2 Seater. The. May, MG Enjoy The Ride! President s Message

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1 The 2 Seater May, 2009 President s Message Spring is finally here! Or should I say Summer??? A gaggle of assorted MGs and other sports cars departed Camillus after a hearty breakfast on Saturday, April 25 for the Spring Dustoff Run. Topless was the order of the day, as temps exceeded 87 degrees. A leisurely ride via Route 5 to Auburn, down Route 34 to Ithaca, and then Route to the Southern Tier was enjoyed by all, as we approached Corning and finally Addison, our destination for lunch. We arrived at the beautiful home of Sharon and Jim DeRusha, who had been in their new home for just less than a year. It sat high on top of a tall hill and overlooked the entire world. Nice breezes moderated the heat and a large welcoming committee greeted us as we parked the cars on the front lawn. After we met everyone and exchanged greetings, we toured the house and garage, complete with a running Franklin, courtesy of Jim and his friend Dewey. Sharon and helpers set a lovely buffet table and Jim manned the grill, as MG Clubbers enjoyed a nutritious and delicious luncheon fare on the deck. We then followed Jim to Dewey s garage where we saw the likes of a 29 Model A Roadster, 31 Model A Roadster, 15 Ford Phaeton, 26 Ford Roadster, 67 Corvette, and a 61 Pontiac Star Chief. What a collection! At 87 years young, Dewey set a fine example for all of us wannabe car restorers! the most beautiful objects made by mankind (next to MG s, that is). Sharon, Dan, and James were our gracious hosts for the afternoon, and we appreciate their warm hospitality. Between the tour and shopping, it was definitely a day to remember! Finally, we were off to Syracuse on a beautiful ride up Route 414 thru Watkins Glen and up the lake to Seneca Falls and then home. And yes, John, we did find an ice cream parlor on the way home! (Way to Go! - Ed) We are grateful for the opportunity to get friends together and enjoy a beautiful weekend. Please do yourself a favor and take advantage of all the wonderful activities we have planned for the year. Check your activity calendars and the website for current information on your next trip. Just a reminder. Eurocar is only a month away. Please plan on helping out this year to make it the best show ever. Then it was off to the Corning Museum of Glass, where we took the tour and marveled over some of Safety Fast, Dave MG Enjoy The Ride!

2 The 2 Seater Published Monthly by: The MG Car Club of Central NY P.O. Box 1666 Cicero, NY Newsletter Editor: Terri LaVergne Advertising rates/info: Contact Dave Winne Club Officers President: Dave Winne V. Pres.: Tom Lynch Secretary: Sue Beck Treasurer: Dan Burke Committee Chairs Activities: Sharon Hartman Regalia: Loie Mechetti Eurocar 2009: Rick Kunz Sharon Hartman Membership: Patty Golas Webmaster: Jimmy Hearne May Upcoming Events 5/5 - Monthly Meeting at 7:00pm, 6:00pm Dinner - Barbagallo s 5/9 - Wine Tour, details, call Joe Cali /13 - Eurocar Meeting, 7:00pm, The Piano & Organ Center 5/ Carlisle Import Car Show (Howie Lapides) 5/24 - Norwich Car Show (Paul Andrews) 5/26 - Board Meeting, 6:30 pm, Dinner 6:00 pm, Lock 24, Baldwinsville 5/30 - Kick off to British Car Week, Meet N Eat Euclid Hotel - Mike Mastracco, host Any suggestions for activities, please contact: Sharon Hartman at , or shartman55@verizon.net Disclaimer The Club, its officers, the editors, and the author of any piece disclaim any responsibility for damage, injury, or loss connected with use of any technical information provided in the newsletter. Repairs/maintenance/technical tricks/ procedures described herein should not be attempted without the proper tools and equipment and should never be attempted by anyone not experienced in the techniques involved. 2

