A TRIBUTE TO LYNN STEELE

by Debbie Lail 

We all have experienced cancer in one form or another, self, family member, friend; cancer is an equal-opportunity disease.   Although I knew people who survived it or were lost to it; until my dad was diagnosed with it, cancer didn’t hit me the same way.

Four years into his retirement, my dad, Lynn Steele, was diagnosed with renal cancer. Even before his diagnosis, his worst fear was the possibility of a terminal illness, the long suffering of treatment or periods of remission dotted with recurrence.

He watched his two best buddies, his brother, Jerry, and cousin, Doug, battle the demon over 10 years. He didn’t want that to happen to him. Well, he didn’t have to worry about that.  Dad’s passing resulted from complications of surgery, and it was only 10 days between the diagnosis and his death. It could hardly have been more sudden, or unexpected, than if he’d been in a fatal car accident.  We were in shock.  Whether Dad had any suspicions, I’ll never know.

From time to time, I pull out the video from his retirement party, watch him make his speech, seriousness punctured with self-deprecating humor, just to hear and see him talk. And gain some perspective.

Thirteen years later, we’d lose my only brother, Greg, to cancer.  Just as painful, our own mortality made that much clearer, as our middle sibling was the first to leave us.  I’ll always remember his humor and his dignity, during the four years he managed his illness.

My parents both came from large families, Mom, one of 5, and Dad, one of 13.  Dad was a product of The Depression, which made him self-motivated, self-reliant, and no doubt, a fiscally responsible business man.  Mostly, he just loved the businesses he was in.  His company, now in its 54^th year, employs some of his children and grandchildren, something, I know, would make him proud.   He always wanted us to pursue those careers that would bring us personal satisfaction, and never pressured us to “join the business”.  Sometimes, its success surprised him, and he was astonished to have to make succession plans, and consider his own retirement.  He would have been just as happy to continue working until he “dropped in the saddle”.

My sister, Carolyn, described our parents as Dad being the head of the family, while Mom was the heart of the family.  My dad was the disciplinarian, strict, and could slay you with a look, but Mom taught us consideration for others, looking for the best in a situation, and forgiveness, not so much in lessons taught, but by actions observed.  Mother was always close with her family, so we were too.   My father’s family was spread out geographically, so we didn’t know all of them, but visited with many of them, and Dad told some great stories about his childhood, and the kind of shenanigans he could get into (these last stories, AFTER our teens).

This sense of family has proven to carry through, as my sisters and brother dealt with the loss of my dad, my mother’s period of declining health and subsequent death, and then my brother’s death, along with the usual array of life’s roadblocks and temporary wrong turns explored by our children. Through all of it, the ups, downs, painful acceptance and forgiveness, my siblings and I, and our children, remain our closest friends, the ones we hang out with, and turn to in troubled  times.

I think those relationships are the greatest tribute to Dad and Mom.

Lynn Steele was a hot rodder at heart but he never really knew it.

When I first met Lynn in 1970, he was working on his 1931 Cadillac V-12 Closed Coupled Sedan (Town Car).  He was very particular at making sure that it was put together as originally as possible.  As a Cadillac/LaSalle and CCCA club member, his goal was to put together the ’31 to show at the club’s gatherings.  On the side, he did do some modifications to other vehicles.
At the time he didn’t look at them as classics, only as parade vehicles or fun projects.  He changed the convertible top on his 1961 Austin Healey to add landau bars and made the top as a partial top.  My favorite was his parade car.  It was a 1927 American LaFrance fire engine that he transformed into an oversized speedster.

I can remember riding around the old Packard proving grounds in Utica, Michigan, sitting on the spare tires at 70 miles an hour.  It was green with gold pin-striping and beautiful.  It reminded me of the Stutz Bearcat, only bigger. I was amazed at that chain-driven beast being able to handle very well at that speed.  I was also amazed that I survived when I noticed two of the three leather straps holding the tires had ripped apart.

He drove it in many of the local parades around Farmington, Michigan.  Eventually he sold it, to the disappointment of his kids, to buy a 1936 Cadillac, which also surprised me.  I think he was taking some flak from club members and was embarrassed to show the vehicle.

At the time he was definitely a lover of the classics of the early 30s and 20s.  He once told me that the later 30s cars all looked the same; black.  I guess they must have grown on him, since he had many cars of later years in his collection as time went on.

Years later he told me that selling that fire engine was a big mistake.  He had more fun with that vehicle than any other.  In the family, we still talk about the fire engine; the parades, car shows and the fun they had growing up with it.  We’ve lost track of it nearly 40 years ago.  If anyone knows where it’s at, we’d love to hear from you.  And yes, Lynn was a hot rodder at heart and never knew it.

