Lone Star Lady January February 201
Transcription
Lone Star Lady January February 201
Lone Star Lady Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club • Texas Region Newsletter • January-February 2012 Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club – Texas Region 2012 Officers & Directors Chair: Cathie Mouton 1860 I-10 South • Beaumont, TX 77707 409-866-9339 • e-mail: [email protected] Secretary: Sharon Galvan 8302 Forest Gate Dr. • Sugar Land, TX 77479 281-343-7478 • e-mail: [email protected] Treasurer: Vernon Frost P.O. Box 1848 • Fredericksburg, TX 78624 830-990-8310 • e-mail: [email protected] Activities Chairman: James Stryker 17515 South Yaupon Circle • Tomball, TX 77377 832-646-5542 • e-mail: [email protected] Membership: Sneed Adams 22906 Silent Spring Creek Ct. • Katy, TX 77450 281-395-8365 • e-mail: [email protected] Chief Judge: Tim Myrick 3411 Homer Street • Dallas 75206 214-826-1878 • e-mail: [email protected] Technical Chairman: Dale Clark 23855 Northcrest Trail • New Caney 77357 281-689-5964 • e-mail: [email protected] Directors: Exp. 12/31/11: Al Briseno 10205 Oasis Dr., Suite 320 • San Antonio, TX 78216 210-340-9575 • e-mail: [email protected] Exp. 12/31/12: Phillip Reese P.O. Box 1705 • Austin, TX 78767-1705 512-291-1428 • e-mail: [email protected] Exp. 12/31/13: John Lovick 160 Bent Trail Dr. • Southlake, TX 76092 214-914-9114 • e-mail: [email protected] Editor: Steve Krazer 3026 Ricsan Road • Abilene 79605 • 325-677-7755 Fax: 325-670-0566 • e-mail: [email protected] The Lone Star Lady is published bimonthly by the Texas Region of the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club. The Texas Region is under the control of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club. Publication Deadlines: Articles and advertising should be received no later than the 15th of the month prior to the date of publication. Example: articles/ads for the January/February issue should be received no later than January 15th. Articles and photographs can be sent via e-mail to: [email protected], or by mail on disk. A hard copy of the article should accompany the disk. Photographic prints will be scanned and returned as directed. Advertising Rates: Advertising space is priced at $200 per page and smaller size ads are priced proportionally, e.g. 1/4 page is priced at $50.00 per edition. The Lone Star Lady endeavors to publish accurate information. The region, its editors and officers assume no responsibility in the event of loss or damage arising from any information contained therein. Statements attributed to individuals do not reflect the official policy and position of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club or the Texas Region. Please direct any address changes to: RROC National: 191 Hempt Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 • 800-TRY-RROC The Three Regents– Hershey, PA There was a reunion held at the AACA Hershey show this year. We were able to bring together three Springfield Phantom I’s with Brewster Regent Convertible Coupe bodies. Getting three Regents together at one time is tricky, but we were able to get these three together with body numbers in sequence from Brewster. Brewster built a total of 21 of these bodies that were put on the Phantom I chassis and 1 that was put on a Phantom II. The Regent is a two passenger Convertible Coupe with a rumble seat that allows for 2 more passengers. This is a later body style by Brewster. All three of these were cars that were returned to the factory and then rebodied with the newer and sportier bodies to help the resale market. This was a common practice with the Springfield cars as the Limousine type cars had fallen on a flat market. The three cars belong to Henry Hensley from Houston, Jon Leimkuehler from Pittsburgh and Ned Numata from Hawaii. Henry’s car is S112FR with a Brewster Body number B7151. Jon’s car is S374FM with a Brewster body number B7152. Ned’s car is S284RM with a Brewster Body number B7153. We had a great time showing these cars and received a great reception from the AACA. – Henry Hensley In This Issue: 3 – Cathie’s Corner, Thanks! 4 – About Phantom II AJS239 8 – Board Meeting Minutes 9 – Hooking My Radiator 10 – Abilene Spring Meet Description 11 – In Memoriam; New Members 12 – Future Region Activities; For Sale SERVICE AS GENUINE AS THE PARTS WE USE. Bentley Dallas is proud to use only Crewe Genuine Parts. 5300 Lemmon Avenue . Dallas, TX 75209 . Main: 214.849.5300 . Toll-Free: 800.336.7073 www.parkplacetexas.com ©2007 Bentley Dallas by Cathie Mouton If you rest, you rust - Helen Hayes N ot only does that relate to us but also to our PMCs. I know this time of year is not favorable to drive some of our PMCs however, let’s get them ready for the first hint of an unexpected sunny day and on a whim take a Drive!! I would like to thank those of you who took the time to send in your ballots for the election of officers for the year 2012. I look forward to being your first lady Chair for the Texas Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club. We have a good group of officers representing you, the members. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, ideas, complaints, etc. That is what we want. My email is [email protected]. If we are not informed of any issues you may have, we can’t improve where needed. A big thanks to Elaine Krazer for her past service as Activities Chair and a big welcome to Jim Stryker as our new Activities Chair. He is very enthusiastic and already working on ideas for future events. We all need to thank Phillip Reese for his 3 year term as Chairman. He worked continuously with little recognition serving all our needs. Next time you see Phillip give him a pat on the back for his service to the club. Also, if you are interested in serving on the board let us know. Mark your Calendars Don’t forget your area monthly breakfast. Get Ready for an Adventure! Abilene, April 12-15, 2012 our Annual Texas Region Spring Meet. Hosts, Steve Krazer and Bruce Bixby. Registration forms are in this issue. Host hotel is the Marriott Residence Inn at a rate of $99.00 per night. Let’s show Steve and Bruce our support by attending this meet. Fall Tech Seminar will be in Austin October 18-20th, 2012. The Tech Seminar will be earlier than in the past. At our last board meeting it was suggested we try to have it earlier, due to several other events going on at the same time. We will try this change and see if this works better for all. The Seminar is always well attended but we still miss you if you don’t participate. WE NEED YOU!!! The Texas Region will be hosting the RROC National Meet, Fiesta, San Antonio, April 8-13th, 2013. Chairs for this are Al and Lettie Briseno. This past December we had our first committee meeting. Al Briseno, Phillip Reese, Sneed and Anne Adams, Jim Stryker and yours truly along with Dan met at the Hyatt our Host hotel for the 2013 meet. We will be having meet- ings on a regular basis and if you are interested in helping with this, please let us know. As you know, we hosted the Interregional Meet in Austin last March and it was a great success thanks to all of you who helped. We can do this again. Don’t be afraid to offer, we have plenty of areas where you are needed. I want to thank Lucy and Bill Rasco and Heath Hedden for hosting the Holiday parties. I attended the Rasco’s in San Antonio and we had a great time. I heard that the same was true for the members who attended the party in Dallas. Because both events occurred at the same time, we were unable to attend the Dallas function. Maybe this year we can plan the parties on different dates. If you are interested in planning or hosting an event please let us know. Dan and I will be headed to Florida mid-February for a month. The Phantom II has been invited to the 6th Annual Boca Raton Concours and in March, the 17th Annual Amelia Island Concours. Really excited this time of year is great in Florida. Now for the real story. We, Dan and I, will be driving to Florida in our Ford Dually with our Phantom II in a 36ft Trailer. I know this is not a big deal to you guys; however, I will be driving also. Dan has all the faith in me so, I really have to step up to the plate and get er done!!!! I know there will be a good story to tell about this trip. So, you can look forward, I hope, to another article. Laugh of the day Elsie, an elderly lady, stopped to drive into a parking space in her new black Bentley when a young man in his brand new red BMW drove around her and parked in the space that she had been waiting for. Elsie was so angered that she approached the young fellow and remarked, through gritted teeth, “I was about to park there”. The man looked at her with disdain and replied. “That’s what you can do when you’re young and bright”. This annoyed Elsie even more, so she got back in her car, backed it up and then she stomped on the accelerator and rammed straight into his BMW. The young man ran back to his car and shouted in a stunned voice, “What did you do that for?” Elsie smiled at him and said, “That’s what you can do when you’re old and rich.” Happy Motoring! Cathie Mouton Texas Region members pulled together once again and contributed their hard earned money so that their Texas Region could have a full-page color advertisement in the 2012-13 National RROC Directory. The original artwork used in the ad was created by Texas Region member and artist Lisa Daniels. Thank you Lisa. Lone Star Lady Editor Steve Krazer adapted Lisa’s artwork and added his own special touches to create the ad that not only advertises the Texas Region, but also the fact that the Texas Region is hosting the National RROC Annual Meet in San Antonio in April 2013. Thank you Steve. Thanks to their contributions, we raised the entire $2,250 required for the advertisement. A great big Texas Region THANK YOU to: Anne & Sneed Adams Al & Leticia Briseno Dale & Maria Teresa Clark Patricia Detelltu Jim & Jeane Durbin Vernon Frost John & Evie Grubb Doug Handel Ken Harris Dan Harrison Don & Demaris Knobler David & Elaine Krazer John & Marcy Lovick Dan & Cathie Mouton Ronald Murphy Jim & AnaMaya Powell Phillip Reese Peter Shavney John Sweney & Mike Stargel Carl & Betty Tongberg Dana Woodruff Your generosity is appreciated! January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady 3 by Dan Mouton Rolls-Royce production in the United States ended during the Great Depression, so left-hand drive Phantom II chassis were built in England and shipped to Springfield, Massachusetts. This Phantom is built on a long wheel base chassis. Once here, the