3 UPSTATE NEW YORK AGENT JOE CALI

4 Submitted by Mike Mastracco Part II Last month I listed 32 car related songs that many of us grew up with. Related by title, lyrics and such. These tunes were from the 50 s through the 60 s. We hear many of them today as they turned into classics as well as the bands that performed them. Here are an additional 36 songs that peppered our airwaves through the 70 s and 80 s. Listed here are a couple of remakes that were pretty popular, however not all remakes made it to this list as sometimes enough is enough. There s a few obscure titles listed and I m sure I missed a few so let your mind wander. Wander back to the 70 s when you were behind the wheel, gassing up for $2.00 total, Carroll s home of the Club Burger or McDonalds golden arches while burgers were 20 cents and fries 15 cents. Or for the folks living around Rome, Utica, Oneida stopping in at Daddy s Hamburgers for a 7-cent burger and a 5-cent fry! Title Artist Year Hitchin a Ride Vanity Fair 1970 Roadhouse Blues Doors 1970 Truckin Grateful Dead 1970 Goin Up Around The Bend Creedence Clearwater Revival 1970 Country Roads (Take Me Home) John Denver 1970 American Pie Don McLean 1971 LA Woman The Doors 1971 Mercedes Benz Janis Joplin 1971 Sweet Hitchhiker Creedence Clearwater Revival 1971 Crocodile Rock Elton John 1972 Take It Easy The Eagles 1972 Ventura Highway America 1972 Radar Love Golden Earring 1973 Hot Rod Lincoln Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen 1973 Ramblin Man Allman Brothers 1973 Keep on Truckin Eddie Kendricks 1973 Big Yellow Taxi Joni Mitchell 1974 Carefree Highway Gordon Lightfoot 1974 Low Rider War 1975 Born To Run Bruce Springsteen 1975 Convoy C.W. McCall 1976 Car Wash Rose Royce 1976 Paradise by the Dashboard Lights Meatloaf 1977 Life in the Fast Lane The Eagles 1977 Barracuda Heart 1977 East Bound and Down Jerry Reed 1977 Back In the U.S.A. Linda Ronstadt 1978 Greased Lightening John Travolta 1978 Cars Gary Numan 1979 Highway to Hell AC/DC 1979 Drivin My Life Away Eddie Rabbit 1980 On the Road Again Willy Nelson 1980 Little Red Corvette Prince 1983 Drive Cars 1984 I Can t Drive 55 Sammy Hagar 1984 Pink Cadillac Bruce Springsteen 1984 Rusty Chevrolet Da Yoopers 1987 Coupe de Ville Neil Young Just a sampling of forgotten favorites as well as hits we hear regularly! (What about Sausalito Summer Night by Diesel from 1981? - Ed)

5 CLAY 3567 Rt

6 By Rick Kunz I was approached by Dave Winne and Carbone about chairing Eurocar Of course the first words out of my mouth was are you guys NUTS! After several conversations and some negations I relented under one condition, I as co-chair, would have Sharon Hartman. I knew she has done it before and was sure she would not be crazy enough to accept the responsibility again, especially with a Nut Job like me! Well thanks Sharon, I thought you were smarter than that. It has been an interesting couple of months working on Eurocar. We have been out looking for sponsors, door prizes and watching the whole thing unfold and taking on a life of its own. It s interesting, last spring a tree fell on Terri s car in the front yard. Her insurance company decided to drop her after 30 some years of having all her insurance, car, homeowners and motorcycles. While shopping for classic Car insurance we met Vinny Hollopeter of Hagerty Insurance and the long and short of it, we got a good deal, he is a pretty good guy and he brought Hagerty Insurance to the table as a Major Sponsor! Quite a few things came together nicely. First, the Jaguar Club came on board to help make it a two day event and combine there show with ours. The experienced and seasoned veterans of Eurocar s past stepped up to reprise their rolls from years gone by. We put forth new ideas and welcomed others into the process and set a course that took direction from the show itself. We got some great major sponsors, starting with that insurance guy Vinny, that gave Terri a great deal on her MG and Toyota insurance, and by attending the IAS as a club at the fairgrounds earlier this year we not only picked up a great participant for the show, Michael Gould s Jaguar GTP Race Car, we picked up his employer Drivers Village as major sponsor. Pete Sanborn got us a new Gold level sponsor with his relationship with SAVES. And we can t forget people like Paul Andrews and the other sponsor s who have supported us for years. Deb Larkin recreated the larger entry forms not only as mail out, but to be simply delivered on line. Thanks to all in advance for all your help in which will be I know will be a great Eurocar 2009 Picture this: Summer is over, fall has begun and now it is time to head for the hills. The White Lake Adventure is scheduled for September 25 th to September 27 th. For just a mere $140 (unless the prices have been raised still trying to get an answer on that) you can spend a weekend with your MG friends at the White Lake Lodge just outside of Old Forge. If you have gone on this weekend adventure before you know what a great time it is. If this will be your first time, it will be the time of your life, filled with laughter, friends, and good times. You can do as little or as much as you want this particular weekend. The lodge comes with a canoe, a paddleboat, and kayaks for a leisure ride on the lake. Or you can sit on one of the porches and watch the sun rise or set while sipping a cup of tea or coffee if you prefer. If you re up for a little shopping, there is always Old Forge with its quaint little shops and that very unique hardware store. Or maybe you just want to take a leisurely ride through the mountain roads. This weekend can be restful or full of adventure or just a little bit of both depending on what you need or want. Friday night we will be having hot dogs and hamburgers and Saturday night we will be grilling chicken breasts and steaks. Your $70 deposit is due by the May 5 th meeting. Please make the checks out to me Liz Mastracco. If you wish, you can mail your check to my home at 133 Hosmer Drive, Syracuse, New York, If you have any questions regarding the White Lake Adventure please give me a call at I can promise a weekend you will 6