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Matt Agosta is the President of Steele Rubber Products. He is an avid car-enthusiast. When he is not working or restoring one of his classic cars, he enjoys traveling with his wife, local author Carolyn Steele Agosta. 

Visitors learn about making molds from our machinist, Jason.

A group of customers from Denmark stopped by our facilities for a tour and to pick up parts for their latest restoration project vehicles. Kasper Sorensen and several friends are in the United States to attend the NASCAR race in Bristol, TN. As part of their visit, they are touring many of the local companies that produce parts for classic and antique cars.

We love to give tours of our facilities to our friends and customers so that they can see how we craft all of our parts by hand. Most guests are surprised at the amount of time and handling that goes into each and every part that we make.

This summer, we expect many more tours, including over 100 members of the Buick Club of America, in the area for their national conference and our guests from National Collector Car Appreciation Day on July 13.

If you are in the Denver, NC area and would like to schedule a tour of our weatherstripping plant call 877-455-1161 or email media@steelerubber.com.

We love having guests.

Don’t forget to share!

I’ve gone through many cars in my lifetime and had many favorites.  But the one I miss the most was my 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible, regimental red with white interiors.  It was just the right size, sporty, and plenty of power.  It had attitude with its snooty hood scoops. It was the one car that I wish I had not let a friend talk me out of keeping.

This was a long time ago.  My wife and I had just bought a house, we had a 3 year-old daughter, and times were tough.  When the weather was right, I would take our family to church in it.  Church was a half-hour drive one way so it made for a nice cruise through the country roads.  Well that’s when it all started.  Jim, a fellow parishioner, saw my car and fell in love with it.  I think he made it his mission to have me part with that car.  He took every opportunity to ask me if I would sell it to the point where it annoyed me.

Being a young family guy with a lot of financial obligations, there came a time when something had to give.  Since the wife and kid weren’t going, I had to sell the car.  Jim got his wish.  Being a friend, I sold it to him cheap.  I knew he would take good care of her.  I asked Jim for just one consideration; that if he was ever to sell the car, I would get first crack at it. He agreed.

Things went well for the next couple of years.  In retrospect, we could have gotten by without selling the Firebird.  But I knew the car was in a good home, or so I thought.

One nice summer day, I was cutting my front lawn when I saw a 1968 Firebird just like mine drive past the house and turn into my neighbor’s driveway.  It was driven by a 17-year-old kid who was dating my neighbor’s daughter.   I went over there to check it out and let him know that I thought he had a cool car and I had one just like his.  As I got closer I saw all the imperfections mine had.  I knew that this used to be my car.  I asked him how he got it and found out that it was sitting in the front yard of my buddy’s house with a “for sale” sign on it.  God was I PO’d.

The next time I saw Jim, I asked him about the car and why he didn’t call me.  Well, I found out that he was going through his own little hell with his marriage breaking up.  He apologized for not remembering.  I understood that he didn’t do it on purpose.  What hurt the most was that the car was destroyed two months later by the 17-year-old’s reckless driving.

I’m sure there’s a lesson to be learned here.  I know that I can’t seem to let go of any of my cars easily since then.  I can only say if you find one you really love; don’t let a friend talk you out of it.

And if you know of a ’68 Firebird 400 convertible, regimental red, going for sale, let me know.

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Matt Agosta is the President of Steele Rubber Products. He is an avid car-enthusiast. When he is not working or restoring one of his classic cars, he enjoys traveling with his wife, local author Carolyn Steele Agosta. 

 Here is what he had to say:

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Q: How long have you been in the car customization industry?

Penfound Design has been in the customization industry since 2002 when the 1959 Buick LoSabre made its debut.

 Q:What got you started in this business?

The LoSabre project grew out of the feeling that customs were having a rebirth after being nearly ignored in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Increased notice for events like the Detroit Autorama and the SEMA show was joined by outdoor events like Goodguys, the Hot Rod Power Tour, Super Chevy, the National Street Rod Association Nats, and the Hot Rod & Restoration Show. While I had an automotive background with interest in survivor cars and restored vehicles, which I owned and wrote about for various magazines, there seemed to be a buzz about custom cars which I felt was very cool! I got the notion that I might be able to design and coordinate the build for a ‘new age’ custom and LoSabre was born.

