
mph on a battery lasting nearly two hours and will be used
to scan the plant floor and assist
engineers in updating the original
Computer Aided Design which is
utilized when we’re getting ready
to retool our plants.
“We design and build the plant.
After that, over the years, chang-
es are made that rarely get docu-
mented,” says Mark Goderis,
Ford’s digital engineering manag-
er. “By having the robots scan
our facility, we can see what it
actually looks like now and build a new engineering model.
That digital model is then used when we need to retool the
plant for new products.”
Without Fluffy, the update would be far more tedious.
“We used to use a tripod, and we would walk around the
facility stopping at different locations, each time standing
around for five minutes waiting for the laser to scan,” Gode-
ris recalls. “Scanning one plant could take two weeks. With
Fluffy’s help, we are able to do it in half the time.”
The old way also was expensive – it cost nearly $300,000
to scan one facility. If this pilot works, Ford’s manufacturing
team could scan all its plants for a fraction of the cost.
These cutting-edge technologies help save the company mon-
ey and retool facilities faster, ultimately helping bring new
vehicles to market sooner.
In time, Goderis says, the intent is to be able to operate the
robots remotely, programming them for plant missions and
receiving reports immediately from anywhere in the country.
For now, the robots can be programmed to follow a specific
path and can be operated from up to 50 meters away with the
out-of-the-box tablet application.
The key to Fluffy and Spot’s success is their agility, says
Wiebelhaus, who controls her robot through a gaming-like
device that allows her to remotely see the camera view.
Should an issue occur, Wiebelhaus’ control device features a
safe stop that stops it from colliding with anything.
The robots have three operational gaits – a walk for stable
ground, an amble for uneven terrain and a special speed for
stairs. They can change positions from a crouch to a stretch,
which allows them to be deployed to difficult-to-reach areas
within the plant. They can handle tough terrain, from grates to
steps to 30-degree inclines. If they fall, they can right them-
selves. They maintain a safe, set distance from objects to
prevent collisions.
At times, Fluffy sits on its robotic haunches and rides on the
back of a small, round Autonomous Mobile Robot, known in-
formally as Scouter. Scouter glides smoothly up and down the
aisles of the plant, allowing Fluffy to conserve battery power
until it’s time to get to work. Scouter can autonomously navi-
gate facilities while scanning and capturing 3-D point clouds
to generate a CAD of the facility. If an area is too tight for
Scouter, Fluffy comes to the rescue.
“There are areas in the plant that you might not want to walk
into because they might be tough to maneuver,” says Wiebel-
haus. “It’s easier and safer to send Fluffy back there.”
Although Fluffy is perfectly capable of rolling over, Wiebelhaus
doesn’t see dog shows in his future.
“Fluffy is an amazing manufacturing tool,” said Weibelhaus.
“Yes, it’s interesting and new, but Fluffy should really be val-
ued for his work and tenacity. He can do so much more than
dance and roll over. We want to push him to the limits in the
manufacturing plant and see what value he has for the com-
pany.” Courtesy Ford Media Center
Paula Weibelhaus directs Fluffy
through Ford’s Van Dyke plant
Page 5 Volume 37, Issue 8
T-Bird Talk
Meeting Minutes and
Club Information
The club has not met since February in response to State of Oregon orders to minimize group gatherings.
Small get togethers and/or cruises that respect these new norms may occur and will be posted in this newslet-
ter and through email to members.
One such event occurred recently and club member Eric Johansson provided the story below.
When everything you want to take on
the road trip won’t fit into the trunk of
your Thunderbird...bring along a Thun-
derbird trunk!
No information was available about
how this ‘55 T-trailer was made or its
owner but it sure looks cool!
13 members from Northwest Vintage Thunderbird Club and the Edsel Club gathered at club
member Jason Peters Mid Century Motors shop. Mike (Hinsch) and I were the only ones from
our club, all others were familiar faces from the Edsel club.
One couple was picking up the Falcon station wagon in the pics. Jason had completed work on
the headliner, replaced vent window seal and cat whiskers for windows (keeps the windows
from rattling and cuts down the wind noise), as well as some other details.
His two main topics that he covered were:
1) Vinyl restoration, prep, and dye of new dash pad. Covering techniques, products.
2) Door welt seals, these ones were for Edsels; restoring to original using material from SMS;
and then using his sewing machine to add additional narrow diameter welt to match original.
He is able to reproduce original materials as many low demand items are not reproduced or
not finished completely that were original.
Jason’s restoration talents are numerous. His work experience with SMS allows him to seek
out the most original material items to meet his customers needs.
