May 2010 | Issue 393 Official Publication of the Austin Healey Sports & Touring Club THE AUSTIN HEALEY SPORTS & TOURING CLUB www.austin-healey-stc.org IN THIS ISSUE... CORPORATE OFFICERS President: Ray Donovan What’s In The Flash 3 Membership: Rick Brodeur Secretary: Del Border RPM 4 Treasurer: Gerry Kunkle Flash Editor: Steve Jekogian Membership 5 PAST PRESIDENTS Michael Haran Letters to the Editor 6 John P. Morrison George E. Null Philadelphia Region 8 Don Schneider Steve Jekogian This Month in Healey History 9 HARRISBURG REGION President: Joe Spear Long Island 11 Editors: Don & Dot Hoffer Brandywine Region 12 LEHIGH VALLEY REGION President: Mike Bradley Editors: Mike Bradley Harrisburg Region 14 PHILADELPHIA REGION North Jersey Region 16 President: John Heffron Editors: Al Tocci What’s in Your Trunk 22 BRANDYWINE REGION President: Chuck Ott Charity Auction 23 Editors: Ernie Leser NORTH JERSEY REGION Gordon Whitby: Competitive Businessman 25 President: Richard Ippoliti Editors: George Crombie Gymkhana and Teamkhana Rules 27 LONG ISLAND REGION President: Paul Parfrey Classifieds & Calendar 28 Editors: Paul Parfrey Directory 32 Main Cover Photo: Ralph and Vera Scarfogliero ( North Jersey). Ralph’s first time on the road “modified Healey” Bottom: Harrisbrug, North Jersey, Long Island What’s In The Flash EDITor’s by Steve Jekogian NOTE ow I believe you can not believe what you read or see in the press. Last month we published in “This month in Healey History” the story and photo of DMH receiving a big trophy at the Miami World Fair NAuto Show. Kind of a nice trophy don’t you think. But our intrepid reported (Baird Foster) flew “over the pond” to do a “follow up” interview and a new set of in- formation was uncovered, which casts new light on the subject. Check this out. From Baird Foster, regarding the Photo on page 16 of the May Flash. (Note from editor it was the Healey 100 with the big trophy) We attended the Healey Drivers Club event and I latched onto a ride with Roy Jackson-Moore. Roy told me that the huge trophy in Miami was “borrowed” from Packard, which had won another award and can be seen in the background of the photo of the Healey, and the pictures with the trophy and DAM were sent on to BMC in New York for publicity for the new Healey 100. Roy and DAM were keen on selling these cars and went to any length to do so including a borrowed trophy. I always thought I bought the Healey because I like the looks, but I now believe there was some “Madison Av- enue advertising” magic (or the street the ad agencies in London are) going on in my head. Now I am wondering, did the Healey 100 actually go 100 Shop Online ... www.VictoriaBritish.com MPH at the speed runs on the Jabbered Highway, in Bel- or Request Your FREE Catalog Today! gium. Those were runs completed just days before the car’s introduction at the London Motor Show at Earls Court on 22 100-4 • 100-6 • 3000 • Sprite October 1952. Does anyone have an early 100 that has done “Keep’em on the Road”™ 100 MPH? Do I still have your attention? Good because there is a con- test! You guys like contests and this one should be easy. The winner is the first person that e-mails me the answer and the question is what has changed on the Flash? steve.jekogian@ spcorp.com 1-800-255-0088 www.VictoriaBritish.com Orders • Catalog Requests • Status Shop Online ... Fast, Simple & Safe PO Box 14991, Lenexa, KS 66285-4991 3 RPM PRESIDENT by Ray Donovan I miss one month, when I have little or nothing to say; and now I have too much? Well, I will do my best to be succinct. Did everyone sign up for Encounter? The registration fee will be increasing within a week; procrastinators awaken! Every time I attend an Encounter planning meeting, Leo, Trish and the committee are adding more activities! A cooking ‘tech-session’, guest speaker (Gordon Whitby) speaking-not once but twice, a charity auction to benefit The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a bus tour from the hotel down to a world famous museum on Wednesday night (including dinner), self-guided driving tours includ- ing side bars about local history? Did I include enough in my run-on sentence? How about staying at a highly rated hotel and conference center with a famous restaurant whose room rates include hot breakfast on Thursday, Friday and continental breakfast on Saturday? Let’s not forget: road rally, funkhanna, gymkhanna, valve cover race, popular Car Show. Have a valid driver’s license? How about learning to drive a stick shift? You