THE STANDARD The Official Publication of the Capital Triumph Register, Ltd. Volume XXX, Number 1, January 2018
“Life is Short - Buy the Car” Pete Farrell holds up the gift that captures the sentiment of our car hobby. For more on the CTR Holiday Party, turn to page 8.
P 1 and 8 - CTR Holiday Party; P 2 - From the President; P 3 - CTR Happenings; P 4 - BOG Planning; Awards Brunch; P 5 - CTR Points System; DC Auto Show; Simeone Museum; P 6 - Winter Dinner; Drive Your Triumph; P 7 - CTR Breakfast; P 10 - 24 Hours of Lemons; P 13 - DC TSOA; Garage Spot: Wedge Ball Joint Replacement; P 14 - Events; P 15 - CTR Regalia; P 16 - Trending with CTR; P 17 - What’s in Your Tool Box; P 18 - Classifieds; P 19 - Club Info; P 20 - Odds and Ends
Copyright © 2018, Capital Triumph Register, Ltd., all rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced or republished in any form without prior written permission. Direct requests to the editor of The Standard. The Standard Page 2 January 2018
much can pile up something in the garage. If it doesn’t move, it must mean it can be used to store stuff. From the Part three of my goals is to plan a driving event such as a President rallye.
Off to a busy start for 2018 By Stephen Oertwig Except for the freeze out on New Years Day, 2018 promises Freeze puts chill on new year, but 2018 is starting out great to be a great year for CTR. We had our January breakfast with a for CTR good turnout. If you have not been to one of these, you are miss- ing a treat. Welcome 2018. This is going to be a great year for Capital Triumph Register members. Conversation runs the gamut about Triumph topics. Discus- sions in January were how many different colors of green paint The year started out not as planned. After the great weather Triumph used. of December 2017, the new year brought a bone-chilling freeze. We had all the plans for a New Year’s Day Drive as many Tri- We have the Britain on the Green kickoff meeting January umph clubs do, but January 1 temperatures were in the teens. I 20 and the annual awards brunch is January 21. don’t have seat heaters, but I wonder if they keep you warm when there are there are icicles hanging from the bumper. February 10 is a special day in Triumph history. It is “Drive your Triumph Day” in honor of Sir John Black who was born The following weekend was the backup date, and the temper- February 10, 1895, and died December 24, 1965. Black joined atures were down below zero. Fifty-weight oil would have been Standard Motor Company in 1929. After World War II, he orga- like molasses. I hand cranked a TR3 to start a couple times in the nized Standard’s purchase of Triumph and in 1953 Black was dead of winter in Nebraska. Turning the crank for a few minutes appointed chairman of Standard-Triumph. will warm you up when the wind chill is -40 degrees. The concept is to go for a drive in your Triumph on a coun- Remembering 1968 try road, out to lunch, to the market, to work, or your favorite escape. Go for a drive alone or take a spouse, buddy, child, This year is a celebration of Triumph history. The TR250 grandchild, or dog. Take photos of your car in front of a land- and TR5 were released in 1968. Even after 50 years, the TR250 mark, market, local attraction or workplace. Then send photos to commands awe at British car shows. The TR250 was a short- [email protected] with the name and place the term fix while Triumph rolled out the TR6. The TR6 is the car photo was taken along with the year and model of Triumph. Re- that people remember, but many people like the TR250 because it member, this is a photo taken on February 10. retains the Michelotti styling of the TR4. The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum once will In 1968, the TR250 sold in North America for $3,395, with again present the “Best of Britain” February 17 through March 4. wire wheels a $118 option, overdrive $175 and air condition- The event will feature “Forgotten Fiberglass Racers.” Simeone ing $395. will hold a Great Rallys demo day February 24 that will feature the Talbot Lago, Austin Healy 100/4, Jaguar SS100, and Mer- The 2018 Vintage Triumph Register Convention, scheduled cedes 300SL. for July 17-21 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, will feature the 50 years of the TR250. CTR has attended the demo days in the past and had lunch with the Delaware Valley Triumphs in Philadelphia. Details are Triumph used the re-engine technique a decade later. Tri- being coordinated for this year. umph would drop a different engine in a current body to create a sensation. The TR8 was the logical successor to the TR7 in 1978 Wishes for CTR with the lovely 3.5-liter V8 engine. I have a wish list CTR. We need members to help plan Goals in 2018 events such as tech sessions, driving events and social events. This will take the efforts of the entire membership. New years bring good intentions. I don’t have resolutions, but I do have a few goals. Along with more events, we need more communication. CTR’s Facebook page is popular, but doesn’t reach a majority of The first goal is to clean up the garage and organize every- members. Let’s hear more about what you are doing with your thing. That includes organizing tools and getting everything off Triumph. the floor, except for a toolbox and air compressor, mounted on the wall. My last wish is to get the next generation of Triumph drivers into CTR. Start a social project to show those who will follow us That is the first step to my second goal of getting the Herald the joys of driving a Triumph. Britain on the Green is one event 1200 convertible together and on the road. It is amazing how where we can attract younger people. The Standard Page 3 January 2018
Perfect driving weather is my last wish for everyone. I still On March 4th, we will hold our next breakfast get together. am doing therapy after clutch knee R&R and the weather has not Beverly and David Dougherty will be hosting this one at their been good enough to drive the Herald. I need to get out and exer- condominium in Alexandria. Looking even further ahead, we cise the clutch knee to drive on and drive often. hope to have our annual tech session at London Auto in Falls Church in March and our George Washington Parkway Run on April 8th as winter winds down town spring. Please welcome CTRÊs newest members: We’re always looking for ideas for additional events: tech Dick and Carole Burk live in Fairfax Station, Virginia, sessions, drives, social events, or what have you. For example, and drive a 1959 TR3A. Christopher Yurasko is laying then groundwork for an event to th Dan and Gina Dragoi live in Waterford, Virginia, and celebrate the 50 anniversary of the TR250. drive a 1974 mallard green TR6. Contact one of the CTR board members if you have a sug- gestion. And if you need help with a project, consider hosting a Along with members who have recently Get Your Hands Dirty session even if you just need a few helping renewed their CTR memberships: hands or a bit of advice.
