News 1-05 - TDS-Net

April, 2010
1958 XK150
Next Meetings
April 5th, 2010 7:00 pm at The Weathervane in Bedford
(603) 472-2749
Car of the Month
Jaguar’s Bite
by Karl & Kellie Braconier
When did the sports car bug bite? Well it
didn’t start with Dad’s 1939 Buick four
door sedan with a straight eight and bullet headlights or Mom’s 1951 Ford wooden
sided station wagon. What do I remember of the Buick? The best part of that
monster was all the room on the floor
between the front and back seats where
us kids could play games while Mom
drove through Hurricane Carol from
Falmouth, MA. to Weston, MA. What
do I remember of the Ford? Three rows
of seats and varnishing it; I was six years
old.
Fast forward to the time Dad purchased
his second MG Magnette in 1956; I think
I started to notice neat stuff like a real
wood dash and a shift lever on the floor
and a dial called a tachometer that moved
around a lot when Dad drove. But then
came 1959 and Dad’s Cotswold Blue with
red leather interior Jaguar 3.4 Ltr. Mk1
sedan. He always said he wanted an
XK150 but it wasn’t practical for a family of five.
Real fast forward to1999 February; I had
just sold our 1975 French Blue TR6 with
OD (much to my wife’s chagrin), my sixth
Triumph sprinkled in between with a 58
Morgan +4, MGBGT, a Volvo PV544, a
few Jags (more some other time), a 78
Mercedes Benz 450SL (so far, the only
car I’ve lost a lot of money on). I read in
Hemmings Motor News of a 1958 Jaguar XK150 OTS (Open Two Seater) for
2
sale just outside of Syracuse NY.
Paul Skilleter, (author of Jaguar
Sports Cars) notes there were 2173
of these made. I’ve looked at a
couple of junks down in MA. so I
know they’re not all on the road
anymore. Old Cars PRICE GUIDE
tells me in #4 condition it’s worth
about $14000 and in #3 condition
it’s worth about $28000, quite a
spread. If I can drive it home, it’s
gotta be worth somewhere between
those two numbers but one price is within
reach, the other ain’t. Now this car isn’t
just around the corner from Hebron, NH.
I don’t have a trailer and it’s still kind-a
nasty weather but I drive out to see it.
The fellow tells me it’s the wife’s car but
little ones came along and there’s no room
for them. It’s been parked for almost two
years but had new batteries put in it (two
6 volt) and they still hold a charge. The
paint appears to be mostly the original
color with the exception of the right rear
fender; it’s a different shade of dark
green. The 16 inch chrome wire wheels
are dull but not badly rusted and all spokes
are present; the tires have some age
cracks but lots of tread. There are the
usual oil spots under the engine, transmission, and differential. There’s also a telltale line of brake fluid running down one
of the rear tires (more about this later).
The rotors show no rust and the windshield looks new. Seat belts are aftermarket and the cigar lighter is replaced
with a plug-in map light. The original
leather interior has been redone in tan vinyl and the carpets are loop-pile but at
least it’s been cared for. Chrome looks
about 95% pit free but in need of some
polish. There’s a polarity changeable radio suspended under the Derrington steering wheel. Rust, what I’m looking
for is rust. I finally find a rough
spot in the paint on the driver’s side
dogleg. Can’t be a New England
car with 41 years on the road. The
horn honks, lights light, I take pictures, we discuss price. It’s
packed in behind a bunch of
American cars also in storage in a
very large dry, unheated barn. It
isn’t coming out today, maybe not
for a few weeks (read months).
When I get home, round trip of 700 miles
and 15 ½ hours later, I wonder what the
trip might be like in an old Jag with
(1)12,000+ miles showing.
