The "CRUISER" Newsletter

JULY 2026 

AS THE WHEEL TURNS!

BY ROGER BEAUCHAMP, PRESIDENT

Well, my gosh it’s the first day of Summer! They say time flies when you are having fun, or maybe its just because I’m a year older now. When you are twenty, 1 month is a much bigger percentage of the 240 months of your life. Now, for me, 1 month is a small percentage of the 958 month gone by.

But the reality of it all is, we have the best of this summer season yet to come. So far we have had some great Drive and Dines and participated in local shows from Blue Ridge to Canton and in between. Fun times at the monthly dinner location with some great conversations and food.

And last, I have to mention the Cars and Coffee, the last Saturday of the month. Check the web page for a list of the future Drive and Dine locations or the restaurant for our upcoming monthly dinner.

Most of our events are rain or shine - we have had some damp events but for most parts the weather has been in our favor. For me, occasionally I have left the Mustang garaged for a “damp” event but I do try to take a chance. The worst case means a car wash.

I encourage all of you to head on over the the Web Page and join up or renew membership to get involved in these fun events with other members of our group. Please follow the Web page - www.ellijaymountaincruisers.com for up to date information on events.

Roger

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR JULY, 2026

This calendar is dedicated to car events OTP (Outside The Perimeter) covering the North Georgia area.  www.ellijaymountaincruisers.com

---RECURRING EVENTS---

(Some events may be seasonal; always check with the host group)

Sunday, 5th - Caffeine and Octane Car Show. Town Center at Cobb - 9:00 AM (Recurring event-first Sunday of the month)

Sunday, 5th - WORSHIP Vintage and Classic Car Event - 1135 Woodstock Rd.,Roswell, GA. Vehicles must be 18 years old or older. 8:00am - 11:00am (Recurring event-first Sunday of the month)

Friday, 10th - Gilmer Street Rodders - Shane’s Rib Shack, 289 Highland Crossing, E. Ellijay, GA. 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. (Recurring event-second Friday of the month)

Tuesday, 14th - ELLIJAY MOUNTIAN CRUISERS CLUB SOCIAL DINNER **Okinawa Hibachi Restaurant** - 6:00 PM (Recurring event -Second Tuesday)

Sunday, 12th - Dahlonega Car Club Cruise-In. 140 S.Chestatee St, Dahlonega,GA. 9:00am - 12:00pm (Recurring event-second Sunday of the month)

Saturday, 18th - Po Boys Cruise-In, Riverstone Plaza, 1447 Riverstone Parkway, Canton, GA. 3:00pm - 6:00pm (Recurring event-third Saturday of the month)

Saturday, 18th - Cold Crank Canton Cruise-In, Panera Bread, 205 W. Main St., Canton, GA. 8am-11am

Friday, 24th - Georgia Mountain Classics DQ Cruise-In. 380 Progress Circle, Blue Ridge, GA. Blue Ridge Dairy Queen. 6:00pm - 8:00pm (Recurring event-fourth Friday of the month)

Saturday, 23rd - Pickens Freedom Crusiers Crusie-In, 104 N. Main St., Jasper, GA., 4pm - 8pm (Recurring event-fourth Saturday of the month)

Tuesday, 23th - ELLIJAY MOUNTAIN CRUISERS DRIVE & DINE - Ellijay, GA. Meet at the parking lot next to McDonalds-11:00am (Recurring Event - Third Thursday of the month)

Saturday, 25th - ELLIJAY MOUNTAIN CRUISERS CARS AND COFFEE  Ellijay, BURGER KING - 9:00 AM (Recurring event-Last Saturday of the month)

ADDITIONAL EVENTS FOR JULY, 2026

($$ Registration fees my apply)

Saturday, 4th - 4th of July Car Show, 105 Courthouse Hill, Dahlonega, GA. 10am - 3pm.  $$

Saturday. 4th - Ellijay 4th of July Parade with EMC!, Pre-registered vehicles only, 7pm

Saturday, 4th - 7th Annual Tim Garner Memorial Car Show, Community Baptiist Church, 639 Main St., Clermont, GA. 9am-2pm $$

Saturday, 4th - Old Glory Car Show, 575 Molly Lane, Woodstock, GA. 9am-2pm $$

Saturday, 11th - CarQuest Cruise-In, 60 Redmond Rd., NW, Rome, GA. 5pm-9pm

Sunday, 12th - Chip’s Cars & Coffee @ Chattanooga Brainerd Motorsports Park, 745 Scruggs Rd., Ringgold, GA. 10am-2pm  $$

Saturday, 18th - Shiny Toys Cruise-In, 1863 Battlefield Parkway, Ft. Oglethorpe, GA. 6pm-9pm

Saturday, 25th - Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show, Center Pointe Church, 7641 Jackson Trail Rd., Hoschton, GA. 10am-2pm $$

Saturday, 25th - Charity Car Show, 66 Hiawassee St., Murphy, NC. Bank Parking Lot next to Chevelle’s, 10am-3pm $$

June Cars & Coffee Has Huge Turnout!

By Tom George

Over a dozen cars showed up at this month’s Cars & Coffee Cruise-In at the Burger King at Hwy 515N & Yukon Road in Ellijay. This might be the largest group of 2026. Corvettes, Mustangs, Jaguars, trucks & Jeeps plus more were present to kick tires, have some breakfast and mostly enjoy the camaraderie of our fellow gear-heads! Cars & Coffee is held on the last Saturday of the month from 9am - 12 noon, or so.  Here’s some pictures from this month’s event.