cars were bodied by various coachbuilders, most often Brewster. This is one of just 13 cars fitted with the Drophead Coupe Croydon design, named for the south London suburb. To the best of our knowledge, only four Croydons are known to exist. AJS239 at local and National Meets. It has won numerous awards throughout the years. Previous owners and RROC members were Dr. W. Hall, New York - C. F. Wilding-White, New York - Paul Rizzo, New York and Royce J. Noble of MA. I feel the Merle Norman Classic Beauty Collection as stated above also owned it. Not sure when Bob Atwell of Texas purchased the car. He was well known and active in the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club. He was an avid automobile collector. I feel the Phantom was stored at one of his warehouses and never to be seen again for many years. During that I have always loved and currently own several postwar Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars. I then decided I wanted to purchase a prewar Rolls-Royce. My favorite prewar Rolls-Royce is the Phantom II convertibles. Therefore, I did not have to decide what my next purchase would be. I first fell in love with the PII Croydon when I saw it in the book, Great Marques Rolls-Royce, pages 28-29 with the caption: “A Croydon convertible by Brewster. A Derby-built left-hand drive Phantom II of 1932”. Provided by Merle Norman Classic Beauty Collection. I then saw this car several years later at an Auction but did not purchase at the time. I told my wife, Cathie, that I was going to own this car some day. I followed the car for several years and finally had the opportunity to purchase the PII, September 2001. What a lucky surprise, not really, because I had made up my mind this was going to be mine some day. The Phantom II was shipped to Beaumont and the journey begins. I started with getting the build sheet from the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club and researching the archives of the Flying Lady. It looks as though the Phantom II and its previous owners were active RROC members; I have books dating back to 1952 showing the Phantom and mentioning 4 The Lone Star Lady • January–February 2012 time, we heard parts were taken from the car and used on other cars. Bob Atwells son, Rich Atwell, decided to sell the Phantom II, which was where I first saw the car at the auction I had previously mentioned. My Venture Begins I have always worked on my cars, so this project did not bother me in the least. First, began the assessment of restoration, do I just want a good reliable PMC with new paint, interior, etc or do I want Concours quality. I do not make that decision until many years later. When I first got the Phantom my granddaughter, Peyton, who was only 1, came to my shop and wanted to sit behind the wheel. See photo– more to this story later. After cleaning and minor work, I made the car drivable so that I could begin my “Love Affair” with my newly purchased slightly used Phantom II. I then began my restoration of the Phantom. Parts were missing and many parts in need of repair. All of us who have restored cars knows one thing leads into MANY and MAJOR repairs. Several years later my granddaughter, Peyton, and her younger brother, Parker, would come and visit me at my shop on a regular basis. On this particular day, I was working on the wheels of the Phantom and she comes and wants to know if she can help work on “Her” car. So at that point, what is a Poppy to do but say, Yes that is your car. In my mind I am thinking, WOW, I have the next generation car enthusiast in my grandchildren. My progress was slow in restoring the PII, however each little bit of progress would take me one-step closer to completion... • Pulled wheels off – to evaluate brakes and wheel bearings • Sent wheels off to have clean, repaired and respoked • Side mount wheel covers made and sent to be plated • Trilin taillights • Road wheel from England • Pilot Ray lights made – car showed signs of having pilot ray lights • Made head lamp stanchions • Sent chrome parts to be replated • The list went on and on... After years of working in my spare time on the Phantom, I reached the point where I needed someone who had the capabilities and knowledge to aid me with the interior and paint and body work to complete my restoration. My choice was D & D Restoration in Ohio. I have seen several restorations that D&D had completed and was pleased with their quality and work ethics. Ten years later, dreaming, working and finally completing this labor of love... the restoration of 239AJS Phantom II Brewster Croydon. The Phantom II was invited to Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2011. Our Pebble Beach Concours Experience by Cathie Mouton Dan and I for many years have gone to The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Every year Dan would say I would love to show a car here. From experience when Dan gets fixated with something, I have learnt he will do this someday. As the Phantom was nearing completion at D & D Restoration, we had the opportunity to send information about the Phantom for the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. As most of you know, you send this information in and they have a committee to select the cars to be shown each year. So... you wait