fccc january 2012 - webs
TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY, 2012
President
Floyd Yoder
124 Norlin Drive
Davidsville, PA 15928
(814) 288-3296
Vice President
John Naylor
230 Bertmin Street
Johnstown, PA 15904
(814) 262-0240
Secretary
Dave Johnson
603 Roaring Run
Boswell, PA 15531
(814) 629-9379
Treasurer
Dick Krumenacker
597 Clearview Court
Johnstown, PA 15905
(814) 255-5697
Public Relations &
Website Coordinator
Stacy Varner
312 Krayn Road
Windber, PA 15963
814-487-5861
Newsletter
Mary Lou Colussy
292 Marina Road
Patton, PA 16668
(814) 674-5293
Darlene Rosenbaum
111 Esterville Road
Johnstown, PA 15905
(814) 255-1869
Historian
Larry Harrington
185 Harrington Lane
South Fork, PA 15956
(814) 495-4782
FLOOD CITY CORVETTE CLUB
FCCC CHRISTMAS PARTY AT Surf ’N Turf
DECEMBER 10, 2011
The weather was chilly, but plenty of holiday cheer brought 88 members
of Flood City Corvette Club out for an evening in December to celebrate Christ-
mas with their Corvette friends this season.
Our hostess—Susan Distefano made sure everything was festive and under
control. The evening began with hor d’ oeuvres and drinks. The dinner
choices included Stuffed Chicken breast, Stuffed pork chop, Eggplant
Parmesan or Cheese ravioli . A desert of iced
marble cake completed the meal. All the
while festive holiday and contemporary music
was again provided by Dave Distefano.
After dinner President Floyd Yoder presented
long time FCCC members with awards. 2011
was the year John and Carol Schirato, Dick
and Gaile Krumenacker and Susan Distefano as
they celebrated their 10 year anniversary with the
club. Four others reached this milestone, Bill
Nischalke, Mike Scallion, Pat Schafer, and Ed-
ward McCall,but were not present at the banquet
to receive their awards in person. Congratulations
to all recipients.
After the awards ceremony, exchange gifts were
distributed, with members going home with a festive reminder of the
evening. It was a fun evening of camaraderie and food. What a nice
way to complete the year of 2011 for FCCC.
Attention!
2012 Events Planning Meeting
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Perkins Restaurant Richland — 7:00 PM
JANUARY, 2012 FCCC NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
2011
Annual Christmas
Banquet
Source: http://www.allaboutvettes.com/july2011/page%
2010.htm
Today’s automotive batteries, like the cars they are installed in,
are the product of constant evolution and refinement resulting
from research, improved materials and manufacturing. Using
what is known as “wet-cell” technology, this type of battery can
trace its origin back to 1800 when Alessandro Volta it.
John Daniel made a significant improvement to the voltaic cell
in 1836. This new cell, called the Daniel cell, consisted of cop-
per and zinc plates and copper and zinc sulfates. It was safer
than the Volta's cell, and was used to operate telegraphs and
doorbells.
Then in the 1860s, Raymond Gaston Plante invented the first
lead-acid battery that could be recharged many times. He im-
mersed two thin solid lead plates separated by rubber sheets in a
dilute sulfuric acid solution. Unfortunately, his version had a
very short shelf life and was not very powerful.
Since then many other improvements have been made to lead-
acid technology as well as other types of batteries: such as alka-
line, nickel, mercury cells, fuel cells and solar cells.
Among the biggest advances in lead-acid battery constructions
is the improvement in lead grid alloys. In the past, batteries
mainly relied on antimony in alloying elements for castability
and hardness. However, the greater the concentration of antimo-
ny in the grid alloy, the greater the rate of water loss and self-
discharge. The popular lead-acid battery of today is a low water
loss battery. The grids of a low water loss battery (referred to as
maintenance-free) contain little or no antimony. Metals such as
Calcium are substituted in order to provide the necessary me-
chanical strength, while reducing gassing and self-discharge.
Another advance in grid composition involved the addition of
silver into the calcium-lead alloy. This new silver alloy proved
JANUARY, 2012 FCCC NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
to be extremely resistant to growth and corrosion significant-
ly lengthening battery life in high heat and severe service
conditions. With today's vehicles having more severe service
demands and increasing under-the-hood temperatures, the
silver alloy became a very popular addition.
