1936 MG SA—Tickford Drophead Coupe at the 2013 European Car Show

THE MG CLUB OF ST. LOUIS NEWSLETTER www.stlouismgclub.com V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7

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Inside this issue: The History of British Racing Green 9

June Meeting Minutes 2 Gathering of the Faithful 2013—St. Charles, MO 10

GOF 2013 Registration 11 Chairman’s Message 3 All-British Car Show 13 Classic Car Club of America Car Show 4

European Car Show at Frontenac Plaza 7 MG Club of St. Louis Calendar 14

Tech Tip: Door Panel Moisture Barrier 8 Contacts 15

Tech Tip: Freeze Plug Installation 8 Back Page—Next MG Club of St. Louis Meeting 16 V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 2 June Meeting Minutes By Carolyn Westbay The MG Club of St. Louis Old Business – June Meeting Minutes Carl’s Drive in for a British Invasion had about 8-9 cars show up. Good food and good conversation with a nice assort- April 8, 2013 ment of cars. Pioneer Park, Des Peres, MO Regional show – both Robert Rushing and Simon Dix Meeting was called to order by John Mangles, Chairman at took awards at the show for their cars. 6:30pm Bloomington car show – was a good showing and time Members attending (those in bold drove British cars): Carolyn per Lee Fox. Westbay, Robert Roberson, Bob Horzmann, Fred Houser, Jane RUBCO next will be held on June 19th at the Egg & I Bolliger, Fannie Pritchett, Larry Pritchett, Greg Quigley, Kathe near Clarkson and Dexter. Quigley, Robert Rushing, Mike Fishman, Lee Fox, Andy Acker- th man, Sterling Ellis, Mike Titass, Frank Lauryssen, Ranney Beat the Heat rallye will be on July 7 which is a Sun- Dohogne, Steve Taylor, Carolyn Golfin, Richard Griffin, Bob day. Information to follow in e-mail and on the website. Bentzinger, Rich Berger, Walt Murphy, Bob Strathman, John Man- July meeting will be held at the Granite City Brewery. gles, Carol Mangles, Barb Berger, Paul Howard, Chris Kresser, Bruce Hamper, Rich Rhyner, Donna Murphy, Kathy Kresser, Don Drawing had Rich Rhyner, Walt Murphy and Greg Quig- Gaitheman, Simon Dix, Keith Mangles. ly winning. New Members attending – none Meeting was adjourned at 6:34 pm in order to begin the BBQ festivities. Treasurer’s Report – General fund has $4029.25 Meeting was Adjourned at 8:30pm Events fund has $3001.29 GOF entry forms and schedules were handed out by Bob Hor- Respectfully submitted, zmann. This is an event to be held in St. Charles that will cele- brate the T series cars. Carolyn Westbay, Secretary

Photos: Andy Ackerman and Bruce Hamper V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 3

Chairman’s Message by John Mangles

Here it is, June, Summer, HOT, middle of the year and the longest day of the year just past. Can you tell….. the days are getting shorter. Soon it will be fall. I have to say our June meeting was fantastic. Thanks to Rich, the Grillmeister Berger and his crew, Lee Fox, Bob Bentzinger and Walt Murphy for preparing a very nice grilled meal and thank to all that brought a dish to make the meal even better. The meeting itself, I thought, went very well (fast). I was told that I might have set a record for the shortest MG Club meeting ever, right at 3 minutes! Of course I was informed that the food was ready and the members were hungry. I’ve heard that the invasion at the Third Degree Glass Factory was well attended. I must apologize for not attending it. I had made reservations at St. Francis State park for camping before the date was set. I proba- bly should have cancelled my reservation as it rained so hard at the park, we had to evacuate because of possi- ble flooding! Plans are going well for the All British Car Show. We might be trying a new computer program to help with the vote counting. However, head counter Ranney said he’ll be counting the old fashion way just as a back up. Myself, Robert & Vonda Rushing, Simon and Tara Dix and……AND, Bob Bentzinger , in his soon to be completed 1974 MGB Roadster, are making plans, (well mostly Simon & Tara ) for our trip to Corvalis, Oregon for MG2013. We’re planning on doing quite a bit of sightseeing on our way out and heading straight back after the show. That’s going to be one long fast trip. Until next time, Happy Motoring, John V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 4

