Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Howard! 
Great show!  Very proud and honored to have had this experience!
Thank you!

Ann

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Just like stepping into a time machine. Amazing!

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Friday’s photo shoot was an amazing time. It was a very moving emotional “homecoming” to see the Chrysler parked there at the back of the Chrysler mansion.
Great to see my editor and great friend Richard Lentinello for several hours as he photographed that magnificent car. Photographing a black car is not an easy task! The mirror finish reflects everything . Look for a full two part story in consecutive issues of Hemmings Classic Car magazine towards the end of this year, of both the history of the car and the extensive restoration it received. Hats off to you Howard and Roz for stepping up to save this car, see it restored correctly and authentically to the absolute last detail and now share it with all of us, AND keep the car on Long Island where it has its heritage.

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Absolutely beautiful!

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Mike, you’re dead on with the gravestone! Lol. We share the same possibilities. Though, after reconsidering its height (approx 7-8ft.), It’s most likely not a cemetery entrance post (those would be much larger and grand), but most likely a monument for sale by same vendor on Horace Harding Blvd (Nassau Blvd). Another possibility is that the stone was purchased close to the date of the photograph (1931), and most likely installed somewhere in Cedar Grove or Mount Hebron (too expensive to transport to another cemetery). Not sure.  Also, I have strong suspicion we crossed paths that same day by the lake in FM Park. Contact me. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Hi Frank and Howard,  I totally agree, and in going to the cemetery’s site they provide an immediate street view, so I “cruised” east of the entrance…...and low and behold,  there’s the Monument Store !!! My guess is that the HH road was very close to the graveyard (probably the service road). Over time, ramps went up,  houses were demolished and it must have been an earth moving extravaganza - and we all can agree that the LIE is north of the service road looking east -  however, we do have a gravestone right next to the road in that old picture, with no ramps or LIE yet, but the cemetery was there since the 1890s, and im guessing, so was the monument store. However, with an earth moving ordeal going on all around during the construction of the LIE and ramps, it was possibly a grave that had to be relocated, or it could be a gravestone not yet sold from the monument store…....definitely a great mystery. I’ll bet that someone at the cemetery office has an old diagram in their records.  Mike

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Howard, I think Michael’s photo in question may make a great mystery!

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Hi Michael! That corner is still there. It’s where Cedar Grove Cemetery is located on Horace Harding Expwy and about 350ft east of College Pt. Blvd. It used to intersect with Rodman Street (still existing) there but the L.I.E. changed all that. Heavy traffic there then, and still today! I believe the white sign below the Motor Pkwy sign on the post says Cedar Grove Cemetery. This is 3mi. west of the LIMP terminus. Those cars are indeed speeding, and they’re on the future L.I.E., heading east towards the terminus. The gravestone may have been used as an entrance post for the cemetery once but removed., After using Google street view, I was unable to locate it but it may still be there requiring a visit for a closer look. I doubt it’s there though because it looks too old and out of date to be used as an entrance post, if that’s what it was. But looking at that roadway, I cant decide which I’d prefer, dirt or potholes. Lol. Keep on ridin’

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Hi Frank, This Picture is the one im curious about….what is that stone marker ? Mike

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/from_the_nyc_municipal_archives_images_from_the_motor_parkway_and_the_1937_

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Thanks Frank its good to know, im looking for some bicycle adventures and that area is so nice. The first time i was there was in November at a funeral at St. Marys Cemetery….little did i know of the history surrounding it. Last week i went to the Springfield Avenue Bridge (where the 2 ladies in the old mystery photo stood against the abuttment). Going up the ramp led to some beautiful terrain, and i can’t wait to explore it more.
  One other question i have is that there is an old picture on the VCR website… near the terminus of an old car flying by a signpost with many different arrows pointing to everywhere, and it looks like in the very foreground of the picture there is a gravestone or a road marker. Is that corner still there today ? Mike

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Mike, the greenway bike path was extended and now mostly connects all the area parks (Alley, Cunningham, Kissena, Flushing Meadow….). But to stay closest to the LIMP, it starts off the RoW at the bottom of the LIE pedestrian overpass (also part of the greenway path) hidden behind the school at LIE and Peck Ave, then winds around through Holy Cow Playground back towards Peck Ave (where the N Hemp Tpke bridge used to be located). There you’ll find the existing LIMP RoW next to the sidewalk. Brace yourself for a hilly, heavy downshifting adventure. Willie K made some of them pretty steep and choppy! Follow the path and have fun!

