The 2 Seater August, 2010

Transcription

1 The 2 Seater August, 2010 August Major Events: Crusin on the Green Dryden Lake Festival Boot n Bonnet Car Show, Kingston, Ontario Boys Weekend UK Car Day Show Antique Fire Equipment & Car Show Sock Hop/ Sweet Inspirations The 2 Seater Published Monthly by: The MG Car Club of Central NY P.O. Box 1666 Cicero, NY Newsletter Editor: Terri LaVergne tlavergne@twcny.rr.com Advertising rates/info: Contact Rick Kunz rkunz@twcny.rr.com MG Enjoy The Ride! President s Message I hope everyone is having a great summer and getting out in those cars to enjoy these sunny days we ve had. July was a busy month, as are all months with this car club. One of our first events was Swinging in the 4 th in Manlius. We had several cars in attendance, and everyone tells me they had a great time. Our picnic was a nice change to our monthly meetings. The weather was great, and we had a good attendance with several of our new members joining us. Marty did a fabulous job organizing it and thanks to the cooks for all their time over the grills. I always enjoy these events because people bring such great dishes. I don t know about you, but I always enjoy someone else s cooking! Personally, I look forward to Marty s Buffalo Chicken Wing dip. Thanks, Marty, for another great picnic. I, unfortunately, had to miss the trip to Beardsley Castle that I was so looking forward to but a grandson s 5 th birthday had to take precedence. I only heard great things about it. We had about 10 cars, and met up with the Albany club who had 4 cars and 19 cars from the Adirondack Triumph Association. What a great event to share with the other clubs. Thanks to Mike for planning it. I hope we do it again so those of us who could not attend will be able to make it. Other events that rounded out the activities was a trip to the Antique Boat Show in Old Forge, the annual Sylvan Beach trip on July 1 st, the annual Rockin in the Park car show and a Sock Hop Under the Stars. Message cont d Pg 4

2 August Activities Calendar Club activities Feel free to support our club with any suggestions of your own. your ideas to I m a firm believer of getting out of Dodge whenever possible as the chances are so much greater to see different cars and meet other people, not to mention the drive there and back. For example my son Tony spotted a Datsun B2000 last night. Ya I know it s a Jap car but a roadster never the less (when was the last time you saw a B2000). This month s activities calendar is a little sparse so I decided to include a few car shows and cruise-ins within a short driving distance of CNY. Don t be afraid to venture out from your comfort zone and enjoy the open road to the next attraction. August 7 th Cruisin ON THE Green, Main St. Homer, 5-7pm. Oldies D.J. August 8 th Sunday-Parish Volunteer Fire Dept 12 th annual car show & chicken BBQ call for info. August 14 th Dryden Lake Festival, 1:30-5pm, Dryden Lake Park, Rt. 38. August 15 th Dream Machines car show, Rt. 48 B Ville, across from Evans Chevy, 9-3. August 15 th British Car Day, Boot n Bonnet Car show Kingston City Park, Kingston, Ontario Canada. August 13 th 15 th Boys Weekend, Paul Andrews. Sat, August 14th Sock Sweet Inspirations, live music w/smoke and Mirrors 6-9 pm. August 22 nd Sunday UK Car Day Show, Greater Rochester Triumph Touring Club, they support our show, lets support their show. August 29 th McGraw Fire Dept. Antique Fire Equipment & Car Show 10-4pm. Rt. 41 August 31 st Wed - Board meet, Lock 24 B ville. Diner & 6:00. September 4 th Skaneateles Vol Fire Depts 4 th Annual Classic Car Show, Allyn arena Jordan rd. Skaneateles, , September 7th Membership meeting, Barbagallo s, 6, 7. 2 The 2 Seater Club Officers President: Sharon Hartman V. Pres.: Deb Larkin Secretary: Tom Lynch Treasurer: Dan Burke Committee Chairs Activities: Mike Mastracco Regalia: Ray Hevner ; Eurocar 2010: Patty Golas Mike Mastracco Deb Larkin Membership: Janet Moyer Webmaster: Jimmy Hearne *all numbers are in the 315 area code As always I m looking for suggestions and members to come forward with ideas for activities. There are no limitations of what we can do so let you mind wander, think of that 16 degree day in the middle of January when you thought to yourself, I would like to go do that when the weather gets better. It s a little early but I m looking for a member or two to host our first Fall Pub Night in October as well as our first dinner night. You can volunteer for one or both, we all have to eat. Mike Check the club web site for other events and updates 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.

