SVAO Hotline
Ray Spencer - Editor

We have decided that , in order to save costs, we will be discontinuing the SVAO Hotline. Should members need to get in touch with us please see the last page of the newsletter.

Our secondary reason for the discontinuance is due to the change of organization of the Re-inCARnate program we have been unable to get the new group to co-operate and provide that needed list of "potential" restoration vehicles or parts cars. You can only spin so many wheels working with certain people!

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Implementation of Full Year Validation Fees
Chris Willans - SVAO

In a move that can only be called a blatant tax grab, your provincial government and its bureaucrats have tried to stop Joe-Q-Citizen from perhaps saving a few dollars on the licensing fees for a seasonally operated vehicle.

From now on, those lucky few people who had a late Fall birth date and were able to put their vehicles away for the Winter months and save some licensing fees over the winter months when the vehicle was not in use will be unable to do so. The surprise will come in the Spring when these folks go to license their vehicles and find out that they will still end up paying the fees for the months that the vehicle was off of the road.

Now the powers-that-be at Queen's Park will tell you that you can still take your ownership in to a licensing office, take the validation off it and reverse the process in the Spring (for a fee and a lot of aggravation to boot). The SVAO challenged the MTO on this issue and was told that this was the same as paying for your driving permit year round.

I won't try to equally insult your intelligence by slowly going through the fact that an unlicensed vehicle cannot legally be used at anytime of year while a person can put a vehicle in storage but still operate another properly licensed vehicle with their year round diving permit.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea about why I have this bee-in-my-bonnet, I have a March birth date so there was no way that I ever benefited under the old system. These same politicians and bureaucrats wonder why we, the average citizens of this province, so often hold them up to ridicule? Sometimes it seems impossible not to!

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Year of Manufacture Plates
Ian Lavery - Vice President - Model A Owners of Canada Inc.

Ross McDowell asked me to send you the history leading up to Bill 99.

In 1990 we formed a committee made up of our club, Model A Owners of Canada Inc. (MAOC) and Rouge Valley Region, of the Antique and Classic Car Club of Canada (ACCCC) along with several members from other car clubs.

The make up of our committee has changed over the years, with some leaving and others joining, with MAOC and Rouge Valley remaining as the basis of the YOM committee to date.

We started out by contacting the Antique and Classic Car Club of America (AACA) in Hershey Pa, for the States in the USA that had YOM Plates.

We contacted each of these States and got copies of the actual legislation, we also got the same from the Province of Alberta, where they have had YOM Plates for many years.

Using this information, we submitted our proposal, basically unchanged over the years, to the Ontario Minister of Transport at that time.

As each new Transport Minister was appointed, we would start the process all over again, for 8 years.

Some replies that we received had questions which we answered, others simply acknowledged receipt of our proposal, saying that it was being forwarded it to Ministry staff for review.

I'm sure that over the years Ministry staff would have had many other projects, with a much higher priority than ours, so there was usually little or no feed-back, unless we initiated it.

In 1998 Gord Hazlett discussed YOM Plates with his friend, and fellow member of the East York Historical Board, MPP John Parker.

We had several meetings with John who offered his support. He drafted the Bill and started it through the process at Queens Park, getting all the preliminary approvals required, before it could be introduced in the legislature.

John is presently at Queens Park, but since he is not a member of the house, he arranged for MPP John O'Toole, himself a collector car owner, to introduce what we now know as Bill 99. It was introduced and received first reading in June of this year.

We really appreciate the support of the SVAO, and I know you also worked on the YOM project when our committee was at a low point.

Because of the size and scope of your Membership, and the number of Car Clubs that are members, your support is very important to us.

The stature of the SVAO was evident, with the successful negotiations that you completed, relating to vintage vehicles, prior to the introduction of the Ontario Clean-Air Program.

We are very quick to blame our elected representatives for everything, including the weather.

But very few of us realize just how much work is involved in preparing, introducing and passing a Bill into law.

Unfortunately we do not take as active a role, in the political process, as our friends in the USA.

Because of their involvement, many States, have passed YOM Plate laws.

Americans do not hesitate to call, write and email their politicians, to let them know their feelings on important issues.

Unless we can do something very quickly to change our thinking, Bill 99 could go down the drain. Let's get those cards and letters going.

Once again many thanks for your interest and support. If you need any help please email or call me at 416-447-0485.

Our mailing address is:
Model A Owners of Canada Inc.
PO Box 31 Station A
Scarborough ON M1K 5B9.

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Bruce's Musings
Bruce Stewart - SVAO

Bill 99
Bill 99, a private member's bill to allow the use of year of manufacture plates on "old" cars, has been introduced in the Ontario legislature. We are not familiar with all of the details but believe the bill would apply to vehicles that qualify for historical plates.

