Volume 55 Issue 5 Next Meeting 7:30pm Tuesday, May 22 Inside this issue: Club Info 2 Official Newsletter of the MG Car Club Central Jersey Centre May 2018 Vice-President s Letter 3 Spring Tune Up 4-5 Britfest 2018 6-7 Club Calendar 8 Nearby British Car Events New Jersey Classic Car Events 9-11 12 MG Vintage Racing 13 Britfest Sponsors 14-15 MG Suppliers 16 Video of the Month 17 Membership Form 18 Meeting Location 19 Our May meeting will be our annual Pot Luck Dinner! Every one is encouraged to bring a small dish that could be sampled by about 10 people. Main dishes, salads, appetizer plates, and deserts will all be appreciated! Britfest 2018 - Saturday, May 5, Succasunna, NJ - 9:00am The time for our spectacular annual British Car Show at Horseshoe Lake Park is finally here, along with better Spring driving weather! This is the traditional start of our Classic Car Driving Season and the biggest British Car Show in New Jersey. See inside for more details and a link to the weather forecast. This year, the Jaguar XJ will be the Featured Class at Britfest 2018, to celebrate it s 50th anniversary. Don t miss this wonderful event! 1
2018 OFFICERS & TRUSTEES MEETINGS President Vice President Steve Wagoner swag11@gmail.com 2018 Meeting Dates Treasurer Secretary Karl Marx Rudy Bescherer 973-267- 3630 falco4@optonline.net rdbescherer@yahoo.com Trustees at Large Ole Flandrup olemgb@gmail.com Eliot Ganek Ed Orna ejganek@yahoo.com ejorna@verizon.net Club meetings are usually held at 7:30pm on the fourth, May 22, June 26, July 24, August 28, September 25, October 23, November 27, December TBA Advisor Butch O Conner bfo@spsk.com Britfest Chairman Charlie Tregidgo Event & Rally Coordinator Bob Knecht Meeting Refreshments tregidgolaw@gmail.com mgbowner@warwick.net Steve Gastwirth stevegastwirth@aol.com Membership Chairlady Mary Hayes mgmidgetmary@gmail.com Newsletter Editor Rich Breton rbreton@optonline.net Regalia Chairman Gary Perrault gperr@optonline.net Technical Advisor Dave Collier dacollier1@yahoo.com Webmaster Mike Ruane mike@revelation.com 2017 Member of the Year Ed Orna Are you a member of the MGCCCJC? Annual dues are only $25. The benefits & events continue all year! Meshing Gears is a publication of the MG Car Club Central Jersey Centre, a non-profit organization established in 1962, and is dedicated to expanding and maintaining interest in British sports cars. The MG Car Club - Central Jersey Centre is an affiliate of the North American MGB Register, USA; the American MGB Association, USA; The MG Owners Club, UK; and the MG Car Club, UK founded in 1930 as the only factory supported and approved organization for all Mg s. Membership in the MG Club is open to all. Ownership of a MG is not a condition of membership. Have a contribution to our newsletter? Please send it by the 25th of the month to: Rich Breton: rbreton@optonline.net Publication is the 1st of each month. Visit our website at mgccnj.org 2
LETTER FROM OUR VICE-PRESIDENT Random Thoughts from your VP. Hi All, I'm back! Sorry, I missed the February and March meetings, believe me, I wanted to be there. I was able to make the April meeting, and I want to thank everyone who came to help with the 'stuffing' of the registration packets for Britfest. With Britfest 2018 this Saturday, and the prospects of actually having some good weather, we expect a strong turnout! We are anticipating many Jaguars coming to Britfest 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the XJ salon, the Featured Class this year. The Jaguar Touring Club, the Jaguar Auto Group and Morris County Jaguar are all sponsoring Jaguar Award Classes for this show. Twenty-six Jaguars are pre-registered, the largest number yet. Another new Sponsor is the New Jersey MGT Register, who will sponsor the MG T series class, of course. I think that everyone is sick of winter and looking forward to spring and the start of our driving season! I hope to see you all at Britfest, As an MG Club member benefit, if you come and help out at the show, you can exhibit your car for FREE! We can always use some help, especially between 7am and 10am and between 2pm and 3pm for startup and cleanup. So let's get our MGs on the road and bring them to our own really big show! Maybe next year, I can bring one of mine out! Maybe. The May meeting will be our annual Pot Luck Dinner. This is a fun meeting with good food and good friends sharing together. Everyone is encouraged to bring a small fish that could be sampled by around 10 people. I think anything larger than that will lead to more leftovers! Main dishes, salads, appetizer plates and deserts will all be appreciated. We should have a great variety of yummy foods because may of our members are very good cooks! I hope to see many of you at both big events this month! Safety Fast, Steve. Your VP 3
