Electrical and engine bay access door.

    The engine bay door was installed so the crew working on the aluminum trim could begin the installation process. 

Connie and Art have completed the front bumper with its final primer. The rear bumper section is nearly complete. 

The large GM letters on the front of the Futurliner were installed by Ed, Fred, Connie and Wayne.

Touch up commences on the Futurliner. It looks nearly complete.

Masking and touch up take place.

Work continues on the interior.

PARADER'S STEAMER TRUNKS
    On Tuesday Dick Humphreys along with friend Robert Hadley arrived with two "Parader's" trunks. Dick had made the effort to make a pick up in Saginaw and then Royal Oak two of the Parader's trunks. Both trunks are in great condition. The original trunks were painted beige and red with the lettering Parade of Progress. One trunk has a number and the other has a place for a permanent tag.
    Bill Mitchell was a Parader in 1941 and he has had his trunk stored in the basement since the Parade of Progress was terminated at the end of the year due to the start of World War II. His Parader's trunk was manufactured by Oppenheimer. These are upright trunks when open have drawers as well as a place to hang clothes.
    Conrad "Connie" Vaughan was a Parader in the 1950's and his truck also has been stored all these years. His trunk was manufactured by Taylor Fiber Manufacturing. It is similar to Bill's trunk but with a few differences. In addition Connie donated a "Waterman" fountain pen, given to each Parader when they entered Canada for the 1955 summer tour. It is inscribed; "GENERAL MOTORS, PARADE OF PROGRESS, CANADIAN TOUR - 1955" to commemorate the event.
    Connie also donated a "bologna" bottle used in the Parader's lecture on "compressive stress and residual tension". In this demonstration this glass bottle (looks like a clear glass vase with a round bottom) is used to pound a nail into a 2" X 4" piece of wood. Next a small hard object is dropped in to neck of the bottle and when it hits bottom the glass shatters. We do have a video of this particular demonstration.
    Also in Connie's trunk was a 30 page pamphlet of the Dedication Program of the General Motors Technical Center that occurred May 16, 1956. A second 60 page pamphlet was in his trunk titled "the big road test" which is a story of Engineering at General Motors Proving Grounds. This pamphlet was dated 1957.
    When the Parader's traveled the trunks were stacked in a truck and this truck went to the hotel where the Parader's would be staying. In the evening after the show setup the Paraders would find their trunk in their assigned room. When the Parade moved on these trunks would again be loaded into the truck to again meet with their Parader at the next town.
    We want to first thank Connie Vaughan and Bill Mitchell for donating their Parader's trunks and Dick Humphreys for making the two pickups and then making a 3-hour drive each way to deliver them.
    These trunks will not end up in a dusty corner but will be a part of a display featuring the PARADERS.