The Official Publication of the Georgia Triumph Association The Georgia September, 2009 TRUMPET Volume XXIV, Number 9
Drive to Blue Ridge for Drive-In Movie Night Eight cars from the GTA met on the morning of Saturday, Michael Campsmith August 15 for the ride up to the Swan Drive-In in Blue GTA Activities Director Ridge. Mike and Sue Hurst mapped out the route and led the caravan in their TR6, followed by Jim and Cheryl Bennett (Spitfire), Art and Faye Hays (Spitfire), Ashford Little (TR6), Shawn and Astrid Tarleton (TR6), Steve and Melissa Kohlhagen (Spitfire), Mark and Laura Pruitt (TR4), and Michael Campsmith (TR6).
The group had a pleasant drive through the countryside up to north Georgia. The weather even cooper- ated as there was enough cloud cover to keep people from baking in their open cars. Not far from Blue Ridge we stopped for lunch at Vanzandt’s General Store in beautiful downtown(?) Dial, Georgia. After getting a lunch choice—BBQ and chicken salad sandwiches were the big hits—folks sat out on the rocking porch and relaxed.
Unfortunately pulling into the lunch stop Steve Kohlagen had developed a mechanical issue with his transmission staying stuck in second gear. The night before Steve had spent hours making his transmis- sion tunnel tight and fume-free; of course that had to come out in order to get at the transmission. The goal was to remove the top of the transmission to check alignment of the forks and shafts, but something internal was hanging up the cover. Rather than risk breaking anything he decided to get a trailer to haul the car back home for repairs. Steve and Melissa rode with the solo drivers (Ashford and Michael) to the hotel in Blue Ridge, where Steve made some phone calls to confirm trailer access. Now the problem was how to get Steve and Melissa back to Atlanta. Michael wasn’t staying for the movie, but only had a single seat available. So for 60+ miles Steve and Melissa sat side-by-side for the trip home (luckily Melissa is young and flexible!!).
We arrived at the Kohlhagen’s about 4:30 PM and after a quick look at the XKE project in Steve’s garage. ( Continued on Page 4 )
Upcoming GTA EVENTS Swan drive in 1, 4, 5 For a complete list see the club web site Director’s Chair 3 September Birthday List 2 10th GTA Pub Night Manchester Arms, 1075 Virginia Ave, Historic Races Report 6 College Park What Could Have Been 7, 8 12th Norcross British Car Fayre Another One Bites The Dust 8, 9,10 15th Business meeting. 600 PM Dinner, 700 PM meeting. TRF Summer Party 2009 11, 12 Norcross Cafe Business Meeting Report 15, 16 October Volunteers Needed! 15 10th Murder Mystery, Roswell, GA Classifieds 16 20th Business meeting. 600 PM Dinner, 700 PM meeting. GTA History 17 Norcross Cafe GTA Email LIST JOIN NOW! 18 For more events and details, see the club website Upcoming Events 5, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17 The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 2
The Trumpet is published monthly for The Georgia Triumph Association Happy Birthday! the members of the Georgia Triumph Post Office Box 3198 Have a Great Day! Association. Members are Cumming, GA 30028-6516 encouraged to submit articles, photo- Howard R. Orr, Jr 5-Sep graphs, or other materials of interest by Joy Meadors 8-Sep mailing them to the club mailbox address shown to the right. Members may also Gary Wilmerding 8-Sep submit articles via email by sending them to [email protected]. We Dot Kelley 13-Sep reserve the right to edit or change any material to suit the needs and space allowed for our newsletter. Please enclose a self addressed envelope for any items you Ron Whittingham 13-Sep would like returned. The GTA newsletter cannot be held responsible for any items Faye Hays 19-Sep that may be lost, One year commercial advertising rates (12 issues) are as follows: Jeri Schaller 22-Sep damaged, or destroyed. Bettye Young 24-Sep Classified advertising is 1/8 page (business card) $40.00 Maria Kozicki 26-Sep available free to mem- 1/4 page $70.00 Russell Sanders 28-Sep bers, $5.00 per ad for 1/2 page $100.00 Lois Wilmerding 30-Sep non members. Classi- Sandy Putnam 30-Sep fied ads run for one month. Commercial advertising is available at the rates below. GTA neither endorses nor warrants any product, service or method of service, written or advertised.