Forward to 1999 March 02, I send the
fellow a deposit towards an agreed upon
price. I know I’m running out of time,
weather is getting better and he says he
has a second offer coming (when have I
heard that before?). We have a verbal
agreement that the car will be taken off
the blocks, checked over, topped off and
I cross my fingers. Next part was pure
genius if I am capable of such thing. I
contact my high school buddy living in
Middlebury Vermont who just happens to
be the best pilot I know and coincidently
owns a Triumph TR-3A, a Kawasaki and
a Spitfire (Triumph, not the plane, though
I know he secretly wants one). At the
time, Rick was flying crop-dusters, so any
adventure on the ground was considered
tame. He was more than anxious to be of
assistance and assured me the trip should
be a piece of cake.
Rick and I leave Middlebury, VT. early
the morning of 1999 April 17, with all sorts
of tools, ether, tow ropes, temporary registration plate (thank you State of New
Hampshire DMV) a spare set of Lucas
points (what an optimist, that life might
be that simple), brake fluid, straight hitch
and heaven knows what else packed in
Rick’s old Jeep Cherokee that has 265,000
miles and a trailer hitch on it. Wives stay
in Middlebury to discuss previous escapades Rick and I have been on and the
risks involved in letting us do things together when they are not along.
About five hours and a quart of oil later
continued page 6
BCNH
MONARCHY
DIRECTORS
Wade dos Santos
(open)
BRITISH CARS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Visit us at www.bcnh.org
Name_______________________________ Spouse______________________
TREASURER
John Giese
NEWSLETTER
John Giese - Irene MacDougall
Address__________________________________________________________
City____________________ State____ Zip________ Phone_______________
E-mail address____________________________________________________
REGALIA
(open)
SECRETARY
Norma Karle
Year, Make, Model of Your Auto(s)___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Name of Referring Member_________________________________________
___ Paper Newsletter or ___ electronic copy of the Newsletter
Please send application and $30 annual dues (payable to BCNH) to:
Linda Cagan, 25 West Country Road, Bedford, NH 03110
If possible, please submit a photo and article of your car to be included in
The Boot, Hood & Bonnet - BCNH’s monthly newsletter.
Any photos submitted will be returned.
AC – ALLARD – ALPINE – TVR – DAIMLER – MORRIS
MOTORCYCLES – TRIUMPH – MG - JAGUAR – AUSTIN HEALEY
LAND ROVER – RELIANT SCIMITAR – LOTUS
British Cars of New Hampshire (BCNH) is an organization devoted to
the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of all British automobiles.
BCNH provides to its members and their families British auto-oriented
activities and social events throughout the year. Benefits of the club participation include monthly meetings, rallies, tech sessions, club socials,
car shows and other events.
The club publishes a monthly newsletter, The Boot, Hood & Bonnet.
News of upcoming events, club activities, car show results, technical tips
and articles submitted by members are included in the newsletter. Members also receive a discount on a subscription to the British Marque, a
monthly car club newspaper.
WEBMASTER
Kate Stanley Robinson
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORS
Linda Cagan
Louis Belanger
TECH SESSIONS COORDINATOR
Wade dos Santos
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
Linda Cagan
PUBLIC RELATIONS
(open)
INTER-CLUB COORDINATOR
Jeff Abbe
SOCIAL DIRECTORS
Ginger Christiansen
Cheryl Bernstein
Irene MacDougall
CALENDAR COORDINATOR
Norma Karle
SHOW OF DREAMS DIRECTOR
Mike Sweet
A club logo window decal is provided. Additional decals may be purchased.
www.bcnh.org
Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Weathervane
restaurant unless otherwise announced. All members are encouraged to
attend and bring guests.
Contact information on page 4
BCNH invites you to become a member of our active and growing club
by submitting the application above.
3
Director’s Corner
There will be no Director’s Corner this
month as Bob Mitchell has resigned as
director. We are asking that someone volunteer to be co-director with Wade.
Treasurer’s Report
February 15 to March 15
Club account
Start Balance
$4284.27
Hagerty Insurance
-$431.00
Newsletter
-$200.99
Membership dues
$510.00
Regalia
$10.00
50/50 raffle
$44.00
End Balance
$4216.28
Brit Bits at
McLean Enterprises Inc.
