Megan Black, Author at LeMay - America's Car Museum

Black Lives Matter

June 11, 2020 | Posted in: Announcements, Motor Mouth Blog

This is an opportunity.

Today – perhaps more than at any time in our lives – we are a nation divided. We are divided by race, by religion, by politics, by economic standing, and by deep-seated prejudices that have been passed down from generation to generation. People are crying out for justice, while others may not even see where the injustice lies.

This is an opportunity for us to listen, hear, and do better. And it’s an opportunity that we at LeMay – America’s Car Museum will not let pass by.

#blacklivesmatter

The Museum is Temporarily Closed

March 16, 2020 | Posted in: Announcements, Motor Mouth Blog

LeMay – America’s Car Museum is temporarily closed to visitors, based on guidance from public health officials attempting to slow the spread of COVID-19. We are assessing when we might be able to reopen our doors to visitors. Additionally, all events at the Museum for the month of March are postponed or canceled.

If you’d like to “help us keep the headlights on” while our doors are temporarily closed, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. We look forward to welcoming you back to ACM soon!

In the meantime, ignite your children’s curiosity and spend quality family time together at home exploring these fun, educational, auto-inspired activities brought to you by ACM’s Education Team.

A Note on COVID-19

March 4, 2020 | Posted in: Announcements, Motor Mouth Blog

Dear Friends,

The health of our members, visitors, volunteers, and employees is of the utmost importance to us. As such, we feel it’s important to let you know what we at LeMay – America’s Car Museum are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, or as it’s more commonly known, the Coronavirus.

While we take great pride in the everyday cleanliness of the Museum – including daily disinfecting of children’s areas, simulators, elevators, and interactive exhibits – we’ve taken additional precautions to ensure that our Museum is a safe place for families and individuals of all ages. These include making hand sanitizer available to guests, more frequent disinfecting routines, and additional signage to remind guests and employees of hygienic practices. Additionally, we will be closely following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, The Washington State Department of Health, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and will adjust our practices as prescribed.

In the meantime, we will be open from 10 am to 5 pm daily, so that you and your friends and family can continue to enjoy the exhibits and programs you love in a clean and safe environment.

Thank you for your support,

LeMay – America’s Car Museum

A Message from CEO Jennifer Maher

October 21, 2019 | Posted in: Announcements, Motor Mouth Blog

Dear Friend,

I wish to introduce myself, as I am proud to be serving as the new CEO of America’s Automotive Trust, LeMay-America’s Car Museum and RPM Foundation. I assume the CEO duties from David Madeira, who is now enjoying retirement after 17 amazing years with the organization. We are grateful that David isn’t going far, as he will continue to serve as vice chair of the board and will continue to assist me with fund development. We thank David for all his years of past and continued service!

I also wish to share some organizational changes taking place. In June, the boards of America’s Automotive Trust (AAT) and LeMay-America’s Car Museum (ACM) voted to become “one mirrored board” providing oversight to both entities. Thus, there are no longer multiple boards with different members, but common boards of all 43 directors combined. Additionally, our sister organization, RPM Foundation, was realigned as a supporting organization of America’s Automotive Trust with oversight by the Executive Committee, chaired by Corry McFarland.

Finally, in August the collective organization entered into a strategic alliance with TechForce Foundation, a fellow nonprofit dedicated to solving the technician shortage for the auto, diesel, collision, aviation, marine and motorsports industries, where I have been CEO since 2014.

This strategic alliance united all organizations under a shared vision and leadership of one CEO with the goal of streamlining costs, creating backend efficiencies, and increasing programming and impact capabilities. Our shared vision includes celebrating the past, present and future of mobility; promoting America’s car culture; and inspiring future generations of students to consider a technical education and career as professional technicians.

Each organization will retain its independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable status, unique missions and deliverables, yet the unification enables us to serve our constituents and reach the next generation of enthusiasts, donors and sponsors not only in Tacoma through America’s Car Museum, but nationwide as we scale our programs, events, scholarships and youth education coast-to-coast.

For those of you familiar with RPM, let me also provide some clarification as it relates to the alliance with TechForce. RPM works exclusively to support the future workforce of restoration technicians, artisans and craftsmen specifically, whereas TechForce partners with all nonprofits, including RPM, and schools to reinforce the marketing, storytelling and exploration that inspires students to consider all vehicle technician pathways. The two don’t compete, but rather complement one another. While we will restructure RPM’s and TechForce’s staff and operational processes to deliver greater efficiencies, RPM will continue to serve as the premier advocate of restoration technicians, artisans and craftsmen, and preservation of such treasured knowledge and skillsets.