The Georgia Triumph Association, Inc. is a non profit organization of Triumph motorcar owners and enthusiasts interested in the preservation, restoration and driving of Triumph motorcars. We are a group of enthusiasts that maximize the enjoyment of driving a Triumph and emphasize camaraderie and social interaction among Triumph owners. The GTA is a chapter of the Vintage Triumph Register (VTR) and the 6PACK. The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 3 Hybrid Power?Last month’s Director’s Chair was presented to you from the Great Director’s Chair White North aka Canada. Not this month, but just barely. When last we got together I was hoping to return from Canada and then hop in my car and head to The Roadster Factory for their annual Summer Party. I knew I had an issue, but mistakenly thought it had been cured during my time away. I was wrong, but I didn’t know this. After flying back from Toronto, and after spending a wonderful ten September, 2009 hours at Toronto “International” Airport I arrived at my house late Tuesday, August Ashford Little 4th. The next morning I threw my stuff together and went to my “other” house, cranked up the car and I was off. So far so good, right? A little north of 285 I turned on my headlights to check the amp gauge. Uh-oh! The gauge predictably went down into the evil “D” zone indicating that I was operating under hybrid battery power. Someone operating on more sleep or a few more brain cells would have turned around and at least attempted to figure out how to correct this obvious issue, but not yours truly. I got on the phone and started locating part numbers for a brush pack or an entire Bosch alternator. 257 miles later I pulled into Salisbury, NC to get some gas. Not wishing to turn the car off I was filling up with the engine running. I noticed the guy next to me had a certain “might work on cars look” about him so I asked if he had a multi-meter on him. His response was classic and with a smile on his face he responded “alternator not charging, huh?” I love it. He and I ascertained that the alternator was indeed not charging, but then the electric fan came on which prompted me to rev up the motor. “Huh, I think it might be charging,” he said. Bottom line: I had a poor connection at the plug on the back of the alternator. The amp gauge swung way up in the “C” zone and I was off after a hearty thanks to my electrical savior. So, if anyone asks you how far you can drive on a charged battery during daylight hours the answer might be “at least 257 miles.” I’ll give a more detailed report on The Roadster Factory’s Summer Party later, but I’ll just say that it was a nice event. There were about two hundred Triumphs in attendance and the weather was very nice. My old North Face sleeping bag came in handy the first night when the temperature dipped into the fifties. My TR ran flawlessly after my initial issue and never looked back even after several drag strip runs and some less than stellar autocross laps. Shawn Tarleton and I drove back 725 miles or so on Sunday, August 9th with the only issue being the ever increasing outside temps the closer we got to Hotlanta. Haven’t driven your car lately? Well, lucky for you there are plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks. Thursday, September 10th is a GTA pub night in College Park at The Manchester Arms Pub. Saturday, September 12th is the annual Norcross British Car Fayre. The weekend of September 25th is “Autumn in the Mountains” in Hendersonville, NC. The GTA is planning to attend and we have contacted The Cedarwood Inn. Please call 828-692-8284 for reserva- tions. Please book now so you can stay with the group. We always have a nice time at the show and generally cook out that evening at the motel. Unfortunately I won’t be at the show as that same weekend is the annual 6-Pack TRials in Long Beach, NJ. No, I won’t be driving up for this one. It’s a bit too far given the quick turnaround, but I’ll give a full report on the event and where the event will be held next year. If you’ve got a TR250 or TR6 and aren’t members of the 6-Pack then you are missing out on a great group of Triumph enthusiasts. Go to www.6-pack.org for more information. Hermann Schaller has suggested that a GTA calendar might be something nice for members to put on their wall. I totally agree. So if you’ve got a great shot of your car then contact me or Hermann and get us a shot. We want to get this wrapped up with plenty of time to spare. Also, don’t forget about the annual GTA Iron Butt Award. This goes to the GTA member who puts in the most mileage this year. It’s real simple, mileage starts at last year’s Christmas Party and stops a year later. Check those odometers. One other point of importance that everyone should give serious thought to is this. GTA elections are coming up. Elections will be held in November and results announced at this year’s XMAS party. I haven’t polled all the officers, but all positions are open every year. I have considered it a privilege and an honor to serve as GTA director for the past two years and as GTA webmaster for the last five plus years, but I will not be running for reelection next year. Also Hugh McAleer has indicated that the newsletter position will be open as well. Volunteering in an organization is tremen- dously rewarding so let the nominations begin! So that’s a quick update on things. For a while there I thought we might have a frontrunner for this year’s Bozo award winner, but alas I was saved by a Good Samaritan. \ The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 4 2009 GTA Board of Directors / Volunteers Director VTR Liaison Secretary / Webmaster / Ronnie Babbitt Activities Director 6PACK Liaison (912)953-2261 Michael Campsmith R. Ashford Little II [email protected] 770-414-8233 – Home (404) 786-3812 [email protected] [email protected] Historian [email protected], Bob Ragan Assistant Director [email protected] Chic Fries Newsletter Editor Membership Director Hugh R. McAleer Contributors - Photos Gary Wilmerding (770)567-3122 Ashford Little, GTA, Compilation from (404) 226-2229 [email protected] Bob Ragan, GTA, the GTA website [email protected] Hugh McAleer, GTA, Page 1 Photograher Michael Campsmith, GTA Ashford Little Treasurer John Drosdrick Mike Hurst, GTA Page 3 Sue Hurst 770-560-1446 (770) 887-2143 Hal Doby, [email protected] [email protected]
Drive to Blue Ridge for Drive-In Movie Night Michael Michael Campsmith was on his GTA Activities Director way. In ( Continued from page 1 ) short order Steve picked up the trailer, and headed back to north Georgia. After some backtracking (Dial, GA is just about as small as a bar of Dial soap) Steve finally found his way back to his Spitfire. Then the fun really began—how is one man going to load a car with a stuck transmission on a trailer by himself? Steve put dollies under the rear wheels and tried to winch the car onto the trailer but the dollies dug into the gravel road. The only way the car was getting loaded was if he got some help, so Steve walked down the road to the nearest house and knocked on the door. Now, remember—this is the country, so a stranger knocking on your door might get you all kinds of responses, some of which could be downright unpleasant. Eventually a man answered the door and Steve explained the situation. Luckily the homeowner was more than happy to help out. While they were both back at the car more people started show- ing up to see what it was all about. With enough muscle power the car was loaded and everyone relaxed with a well-deserved beer, courtesy of Steve. After thanking his new-found friends Steve towed his Spitfire to the Swan Drive-In and met up with the rest of the GTA group. He spent Saturday night at the motel and then went back on Sunday morning.
I called Steve Monday night and got the story of his Spitfire retrieval. He hasn’t had a chance to diagnose the transmission issue, but hopes to get the car to Scott Holton’s shop soon. We all look forward to seeing the Kohlhagens and the car on the road again.
