MEMORIES OF LOWELL

[joel gopan]

They range from hitting my head on that low beam in the main entrance while helping Peter Debella bring in his wares, to the yokel with the M35A2 speed shifting his junker thru all 5 speeds in two truck lengths when departing , to the pleasant gatherings at Manny Roger's Motorpool after the show.
Just returning home with a Panel Lite Knob made me happy.

That reinactor in Helmet and full Field gear has got to go. Navigating those crowded aisles without a numb ass porcupine getting his entrenching Tool hung up on my jacket pocket is bad enough. Please check all web gear at the dumpster.

[dr deuce]

When I read the title, I thought you meant Lowell, the International Convention in 1986. That was a good take!

[joel gopan]

No,
Just your Springtime shindig.
The National in 1986 was memorable also. I was set up next to friend Mike Sinkovic.He had driven his Diesel Rabbit from Indiana on less than 25 gallons of Diesel Fuel, his car packed with so much canvas in the front and back seats you could just see his head and shoulders. I just know the canvas smell had to have put him in the twilight zone. I sold a truck load of NOS 1944 dated HQ Field Desks and went home wealthy, met the greats I had done business with over the years, Dave Anwyll, Fred Ropkey, Sid Beck, Irwin Duryea, John Vetter, Bryce Sunderlin, Al Mc Adoo, David Wright, Ross Moir, George Hilton,Steve Krentler, Dave Urhig, Dennis Spence, Jack Tomlin, Roy Hamilton, Michael Sarafan, Dave Butler, Elder Santos and so many others. And who could forget Bob Ketler and George Mainieri? Remember the big guy with the big cigar and his Diamond T wrecker with the GI Crate of Condoms? Rosenstock was the handle.
'Ol Joe here remembers it all, like the M-59 tearing up chunks of pavement at the Civic Center.

[joel gopan]

Oh, and I got into my first argument with Peter DeBella , he is a great guy to buy parts from.

[John V Cliche]

Do you suppose the National Convention will ever find it's way this close again ?



John

[dr deuce]

Not too likely. It takes a lot of effort to put it on. Not enough people in the area want to put in the effort. I was involved with it back in 1986 so I have some idea of what was involved. It WAS a LOT of work!

I think it still is the largest ever held in the US. I was interviewed in the official/professional made video production tape and my kids were in some of the outakes.

When I got there with my CCKW, it immediately blew a gas line hose clamp (pressure side of the pump). And there it sat for 2 days. No one had a spare clamp and there was no auto parts store within walking distance! I finally took a clamp of of the suction side and use that.

I was a judge for the CCKWs and the DUKW (there was only one) class.

Steve Rosenstock blew a piece out of the side of the water pump on Herc in his Diamond T wrecker about 10 miles south of Lowell. As long as the engine was running, it didn't leak too badly. Once he shut the engine off, it just poured out. He had come up from the Washington area. I had offered to take him to my house to get him the pump from my Diamond T so that he could get home. Luckly, he found a brand new pump at the flea market. Not something you find at a flea market every day!

That was also the beginning of Aberdeen. Lee (Hamilton?) arranged a tour of Aberdeen for those coming up from the south on the way up. The next year, the Aberdeen open house and flea market started.

[joel gopan]

I remember the waterpump, he lucked uot, remember the tired old M-5 tank he towed in the parade? Someone had an MB or 1/2 Ton WC and ould not let the judges look under it. There was an M-38 as door prize with green fence post instead of hat channel. Whats his name from Kentucky was there with his fording Kits and M-151 wares. He used to drive a 4X2 M-880 Series PU and sleep under it. Dick Johnson was a kingpin for the event, and had a nice M-38A1 with all the garbage hung on it. I don't remember much about the CCKWs as I did not stray far from my tables. What did you do, judge your own truck? All I noticed for GMC was the DUKW. I did buy 5 NOS Goodyear 700X16 NDCC from Franks Surplus for $40.00 ea, and they are still on it 11,000 miles later. I did leave out Phill Nelson on the list of old pros. I got into an argument with Peter Debella over a NOS WWII AC Speedometer that was stuck, I asked him if he ever heard of penetrating oil, and we got off to a bad start. Peter is OK and probably the hardest working Military Parts Vendor in the business. He knows his beans and is in a Jeep world of cut throat competition. I rate him as one of the best.
Michael Sarafan had those super Hotchkiss Jeep Bodies there for $1400.00, I kicked myself for not buying one. they were the nicest MB Jeep body available, ever, regardless of what the Jeep nuts think. The licence built Hotchkiss fit perfectly, and no other sweatshop Jeep body ever will. I used to import them direct from WOF and still have one.

[dr deuce]

I did not have my CCKW in the running for judging. It was not entered. I would not do such a thing.