PROLOGUE Submitted by: Bob Bunch My cross country trip across the country was a long time being realized. It was not something that just happened on a whim.

7 PROLOGUE Submitted by: Bob Bunch My cross country trip across the country was a long time being realized. It was not something that just happened on a whim. In 1966, a popular television series, Route 66 got me thinking, I wanted to make a cross country trip. My first sports car was a 1956 Austin Healy 100 which I purchased in 1963 for $600. At the time I was living in Oceanside, California. My friend Paul, had a brother, Lee, with a Healy After having my Healy 100 painted and refitted with new seats and door panels in Mexico, it looked sharp. I loved my Healy and it was great. That was until my son was born. Now, my Healy was too small. One day... while drinking beer and washing the Healy, I said (in a weak moment), Paul I ll sell you the Healy for the $600 that I paid for it, if you are interested. I loved my Healy, but also, I liked Paul s brother Lee s Healy 3000 because it had rear seats. To make this short, the next weekend, Paul came over and plunked six one hundred dollar bills down on the coffee table. It was now put up or shut up! I choked... but honored the agreement. I went and found a 1960 Healy 3000, which became my new love. But, due to a job change, I was forced to trade my Healy 3000 for a pickup truck, which I needed at the time to move my mobile home from California to Idaho. During the next few years I focused my energy on boating, dirt bike riding and snowmobiling. In 1976, now living in New York, my sports car fever returned. I started reading car magazines and began looking at sports cars. At the time I was working on a nuclear power plant in Long Island. I was reading about kit cars in magazines. I was transferred to work in Houston, Texas, in I was now ready to make the move to buy another sports car.but, none of the new cars being offered excited me. I yearned to have another Healy, but didn t want the problems that came with owning one. While attending a local car show at one of the parks in Houston one weekend, what appeared but a bright yellow Blakely Bearcat Kit Car. Like an omen, it was the same kit that I had been coveting in a magazine. It was beautiful... and I was again in love with a car. After pondering the situation.... and drinking much scotch one night, I made out the required $2000 check (down payment) to order one kit car. I wandered down to the mail box at 3am and posted my order. On the way to my new assignment in New York ( at the end of the Texas assignment), in 1980, Marie and I traveled to Fulton, Wisconsin, to visit Blakely Auto Works. I selected the color of my car-to-be-built, then we headed for Oswego, wanting delivery of the kit in September. In August they were writing me that they wanted their money. I had told them that I did not want to pick it up until September. I sent them another $2000. In September, I borrowed a snowmobile trailer and Marie and I made the trip to Wisconsin to pick up the kit. After having a garage built (1980) and looking around for a Pinto with the 2300cc engine, I settled on a 1974 Pinto with the 2000cc engine. My donor car had miles and I decided that I would upgrade the engine later if I didn t like its performance. I built the Blakely and had it ready for licensing in July, Moving along with my story, the Blakely was driven miles from the time it was built in 1984 until 2008, the time of my Bucket Trip. It was the movie that had just came out that made me realize that this was... going to be my before I kick the bucket trip! The Beginning! My BUCKET TRIP, /10/08 With miles on the speedometer, I started out, alone, by myself on the trip of my lifetime, at 5:00 am, leaving Oswego for Idaho. I have to thank my wife Marie for understanding my need to make this trip. The Blakely coughed leaving the driveway like maybe it didn t want to make the trip. At 144miles into the trip at Weedsport, she coughed again. I thought it might be a sticky float valve in the carburetor. I was determined that this was going to be my adventure, and I was going, whatever! I had left home resolving that I would make the trip with the side curtains off. I compromised having the top up, because traveling long distance with the top down would make my scalp sore with the wind blowing my hair and all. Rain clouds rolled over, and it rained in Buffalo. Yes, the windshield does not leak now Marie. I fixed it, but the coolant is dripping on the pavement now. I guess changing the hoses didn t work. The Blakely gave me 28years, and is now working on letting me down when I need her the most, on my trip to Idaho. I am maintaining 210 degrees F. So good so far. Wow! The time is 10am in NE Pennsylvania, and I have traveled 236mi and have been averaging 26.9mi per gal. (gas is $4.49 per). At 12:30 I stopped for lunch west of Cleveland OH. (at Taco Bell). Traveling on, just out of Toledo, Ohio. At 3:30pm I stopped for gas, having traveled 234mi. She took 9.2 $4.09 per. Traveling west through Indiana until I found a highway which would take me north up through Michigan, I picked up Hwy 127 which would take me to Hwy 75 and over the mighty Mackinaw Bridge. But, first, at 243 miles from Oswego, I stopped at Heb s End Motel, near Mason, Michigan. I was loaned a bucket to wash the Blakely. I had gone through two thunderstorms and wanted to remove the water marks. I had dinner at China One Buffet, food good but not hot (enough)!!! Later I had diarrhea. 06/11/08 I continued traveling north up through central Michigan with the weather cloudy and getting colder and colder. I stopped BUCKET TRIP Con t on Page 8 7

