Shop visits

The NJ Region of the AACA has held its annual Spring Meet (car show) on the first Sunday in May for as long as I can remember, and probably much further back than that. Traditionally, the Chief Judge for the Meet holds a judging seminar a week or two before the show. Last year, our long-serving Chief Judge retired from the position, and with a new Chief Judge comes a fresh look at the way we do things. Our new Chief Judge Anthony decided to make two rather simple changes: one, conduct more than one judging seminar, and two, conduct the first one a few months before the show. The overall intent is to increase the number of volunteer judges.

Our newsletter editor-in-chief, Dick Bettle, graciously agreed to make his garage available for the first of these seminars, which was held on a ‘balmy’ (40-ish) January Saturday. Including our host, 17 members of the club turned out, which I felt was an impressive showing. Craig Kunz, our Regional VP, agreed to stand in for Anthony, who is dealing with some medical issues. We surrounded Dick’s 1930 Ford Model A Coupe which was our vehicle exemplar for the day.

Several attendees are experienced National AACA judges, having judged at Hershey and other National shows around the country, and their input is valuable at these kinds of seminars. At the same time, AACA uses a 400-point judging system and drills down to a microscopic level which our Region does not. The NJ Region’s judging sheet uses a 40-point system, with 10 points each assigned to exterior, interior, engine compartment, and chassis. One of the major learnings which Craig successfully delivered was understanding the difference between the National 400-point judging sheet and our 40-point one.

It was a fun exercise with Dick’s Model A. Most club members are all too familiar with this car, as Dick and his wife Bobbi routinely put 4,000-5,000 miles a year on it (that is not a typo: four THOUSAND to five THOUSAND miles a year). To the casual observer, this is a bone-stock 1930 Ford. However, Dick, a life-long car fanatic whom I consider to be one of the most technically savvy people I’ve met, has executed dozens of modifications to this A. Among other upgrades: radial tires on smaller-diameter wheels, an alternator, a Honda distributor, a performance cylinder head, and upgraded electrics including a navigation system (yet he has retained cable brakes). On a 40-point scale, we ended up deducting 13 points for a final score of 27. The radials and the engine mods were major deductions. While some attendees wanted to score a “0” for the engine compartment, Craig and other judges noted that the car retains its original engine block, so only 5 points were deducted.

After two hours in the garage, Bobbi entered the room to announce that lunch was being served upstairs, where we found homemade lasagna, meatballs, water, coffee, and various cupcakes (some club members admitted that they were really here for the lasagna). Dick and Bobbi were generous to a fault by hosting and feeding this crowd of hungry car guys. Oh, and the next judging seminar is in March at my house. I need to go clean the garage.

Car owner Dick (hand on pole) and other attendees listen to Pete (Spring Meet Chair)

Craig (in white hat) makes a point or two

John P asks attendees to evaluate the interior

Bobbi takes photos while the lasagna is in the oven

What car guys REALLY love to do: eat, and talk:

I’ve driven past the spot dozens, if not hundreds of times: just another industrial park along Route 22 in western New Jersey. But on Saturday November 23, 2019, this locale, set back a few hundred feet from the highway, proved to be quite something else, as the New Jersey Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) was invited to tour the Steven Babinsky Restoration Business.

The weather cooperated: it was a sunny and dry, if somewhat crisp day. Many club members took advantage of an optional breakfast at the Readington Diner starting at 8am, which gave us a chance to fuel ourselves with food and coffee while chatting with our buddies about, what else, our cars. By 9:30, the last of the participants met us there, and we totaled over 50 attendees, ready to begin our tour.

NJ REGION AACA MEMBERS’ CARS AT THE READINGTON DINER

From the diner, it was a 5-minute drive to our destination. Steve Babinsky was on hand to greet us, and made us feel quite welcome by informing us that we were free to wander around the premises. A few of his craftsman were working, and they didn’t mind fieldling our questions. Steve also made himself available for Q & A all morning.

**Steve Babinsky (in red & black plaid shirt) uses piece of paper to make a point**

The shop itself is huge; there were perhaps two dozen vehicles inside, all in various states of disassembly. I get a kick out of inspecting shop equipment, and I wasn’t disappointed. Everything from lathes, milling machines, and tubing benders, to presses, a paint booth, and a ‘fire pit’ (to pre-heat aluminum prior to welding according to Steve) was inside.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT IN THE WORKSHOP

With the sole exception of a ’59 Caddy convertible, all the vehicles in this building were pre-war, which is Steve’s specialty. After we had enough running around in the shop, we were invited to enter another warehouse across the parking lot, which serves as a storage building. Here, cars were so tightly packed that it was difficult to walk around (and certainly a challenge to get good photos).

VEHICLES IN THE MAIN SHOP UNDERGOING RESTORATION WORK

One car though stood out among all the valuable machinery. A silver Mercedes-Benz 540K roadster (I believe), looking like an older restoration, was in the middle of the crowd. The top was down; the whitewall tires had long ago turned yellow; it was dusty; and one got the impression that it had not been started in a long time. But its design was breathtaking. Everyone to a person admired it.

THE MERCEDES-BENZ 540K ROADSTER

After staring at so much interesting automotive history, we were invited to drive another 20 minutes to the town of Bloomsbury, where Steve stores yet more vehicles in a building which once was a Studebaker dealership. Scattered among the cars at this location was a lot of automobilia: metal signs, old advertising, hood ornaments, toys, and the like. The biggest surprise (and far and away the biggest vehicle) was a pre-war Ahrens Fox fire engine.

THE REPURPOSED STUDEBAKER DEALERSHIP

Before the tour, I had read a little bit about how Mr. Babinsky got his start. Like many other businesses, things started slowly for him. But once word spread about the quality of his work (he does boast of having restored multiple Pebble Beach winners), he said he has no reason to advertise. He doesn’t even have a website. Based on my very informal observation, he has enough work on hand at present to keep him busy for several years. It was a thrill and a privilege to be given inside access to his business for a few hours.

richardscarblog

All automotive, all the time

NJ AACA Judging School, Jan. 27, 2024