Paul Scuderi Heath Bjordahl CTR Executive Steering Board Positions George Tusing Michael Schwartz There are two elected officers in CTR: president and vice Gregg Bachner Mark Shlien president. The remaining positions on the Executive Steering Sean Cahill Art Quintana Board (ESB) are appointed. If you’re interested in doing more Wayne Wintering Rich Bohan for CTR, consider volunteering to serve on the ESB — it’s your Kenneth DeMatteo Rich Smalling opportunity to help shape the organization and ensure that it re- Stetson Tinkham mains vibrant and responsive. Responsibilities can be tailored to suit your interests. For more information, contact current CTR president Stephen Oertwig, vice president John Buescher, or one of the other ESB members.
CTR Dues Increase for Mailed Newsletters CTR Happenings Due to increased printing and mailing costs, dues for those who receive their newsletter by mail will increase effective June Winter Events 1, 2018. It costs CTR just about $3 per issue to print, package, and mail each paper newsletter. The new rates are $35 for a one 2018 is in full swing! We had hoped to start the year off year membership and $60 for a two year membership. Dues for with a New Year’s Day driving event, but extreme cold and salty those who receive their newsletters electronically will remain roads stalled that plan. Stephen Oertwig plans to revisit the idea unchanged at $25 for one year and $40 for two years. as a way of celebrating Drive Your Triumph Day on February 10th. But that will depend on our winter weather, so you’ll have If you wish to continue receiving your newsletter by mail, to keep your eye out for late breaking news and an evite. you may want to consider renewing early to take advantage of the current rates. Electronic newsletters, however, will get to you On January 20th, there will be a Britain on the Green plan- more quickly and are in full color unlike the black and white ning meeting at Gunston Hall and on the 21st we will have our mailed copies. If you have a question as to when your CTR annual Awards Brunch and biennial election. membership expires, contact Art Fournier.
Looking ahead to February, on the 2nd we will make our annual visit to the Washington Auto Show. February 10th is the now annual International Drive Your Triumph Day (or at least The Capital Triumph Register look at it in the garage) to honor Sir John Black’s birthday. Sir John was the man who was key in bringing Triumph back after is a chapter of World War II. On the 11th we’ll hold our annual Winter Dinner, The Vintage Triumph Register once again to be held at the Irish Inn in Glen Echo. On February 24th we’ll head up to the Simeone Foundation Museum in Phila- and 6-Pack delphia for their Best of Britain show which this year will feature fiberglass-bodied race cars. That Saturday is also one of their “demo days” during which cars from the museum are driven on the museum grounds. Details on the January and February events are in this issue of the newsletter and evites have been sent out on several of them, so please respond.
The Standard Page 4 January 2018 Planning for CTR Awards Brunch Britain on the Green (and Elections) January 21st (BOG) 2018 Looking for a break from the gloom and cold of Washing- ton’s winter? If so, you’ll want to come out to the warm and BOG 2018 is scheduled for Sunday, April 29, friendly confines of Clyde’s at the Mark Center in Alexandria on 2018 at Gunston Hall on Mason Neck. Our first January 21st for CTR’s Annual Awards Brunch. Each year we joint planning meeting with Gunston Hall staff is scheduled for gather in January to recognize the participation and contributions Saturday, January 20, 2018. BOG staff will get together with of CTR members during the preceding year. A lot of time and representatives from Gunston Hall to discuss logistics and any hard work goes into planning and organizing, conducting events, updates to the site which may affect our operations. Additional- publishing this newsletter, putting on Britain on the Green, and ly, subcommittee chairs will have the opportunity to discuss plan- all of the other tasks large and small associated with a successful ning factors and refresh themselves on the site layout and any club like ours. So it’s important to take time to recognize all the changes needed for the 2018 show. members who support the Capital Triumph Register with their attendance and participation in all of the above. This year there While it may seem as if it is early to start planning for BOG will be a few special awards to honor CTR members whose driv- 2018, early planning and identification of the subcommittee chair ing and triumphant achieve- persons are keys to successful execution of our show. While ments in 2017 were especially Certificate of most of the coordinators will continue their functions from last noteworthy. Wondering who year, we are looking for several new people to fill the following will be singled out for recogni- Recognition important positions: tion? You’ll have to be there 2017 to find out Sponsorship Coordinator – This person is key to making BOG financially successful. This person contacts sponsors from The Awards Brunch also serves as CTR’s annual business the existing list of sponsors (Mark Shlien, prior years’ chair, will meeting. 2018 is an election year for CTR, so we will elect a be available to assist by email or phone). president and vice president for two-year terms. Nominations are Volunteer Coordinator – This person develops a list of CTR still open, especially for president, so if you want to throw your members who volunteer to work on the day of the show and hat in the ring, now is your chance. If you’re interested, just let matches them up with staff positions, such as show car parking someone on the ESB know. Don’t be shy; you can do it! and day of registration. Mail-in Registration Coordinator– This person receives ap- The Awards Brunch is also a great way to keep in touch dur- proximately 15 mail-in registration forms and registration enters ing the months where we are not too busy with driving events. data into MOTOSHO database. Plan to join us at Clyde’s on January 21st beginning at 11 a.m. Clyde’s is located just off I-395 at 1700 North Beauregard Street If you are interested in taking responsibility for one of these in Alexandria and is conveniently close to the DC Beltway. important coordinator positions, please contact John Buescher at Clyde’s website is http://clydes.com/mark-center [email protected]. Please plan to join us for great food and good fun as we rec- The schedule for BOG 2018 is: ognize the noteworthy efforts that made 2017 one of CTR’s best yet! January 20 – Meet with Gunston Hall staff February 16 – Open pre-registration online (available Please RSVP to the evite. See you there! through PayPal) at $25.00. Registration by mail is $35.00 April 15 – Close pre-registration online, but online registra- tion remains open (registration cost increases to $35.00) April 18 – Determine car classes April 20 – Send BOG program to printer April 25 – BOG material “Stuffing Party” with location TBD April 27 – Close online registration April 28 – BOG setup at Gunston Hall with time TBD April 29 – BOG 2017