MG • Austin Healey • Triumph •Sunbeam • Jaguar • Morris Minor
Sales & Service • Parts, New & Used • Gifts • Clothing • Accessories
Sales & Service
Ordering
Information
Fax
603 436-1989
800 995-2487
603 433-0001
603 433-0009
Show of Dreams account
Start Balance
Nick deposit
Sponsorship
Vendor
End Balance
Over 30 Fine British Sports Cars in stock
14 Sagamore Road (Rte.1A) Rye. Nh
Check out our Web Site at www.britbits.com
$987.68
-$500.00
$495.00
$100.00
$1082.68
Contact information
Jeff Abbe
243 Queen Street, Boscawen, NH 03303
Louis Belanger
11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052
Cheryl Bernstein
14 Franconia Drive, Nashua, NH 03063
Linda Cagan
25 West County Road, Bedford, NH 03110
Ginger Christiansen 7 Sycamore Lane, Nashua, NH 03063
Wade dos Santos PO Box 840, Manchester, NH 03105
Maggie DuPont
75 Island Pond Road, Derry, NH 03038
John Giese
153 Crooked S Road, Lyndeborough, NH 03082
Norma Karle
22 Partridge Lane, Londonderry, NH 03053
Irene MacDougall 147 Concord Street, Nashua, NH 03064
Kate Stanley Robinson
PO Box 235, Chocorua, NH 03817
Mike Sweet
42 North State St, Apt 11, Concord, NH 03301
4
796-2922
424-7835
882-8682
472-5212
883-0288
623-5209
434-4627
654-2565
437-8931
305-5976
491-4667
715-5346
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Minutes
BCNH March 2010 Meeting
The March Meeting was held at the
Weathervane on March 1. There were
27 members in attendance and the meeting was gonged to order by Big Ben at
7:30. Wade quickly proceeded to a round
of introductions whereupon everyone was
called to recount a car related story.
The membership count looks to be about
170 with the late stragglers coming in daily.
We have money in the accounts and the
treasurer’s report is in the newsletter. The
secretary’s report was accepted as
printed in the newsletter.
Check out the website – it is definitely
being kept up to date but we could use a
helper to go through the photos.
New business:
We need a volunteer to be the club historian. This essentially requires someone
with a passion for organization. The
newsletters and club memorabilia need to
be organized and categorized and kept.
We are also looking for a club librarian to
organize and keep track of club books,
manuals etc. This is essentially organization of and tracking of club materials
for our lending library.
We also need someone to take on the regalia position. Love to shop? This job is
for you!!
Old / Normal Business
We discussed the club’s event calendar.
It looks like those weekends in the summer are really filling up! Got a free weekend? We probably have something for
you to do.
We are planning a spring tech session
with the MG-T-Party, however, we need
a location! Want to host it? It is actually
simple, you provide the place, we bring
everything else. It’s a good opportunity
to show off your garage. We will provide the burgers and dogs and condiments
, everyone brings a dish to share and we
have a great time. I can think of a few of
you have really nice garages – think of
how you can impress the neighbors with
all those beautiful British cars showing up
in the neighborhood – you can have your
own car show! Let them try to keep up
with the Joneses. Please let one of us
know if you’re interested. The event is
always held in mid-late May but if you
have another date in mind we can certainly accommodate you.
We also discussed the monthly drives to
dinner since we certainly love to eat.
Several months are already on the calendar with dates and destinations. If you
have any suggestions please let us know.
I am voting for a lobster pound run.
Know any good places?
There is a group of us going to Stowe for
the 20th anniversary of British Invasion.
BCNH has a block of rooms at the
Commodore’s Inn with a special rate
thanks to Diana Stanley. It is on the
right as you come into town and is within
walking distance of downtown so that you
can participate in the Friday night downtown block party and not worry about your
car. They also have a hose and equipment to wash your car. We reserved 25
rooms and as of the meeting 12 were
taken. Make your reservations soon.
