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  • 2010 Western Meet

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    The Dalles, OR 
    August 13-15, 2010

    Members Present: 22

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  • The 2010 Western Meet
    by Aaron Dodsworth

    The 2010 FGMCC Western Meet was nothing short of a great success. Ever since the inaugural Western Meet in 2004, one of our goals was to eventually have 20 plus members in attendance. That goal was realized this year with 22 members and 20 cars! This is a great accomplishment for the club, and we thank all who have made efforts to attend meets over the years.

    Members and Monte Carlos in Attendance

    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2162.jpg 1970 - Misty Turquoise, White vinyl top, Sandalwood interior
    Owned by Aaron & April Dodsworth of Summerland, BC, Canada
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2160.jpg 1970 SS454 - Black Cherry, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Tim & Gwen Oest of Oak Harbor, WA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2159.jpg 1970 SS454 - Shadow Grey, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Jake & Deb Gould of Graham, WA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2148.jpg 1970 - Gold, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Royce and Joannie Tollman of Walla Walla, WA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2153.jpg 1970 - Cranberry Red, White vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Pat and Jean Trottier of Millett, AB, Canada
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2161.jpg 1971 SS454 - Classic Copper, Sandalwood interior
    Owned by Vaughn & Kathie Peoples of High River, AB, Canada
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2152.jpg 1971 - Burnt Orange, White vinyl top, Sandalwood interior
    Owned by Cameron Lewis of Reno, NV
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2146.jpg 1971 - White, Black interior
    Owned by Dan Goehring of Grangeville, ID
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2156.jpg 1971 - Grey, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Chris Steiner of Kent, WA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157486_2145.jpg 1971 SS454 - Mulsanne Blue, Blue interior
    Owned by Mark & Beth Andrus of Rancho Cordova, CA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2147.jpg 1972 Custom - Classic White, Black interior
    Owned by Doug Cameron of Portland, OR
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157486_2142.jpg 1972 - Cranberry Red, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Garrett Kuipers of Kelowna, BC, Canada
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157486_2143.jpg 1972 - Green, Green vinyl top, Green interior
    Owned by Keith and Rosa Golanowski of Calgary, AB, Canada
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157486_2144.jpg 1972 - Green with flames, Black interior
    Owned by Jack and Paula Young of Portland, OR
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2154.jpg 1972 Custom - Brown, Black vinyl top, Saddle interior
    Owned by Roy & Sue Bunjes of Airdrie, AB, Canada
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2155.jpg 1972 - Black, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Mark Diamond of WA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157488_2151.jpg 1972 - Green, Green interior
    Owned by Robert & Mona Calderon of Fresno, CA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2157.jpg 1972 - Yellow, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Chris and Angie Davis of Bremerton, WA
    sml_gallery_588_72_1413157489_2158.jpg 1972 - Black, Black vinyl top, Black interior
    Owned by Patricia (Red) and Dave Nassimbene of Yucaipa, CA
    Other Members in attendance:
    Dave Mau of Burien, WA
    Kevin Wick of Bremerton, WA
    Rodney Shure of Helena, MT

    Thursday

    For me, the meet started at 11AM on Thursday morning when I met up with Chris Steiner in Tacoma, Washington. We did some catching up, and I checked out his Monte while we waited for Jake to arrive. It seemed that Jake was already in contention for the Hard Luck award, as he was having problems starting his car. After he got it running, he caught up with us in Tacoma and we began our drive south together toward The Dalles. 

    A highway road trip with two other first generation Monte Carlos was a lot of fun. We took turns leading and captured some pictures as opportunities arose.  Doug Cameron joined in for the final leg of the journey when we stopped to meet with him in Troutdale, Oregon. The four of us cruised along the Columbia River Gorge and we rolled into The Dalles around dinner time. 

    Several other members had already arrived, and a few more arrived that evening some of them having started their journey on Tuesday.  We had a great, relaxing night catching up with old friends and getting acquainted with new ones. What a great day.  The weather was excellent, and the fun was just beginning!

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    Keith, Rosa, Pat, Kathie, Vaughn, Sue and Roy during their drive to Oregon from Alberta
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    Aaron, Chris and Jake 3-wide on I-5 driving through Washington on their way to Oregon
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    Jake, Chris and Doug in front of Aaron on I-84 cruising to The Dalles

    Friday

    The Cruise the Gorge event didnt start until evening, so Friday was a casual day of car cleaning and preparing for the weekends events.  More club members also arrived on Friday as well.

