North Country Hillbillys Newsletter

Hello Car Guys and Gals,

Well, it's been a long time again. Many things in the Hillbilly club are changing. For all of you that this is your first newsletter, welcome aboard.

Lots to talk about here. Our show is still at Heidelberger Farm Equipment; it's a pleasure that Dale lets us use the facility - it's much appreciated. Just an FYI, it's free for us to use, we supply our insurance and the fun.

The NCH show is September 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will have the Valve Cover Race, as always. Remember, build and they will come, right! This is always a growing event. So, go on our website for the rules to build one, it's a good time. It's Pinewood Derby for big boys, ooops, and girls. Weeee.

Also, we will have the infamous Burnyard. Who doesn't like burnouts? You know it's about cars with extra gas. It's about too much tire rubber and a whole lot of fun. Last year, I think we had about 8 cars registered; register onsite for this. There is also an inspection for this event; it's required by our insurance company. You know, safety first. It's a hoot. It's also helping our carbon footprint.

Then, later on in the day, is our always cool Rap Contest. A way to waste gas and help our carbon footprint. Right? So much cool noise, fun to put on, waiting for the smoke and the valves floating. Way cool. Did I say cool?

As for the Hillbilly club, this is our 18th annual show. We do this with pride and we have a lot of fun doing this. We've all met new friends and there are friends we haven't met yet. During the year we have almost once a month get-togethers to talk and solve world problems. We go bowling together, well most of us that can still bend I guess. Mini golf is a fun one for us to pick on each other and have fun. You'll see an article on the Veit Automotive Foundation tour. Amazing, simply amazing to see. But, during the summer and winter get-togethers we have fun and make nicknames for each other. This year, going to Veit it rained, bad storms were expected, we drove our Ford Edge...and I received a new name of "puss". Well, I take that with honor, okay I don't, but it's all fun. Right?

So, with the show coming September 7, bring your projects, bring your drivers and the super shiny stuff. Since conception of the North Country Hillbillys Car Club, we strive to get the young drivers a place to show their ride and be proud of their ride. I had a conversation with "Jarrid" this last week, we came to the same agreement, does it matter if it's a classic, hot rod, street ride, donk, rat rod, or all original? Does it matter if it's a ricer car or one of those pickups that drag in the back? Or, does it matter if all 4 wheels are cambered at say 40 degrees? It really doesn't. After all, they're motorheads, car peeps, cool people like us. Right? We are all the same with different flavors. That's all good. I've said in the past, if it's not your type of vehicle, just walk by it. Don't ruin their day. Don't be disrespectful of what they (him or her) are so proud of.

So, through the move to Heidelberger's it's been kind of tough keeping food and drink for everybody. This year we have Gramma CC's food truck and Pine City Pizza Pub, this will be awesome. Right now, Pizza Pub may be offering adult beverages. So, let us know what you think.

Also, remember we can't have a car show without cars. That's all you folks who bring your rides to share with everybody. Many thanks to you for that. Always remember, don't touch, don't let buttons and belt buckles ruin your, oops, their day. Paint touchup is, how do I say, very expensive. So, always use caution.

Then we will always sell our apparel. This is how we can afford to put on next year's show, we don't put money in our pockets. We're a "not for profit" club and have been since the beginning.

And, a "thank you" to the group (Hillbillys) for all the work you do throughout the year. It's a lot of work. The Hillbilly Car Club is about 26 peeps, not including the "Lil'billys". We're growing all the time.

Well for now, I think that's enough ramblings. As always, thanks for listening. Come and introduce yourself to our group, enter our events (Valve Cover, Burnyard, and Rap). Thanks again.

As always, Bring a Kid to a Car Show.

The North Country Hillbillys will host the Sweet as Pie Car Show at Braham Pie Day on Friday, August 2. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., trophies awarded at 2 p.m. at Braham Motor Service. As always, this is a FREE car show.

Some of you might ask, what is Pie Day? Braham Pie Day is always held the first Friday in August. Fun Fact - Braham is the Pie Capital of Minnesota. The day is filled with entertainment, a craft/vendor show, food, prizes, a car show, and of course - PIE!

Special thanks to Braham Motor Service for sponsoring this event.