until the letter or packet comes indicating whether you have been accepted for the Concours. We received the letter of acceptance the first part of April. What a thrill for Dan. He was on cloud nine!!!! Then 2 weeks later, we received news that Dan needed bypass surgery. He had 95% blockage in his main artery. He had surgery and did very well. He was bound and determined nothing was going to stop him from showing at Pebble Beach. Things seemed to be going very well and all of a sudden, he began to feel the same symptoms he had before his surgery. So, on July 15th they did the angiogram. The result was an January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady 5 occluded LIMA-to Lad graft. In other words his bypass had closed and he was back where he was before the surgery. It was decided since the bypass did not work that the better option was to put in a stent where the blockage was. If that didn’t work he would have to have bypass surgery again. They had the surgeon and operating room on stand by. All went well, the stent worked, and he was able to come home days later. Again, he was on the mend with one thing in mind attending Pebble Beach in 4 weeks. I was not very keen on this idea. After talking with the doctor, he assured me Dan could go on this trip. Finally, we were bound for Pebble Beach; first stop was Lake Tahoe the National Rolls-Royce annual meet was at Squaw Valley. It was my last business meeting as an officer of the board. Wish we could have been there for the entire meet; it was a wonderful place. We had to leave on Monday. The Phantom was arriving in Monterey on Tuesday with Roger James, his wife, Jetta, and his team from D&D. When we left home, it was 99 degrees and when we arrived in Monterey, it was 68 degrees. We could not have asked for better weather. We stayed at a home that was about three blocks from The Pebble Beach Lodge; it had a three-car garage for the PII to sleep. The PII had a roommate , a 1925 Stutz 695 Speedway Sportster. This is one of the last of the famous 6-cylinders. Fred Guyton from St. Louis, Missouri was showing the Stutz. He has an extensive collection of automobiles and it was our pleasure to have another beauty in the garage. Staying there was nice. We did not have to deal with all the traffic with Dan still recovering, the location was great. The 2011 Pebble Beach Concours celebrated the first automobiles, created by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler back in 1886, so they marked the 125th Anniversary of the automobile. They featured the creations of Benz and Daimler and their successors. They also featured the centennial of Stutz and the 50th Anniversary of the birth of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Special classes focused on the Edwardian Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Our class was one of 28 plus 2 for motorcycles. There were 211 automobiles entered this year. Not sure how many were in the 2 classes of motorcycles. On Thursday, the Phantom’s maiden voyage, and our first time riding in the car, was the 14th annual Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex. 155 cars participated for this 70-mile drive. This tour serves as the test of the mechanical competence for the cars. Roger, Jetta, Dan and I had a wonderful day on this tour. This drive weaves 6 The Lone Star Lady • January–February 2012 through forests of intertwined cypress and towering Monterey pines. During this course, we saw some of the most scenic roads that the West has to offer. We departed on a foggy morning and drove to Big Sur along Highway 1. It is a challenging and picturesque route. After arriving at Big Sur, your number is recorded and then we headed back for a luncheon in downtown Carmel. By that time, the sun was out and the fog had lifted. All participants parked on Ocean Drive for the large crowd of spectators to ooh and aah. We really enjoyed this part of the tour. After lunch and visiting, we headed back to the Lodge where we received our tour completion ribbon and a glass of Champagne. This driving tour is an integral part of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The cars that successfully complete the tour have the advantage if they tie in class competition at the Concours. Roger James did the driving for Dan during the tour. This is an all day event and I had a concern that this would be too much for Dan at this time. So, when you see the photos, that is Roger doing the driving. However, Dan is in the front passenger seat with a Big Grin!!!! Needless to say, we could not have been happier with the day’s event and had no mechanical problems. Two of our children with their families came in for the event. Peyton our granddaughter had to come because she is the one who claims ownership of the Phantom!! The family had a wonderful time – we rented golf carts and instead of going by car, we went by golf cart, much quicker that way. There is so much to see and do the week of Pebble Beach; just the auctions alone would keep you busy. There were opening parties, dealership parties; if you attended all that is available to the participants, you would be partied out! Then came the day of the Concours, which is believed to be the best in the world. Cars and enthusiasts from 5 continents, 14 countries and 