He is experienced in all phases of vinyl and leather dying, as well as paint touch up, paint and
interior detailing. Jason is a distributor of Griott’s car care products, and distributor for the na-
tional wiring harness company over in Bend, OR, I cannot remember the name of it. He is very
good at finding the original source for restoration products and will pass on the savings to his
customers.
I thought he did a fantastic job on my exterior and interior detailing of Big Red the week before.
He will plan to do the engine bay next year prior to our convention. Jason has also been in-
volved with prepping and selling cars for collectors and estates.
I think he is a great addition to our club. Hopefully he can assist some of our COVID confined
members!
Cheers, Eric
"So that what you have in effect is a Charlie Manson-Jerry Rubin-Angela
Davis-Jonathan Jackson-Bernadette Dohrn-Huey Newton-Timothy Leary-
Rolling Stone-monster heading directly for downtown Portland where the
American Legion is planning this year's Victory in Vietnam Parade."
Some radical wrote that in a San Francisco underground newspaper. It was
a few months after Kent State and the police riot at Portland State Universi-
ty, and to keep the peace in the Rose City that summer, Oregon Gov. Tom
McCall and a group of hippies collaborated to stage the first and only state-
sponsored rock festival in American history Aug. 28 to Sept. 3, 1970.
In late August 1970, President Richard Nixon was scheduled to speak at
the American Legion national convention in Portland. The Portland-based
People's Army Jamboree announced it would hold a concurrent event to
protest the Vietnam War. The FBI told McCall he should expect 25,000
Legionnaires and 50,000 anti-war demonstrators to clash in Portland and
top the mayhem of the 1968 Democratic Party convention in Chicago. Fear-
ing that radicals might foment violence against the Legionnaires, a few
Portland hippies proposed a free rock festival outside Portland as an alter-
native. The hippies asked McCall for a place to hold it. He gave them a
state park and told local and state law enforcement officials to lay off.
The festival was called Vortex I: A Biodegradable Festival of Life, and for the
100,000 people who attended this
event at Milo McIver State Park
outside Estacada, it was a short
strange Oregon trip indeed. While
the festival raged, peace prevailed
in Portland, and the only act of vio-
lence reported was a broken win-
dow at the downtown Meier & Frank
(now Macy's) building.
Naturally it happened in Oregon, in an era when the state made national
news on a regular basis with a series of unprecedented political measures.
We once solved problems in this state.
After interviewing close to 400 people, examining hundreds of photo-
graphs, and reading about a thousand pages of primary source documents
related to Vortex, I've compiled my list of favorite stories:
McCall, a Republican, was facing a tough a re-election vote later that fall.
When he approved the festival, he said, "I've just committed political sui-
cide." He won a second term in a landslide.
The Portland chapter of the American Red Cross, headed by a U.S. Bank
vice president named Jack Mills, purchased illegal drugs and hired people
to give them away inside McIver park, hoping to keep revelers there.
The doctor supervising Vortex I's medical center, Cameron Bangs, kept a
25,000-word in-the-moment diary of his experiences. It's probably the best
in-the-moment observation of the '60s-'70s-era counterculture in American
history. According to Dr. Bangs, the Oregon Air National Guard's first emer-
gency helicopter airlift was a young man suffering from an LSD overdose at
the festival.
The Oregon Air National Guard was instructed to drop
rose petals on potential rioters as a signal to disperse or
tear gas would follow.
Oregon State Parks' employees and the festival's hippie
administrators worked in perfect concord despite, or
because, the latter were under the influence of peyote.
Someone brought a pet cougar on a leash. Someone
brought a pet anaconda.
A band played naked on stage.
Nude hippies canoed in the Clackamas River.
Not one permit was issued to hold the event or was any
liability insurance taken out.
One of the state's most powerful corporate executive of
that era, the Cascade Corp.'s Robert Warren, drove a
pickup truck full of licorice out to the park.
At least 20 people reported seeing a naked vendor
cruising the park wearing nothing but a string of hot
dogs around his neck
and a red balloon.
Vortex I's cast of char-
acters, in the flesh and
the edges of the story,
included Spiro Agnew,
Red Skelton, the Rain-
bow Family, Matt
Groening, John Kerry, Donald Rumsfeld, and current
New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, who was
then a cub reporter at The Oregonian.
At the festival's end, McCall visited the park, hugged
some hippies, then joined them holding hands in a cir-
cle. They chanted "oms" for a few minutes and then
recited the Lord's Prayer and a few lines from William
Blake.
Top that, Woodstock!
Happy 40th birthday, Vortex. There's a lot more to you
and your far-out spirit than just a bunch of stoned, na-
ked hippies dancing on a field and fishing for salmon. To
me, you represent the quintessential model of solving a
problem, through bipartisanship, through risk-taking,
and by bucking all conventional political wisdom.