Local newspapers are a great vehicles (pun intended) for getting the word out about Britain on the Green. If you can iden- tify local papers that have automobile sections or local events calendars in which we can list BOG, please pass the information on to Art Fournier at [email protected] The Standard Page 5 January 20182016
Show at any time, then join your car-loving friends from CTR at The CTR Points System 6:00 for dinner. (They don’t take reservations, so the first to ar- rive should just grab a table.) (or how do I earn one of those neat certificates) If you take Metro, use the Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center Station on the Yellow and Green lines. Please respond to Longtime members are familiar with CTR’s point system, the evite if you plan to rendezvous with the CTR gang and espe- but it might be something of a mystery to our newer members cially if you are going to join us for dinner. who are confronted with sign-in sheets at the club’s events. The point system was initiated several years ago as a means of en- There won’t be any new models from Triumph of course, but couraging and rewarding participation in club events and activi- it is a great opportunity to check out the latest offerings from the ties. At the end of the year, each member’s points are tallied and world’s auto makers. Come on by to slam a few doors, kick a those with the most points recognized at the annual awards event few tires, and share opinions, but wear comfortable shoes; the DC in January, such as this year’s Awards Brunch on January 21st. Convention Center is huge! Recognition may be in the form of a certificate or something more substantial such as a prize. For more information on the Auto Show, check out their website: http://www.washingtonautoshow.com/ Points are earned by attending a CTR-sponsored event (20 points), driving a Triumph (automobile, not motorcycle) to the event (15 points), or wearing an item with a club logo (either CTR or BOG) (10 points). Points are also awarded for organiz- Simeone Museum Visit ing or staging a CTR event (70 points shared among the organiz- February 24th ers) or acting as the CTR point of contact for an event held by a third party (25 points). Writing an article for the club’s newslet- On February 24th, CTR will make what’s become a more or ter, The Standard, earns 25 points. And recruiting a new mem- less annual winter trek north to visit the Simeone Foundation Au- ber for CTR will earn 20 points. tomotive Museum in Philadelphia as they hold their annual Best of Britain display, which will feature “Forgotten Fiberglass Rac- But wait, there’s more! Britain on the Green, our annual ers” this year. You can expect to see two-seaters from such British car and motorcycle show, requires a huge investment of makes as TVR, Lotus, Elva, Ginetta, Marcos, Daimler, Ambro, time and effort on the part of many CTR members to ensure its Turner, Tornado, Devin, Bradley GT, Warwick, Bond Equipe, or success. As such, significant points are awarded to BOG chairs Peerless. This in addition to the museum’s collection of 65 his- (or co-chairs, as the case may be) (100 points), subcommittee torically significant racing sports cars including Ferrari, Alfa Ro- chairs (50 points), and committee members (25 points). Addi- meo, Bugatti, Mercedes, Jaguar, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, tionally, 15 points are awarded to BOG volunteers in addition to Corvette, Ford and many others. the normal points they would earn by attending BOG as a CTR- sponsored event. Helping at the BOG “Stuffing Party” or with But wait, there’s more! February 24th is a “Demo Day.” set up activities the day before BOG earns points as well (10 Weather permitting, cars from the collection are driven in the points). large open area behind the museum. The theme for this Demo Day is “the great rallys” and will feature a Talbot Lago, Austin The Capital Triumph Register’s goal is to enjoy our cars in Healy 100/4, Jaguar SS100 and Mercedes 300SL. It’s always the company of like-minded people. The points system is a exciting to see museum classics in motion (even if someone else method of encouraging participation in our events by offering the is driving them). added incentives of recognition and reward for doing so. And if this weren’t enough, there’s more yet. We will join members of the Delaware Valley Triumphs (always good hosts) CTR Night at the museum and then for lunch afterwards. Last year they took us for Phillie cheese steak sandwiches (of course) and brews at a at the local restaurant called “Chickie and Pete’s.” Great food and con- versation! Washington Auto Show Philadelphia isn’t that long a drive from DC, so plan on join- February 2nd ing us on February 24th. Additional details will be forthcoming in next month’s newsletter and in an evite. For more on the muse- The Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington um, check out their website: http://www.simeonemuseum.org/ Convention Center will run from January 26th through February 4th, 2018. This year CTR will attend on Friday, February 2nd, to take advantage of the show’s longer hours that evening.
Current plans are to meet at 6:00 PM at the High Velocity Sports Bar, located across from the Convention Center at 9th and L Streets, NW, in the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Stop by the Auto The Standard Page 6 January 2018 Drive Your Triumph Day CTR Winter Luncheon February 10th February 11th Tom Burke Dear Triumph Owner,
Last year I reached out to as many Triumph Clubs as I could find around the world, encourag- ing everyone to celebrate Sir John Black’s Birth- day on February 10th, the man who bought Standard/Triumph after WWII and built many of the Triumphs we enjoy today.
I received a great response with close to 150 photos sent to me from all over the world: Australia, New Zealand, South Afri- ca, Finland, UK, across the USA and more - from all of YOU! Thank you so much for participating.