CLUB EVENTS Spring Tune Up On Saturday, April 21, Steve Schade graciously opened his shop at New Vernon Coach & Motor Works in Morristown, NJ for club members to use his lifts and his expertise again. We had 13 members participate with 12 cars. Below is Chris Hammer with his 1978 MGB and Eliot Ganek s 1958 MGA. Below are Roy Wherry and his 1974 MGB and Steve Gastwirth repairing a backup lamp on his 1977 MGB. Fred Weber s fine 1951 MG TD 4 Reporting & Photos by Kathy Maas
CLUB EVENTS Spring Tune Up Our members made good use of Steve s facilities to change motor & rear axle oil, grease fittings, replace choke cables, repair horn wiring, adjust brakes, replace back up light & switch and examine the undercarriage on the lift, which revealed leaking shock absorbers and worn suspension bushings. A very productive day! Below are Charles Tregidgo s 1978 MGB and Jim Kennedy s 1974 MG Midget Jim Dixon in his 1961 Morgan above and Gary Perrault changing differential oil on his 1969 MGB. Below are Bob Knecht's 1972 MGB, Richard Miller's 2015 Mini Cooper and Dave Collier's 1971 MGB GT. Big Thanks to Steve Schade at New Vernon Coach & Motor Works for hosting our club again this year! 5 Reporting & Photos by Kathy Maas
UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS - BRITFEST 2018 6
UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS - BRITFEST 2018 7
MG CAR CLUB 2018 CALENDAR May 5 Saturday 9:00am BRITFEST 2018 at Horseshoe Lake Park, Succasunna, NJ May 22 Tuesday 7:30pm Monthly Club Meeting at VFW Post #3401 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ June? To Be Determined After Father s Day Feast June 26 Tuesday 7:30pm Monthly Club Meeting at VFW Post #3401 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ July 24 Tuesday 7:30pm Monthly Club Meeting at VFW Post #3401 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ August 28 Tuesday 7:30pm Monthly Club Meeting at VFW Post #3401 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ September 25 Tuesday 7:30pm Monthly Club Meeting at VFW Post #3401 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ NOTICE: Our club is always looking for new Officers. Please contribute your talent, enthusiasm and ideas! 8
NEARBY BRITISH CAR EVENTS - 2018 May 5 BRITFEST 2108 - NJs Largest annual British Car Show, hosted by the MG Car Club, Central Jersey Centre at Horseshoe Lake Park in Succasunna, NJ. For Info: www.mgccnj.org May 18-20 CARLISLE IMPORT & PERFORMANCE NATIONALS - Large three-day event featuring import and kit cars, and major parts vendors. British car field. Tech sessions, displays. At the Carlisle Fairground, Carlissle, PA. For Info: www.carlisleevents.com May 20 CARS & CRUMPETS - A new monthly gathering of British Car enthusiasts being organized by Ralph Scargogliero, Location to be decided. For Info and sign-up: www.njbcc.org May 26-June 4 BRITISH CAR WEEK - A time set aside nationwide as a recognition of classic British cars. This is a call for all British car owners to get their machines out on the road where they can be seen and enjoyed! For Info: www.britishcarweek.org June 1-3 GREENWICH CONCOURS Largest auto Concours in the Northeast. Sunday is for imported marques, this year featuring Jaguar. In Greenwich, CT. For Info: www.greenwichconcours.com June 2 CARS & MOTORCYCLES OF ENGLAND - British Car Show, Delaware Valley Triumphs & Jaguar Club, Historic Hope Lodge in Fort Washington, PA For Info: www.dvtr.org June 3 23rd RED MILL BRITISH CAR DAY & The Drive In - British Car Show, hosted by the NJ Triumph Association. & The MG Driver s Club in Clinton, NJ. For Info: http://www.austin-healey-stc.org/ or www.mgdriversclub.com June 3 31st BRITISH BY THE SEA GATHERING - Connecticut MG Club, Harkness State Park, Waterford, CT For Info: www.ctmgclub.com June 9 A TOUCH OF ENGLAND - British car & motorcycle show, NJ Triumph Assoc, The Hermitage, HoHoKus, NJ For Info: www.njtriumphs.org June 10 25th BRITISH MOTORCAR GATHERING - Hosted by Keystone Region MG Club, Fritchman Reservoir Park, Hellertown, PA For Info: www.keystonemg.com June 18 MG2018 MGB CONVENTION - Hosted by the North American MGB Register, to be held in Gettysburg, Pa. Driving events, tech sessions, battleground tours, car show. For Info: mg2018.namgbr.org June 27-30 NEW ENGLAND MGT REGISTER GOF MK102 - Hosted by the NEMGT Register, to be held at Lebanon, NH Driving events, tech sessions, tours, car show. For Info: nemgtr.org MORE LISTINGS OF BRITISH CAR EVENTS IN OUR REGION CAN BE FOUND AT: www://keystonemg.com/britcarcalendar.html LISTINGS OF NATIONAL BRITISH CAR EVENTS CAN BE FOUND AT: www://justbritish.com/calendar/ 9
NEARBY BRITISH CAR EVENTS 10
NEARBY BRITISH CAR EVENTS 11