Classic Car club of America car show By Kathy Kresser; Proofread by Anice Etz

The classics were out in style on Saturday, May, 18, at the Kemp Auto Museum. This was a smaller show, allowing one to really enjoy each car for its magnificence. I wondered what defined a classic. The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) provided this information regarding approved classics on their website: “The CCCA defines a Classic as a ‘fine’ or ‘distinctive’ automobile. American or for- eign built, produced between 1925 and 1948. Generally, a Classic was high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors, including engine dis- placement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and ‘one-shot’ or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a classic.” Gracing the show field were Rolls-Royces including one with a vinyl-wrapped body, Packards, Bentleys, Lincolns, Cadillacs, Jaguars and others.

This field included some show-stopping hood ornaments such as the Arrow, Jaguar, Flying Lady, Deer, Greyhound and so forth. I love these ornamental features from days gone by. V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 5

Classic Car club of America car show Con t’

I talked with Richard and Anice Etz at the show. Richard loved the show and shared these com- ments: “The Classic Car Club of America held its regional car show at the Kemp Auto Mu- seum on May 18, 2013. Members of this club have cars that are termed “Grand Classics,” drawn from a specific list of particularly excellent cars produced from 1925 to 1948. For example, the only qualified Triumphs would be Glorias and Dolo- mites from the 1930s. This may have been the greatest show I’ve ever attended, with 40 cars that looked like they might appear at Pebble Beach or Meadow- brook. One of the entrants told me that the Sunday show would be the same only with more cars, but it wasn’t. There were only a few carryovers. Apparently he didn’t realize that the Kemp Concours Show was a totally different registration process.

All of the cars deserve special mention, but I always remember certain cars. Some cars were familiar. The 1928 Cunningham dual cowl phaeton was the star of this year’s Easter Show, in my opinion. The owner told of helping Jay Leno source parts for the Cunningham in the Leno garage. The green LaSalle phaeton that we passed last year on Highway 40 was there again. It was great to see that car traveling at highway speed! There was also a familiar Pierce Arrow dual cowl phaeton, owned by a local fellow who has several Pierce models. Two Cords were there, the first modern front wheel drive American cars. These were built by Auburn /Duesenberg and were noted for advanced styling. The L-29 was a low slung coupe that was only the second I’d ever seen. The 1936 was the famous “coffin-nose” designed by Gor- don Buehrig. It was powered by a supercharged V8. Anice was fascinated by a cream- colored Jaguar that had belonged to the ‘queen mum’. It was rumored to have been given to Winston Churchill when his garage burned. I showed Anice the fake grille on the Franklin, which was added as a styling feature to later models. Being air cooled, earlier Franklins had no radiator and thus, no grille. As the cars were judged, we heard them start and run. A sleek V12 Lincoln coupe required lots of choke and belched black smoke on start up! The fantastic list goes on: 1947 Lincoln Continental, 1933 Packard coupe/roadster, 30s Jaguar drop head coupe. V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 6

Classic Car club of America car show Con t’