Well, it’s that time again to send out my request so it can be published on club websites, calendars and newsletters. Please help the leaders of your local Triumph clubs get the word out about Drive Your Triumph Day, on February 10th. Assuming that we aren’t all encased in ice by 1:00 pm Sun- day, February 11th, 2018, the Capital Triumph Register will hold The concept is to go for a drive in your Triumph: on a coun- its annual Winter Luncheon at the good old Irish Inn at Glen try road, out to lunch, to the market, to work, where ever. Go for Echo. The Irish Inn used to be a tavern called “Trav’s” where you a drive alone or with a bunch of fellow Triumph Club members. could get a chili dog for a dollar, a draft beer for two dollars, and Take a spouse, buddy, child, grandchild or dog. Go for a drive sit there in your wet bathing suit and nobody gave a damn, but I and then take a photo. The photo is mainly of the car, ideally in a digress... cool spot or in front of a landmark, also in front of a market, hardware store or workplace is all-good. Then send me the pho- The Irish Inn at Glen Echo is located minutes from the Belt- to with basic info: name and place photo was taken and the year way just past the old Glen Echo Amusement Park off MacArthur & model of the car. Remember, this is a photo taken on February Boulevard at 6119 Tulane Avenue, Glen Echo, MD 20812. Their 10th. phone number is 301-229-6600. An evite has been sent out, so please RSVP promptly so we can give them a proper head Last year I posted all the photos online, https:// count. Based on past experience, the weather will either be 10 ttscc.shutterfly.com/pictures/3178, and a large selection were degrees and snowing a blizzard or sunny and 80 degrees or some- published in the US national magazine of the Vintage Triumph where in-between, so dress and drive accordingly. In the event of Register, https://vintagetriumphregister.org a sketchy weather forecast, be on the lookout for an evite update that will reschedule or cancel the event. If you live in part of the world where your car is stored for the winter, or your car is in restoration, you can still participate. This year, we will be seated in the upstairs dining room, Take a photo of the car in the garage and send it in. which is, I kid you not, even nicer than the downstairs room we have used in past years. Old man Trav would be amazed. I've set up a special email address to send pho- tos: [email protected] The Prix Fixe buffet will offer:
Please contact me with any questions you may have, and Shepherd’s Pie with Potato Chive Crust thank you in advance for getting the message out, and hopefully Chilled Poached Salmon with Dill Sauce you’ll send in another photo you took when out driving your Tri- umph on February 10th, 2018. Grilled Vegetable Pasta Primavera Choice of Potatoes, Rice Pilaf, and Seasonal Vegetables Regards, Dessert Cookies and Pastries
Rye Livingston Cost will be $31.00 per person including taxes and tip, col- Activities Chairman lected at the door. Buy your drinks at the bar. Triumph Travelers Sports Car Club 1960 Triumph TR3A Contact Tom Burke at [email protected] or 703-354-1361 [email protected] with any questions. PH: 530-FIND-RYE We hope to see you there on another warm, sunny Sun- day. Or otherwise. But either way, we hope to see you. The Standard Page 7 January 2018 CTR Breakfast March 4th
The next CTR breakfast will be held at 10:00 AM on March 4th. Instead of our usual venue, Beverly and David Dougherty have invited us to join them for breakfast in the River Room at their condominium in Alexandria. Porto Vecchio is located just off the Beltway on the George Washington Parkway not far from Primo’s. Due to space limitations, the event will be limited to a total of 20 attendees. Look for an evite with more details as we get closer and remember: you don’t need to drive a Triumph or LBC to attend; our primary purpose is to enjoy each other’s com- pany (and maybe talk about Triumphs).
The first CTR no-reason-in-particular breakfast for Dick and Carole Burk, Walt Seedlock, Stephen and Ho Yong th Oertwig, Ben Cheshire, and Bruce and Loretta Metcalf enjoy after 2018 was held on a frigid January 14 morning at the breakfast conversation on January 14th at Primo’s Primo Family Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, and was attended by a small, but hearty, band of CTR Looking back at THE STANDARD: members: Dick and Carole Burk, Ben Cheshire, Art Fournier, Bruce and Loretta Metcalf, Stephen and Ho Volume X, Number 1 Yong Oertwig, and Walt Seedlock. Only one Triumph January 1998 was to be seen, but it was so cold that no one stayed to chat and talk Triumphs in the parking lot as we usually What was the Capital Triumph Register up to 20 years ago? do. Ah well, warmer weather is coming! The big news in the January 1998 edition of The Standard was that preparations were underway for the very first Britain on the Green. As Cathy Sopher’s lead article described, BOG would take place at Woodlawn Plantation near Mount Vernon. After a number of years at Woodlawn, BOG would move to Colling- wood then eventually to George Mason’s Gunston Hall where plans are under way for our 21st annual show.
The Britain on the Green planning meeting was held at Whitey’s in Arlington. A visit by the “Lord of Darkness” result- ed in a power failure and the meeting in the back room of the restaurant was conducted by candle light—not the most auspi- cious omen for our show!
In his column, then CTR president Terry Sopher solicited volunteers to help with the show. Nothing much has changed in 20 years!
The other big news was that Charlie Brown was stepping down as CTR’s newsletter editor after setting a high standard (pun intended) in that position for many years. Charlie received well deserved accolades in congratulatory letters from Cathy Sopher, Keith Dunklee, and Karl Johnson. Paul Scuderi took over as editor from Charlie and held the position for two years until Art Fournier volunteered to take on the job in 2000.
Finally, Jim Harrell gave a report on the restoration of his newly acquired 1960 TR3A.
Follow CTR on Twitter:
@CapitalTriumph The Standard Page 8 January 2018 CTR Holiday Party December 10th
CTR’s annual Holiday Party is a chance to get together with friends at what is almost always a non-TR event. This year’s party was no exception. A fraction of an inch of snow resulted in a massive amount of salt spread over the roads in the DC metro- politan area, so Triumphs stayed home and daily drivers ruled the roads.
Pete and Lenore Farrell opened up their home in Herndon, Virginia, on December 10th to an appreciative crowd of CTR members, family, and friends for our annual holiday get together. Lenore outdid herself on decorations! The Farrell’s home reflect- ed and added to the holiday spirit of their guests. A huge CTR thank you goes to Pete and Lenore – you’ll be a tough act to fol- low! And as always, food, goodies, and libations abounded as guests brought their favorite dishes to share along with those pro- vided by our hosts.
As has been our tradition for many years, we ended the after- noon with a gift exchange. As we’ve gotten older, we seem to have become more restrained in our choice of gifts with fewer and fewer truly outrageous gifts as the years go by. Perhaps this year’s most offbeat gift was a selection of Elvis Presley’s hits. Was it an 8-track tape? Gone are the days of union jack thongs and TR6 piston candle holders. Maybe that’s a good thing, may- be it’s just an indication that some of us have matured a bit (or at least grown older). But who knows what 2018 will bring as CTR rings out the old year and rings in the new.