Sounds like Oregon's next governor and Legislature
should read all about you.
-- Matt Love is the author of "The Far Out Story of Vortex
I". Reach him at lovematt100@yahoo.com.
Portland has experienced almost two months of continuous protests by the time this newsletter reaches you. A protest that
happened 50 years ago in Portland describes a much different time. Matt Love originally wrote this on the 40th anniversary of
Vortex I in 2010. Events to celebrate the 50th anniversary have been postponed due to state restrictions for large gatherings. Editor
Page 6 Thunderbird Flyer
Old Portland Vortex I
Point B in style, comfort and
while remaining digitally con-
nected. Then when reaching
Point B,
which in this
case is
home, the
vehicle joins
When the
vehicle door
slides open
the vehicle
seat gently
moves you
into your
home and
becomes
another piece of furniture. The
vehicle will be able to transfer
environmental, information and
entertainment settings to the
W hat would you
think if some-
one told you
that the house
of tomorrow would not have a
garage? With all the talk about
self-driving and autonomous
vehicles it probably would not
sound so farfetched, right? Well
automaker Hyundai Motor ima-
gines that not only will tomor-
rows vehicle not require a gar-
age but that your vehicle would
become part of the house that
you live in!
Hyundai introduced “Mobility
Vision” a few years ago at the
Consumer Electronics Show in
Las Vegas by demonstrating
how their vehicle would provide
transportation from Point A to
house so there is no interrup-
tion to your life!
This sounds
much more
practical than
some of the
other ideas for
future trans-
portation. Ra-
ther than
swarms of cor-
porately owned
transportation
pods roaming
around waiting
to be beckoned
by a tap on
your cell phone, you would still
have your own vehicle. But it
could also be used to cool/heat
your residence, control enter-
Hyundai’s Mobility Vision
Page 7 Volume 37, Issue 8
Taking Wing
Things to do and places
to go with your T-bird
Club Activities No August events are planned at this time
VTCI Regionals and International
August 3rd-8th 2021 VTCI International, Portland, OR
Local Activities
August 1st (Sat) Alternative Hot Rod Event, Mike’s Drive-In, Milwaukie, OR
Further information at (503) 654-0131
August 7th (Fri) Silverton Flywheels First Friday Cruise-In, Silverton, OR
Further information at (503) 302-3471
August 30th (Sun) Taste of Motorsports, Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR
Further information at www.tasteofmotorsports.com/tickets
tainment and be used as a back-
up source of power for the
home. This also means that only
you or your family are the only
ones using the vehicle which is
something that has become
important considering what the
world is going through today.
Hyundai has maintained their
“Mobility Vision” by introducing
new ideas at succeeding CES’ so
they are serious about their idea
of the future. Hopefully, an old
Thunderbird will still have some
place to drive around in that
future. It will be tough trying to
compete with this Hyundai vehi-
cle though since the only tech
the T-bird has is roll down win-
dows and AM radio.
Hyundai
Hyundai’s vehicle integrates into
the home of the future providing
one source for environmental and
entertainment control.
Words by Tom Przedwojewski
Email: administrator@nwtbirds.org
Find us on the web at
www.nwtbirds.org
The VTCI 2020 International committee met recently to discuss
the cancellation AND the prospects of holding an International in
2021. The VTCI directors approved our request to host the Inter-
national in 2021. The committee renegotiated with Red Lion for
a similar time in August 2021 with most venues willing to accept
our current contracts for August of 2021.
So we will continue our planning and hopefully things will be bet-
ter in another year and we can show our fellow T-birders some
Northwest hospitality!
Northwest Vintage
Thunderbird Club
Officers
Passing Lane Fun stuff from along the
road
Tom Przedwojewski 360-513-6923 cl
President 64skibird@gmail.com
Bob Peters bob@cafent.com
Vice President
Mark Haworth madhaworth@comcast.net
Secretary
Vicky Wimsatt wvwimsatt@gmail.com
Treasurer
Club Gear
We have contracted with Stitch ’n Embroi-
dery in Oregon City for
club members to have
most anything they
could use to have the
club logo embroidered
on it; shirts, sweats,
hoodies and jackets or backpacks. Check
out their site and then call to see if it can
be produced!
1956.
You could not be faulted if you said 1973 since this is when the “Opera Win-
dow” was introduced as an $80 option only to be made standard later in the
model year.
But the 1956 Thunderbird’s “Port Window” in the Glass-Fibre Top fits the
definition for an opera window. Everyone just calls it a porthole window be-
cause the round shape resembles the portholes on a boat.
Thunderbird Trivia Answer
Maybe
you
should
have
bought a
smaller
tv