March 2026 Newsletter

DIRECTOR’S THOUGHTS, MARCH 2026

Happy March everyone!! This month Daylight Savings Time occurs on March 8^th. One has to remember to “spring ahead” their clocks by 1 hour, losing an hour. I remember when I worked the night shift and thought, “Oh good, I only have to work 11 hours but still get paid for 12!!” Today, being retired, I don’t have to worry about that anymore!!

Following Daylight Savings Time, Spring then begins on March 20^th! Can’t wait for Spring! Things start to come to life due to the warmer weather. Then April showers arrive to bring May flowers.

The following is a little bit of history for you, enjoy:

David Dunbar Buick was born in Arbroath, Scotland, on September 17, 1854. In 1903, he founded the Buick Motor Company. In 1908, Buick’s company became the foundation for the General Motors Corporation. n 1923, Buick built its 1 millionth vehicle. The Buick brand would play a key role in General Motors’ rise to become the world’s largest automaker by the early 1930s (a title it held until 2008, when it was surpassed by Japan-based Toyota). Today, Buick is GM’s entry-level luxury brand and one of the auto industry’s oldest nameplates. After selling his interest in his company, David Buick became involved in a series of unsuccessful oil, real-estate and automotive ventures. He eventually returned to Detroit, where he worked menial jobs before his death on March 5, 1929 at the age of 74. Today, had he lived, David Dunbar Buick would be 97 years of age! What do you think he’d say about Buicks of today?

Hope you enjoyed a little bit of history. Your Elected Director, Sally Getz

“FREE SPIRIT” Chapter Meeting Minutes, February 3, 2026

Meeting called to order 7:13 pm with 13 members in attendance. Sally “WELCOMED” everyone. Everyone shared they had a good holiday season. About 50% of members present were able to stay up to bring in 2026!

Motion to accept January meeting minutes as printed in February’s newsletter was made by Todd Kriner, seconded by Shirley ASchaffer, so carried.

Treasurer’s report: Report for January was presented by John Moore. Motion to accept, Kathleen Duckett, seconded by Brent Senseny, so carried.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Historian: no report Lehighton: this years show will be the 50^th year. This will be noted on the flyer. Asked for ideas for a special item to be handed out to the first 50 registrants. Ideas given were T-shirts, hats, mugs, key chain. Sally asked members to think about favorites and additional items. Membership: Monies were collected for “NO BADGE” wearing. Bill Hallman reported, in response to an inquiry, that there were 40 individual members, but members & spouses were 60. Total membership 60. E – newsletter/newsletter: Sally received 6 of 7 newsletter ad renewals (AOW did not renew). Publicity: no report Ways-n-Means: no report

OLD BUSINESS: nothing to discuss

NEW BUSINESS: Todd Kriner mentioned an article in the Buick Bugle covering the restoration of a 1942 Buick Special – what a nice job the restoration was & how nice the resulting car was!

There was some discussion regarding some high prices at the most recent Barrett – Jackson Auction. It was speculated that bidders’ tickets including 10 tickets for FREE drinks may contribute!

John Moore & Tom/Kathleen Duckett reported plans to attend Buick Nationals in Albany, NY in August. John Malone & Sally Getz report the possibility of attending.

Registration for Hershey AACA Region meet in October for vending is due February 15^th. John Moore & Sally Getz report already being registered.

Lehighton show will be October 31^st. The Lions Club is set to provide the food. The DJ is also scheduled. An up-to-date flyer went to the printer.

Kathleen Duckett asked if anyone is interested in doing a tour. There was some discussion of attempts to organize recently that failed. Some interest was shown, so she will try again.

Motion made to adjourn: Thomas Duckett, seconded by Kathleen Duckett, so carried. Time 7:42.

Respectfully submitted: Linda Cluck, Secretary

Buick Nailheads Were the Engines Behind the Engines in the SR-71 Blackbird

As the nations of Earth beaver away at their respective sixth-generation fighter planes, with all the slippery, stealthy, AI-laden skunkworks tech those entail, it’s worth remembering that 60 years ago this month, January 1966, one of the original stealthy planes, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, first entered service. Curiously, that wouldn’t have been possible without its twin Buick Nailhead V-8s.

The super-secret, ultra-sleek two-seater flew high-altitude long-range reconnaissance missions for the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years, and 32 copies were produced in that time. The SR-71’s power came from twin 6000-pound Pratt & Whitney J58 afterburning turbojet engines, each capable of more than 25,000 pounds of thrust that propelled the plane to Mach 3, roughly 2300 mph. But those J58s weren’t exactly turn-key mills, and they required substantial encouragement to get going. Few things were more encouraging in the mid-1960s than Buick’s 401-cubic-inch V-8, with its 325 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque, and the plane’s first-generation start cart, the unassuming yellow AG330 (later painted green), employed a pair of them.

According to a detailed write-up on the website of the Aircraft Engine Historical Society (AEHS), each engine was mated to a Hydra-Matic transmission, with those units linked via a 12-inch-wide Gilmer belt. The engines powered a gearbox with a 90-degree dogleg running through a probe out the top of the cart, and once placed beneath the plane’s J58 nacelles, the probe was mated to each engine’s splined starter receptacle. After the straight-piped Buick engines had been started and allowed to warm up—imagine that noise!—and the cart was positioned beneath the plane, the pilot would radio the crew chief with the instruction, “Engage Buicks,” and the cart operator would begin to slide downward a single throttle lever that controlled both engines, which then engaged the paired transmissions.