Mike Sweet provided an update on the
Show of Dreams. The SOD committee
could use some additional help. If you’re
one of those snow birds? Not a problem.
We have jobs that can accommodate that.
Can’t make the SOD meetings< Not an
issue. We just need the help. Some jobs
are only the day of the show, such as set
up, etc. Others only require you to do a
mailing or two. Please volunteer. Call or
email one of us and let us know you’d
like to help.
The show is coming along nicely and we
have monthly meetings of the committee.
We always have a good time and we always have food and beverages.
We would like your help with the show .
If you do business with a company, work
for a company or know of anyone we
can approach to help sponsor the show
or who might like to be a vendor please
Welcome our
Newest Members
Bill Danby
& Lynne Margesson
860 Sugar Hill Road
Hopkinton, NH 03229
(603) 746-2852
[email protected]
1952 MGTD
let us know. If you can simply provide
the name, address, phone number and a
contact we will do the rest. We’ll send
them an information packet and we’ll follow up. You don’t need to do anything
else other than provide the contact information. We would really appreciate it.
A quick reminder to all members: we really need your raffle items. We ask that
each member provide two raffle items for
the monster raffle table. This is one thing
we’re really known for: our monster
raffle. If you can’t make the show you
can send the raffle items to one of us or
you can arrange for one of us to pick them
up prior to the show. Can’t fit it in your
car? Not a problem. We can bring it in
the trailer. Just let us know. Also, remember the items do not need to be car
related. There are plenty of us who would
prefer to get a non car related item. Gift
certificates are always good.
It’s time to dust off the cars, vacuum them
out and get out there. We hope we see
you at the next meeting. Please join us
on one of the rides we have planned.
The 50-50 was $44 and yours truly won!
I believe that’s the first time I’ve ever
won. Time to go, I’ve got to go buy a
Powerball ticket. I’m on a roll.
Norma
Disclaimer:
As a matter of policy, British Cars
of New Hampshire does not
endorse any of the businesses that
advertise in this newsletter.
5
Car of the Month
continued
we arrive at the owner’s barn in
Georgetown, NY. The weather has held
so far but it is supposed to get a little damp
on the way back. The owner gets her
husband. They have their second offer
of $500 more than my offer but I’m there
with cash. They count; Rick and I survey the investment. A little ether and this
1958 XK150 starts right up; we let it settle
into an easy idle to assure us that, even
thought the choke isn’t working; the floats
aren’t stuck and the carburetors aren’t
dripping. The SU fuel pump clicks away
and I wonder if it can do it for six hours
straight. We check tire pressures; 1960’s
vintage Michelin X all around, the original spare was in the boot. All looks good
until we’re about to move out, only to notice the temperature gage is almost pinned.
We shut her off and let her
cool down. During the following hour all fluids are checked
to find engine oil level, brake
and clutch reservoirs are good
but the radiator ends up taking
over four quarts. I wonder, “is
it time I should be asking for
my money back?”
At this point in the story I won’t
bore you with the intimate details, largely because I don’t
remember all of them. Some
of the highlights I do remember are as follows: The brakes
started getting spongy a few miles outside of Georgetown and I think two might
have been working by the time we arrived in Albany. We filled up on gas (and
brake fluid) after about two hours because
the gas gage didn’t move at all; stuck at
¾ full. Even in overdrive she had to be
running on something. A squeak emanating from the hood and the front fender
was quieted with a spot of grease out on
US Route 87. The clouds started to get
very low so the Rain-X was liberally applied and in the next two hours we went
from mist to downpour to drizzle to just
plain old rain. The wipers did their comical waltz across the windshield on occasion but it was the Rain-X that kept travel
6
possible. This happened to be on a weekend so traffic wasn’t too bad as we skirted
Albany, but at two traffic lights in a row, I
noticed a sound from the rear that
sounded like a zipper on a heavy winter
jacket. Once we got moving all was quiet
and the old Jag just rolled down the highway with ease.