Top: Ben Pontano, Paul Edelstein, and Bob Fox sample the buffet Center: Beverly Dougherty and Diane Page deep in conversation no doubt discussing their TR4 and TR3A Above: Our host Pete Farrell chats with David Dougherty Bottom: Jim Moscardini, Mary Burke, Diane Page, and Tom Burke react to the gift exchange The Standard Page 9 January 2018
Top left: Sue Fournier, Nancy Mitchell, and Ho Yong Oertwig Center left: Tom and Mary Burke & Jay and Maureen Donn await their turns in the gift exchange Bottom left: Our hostess Lenore Farrell with Loretta Metcalf and Sara Buescher
Top right: Jim Moscardini, Mark Morgan, Bruce Metcalf, and Stephen Oertwig . Mark is the editor of the St. Louis Triumph club’s newsletter and assistant editor of VTR’s The Vintage Triumph magazine Bottom right: Stephen Oertwig checking out the Christmas tree hoping to find a candidate for CTR president The Standard Page 10 January 2018 24 Hours of Lemons Sonoma Mike Roe
“Jet Lag Racing” is a group largely based in the Salt Lake City, Utah area that runs a car in the 24 Hours of Lemons race series. My good buddy Doug Jensen, who owns six Triumphs (including an Atlas van!), invited me to join the group last year. For those that are unfamiliar, 24 Hours of Lemons is a race series where you run a car costing no more than $500 against other cars at various venues for a weekend. Pretty much ANYTHING can race, as long as you can convince the officials that you got the thing for no more than $500. That doesn’t include safety, of course, in that you have to spend the $$$ to install a roll cage, fire suppression, racing harness, etc. and have a race suit and helmet. There was even a group running a 2002 Pontiac Aztek in the The group consists of four Delta pilots, Ann Moran, and myself. same BRIGHT yellow as the one given away year on Survivor. We got a 1976 TR7 FHC (Fixed Head Coupe) for free and A special class was created for Korean vehicles, as long as you swapped the subframe to fit the Rover V8, thus allowing us to plastered “Follow Dear Leader” on the trunk. pick most any engine out of a junked Land Rover and run it in our car, which is affectionately referred to as the Aisle Donkey (pilot-speak for a flight attendant).
The Lemons race series runs about 26 races a year at various venues across the US. They run twice each year at Sonoma Raceway, a great track just north of San Francisco. The late race After the Saturday morning mandatory driver’s meeting we is dubbed “Arse-Freeze a-Palooza” and is usually run the first got Ann strapped in and set her off onto the track for the 10 am weekend in December. In late October, we committed to the race running start. Doug had been worried about the engine smoking by paying the (non-refundable) entry fee, then furiously set about after it got hot, so we went to the stands and watched the race. fixing all of the things on the car we had broken at the June race Ann was doing well and the car did not seem to be smoking, so I in Denver. Though it came down to the wire, Doug valiantly went back to the paddock and got suited up, as I was next up in toiled non-stop to get the car ready and arrived at the track on the car. I hopped in about noon and headed out to the track. Friday with Ann, who had flown into SLC and driven out with Sonoma is a blast to drive; it’s a very technical track with a him. I flew directly to San Francisco and met them at the track. bunch of elevation changes, fast sweeping turns, a great series of “S” curves, and some off-camber stuff just to make things inter- Sonoma is a VERY popular race, as evidenced by the fact esting. A very abrupt chicane had been installed on the back that over 170 teams showed up for the event. It’s always fun to stretch to keep the speeds down in the interest of safety. I did a walk the paddock and see all of the cars folks try to run, and pretty good job of staying out of trouble for the first 45 minutes, Sonoma was no exception. In addition to the usual E-body Bim- then somehow lost concentration and dropped two wheels off the mers, Miatas and Acuras, folks were running (or trying to run) a track at the 180° turn at the north end of the track. I “self- Jeep CJ, VW Vanagon, and Alfa Romeo Milano (complete with reported” to the penalty pit to avoid a penalty lap for the team, huge cookie on top). then headed back out to the track. After a short time, I over- cooked it into the SHARP 180° at the south end of the track and The Standard Page 11 January 2018 collected several cones as I slid off the active racing surface. This time I got the black flag, which meant I had to return to the penalty pit. Turns out my self-report counted as a penalty, and with this second penalty I had to exit the car for a bit or the car had to come off the track. So much for self-reporting!
As Mark had yet to arrive (with his kids) from Utah, Doug was next in the car and drove flawlessly for a couple of hours. Around 2 pm Mark Sidlow got in and started turning laps. After about ½ hour he overcooked it into the “S” curve section, spun, and hit the wall backwards. Though the car was only slightly dented, he did knock off the left-side muffler so we were done for the day unless we could quickly find a replacement. We loaded up the car and headed to a local Midas, only to learn that they (along with most muffler shops in the area) no longer bent tubing not carried as a suitable replacement, so off to Autozone to fabri- cate a fix. We picked up a cherry bomb and enough adapters, clamps and pipes to make it work, then headed back to the rack. By the time we reached the track racing for the day had ended, and on the end-of-day track walk the corner marshals had found our (heavily dented) left muffler and returned it to “lost-and- running start. She drove a good couple of hours then came in to found” (you’d be amazed at some of the stuff that falls off these refuel, at which time we put Mark back into the car so he could cars). get his turn in and depart, as he had just been called to pilot a flight out of SLC Monday afternoon. I ran after Mark and actual- ly managed to keep the car on the track this time, so I was able to drive the full 2 hours until we ran low on fuel again. Next Doug got in, but he was drained from all of the race preparation and so only drove for about an hour. Ann got back in and took us to the checkered flag at sunset (around 4:45 pm). Amazingly, the car was still running well at the end, a far cry from the situation earli- er in the year in Denver, where we spent more time fixing than racing.