Some cars were apparently unrestored: a Rolls Royce sedan had a ripped headliner and dead paint; period costumed owners presented a tatty 20s Rolls limo. Others were restored to apparent perfection: The 1948 Chrysler Town and Country that we saw on the Healey Club field trip last summer at Mann’s Restoration was there. Mann’s had just finished it. We saw the power top retract, as it arrived. The most stunning car was a 20s Rolls Royce roadster. The fenders were polished aluminum and the body was a torpedo or boat tail apparently covered in leath- er. The owner just bought the car from a specialist in Eng- land. He received it only a couple of weeks ago and had changed the color to maroon and stripped and polished the fenders. The body was re- covered from green vinyl to maroon vinyl. Turns out it was a low mileage car whose me- chanicals had never been re- built. It has overdrive, so it is able to achieve 70 mph on the highway. As it turns out, it was a rare short wheelbase hearse that was re-bodied at some time in the past. That reminded me of some of the roadsters that have been created out of old fire trucks. A memorable show; wish you could have been there!” Hands-down, I want to attend the next show with Richard. He has an amazing amount of car knowledge in his head. Thank you for sharing these interesting facts. V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 7

European Car Show at Frontenac Plaza By Kathy Kresser; Proofread by Anice Etz

The European Car Show is well-known for being a hot, uncomfortable event on black asphalt. This year was pleasantly different with cloudy skies and temperatures around 69 degrees F. Cars of many de- scriptions filled the show field and visitors toured the cars all day. The 250 car owners, the most ever for this show, were not wilted at the end. The proceeds of this Euro show benefit Shriner’s Hospital. To my surprise, there were five Triumphs on display. My husband’s TR3A was one of the five favor- ites selected by the kids from Shriner's Hospital as they graced his car with a trophy. Five Healeys filled the next spaces including Bruce Hamper’s 1959 Sprite. A lone MGA was on display. Mark Hyman arrived with an incredible 1936 MG SA TIckford Drophead Coupe. Richard Etz commented that he would love to take this car home MG or not. Well, the car is for sale, Richard. Bruce Hamper said “there are MG emblems eve- rywhere on this car – on the levers under the hood, on the door handles, in the middle of the headlights, and elsewhere.” Yes, it is a beautiful car.

There was an impressive line-up with over 25 Porsches including 911s, 356s and a Cayman S. A 1971 Land Rover loomed in its space. Two Morgans, one red and one green (owned by Dan Hayes), charmed me. I love those louvers lining the top and sides of the bonnet. The six DeLoreans which so similar – all being brushed stainless steel bodies. One DeLorean owner, Jay, said “can’t afford paint!” We move on to the Audis, where Andrew Bridges point- ed out his future car – a new Audi R8 V10 in silver. I ad- vised Andrew he better start saving his dollars. The Mer- cedes Benzes shared the area with Jaguars and plenty of them from the E types to XJ12s. The 1966 Jaguar Mark II Sedan was shown with a replica model Mark II on its bonnet. Of course this show included high-end cars like the Fer- raris but also had a simpler 1964 Renault Dauphine 40. The wide spread of cars makes the show interesting. Today, I thought the Ferrari Spyder would be an excellent fast car and the red Morgan would be a thrill to own for a day or two. P AGE 8 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE

Tech Tip: Door Panel Moisture Barrier by Bob Bentzinger

Who Knew? New uses for GLAD Press’n Seal: I used Glad Press 'n Seal to make a moisturebarrier for the doors of my MGB before installingthe door pan- els. All I needed was a couple oflong sheets and an Xacto knife to trim it to allowfor the door latch and the window crank. Here’s a Tech Tip from University Motors, Grand Rapids, MI Fitting Freeze/Core Plugs: Ensure that the cylinder into which the core plug is to be fitted is absolutely clean. Use green (sleeve locker) Locktite to cement the plugs into place. Then, fill the gap between the freeze plug and the outside of the cylinder block with JB Weld. That will hold the plugs nicely. For the T types, my first business partner (from forty years ago), Tom Lange, has introduced brass plugs which will not rust. Find Tom at: Full Moon Farm, 236 Knox Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-7730.