We continually talk about the importance of nonprofits collaborating and not reinventing the wheel. We’re walking the talk! We are excited for America’s Automotive Trust, America’s Car Museum, RPM and TechForce to be working together to preserve the passion around the automobile, foster the next generation of car enthusiasts, and drive the pipeline of skilled technicians to keep these vehicles rolling. On behalf of all young people who love cars, love working with their hands, prefer a technical education over a four-year university and yearn for an education and career in automotive, and those who want to join this amazing community of collectors and enthusiasts – we will work to provide these connections.

Your support, involvement and funding enable us to do this work and to keep our car culture alive. We thank you for all you’ve done, and value our relationship with you.

On behalf of David and myself, we are excited to be sharing this important news with you. I am honored to be leading this innovative collaboration, and I am looking forward to meeting and working with each of you as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Maher, CEO

America’s Automotive Trust
LeMay-America’s Car Museum
RPM Foundation
TechForce Foundation

New Premium Fuel Formulation Ideal for Classic Car Engines

July 17, 2019 | Posted in: Motor Mouth Blog, The Drive Home, The Drive Home II, The Drive Home III

*LeMay – America’s Car Museum’s 1961 Chrysler 300G fueling up at Shell.*

With over three hundred cars on display at any given time at LeMay – America’s Car Museum, it’s sometimes difficult to regularly drive them all. When they’re started and moved for an event or exhibition, it’s often only for a few minutes – not nearly enough time for the cars to reach proper operating temperature.

With modern fuel injection, that’s no big deal. But our older cars use carburetors with mechanical chokes, and short runs can result in a rich burn condition which can accumulate sticky excess fuel deposits in the engine, technically known as “gunk”.

When we took off on the first Drive Home cross-country road trip almost five years ago, we pulled three “driver” classics out of the collection and set off on a 3,200-mile winter passage to Detroit. Our curatorial team prepared three cars with new fluids, filters, plugs and wires. One car – a 1961 Chrysler 300G – utilized a NASCAR-inspired, 413 V-8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors connected by long ram intake manifolds.

*The 1961 Chrysler 300G, 1957 Chevy Nomad and 1966 Ford Mustang on The Drive Home in 2015.*

Leaving the Museum in Tacoma, we had no problems. But as we started to encounter real world conditions – cold air, rain, snow, elevation changes and stop-and-go traffic – we began to detect some issues with the big Chrysler engine.

There was a noticeable hiccup when starting out from a stoplight, and on the freeway you could hear a slight rattling sound coming from the combustion chambers. The hesitation was likely a clogged carburetor jet, and the rattling was detonation – a problem caused when the gunk built up in your engine glows red and pre-ignites the fuel mixture being drawn into the engine.

Detonation robs the engine of power, and can cause real damage over time. And sitting behind the wheel listening to it hammer away at your engine for ten days can be disconcerting, to say the least.

But an unexpected thing started to happen as we came down the eastern slope of Mt. Hood in Oregon. Little by little, the rattle seemed to be going away. Idle and throttle response were improving, too. We started to pay attention to the fuel we were using – Shell V-Power NiTRO+ premium gasoline – which we were sourcing via the Station Locator on the Shell phone app.

*The Drive Home’s 1957 Chevy Nomad fueling up with Shell V-Power NiTRO+.*

With each tankful of Shell V-Power NiTRO+, the cars ran better. By the time we hit eastern Colorado, we were charging down on-ramps at full throttle. Idles improved. And that high-performance Chrysler 413 just hummed along like its designers intended.

Normally a chore, we were almost giddy to pull into the next Shell station to see just how much the car’s performance would increase.

Shell attributes this to V-Power’s exclusive additive package, designed to tackle gunk, wear, corrosion and now friction with the new formulation that just launched in May. The fuel’s high detergent content – seven times greater than the federally-mandated requirement – gradually cleared out our car’s carburetors, valvetrains and combustion chambers over extended and consistent use on The Drive Home. Developed with the same technological advantages that the Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari uses, the V-Power NiTRO+ seems ideally suited to our classic car engines.

*Even the 1917 Crane-Simplex Model 5 received the Shell V-Power NiTRO+ treatment on The Drive Home II in 2016-17!*

Now, there’s unlikely to be any scientific data coming out from Shell about the effects of V-Power on old carbureted engines. There’s just too few around. But take it from this old boy who sat behind the wheel for 3,200 miles, and then again in three different classics in three subsequent Drive Home road trips: I don’t pass a Shell station without fueling my own classic up with Shell V-Power NiTRO+. It’s cheap insurance against fuel-related problems, and it feels like a trip to the machine shop after a few tanks. Try it yourself – you’ll feel it in the seat of your pants with your classic car or motorcycle.