 Q. What is the best part about being in the auto customization industry?

The best part of the auto customization industry is its vitality. There is room for Old School traditional customs, new age, or new millenium customs like Penfound Design cars, plus hot rods, tuners, imports, trucks exotics and more. There are new products being introduced constantly, from hard-to-find trim pieces to entire car bodies, and many companies, like PPG Industries, Flaming River, Toyo, GM Performance Parts, Air Ride Technologies and Classic Industries are enthusiastically supporting the idea that custom cars can help represent their products.

 Q.     How would you describe your style of customization?

Descriptions of my cars range from New Millenium Customs to Pro Mod to LoRod to new age customs. I just call them ‘Smooth and Clean’. My basic plan is to have the cars look like what the company might build today with current wheel, tire, paint, engine and suspension and body skills. Our latest project, the 1964 Pontiac ‘Sabertooth’ GTO for example, uses some familiar Pontiac styling cues from the past, along with one-off 20-inch wheels and an aggressive stance that makes the most of its heritage.

 Q.     What was the first car you ever restored?

The first restoration PD coordinated was for a 1966 427/390 HP Corvette coupe in 1996 which later earned a National Corvette Restoration Society Top Flight award. Shops which contributed were Classic Revivals (body and paint), Weber Racing (engine/transmission), and Chuck’s Custom Design (interior), all Ohio companies.

 Q. Do you have a favorite car that you restored?

The favorite car is always the next one, although LoSabre has a special place because it was the first custom!

Q. How would you describe your success?

If a person who is just starting to enjoy customs looks at the ‘Sabertooth’ GTO and says “Nice car!” and walks away, while a hardcore experienced custom fan can spend 45 minutes looking at the GTO and says, “Nice car!” to me that is a successful project.

Q.     What’s next for Penfound Design?

There are three cars underway at the moment at Penfound Design…one uses an LS7 427 motor, the second uses an original 1969 427 engine and the third uses a flathead… and they are all ‘smooth and clean’.

LoSabre Designed by Penfound.

Visit www.PenfoundDesign.com for more information and images of Barry’s work.

One of the great things about living in the Carolinas is the winter weather.  We enjoy many sunny, mild days.  This past week was one of them, sunny with temps in the mid 60s.  So we packed up and headed for the beach.  Saturday we had lunch at Burky’s Grill, North Myrtle Beach, SC where they had a local cruise-in. Quite a mix of cars from street rods to a 1947 Cadillac Sedanette, 1963 Chevy Belair, 1972 Pontiac Grand Prix, and a couple of Mustangs, Z06 Corvettes and mid 50s Ford pickups to name a few.

Here cruising season is never over.  It reminded me of the work I need to do to my cars to get them ready for spring shows.  I’m also reminded that we are in January already.  Spring is not too far away.  Cruising time will be here before you know it.

Now is the time to get our cars ready for the next mild, sunny day.  If you are like me, you will start with good intentions.  My ’57 Caddy needs a fuel pump, the ’56 Packard has a transmission leak at the lower pan seal, and my favorite cruise, the ’61 Vette looks good at 20 feet but is a restoration in progress.  It seem the more they sit, the more issues they have.  I keep thinking I’ll get to it.  And when I do, then I don’t have the parts I need on hand.

I need to get more organized.

I forget how long it takes sometimes to just find the parts needed, and the sometimes long lead time for ordering and delivery.  Next thing you know, it’s spring and I’m rushing to make my cars drivable.  This year I pledge to get the job done early and I challenge you to do the same.

Here at Steele, we pride ourselves on being able to ship parts in a timely manner.  However, a package going cross country could take 5 to 8 business days.  If it has to be built or back-ordered, it could take 2 to 3 weeks or more.  Other part suppliers are going to have similar issues.  Save yourself the anxiety of time pressure or the additional cost of express shipping by starting early on your project.

Do yourself a favor, beat the rush.

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Matt Agosta is the President of Steele Rubber Products. He is an avid car-enthusiast. When he is not working or restoring one of his classic cars, he enjoys traveling with his wife, local author Carolyn Steele Agosta. 

My first thought was, “she hasn’t been here long enough to know”.  And others laughed too when they found out she asked “me” that question.  You see, through the years I have been perceived as being the company Scrooge.

As Production  Manager in the past and now Plant Operations Manager, it is my responsibility to see that work flows smoothly and we get parts out in a timely manner. Here at Steele Rubber Products, as I am sure at many places, production slowed down during the Holidays. People were out taking vacation days to finish up their shopping or visit friends and family.  The Marketing Department treated employees to games and activities all week. We had tons of Holiday goodies on the break tables, and a wonderful catered holiday meal, which of course extended everyone’s lunch time. So who was the one who had to gracefully say, “Okay guys, let’s get back to work, Santa wants us to get those rubber parts finished by Christmas Eve”?