Steve wanted to thank everyone in the GTA and Dial, GA for helping him during his time of need. Unfortunately we weren’t able to solve this problem on the side of the road, but not for lack of trying. By and large the GTA members are great folks who are always willing to help out in whatever way they can. And that is what being in the club is all about. ( For the rest of the story on the drive in, see Mike Hurst’s report in ther email issue ) The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 5
“ It’s not about the movies” We arrived at the Douglas Inn and Suites at about 3 PM, long over due Mike Hurst for a swim and cool down. After much exchange of registration forms and swapping of pens, not to mention a slight language barrier we were all checked in and headed for the pool. Michael, Melissa and Steve headed back to Atlanta. We spent the afternoon sipping adult beverages and getting sun burned. Most folks had to go out a little later and get provisions for the movie and we all met on the front line of the Swan at about 7.30. Just before the first film started Dean and Vickey Meyer showed up in their beautiful big Healey and we squeezed over to make room for them. We all enjoyed our food which looked very appetizing, except for the spackle masquerading as mashed potatoes that Shawn bought at KFC. The first feature was Ice Age III, don’t bother rushing out to rent it. Steve Kohlhagen returned with his tow vehicle and trailer with his Spitfire tied down and stayed for a while. The second feature was G.I. Joe which we bailed out on about 40 minutes into, so no comment from this film critic. The Hayes, brave souls, stayed until the bitter end. I woke up at 7.30 Sunday and dove into a coffee and some sugar powder donuts, what a breakfast. We hit the road at about 8.45 and were home at 11 AM. The TR6 is about 25 miles short of rolling over it’s odometer to zero, I’m hoping to get a picture of the odometer as that happens.
Cedarwood Inn 1510 Greenville Hwy Hendersonville, NC 28792-6337 (828) 692-8284 http://www.cedarwood-inn.com/ The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 6
Another round of historic sports car racing was held at Road Atlanta Historic Sportscar Races over the weekend of August 21-23 (the main event being the Walter August 23, 2009 Mitty in March). Michael Campsmith, GTA Activities Director/Secretary During Quiet Hours all the British car clubs were invited to participate in Parade Lap sessions, so I made my way to the track on a beautiful Sunday morning to participate. After checking in I drove out to the Turn 5 area where the GTA normally congregates, but found I was the only member in attendance. And when I queued up to take parade laps I found I was the only car from any British car club. So I felt really special when I was let out on the track for two laps with a very short parade—just the pace car and my TR6.
It was very cool to be motoring around Road Atlanta pretending to be Speed Racer, but the drive wasn’t totally drama-free. For some reason on the second parade lap the engine died in the Turn 3-4 complex. I had visions of being towed back to the pits in total embar- rassment, but luckily the engine re-fired on the first try and I completed my individual parade. Following the parade laps they let people buy into a Touring Session where you could drive anything and everything out on the track. I watched a group of very eclectic vehicles—including an SUV, pickup truck, Prius, and C6 Corvette—turn 3-minute plus laps behind the pace car. I’m sure the Corvette driver thought he would get to burn up the track, but ended up going no faster than the Prius—likely the drive to the track was more exciting (and $35.00 cheaper!).
After the Touring Session they ran something called an InterContinental Race, which included 3 60s-era Mustangs and 4 British cars—Bugeye Sprite, Ginetta, Lotus Europa and Triumph Spitfire. Like me you might think those little British cars didn’t stand a chance against American V8s, but I am here to tell you the Ginetta won the race going away—not too shabby for a 1,500 cc engine!! Bob Wagoner from Atlanta Import built the engines for the Ginetta and Sprite and they both performed flawlessly, including the overall race winner. Congratulations to the Ginetta driver for his skillful performance and to Bob for his master mechanic work.
It was another fun day at the race track; but then, when is it not a fun day watching cool cars speed around one of the premier road courses in the world?
Happy Motoring! Michael The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 7
What Could Have Been Here is a little-known tidbit I recently learned. As British sports car enthusi- asts, I’m sure you are familiar with the DeLorean DMC-12. One of the key Hal Doby reasons it failed was that DeLorean had built a state of the art manufactur- ing plant that was capable of building over 100,000 cars a year. They had been rather good at managing money and the business model was set up so that the company could survive in its start-up mode by building under 10,000 cars in a calendar year once they were out of start-up mode. John Z. DeLorean was certainly a man ahead of his time and he actually wanted to build cars in the same vein as Lexus and Mercedes. He felt he had to start with a flashy sports car to garner attention to the company. This is the reason that the plant was built as large as it was. Like most new toys, there was a rush at DMC dealers to purchase the gull-wing sports car, but once that surge was taken care of, demand dropped tremendously. During that rush period, the plant became capable of producing at its full allotment of 30,000 DMC-12s a year and the green light was given to go full speed ahead. Before anyone realized it, all of their money was in parking lots full of DMC-12s with little of anything in the bank account. On February 12, 1982 the DeLorean Motor Car Company went into receivership while its management desperately worked to find a way out of its tough situation. Somebody came up with a wild idea. At the end of 1980, British Leyland ceased car production at its Solihull factory. This forced the killing off the Triumph TR7/TR8 in the process. DMC approached BL with the idea of purchasing the tooling and the rights for the TR7 and TR8 and resuming its production as a DMC-badged sports car. This would have given DeLorean a much less expensive and proven sports car to produce using the excess capacity of the DMC factory. Since the TR7 and TR8 were proven designs, very little would be needed in order for new DeLorean versions to come to market and be able to pass European, and the all-important American crash and emis- sion tests. British Leyland wasn’t doing so well itself. It was always looking for ways to raise revenue, so it was thought that they’d be delighted to make money off of a now dead car line. The management of DeLorean contacted a very receptive BL management team. On July 29th, Harold Musgrove, and BL’s commercial director, Mark Snowdon informed DeLorean that they could purchase the TR7 / TR8 rights and tooling for a ‘commercially realistic’ price, as long as the DeLorean version of the car didn’t too closely resemble the previous production TR7or TR8. It was a plan that could have rescued DeLorean – with the smaller re-branded cars opening up the possibility of volume production to the DeLorean manufacturing plant. It was a plan impressive enough to receive commitments to funding from a consortium of financial backers, including the British government. The plan got so far, it even received the permission of the receivership trustee judges. It looked like the TR7 and TR8 were going to live again. But on October 19, 1982 after a four-month sting operation, the FBI arrested John Z. DeLorean in a Los Angeles hotel room over a cocaine deal. With Mr. DeLorean’s actions being described as a desperate attempt to save his car company, there was no chance of any investor putting more money into the tarnished company. The deal with British Leyland never came to conclusion and the receivers closed DMC to liquidate its assets to satisfy its creditors as best it could. ( Continued on Page 8 ) The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 8