Even though we ran pretty well, the time spent off the track due to losing the muffler and my penalties added up, so we only ended up around 95th out of 175 cars. Even the Aztek beat us with a 76th-place finish, as they had a huge fuel tank, ran some- what slow, and therefore were almost NEVER off the track. All- in-all a great venue for a Lemons race, and one I hope to return to in the future!
I set about trying to fit the muffler while Doug worked on some issues in the engine compartment. After a bit of struggling I got the dented original muffler to kind of fit, so I added a couple more hangers to keep it in place. Doug was done at the front of the car around 10 pm so we called it a night.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny, so we sent Ann back out onto the track promptly at 9 am for the Mike Roe, Ann Moran, Mark Sidlow (he wrecked the car), and Doug Jensen of Jet Lag Racing with the Aisle Donkey The Standard Page 12 January 2018 Paltech Technologies LLC 3931 Miller Drive Brunswick, OH 44212 440-570-1932 [email protected]
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The Micro-polishing process was developed by myself (a chemical & pro- cessing engineer) in order to restore antique auto parts to their original condition. The Micro-polishing process does not remove any of the parts material; it merely removes the metal oxide layer. The Micro-polishing process will polish parts inside & outside and will also polish down & into engraving, stampings, casting marks to keep the part as originally manu- factured. The process seals the micro pores in the material to provide a long lasting finish. The process finish will outlast typical bead blasting restoration finishes by at least ten times in similar environments.
The Micro-polishing process entails a trade secret multi-mechanical motion using custom made equipment and cus- tom formulated media that are not avail- able on the market. There are no chemi- cals used in the process.
Currently the equipment can process parts up to 15 pounds and 36 inches in length. NOTE: Sorry but we cannot polish any rocker covers. TR6 rebuilt & restored ZS carbs & intake manifold The Standard Page 13 January 2018
DC Triumph Sports Wedge Ball Joint Owners Association Replacement Art Fournier Paul Edelstein Before there was a Vintage Triumph Register, there was the factory supported Triumph Sports Owners Association. To while away a few winter hours, I went through the on-line ar- I had to replace a ball joint on my TR8 and it was one of the chive of TSOA newsletters. Interesting. Lots of articles and re- most difficult jobs I’ve ever done on any car. Up there with re- ports about Triumph’s new models, their racing successes, and moving FWD drive shafts to repack CV joints. So I strongly rec- occasional reports from the TSOA chapters. ommend that you not attempt to replace them “just because” like you could do in 10 minutes on a TR6. I had to replace one of The local chapters were everywhere. Some, like Delaware mine because I cross threaded the nut when I did my struts (my Valley Triumphs and the clubs in Washington and Oregon, are bad, my fault entirely), so DON’T DO THAT! still around. Many of the others aren’t, at least not in a form I recognize. Unfortunately, one of the chapters that died out was Here are the issues: the one based in DC. The ball joints are “sealed” and really were not intended to The first mention of it that I’ve be replaced. They are a steel ball-in-spring-loaded nylon socket found in the TSOA newsletters is design. IMO they will wear out and fail pretty much only if the from January 1958. In May of ‘58 gaiter goes bad, grease comes out, and dirt or water gets in. The the chapter hosted a gymkhana with gaiters (or anything rubbery) were not intended ever to last 40 an incredible 93 cars participat- years, so they WILL fall apart if they haven’t already. You CAN ing. TSOA described the chapter as get replacement gaiters if you look hard enough, so keep an eye “one of the hottest local groups in on them and replace the gaiters early (wipe off the dirt and the country.” For years they hosted grease, work some new grease into the joint, and you’ll be fine I rallies, road tours, social events, think). even joint events with DC’s MG club. The problems with replacement: the ball joints are press-fit into the lower suspension arm. They can be removed with a ham- The final mention I found of the DC chapter was in March of mer or using a vise as a press, but you’ll need a 20 ton (yes 20) 1974 when only a contact name is given in the TSOA newslet- press to get the new one back in. And you can’t use heat because ter. The DC chapter was mentioned less and less often up to that of the nylon socket. Ask me how I know both of these things … point. I suspect they just faded away, but don’t know for sure. And I don’t know why. Now, 20 ton presses are quite large, so you must remove the suspension arm from the car. In order to get the bolt out, you CTR - or NCAVTR as we were known then – didn’t come may have to jack up the engine (using the flex in the mounts) so along until 1989. And now it’s 2018 and nearly 30 years later. I that the long bolt clears the exhaust. And that is easier than get- haven’t found anyone who was a part of the DC TSOA or who ting it back in, which as I recall despite trying to forget, took even remembers that club. None of the individuals named in the hours. At the very least, you will lose most of the skin from you TSOA newsletters are familiar to me. And it’s quite possible that hand and the neighbors (if you have any) will call the police due few, if any, of them were still around to join CTR or even still to the extended profanity laden screams coming from your garage driving Triumphs in 1989. or driveway.
If you’re interested in a ramble down Memory Lane, here’s the “Temple of Triumph” link to all the TSOA newsletters: The Vintage Triumph Register http://www.templeoftriumph.org/tsoa/tsoa.html was founded in 1974 and is dedicated to the maintenance, preservation and enjoyment of the Triumph marque. And is there anyone who remembers the local Triumph deal- Membership benefits include a bi-monthly magazine, The ers? My Spitfire was originally sold by Manhattan Auto. That Vintage Triumph. To join, send $35 for a one-year US dealership is, of course, still around even though it’s been more membership to: than a few years since they sold Triumphs. But who has heard of the Columbia Triumph Distributor, Inc., in Kensington, Mary- The Vintage Triumph Register land? If you have any stories about the DC TSOA or local Tri- PO Box 655 umph dealers, please let me know as we do a little amateur ar- Howell, MI 48844 chaeology into Triumph’s Washington connection. Or go to the Vintage Triumph Register website, www.vtr.org, for additional information and a membership application. The Standard Page 14 January 2018 EVENTS
All listings including “*CTR*” are events for which club participation points will be awarded.
