June 1999
June 6
The crew showed up again and spent the entire day in the hot sun working on the Futurliner. In order to work on it we must drag it outside with Ed's 12,000 # fork truck to get space around it to use the fork truck as a crane. So the crew has to contend with the weather. Although showers were predicted, we had hot sun all day. The crew was:
Wayne Jackson, Ed DeVries, Del Carpenter, Jim Baker, Wes Myrick and myself.
Wes is a long time old car nut having 40 to 60 cars. Most of his cars are original drivers but include several perfectly restored Auburns and a boattail Cord.
We started the day by quickly removing the right two 16' doors. This is the large upper overhead door and the door that serves as the stage or platform on the right side. Just before lunch, we started to tackle the large 15' top "fin" or light bar. In normal driving position, it is recessed into the roof. Once the Futurliner was at a show the top would be raised. I will try to describe the mechanism that raises the top. Hidden in the top is a parallel set of rails or tracks about 18" apart. At each end of these rails sits a carriage. Threaded through the carriages is a long 1-1/2" diameter acme threaded rod. For 1/2 of this rod the threads are pitched one way and for the other half they are pitched the opposite direction. Pinned to each carriage is a 7' aluminum casting. These castings are lying in the roof section. At the opposite end which is at the center of the large 15' light bar these castings are pinned to the light bar. The motor to turn the acme-threaded rod is located at the end of the Futurliner. Of course, our motor is missing. As the motor started to turn the carriages would be drawn together causing the aluminum arms to push the light bar up in the air 7' above the top of the Futurliner. I hop you understand all of this. Maybe I can get Dean in a future newsletter to make a simple drawing.
Our goal was to simply remove the light bar or fin to get to the top since there is extensive rust repair that has to be made. To make a long story short the carrier on the front end of the Futurliner was stripped. We spend the rest of the day trying to figure out how to remove the fin. We finally started to remove part by part. We did not get it off but will work at it next time we have a work party.
June 8
Futurliner people bidding against each other for Parade of Progress stuff. We need to list the Futurliners peoples e-mail so we can stop bidding against each other. Stu as you probably know and John Martin Smith and Joel on two occasions have bid on the same article. Also we need to start a section about the past participants that we can call "Paraders". I have already received copies of personal photos from retired Priest Fr. Frank Bredeweg. He has even given me a list of past participants in the Parade of Progress.
June 11
Dear Mr. Mayton,
Your message about the Futurliners was interesting & my husband & I have fond memories of the Parade.
I'm writing on behalf of my husband, Richard Kay, since he has suffered a stroke & is now in a nursing home. I showed him your letter & he said he would like to donate colored slides if you are interested. He was on the Parade in 1954-1955 & he & Jim Tolley were roommates. We enjoyed several Parade reunions before his stroke. Let us know if you are interested in the slides.
Louanne & Richard Kay
Dear Lousnne and Richard Kay,
It was good to get your message and I am glad you could still share our restoration and historical project with your husband. Yes we could use those 35mm slides and after making copies we would be more that glad to return them. We would not want to take away precious memories of the past. This is an exciting project and especially rewarding is the contacts we have been able to make with the people that were involved in this event. I will be looking forward in hearing from you again.
June 11
Wally Snow was showing a photograph that he found on the wall of a photographer in Spring Lake, Michigan that showed a Futurliner in a local junkyard. It was an old photo and the photographer will not let us have it. However, several old car people recalled what junkyard. Unfortunately that the junkyard is no longer in existence. Ed remembered the name of the original owner and went searching. The junkyard was at US 31 and Pontaluna in the Spring Lake area. Ed talked to the owner, Bill Braun (616) 865-6951, and he recalls that at one time they had two Futurliners at the yard. The one was the original Michigan State Police Futurliner (given to the State Police by GM). He recalls that they picked it up in Lansing and drove it to the yard. Later it was sold to a man in Chicago but not Joe Bortz. This Futurliner was painted blue and cream when the Michigan State Police had it. Through all the photos that I have we have traced it to the "FIDO" or Canadian Futurliner. I called them (FIDO) and they confirmed that theirs was cream and blue when they received it.
The 2nd Futurliner in the yard also went to Chicago but had to be towed. Ed and I are planning to meet with Bill Braun to see if he can recall the origin of the 2nd one and who it was sold to.
June 16
Had a great work session yesterday. Those that were here were Wes Myrick, Ed DeVries, Del Carpenter, Bud Dinger, Jim Baker, Bruce Beimer and myself. Our goal for the day was to remove the fin (15' light bar that travels 7' up above the Futurliner). Its complicated lifting mechanism again slowed us down to the point that a lot of internal disassembling of the long 8' acme screw, pillow blocks and Ed's handy torch to perform surgery on those pieces that did not want to give had to be applied. We ultimately got to the point that we could use Ed's high lift to lift the fin up and off the Futurliner. Ed's high lift's forks go up 21' and we had to use all that lift to get the fin and its aluminum arms high enough to clear everything.
After getting the fin set on wood horses Del and Jim proceeded to disassemble the arm carriages. They discovered that at one time someone start to disassemble the front carriage as parts were missing. The rear carriage has all its parts so it can be used as a sample for the machinist (that we must find yet) to reconstruct. Both carriages the acme-thread is stripped. We are currently going to check out a few names for a volunteer machinist. Lest any one forgets this is an all-volunteer effort.
Meanwhile the rest of the crew got the generator out. It must weigh more than both the engine and transmission together.
June 29
Had a great turnout including some new volunteers. Following is a list of those that helped.
Ed DeVries, Del Carpenter, Dale Olsen (new), B. Biemers, Bruce Berghoff (new and the author of the book "The GM Motorama-Dream Cars of the 50's"), J. Baker, Wayne Jackson, Bud Dinger, Wes Myrick, Josh Vuyst (new and my grandson-14), and myself.
Ed DeVries last week had major surgery and I was even surprised that he came. He not only was there in spirit even in he could not do much but was able to give on advice on some of the disassembly.
Bruce Berghoff we found out actually worked for H.B. Stubbs co. the company that made all of the displays in the Futurliners for the Parade of Progress. He was able to describe in detail some of the workings of the displays and recalled a little of the history of what happened to the Futurliners after GM quit using them. We have additional names to follow up for research.
We did get a lot of work done. Del reassembled the engine for transport to Ohio for Bill Bicknells overhaul. Del and others also removed the large electrical panel at the right rear of the Futurliner. Behind that was a large transformer that they removed. Wes worked on trim and the left outside mirror that had to have every bolt drilled out in order to remove it. Dale removed trim from around the back and later worked in the driver’s compartment removing trim. Bruce Biemers and Wayne tackled the grill and then removed the large metal panel above the grill. The steering had become almost impossible to turn so we jacked up the front and worked on the steering so it once again could be turned. If I did not mention some one they were helping some one else. I keep forgetting but Carol my wife always supplies lunch for the men and Sue, Del's wife always helps by sending over a salad or desert. Another good work session and good fellowship.
Another note I got a call from Ron Bluhm from GM Powertrain and the spare motor and transmission that is being donated by Bus Conversions should be shipped in July with GM picking up the transmission tab.
Getting lots of mail from past participants. Did get copies of color photos taken in the 50's. When we finish we will no only have a restored vehicle but we will be able to document the entire Parade of Progress and all the people that participated.
Due to everyone’s busy summer, our next work session will be early Sept.