3 UPSTATE NEW YORK AGENT JOE CALI

4 Message from Page 1 The Carousel Fun Run is being rescheduled for next year. This is due to the fact that one of the four people who had signed up said that they couldn't have gone on the 24th and many others have indicated that they would have gone if it were on a different date. Dick Jeffers won't be at the August meeting to discuss this as he will be on vacation. What a great summer we re having. It may be hot, but remember that in January when it s 15 below zero. There have been many sunny days to drive the cars, and I hope many more to come. I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events in August. Sharon Safety Fast! MG Enjoy The Ride! Oh, the things you find left in your car at a car show! What s Going Around Bob Carbone just bought a mint 2002 Mini Cooper S with Sports package, 17 run-flat tires, dual sunroof panel and it s a beauty! Tom Lynch bought a (mid-life crisis?) blue Honda S2000 roadster Sports Car, with power top and both cars are six speed manual & awesome! - Ed The Larkins just returned from a trip to North Carolina. and Paul and Loie are off on a vacation now. Remember to let me know any news, additions to family, new job/career/ graduations, etc. Just to cmwoods1138@yahoo.com - Clare Woods 4

5 The Ones That Got Away By Dave Winne Yeah, I know that this sounds like a fish story. I have never been much of a fisherman - my Mom has the experience in this area, patiently standing behind her bamboo pole in the farm pond catching strings of bass. I digress My interest has been in cars, rather than fishing and I have a long list of cars to my credit. Growing up on the farm gave me a keen appreciation for machinery. Tractors, trucks, cars, as long as it moved under its own power, life was good. Some were easy come, easy go and others left an indelible mark on my life and I sometimes wish that I had them back with a big barn (or barns) to go with them. Here is a quick snapshot of just a few of the cars I wish I had hung onto 53 Chevy Handyman Wagon. Complete with Blue Flame (Blue Smoke?) Six. My Dad, who couldn t change his own oil, gave me this wagon, a set of tools, and a copy of Floyd Clymer s How to Fix Your Chevrolet. He told me if I could take it apart from one end to the other and make it run, it was mine. Pretty awesome for an eleven year-old kid. 59 Triumph TR10 Saloon. 948 cc engine. My Uncle Bill Wheeler gave me this for my 16th birthday. Dennis Baker and I towed it sixty-five miles on the end of a stout rope to get it home. I drove this my junior year in High School. We pushed it every morning to get it to start. Once we got it running, the object was to see how many kids you could stuff in a Triumph. Everyone else did it with a VW Beetle 59 Austin A40 Farina. 948 cc engine. This used to belong to the Junior High shop teacher. My first valve job and transmission replacement. Also, my first paint job. Pretty cool! And scarce as hens teeth today What a blast to drive! 59 Hillman Minx convertible. Bright red with a grey leatherette interior. Four-speed on the column. This was my Dad s commuter car. We stuffed Mom and Dad and four kids in this thing to go to church every Sunday. I m certain it didn t have seat belts or car seats. We all survived to be adults. 65 Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible. 327 V8, dual exhausts, four-speed, bucket seats. Maroon with a black interior. Three Dog Night sang Jeremiah was a Bullfrog on the radio. Great times! 56 Ford F100 Pickup. 390, C6 combo. Arizona truck. Maroon with a white top. This was a sweet running rig in nothin flat. Absolutely scary in a straight line, but didn t corner worth beans. Drove it my first semester in college when I had the money to buy gas. 63 Jaguar XKE Roadster. Light Primrose yellow. 3.8 L six, four-speed with Moss box. Probably one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Traded it in 1975 for my first MGB. I have since located this car and have had occasional thoughts about trying to buy it back. 66 Volvo P1800 Coupe- B18 engine, 4 speed with O/D. Originally red with black leather interior, painted it Pewter color. A beautiful car. Bought this while in the Air Force in Biloxi, Mississippi. Drove it cross country between Cheyenne Wyoming and New York several times. I have owned 12 Volvo s in my lifetime. 73 Mercury Capri- Canary yellow with black interior. 2000cc with 4 speed. A great little car. Sold it because it was too dependable nothing to tinker with. 55 Ford Victoria- Black and White two-tone. 390 with a four speed. It would really scoot. I drive this one from Wyoming to California thru the Mojave Desert to shake it out after installing the engine. It ate Camaros for breakfast. 67 SAAB 96-3 cylinder, 2 stroke engine with a four-speed on the column. Oil injection. White with a grey and red interior. Drove it in the mountains of Wyoming and Colorado. Probably the best vehicle I have ever driven in snow. 63 MGB Roadster. Iris Blue. My first MG in a long succession of three MGA s, fourteen MGB s, an MGC, and even a couple of Midgets. I guess this might be the reason why I am so attached to the old red 63 that I drive today. Just a driver, kinda like an old shoe. Just seems to fit me. Today, we have a total of five cars in the driveway, of several different varieties. Once a car guy always a car guy 5