John Z. DeLorean was later What Could Have Been acquitted of the drug charges Hal Doby due to entrapment by the FBI. By the time he was a free man, ( Continued from Page 7 ) his family was broken, his fortune lost, and the company that bore his name was now only a name. In the mid-2000s John Z. announced his new intention to revive DeLorean Motor Car Company with his plan to produce a low-cost sports car. Alas, DeLorean’s health went into decline and he died in 2008. The Born January 6, 1925 company was never resurrected. Detroit, Michigan Most people are not that familiar with John Z. DeLorean’s automo- Died March 19, 2005 (aged 80) tive pedigree other than the gull-wing stainless steel sports car Summit, New Jersey that bears his name. He came into the limelight when he took the modest Pontiac Tempest and turned it into the legendary GTO. He went on to develop among other things the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and the Pontiac Banshee sports car concept that became the inspiration and basis for the 1968-1982 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C2). His performance pedigree is unmatched and he was every bit the contemporary of such people like Carroll Shelby. The DMC-12 was a work in progress and the true performance version was about to be completed a few weeks after the factory went into receivership. Can you imagine the potential that could have been had DeLorean not done his stupid act and his company took over the TR7 line? It just boggles the imagination. Ah, what could have been!
Where did it all go wrong? The other day I received an automotive newsletter via email and the photo GM & the Death of Pontiac of a mid-60’s Pontiac Ashford Little GTO was above the header notifying recipients of the death of the performance division of General Motors. It made me mad. I don’t own a Pontiac nor have I personally ever owned any GM product. However my mother toted me around in a 1966 or so Pontiac Catalina. I remember two things about the Catalina: one, it had a cool scrolling heating and air control unit, and two, I learned that the cigarette lighter could still be very hot even if it wasn’t bright red, so inserting one’s finger into it wasn’t such a bright idea. So even without a direct stake in GM, I do have a distant history and connection with the company. But why would this make me mad? Since our two daily drivers originate from Japan and Germany it wouldn’t seem to make much sense. The death of Pontiac made me mad because a once-proud U.S. car maker muddled its way to what has now become a near worthless company. I have noticed that GM has improved its product line noticeably in recent years to have, in my mind, the best overall product line-up of any U.S. automaker. Yet, the stock was trading at around a dollar in recent days and now no longer trades period due to its bankruptcy filing. The reason for the ugliness is accounting 101… liabilities exceed assets. So how did they get themselves in this mess? ( Continued on Page 9 ) The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 9
Where did it all go wrong? The reasons are many. Woefully inept management, shoddy quality in GM & the Death of Pontiac past years, ugly or boring cars that sold on price alone, and yes Ashford Little generous labor contracts that led to an increase in the cost to produce ( Continued from Page 8 ) these mundane, ugly or crappy cars. U.S. industry has been criticized for years for short-term thinking. Meeting analyst’s estimates for the next quarter supersede thinking about what corporate strategy should be to steer the company through rough or changing times. Failure to plan for the long term has left Pontiac without even a short term. That’s a shame. Pontiac produced some of the most storied cars over the decades. My automotive brain only picks up around the time I was born, but when I think of Pontiac I think of GTO’s, Catalina’s and even the chicken emblazoned Trans- Am’s. Pontiac sold hundreds of thousands of cars each year to Americans anxious to pick up one of the hottest cars in America. But Pontiac like the rest of the U.S. automotive industry failed to change with the times. Things started to get serious around 1973. The oil embargo hit and America produced nothing that remotely re- sembled a fuel efficient vehicle. Pinto’s and Vega’s were manufactured in large quantities, but they were cheap and fell apart quickly. GM’s next foray into the “small-car” world started with the X-cars on 1980. Remember the Chevy Citation, Pontiac Phoenix or even worse the Cadillac Cimmaron? Probably not. The “Parade of the Poor” continued throughout the years and with few exceptions American cars didn’t stack up against their global competitors. I realize some of you drive domestic cars and maybe I have angered you, but I see parallels to the demise of the British automotive industry all over again. VW was the first foreign automaker to make major inroads into the U.S. car market with the Beetle. Japanese carmakers followed a decade or so later, but both companies succeeded by building quality cars that lasted and U.S. consumers noticed. Meanwhile the U.S. domestics were fielding badge-engineered cars that differed mainly in the front and rear fascias. Sure they held together initially, but when is the last time you saw a mid-80’s American car of any type tooling down the road? I bet you’ve seen many more Corollas and Accords with 200k on the odometer. So in the coming weeks we will see a new GM emerge from the ruins of what was once the largest private employer in the U.S. But will this “new” GM be much different than any of its most recent attempts to reinvent itself? There is no doubt that the U.S. government’s decision to forgive the 30 or more billion dollars in loans we’ve doled out so far will improve the balance sheet, but will we rush out to buy their cars and trucks? I doubt things will change much other than what is mandated by the government. Critics have said that GM and others are in the financial mess they are in because they produced gas-guzzling cars and didn’t lead the way in fuel efficient vehicles. Statistics belie that charge. Sure, last summer when gas hit 4 bucks a gallon people rushed out to unload their Suburbans and replaced them with small efficient cars. Toyota Pruis’s became a fashion statement, sold for above sticker price and had a long waiting list. However, when gas prices went down so did the waiting lists and Americans went back to buying the larger vehicles that were actually profitable to the U.S. automakers. The dirty little secret is that hybrid cars – which I am all for btw – don’t make Toyota or anyone else any money yet. So if the Pruis was made by Chevrolet or Pontiac then maybe they would have made a few bucks for a few months, but probably not. ( Continued on Page 9 ) The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 10
