Volunteer
Status |
- An Ohio partner (Bill Bicknell) has volunteered to restore
the engine.
- An Illinois partner (Charlie Glick) has volunteered to cast
all the large logos that are missing. This is approx. 300# of aluminum.
- Phil Mayton in Ohio has volunteered to develop the mailing
lists, printing of the letters and envelopes.
- A NC partner (Dean Tryon) has volunteered to develop and
send this quarterly newsletter to all the partners. Dean has also volunteered to restore
the dash assembly and the drivers seat assembly.
- Don has met with the Canadian firm and picked up in Montreal
all the original parts from their Futurliner they did not use. It consisted of a very
large trailer load of parts. Don is also negotiating with them to purchase an extra
windshield they have made for their vehicle.
- Don has met with the owner of the largest manufacturer of
antique car & truck tires asking them to manufacture the special tires used on the
Futurliner as a donation to this project. The have already said that it would cost them
$30,000 to do this; however, they have not said no. The Futurliner had white walls with
raised letters "General Motors Parade of Progress".
- An Ohio partner (Arnie Seeger) has volunteered to find a
model maker to make a scale model of the Futurliner and is in contact with Joel
Dirnberger.
- Joel Dirnberger of Monticello, Minn. has started the design
of a 1/24-scale model of the Futurliner that will have working doors, display panels and
light bar. This one will go to NATMUS but other models without moving parts may be made
available to purchase with a portion of the proceeds to go to the museum and this project.
- Another partner (Stu Allen) is tracking down one of the original
displays that was in one Futurliner 1940-56. We know that this display exists because
until recently it was at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
- Dennis Hoadley, a Michigan partner, has volunteered to do
additional research. We have lots of unanswered questions about the "Parade".
- Del Carpenter of Hudsonville, Michigan has volunteered to
build a new exhaust system.
|
Other
GM
Futurliners |
Here is what we know about the current status
of the 12 vehicles from 1952 including their locations, their estimated restoration costs
and current status.
- California - Has been converted to a motor home with
many alterations from the GM original design. The owner estimates he spent $150,000 on the
restoration and he is possibly 90% done. This was featured in a recent magazine
("MotorHome", Oct 1998) with colored photos and history of this vehicle.
- Springfield Mass. - Owned and undergoing restoration
by the Peter Pan Bus Co. Many alterations from the original have already been made.
Estimated restoration costs by the shop manager is $200,000. It will be used to advertise
the Peter Pan Bus Co.
- Springfield Mass. - Owned by the Peter Pan Bus Co.
They dug it out of the earth in NY State as a parts vehicle and will scrap it when they
are done with #2. It cannot be salvaged.
- National Automotive and Truck Museum of the United States
- This is owned by the museum and is the one being restored on this project. Although
it is fairly complete, it is badly deteriorated. Our goal is to restore it to the original
GM design.
- Montreal Canada - Is restored and cost the owners
about $300,000 (Can). Since this is such a rare and unique vehicle, items such as the
windshield cost them $12,000 (Can.) to get reproduced. It has had extensive alterations to
accommodate its use to sell cell phones by their financial sponsor. Don and his wife had
the privilege to see and ride in it in Sept. last year. It is an excellent restoration but
unless you stop and talk to the driver, you would never have known it was once a GM
vehicle.
- Yuma Ariz. - Located in Yuma Ariz. badly rusted with
many parts missing.
- Yuma Ariz. - Located in Yuma Ariz. badly rusted with
many parts missing.
- Indiana - This one is in about the same condition as
the NATMUS Futurliner except that it does have the original cast aluminum "GM",
"Parade of Progress", and "General Motors" emblems on the sides and
front.
- New Hampshire - Don has traced it to a junkyard in
New Hampshire and has photos but it has disappeared in the last few years. Current
location is unknown.
|
| History |
- 1936-1939 – This was the first year of the Parade of
Progress concept developed by Charles Kettering. Eight Streamliners were built plus 9 GMC
and Chevrolet tractor-trailer trucks for support. The motivation was based on the success
of the GM Pavilion at the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair, especially the science and
technology displays. GM then decided to take the fair on the road and hence the
Streamliner concepts were born. The show came to town "circus style" with 8
large red and white vans each with a separate display and connected via a canvas walk-thru
exhibit area. All 5 GM Divisions were represented in the shows but the focus was not
primarily on cars but on technology for the home. These shows were held mostly in small
towns across the country and went as far south as Mexico. During the big fairs in 1939-40
in NY and San Francisco, GM took the show off the road.
- 1940-WWII – After the close of the 1940 Fairs, GM built
12 new vehicles called Futurliners. GM also built a single streamlined truck called the
"Preview of Progress" that visited schools, colleges and small towns. Both
programs focused on technical displays and animated dioramas presenting motorized science
and research shows from both Worlds’ Fairs. As Alfred P. Sloan said, "Our
purpose in bringing to the people in their own communities the features of our fair
exhibits is to show the important and constructive role American industry and scientific
research can play in strengthening our national economy".
- 1953-56 – GM rebuilt the above 12 vehicles and updated
them with new displays, electrical systems, eliminated the large "greenhouse"
canopy that was miserable for the drivers in hot weather and installed a modern
powertrain.
- For further information and pictures, refer to page 82 in
the blue "GM –The First 75 Years of Transportation Products", published in
1983 and widely distributed to all GM employees.
|
Futurliner
Project
Director
Report |
The process has begun. We already have 70
Partners on board helping to recreate an important part of GM history. Each Partner’s
contribution to this project is vital whether it is financial, research, communication or
the actual restoration process. It has really been rewarding to see people step forward
and ask, "what else can I do?" I can only say thanks. |
Volunteers
Needed |
We still need partners to help us with the
following areas. If any of these pique your interest and you would like to get involved,
please contact Don. A few of the many items include.
- Restoration work
- Follow up on research. We understand that the Detroit
Library has an extensive collection on the Parade of Progress.
- Finding an original color photo of the Futurliner since we
have none and would like to duplicate colors as close as possible.
- Interviewing people that were part of the Parade of Progress
in 1953-56. Don has 3 names so far but has not been able to get to them. They are retired
and located in Michigan.
- We know that the drivetrain is the same as used in the GMC
Korean era army trucks. We are looking for the military shop manuals for both the engine
and transmission.
If you have any comments or suggestions for this
newsletter, please pass them on to me at 2516 Laurelford Ln., Wake Forest NC 27587, tel.
919-562-4660 or e-mail at "dgtryon2516@gmail.com". If you would prefer to receive
future issues of this newsletter via e-mail, please let me know; it would help us reduce
mailing costs. Don Mayton's address is 4521 Majestic Vue, Zeeland, MI 49464, and tel.
(616)-875-3058.
Thanks for your input and we are looking forward to your
involvement. |