Other improvements in the way lead-acid batteries are manu-
factured have significantly contributed to longer life with
more power-per-pound. Advances in the oxide, pasting, cast-
on-strap, assembly, acid filling, and formation process have
all contribute to the improved battery you see today.
Lead-acid batteries have also advanced in the way they uti-
lize electrolyte, making them completely spillproof. The first
type of spillproof battery was developed in the mid-1960's in
Germany. They were called "Gel Cells" because of their very
unique gelled electrolyte. The acid electrolyte had the con-
sistency of petroleum jelly and was made by mixing the sul-
furic acid with silica powder. These batteries also feature a
pressurized venting system that nearly eliminated water loss
through a process called oxygen recombination.
In the late 70's, another type of spillproof battery was devel-
oped. Instead of using gelled-electrolyte, this type of battery
used a unique highly absorbent separator to hold the acid like
a sponge. These batteries utilized a non-woven separator
made from spun-glass microfibers that absorb and hold the
acid. These batteries were appropriately named Absorbed
Glass Mat Batteries or AGM for short. Like gel batteries,
they also operate on the principle of oxygen recombination.
Although technology continues to change, lead-acid batteries
have a very bright future. They are completely recyclable,
relatively inexpensive, and can be made to provide reliable
power to almost any application. New advances in lead-acid
technology, like Absorbed Glass Mat and gelled designs,
further strengthen their capabilities as a source for dependa-
ble power.
OK, so now that you know a bit more about the construction
of batteries and how they work in essence, what should you
look for when you’re going to purchase one? Well, there are
a few additional things you should know before you go shop-
ping.
One of the first things to decide on is whether to go with a
standard-duty or deep-cycle battery. Both the standard-duty
and deep-cycle batteries are lead-acid batteries and use exact-
ly the same chemistry for their operation. The difference is in
the way that the batteries optimize their design.
(Continued on page 4)
(Continued from page 3)
A standard-duty car battery is designed to provide a very large amount of current for a short period of time. This surge of current is
needed to turn the engine over during starting. Once the engine starts, the alternator provides all the power that the car needs, so it's
conceivable that a car battery may go through its entire life without ever being drained more than 20 percent of its total capacity.
Used in this way, a car battery can last a number of years. To achieve a large amount of current, a car battery uses thin plates in order
to increase its surface area.
Conversely, a deep-cycle battery is designed to provide a steady amount of current over a long period of time. A deep-cycle battery
can provide a surge when needed, but nothing like the surge a standard-duty car battery can deliver. A deep-cycle battery is also de-
signed to be deeply discharged over and over again (something that would ruin a standard-duty car battery very quickly). In order to
accomplish this, a deep-cycle battery is made with thicker plates.
A car battery typically has two ratings:
CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) – The number of amps that the battery can produce at 32°F (0° C) for 30 seconds
RC (Reserve Capacity) – The number of minutes that the battery can deliver 25 amps while keeping its voltage above 10.5 volts
Typically, a deep-cycle battery will have two or three times the RC of a standard-duty car battery, but will only deliver one-half or
three-quarters the CCAs. Additionally, a deep-cycle battery can withstand several hundred total discharge/recharge cycles, while a
standard-duty battery is not designed to be totally discharged.
So obviously the type of usage determines which of the two types are better suited to the task. Vehicles like RVs that have heavy
drains are better off with deep-cycle batteries, whereas car engines need the extra 'oomph' that a standard-duty battery can deliver –
particularly in areas where the winters are cold and nasty. Those extra CCAs will come in handy during the winter months if you use
your Corvette in colder weather (like many C4, C5 and C6 owners do). But if you have a killer sound system in your car that you
like to listen to when the engine is turned off (like at cruise nights) or other accessories that you use when the engine isn't running, a
deep-cycle battery may be a better choice for you, since it's designed for extreme discharging and recharging.
So these are the factors to consider when shopping for your next Corvette battery. Shop wisely.
JANUARY, 2012 FCCC NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
JAN. 12, 2012
Don’t forget the election of officers for the coming year—2012 will take place on January 12, 2012 during the
monthly membership meeting held at Solomon Run Fire Hall beginning at 7:30 PM
If you want a say in how our club is run it would be to your advantage to come to the January and take part in the election process.
