The "CRUISER" Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2026

AS THE WHEEL TURNS

BY ROGER BEAUCHAMP, PRESIDENT

Oh Crap! I have an FTC!

On a recent event, a fellow cruiser vehicle experienced a FTC.
Most likely, we have all had that event occur at one time or another. I don’t think any vehicle is able to avoid it without maintenance.

When I purchased my used 2006 Mustang, the dealer brought it around for a test drive. Me, being all excited and ready to go, the car experienced a FTC in the dealer parking lot.

So what is an FTC? It stands for Failure To Crank, it happens when the battery

just flat gives up with no warning. From my personal experiences it’s seems to be more prevalent here in the warmer temperatures than cooler. I have had a few FTCs occur here, several on my Pick Up, again on the 2006 Mustang, my 1983 Jeep, and 2002 Thunderbird.

To avoid any problems on Karen’s car, and with Karen, I decided to replace the battery as it approached 3 years of life. Because of my most recent FTC on my PU, this past spring, I will use that philosophy on all my cars.

So why here and not there, or in the past, has battery quality changed or is

it the added stress of the under the hood temperatures? I used to know when a battery was becoming soft, it would crank slow and give some kind of a advanced warning of a future FTC. Maybe the Cooler temperatures of the northern climate add some battery stress when loaded during cranking.

For me, I now plan to avoid the problem with 3 year battery replacement

schedule. A few extra dollars spent for peace of mind.

Please login to the Ellijay Mountain Cruisers website, login sign up, pay your dues, and and join us for future events.

Roger

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR SEPT, 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, 6th - Caffeine and Octane Car Show. Town Center at Cobb - 9:00 AM (Recurring event-first Sunday of the month)

Sunday, 6th - 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, 11th - 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, 8th - ELLIJAY MOUNTIAN CRUISERS CLUB SOCIAL DINNER at El Reys Azteca. El Rays Mexican Restaurant - 6:00 PM (Recurring event -Second Tuesday)

Sunday, 13th - Dahlonega Car Club Cruise-In. 140 S.Chestatee St, Dahlonega,GA. 9:00am - 12:00pm (Recurring event-second Sunday of the month)

Saturday, 19th - Po Boys Cruise-In, Riverstone Plaza, 1447 Riverstone Parkway, Canton, GA. 3:00pm - 6:00pm (Recurring event-third Saturday of the month)

Friday, 25th - 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, 26rd - Pickens Freedom Crusiers Crusie-In, 104 N. Main St., Jasper, GA., 4pm - 8pm (Recurring event-fourth Saturday of the month)

Tuesday, 17^th - 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, 26th - ELLIJAY MOUNTAIN CRUISERS CARS AND COFFEE  Ellijay, BURGER KING - 9:00 AM (Recurring event-Last Saturday of the month)

ADDITIONAL EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER

Saturday, 5^th - North GA. Street Heaters Car Meet, Yahoola Creek Park, 464 Mechanicsville Rd., Dahlonega, GA., 6pm-9pm

Saturday, 12^th - Amicalola Commandery #41 Annual Car & Truck Show, 193 Old Federal Rd., Jasper, GA., 9am-2pm

Saturday, 12^th - Bugs at the Branch Car Show, 5506 Main St., Flowery Branch, GA., 9am-2pm

Saturday, 12^th - American Truck Historical Society 32^nd Annual Truck, Car & Tractor Show, 1004 Kellum Valley Rd., Cleveland, GA., 10am-3pm

Saturday, 12^th - 5^th Annual Car, Bike & Tractor Show, Crane Eater Community Church, 3168 Red Bud Rd., Calhoun, GA., 9am-2pm

Saturday, 12^th - 9/11 Memorial Ride, Bike, Car, Truck, Southern Devil HD, 2281 Hwy 411 NE, Cartersville, GA., 9am-2pm

Saturday, 19^th - Bethlehem Baptist Car & Truck Show, 5528 Post Road, Cumming, GA., 9am-2pm

Saturday, 19^th - 4^th Annual Shine & Show, Forsyth Central High School, 520 Tribble Gap Rd., Cumming, GA., 9am-1pm

Saturday, 19^th - Hope, Healing & Horsepower Car Show, Miles Through Time Auto Museum, 583 Grant St., Clarkesville, GA., 10am-2pm

Saturday, 26^th - 20^th Annual Cruising in the Country Car & Truck Show, 8930 Old Keith Bridge Rd., Gainesville, GA., 9am-2pm

CARS & COFFEE - AUGUST 29^TH, 2026

Ready for Anything: Thousands of Fix-Its in a 10-Pound Bag

By Larry Webster

(Reprinted by permission of Hagerty Media

I’ve broken down on the side of the road enough times that I now obsess over what tools to bring. That includes creating my own kit. I also keep an eye out for what others pack. Someone must have the Goldilocks kit—everything you need, nothing you don’t.

Turns out, though, everyone has a different definition of “need.” I thought the professionals, those amazing mechanics who can fix everything and frequently follow vintage-car rallies like the California Mille, would have a good sense. I’ve found, however, that when they’re charged with caring for a fleet, they don’t simply bring the carryall toolbox, but rather the one that has everything and requires a forklift to move.

We polled the Hagerty readership for tool-kit ideas. Turns out most of you are minimalists, bringing along only a way to jump-start a car, either via cables or a battery jump box, like one from Battery Tender (Hagerty Drivers Club members enjoy a 20 percent discount). Perhaps that confidence comes from having roadside assistance. Indeed, one reader noted that his best “tools” are Hagerty Drivers Club roadside towing and a cellphone. That said, I still throw the kit pictured above into whatever I’m driving. Let me know what I’m missing.

Electrical

I once limped a Porsche 924 Turbo to Florida with supplies to bypass a fussy fuel-pump relay. At a minimum, I bring spare fuses, a small light, and a cheap multimeter.

Miscellaneous

This catch-all pouch includes tie wraps, a box cutter, and my favorite new find: a multibit screwdriver with handle storage that I bought for $20 from Amazon.

Wrenches

Most cars rely on a handful of bolt sizes, which means you can pare down to just those size wrenches. Additionally, I include a range of sockets and consider the adjustable wrench a must-have.

Pliers

Locking pliers are the universal choice, and if you have the room, I recommend bringing two sizes. After those, I always include large, adjustable-jaw pliers and small wire cutters.

Hex Keys

These are also called Allen wrenches because the tool was patented by William Allen in 1910. Bring both metric and standard sizes.

***

CARS & COFFEE - AUGUST 29^TH, 2026

PLEASE VISIT OUR 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.

NEXT CLUB MEETING: Tuesday, 8th - ELLIJAY MOUNTIAN CRUISERS CLUB SOCIAL DINNER at El Reys Azteca. El Rays Mexican Restaurant - 6:00 PM (Recurring event -Second Tuesday)

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