MG Midget for Sale

Red '76 Midget for sale at Cahokia Motors, on Il 157 east of I-255 along the used car row. Looked to be in good condition, don't know if anyone in the club would be interested in the car but I thought I'd pass the info along The dealer is Cahokia Motors, 2600 Camp Jackson Rd (IL 157), east of I-255, (618)332-8000. V OLUME 2 6 , I SSUE 7 P AGE 9 The History of British Racing Green Reprinted from “Bonnet to Boot”, June 2013; Jaguar Club of N. Florida BRG is shorthand for British Racing Green, that iconic color of pre1960’s British race cars. Surprisingly BRG history goes way back to 1903. British drivers first adopted British Racing Green for the Gordon Bennett Cup – 110 years ago. The rules stated that components for each car should be made in the country being represented and painted in a ‘national’ color. The British team could not opt for red, white or blue because Italy, Germany and France (respectively) had already taken them. Motor racing was still illegal in Great Britain so the race was staged in Ireland and the British contingent decided to paint their cars shamrock green – partly as a mark of respect for their hosts. The color stuck from that moment on.

Stirling Moss driving a BRG Vanwall in a 1958 Grand Prix The Japanese eventually stole white from Germany so the Germans migrated to Silver The 1958 Vanwall shown above appears to be an off-shade of BRG. This is explained by the fact that alt- hough each Nation had its National color individual race car manufacturers painted their vehicles a slightly different shade. For example a French built Matra would have been painted a slightly different shade of FRB from a French Built Bugatti During 1968 everything changed and the F1 rules updated to include unlimited sponsorship. Lotus appeared in the red, white and gold of Imperial Tobacco’s Gold Leaf brand. The era of National colors came to an end

Lotus 49 powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 appeared at JAMA 1968

Clearly moving ‘Bill Boards’. The 1968 changes were introduced to keep F1 alive after a number of ‘National’ teams threatened to withdraw from the competition P AGE 10 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE

The Gathering of the Faithful! The GOF Central is a loose coalition of independent MG clubs and state chapters of the New England MG-T Register located in the central United States. Each Year a different state club sponsors a regional “Gathering of the Faithful” of MG cars and local British Cars. The convenient central U.S. location often attracts the Triple- M Register of pre-war MG sports cars to stage their yearly gathering in conjunction. GOF Central has become the premiere yearly MG event in the Midwest drawing over one hundred of the most beautiful MGs in the country! It also allows for the local British car clubs to show off their other British cars also. All MGs and British cars, whatever vintage, are welcome at the GOF Central! Come join us! GOF Central Mk XXXV will be held at the Embas- sy Suites in St. Charles, Missouri July 15-19, 2013 The St. Louis T's invite you to GOF Central Mark XXXV. After a fun fill day going to tech sessions or touring for antiques, the true expedition starts. "The Expedi- tion - First Timer's Show" will take place at the beautiful Creve Couer Lake. The cars parked near the wa- ter front with the smells of food cooking in the air. The breeze and the great atmosphere of the GOF family gathering is all a buzz around the cars. It will be a great time to meet new people and visit with old friends while admiring the cars. The Rally and Tour will take us through the back roads of Missouri's Wine Country, where Lewis and Clark get lost and end up in England. Oh my, how did this happen? What will our brave explores have to do to get back home? Find out more along the way, through the beautiful country side where the sun shines through the tree tops and the river's flow. The Car Show will be held at the splendid Noboleis Vineyards in Augusta, MO. With all different types of British cars gathered for the show the vineyard lends the rolling hills and picturesque views to make the day, very enjoyable. During the car show there will also be the Valve Cover Show and Races, so keep your eye out for some very fancy and for some very fast valve covers. Along with all of these fun activities there will be a funkana, a silent auction, a live auction, and the awards banquet. Hope to see you all there! Register at www.britishcarsofamerica.com or by contacting [email protected]. Details at: www.gofcentral.com P AGE 11 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE P AGE 12 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE P AGE 13 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE P AGE 14 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE

THE MG Club of St. Louis Calendar

Sun July 7 Beat the Heat Rally 7:45 am – 9:15 am; Meet at CVS Pharma- cy, 15846 Manchester Rd., Ellisville, MO (corner of Manchester and Clarkson)