As many of you know, the SVAO has been working with MTO in an attempt to have a collector plate introduced. We have experienced some progress but any victory in this respect should be considered, depending on your proximity to these meetings, as either "on the back burner" or "pie in the sky". In all our discussions with MTO officials, we told them that we considered year of manufacture plates a "down the road" wish list request. It would appear, however, that if sufficient support can be obtained for Bill 99, the cart may well precede the horse.

Most private member's bills are never passed. They die due to lack of support. If you can find the time, and please do find the time, contact your local MPP and attempt to gain his or her support for this bill. It probably wouldn't hurt to send copies of any correspondence to both the Minister of Transportation and the Premier.

Form Letters
Re: the above, it has been suggested that we include a form letter with this newsletter for all to send to their MPP. We have not done so because of the fact that a form letter does not carry the same weight as an individual, lovingly crafted missive. Even if you are convinced that you can't write to save your soul, give it a try - it will carry a lot more weight than the simple signing of a form letter. Trust me.

Air Conditioning
Some time ago Jason McCaskill, an old car guy from the wilds of outer Manitoba (if truth be known probably from beautiful downtown Winnipeg), visited our web site and contacted us with respect to previous musings on automotive air conditioning.

Jason informed us that TCB Technologies of Regina have developed Red Tek 12a, a drop in replacement refrigerant for R-12. It is non-CFC, works better than and is much cheaper than freon. He has used it in his own vehicle and is very happy with the results. The company also has a number of other products that could be of great use to our community. Details of these products are available from the company at the following:

TCB Technologies,
222 Second Avenue,
Regina SK S4R 1A5
1-800-531-0218
www.tcbmanufacturing.com

If anyone has had any experience with these products, could you please contact me - preferably by Email through the SVAO web site but otherwise by phone.

The Price of Parts or Recent Maritime Disasters
You know, we all complain sometimes about the cost of parts and service but, as car people with a wide range of contacts, we can usually get sound advice and guidance. Pity the poor yuppie sailors. These people attempt single handedly to keep the marine parts and service industries afloat. Consider the following.

I have a boat with a small Yanmar diesel engine. The ignition key broke off in the switch. Only Yanmar makes the key, a hollow cylindrical affair that engages a post on the switch. The key is made of pot metal - real strong - which is why I bought a bunch of them years ago. The one I broke was the last one. Yanmar changed the switch. The new switch costs $140 plus shipping plus tax plus a wait?????? At least you can still buy automotive ones cheap.

A friend with the same engine - about five years ago - lost the alternator on the south side of Lake Ontario. The river bandit in Rochester - if you've got a boat you know who he is and this way I avoid defamation suits - replaced it for $975 US plus labor, taxes etc. (for an alternator?? - even the Prince of Darkness isn't that expensive). It lasted about two weeks until he got home. When it expired, the friend discovered that the US warranty was no good in Canada.

Another friend - same engine. Water got into it somehow and got to the main bearing. This is a single cylinder small diesel. New crank was $1,500 Cdn plus labor - he went for new engine. They're expensive - he won't mention the cost in case it gets back to his wife. AND the installation cost more than the new engine.

Gives a whole new meaning to the old saying that a boat is a hole in the water that you try to fill with money doesn't it! The moral of the story - If you know any sailors, get them to talk to you before they talk to their marine "mechanic" and if you have a choice, stick to cars and trucks.

Collector Plates
Our request for a collector plate had been turned down by MTO. The other provinces and territories had no interest in our promotion of uniform standards across the country. We have made a counter proposal to the effect that our community be permitted to use a designer licence plate with a historical sticker. It seems to us that this could solve all of the problems raised by MTO personnel. The ball is still in their court.

Watch this space for news of our progress or lack thereof.

Club Tech Sessions
I recently needed some information regarding adhesives and sealants. Instead of getting advice locally, I called 3M in London, Ontario and was put on to Ray Lemieux, one of 3M's boffins. He solved my problem with a minimum of fuss and expenditure. This guy is very knowledgeable about a lot of 3M products and appears willing to do tech sessions with car clubs.

If you are interested, he can be contacted by Email at: rllemieux@mmm.com

UAP - NAPA Di$count
Reprinted from last issue

As many of you know, UAP closed our favorite store and we lost our discount. The good news is that the account is now re-established and that all of the people were moved to other locations. The bad news is that those of us in the east end of the city will have to brave the Gardiner or 401 to get there.

UAP/NAPA's Etobicoke store is located at 112 Jutland Road. Jutland runs west off Islington Avenue and is the first traffic signal north of the Queensway. Contact is Paddy Traycheff, although anyone at the store can help, and the account number is 9877-03.

Cash or credit cards only.
Phone numbers are:
voice - 416-252-5736
fax - 416-252-5039

The discount is the same as the trade gets for sales averaging about $10,000 per month and is substantial.

I also found NAPA's web site - www.napaonline.com. There are quite a few how to do it articles and listings of available parts. It's geared more to the US market but at least acknowledges that things such as provinces exist.