We made it to Middlebury late that afternoon. My wife looked at the Jag wondering why she let me part with a very
pristine 1975 TR6 but kept her skepticism
to herself. We headed home the next day
after substantial consumption of good
food, some local brew and a good nights
sleep. If worst comes to worst, AAA will
take us the rest of the way. The balance
of the trip was uneventful with the exception of a few panicky stops, madly
pumping brakes, pulling on the hand brake
and flashing lights to signal a stop was in
order.
I learned a little history about the car after getting it home from a folder of receipts that came with it. It was originally
purchased in Paris, France, hence the
original Michelin spare. If memory serves
me right (always suspect, my memory that
is), the seller told me the fellow was a
USAF pilot stationed in France. According to notes included with the receipts was
a sheet telling me that because of the
Derrington steering wheel, the windshield
washers, gearbox with overdrive and the
“DN” at the end of the chassis number, it
is a Special Equipment model of which
there were a total of 1297 built from 1958
March to 1960 October. I don’t know if
this is for all XK150’s or just the OTS.
To most Jaguar “officiados,” matching
numbers are very important, especially
when they are all right there on the
firewall. I was pleased to find that the
numbers not only matched for the engine,
gearbox and chassis but that the CR suffix on the gearbox number indicates it is
equipped with a set of close-ratio gears.
It was brought over the puddle to Union,
SC. USA. Later purchased by a resident of Charlotte, NC and resided there
until about 1972 where it was featured
on the cover of Imported Car & Parts
Trader newspaper and evidently sold soon
after. The radiator was re-cored in 1978
in Charlotte, NC. From there the trail is
dry until it ended up in Oneida, NY and
was purchased by the couple I bought it
from in 1988 August and hit in the rear in
1989 in Georgetown, NY.
As it turns out, only one of the brakes
were fully functional. Two had one frozen piston and one had both
pistons frozen, but the parking brake worked enough to
hold on a 1-2% grade. The
left rear wheel knock-off was
so tight I must have hammered
on it for five minutes before it
started to move. The splines
were rounded and hence the
zipper sound when starting up
from a stop. It’s taken new
tires, wheels and hubs, brakes
rebuilt and a rebuilt booster,
silicone brake fluid, stainless
steel battery pans, wax, clean
the crust off the fuel sending
unit, stainless steel exhaust and a myriad
of other small pieces to get her up to her
present condition. The batteries are still
the ones it came with in 1999.
Ten years and a few thousand miles later
and it comes back to me every time we
take her out for a ride. I think the bug bit
me when I first heard the growl (later
enhanced with an Abarth exhaust) of my
Dad’s Mk1 sedan and how it felt to go
around the corners on the back roads
coming back from the races down at the
old Thompson Connecticut race track.
British cars just do that to you. Once bitten, never cured.
Cert. is worth $129.95
Show of Dreams
Meeting Notes 3/12/10
Lakes Region Coca Cola is giving one
hundred 8 oz. cans of Coke for the goodie
bags.
Bob Mitchell met with the sales manager
of Jaguar of Exeter (JoE). They discussed a sponsorship with JoE stating they
would consider $300.00 amount.
Diana was contacted by “The Nick”.
Steve Hale has signed the permit application and is delivering the forms to the
town for final approval. The town will
notify the committee as to when we will
need to attend the Selectmen’s meeting.
They also discussed bringing two or three
new cars to the show with the possibility
of offering test drives . JoE is in the beginning stages of developing a new division called British Brands. This division
will bring in other late model British cars
to the dealership.
The owner of JoE has a collection of classic British cars, however, the number and
type was not determined.
JoE will be on the field both days of the
show.
if they want to bring in a couple of cars to
the show for the car corral.
Diana spoke to Audrey Cline, Code Enforcement Officer of the Town of
Wolfeboro, regarding the banner we
would like to place on the roof of the
maintenance building or the Concession
Stand at the Nick. We do need to acquire a permit. Audrey will not give us a
permit for the sign until we receive the
permit for the show.