Jan 20 - BOG Planning Meeting at Gunston Hall Jan 21 - CTR Awards Brunch and Elections *CTR* Jan 26-Feb 4 - Washington Auto Show Feb 2 - CTR Night at the Washington Auto Show *CTR* Feb 9 - Deadline for the February issue of The Standard Feb 10 - International Drive Your Triumph Day Feb 11 - Winter Dinner, Glen Echo, MD *CTR* Feb 24 - Simeone Museum Best of Britain Show *CTR* TBD - London Auto Tech Session *CTR* Mar 4 - CTR Breakfast with the Doughertys *CTR* Mar 9 - Deadline for the March issue of The Standard Mar 13 - CTR Executive Steering Board Meeting, Arlington, VA Apr 8 - George Washington Parkway Run *CTR* Apr 13 - Deadline for the April issue of The Standard Apr 14 - Williamsburg British Car Club 19th annual British and European Car Show, Williamsburg, VA Apr 25 - Britain on the Green Stuffing Party Apr 28 - Britain on the Green Set Up Day Apr 29 - Britain on the Green 2018 *CTR* May 8 - CTR Executive Steering Board Meeting, Arlington, VA May 11 - Deadline for the May issue of The Standard
*** Much More to Come ***
Keep up to date on CTR events by visiting our on-line calendar: http://capitaltriumphregister.com/events/ for details, updates, changes, and additions.
CTR Name Badges. The badges are plastic, about 1 inch by 3.5 inches, and have a pin back. They are gold with the CTR logo and your name in black. If you’re interested, the badges are $5.00 each. To order, please pay by cash or a check made out to the “Capital Triumph Register.” Contact Art Fournier at artfour- [email protected] or 410-535-0690 to order. Specify exactly how you want your name to appear. The Standard Page 15 January 2018
We have moved away from having to manage club rega- lia inventory. Having a supplier such as Fourth Gear allows us to have a source where members can order regalia on- demand.
When exploring the Fourth Gear web site, you’ll also no- tice that they have other logo galleries for Triumph and other British cars as well as British marque logos. You could cus- tom-design you own merchandise with more than one logo. Ralph at Fourth Gear is very amenable to custom orders both in terms of the logos as well as products not show on the web site. So, feel free to call him if you want something complete- ly different.
So, now there is no excuse for missing participation points at club events for not having club clothing.
CTR and BOG Regalia
CTR and BOG Regalia is available through Fourth Gear Ltd on-line! No more waiting to find out if the club has a shirt or cap in stock and more importantly, in your size. Just go to the Fourth Gear web site (http://www.fourth-gear-ltd.com/) and order what you want. Merchandise cost and shipping cost are reasonable and service is prompt. Product selection and colors are good as is product quality.
We have our CTR club logo and the BOG logo on-file with Fourth Gear under the British Car Club Logo Gallery. These logos can be embroidered on the different items. Items such as polo shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, caps, patches, and tool bags, among other products, can be selected under the On-line Shopping link. Enter the logo code (CL003 for CTR or CL027 for BOG) as part of the item description and then Follow CTR on Twitter: check out as with any on-line web site. Ordering instructions are given on the home page. Embroidered items can be or- @CapitalTriumph dered in any quantity. The Standard Page 16 January 2018 Trending with CTR
News of Members in Brief
Left top to bottom: Stephen Oertwig’s 2000 Saloon is back on the road; Doug and Marie Dallhoff’s TR6 is directed into parking by an imperial storm trooper; and Heath Bjordahl’s TR4 rolling restoration is proceeding nicely
Above top to bottom: Out for winter drives we have Lionel Mitchell’s and Steve Mumma’s TR6s in Delaplane, Virginia; Bruce Metcalf’s TR4A; and Mike Roe’s TR6 Bailey in an empty parking lot at work The Standard Page 17 January 2018
Please thank and support our Britain on the Green What’s in Your 2017 Sponsors
Tool Box? Patron Level Sponsors: Art Fournier British Standard Motors They go by a variety of names, most commonly Allen Cloverleaf Auto Service wrenches, Allen keys, hex wrenches, or hex keys here in the Executive Automotive Group United States. They are used to drive screws or bolts with a hex- agonal hole in their heads. They’re simple to manufacture and Grundy Insurance inexpensive to purchase. And by the way, the Allen name is a London Auto Services registered trademark so the more generic terms hex wrench or Paltech Technologies hex key are preferred. Passport Mini of Alexandria If you’re like me, you have a The Roadster Factory collection of hex wrenches you either purchased or received free Gold Level Sponsors: with partially assembled furniture British Wiring / Triumph Rescue (thanks Ikea) – the group in the photograph started out as a seven Hagerty Insurance Agency -piece set my father gave me Holidium Labs VA when I was a teenager. Hex JC Taylor Insurance wrenches come in such a wide variety of standard and metric Kennedy & Co. sizes that I inevitably had to KwickSilver of Virginia dump the collection out only to discover I didn’t have the right size for the job. One small one I’ve used on more than a few Moss Motors occasions fits the set screws that hold the heater knobs in place Mountjoy’s Autoshop Inc. on my Spitfire. Because I didn’t have the right size, I ground R&R Auto Service down a larger hex wrench to fit: practical, but not the classiest of solutions. Treasured Motorcar Services Victoria British, Ltd. My next step was to buy three sets of folding hex keys: standard, Silver Level Sponsors: metric, and TORX. These repre- British Parts Northwest sented a sort of “Swiss army knife” solution -- many wrenches Steve’s British Connection
in a single tool. They are well Bronze Level Sponsors: organized and readily accessible. However, the easy-to-grip handle British Marque gets in the way in tight applica- Classic Car Solutions tions and doesn’t really allow enough torque to loosen stubborn nuts. Coker Tire The Big Hunt Next I bought two very com- plete and nicely organized sets of Friends of BOG: standard and metric hex wrenches Apple Hydraulics that have shafts that are long enough to allow lots of torque on British Auto Restorations those stubborn bolts. Both these The i People and the folding wrenches came Joe Curto, Inc. from Harbor Freight and are very inexpensive. For a few dollars Vintage Restorations Limited more, I could have purchased West Valley Instrument Specialists, Inc. really fancy hex wrenches with molded handles, but that seemed like overkill for what’s basically the simplest tool in my tool box that can’t be used as a hammer or We couldn’t do it without your support! pry bar. The Standard Page 18 January 2018
GT6 Bonnet: Thinking about a “Spit 6” conversion? CTR member John Brock recently purchased a ’69 GT6 parts car that CLASSIFIED came with a spare bonnet that John doesn’t need and is willing to donate to a good home. Unfortunately, the bonnet has been cut in CTR assumes no responsibility for quality or condition half down its centerline. If you’re interested, contact John at of merchandise listed herein. All transactions resulting [email protected] or cell phone 571-926-7178 from listings are strictly between buyer and seller.
