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quick links:
Recent Events Updates
Upcoming events page
Join Our Club
We welcome you to join BATOC and come travel with us on the open road in a group of Classic Ford Thunderbirds; what an awesome experience – One you don’t want to miss!
BATOC is affiliated with the Classic Thunderbird International Club which allows us to stay connected to other Thunderbird clubs around the world http://www.ctci.org
Guests are welcome to attend our breakfast meeting in person or remote. Our club meets the 2nd Saturday of every month at the Buttercup Restaurant, 660 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA 94596.
We start gathering at about 9:30 and start the meeting at 10:00
or join our meeting remotely (click here)
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President’s Message
Old age catches up! – We recently had a trail of oily drips up our driveway to the garage along with a large puddle of transmission fluid under the T-Bird. Low and behold, our transmission Torque Converter seal decided to give out. After a couple of trips to the transmission guy in Sunnyvale for a total rebuild, our Bird is back home recovering. However, some more fine-turning is still needed, so Matt and I are planning one more trip to Sunnyvale to make sure our little bird is in tip-top shape and ready for touring season.
Check Out the BATOC Website! Guy and I have been working on updating the BATOC website and Guy has done a great deal of work so far. Please go in and take a peek at the changes and provide your feedback.
The reasons behind the changes are two-fold: (1) update the current information; and (2) include visual art and verbiage that expresses greater inclusion (i.e., represents a club that welcomes other generations of Thunderbirds).
Thunderbird 70 Year Anniversary – For over half a century and 11 generations, the Ford Thunderbird remained one of the premier rear-wheel drive personal luxury cars made in America. Thunderbird production started on September 9, 1954 and in October 1955, the first Thunderbirds rolled into dealer showrooms.
This year will also mark the 20th anniversary of the final production year of the 11th generation Thunderbird (a.k.a, “Retro Bird”).
Needless to say, we are going to have a LOT to celebrate during this year’s BATOC Anniversary Party in June. If you would like to be involved in the planning or implementation of the Anniversary Party, please contact [email protected].
BATOC Business Cards – I have asked Don Perry to design new business cards for the board and the entire membership. Everyone will be provided with cards that they can use when they are out. If you see a well-preserved and maintained classic or vintage Thunderbird in a parking lot, you can simply leave the card on the windshield to encourage more Thunderbird owners to join our fabulous car club.
GearHeads Wall Decore – Darrick Barnes presented his company’s automobile wall art/signage at the February meeting. He had some interesting Thunderbird signage to share, so if you missed his presentation, you can view his merchandise online @ GearHeadsWallDecor.com. You can also contact him @ 720-434-2856 or by email @ [email protected].
Valentine’s Brunch – What a great success! It was terrific to see everyone and we had a fantastic turnout. A big shout out to Jean Riley who did a wonderful job of bringing it all together. It was also great to see folks that we don’t see too often and have a chance to reconnect and enjoy their company.
By the way – I had a chance to talk with Don and Ann Gregory this last week. They are lifetime members in the club (since 1972). They live in San Rafael, so if anyone has an idea for an event in the San Rafael area, please let me know. This would be a great opportunity for them to get together with us again.
Don’t Be Shy – While we’re on the topic of events, we currently do not have an activity planned for April. Please let Nick and me know if you would like to take on planning an event in April and we will be happy to assist you in the process.
Upcoming Events – On Saturday March 22, please join us @ Boomers in Livermore for a day of Miniature Golf, fun and food, camaraderie and probably some mischief by certain parties who will remain nameless! (See the attached flyer for more details.) This will be a family fun event, so feel free to bring other family members, if you like. The more, the merrier!
Spring Into Action! – The nice weather we’ve had the last few days reminded me that it is time to get our Birds out of the garage, tuned up, oil changed and ready for our beautiful California spring weather. What a wonderful time to be out on the road, driving our beautiful Birds!
Best Regards,
JOE
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BATOC is affiliated with the Classic Thunderbird International Club which allows us to stay connected to other Thunderbird clubs around the world