William Hall is an automotive journalist based in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Step into the Powering the Future Learning Lab

April 13, 2018 | Posted in: Exhibits, Motor Mouth Blog

By Rebecca Bresler, Education Coordinator

Step into Powering the Future to consider what will fuel future vehicle needs! In this new, hands-on Learning Lab, inquiry-based exploration highlights innovative thinking and engages visitors and students around some of the most important questions of our time: What will power the future? How can we meet our current and future energy needs for transportation in a sustainable way? How do we make choices to meet our needs without compromising the needs of future generations?

Arriving at the beginning of the exhibition space, visitors will first enter into Powering the Past where large graphics of the first automotive advertisements and examples of early “horseless carriages” will remind visitors of the myriad ways inventors of the time chose to power vehicles. We hope this space will put our visitors in the shoes of people in the early 1900s as they find answers to the questions: Why were vehicles an important invention of the time? How were these vehicles powered? How were these vehicles different from the cars we drive today?

Following Powering the Past are three Fueling Stations: Fossil Fuels, Biofuels and Electricity/Hydrogen. Each of the three fueling stations offers guests the opportunity to engage with a hands-on lab table, exploring how each of the fuel sources are used to power vehicles; to understand the basics about each of the fuels; to play interactive trivia games; and to learn about the inventors and inventions that have been particularly important to the success of the fuels throughout history. Continue reading “Step into the Powering the Future Learning Lab” →

ACM Visitors Voted, and We Listened

February 16, 2018 | Posted in: Exhibits, Motor Mouth Blog

By Scot Keller, Curator of Exhibitry

When we launched the Through the Lens – Cars Defined by an American Century exhibit in December, we put forward ten automobiles, one from each decade 1910 – 2010, that we argue best represented the history and culture of the period.

The idea was to “make the case” for the specific cars while leaving it up to visitors to decide on their own. To have some fun and encourage dialog in the exhibit, we created a feedback component where guests cast votes for one car per post-war decade, with a promise to change the exhibit based on their opinion.

And vote they have. Without influence from foreign powers, 45,000 votes have already been cast. The Vox Populi have spoken, and we are making changes, the first being for the 1970’s.

Of the five cars from that decade, the Trans-Am has handily beaten the others. Accordingly, we added an epic Screaming Chicken adorned 1976 example to pair next with the first generation Honda Civic. Suffice it to say; you’ll not likely see two cars contrasting each other as much as these.

In another part of the exhibit, visitors have a chance to record which car brand will define the decade ending in 2020. The hands-down choice is the Tesla, with over 75% of the comments. VoilÃ , we added a pristine first generation to the exhibit.

Another clear favorite has been the DeLorean for the 1980’s. We decided not to add that to the exhibit because we have two excellent examples, side by side, on the next floor down and are reluctant to separate them.

The top vote gatherers aren’t the only things changing. A few on the list have been, well let’s just say, unenthusiastically received. Cars like the 60’s Corvair, the poor Pinto from the 70’s and 80’s Dodge Aries K-car aren’t generating a lot of love.

Therefore we decided to shake-up the voting and replace these too. What should we add to the list?

Car Stories: The Pierce-Arrow 38C

February 2, 2018 | Posted in: Car Stories, Motor Mouth Blog

By RenÃ¨e Crist, ACM Collections Manager

The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company of Buffalo, New York, produced some of the finest automobiles made for thirty-eight years. For over 20 years, Pierce-Arrow was the car of choice by the White House for the use by the President. The Pierce-Arrow was considered the American equivalent of Rolls-Royce, making this example one of the finest cars available in 1916.

There were approximately 2,004 Model 38-C4’s produced in 1916, and this Brougham Limousine was just one of the seventeen body styles that were available. The car sits on its original chassis and body on a 134-inch wheelbase. It is powered by its original a 6-cylinder engine with 38 hp, 4-inch bore on a 5 ½ inch stroke. Some luxury features on the car include an electric clock, intercom to the driver from the rear seat, and crystal flower vases in the rear passenger compartment. The base price new was $5,350.

This 38-C represents the Nickel Period, referring to the plating process used on automobile brightwork. The car is an especially important piece of automobile history since Nickel Period cars were often overlooked in favor of the earlier Brass Period and the later Chrome Period. Many Nickel Period automobiles have been lost or their original nickel mistakenly chromed in later restorations. This 38C-4 Brougham Limousine was restored to its current condition in 1964 by Lambert Lobberegt for his private collection of fine classic vehicles Issaquah, Washington. Harold LeMay acquired the car for his collection from the Lobberegt Estate in 1997. The car was donated to LeMay-America’s Car Museum in 2003.