Mon, July 8 St. Louis MG Club Granite City Brewery, Creve Coeur, MO at Monthly Meeting 7pm

July 11-16 MG’s on the Oregon MG 2013 is planning a caravan from Inde- Trail pendence, MO (7/11 at 9am) to Corvallis, OR. Details: www.mgsoregontrail.org/

July 15-19 GOF Central MkXXXV MG ‘Gathering of the Faithful’ at the Em- bassy Suites in St. Charles. See:

www.gofcentral.com

July 17-21 MG 2013 – Corvallis, Or- www.mg-2013.com egon

Sat. July 20 Cars & Coffee Starbucks Coffee, 9616 Manchester Rd, St. Louis, 8:15 am – 10:15 am

Aug 10 Birthplace of Route 66 Springfield, MO Festival

Mon, Aug 12 St. Louis MG Club 7 pm – Location TBD Monthly Meeting

August 15-18 2012 University Motors Grand Rapids, MI. For details see: Summer Party www.universitymotorsltd.com

August 17 Full Moon Fever Run

Sept. 21 All British Car & Cycle Creve Coeur Lake

Show www.AllBritishCarShow.com

For updates and the latest details, visit the STLMG Club Website at: www.stlouismgclub.com P AGE 15 T HE S T . L OUIS M ETRO G AZETTE

Club Officers & Support Roles

Name Address Phone E-Mail

John Mangles 31 Canyon Court (636) 939-9338 [email protected] Chairman St. Charles, MO 63303

Lee Fox 12855 Big Bend (314) 821-1295 [email protected] Treasurer Kirkwood, MO 63122

Carolyn Westbay 2124 Sunset Lane (636) 376-0064 [email protected] Secretary High Ridge, MO 63049

Janel Demick 1028 Lexington Dr. [email protected] Events Chairperson Columbia, IL 62236

Fred Houser 544 Winding Trail Drive (314) 965-9320 [email protected] Membership Coordinator St. Louis MO 63131

Bruce Hamper 132 Wildwood Lane (314) 822-4831 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Kirkwood, MO 63122

Registrars Name Phone E-Mail

Pre-war Bob Horzmann (636) 227-3449 [email protected] T-Series Charlie Key (314) 428-9335 [email protected] MGA/Magnette John Mangles (636) 939-9338 [email protected] MGB/MGC Robert Rushing (314) 614-4671 [email protected] Spridget Lee Fox (314) 821-1295 [email protected] Cars In Boxes Mike Barnes (314) 803-1921 [email protected] Other Marques Ranney Dohogne (314) 878-7766 [email protected]

FOR A FULL LISTING OF UPCOMING EVENTS, CLASSIFIED ADDS, AND MUCH MORE GO BROWSE OUR EXCELENT WEB SITE AT: http://www.stlouismgclub.com/ Just click on this link to go to the web site

"The St. Louis Metro Gazette (SLMG)" is a publication of the MG Club of St. Louis and remains the property of the club. It is published monthly and is provided free to members in good standing and to officers of other British car clubs upon request. "SLMG" solicits articles from members and other sources. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Club, Club Officers, or the staff of the newsletter. Technical information is believed accurate, however, any repairs or mechanical advise is attempted at the readers own risk. The Club, Officers, or newsletter staff will not be responsible for any misinterpreted or incorrect technical information. If in doubt, consult with a certified technician. Articles may be reprinted by other car clubs provided that credit is given to author and “SLMG” THE MG CLUB OF ST. LOUIS

c/o Fred Houser—Membership Coordinator 544 Winding Trail Drive St. Louis MO 63131

Web Site: www.stlouismgclub.com Editor E-Mail: [email protected]

This picture recently appeared in an MGA online forum. Anyone we know?

The July General Meeting of the St. Louis MG Club will take place on July 8th at Cranite City Food & Brewery, 11411 Olive Blvd, Creve Couer, MO; (314-432-3535; ). Our social hour begins at 6:30 pm and the meeting will start promptly at 7:30 pm.