30 states participated in this year’s event. Roger, Dan, Peyton and I and left around 6:30 that morning. They changed the route to enter the show field, as stated earlier we were only 3 blocks from the field, however the street was made one way and it took us 45 minutes to arrive. It was fun to see all the cars heading to the field. Finally, all the cars were placed in their designated area. There were six Rolls-Royces in our H-2 class: • 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Oxford Tourer– Gary & Sheryl Hunter, Arcadia • 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Murphy Convertible Coupe’– Robert & Agaja Matteucci, Jupiter, FL • 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brewster St. Andrews– Bill & Alice Habeger, San Diego, CA • 1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP Graber Cabriolet– Richard Raynsford, Northamptonshire, England • Our 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster Croydon Drophead Coupe • 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster Newport– Lee and Sandra Gurvey, Riverwoods, Illinois We readied the car for judging. Then you wait and wait and wait. Finally, the judging team arrived and I must say they did a thorough job. It is different from our judging at the Rolls-Royce National Meets. The judges want to talk to you about the car and all the history and see all the documents you have. Dan enjoyed having the opportunity to expound his knowledge and giving history on the PII and answering questions from the judges After the judging was over, Dan was told to stay close to the car, that is an indication that you will place or that they will be back for more questions……….. Again... You wait; you do not want to go too far, so you just settle in until you hear something. It was not so bad. You visit with all the other car enthusiasts who have the same love as you. By the afternoon of the show, we got the news that we would be going to the awards ramp, this indicates you will take 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. With much excitement, Dan, and our grandchildren, Peyton, Parker, Mackenzy and I, of course Roger was driving, proceeded to line up. You have no idea which place you will take. Just the thrill of knowing you will receive a trophy at Pebble Beach is indescribable. Sure you want 1st, who doesn’t?!! As we were driving up to the stage to receive our trophy Roger told the children you really need to take this moment in, because just look at all the automobiles here and only a selected few ever get to drive up and experience what we are about to do. I thought what a profound statement. caught up in our memories, we did not walk the field, take in the beauty, and admire all the automotive history that was showing during the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours. Therefore, next year, you can bet we will be there enjoying the treasures on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach 2012. Rolls-Royce members Brad and Michele Zemcik from California took care of capturing our memories for this event. They are responsible for all the photos during our stay. If you have not seen their work please do so at www. bzemick.smugmug.com. We had the pleasure of Phillip Reese joining us for this time. (Ask him about playing chess with Parker and our little 3-block walk that turned into 5 miles!!!!!.) We saw Texas Rolls-Royce members Tim Myrick and Scott Jordan (Phillip, Tim and Scott spent the day with us) as well as Al and Sarah Kroemer. • 3rd Place– 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster Croydon Drophead Coupe– Dan and Cathie Mouton and Peyton, Beaumont, TX • 2nd Place–1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP Graber Cabriolet– Richard Raynsford, Northamptonshire, England. Originally sporting a saloon body by Gangloff, this Rolls-Royce 20/25 was rebodied in 1937 and is one of just two 20/25s with Graber coachwork to survive. Owned at one point by HRS Shar Ali Wali Khan of Afghanistan, the car toured occupied Europe before being sold in 1945 to the Reverend George Irving of the Church of Scotland, who drove it around Italy on his honeymoon. • 1st Place– 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I, Murphy Convertible Coupe– Robert & Agaja Matteucci, Jupiter, Florida. This Murphy-bodied Springfield Phantom I was presented by Alford Chapin to his wife Gloria for Christmas in 1929. Design details include Gloria’s initials behind the hood louvers, carved running boards, door hardware shaped like fishes, and a place on the gear shift for a photo of children. A Phantom I chassis cost about $14,000, but the Murphy coachwork doubled the cost of this car. WOW, What a class of winners!!!! After Dan and I returned home we looked at each other and both said we had one regret. Because we were so If you have never attended this great week in Monterey this should be put on your Bucket List!!! January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady 7 A scheduled meeting of the Board of National Annual Meet Update, April 2013: Phillip Reese updated the board on the plans that are being put together for the National Meet being held in San Antonio, TX. A meeting was held in late November 2011 to finalize details at the host hotel. Directors (BOD) of the