The Citizen-Thresher Reunion, 2006-09-07, Page 27Olilt111111)111
Charlie Procter stands with his 1930 Whippet. Orphan cars are the featured car for the 45th
Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion. (Heather Dietz photo)
Welcome to the 45th Annual Thresher Reunion
6'f.roat,'`
MUSIC
"Visit us at our
booth
in the craft
display"
326 Josephine St., Wingham 70 Court House Square, Goderich
519-357-2811 519-524-4689
`Welcome to the 45th
Nuftan, 511Ftetthet
amtaciatiait
Reunion
P.O. Box 144
Londesboro, Ontario
NOM 2H0
Family dining, great coffee,
homemade pies & desserts
Daily Specials
fast, friendly service
Open Monday - Saturday
5 am - 7 pm
Sunday
7 am - 7 pm
Gas Bar open until 8 pm
)Ellyth 519-523-4471
046).• •
Grand View Restaurant
& Gas Bar
WELCOME TO BLYTH'S
45th Annual Thresher Reunion
FERTILIZER & CHEMICALS
• Custom Blending
• Custom Spreading with TerraGators
• Custom Spraying
• Micronutrients
• Soil Testing
e Cropr Scouting • GPS
SEEDS
Dealers for:
• N.K. • Hyland • First Line • Advantage • C & M
ELEVATORS
• Custom Drying - Corn, White Beans, Soybeans, Wheat
• Custom grain roasting
WE BUY, SELL,
STORE OR BANK YOUR GRAINS
Howson &
Howson Limited
BLYTH
519-523-9624 1-800-663-3653
FLOUR & FEED MILLERS, FARM SUPPLY, GRAIN ELEVATORS
PAGE A2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006.
THRESHER" REUNION
Man finds 1930 Whippet in Glammis
was put in an endurance run on the
Indianapolis Speedway it reached an
average speed of 56.52 mph, record
;for a car of its class.
There are some unique features
that can be found on the Whippet.
The windshield can be cranked open
from the inside. There's only one
circular shaped taillight with the
word STOP on it.
Also there is a horizontal blind in
the back window, which can be used
for privacy. •
product of the Will'ys-Overland
Co. of Toledo, Ohio, Whippet was
introduced early in 1927.
It was said to be America's
smallest car, having a wheelbase of
only 100.12 in.
Willys-Overland brought its
manufacturing plant to Canada,
when it took over the old Russell
plant in Toronto after the Russell
Motor Car Co. went out of car
business in 1915. Willys built cars
there from 1916 to 1933, with a brief
interuption during the First World
War to make aircraft engines.
The Whippet had a rear fuel gauge
located on the left end of the
gasoline tank. It also had four-wheel
mechanical brakes.
Each year the Willys-Overland-
Knight-Registry has an international
meet where you can join and register
any pre-war car built by the Willys-
Overland Company or any car using
a Knight sleeve valve engine.
This usually brings people all over
the world to selected American
states, but there was one meet in
Oshawa.
In 2005, Procter went to
Nashville, Tennessee to see what the
meet was all about. He said there
were about 75 old cars from a 1914
Overland to a 1939 Willys. He also
said that there were a lot of friendly,
interesting, and helpful people there.
In 2006 the meet brought Procter
to Custer, South Dakota. He loaded
his car into a trailer and drove there.
Procter said that his car was the
Continued on A3
By Heather Dietz
Citizen staff
A local man's interest in the
Whippet has been virtually life-long.
Charlie Procter's father had one and
that's where he learned how to drive.
It was six years ago whep Procter
of RR 5 Brussels discovered a 1930
Whippet for sale in the Tri-Ad. He
purchased it from a man in
Glammis, Ontario.
The car was in rough shape. It was
bright blue and the engine was apart.
The wooden frame was also rotting
due to water damage.
Procter found out that the car had
recently been used to pick stones in
fields.
With his passion for the car he
started to restore it back to its
original condition. His cousin
Harold Smits helped to put the
engine back in, then the car was sent
to Don McNeil in Brussels who
painted and restored the body work.
The car is a four-door, six cylinder
50 horsepower model.
In the 1930s when the Whippet