NEW JERSEY CLASSIC CAR EVENTS Information on many car shows in New Jersey can be found at NEWJERSEYCARSHOWS.COM CARS & CROISSANTS is group of classic car owners, founded by Abi Singh & Kirk Meighan, that holds informal car meets for all makes of cars on weekend mornings, (9:30am to 12noon) usually at the Chatham High School in Morris County, and other venues. To receive notices of their weekly events and get on their email list, contact Kirk Meighan at candcnjowner@yahoogroups.com or Warren Hansen at whansen08@verizon.net CARS & CAFFE is a similar group organized by Tony Boniello, that meets on Sundays (9:30am to 12noon), usually at the Ramsey Square Panera Bread and other venues in Bergen County, To receive notices of their weekly events and get on their email list, contact Tony at tboniello@gmail.com, or https://www.facebook.com/carsandcaffe or https://www.instagram.com/carsandcaffe. WYCKOFF CLASSIC CAR SHOW / CRUISE NIGHTS Weekly informal car meets for all makes, on Wednesday evenings 5:00pm to dark, from June through October. At Cedar Hill Reformed Church, 422 Cedar Hill Ave, Wykoff, a block south of Wykoff Ave. 12
MG VINTAGE RACING MGVR is traveling to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly Mosport) for the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix June 14-17. Check below for information on the 2018 Season. Contact information: VRG: www.vrgonline.org MGVR: www.mgvr.org NJMP: www.njmp.com Greg Prehodka MG Vintage Racers Newsletter Publicity Coordinator E-mail: MGracer53@aol.com MGVR on the web: MGVR.org 13
THANKS TO OUR BRITFEST 2017 SPONSORS 14
THANKS TO OUR BRITFEST 2017 SPONSORS Bob and Mary Ann McAdams Matt O Connor and Elizabeth Camp 15
MG SUPPLIERS & SERVICES 16
MG CLUB SUPPLIERS NOTES & SERVICES MG Club Photos Available Online Photos of recent Club Events are available for viewing and downloading online as follows: Photos of the 2017 Halloween Rally are at: http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/phototraveler/ library/2017%20mgcc%20halloween%20rally Photos of the 2017 Cecil Kimber Run are at: http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/phototraveler/ library/2017%20cecil%20kimber%20run%20-% 20New%20Jersey Video of the Month MGA Sports Car of the Year 1955-56 This is an MG Factory publicity film highlighting it s complete styling break from MG s earlier sports cars having been developed and tested for racing and records. Announced on September 26, 1955, the car was officially launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show. https://youtu.be/aqvsjpmhsng Photos of the 2017 After Father s Day Feast are at: http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/phototraveler/ library/2017%20after%20fathers%20day% 20Feast Photos of Britfest 2017 are at: http:// s1239.photobucket.com/user/phototraveler/ library/2017%20britfest%20car%20show THE REGALIA SHOP You aren t the only one in need of proper attire. Your car needs some dressing up too. The MG Car Club Jersey Central Centre has just what you need to make your British car whine pleasantly, instead of just making a racket. Check out these great deals! Grille Badges (2nd Edition) - The club s very own (and quite handsome) grille badges. The cream and cracker color is just perfect for all T and A Series Mg s, and also compliments your MGBs & Cs. Clothing items are available in many sizes and many colors of your choice. Prices vary based on size, and are subject to change. NEW ITEMS Mugs, Coasters, Clocks, Stickers... All with the new Club Logo at: www.cafepress.com/mgccnj Courtesy of Just British Online Magazine. https://justbritish.com/ Membership Changes & Corrections Keep your newsletter coming and your membership info (e-mail, postal mail, telephone, MGs, other information) up to date. Please Contact Mary Hayes with any changes, corrections, or updates, at: mgmidgetmary@gmail.com For information or to place an order, go to the above website. 17
MEMBERSHIP FORM 18
Next Month s Meeting Is May 22, 2018 MG Car Club Central Jersey Centre PO Box 435 Convent Station, NJ 07961 Meetings on the 4th Tuesday each month at 7:30pm at VFW Post #3401 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ at 7:30 pm. Articles are wanted for our next Newsletter. Please share your insights! Green Table Every Monthly Meeting Bring it in - give it to a MG friend! It s our way to recycle stuff related to our hobby and other good stuff you might have. Car stuff is always welcome, but take a look around your house for those items that you don t want or need that others might appreciate. We all have stuff like that! Bring in anything that you re willing to give away. Just put your stuff on the Green Table where Froggy resides, and let others help themselves to your treasures. Car parts, tools, hardware, models, magazines, manuals, books, videos, photos, posters, and whatever! Share your unwanted stuff with your MG buddies! Someone may treasure it! 19