Where did it all go wrong? The only vehicles that make the domestics any money are large SUV’s GM & the Death of Pontiac and pickup trucks. Now before I irritate anyone anymore than I already Ashford Little have I will say that I’m all for more fuel efficient vehicles. I think hybrid ( Continued from Page 9 ) vehicles are great and maybe even a little cool. I like diesel cars and trucks too. I’d buy a diesel SUV or the upcoming European-only VW GTD in a heartbeat. Thirty percent better fuel economy with no downside on performance sounds like a deal to me. The idea of driving 600 miles on a tank full of diesel is right up my alley - but mandating itsy-bitsy cars that the American public really doesn’t want doesn’t seem like a way to lead to an American automotive resurgence. You will never catch me in one of those rolling Kelvinators made by a certain German company. I value my family’s life too much. So what will it take for me and others like me to consider buying American again? The answer isn’t all that difficult – build high quality cars that are uniquely American. Build me a car that when you slam the door the knobs don’t fall off. Build me a car that has that certain American swagger in terms of style. And yes, build me a car that once again leads the world in quality, functionality and even fuel efficiency. The United States of America is a big country. Not all of us can drive little bitty toasters on wheels, but that doesn’t mean we all need land yachts either. That famous line from Field of Dreams comes to mind… “if you build it, they will come.” The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 11
TRF Summer Party 2009 Ashford Little
I’ve already told you about my exploits leaving Atlanta on the way to The Roadster Factory although some may correctly question my sanity about continuing my journey. Sometimes determination can go a bit too far. I was already a day behind my desired schedule, which would have allowed me to hook up with Duane Spruill and some fellow Triumph enthusiasts and spend a couple of days on the Blue Ridge Parkway. So when I left Lynchburg, VA Thursday morning after spending the night with a friend and passed the entrance to the Parkway en route to I-81 I quickly decided to do a U-turn and spend at least a little time travelling one of the most scenic routes in the lower 48. I was not to be disappointed. I spend the next hour or so meander- ing, almost alone, up and down beautiful almost desolate mountains in central Virginia. There is a great sense of peace and relaxation when allowed to gently cruise top down with no sense of urgency, no eigh- teen-wheelers climbing up your rear-view mirror and no arrogant or dangerous driver ruining a perfect drive. We don’t get a chance to do this much anymore. It harkens back to when people drove with a sense of adventure to see what might lie ahead. All too soon I peeled off the Parkway and settled in amongst the long line of anonymous vehicles speedily making their way north on Interstate 81. I wish I had had more time. Hours later I arrived at The Roadster Factory and instantly bumped into numerous folks I’ve known for a number of years. Folks might wonder why anyone would travel over 700 miles so they can camp out in the field next to a parts supplier. On the surface it would seem to be a good question, especially after the mudfest that was TRF’s Summer Party several years ago. However, the Summer Party is a reunion of sorts. It’s a chance to get to see friends from all over the country who share a common bond: the love of Triumphs. I’m part of an informal group of folks who generally gather once a year, usually at TRF, to drive our old cars. They hearken from Michigan, Maryland, New York and even Alberta, Canada. People trickle in over the next 24 hours and it’s like welcoming folks to a family reunion. Some camp, others prefer the comfort of a hotel, but all truly enjoy getting together for the variety of events and the opportunities the Summer Party allows to spend together. The weather is nice too with temperatures dropping into the 50’s or 60’s at night, but Uncle Dave always has a bonfire going to warm folks. The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 12
The Summer Party also allows participants to do several things that they The Roadster Factory usually don’t get to do in a Triumph: autocross and drag race. Much to my Summer Party 2009 chagrin I took part in both of these activities. Drag racing took place on Ashford Little Friday, and if you’ve never run down the quarter mile then it’s something ( Continued from page 11 ) you really should do. Apparently there is some technique as to when to launch that I was only clued into following my three runs, but I ran my TR, won both times I face an opponent, and finished with a best time just under 17 seconds. While a 17 second quarter mile is not noteworthy with virtually any modern vehicle, it feels fast in a 39 year old car, and it was a blast. The following day our gang went to run the autocross course situated on a parking lot at a local college. Dutifully I walked the course a couple of times observing the proper lines and turn-in points. The course appeared quite straightforward until I was through the cones of the second slalom in my first run. Suddenly I didn’t know where to go so I just turned left which resulted in being off-course and officially a DNF. Determined not to have that happen again and still a bit bewildered at how I got lost midway through the course my second trip was predictably safe and slow. The third time was better by a good margin, but still not good enough to put the fear into any other participants, but once again we had fun. Later I enjoyed watching my friend Stanford pilot his Herald through the course. At times his right rear wheel resembled the landing gear being retracted up into an airplane. He also ran a scorching 24 second quarter mile at the drags. Joe Earnest’s infamous monkey also rode along with me up to TRF. He seemed to enjoy the events, but wandered off during the official car show on Saturday. Despite an official announcement as to the whereabouts by Charles Runyan, El Mono seems to have gone missing. Poor Joe, I hope he has better luck with his twin girls. Later that evening on the way back from Indiana, the site of the car show, I came upon a couple of cars on the side of the road. Pulling over I realized it was several of my friends trying to resuscitate a Bugeye into starting. The car had had several “issues” over the weekend including needing a new electric fuel pump. After intense diagnoses we discovered that the gas tank was lacking the required flammable liquids despite reading full at the gauge. Being stuck on the side of the road in the pitch black night might sound like a bad thing, but spirits were high and we all had a good laugh and were quickly on our way. Later that evening I found out that my car had taken home third place in class… it must have had more to do with the “authentic” brake dust and Group 44 stickers than anything meaningful. The next day Shawn Tarleton and I drove straight through to Atlanta. Fellow GTA members Steave Freeman was in attendance with his newly restored TR250 as well as Al Salvatore. This year’s Summer Party had about 200 cars and over 300 hundred Triumph enthusiasts in attendance. Next year’s dates have already been set so mark your calendar for July 30th & 31st, 2010.