The Buicks were required to spin up to about 4500 rpm in order to get the J58s turning at roughly 3200 rpm, at which point the pilot would confirm via his gauges that all was hunky-dory and inject a 30cc shot of triethyl borane into the jet’s burner cans, which would ignite as soon as it mixed with the oxygen in the air, and ka-BLAMMO, the J58s lit and were up and running on their own. Imagine that noise… “Buicks out,” would come the command, the crewman running the AG330 would hit the button marked “Cart Shutdown,” and the probe would fall away from the nacelle. “Overspeeding of the Buicks caused by a probe hang-up contributed to the occasional thrown connecting rod and oily parts dropping out from under the cart,” Tom Fey writes on AEHS. “Idle speed for the J58 is 3950 rpm, which could drive the Buicks to over 6000 rpm. The potential for engine failure, as well as the Buick exhaust stream, required the crew to stand only at the ends, not aside, the start cart.” Yikes. As the service life of the SR-71 far outlasted that of the big Buick V-8, eventually they were replaced by Chevy’s LS7 454, before a pneumatic starter devised by Garrett Air Research assumed the responsibilities. Frankly, we’d rather listen to those Nailheads.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MARCH 2026 HAPPY SPRING!

1 – Leesport Farmers Market Swap Meet, Ontelaunee Region AACA (Sally will be vending there, inside. Stop by and say “Hello”)
3 – Monthly dinner meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Allentown, Pa. Dinner @ 6 pm, meeting @ 7:30 pm. (Weather Permitting)
21 – Mid-Atlantic Indoor Nationals, Oaks, Pa
22 – Model Cars & Coffee, Leesport, Pa

APRIL 2026 HAPPY EASTER/PASSOVER HOLIDAY!

7 – Monthly dinner meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Allentown, Pa. Dinner @ 6 pm, meeting @ 7:30 pm.
22 – 26 – Spring Carlisle, Fairgrounds, Carlisle, Pa
25 – Forever 18 Memorial Show, Lebanon, Pa
25 – First Car Meet, Selinsgrove, Pa

MAY 2026 HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

2 – 42^nd Car Show, Bicentennial Park West, Bethlehem, Pa
5 – Monthly dinner meeting, Starlight Diner & Lounge, Allentown, Pa. Dinner @ 6 pm, meeting @ 7:30 pm.
9 – Wheels for Victory Show, Kempton, Pa
17 – Special Olympics Show-AD Moyer Kutztown, Kutztown. Pa
30 – 2^nd ALS (Lou Gehrig’s) Show, Lebanon, Pa
31 – 48^th Car Show, Williams Twps. Fire Co., Williams Twsp, Pa

CARS & PARTS FOR SALE

BUICK ELECTRA/LESABRE/WILDCAT ORNAMENTS/MISC. (all pins intact) (Sally @ 484-464-3418)

#1037 1963 Electra/LeSabre Grille Center, NO PITTS!
NOS 2 – 1963 Electra/LeSabre/Wildcat Trunk Lock
NOS 3 – 1966-71 Electra/LeSabre/Wildcat Roof Pillars
1978 Electra/LeSabre/Estate Wagon Hood Ornament #1253777, #1255161
#1038 1964 Electra/Wildcat Dash Control Panel, NO CRACKS!
2 – Sets 1969-70 LeSabre/Wildcat 4 door Vinyl Roof Molding, Sail to ¼ panel, #8731678, 2 sets
1970 Letter “U” Hood/Trunk Letter
#1039 1966 Electra/LeSabre/Wildcat Headlamp Switch Knob, #1376891
1968 Electra/LeSabre/Wildact Trim Piece
1969-70 Electra/LeSabre/Wildcat Upper Fender: 1 set

MISC BUICK ITEMS #1135 1966-67 Riviera LH door chrome end cap DELUXE INTERIOR ONLY

#1050 1959 Grille Ornament: Invicta/Electra/LeSabre
1979-85 Riviera Trunk Lock cover
1981-87 Regal Sail Roof Panel Emblem
Buick Tri-Shield Badge
NOS 2 – Front Hood Scripts/Emblems, #4423519, 1 broke pin
#1051 1939-66 GM Buick/Chevy/Cadillac/Olds/Pontiac coat hooks
1967 Skylark Front Grille Housing, #1378953
1975-76 LeSabre Hood Ornament
NOS Small Buick Badge
Buick Column Tilt Lever
#1052 ?1964 Electra/WC/LeSabre Emblem
2 – ?1964 Electra/WC/LeSabre Emblem
?1970’s Emblem
2 – Deep Tri-Shield Emblems
#1053 1940 Buick Super Radio Delete Plate
1941 Buick headlight Lamp Bezel Top Medallion, #5931652
1948 Buick Interior Door Housings
Inside Dome Light Cover
Steering Column Lever
1950 Buick Roadmaster Trunk Emblem
NOS Spinner Cap Fin
1968 Skylark/GSA 350/400/LeSabre/Electra ¼ Panel Reflector w Mounting Clip, #5960386 CAV8
1968 Side Marker Housin #5960386 CAV7
#1067 1966 – 67 RIVIERA LH door switch plate cover, #4544819; #7581869
#1124 1963-65 Riviera Front License Plate Mounting Bracket
#1126 1966 Riviera rear flip down license plate bracket