From humble beginnings the North Country Hillbillys created a fun family-oriented club in the Braham area. It all started with a simple passion for cool cars and trucks. Whether they are old, new, ratted out, matted out, chromed out, built up or low riders. You name it, they all reflect what people enjoy doing with their fun ride. Our merchandise reflects our pride in being a Hillbilly. Come check out the latest apparel, made with quality in mind. We offer a full range of sizes and colors for men, women, and toddlers. Quality t-shirts are soft medium weight comfort, with super durable fabric. We do not stop there. We offer ball caps in a variety of colors, materials, and styles. Can koozies tall and small to keep your drink cool for that walk at the shows. On top of that, enjoy Hillbilly patches, mugs, flags, and decals at reasonable prices. When you buy Hillbilly merchandise, it helps support our annual Car & Truck Show on the Saturday after Labor Day each year. We are genuinely grateful for your continued support and could not be prouder to be part of this community. Stop by and see us at the Show!

New this year, we'll have a Hillbilly Coffee Corner! Sit, relax, and enjoy Hillbilly talk next to registration.

The Hillbillys are the best, most wonderful, people I have ever met. I joined around 2009 and it’s been the best time I’ve ever had in a car club. And, as the years pass, it’s become more than a car club, it’s become a family to me. The way they give back to the community, the way they help others, and they treat you like family. I have the utmost respect for them and love.

I’m proud to be a North Country Hillbillys Car Club member. Hillbilly for ever and ever a Hillbilly.

Love to all, Mr. Hillbilly Ralph

Kids of all ages are welcome to visit and play in the kids area (with adult supervision). NCH staff will be handing out Hot Wheels cars from 9 - 11 a.m. (one per child). There will also be temporary tattoos and coloring sheets! "Play at Your Own Risk" will be 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Hot Wheels race track is a popular favorite and will be set up all day for kids to enjoy. Let’s instill the love of cars in our little kiddos!

It’s hard to believe the Hillbillys have hosted our annual car show for 18 years. This year’s show is Saturday, September 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Heidelberger’s Farm Equipment in Rock Creek. We realize summer flies by quickly and there are always things to do. If you’ve never been to our show, check it out this year. Our show isn't about us, it's about you! It’s about those of you who bring your cars to our show and those who might not have a “hot rod” but appreciate all makes, models and styles of cars. We do what we do each year because we have fun doing it and we hope you enjoy it too.

We’re proud to be able to offer a free show! Stop by the registration tent; the first 75 registrants will receive a custom dash plaque and goody bag. After you register, stop at the NCH merchandise and Coffee Corner areas. Merchandise sales help pay for the expenses of our show.

We’re proud to say we’ve supported the Braham Food Shelf for 18 years! We’ve been collecting items for the food shelf since our inception. We encourage participants and spectators to bring a non-perishable item and/or cash donation that will be given to the Braham Food Shelf.

We encourage you to participate in some or all of the events during the day. It's fun to watch the events, but why not be a part of them this year?

• Valve Cover Race starts at 11 a.m.; the rules can be found on our website (www.theNCH.com)
• Burnout Contest is at 12:30 p.m.
• Muffler Rap is at 1:30 p.m. and closes out the day

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s show!

With plans in place, on August 15, 2023 we left Hinckley headed for Sauk Center, Minnesota to pick up our granddaughter. This would be a fun 2-week vacation in our 1961 Chevy pickup pulling our camper. On August 16 we headed for South Dakota. Much to our surprise, we broke down three times before we got to our campsite in South Dakota.

Steve figured it out that it was the fuel pump and we camped in South Dakota for one week while he fixed the truck. However, it didn't slow us down. When we were in South Dakota we saw Mount Rushmore, went to Devils Tower, went through Wonderland Cave, and drove through Custer’s State Park.

On August 22, as we headed towards Wyoming, we hit some rain storms, which paused our travels so we stopped for the night in Evanston, Wyoming.

On August 23 we stopped and saw Bonneville Speedway Salt Flats. We spent the night in Reno, Nevada and on the August 24 we headed towards Pleasanton, California. We camped there at the Alameda Country Fairgrounds in Pleasanton for four nights. We had a great time going to the car show and we met some really nice people that were camping also.

On Monday, August 28 we headed up to Meyer Flats, California, where we camped at the Giant Woods RV campground. We spent two days up there checking out all the great big redwoods. It was awesome. Then we started heading back home. It was a great road trip!