http://www.tarheel500.com/
It will run 500 miles or so from the SE coast of North Carolina to the top of Mount Mitchell, NC, the highest point on the east coast. All sports and tour- ing cars 1976 and back are welcome. For more info visit the event website or contact Christen Christian [email protected]> The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 13
Dinner / Directions: Business Meeting Norcross Station Café is located at 40 S. Peachtree Street, September 15, 2009 Norcross, GA 30071. Dinner 6:00 PM Phone # is 770.409.9889. Meeting 7:00 PM From I-85: Take Jimmy Carter Blvd. West. Cross over Buford HWY and take the next right turn (South Peachtree Street). Follow S. Peachtree (bear left at the stop sign). Norcross Station is on the left in the Historic district. OR, take Indian Trail or Beaver Ruin Road northwest (Indian Trial mergers left onto Beaver Ruin. Cross Buford HWY and follow Lawrenceville Street into Historic Old Norcross. Lawrenceville Street turns right onto Jones Street. Turn left on South Peachtree (one block), the station is on the right at that intersection. From I-285: Take Buford HWY exit and go North. Cross Jimmy Carter Blvd. Turn left at Norcross Tucker Road (traffic Light at NOPI auto parts). Norcross Tucker merges with S. Peachtree The August Victoria Trumpet is now Street. The Station is on the left. Coming online and ready to download. by Train - J-U-M-P! Remember we are now on: http://www.tccv.net/eTrumpet0809.pdf Take your Triumph to Work Week September 6th through September 13 There is no password needed this Join the movement - get your Triumph month out and enjoy the great weather.
STILLWATER SERVICES Do you own a British car? Of course you do or you would not be reading this newsletter. 1666 Whitlock Rd., Do you have problems with your British car? Of course you Marietta, Ga. 30066 do, it is British isn’t it? 770-689-7573 Do you want great repairs at reasonable prices? Of course you do, we all do. Well, by now you all know I am back repairing old British cars in a very convenient Marietta location. 1666 Whitlock Road. It is off of Sandy Plains Rd. about ¼ mile from Sprayberry High School. And my labor rate is only $55.00 per hour. It has not changed since scientists proved that black holes exist and O.J. was falsely accused of murder. That is almost 15 years ago. I can do almost two hours work for most other shops one hours worth. I have been a Moss distributor and customer since 1973. My customer number with them is still my old original shop phone number; that is how long I have been dealing with Moss Motors. I order most of my parts from them and when the parts are for your car, I split my discount from them with you. Now their discount is not that great, 30% at the most, but I take my cost and add the list cost then divide by two. I make a few dollars and you save a few dollars. As an example, a Borg & Beck clutch lists for $172.95 and my last cost was $121.07. I charged $147.01 for it. I think that is fair to both of us. I have over 35 years experience working on old British cars. They weren’t old when I started working on them. I know what makes them tick, click, purr, and growl. Any problem can be solved. Noisy differen- tials, slipping clutches, shorting electrics, or poor running conditions, nothing is too small or too large. In the past 35 years of working on these cars I have seen and repaired everything that can go wrong at least once. I have installed hundreds of convertible tops, built hundreds of engines and transmissions; you name it and I have probably repaired it. So, if you need any help, please give me a call at 770-689-7573 and let us discuss your problems. There is never, nor has there ever been a charge for talking (and I am quite good at that). I am always willing to offer my help or advice when you call. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Barry Rosenberg The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 14
12 members and 2 Triumphs attended the GTA Minutes from GTA meeting 08/18/09 monthly meeting on August 18 at the Norcross Submitted by Michael Campsmith, GTA Secretary. Station Café.
Meeting was called to order at 7:08 PM by Director Ashford Little.