Texas Region RROC was held November 5, 2011 at the Homewood Suites on 3908 W. Braker Lane in Austin, Texas. Chairman Phillip Reese called the meeting to order at 5:01 PM CST, welcomed everyone and thanked them for their attendance. Holiday Parties: The Hill Country and North Texas areas have gatherings planned which are printed in the LSL. All Board members were in attendance, except for Al Briseno, Tim Myrick, and Elaine Krazer. In addition, several region members were present. Host and location of 2012 Fall Tech Seminar—a discussion was held whether to change the location and moving the date. After many suggestions, Vernon Frost made a motion to stay at the Austin location, and move the date from the first weekend in November. Sharon Galvan gave a second, and the motion passed unanimously. Phillip Reese agreed to investigate an alternative date for this event. Secretary’s Report: Sharon Galvan reported that the minutes from the last BOD meeting had been approved and printed in the LSL for all members to read. Also, there were 2 electronic votes since the last board minutes had been taken. First, on Sept. 8, 2011, a unanimous vote passed to keep the 2012 dues rate the same as 2011. Second, on Sept. 11, 2011, a motion to approve the budget for the Fall Technical seminar passed unanimously. Treasurer’s Report: Vernon Frost reported there have been few expenses due to no Spring Meet expenses reported yet for this year. Vernon submitted his report to the BOD, it was discussed, and Cathie Mouton made a motion to approve the report, and it was seconded by Sneed Adams. The motion passed unanimously. The report will be published in the LSL. Membership Report: Sneed Adams reported that the Texas Region membership is holding steady at 309 members. National Report: Sneed Adams reported many issues are being discussed at the National level, along with membership sustainability. About 50 members a month are being added, with the total nearing 8,000. A national survey was sent out to members, which produced 1400 responses. A consultant was used to process this survey which discussed expectation and satisfaction of the members. Concerns were 1) The National BOD needs to effectively communicate with the members, 2) Members asked for Technical Assistance 3) A user friendly website, 4) The Flying Lady. The national board is also working on these future endeavors: 1) Putting Technical manuals on the website 2) Developing a list of locations in the nation to work on our cars 3)Improving the online directory search 4) April tour in Virginia 5)June National meet in Louisville, Kentucky 6)the Oregon tour in August and 7)The Nova Scotia tour in September. Editor’s Report: Steve Krazer reported the next issue of the LSL would be mailed in late November/early December. He encouraged members 8 The Lone Star Lady • January–February 2012 to submit articles containing technical information or interesting “happenings” with our cars for publication. Cathie Mouton made a motion that National members that live in Texas, but are not region members, should be put on the LSL mailing list. Steve Krazer gave a second, and the motion passed unanimously. Activities Report: Spring Meet 2012—Meet chair, Steve Krazer, reported that all plans are being finalized. Our host hotel is the Marriot Residence Inn. The meet will be held April 12-15. Election of 2012 Officers: 50 ballots were received and counted by region members David Galvan and Carl Tongberg. The results were unanimous and are as follows: Chair Cathie Mouton Treasurer Vernon Frost Secretary Sharon Galvan Membership Sneed Adams Activities Director Jim Stryker Chief Judge Tim Myrick Technical Chairman Dale Clark Editor Steve Krazer Directors Phillip Reese, John Lovick Al Briseno Adjournment: With no further business to discuss, a motion was made by Phillip Reese, and seconded by Sharon Galvan to adjourn the meeting at 6:24 PM CST. Motion passed unanimously. by Jim Powell Having been twelve years since I last attended a workshop specifically for Small Horsepower cars it was a sure bet there might be a few things forgotten. When Gil Fuqua and I attended the RREC one in 1998 we were the only two “Yanks” from this side of the pond and the amount of technical data presented was overwhelming especially since I was still learning how to start my car. Certainly our cars haven’t changed much in the twelve years but my mind has and I figured it was time for more learning or at least a much needed refresher. With Texas experiencing record breaking heat and the RROC offering a workshop in northern Vermont this was an enticing event. Making the trip from Texas were Doug Handel, Bob and Donna Wright and myself for the workshop on Small Horsepower cars held at the Vintage Garage in Stowe Vermont. The garage is run by Pierce Reid and Billings Cooke and has earned the highly respected and envious award “member of Rolls-Royce Bentley Specialists Association” of which only two garages in America have this honor. Pierce started the workshop on the first day with an excellent presentation covering the history and development of the small horsepower series beginning from 1922 through the addition of the Bentleys and up to 1939. Joining Pierce and Billings was Dick Frawley giving us three wonderful instructors. There was much