The North Country Hillbillys Car Club recently took a car cruise to the Veit Automotive Foundation & Museum in Monticello, MN. The off and on rain showers didn't dampen the excitement, enthusiasm, and awe of all who attended. If you've never visited the museum, check out their website at https://www.veitauto.org to learn more. The ever expanding foundation has a huge collection of automobiles, petroliana, treasures on wheels, and other items of interest. Thanks to Jarrid, our tour guide, for sharing your knowledge and expertise with our group.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Crust

1-3/4 cups graham crackers (plus 1 tablespoon for garnish)

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon melted butter

Pineapple layer ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese (one box)

½ cup butter softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups powdered sugar

20 ounce can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup drained

8 ounces Cool Whip

Instructions:

Bake or no bake method. Preheat oven to 325*F (if using baking method). Lightly spray 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. In bowl combine 1-3/4 cups crushed graham cracker, ½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon of melted butter and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Press the graham cracker mixture into bottom of baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes (or go bakeless). Allow crust to cool completely.

Use stand mixer or hand mixer and cream together ½ cup softened butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. In the same bowl as used for the filling, fold pineapple into the cool whip topping.

Gently spread the whip topping over cream cheese layer.

Add 1 tablespoon of crushed graham crackers on top as garnish. Refrigerate for 4 hours to set. Then enjoy your Pineapple Dream.

Hillbilly Patty

None of us wants to put away our favorite car over winter. Sadly, winter happens and with winter comes wet weather, salt spreaders, icy bends and all the stuff that the majority of us wish would go away.

Carrying out certain checks to make sure your classic goes into its winter storage in the best condition possible will help it emerge from its slumber in good shape. Here are some straightforward tips that anyone can easily follow.

1. Get rid of grime. When it comes to car storage advice, rule one is to clean your car. Also use the opportunity to clean and feed any leather surfaces.
2. Reduce rodent appeal. Carry out a sweep for food that might've been forgotten in your car. Mice and rats have a taste for insulation and air filters too, so block entry points such as the exhaust pipe with steel wool, and close all air vents.
3. Get a handle on humidity. Moisture is an invisible enemy. Storing your car in a garage with air flow will help, and so can a dehumidifier. Consider placing silica gel packs, or a container of baking soda, in a footwell to absorb moisture and leave a window open to prevent condensation or a musty smell. If your classic has a soft top roof, don’t fold it away as this is a perfect environment for growing mold. If you use a car cover, make sure it’s lightweight, breathable and preferably tailored to your car, or elasticated to fit snuggly.
4. Inflate the tires. Going nowhere takes its toll on tires, but there are several ways to prevent what’s known as flat-spotting – where the tire loses its shape. The easiest is to pump them up to the maximum recommended air pressure. Alternatively, jack the car up and put it on axle stands so that the wheels no longer make contact with the ground – this also takes the pressure off bearings. This is also a great opportunity to inspect the condition of the tires.
5. Don’t use the handbrake. It goes against your instincts, but if you leave the handbrake on you risk fusing the brake pads to the discs. Use wheel chocks to stop your classic from rolling away, check your brake fluid, and leave the car in gear.
6. Change the engine oil. This is probably the most important task to tackle. During regular usage the impurities that build up in oil as a by-product of fuel combustion are driven off, but if left to linger during the hibernation period they will do their corrosive worst. Change the oil and the filter, check the level then run the engine to circulate.
7. Top up and treat the fuel, or leave it empty. Some say it’s best to fill the tank to minimize the amount of petrol exposed to the air, and add a stabilizing product which will help to ward off corrosion, oxidation and keep the fuel in grade. Others, suggest leaving the tank empty, then add a splash of fresh fuel when bringing your car out of storage, before filling it entirely.
8. Disconnect or charge the battery. A battery will naturally discharge over time. The low-tech solution to stop it from losing its oomph is to disconnect the battery. Alternatively, purchase a trickle charger.
9. Anti-seize and antifreeze. Common grease points include steering components, prop shaft, spring shackles and suspension ball joints. You also need to treat rubber seals with silicone grease to help maintain their sealing properties and lubricate locks. It’s also important to check the level of antifreeze in the coolant.
10. Lift wipers from glass. Rubber has a tendency to fuse itself to glass when left unattended. Either lift the wipers up and off the windscreen entirely, or insert a piece of cloth or paper to create a barrier between them.

• Braham Tusen Tack
• Heidelberger's Farm Equipment LLC
• Holiday Station Store #6, Pine City
• Frandsen Bank & Trust, Braham
• Holiday Station Store #258, Pine City