Old business Ashford Little and Steave Freeman recounted the recent Roadster Factory Summer Party August 7 and 8. Approximately 175 Triumphs and 300 people attended; of which 4 were from the GTA. Sadly, Joe Earnest was not among them, but the Monkey did make the trip there but not back (ask Joe for details). Ashford almost didn’t make the trip due to charging system problems, but he did find out a TR6 can go at least 257 miles without charging. While at a gas stop with his car still running he sized up an adjacent patron and calmly asked: “Pardon me, do you happen to have a multi-meter?” The response was: “Battery not charging, right?” After a little investigation they were able to solve the problem by bending out the tabs in the alternator plug to make better contact. The lesson here is start with the easy and cheap fixes first and move on to the more complex and expensive only if necessary. Ashford’s car took third place in the early TR6 category; likely a result of his Group 44 decal scheme. Steave said 11 TR250s were there and each was a different color. Members participated in the autocross, drag races and poker run (too long!) and a good time was had by all. Steave continued on from the Summer Party and made his way through Canada to the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise in Detroit. This event contains a preponderance of classics, muscle cars, and street rods, but Steave did see a few other British cars. He made it back to Atlanta after a 2,300 mile round trip—that is the kind of schedule you can keep when you are retired.
GTA drive-in night in Blue Ridge August 15—8 cars from the GTA made the trip to Blue Ridge for this annual event. Unfortunately there was an instance of car trouble en route; see details elsewhere in this issue. Other than that it turned out to be a fun trip—big thanks to Mike and Sue Hurst for laying out a wonderful route, lunch stop, and making arrangements for the motel. This led to a discussion on whether to invite other British car clubs to participate in GTA events. There was a suggestion to share calendars with other clubs so people are aware of what is going on. Please come to the next meeting and provide your feedback/suggestions on this issue.
Upcoming events Historic races at Road Atlanta August 21-23—If you attend the races this weekend look for other GTA members at our normal turn 5 hangout. Club members have the opportunity to take free parade laps during quiet time; but you need to get registered by the 10 AM deadline. Michael Campsmith will be coordinating this on Sunday; you can contact him at 404-932-8057 the day of the race or 770-414-8233 at other times. The sponsor wants at least 15 cars per club before they let us on the track but said they would consider less. So make plans to come on out to see the races and have the chance to drive your car on the Road Atlanta track. Information on the event is at www.atlantahistoricraces.com and www.hsrrace.com.
GTA pub night Thursday, September 10—To be held in College Park at the Manchester Arms, 1705 Virginia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337 (www.themanchesterarms.com). No information on start time— Happy Hour is whenever we get there.
Garage party Friday, August 21—Details on website.
( continued on page 7 ) The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 15
Minutes from GTA meeting 08/18/09 Norcross British Car Fayre September 12— Submitted by Michael Campsmith, GTA Secretary. Here in beautiful downtown Norcross, right across ( Continued from page 6 ) from the monthly meeting place. Information on the GTA website.
British car show in Hendersonville, NC September 26—Hermann Schaller has made his reservations and suggest you do so soon if you plan to attend. Mike Hurst called the hotel and rooms are still available today but that can quickly change. Information about the show is on their website: http://www.bccwnc.org/.
6-Pack Trials September 24-26 in New Jersey—This is a ways to go but was a great event last year in Tennessee. Ashford plans to fly up.
Murder Mystery drive and dinner October 10—Hermann needs a count of how many people plan to attend. Please RSVP to him at [email protected]. Christmas party Sunday, December 6—Venue was not available on Saturday so event moved to Sunday. Details in future newsletter. Other items Hermann put forth the idea of making a GTA calendar for 2010. Folks agreed this was a good idea; Jim Orr will be involved with production. Hermann needs good quality pictures of you car for consideration. So shine up your car (or not), find an interesting location, and release your inner shutter-bug.
Volunteers Needed! What do you want to do for your club? There will be some positions available next year and now is the time to throw your name in the hat. The Director, Web Master and the Newsletter Editor positions will be available next year. Your newsletter editor will only be doing 2 more ( October and November ) issues! Give it some serious thought and volunteer ... SOON!
We maintain and repair all makes and models, from old to new, American, European and Japanese. We do mechanical, electrical and emission work. AERO Automotive is a Member of BBB.
We also can maintain and repair your Triumph! That includes suspension, carburetors, electrical, drive lines and axles. Lots of experience with TR7/8, TR6, Spitfire, Aero Automotive GT6 and TR3. 4725 Canton Highway Marietta, Georgia 30066 We will treat you like a knowledgeable car-person and include 770-926-9050 you in all our work. Two ASE Master Technicians and Scott http://www.aeroautomotive.com/home.aspx Holton ( GTA Member, Ed. ), working on Triumphs since 1970. Give us a try! GTA Classifieds September 2009 Classifieds are free to GTA members. Descriptions of articles for sale are the responsibility of the seller. No warranty on the items or accuracy of the classified ad is implied by any member of the GTA other than the seller.
For Sale: Kathy Munson’s TR8
Gold 1980 Triumph TR8. Good paint job with 91,600 miles. Has premium black canvas top which makes for a quieter and LATEmore comfortable ride. Have owned it since 1994. Everything done to this car has made it dependable for Kathy and BREAKINGSam including: Upgraded Woody Cooper cam, (designed for drivability), Holley 390 NEWS!built by Lance Patton (Holley expert), Edlebrock intake, custom-milled Holley air filter intake, new Mallory Unilite distributor, high torque starter, ceramic-coated headers and new exhaust system, real 15x6 PanasportTHE wheels, MUNSON 205/50/15 Kumho V-rated tires, TR8 high efficiency HAS radiator, polyurethane bushings in the suspension, performance Carrera shocks, TSI brake proportioning valve BEENand TSI needle bearing pivots in front suspension. Stock air pump intake, carburetor and wheels are included. SOLD!If you are not familiar with this car, most people in the club know about it and have seen it perform at various GTA drives/outings. $10,000 is fair because I have seen lesser cars go on Ebay for more. If I have no interest from the club, I will post it on Ebay. Mike Munson 404-316-1583.