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

From Greg D. Merksamer:
HI, HOWARD!  Mystery Friday Foto #19 is most-familiar to me as the Ford Mustang II concept given its world debut at the October, 1963 U.S. Grand Prix in upstate Watkins Glen, NY.  It was Ford’s more practical four-seat follow-up to the fully-open two-seat Mustang I shown at the same race one year prior in 1962.  The Mustang II was also treated to an encore showing at the 1964 International Auto Show in the New York Coliseum (the above photo was taken by future Pierce Arrow Society Publications Director Bernard J. Weis) to herald the production Mustang’s unveiling at the New York World’s Fair the Monday after the show closed. - See You At Greenwich!  GREGG D. MERKSAMER, Historian of the NY Intl. Auto Show

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The 1962 Mustang II Prototype Built By Dearborn Steel Tubing

Hi Frank I did it in picture and fax viewer and saw boats on the lake, too bad the photo didn’t capture the Trilon and Perisphere, i guess that would have been more to the right after the picture ends.
    I was in Fresh Meadows again on Saturday and saw the Hollis Hills Terrace Bridge and the Springfield Avenue Bridges. I want to take my bike for a ride there, but where does the bike path actually begin since there is no more Western Terminus ?  Is it 73rd Avenue or somewhere in Cunningham Park ?? Mike

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

http://bigdogperformanceparts.com/blogs/blog/tagged/history
(Scroll down to ‘The Strange Journey That Led To The Original Ford Mustang’)

http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Design/Halderman_interview.htm

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The 1962 Mustang II Prototype Built By Dearborn Steel Tubing

The original Mustang II, a concept car? derived from one of the early prototype design of the production Mustang, not the Pinto-powered Mustang II they were pushing on the odd-even gas lines of the ‘70s. It was first displayed on October 1963 in Detroit, designed by Mr. Gail Halderman under Joe Oros at Ford Motor Company. Hal Sperlich was also responsible for its design under the Gene Bordinat team at Ford. Eventually was used in Arizona by the Ford Division in the original Mustang commercials, had its roof chopped off as a convertible, and never returned as promised to Mr. Halderman, its primary designer. Was intended to be a ‘personal car’ with smaller rear seats (all new ideas of the time).

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The 1962 Mustang II Prototype Built By Dearborn Steel Tubing

First of all thank you all so much for the kind comments. It really was a fun day and one of those great father/son days I’m sure we will both remember.

My personal favorite stretch of Parkway starts at the Old Courthouse Road bridge (a great location—interesting to think that this bridge was built prior to the Bethpage Restoration bridge which was so much closer to the Parkway ground breaking) running east, over Shelter Rock Road (over a fence) and then continuing eastward to IU Willets Rd through the bamboo near Herricks HS. It’s a great section of original road that has a very private feel to it, fairly undisturbed with lots of posts, green and quiet. There are many great sections, and several I would recommend to “rookies” before this run, but I felt almost thrown back in time for this portion of the journey. Sammy’s favorite location will be disclosed upon its arrival on Howard’s future postings of our adventure! Stay tuned!

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure”II: Lake Success & Manhasset Hills

Nice investigation work guys! Wish I could persuade my teenage girls to do the same on the MTB’s but I think I may have ridden too many miles with them already. lol. It’s great cruising along the right of way while imagining cars 100 years ago used to speed through here on the early roadway. Maybe the roadway will return in the not-so-far future. Now that would be really neat. Looking forward to more of your updates on how the old roadway is keeping up after all this time! Thanks so much.

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure”II: Lake Success & Manhasset Hills

No clue; possibly the first Mustang convertible?  The headlight treatment reminds me of those gross, bloated, big Thunderbirds.  My; no telling what oddities one finds when one strays off the LIMP RoW (not counting Shelbys, Chryslers, or cross arms with insulators - way to go, Sammy!).  :·)  Sam, III

P. S. - Dave - be sure to take Sammy to that mysterious old electronics shack near the OBVR bridge <http://sbiii.com/limpenas.html#mystery>.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The 1962 Mustang II Prototype Built By Dearborn Steel Tubing

Hi Howard, missed you at the Newsday show, but your beautiful Chrysler’s Chrysler was there and the crowds loved it…...what a car….it just exemplified wealth and beauty…....what is the approximate worth of this vehicle today? Many were guessing…..........worried as it started to rain….......
__________________________________________

Hi Dave
Thanks for the feedback! I have no idea what the car is worth which is okay since it is not being sold!

From Newsday.com The 10 Can't-Miss Cars at Field of Wheels 2015

It is the Ford prototype known as the Mustang II. Built in 1963 under Henry Ford II’s direction. The Idea was to get some buyers back who were upset with the ending of the 2 place T-bird and to go after the import sports car market. This car was shown at the US Gran Prix in 1963. It was based on a Falcon platform with a 108” wheelbase. The mid 1964 production Mustang would be first shown at the New York World Fair. Had Edsel Ford lived longer I am sure there would have been a Ford sports car sooner. Benson and William Clay hosted the Sports Car Review at the museum when I was a kid in Michigan.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The 1962 Mustang II Prototype Built By Dearborn Steel Tubing