([V], actually).Thursday, January 22, involved a 600-mile RT (to the mile, ironically!) to visit SDC and long-time friend Ron Powell of Machesney Park IL (near Rockford), probably for the last time. Ron is 73(?) and was suddenly diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer about a month ago. Heroics were discussed but not solicited, following a realistic appraisal of Ron's condition.
Ron elected to enjoy his final weeks at home. He was in excellent spirits yesterday, enjoying his oxygen and good conversation with myself and longer-time mutual friend and casual SDCer Mike Parker. Mike was born and raised in Rockford and has also known Ron many years through the old-car hobby in the Rockford area.
Mike flew to Indianapolis Wednesday from retirement in California and stayed at our place Wednesday night. We together traveled to see Ron Thursday. It was a good day, although the mission was understandably anything but joyous. 'Also got to visit Rockford-area SDCer Ron Johnson, and view Ron Johnson's good progress restoring the factory overdrive 1956 Golden Hawk he's had since 1972. He just dismantled it for a second restoration last fall.
While Ron Powell is surrounded by family and friends in the Rockford area, I'm sure a ton of cards with good wishes from fellow SDCers far and wide would brighten any day on which they arrive. If you are so inclined, then, greetings may be mailed to:
Ron Powell
10244 Bluebonnet Drive
Machesney Park IL 61115-1317
Ron Powell is also a bit of a historian and "people-person," having graduated from Rockford East High School in 1953. He's always been heavily involved in the area's old-car hobby.
A couple years ago, Ron took it upon himself to seek out all the remaining hot-rodders from the four 1950s Rockford-area hot-rod clubs: The Rockford Road Kings, The Drag-Ons of Rockford, The Vaga-Bonds of Rockford, and The Gentlemen Car Club of Loves Park (another Rockford suburb).
Ron compiled all their memories and hundreds upon hundreds of 1950s-era photographs from many of their personal collections, into a 120 page book he published in March, 2002. It's the same "sideways" format as Turning Wheels.
Ron Powell gave me a copy of it yesterday and while I'm not from that area, it's been a real treasure to read all about what those guys were doing roughly ten years "before my time" entering the hobby full-blast. Obviously, in the late 1940s and first half of the 1950s, most guys were hot-rodding flathead Ford V-8s, while a few better-healed guys were able to buy new Oldsmobile 88s.
Studebakers fared well in Ron's book, though, in that he's had several Studes from time to time...as did, surprisingly, other members of the various clubs.
One entry includes two 1954 photographs of prominent Road Kings member cars: A 1950 Olds 88 owned by Randy Cornmesser, and a 1941 Chevy hot-rod owned by member Jerry Mernack. The caption for the Chevy's photo says:
"The car on the right was a 1941 Chevy owned by Jerry Mernack, powered by a highly-modified Studebaker V-8 engine. If you wanted to get a close look at Jerry's Chevy, as Joe Faronna and Sheriff's Deputy Mike Isparro found out, you had to wait for the coil wire to fall out so it would slow down and come to a halt." (A grainy old photo later in the book shows the Stude V-8 to have been equipped with an aftermarket, two-duece manifold.)
How about that: To make your Chevy hot rod go faster in 1954, you yanked out Chevy's best and installed a Studebaker V-8! Who could argue with that novel approach?
[}][^]Anyway, Ron Powell is to be commended for recording so much would-have-been-lost hot-rod history from the 1950s. I envy his discipline. He's been an active SDC Member for as long as I can remember, so, hopefully, his mailperson will get a hernia [Sorry, Bob Andrews!]
We've got to quit saying, 
BP
] No, I didn't share 'em
I'm sorry to report that our friend SDCer Ron Powell, passed away peacefully at home this morning; Friday, January 30, 2009.
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