    Garrett showed up late in the evening with his parents and brother in tow, along with a compelling story of his eventful drive from Kelowna, BC.  First of all, he had just rebuilt the engine in his 72 Monte and installed it on Wednesday right before the meet.  During the trip, his right front tire separated and did some damage to his fender, inner fender, and the wiring for his electric fans.  After spending some time to retrieve wiring, electrical relays, a center cap, and other parts that were scattered along the roadside, he and his family had to limp into the next town on the spare tire. In addition, Garrett was dealing with overheating problems due to damaged fan wiring. Once they fixed the wiring and put on two new front tires, they were back on course to The Dalles. Needless to say, he was another Hard Luck award candidate.

    The Neon Cruise around The Dalles downtown commenced at 8PM. There were cars of all types and car enthusiasts were everywhere along 2nd and 3rd Streets.  Our hotel was located between those two main streets, so we were in the thick of it all!  Our group cruised around the block, and we were getting some noteworthy attention from spectators and other cruisers alike. Ill never tire of seeing multiple Montes through the windshield and in the rear view mirror. We then parked our cars and watched the cruise continue late into the evening from the comfort of our chairs in the hotel parking lot.

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    The FGMCC has invaded the hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot
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    Hotel parking lot

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    All lined up for the evening cruise

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    Mark in his 72 Monte during the cruise

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    Garrett in his 72 Monte with his younger brother Owen

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    Chris and Angie
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    Robert and Mona in their 72 Monte
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    Garrett with his separated tire
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    Chris' 71 Monte with Burgerville in the distance

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    Relaxing at the hotel watching the cruise

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    Red goes out for one more lap in her 72 Monte

    Saturday

    We woke up bright and early Saturday morning to stage for the show n shine in Sorosis Park.  19 of our Montes cruised up the hill to the park with my car leading the pack.  We were parked in a long row down the street just outside the park entrance as we waited for the park to open.  The line of Monte Carlos that seemed to go on forever and the spectacular view of the gorge from the park made for some great photo opportunities!

    When the gates opened, we rolled into the park and found a nice, big shady spot under the large pine trees which were scattered throughout the grounds. Although the temperature was reaching a very hot 100 degrees on Saturday, we managed to get quite comfortable in the shade of the trees and under our canopies once we got set up.

    The show n shine awards ceremony commenced in the afternoon, with four of our club members walking away with some well-deserved hardware. In addition, the FGMCC won the Club Participation award beating out the local Corvette club that had 12 cars in the show.  After the show closed there was a little time to relax before driving over to Cousins Restaurant for our FGMCC banquet.  Rodney and his girlfriend, Lisa, arrived prior to dinner after spending some extra time in Spokane dealing with alternator issues.

    Cruise The Gorge Awards to FGMCC Members

    President's Choice Robert Calderon - 1972
    Best Modified Jack Young - 1972
    Long Distance Roy Bunjes - 1972
    Hard Luck Garrett Kuipers - 1972
    Club Participation FGMCC

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    Club Participation Award

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    The back of the club participation award signed by all the FGMCC members

    Our group enjoyed good food & drink at the banquet and then we had the presentation of club awards and door prizes.  At banquets end, we gathered all the members for a group photo shoot.  This process is taking longer as the number of members attending the meet increases.  It seemed like there were more cameras than people, and each one had to take several photos.  And just outside the restaurant door awaited more photo opportunities that we just couldnt resist!

    FGMCC Award Winners

    Best Chrome Robert Calderon - 1972
    Best Interior Keith Golanowski 1972
    Best Paint Patricia Red Nassimbene 1972
    Robyn Lance Best Engine   Patricia Red Nassimbene 1972
    George Lines Best Modified   Royce Tollman 1970
    Best Stock Vaughn Peoples 1971 SS454
    Best Non-Restored Garrett Kuipers 1972
    Members' Choice Robert Calderon - 1972
    Meet Director's Choice Vaughn Peoples 1971 SS454
    Longest Distance Driven Roy Bunjes 1972 (Roy & Sue drove their Monte 715 miles)
    Hard Luck Garrett Kuipers 1972 (Damage and continuing issues from separated tire)
    Outstanding Contribution   Dave Mau (Received for his ongoing contributions and dedication to the club)
    Congratulations to you all!

    Back at the hotel, Jake changed his starter and fan clutch to ease some of the issues he was having. Steve (Cameron's son), Robert, and Chris provided their services during the swap. The remainder of the evening included more chit-chat, as usual, in the hotel parking lot. For some it continued until the early morning hours!