BUCKET TRIP con t from Page7 I stopped for gas having traveled 704mi from Oswego.

After going over the Mackinaw Bridge and picking up Hwy 2 heading west, I stopped

I was so cold that I turned into a weeney boy and put in the side curtains.

I stopped for the night in Watersmeet, Minnesota. My motel was $53.00.

06/12/08 Up and on the road by 6am, I continued west on Hwy 2 in Minnesota heading

worked with in Idaho. I had not seen Bill for 33yrs.

We visited while making a sight seeing trip around Bill s property, coming back by

I pulled the tire and we took it to the local Goodyear dealer.

8 BUCKET TRIP con t from Page7 I stopped for gas having traveled 704mi from Oswego. I put on long pants. Gas was still at $4.09 per gal. After going over the Mackinaw Bridge and picking up Hwy 2 heading west, I stopped near Guliver, Michigan, for lunch. I was so cold that I turned into a weeney boy and put in the side curtains. Am I glad, it started raining.and raining.and raining until 6:30pm. I stopped for the night in Watersmeet, Minnesota. My motel was $ I was still reasonably dry. 06/12/08 Up and on the road by 6am, I continued west on Hwy 2 in Minnesota heading for Bemidji, where I would stop for the night and visit with a friend whom I had worked with in Idaho. I had not seen Bill for 33yrs. I was looking forward to the visit. We visited while making a sight seeing trip around Bill s property, coming back by my beloved Blakely. We noticed the driver s side rear tire was low. I pulled the tire and we took it to the local Goodyear dealer. Yep, there was a leak, it appeared that the Goodyear Store in Oswego, which mounted 4 new tires and tubes before I left failed to make sure the casing was free of anything which could puncture the tube. It appeared a small pin hole in the tube from perhaps a wire brush caused the leak??? Anyway, this flat happened at 1157mi from Oswego. To Be Continued in Next Month s Issue. 8

Grandpa s Steering Wheel By Richard D. Jeffers In 2008, my cousin Jimmy gave me an old steering wheel that he had retrieved from the granary at my grandfather s farm in the 1960s.

