T
heSkylinerpublicationfromtheInternationalRe-
tractable Club puts zing in each monthly issue, and
the June 2019 issue is a great example. Kudos to
editor Judi Terrell for continuing the tradition.
Part one came when the lead article gobbled up the front
cover with its teaser, so it was natural for
readers to jump to page 8 where the story by
Cheryl Horne and Carol Bray unfolded. Titled
“Perseverance Pays Off,” the story centered on
club member Bruce Horne. Shifting toward a
photo feature with 15 more images, the shots
showed far beyond words that Horne tackled
his restoration challenge without being over-
whelmed. He was no novice “when it came to
working on things that moved.” Then came
the reasons. He restored fi ve Ford Jubilee
tractors and knew how to center his atten-
tion on restoration problems, no – make that
CHALLENGES — with no fear. He also had
tackled a 1957 Oldsmobile, so when he tore into the 1959
Ford retractable, he was fearless and dauntless. It eventually
became his biggest challenge.
Horne won. When he completed the project in the summer
of 2017, he radiated pride, which often is the case when a
person gives it their all to do a job properly. Little improve-
ments quickly followed and, happily, Horne was able to enjoy
the pleasantries of his accomplishment right up to his pass-
ing in October 2018. The article, masterfully displayed withvimandinfullcolor,provesthattheresultsofa restorer’s
labor can be held as a reminder of the person behind it.
More “zing” came in the next pages of the issue. The
Tech Advice feature by Mike Mathes dealt with “Spare Tire
Assembly,” which is a tricky detail when it comes to retract-
ables. “The spare tire assembly ... is designed
tobe operated from outside of the vehicle,
even though the decklid is hinged at the
rear.” The task involves several key steps
inpreservation and/or restoration from the
useof gray paint, a glued trunk mat, the use
ofplywood, tee nuts, wheel mounting plate,
hinge and tire rest brackets, hold-down cup
andtrunk mat, plus wheel mounting bolt and
plate assembly. A fast read proves that one
oesnot need to be the owner of a retractable
o gain insight into the fundamentals of the
model’s fi ne points and curiosities.
Club editors of all types are wise to con-
sidera technicalarticle, large or small, in each issue of their
publicationsasa service to all.International Retractable Club
6059 Darby Road,
Cicero, NY 13039-
IFRC.Offi [email protected]VINTAGE AD OF THE WEEK
BY M.J. FRUMKIN
A new automobile category — “pony car”
— was created in 1964 with the release of the
1965 Ford Mustang. That horsey expression
has become part of the public and media ver-
nacular for Mustang and stable mates Chev-
rolet Camaro, AMC Javelin, Mercury Cougar,
Plymouth Barracuda and Pontiac Firebird.
Dodge caught up with the stampede in 1970
with its Challenger, and deliberately chose the
word pony in ad headlines and the pony car
catchphrase in the text. Ads made it clear that
the Challenger was an answer to Ford’s success-
ful steed, and that by calling it a pony car, Dodge
metaphorically tipped its hat to salute Mustang’s
contribution to the automotive industry.
Yet, Dodge was adamant that “it borrowedfrom
no one” and the Challenger was “completelynew
from the wide stance up.” Additional ads boasted
that the ’70 Challenger R/T “has a mean streak,”
beginning with the standard 383 Magnum. “Light
it up and you’ll get a quaking trace of four-barrel
thunder.” For more “rip-roaring” performance,
buyers could’ve roped-in the optional 440 Magnu
that made things “a mite stormier”... or lassoed
an all-out “haulin’ Hemi.” erscouldnowsaddleupand“RunwiththeDodgeScatPack.”m
w
dtum
d With thepurchase ofaChallenger in^1970 ,ponycarlov-Club Clips BY GERALD PERSCHBACHER
Retractable Club gets high marks for tech advice stories
r i u o h a p dto
m16 ❘ August 22, 2019 http://www.oldcarsweekly.com