Bob M. will contact Bob Hartson regarding his Penny Farthing Bicycles. Will Bob
H. be bringing them to the 2010 SOD
Doris & Paul’s daughter, Kat, attended
the meeting. She brought catalogues with
items the club can order to be printed or
embroidered for the show. Kat is also
acquiring pricing for the committee on the
glass mugs we’d like to use as trophies .
Diana acquired a price Harris Trophies
in Manchester. Those figures were given
to Kat to see if she can meet or beat the
price.
The committee discussed placing any new
cars on the right side of the field where
the vendors were in 2009. This would
allow easy access on and off the field.
Bob M. also spoke with Market Basket
about a donation of eco-friendly grocery
bags to be used as goodie bags. Bob M.
has drafted a letter to send to the corporate office.
Norma has sent out letters and registration forms to all the British car clubs in
New England and surrounding states.
She will, also be doing the same for the
European car clubs.
Norma & Rod will contact Veloce and
Duncan for their 2010 sponsorships.
Bob & Diana will contact Brit Bits to see
If any of the committee members who
were not able to attend the meeting would
like to review the price from Harris Trophies, please e-mail Diana.
Sponsor Update:
Trites Automotive has sent 2 gift certificates for complete car detailing. Each
Diana has contacted the NH breweries
we discussed at the last meeting to request sponsorship. None of them have
responded.
Mike Sweet will try to make contact with
them as well.
Next Meeting:
Saturday, April 17, 2010 The meeting
will be held starting at 5 pm at the
Wolfeboro Inn for an appetizer tasting.
We need to sample the appetizers so we
can make our choices for the Cocktail
Cruise. The tasting be followed by dinner
at “The Restaurant” on Main Street in
Wolfeboro at 7pm.
PLEASE NOTE: THE TIME FOR THE
TASTING AT THE WOLFEBORO INN
AND THE DINNER RESERVATIONS
WILL HAVE TO BE CONFIRMED.
FINAL RESERVATIONS WILL BE EMAILED.
7
THE PASSENGER
SEAT
I have taken this opportunity to “shift
gears” for a moment, and submit to the
Newsletter a short story I have written
pertaining mostly to the women in the
club, perhaps even experiencing something similarly silly…
The Lost Earring
by Suzi Polenchar
This morning Pinch and I hopped in the
car to take a ride to the hardware store...I
brought my new Lia Sophia earrings with
me to put on in the car. These pair of earring took me a very long time to select
and I was happy to be wearing them for
the first time. I got one earring on...while
we drove on Scenic Rd the other was in
my lap..as Pinch made the right at the
stop sign and a left onto Derry Lane...the
earring that was in my lap fell...helplessly
saying to myself...”my earrrriiinnnggg”.
It tumbled down the left side of the passenger seat and wedged itself where seat
and back connect...aaahhh I can see it,
whew!
Now I have to be able to reach it,
I gingerly placed my fingers closer to
where I saw the tiny silver portion of the
earring sticking out, oh, if only I can grasp
it. I’ve got it! But... the pretty earring slide
further down into the little gully where
adult fingers are too big for, clearly out of
sight, I felt sad, thinking the silver earring
that took forever for me to choose was
now part of the car, it will go where ever
the car goes with us...or what if we trade
the car in...oh my gosh...the earring will
have to stay with it!!
Well, we drove to the hardware store and
back...got out of the car, put our stuff
away... now is my chance to crawl in the
backseat to see if I can reach this earring
from another angle...I knew this was not
going to be easy, but I have to give it my
all! Gathering my delicate instruments,
tweezers and large flashlight, I headed to
the backseat passenger side car door...but
8
before I do that I need to make sure
the front seat is pulled forward enough to
give even more access to the site...ok
done...now...opened the backdoor and
immediately focused on the rail under the
left side front seat...OK ...here goes…
what time is it, how long will this take?...
the minor operation begins.