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7 Adventures in Triumph land As you probably know, Linda and I attended the TRA National Meet in Ohio back in June. I've attached a couple of photos of us. One is from the Mid-Ohio Race track and the other is as we are about to enter the track. We had around 50 cars at the Track and the cars thought they were back in the "good ole days". We entered the TRA concours again this year and gathered up 85 points out of 100 to take 3rd place in class. For a show like this we were absolutely thrilled to end up in the trophy column. - Ray Hevner If you look carefully, you ll see that on the trip to Beardlee Castle, Ittsy got tipsy John in the Dungeon at Beardslee Castle 7

8 Our fourth annual Brits On The Beach car cruise to Sylvan Beach went well. Brits On The Beach Car Cruise 2010 Weather as 70 degrees, slight sun, some clouds, no breeze in the Syracuse area however a slight breeze was coming off the lake upon arrival. There was the typical assortment of vehicles and people at the weekly Thursday evening Cars On The Beach cruise. In our usual parking area, (up front and middle) we had my Triumph, several MG s, an Allard and an Alfa, a great assortment to compliment the U.S. metal often seen there. Thanks for all who enjoyed the evening at the beach. Mike 8

9 Well another Eurocar is in the books and once again the same suspects are wiped out after another great job. We have grown in leaps and bounds over the years and to those who have given selflessly of their time and effort we must give them a hardy THANK YOU! In 2009 when Sharon and I were Co Chairs of Eurocar and we may have had the worst weather ever, but because of the hard work of others in the years preceding us, I don t think anything short of a blizzard could have kept the show from being a resounding success. The people I am talking about, and you know who you are, have made Eurocar the premier, European specific show, in Central New York, if not the whole of New York State. Where do we go from here? The car hobby that we love so much is growing in leaps and bounds. You know you can go out and buy a brand new car in kit form. You can build your dream American Classic from a 32 Ford to a late 60 s Camaro or Mustang, all with new parts, including a complete new body, stamped from the original stamping molds rite down to the correct recreation lug nuts, wheels and tires. Not our little European cars, they are not quite as easy to restore, rebuild and find parts for. That makes us a little different than the rest of the people in the hobby. We are a much smaller portion of the hobby. To do what we do, our passion has to run deep to deal with the delays and disappointments in restoring our classic European Cars. If you look at other clubs in the area like ours, for the most part, their numbers are decreasing while the average ages are increasing. Where do we go from here? We are just care takers of the history of our marks. I recall Terri saying at one time she wanted to be buried in her car and then later, after thinking about it, she lamented. She said it would be unfair for us to deprive future enthusiasts an opportunity to experience these cars and their history. We are the past, present and the future of the hobby, and the future is only as bright as our commitment to the present. Where do we go from here? Our best tools from the preservation of our segment of the hobby are our cars, our club, and our shows, especially Eurocar. Eurocar is a reflection of the history of European cars in America. It is a window into the past by showing the present, and a glimpse into the future. It is that glimpse into the future is what is in jeopardy. This responsibility rests upon the shoulders of our new club members. Your fresh minds, fresh ideas and fresh hands are what we need not only to continue, but to grow and thrive in the future. Where do we go from here? It has been said If you always do what you have always done, you will always have what you already have. But if we don t grow in an ever changing world, surely we are destined to fade in to obscurity. Where do we go from here? The answer? Fresh, bold new ideas are the answers; new fresh minds are the answer; the open exchanges of new ideas are the answer. To sum it up, YOU are the answer. Rick Kunz The Goldberg Brothers - The Inventors of the Automobile Air Conditioner Here's a little factoid for automotive buffs or just to dazzle your friends. The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees. The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter. Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car. They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about Safety Fast, and Enjoy the Ride 130 degrees, turned on the air conditioner, and cooled the car off immediately. The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them $3 million for the patent. The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they wanted the recognition by having a l abel, 'The Goldberg Air Conditioner,'on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed. Now old man Ford was more than just a little anti- Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords. They haggled back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on $4 million and that just their first names would be shown. And so to this day, all Ford air conditioners show -- Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max -- on the controls. This is a true story as told on the internet. 9

10 637 West Genesee Street Syracuse, NY Dedicated to serving the car enthusiasts as well as the professional body shop with all your automotive refinishing needs. 125 Oneida Street Oneida, NY

11 August 2010 Birthdays! 8/1 Tom Needell 8/3 Sue Sanborn Barbara Yorton 8/5 Joanne Schoonmaker Robert Trombley 8/15 Ed Warner 8/16 Robert Bunch Linda Hevner 8/19 Kevin Dix 8/23 William Goode 8/26 Zoryana Moreau Mark Roloson 11

12 MGCCCNY P.O. Box 1666 Cicero, NY Eurocar 2010 Sponsored by the MG Car Club of CNY