If you would like to put your name on the ballot, it still is not too late. Let one of the current officers know and they will pass the
word on to the right people. Thanks for taking the time to make our club the best that it can be.
Don’t forget to sign up for the FCCC Valentine’s Dinner
at Rizzo Restaurant, Windber, PA
on February 4, 2012 at 5:30 PM
Reservations must be in by January 16th
Cost is $20.00 per person.
Registration form is on page 7 of this newsletter.
2012 Corvette Hall of Fame
Inductees Announced
The National Corvette Museum today announced the follow-
ing inductees to be recognized at the Museum's 18th Anniver-
sary event as part of the 15th Annual Corvette Hall of Fame
Ceremony in 2012: Gary Claudio in the category of GM/
Chevrolet; Patrick Dolan in the cate-
gory of Corvette enthusiast/historian;
Bob McDorman also in the category
of Corvette enthusiast/historian; and
Andy Pilgrim, a champion driver for
Corvette Racing.
Gary Claudio spent over 27 years at
GM, starting in the Pontiac Division
but transferring to Chevrolet in 1998
as Manager of the Chevy Race Shop.
He worked with Doug Fehan to de-
velop the Corvette Race Program,
securing origi-
nal sponsors and obtaining funds for
the program from Chevrolet manage-
ment.
Patrick Dolan has been very active in
NCCC, serving as VP of Competition,
President and Director of Charity. He is
a founding member of the NCM and
was present at
the first gen-
eral meeting in Cypress Gardens, FL
in January 1989.
Bob McDorman has been a premier
Corvette collector for over 50 years
and purchased his own Chevrolet
dealership in 1965. In addition to
being a Lifetime Member of the Mu-
seum and big supporter of the Muse-
um's programs he was awarded the
Time Magazine Quality Dealer
Award in 1978 and 2007, 2010
Bloomington Gold "Great Hall" In-
ductee and numerous other humani-
tarian and achievement awards.
Andy Pilgrim joined Corvette Rac-
ing in 1999, earning his first victory
with teammate Ron Fellows at Texas
Motor Speedway in 2000 and in
2001 finished 2nd in GTS at Sebring
and Le Mans, and was on the win-
ning team for the Petit Le Mans in
Atlanta. His support of the Museum included fundraising golf
outings, and he continues to serve as an instructor at our
HPDEs.
The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, August 31.
Places I have and
have not been
I have been in many places, but I've never
been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go
alone. You have to be in Cahoots with
someone.
I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no
one recognizes you there.
I have, however, been in Sane. They don't
have an airport; you have to be driven
there. I have made several trips there,
thanks to my friends, family and work.
I would like to go to Conclusions, but you
have to jump, and I'm not too sure my
knees could take that anymore.
I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad
place to go, and I try not to visit there too
often.
I've been in Flexible, but only when it was
very important to stand firm.
Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there
more often as I get older.
One of my favorite places to be is in Sus-
pense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing
and pumps up the old heart! I need all the
stimuli I can get!
And, sometimes I think I am in Vincible
but life shows me I am not!
I have been in Deepshit many times. The
older I get, the easier it is to get there.
JANUARY, 2012 FCCC NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
JANUARY, 2012 FCCC NEWSLETTER PAGE 6
1 Chevy Drive
Route 56
Windber, PA 15963
(814) 467-4596
www.coverchevy.com
www.coverchevrolet.com
Official Sponsor of the Flood City Corvette Club
REAL DEALS FROM REAL PEOPLE
SECURE STORAGE SPACE
AVAILABLE
STORAGE
FOR CYCLE, QUADS, ATV’S, ETC.
CONTACT FRED BUMBERNICK
(814)539-3644
FROM
MARY LOU
AND DARLENE
Jan. 12 7:30 PM Monthly Meeting—Annual Elections—Solomon Run Fire Hall
Jan 26 7:00 PM Event Planning Meeting—Perkins Restaurant, Richland
Feb. 4 5:30 PM Valentine’s Party @ Rizzo Restaurant, Windber, PA
Feb. 9 7:30 PM Monthly Meeting—Solomon Run Fire Hall
Mar. 8 7:30 PM Monthly Meeting—Solomon Run Fire Hall
Website is under construction and will be up and running soon. You will be able to check it out at:
http://www.floodcitycorvetteclub.webs.com
Flood City Corvette Club
292 Marina Road
Patton, PA 16668