NOTE: Ads for CTR members shall run on a space available basis for 3 issues. To rerun, please resubmit your ad at end of the period. Other ads are space available only.
Brit Parts for sale: Used TR6 body parts including windshield frame, pair of Strombergs, many small parts including TR6 steer- ing wheel, wheel centers, taillights, side markers, door handles, wood dash fascia and assorted gauges, wiper arms, radiator sur- 1974 Spitfire for sale: Very good condition. Always garaged. round (new), etc, etc, etc. Set of 4 beautiful Rostyle steel wheels Mileage is around 120K total; engine rebuilt in 1986 and only for MGB/GT.....great paint. All in excellent condition if you are been driven several 1000 miles, max, since. Racing fly wheel. doing repairs or a restoration. Call RJ at 202-236-7682 Weber Carburetor. Price: $16,000 OBO. Phone/Text: 703-785- 8296 1973 Triumph TR6 for sale. Great shape. Mechanically per- fect. Over $32,000 spent on rebuilt engine, trans and clutch, front end, and differential. Well cared for. 72,000 miles. $18,000. Call Rich at 301-949-0190 or 301-802-2439. The Standard Page 19 January 2018
THE STANDARD OFFICERS AND ADVISORS Published by the Capital Triumph Officers Register, Ltd.
President Stephen Oertwig 660-422-2908 [email protected] Editor, Art Fournier Vice President John Buescher 703-522-6571 [email protected] 4729 Willows Road, Chesapeake Beach, MD Secretary 20732-4221 Treasurer Rich Smalling 703-430-0920 [email protected] Phone: 410-535-0690 E-mail - Events Directors MD Tom Burke 703-354-1361 [email protected] [email protected] VA Club Liaison Bruce Hislop 410-721-9411 [email protected] The Standard welcomes all Membership Art Fournier 410-535-0690 [email protected] submitted material for publication; however, neither Members-at-Large Patrick Carter 202-285-7031 [email protected] Lionel Mitchell 703-754-7362 [email protected] its editor nor the CTR accept Karl Johnson 703-978-4968 [email protected] responsibility for accuracy of Matt Schipani 703-464-4840 [email protected] article content or any damage RJ Fortwengler 703-243-6426 [email protected] or injury resulting from BOG Coordinator John Buescher 703-522-6571 [email protected] suggested modifications. Web Administrators Christopher Yurasko 703-543-8395 [email protected] Articles may be submitted in John “JP” Puckett 301-395-6566 [email protected] writing, by mail, or e-mail. Newsletter Editor Art Fournier 410-535-0690 [email protected] Photos are also very welcome. If any mailed Advisors material must be returned, - TR2/3/3A/3B Rich Wilkins 540-349-4065 [email protected] please include a self- John Puckett 301-395-6566 [email protected] addressed, stamped envelope. - TR4/TR4A Rich Wilkins 540-349-4065 [email protected] - TR250 RJ Fortwengler 202-236-7682 [email protected] Sandy Thomson 410-253-8519 [email protected] - TR6 Sandy Thomson 410-253-8519 [email protected] - TR7 Bruce Hislop 410-721-9411 [email protected] - TR8 Paul Edelstein 703-914-0507 [email protected] - Spitfire Al Ames 540-742-0700 [email protected] - GT6 & 2000 Saloon Matt Schipani 571-275-3800 [email protected] Advertisement of products - Herald & 2000 Sedan Stephen Oertwig 660-422-2908 [email protected] or services in The Standard - Stag Glenn Minucci 240-577-5256 [email protected] does not imply endorsement Paul Scuderi 240-876-7222 [email protected] of such products or services - Autocross Lionel Mitchell 703-754-7362 [email protected] by the Capital Triumph Reg- - Racing Ira Schoen 703-698-1691 [email protected] ister, Ltd. or its members.
Photo credits: Page 1 Stephen Oertwig; Pages 7-9 Art Fournier; Pages 10-11 Mike Roe; Page 16 top left Stephen Oertwig, center left Doug Dallhoff, bottom left Heath Bjordahl, top right Steve Mumma, center right Bruce Metcalf, and bottom right Mike Roe; Page 17 Art Fournier
CTR and BOG are on Facebook.
Search Capital Triumph Register and Britain on the Green The Standard Page 20 January 2018 Signs of the Times Triumph Trivia Christopher Yurasko It’s a bit hard to read, but the Which had a larger engine displacement, the TR2 or the TR7? cardboard sign says “High Score 107”
Answer. The TR7 slightly edges out the TR2 with 1998 CC vs. the TR2’s 1991 CC.
Capital Triumph Register, Ltd. Membership Application / Renewal
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Triumphs owned (Year/Model/Color):
Dues: 1 year $25.00 or 2 years for $40.00 - Electronic Newsletter 1 year $30.00 or 2 years for $50.00 - Paper Newsletter
Newsletter Choice: Electronic Paper
Amount Enclosed (payable to “CTR”): Please complete and return this form with your payment to: Art Fournier, CTR 4729 Willows Rd. Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732 Or you may apply or renew by paying on-line at the CTR website: http://capitaltriumphregister.com/ctr-membership/