9 Grandpa s Steering Wheel By Richard D. Jeffers In 2008, my cousin Jimmy gave me an old steering wheel that he had retrieved from the granary at my grandfather s farm in the 1960s. He didn t know what it came from but thought it was an interesting artifact and so kept it for forty some years. The wheel has four steel spokes, which had become very rusty, and a thick wooden rim that inadvertently had been splashed with red paint during some long-ago project. Bill Noroski restored the wheel to better than new condition. It looked so good that I was inspired to discover its origin. The wheel could have come from a farm tractor except that grandpa never had one. He operated under the logic that, If God had wanted men to use tractors, He would have created them instead of horses in the beginning. For the twenty-seven years that I knew him, grandpa never drove a car, hitching a ride or walking from the farm in Clay to catch a bus in Cicero when he had to go someplace. However, I remember visiting the farm as a lad in the mid-1940s and seeing an old car, kind of square with wooden-spoke wheels, sitting in a shed attached to the granary. Both the car and the shed disappeared during the 50s. Fortunately, grandpa kept a diary where he recorded daily agricultural information; like the weather, plantings, harvests & etc.; important events like births and deaths; and a monthly account of expenses and receipts. I began to search back through these books, which go from 1911 up to grandpa s last day in 1969, looking for information on the old car. I struck pay dirt in 1937, where he reported that, The car wouldn t start and I had to pull it with the horses. From that date backwards in the diaries, I mined much information related to the car. For example, he paid $1.60 for ten gallons of gasoline, $22.60 for two 5.25 X 18 tires and tubes and a $3 fine for running a stop sign in Syracuse. In November 1931, he was run into by another car at Shepard s Corners in Cicero sustaining a dented fender and running board while his lady passenger suffered a cut over her eye. He settled up with the young fellow who hit him for $2 (this was in the days before aggressive trial lawyers). I hit the mother load on July 11, 1931, where grandpa recorded that he bought a 1924 Hupmobile sedan, with 24,504 miles on it, from a man in Cicero for $100. Howard Baker, proprietor of the local garage, checked out the car and taught grandpa how to drive it. Armed with this information, I went to the Internet and found a photo of a 1924 Hupmobile. It had the remembered wooden-spoke wheels and, under increased magnification, was seen to have a wood-rimmed steering wheel with four spokes. I measured the diameter of the steering and road wheels from the photo and, using the information that the car had 18-inch tires, calculated that the steering wheel was about 15 inches across. The wheel that I have is exactly 15 inches in diameter, which pretty much ends my story. An interesting aside is the fact that I once had business dealings with the Hupp Company, in Cleveland, Ohio. I worked with their engineers on a commercial air conditioning product that they made for Carrier but never realized that plant was part of the same company that had made the automobile. DO YOU KNOW??? Submitted by: Bob Seager We watch a TV program on Sunday mornings called Mohawk Valley Living, that is all about interesting sites and history of the area we live in. The Sunday, February 8 th edition televised had Canastota, NY (Think anything invented was invented in Canastota). The first tyre (tire) chains were made by Weed Tyre (tire) Chain Company in Canastota. The first round the world auto race went through Canastota and had to stop there to pick up their tyre (tire) chains. The race was won by a United States car a Thomas Flyer made in New York State. (Rick saw a Thomas Flyer at the Harrah s Car Collection in Reno, Nevada, years ago. - Ed) 9

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EUROCAR 2009 We need of items for prizes and goodie bags and it s up to YOU, our

you can contribute something of your own! Let s make this the best Eurocar ever!

!! May Birthdays 5/1 Irwin Koss 5/2 Kevin DeForest Loie Mechetti 5/5 Rick Hoogkamp

Stevenson 5/19 Michelle Shea 5/20 John Barone 5/21 Matt Tucker 5/23 Pat Santy 5/25

Glennister 5/30 Michelle Dellilo HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL HOPE IT'S A GREAT ONE! PLEASE!

11 EUROCAR 2009 We need of items for prizes and goodie bags and it s up to YOU, our valued club members, to ask for contributions at places you normally do business, or you can contribute something of your own! Let s make this the best Eurocar ever!!! And with your help, we will succeed!!! May Birthdays 5/1 Irwin Koss 5/2 Kevin DeForest Loie Mechetti 5/5 Rick Hoogkamp 5/8 Jane Gaylo 5/9 Debbie Curtis Mary Ellen Pease 5/11 Marty Winne 5/12 Cindy Stevenson 5/19 Michelle Shea 5/20 John Barone 5/21 Matt Tucker 5/23 Pat Santy 5/25 Randall Brown Earl Stewart 5/26 Rose Mary Burke Richard Major 5/29 Carol Burch Carl Glennister 5/30 Michelle Dellilo HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL HOPE IT'S A GREAT ONE! PLEASE! SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION RENEWAL WITH $25 check payable to the MG CAR CLUB c/o Patty Golas or mail to: MG CAR CLUB, PO BOX 1666, CICERO, NY

12 MGCCCNY P.O. Box 1666 Cicero, NY Eurocar 09 Sponsored by the MG Car Club of CNY

The 2 Seater September, 2010

The 2 Seater September, 2010 September Major Events: Classic Car Cruise Night Watkins Glen Zippo Vintage Weekend Antique Car Show & Flea Market Cortland Antique Auto club Fall Show & Fun Meet White Lake