to learn and experience and before long there were many dirty hands. All three taught separate sessions at times but the attendants were free to roam from class to class and get all they could. I’ll attempt to share more of what we learned as I and the others apply what we learned at home. is somewhat the shape of a hook on the end closest to the sparkplug wire contacts. For some reason, many of these get turned around so they look like the one in picture one. That is a picture of mine as it looked when I checked after the workshop. Doug confirms his looked like that also. Pierce assured us the car would run with it in backward but we wouldn’t have all the benefits. Mine has run just fine for the last 16 years on my watch so I was very surprised. While at the workshop we were told of an excellent resource available to all owners of small horsepower cars which none of us had any prior knowledge. A hardcoverbound notebook titled “The Derby Bentley Technical Manual” is about three inches thick with, you guessed it, a green cover and is the ultimate authority on all things small horsepower. Even though written for Bentley owners, it still covers at least 90% of anything the owner of a small horsepower Rolls-Royce would require. Not that I doubted Mr. Reid’s advice about my rotor contact but this proved to be an excellent bit of detail to research in my new Technical Manual. I was impressed. Not only finding the instructions but also a reason why and a clear diagram on page B/Q/8! The manual states it is designed this way to prevent backfiring on a cold engine. Pierce told us it also provides a much larger contact surface for the flow of the current to the sparkplugs which would mean the rotor would last much longer between cleaning. When the rotor is in backward all the contact is immediate upon the first sharp corner passing by and so you will find all the wear at that point. This is exactly what I found when I removed mine. Picture two shows mine installed correctly after cleaning up the contact surface on a wire wheel. As you can see in the photo by where the distributor is in relation to the radiator, I now understand the term “hooking the radiator” as the rotor turns. One small item of interest to several was when Pierce casually mentioned to be sure our rotors were “hooking the radiator”. Let me explain. On the small horsepower motor, the distributor rotor turns counterclockwise. The metal contact on the rotor January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady 9 Jforointhefellow Texas Region members first ever Spring Meet in Abilene and West Texas. Your hosts the Bixbys and the Krazers have put together a real West Texas Adventure. The meet is being sponsored by Bentley Dallas. Our host hotel is the Residence Inn by Marriot. The rate for a Studio Suite has been set at $99 for our group. Larger suites are available at an additional cost. Breakfast will be provided at the hotel each day. Thursday, April 12 Activities start on Thursday, April 12th with early check-in beginning at 3:00pm. The hospitality room will be available for visiting. Around 7:45 we will drive en masse to Lytle Land and Cattle Company for dinner. The hospitality room will be open after dinner to continue catching up with friends. Friday, April 13 Friday morning will begin with breakfast…. Then we’ll caravan to Frontier Texas, Abilene’s own high-tech journey into the mid 1800s. You’ll learn about the area as it was more than a century ago from spirit guides who are part of our history. From Frontier Texas we’ll drive west US 277 to Coronado’s Camp. Here you will have a choice (Please mark on your registration form which tour you would like to complete): Choice A- Turn South through the tail end of the Horse Hollow Wind Farm and on to sleepy Buffalo Gap, Texas. Here you will tour the Buffalo Gap Historic Village, which includes the original Taylor County Courthouse and jail (Admission is $7 per person). After enjoying a box 10 The Lone Star Lady • January–February 2012 lunch on the grounds, you will head back to Abilene for anexclusive tour of the Tigé Boat manufacturing facility. Tigé builds beautiful inboard V-8 powered wakeboard watercraft start to finish at their Abilene facility. From fiberglass molding to upholstery to all the mechanicals. It’s quite an adventure in and of itself. Choice B- Continue west through the Horse Hollow Wind Farm (one of the world’s largest) and on to a real frontier fort… Fort Chadbourne. This fort is on a private ranch approximately 50 miles from Abilene. The ranch has been in the same family for seven generations. Garland Richards decided just a few years ago to begin restoration of the Fort which had never been open to the public. The result is quite a transformation. After enjoying a box lunch, we’ll drive back to Abilene via Buffalo Gap. Dinner Friday night will be at the Bixby home. Saturday, April 14 Saturday morning cars will assemble on the grounds of the Bob and Shirley Hunter Center on the campus of Abilene Christian University for judging. We’ll enjoy real West Texas Barbeque at lunchtime. The afternoon schedule will be at the member’s choice… a jaunt to the downtown arts district…. a peak inside the Bixby Car Barn... a drive to one of two other frontier forts in the area… or possibly a