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    Lined up waiting to enter the show grounds
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    Chris Steiner overlooking the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood in the distance
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    The Columbia River Gorge
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    Chris Stiener's trunklid with signatures of FGMCC members
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    The night guarding Robert's 1972 Monte
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    Roy Bunjes
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    Doug Cameron
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    Mona and Robert Calderon
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    Pat Trottier
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    Chris Steiner showing his best side
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    Dave Nassimbene...better known as Crazy Davey
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    Kathie Peoples and son Liam
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    Garrett Kuipers with his Mom Gwen
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    Jack Young
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    Dave Mau polishing Aaron's car
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    Jack receiving his Cruise the Gorge best modified award
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    Robert receiving his Cruise the Gorge president's choice award
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    Garrett receiving his Cruise the Gorge hard luck award
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    Aaron just after receiving the Cruise the Gorge club participation award on behalf of the FGMCC
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    Roy receiving his Cruise the Gorge long distance award
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    Some of the prizes handed out at the FGMCC awards banquet
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    Banquet dinner
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    Banquet dinner
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    Red with her Robyn Lance Best Engine award
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    Vaughn receiving the Meet Director's Choice award
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    Dave Mau receiving his Outstanding Contribution award
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    Back row: Garrett Kuipers, Pat Trottier, Steve (Cameron's son), Cameron Lewis, Patricia "Red" Nassimbene, Aaron Dodsworth, Chris Davis, Tim Oest, Dan Goehring, Rodney Shure, Kevin Wick, Jack Young
    Middle row: Vaughn Peoples, Roy Bunjes, Mark Andrus, Doug Cameron, Jake Gould, Chris Steiner, Keith Golanowski, Mark Diamond, Robert Calderon, Royce Tollman
    Front row: Dave Mau
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    Chris and Angie Davis
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    Aaron Dodsworth
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    Rosa and Keith Golanowski with their Best Interior award
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    Robert, Jake, Chris and Steve (not visible under car) changing the starter in Jake's 70 Monte
     

    Sunday

    Sunday offered everyone a choice of what to do.  Some chose to attend the Threshing Bee car show in the nearby town of Dufor, and others opted for drag racing at Dallesport.  We discovered that the trees in the park had given off a fine mist of sap on Saturday and had left a light coating on the cars.  Some detailing took place.

    With the temperatures expected to be in excess of 100 degrees on Sunday, some of us decided to skip the drag racing and take a nice cruise to the Threshing Bee car show. After a very nice drive through the windy highways, we arrived in Dufor and parked together on the shows grassy field.  We found welcome shade at a nice nearby creek and spent some time soaking our feet in the cool water.  The poplar trees overhead were literally raining sap on us due to the high temperatures, which is something Ive never experienced.

    Later on, some of us chose to head out to a war memorial that is a replica of Stonehenge. This was another excellent photo opportunity not just for the Stonehenge memorial itself, but also for the view of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood.

    Those who attended the drags had an even hotter day than the rest of us.  To quote Doug; We must have been less than a mile from the sun!  Red and Tim prepared their cars and represented the club proudly throughout the eliminations.

    Alas, the meet was coming to an end.  But many of us enjoyed each others company for one more evening before the drive home on Monday.

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    The drive out to the Threshing Bee car show in Dufor
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    Action shot of Chris and Angie in their 72 Monte
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    Mark and Beth driving the 71 Monte
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    Dan driving his 71 Monte
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    Dan, Mark, Aaron, Chris, Vaughn, Keith and Roy
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    Parked a the Threshing Bee car show
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    Keith Golanowski and Chris Davis relaxing in the creek
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    Beth soaking her feet in the creek
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    Montes at Stonehenge
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    Montes at Stonehenge looking over the Columbia River Gorge with Mount Hood in the distance
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    Montes at Stonehenge
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    Mark Andrus, Aaron Dodsworth, Dave Mau and Chris Davis at Stonehenge
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    Steve (Cameron's son), Dave Nassimbene and Cameron Lewis at the drag strip
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    Tim Oest making a pass
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    Red making a pass
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    Sunday evening at the Hotel
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    Vaughn, Pat and Keith
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    Cameron (Garrett's Dad) and Garrett
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    Red and Rosa
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    Chris and Angie
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    Sunday evening at the Hotel

    A special thanks to Royce Tollman and Jake Gould for their assistance with various meet tasks.

    We also need to thank the organizers of the Cruise the Gorge event.  They were very appreciative that the FGMCC chose their event, and went out of their way to thank us for being there.

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