Yes, that would be me, the Steele Scrooge.

But honestly, I am not the Scrooge I appear to be. I am very proud of our employees and how hard they worked (at least the other 51 weeks out of 2011). They stepped up to give back during the Holidays instead of just receiving.  The employees donated a truck load of food to the local food bank. We also participated in two local Christmas Parades featuring the Steele Rubber/Comp-Cal Relay For Life show car. And I personally know of a few cases of employees helping other employees who were struggling.

After all was said and done we still managed to get quality rubber parts out to our customers.

As we begin 2012, we want to take the time to be thankful for the many blessing we have and embrace the New Year with optimism, hard work and even more giving than last year. We look forward to bringing you quality parts made carefully by local people.

Happy New Year!

-Steele Scrooge

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John Dancoff is the Plant Operations Manager for Steele Rubber Products. He has been with the company for over 20 years. He and his wife Cindy, who also works for Steele Rubber Products, have four children. John is a volunteer with The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life and is a member of their North Carolina State Task Force.

When you need an extrusion made into a ring or one piece unit, it is best to have the splice molded. This will give the best seal and have maximum strength at the splice.  However, when molding is not an option you can splice instead.  There are a few general rules to follow.

1.       It’s simple, your cut ends need to be straight. 

If you put the ends together, all edges should match. The ends need to be clean of all debris.  If needed, clean with an alcohol pad.  I found that for the best results, use Loctite Super Bonder 495.  It is formulated for rubber-to-rubber bonding.  You should be able to find this at any hardware store that carries Loctite products or from the Steele Rubber Products site.

 2.  Have a flat surface to work on. 

After cutting your weatherstrip, remember to test it for a profile match before proceeding. Like all other adhesives, the less adhesive you use the better hold it has, especially with this Super Bonder.  It works just like a “Super Glue”.  It is clear in color and will stick your fingers together, just like “Super Glue”.  However, it will clean up using nail polish remover. Working on a flat surface makes the process of cutting and gluing easier.

 3. Put a small amount of glue on just one side of the splice joint.

With a paper clip wire, spread the adhesive evenly over the surface, making sure it is covering the edges.  If there is too much adhesive, it will not hold well.  Carefully match the edges from one side to the other.  Apply pressure from both ends to the splice.  For dense rubber, apply greater force.  Hold for about 90 seconds.  At this point you should have a good strong bond.  If there are any parts not adhered, apply a light amount with the paper clip to the void and apply pressure again.  If the joint was done properly, you should be able to pull on it without it failing.  To ensure that the rubber will make a water tight seal when used as glass channel, apply a clear sealer between the glass and the rubber at the joint.  The clear auto sealer is available at any auto parts store or at steelerubber.com.

Just remember, straight clean cuts that match and use the right adhesive for the job.  Take your time and you should be happy with the outcome.

How many of you are on the same cycle as me?

Subframe bushings sent in by a customer

Now this is not a big problem unless you need something that is not already available and you have to find someone to make it for you.  I get asked a lot about how we decide what to make.  That’s a tough question to answer since there are so many variables that go into making that decision.  I’ll try to answer it in general terms.

There are three categories for new part projects.

1. A car that we target for making replacement parts.
2. The contract job where we are making the tooling and production for someone else and they have ownership of that part.
3. A part that you send in and need for your car.  That’s the one I’d like to address.

Customer Requests 

Many of the parts we make are started from customer requests.

The first step is to contact us, send a photo, drawing or sample and an explanation of what the part fits and does.  Let us know if you have an original.  We will only work with good originals or authentic build drawings.

Next, we inspect it for tooling features, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) number, usage and whether we would like to add it to our catalog.  The more information you can give us on your car (year, make, model, style, what other models it fits, photos of where it’s used, etc.), the quicker we can make a decision and the better chance of it being favorable to you.

If we go ahead with tooling, we will absorb all of the tooling cost and send you the first part made for you to install at no charge and ask for your feedback. We will keep your original in case any issues arise from future parts made.

A selection of parts we are researching currently.

One key factor to keep in mind is the length of time it takes from the time you contact us to when a part is finished.  It takes an incredible amount of time, usually 6 to 18 months average, depending on complexity, information availability, and tool room load.

So, if you just parked your car and need a part not currently available made, don’t delay.  Hopefully, you’ll have it ready for the next cruising season.