relaxing nap. The cocktail hour and the awards banquet will be held at Fairway Oaks Golf & Racquet Club. Here we will enjoy a great meal and West Texas entertainment. Sunday, April 16 Sunday, visit as long as you like…. our Texas Region Board meeting will be held at the hotel…. And departures for home will take place as you see fit. We hope to see you in Abilene for a laid-back West Texas weekend April 12-15, 2012. Please complete the enclosed registration form and return it along with a check for the appropriate amount no later than March 5, 2012. Noyes (Nockey) Willett (1924 - 2011) W e lost our good friend Nockey Willett Wednesday, October 12, 2011. I first met Nockey and his wife, Flo, at a Tech Seminar in Salado. This was back when we did ”Tech” in the parking lot of the Stagecoach Inn using a floor jack and a prayer. With his commanding voice and good humor, Nockey could really spin a yarn…especially when it came to “Hilda”, their 20/25 he acquired after a radio contest winner failed to claim her as their prize. Nockey, Flo and their “chauffer”, Gary, made many a club outing in Hilda. Several club members have helped keep her on the road and steadily improved both mechanically and in appearance. Nockey was a career broadcast engineer who spent most of his years at UT, building the broadcast infrastructure for KLRN/KLRU TV and KUT FM. It has been said that Austin City Limits wouldn’t be where it is today if it had not been for his vision and determination to turn KLRU into a first class broadcasting facility. He will be missed by those who knew and loved him. He is survived by his wife; one son, James Willett of Austin, TX; one granddaughter, Savannah Pearl Willett of Austin, TX; niece, Sally Moore and husband, Bruce, of Fisher, IN; and nephew, James Nixon and wife, Denise, of Indianapolis, IN. HOWDY! glad you’re in our Corral! Robert Belt Houston, Tx Brooke Brooks Dallas, Tx Xavier Castillo Baytown, TX Jeffery Cecil Fort Worth, TX Ricky Clawson San Antonio, Tx Daniel Crowley Southlake, Tx Carl George Tyler, Tx Robert Griffin Arlington, Tx William Haden Houston, Tx Bob Higbee Plano, TX Ken Harris Kerrville, Tx Joseph Hooper Fort Worth, Tx Bill Hogue Houston, Tx Ray Kinney Dallas, Tx John Leguay Houston, Tx Charles Malone The Woodlands, Tx Chris MastrangeloHouston, Tx John Melcher Fort Worth, Tx Joe Mignone Colleyville, Tx Ted Muller Houston, Tx Robert Ober San Antonio, Tx William Osborne College Station, Tx Paun Peters Fort Worth, Tx William Reardon Granbury, Tx Peter Regan Houston, Tx Lamont Roach Baton Rouge, LA Joe Salatino Dallas, Tx Edward Sandelin Granbury, Tx Howard Sigler Grandbury, Tx Kirk Simons The Woodlands, Tx Douglas Smith Dallas, Tx Carl Soderstrom Dallas, Tx Raymond Symens Spring, Tx Toby Toberny Midlothian, Tx John Wampler Mineola, Tx Richard Will Georgetown, Tx Jim Wright Dimmitt, Tx� January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady 11 by Jim Stryker Texas Region Activities Director Dallas Area Activities: Dallas Monthly Breakfast– Dallas area breakfast meetings are held the second Saturday at 8:30AM at the Egg and I located at 15203 Knoll Trail Dr. in Dallas. This is just north of Arapaho one block east of the Tollway. Knoll Trail is the same road as Monfort south of Arapaho. Houston Area Activities: Houston Monthly Breakfast– Every 2nd Saturday - 9:00AM Location: Skeeters at 5529 Weslayan, Houston, TX Hill Country Activities: Hill Country Monthly Breakfast– 3rd Saturday of the month, 9:00AM, Schobels Restaurant, New Braunfels, TX. Interstate 35 Northbound frontage road at Exit 187 off of Interstate 35 (north or south), 830/626-2200. Statewide & National Activities: February 11, 2012–Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance, Texas Military Forces Museum, Camp Mabry in Austin. The Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry will be holding its annual Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance on February 11, 2012. When you arrive they will park your car and take your picture in front of a tank or other WWII backdrop and provide the portrait at the end of the evening... big band playing era music... wonderful dinner followed by dancing. Make reservations ASAP... it is a sell out every year. Please do not wait until after the holidays. Go to http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/dinnerdance.html to make reservations. For additional information, contact Texas Region RROC Activities Director Jim Stryker at [email protected] April 12-15, 2012– Texas Region Spring Meet in Abilene, TX. See page 10 of this issue! Registration form enclosed. Please return no later than March 5, 2012. 1987 Rolls-Royce Corniche II (ZDH 20490), Mulliner ParkWard drophead coupe (1 of only 312). GORGEOUS, Award Winning-LOW Mileage, White exterior with Tan leather interior (still smells NEW). Runs and drives perfectly. Coldest A/C I’ve ever known. Drive anywhere with confidence. Cocktail compartments with Crystal, owner’s manuals, boot cover, tools and more. This garage kept original California Rolls-Royce has been loved and well cared for since new. Call my cell 602-679-1270 or email jmichaelhall@cox. net for more info. More photos available upon request. $61,995. No disappointments with this one.
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