For Sale: Triumph J-type overdrive/transmission for a TR-6 $650 Contact Richard @ 770-335-7363 NEEDED ~ I am in need of a rebuildable cylinder head. I am somewhat desperate and am working on a shoestring budget. Looking for one at a reasonable cost. I also have some parts to trade - one being an NOS TR250 / early TR6 door mirror (Wingard). Ryals Cheek 706-635-7679 WANTED: 64 Spitfire MK1 Hardtop Jordan Christie
The Atlanta British Car Fayre is a warm and friendly gathering of British car enthu- siasts in the delightful setting of Historic Norcross. There are just under 2 months to the show. Location: Historic Norcross (South Peachtree Street Time: 10am to 3pm Registration/Cost: Optional, but benefits to charity and car owners who register. Cost is $15 per car, $10 additional cars if paid online. $20 per car on the day ($15 additional). We hope you register! ! Hope to see you there!
A Little History Please.... Bob Ragan The GTA 20 Years Ago September,1989 There was not a September issue in 1989. Bob will return next month with his History. GTA PUB NIGHT THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH 1705 Virginia Avenue College Park GA 30337 http://www.themanchesterarms.com/ The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 18
Welcome to the [email protected] mailing list!
For a while now the GTA hasn’t had an interactive email list. You may or may not have known this, and I won’t go into the details, but I do have great news! Mark Bradakis, who runs almost all LBC related email lists through the goodness of his heart and the occasional contributions, has graciously allowed the GTA to have our own list on his server. You will need to sign up for the GTA email list on your own accord. Please do so as this will allow us to quickly and easily get the word out when needed. The main difference between what you’ve seen over the past year is that you can post emails and they will go to all list members. Previously they all came to me, and then I had to forward them. You can also manage your list details. This is a gentle reminder that if your email address changes then you’ll need to update it. So how do you do it? It’s easy. Please go to the following link and follow the instructions: GTA Email List Volunteers Needed! 2 Here is the link to the GTA email list. What do you want to do for your club? http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/gta There will be some positions available next year and now is the time to throw To post to this list, send your email to: your name in the hat. The Director, [email protected] Web Master and the Newsletter Editor positions will be available next year. General information about the mailing list is at: Give it some serious thought http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/gta and volunteer ... SOON!
If you ever want to unsubscribe or change your options (eg, switch to or from digest mode, change your password, etc.), visit your subscription page at: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/gta/ ( Your email address is inserted here )
You can also make such adjustments via email by sending a message to: [email protected] with the word ‘help’ in the subject or body (don’t include the quotes), and you will get back a message with instructions.
You must know your password to change your options (including changing the password, itself) or to unsubscribe.
Normally, Mailman will remind you of your autox.team.net mailing list passwords once every month, although you can disable this if you prefer. This reminder will also include instructions on how to unsubscribe or change your account options. There is also a button on your options page that will email your current password to you.
Last year there was a discussion about a calendar for the club. This year it is going to happen! Members interested in submitting pictures of their Triumph for use to make a calendar should send them to [email protected]. Hermann will decide which pictures are used and will take care of the rest. Deadline for submissions is September 30, 2009. Don’t miss out! The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 19
ATLANTA IMPORTED AUTO PARTS, INC 257 DEKALB INDUSTRIAL WAY DECATUR, GA 30030
404-299-5775 LOCAL 800-241-0869 TOLL FREE – 404-299-6155 FAX www.atlantaimported.com is the only URL you need to know!
Use the “QUICKCART” function to easily and quickly order your parts using Moss Motors part numbers. Browse the catalog listing to find the parts you need. Place your orders with us and don’t worry, we are a secure, certified site. We receive the orders immediately via e-mail, and if the parts are in our warehouse, we ship the next day (same day if the order is received before 2 PM. EST.). Confirmed local Georgia British Car Club members receive free ground UPS ship- ping (on minimum $100 orders) in addition to great service and better prices!! We are your one stop shop for all your British car parts needs. We are the largest Moss Motors authorized distributor on the East Coast. On staff we have over 20 years of British car mechanical and service experience. Give us a try, you will be glad you did!! New Moss prices to be posted this week. Sorry, but the semi-annual Moss price change is going into effect on Monday, March 2. Most prices stayed the same, some went up, and actually, some went down. Over 150 new products were added, but sadly, over 500 deleted. Many of the smaller suppliers throughout the industry are finding it difficult to survive, and some are not.
Lucas/Girling is gone, AP Borg & Beck is gone, Crane Camshaft is gone and probably others will follow. We all need your help, support, your BUSINESS!! We can not survive without selling parts, that is what we do!! No parts sales, no business, then we won’t survive either. We know the economy is tight, but we all need each other if we want this industry to survive and have parts continue to be available for our cars and our customers. www.englishparts.com is our newest website. It is search engine based, more modern software, etc. Check it out!! The sale portion list many items discounted for fast sale. Also, do not forget, when placing your order to put in the discount code clubff to receive your free freight on any orders totaling over $100. We also have gift certificates available for that person we all know who is impossible to buy for.
In addition, if you own a Miata, or know anyone who does, check out www.miatazone.com It is our newest website and our attempt to expand our horizons and hopefully, our customer base as well. Catalogs are available upon request to be sent along with an order.
In addition, we now also sell parts for all Mini’s, both classic (1959-2000) and the new BMW ones!! Check out _www.allminiparts.com_ Catalogs are available upon request to be sent along with an order. Let us know what year Mini you own. “FROM BOOT TO BONNET, WE’LL GET RIGHT ON IT!!!” The Trumpet A publication of the Georgia Triumph Association September, 2009 Page 20