A fine representation of automotive design and elegance, the car has been presented on the lawn at The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2005, Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance in 2006, Rocky Mountain Concours d’Elegance in 2007, and the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance in 2006 and 2011.

Recognized as a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA), the car has been featured on exhibit in the Classics and Coachwork Exhibit at America’s Car Museum.

This February, stay at a downtown Seattle Hotel and Experience Culture and Creativity with Half-Off Entry to 40 Regional Museums

January 26, 2018 | Posted in: Motor Mouth Blog

Content courtesy of Visit Seattle

In need of a vacation or staycation? The fourth annual Seattle Museum Month, running February 1 – 28, 2018, offers downtown Seattle hotel guests 50 percent off the admission price to 40 participating museums and cultural institutions in the region. A Seattle winter getaway in February is the perfect opportunity to explore fun and diverse museums. The offers isn’t exclusive to Seattle museums either – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma is included in the offer www.findwritingservice.com/blog/the-essay-on-violence-do-not-be-so-cruel!

New this year to Seattle Museum Month are the Tacoma Art Museum, the Seattle Children’s Museum and the W.W. Seymour Conservatory.

Returning museums include Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), The Museum of Flight, Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, LeMay – America’s Car Museum, Seattle Pinball Museum, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Museum of Glass, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Suquamish Tribal Museum, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and Chihuly Garden and Glass.

The discount program is only valid for guests staying at one of the participating hotels, up to four people, during hotel stay dates. Visitors must present an official Seattle Museum Month guest pass at participating museums to redeem the discounts.

“The Alexis hotel along with the three other Kimpton hotels in the city excitedly welcome the return of Seattle Museum Month,” said Tom Waithe, Regional Vice President of Kimpton Hotels, Pacific Northwest and Mountain Regions. “We have seen a tremendous surge in winter weekend visitor interest to the city when there’s opportunity to explore and save at so many venues. Our hope is that this year Seattle Museum Month is the best ever, and the program continues to grow and develop in the years ahead.”

Since the launch of Seattle Museum Month in 2015, the program has established itself as the perfect winter retreat for anyone, of all ages, to experience Seattle and the region’s unique and engaging museum collection, spanning arts, history, heritage, pop culture, natural history, aviation, automotive, and more.

To see the full list of participating museums, visit the Seattle Museum Month website at seattlemuseummonth.com.

Rocket Car: 1986 Owasso Pulse GCRV Autocycle

January 19, 2018 | Posted in: Car Stories, Motor Mouth Blog

By Renee Crist, ACM Collections Manager

Higher fuel prices in the years following the 1970’s oil embargos opened the door for new manufacturers offering innovative options for those seeking fuel efficient transportation. The Pulse Autocycle, designed by aircraft designer Jim Bede and built by the Owosso Motor Company from 1984 to 1990, advertised its fuel consumption at 70+ miles per gallon outline for a term paper click.

The Pulse can be described as an enclosed motorcycle with outrigger wheels attached. It seats two, one in front and one in back. The car came equipped with a 400cc air-cooled Yamaha engine with 6 speeds and chain drive. It rides on a 120″ wheel base, has a total length of 192″ and weighs approximately 1000 pounds. The car has automobile-like steering, with clutch, brakes, and gas pedal on the floor just like a car. However, the gear shift, located on the right arm rest, shifts sequentially the same as a motorcycle.

The Pulse was also referred to as a “GCRV”, or Ground Cruising Recreational Vehicle. The term describes a vehicle that has the performance and acceleration of a motorcycle engineered into a comfortable weatherproof vehicle with many of the attributes of an automobile. It rides on two automotive type wheels and tires with outriggers, each fitted with a small 8″ diameter wheel, and because only one wheel makes contact with the ground at a time, the design met United States federal regulations to be licensed and operated as a motorcycle. To operate the Pulse on the road, most states in the USA required the driver have a motorcycle endorsement on their regular driver’s license.

The first 21 manufactured by Owasso were called “Litestars”. Owosso Motor Car Company made 101 cars in 1986 and records obtained from the Lightstar/Owasso Registry indicate that #223 was manufactured in April of 1986 and titled to an owner in Pennsylvania in July of that year. Only 44 were ordered from the factory painted yellow.

There was a total of 325 Pulses built by the Owosso Motor Car Company. America’s Car Museum’s Owasso Pulse is a complete unrestored original example that is frequently an object for study by engineering and design students.

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Author: Megan Black