The 1908 Thomas Flyer was the older car this month!

6 Car Parts You Can Restore in a Day

By Kyle Smith

(Reprinted by permission of Hagerty Media)

Restoring a car takes time. Lots of time. Even TV shows that say a restoration can be done in a week work ’round the clock every single one of those days, with a crew of people large enough to require a catered lunch.

A proper restoration can be overwhelming, because each part and piece of a car requires individual and special attention. Luckily, some parts of the process aren’t actually that hard. Even if a full restoration of your car is a distant dream, it is entirely possible to choose a few parts of the car and invest your full attention in making them the best they can be. Such selective, component-level “restoration” projects can be done without crazy tools, space, or time.

Here are six items that can be restored in a day or weekend and will likely change your perception of your car.

Steering Wheel

There are only a few parts of a car we actually touch while driving. The steering wheel might be the most important one, and it’s also a component that ages pretty quickly. Removing most vintage steering wheels is simple, though you might need to rent a puller from the parts store to ensure the wheel comes off without giving you summer teeth when it pops off the steering shaft. We can think of cooler explanations for a missing tooth …

Once you’ve got the steering wheel removed, it may only need a good, deep scrub. However, depending on how bad things have gotten over the years, you may want to take the time and mix up a small amount of body filler to patch cracks before sanding the wheel down and giving it a fresh coat of paint. If you do repaint, be sure to use a proper two-part catalyzed clear coat. Standard rattle-can paints will typically get soft. As you walk into the office on Monday morning, your coworkers might ask why your hands match your car.

Shift Knob

Whether it controls an automatic or manual transmission, the shifter is another thing we touch literally every time we get in the car. Even if we don’t look at it as often as we do a steering wheel, the feel and action of a shifter significantly shape our impression and opinion of a car. So why not take an afternoon or evening and get that shift knob looking and feeling right?

If there is a shift boot, especially a leather one, be sure to take care of it at the same time as the handle itself. A good deep clean is one thing, but leather repair is possible with the right products. Even vinyl repair is something that can be done at home by an amateur. So don’t tolerate that crummy shift knob or boot when it could only take a day or weekend to make it something worth bragging about.

Air-Cleaner Housing

There are easy restoration projects under the hood of your car, too. Many older cars have interesting air cleaner housings, often made of steel and painted to match the engine, sometimes wearing nice stickers identifying the specific engine option. In most vintage engine compartments, the air cleaner is also the first thing you see after opening the hood.

So consider popping off the air cleaner, covering the carb or intake to prevent dirt and debris from dropping into the engine, and giving that housing some TLC. Sanding things down can be done by hand without special tools. Getting the correct paint color for many popular models is fairly easy, and for a lot of cars, replica or replacement stickers are available, too. If anyone gives you a hard time for having a restored air cleaner on a dirty motor, just remind them you have to start somewhere.

Headlights

Improving both cosmetically and functionally can be a tough combo, especially with limited time. Luckily, headlights are one of the prime places where we can be efficient with our time and money.

Old-school sealed-beam lights often have glass fronts, so a little bit of polish and a close inspection for cracks or damage might be enough. Plastic lenses, on the other hand, are much more needy. Polishing kits to remove the foggy outer layer of plastic are nice and usually only require some elbow grease or the use of a drill. Of course, be sure to use a proper clear coat or appropriate sealer to keep those lenses looking and working like new for as long as possible.

Brake Calipers

This project is a little more involved than the others, but still very much worth the effort, especially if you have more experience. Get the car up in the air, remove the wheels, and then disconnect and remove the brake calipers. Deep-clean, scuff, and spray on a fresh layer of paint in a color that contrasts or matches the color of your car.

This is a great opportunity to give your calipers some mechanical attention if the seals are tired or if the action of one caliper feels sticky. Some calipers can be disassembled at home and reassembled with new seals, while others require replacement. If you can find a rebuild kit, don’t be scared to use it. Calipers are simple to work with, and while some care is required, rebuilding a caliper is not nearly as complicated as rebuilding an engine or transmission.

Windshield or Other Glass

Glass gets lots of small scratches and hazing over the years, and taking an afternoon to deep clean and polish the windshield and side glass on a vintage car can completely refresh the feel from the driver’s seat. There is no reason that getting in your vintage car should feel like you are watching a movie where the only way to tell the main character is in a foreign country is by the yellow or tan filter put on the camera lens.

Glass-specific polishes exist and very much have their place, but on many of my cars, I’ve had great luck with using a well-lubricated clay bar to remove much of the baked-on junk stuck to my glass after multiple road trips. A good wash, followed by a clay bar, and then another wipe down usually gets things back in tip-top shape pretty quick. Of course, to keep your sanity, be sure to wipe side-to-side on one side of the windshield and up-and-down on the other. Then, if you see streaks, it’s easy to find them based on the direction.

OUR CLUB SPONSORS

Local companies and club Sponsors offer discounts

to Ellijay Mountain Cruisers members for car parts,

service specials and automotive events.

Being a REGULAR member of Ellijay Mountain Cruisers

allows members access to special group discounts for club related events and shows

and other discounts offered by vendors and sponsors!

Visit: www.ellijaymountaincruisers.com

and click CLUB SPONSORS for more details about each sponsor.

link to sponsors