can read more detailed articles in this month’s Flash. Please register today and join us in Blue Bell, did I mention first round is on John Heffron (Just trying to gauge how many are reading my article—you John--)? I came across the moniker, ‘silver-surfers’ recently and it registered with me immediately. Yes, I guess I am a ‘silver-surfer’; self-taught computer user and knowing just enough to get myself through the day. Did you know that the Club has a Facebook page? I realize many believe it’s a waste of time, see Betty White hosting SNL ‘On-Demand’ or on YouTube (if you dare). While one hundred and seven are presently participating, most are not members of the Club, many are from other countries! Exposure for our Club, its activities and members now reach around the world. I am hoping it will introduce our cars and club to a younger generation. I really hope it will provide us an additional method of communicating. I realize Facebook has made recent headlines about its security settings but it only displays the information you give it. We’ve posted some videos from previous Encounters, including the valve cover race from 2005, join today, take a tour and join our AHSTC group page. I visited Carlisle Kit Nationals for the very first time! People have always told me that it has lost something since vendors started selling parts on the internet but I still enjoyed it very much. Despite other misgivings I was (pleasantly) surprised to find many parts for our British Cars. The Harrisburg Region has procured a tent from the organizers for many years which provides a very nice (and friendly) ‘home base’ for our members. Friday’s weather was great, what was everyone talking about rain at Carlisle? After roaming the parts vendors, visiting the kit cars and car corral and yes, purchasing a hood for our ’71 Super beetle (best not to ask). On the way home, John Heffron and I found Café Bru- ges, a great little place with a wonderful selection of Belgian beers! I am hoping to return next year…to the show and most likely to Café Bruges! 4 Membership by Rick Brodeur MEMBERSHIP Let’s welcome some new and returning members. Philadelphia Lehigh Valley Raymond & Lois Dunkley, Sr. Joel & Jolene Keefer Langhorne, PA Coopersburg, PA 18036 ’59 BN4 ’60 AN5 Brandywine Jim Martin Landenberg, PA ’65 BJ8 For the next 13 months or so I’ll be sending out renewal notices to members who renewed for multiple years. If you didn’t get a renewal form for the March 2010 renewal, it’s because you will come up later in the year or next. I’ll still be sending out renewals 4-6 weeks before they are due. If you have a ques- tion about your membership or renewal date, just contact me. Our member lists are available to any member just for the asking. Each Region President has a copy that can be distrib- uted, and I will send out a copy to any member who requests one. I prefer to send them out via email, but if that’s not available to you just call or email me and I’ll send out a paper copy. My email address for the Club is membership@austin-healey- stc.org. If you have any questions about your membership please contact me. Contacting me is the quickest way to solve a membership problem. My phone number and email address are on the inside front page and also on our web site. 5 Letters to the Editor LETTERS From Baird Foster, regarding the Photo on page 16 of the May Flash. (Note from editor it was the Healey 100 with the big trophy) We attended the Healey Drivers Club event and I latched onto a ride with Roy Jackson-Moore. Roy told me that the huge trophy in Miami was “borrowed” from Packard, which had won another award and can be seen in the background of the photo of the Healey, and the pictures with the trophy and DMH were sent on to BMC in New York for publicity for the new Healey 100. Roy and DMH were keen on selling these cars and went to any length to do so including a borrowed trophy. If you get oil leaking from your rear end on your rear brake shoes, then your rear brakes become ineffective. Most would just replace the rear hub oil seals, gaskets, and o-rings. There are three other critical things to also consider. First thing is to check the hub itself. Many times the hub have burrs around the edges that can keep the hub and axle from seating properly and making a good seal. If there are burrs just lightly file the edges flat with the hub face. Second thing to consider is the rear end breather that is positioned on top of the rear housing on the right hand side from center.