I had to place the tweezers where I
thought the earring was and begin to move
the tweezers around a bit, but there wasn’t
much room for my hand let alone the
tweezers. I did what I could...no luck...
could not even feel the piece of jewelry
at this point...it’s over...the earring is truly
part of the car now. I got out of the
backseat closed the door, looked over at
Pinch, as he was working on his TR3B,,,
and said, “I will never be able to get the
earring out...it’s done”.
Pinch, in his always helping way said, “hold
on a second, I’ll see if I can help in a
minute”...so I waited, not expecting much
hope for the earring. He walked over to
the car, crawled into the backseat from
the other side, I hopped into the car again
and pointed out where the earring had
gone...Pinch reached down and began to
slide a plastic cover off the seat railing,
hmmmmm, a flicker of hope began to
resurface...maybe I can get this Lia
Sophia earring after all. Once again, I got
my tweezers and reached into the spot
where I thought the earring was...wait...
I feel something, this could be it... pulled
the tweezers out gently, as to not scratch
the rescued earring...ooohhh... it was only
a rescued cashew! Well I was up for another try ..only to pull out a large bobby
pin. I don’t even use bobby pins...
Well...lets go back to the plastic railing
cover, if we shake it maybe the earring
will be there instead of where I thought it
was...that would be easy! Again, another
disappointment... no earring...
nothing...not even an old french fry. Pinch
got out of the car and said, “I may have
something that will help better than the
tweezers.” He went to his one of many
tool chests and came back with a wooden
handled thing with a slender straight metal
piece attached. At the end of the
metal piece was a hook...I took one look
at it and thought, it’s worth a try...even if
the earring comes out scratched I could
always get it polished, but how much will
that cost? more than the pair of earrings?.
I took the tool and again put it under the
seat rail, now with a better approach, began to drag the slender tool toward
the curved side of the carpet, I didn’t feel
anything attaching to it... no more cashews.
I tried one more time. Low and
behold...aaaahhhh...I looked at the site
and saw a bit of silver appearing, oh my
goodness I hope this time it’s my earring!
It’s got to be...I got a closer look...it is...it
is...appears to be the post side. I very
carefully poked the hook side of the tool
once again jiggled a bit, didn’t feel a
thing...time to pull the tool into view again
maybe re-adjusting my next approach.
Holy Cow!! The earring it seated into the
hook like it was on a swing! Holy Cow!
I’ve got it... I’ve got my earring! As I
brought it closer to me I dropped it twice,
once on the car floor and another on the
car seat both easy pick ups though. Now
what shape is it in I wondered? Hope not
too bad, the main thing is I’ve got it back
in my possession anyway... I have the
other half of the pair!
Well, I took the little rescued earring into
better lighting for a quick inspection, appears to be in pretty good shape. No
scratches on the main dangle, only two
teeny tiny scratches but nothing to panic
about. The two scratches are on the part
that attaches the dangle to the post...and
the post is in good shape, not bent or anything.
A sigh of relief,,,a different kind of
aaahhhh, it was a cozy aaahhhh... a thankful aaahhh...
The MG Experience
Here is a post from the MG Experience.
This is an excellent web site for those who
want to do some work on their MGs.
When, nearly one year ago, as the Michigan economy was collapsing and my wife
Caroline’s health failing, we had no option but to cease fulltime business. During the following seven months I cared
for Caroline as the cancer sapped her
strength, but never her will. Spending increasingly greater time with her at home,
I simply could not attend to business.
We sent notices to our customers thanking them for their years of support. We
sent notices to our suppliers; we discharged our employees with severance;
we had an auction to sell off shop equipment and MG memorabilia.
Caroline died in January. As I pondered
my future, I could not escape the undeniable fact: MG is my destiny. We are now
re-awakening University Motors.
Caroline’s place in the office, we have
two of our original mechanics back at
work, and we are working to re-invigorate University Motors. We offer bench,
line, and restoration services, as well as
MG education via DVDs and technical
seminars, on-site and off-site. Our new
website will be online soon. We are not
yet at speed but we are on the entrance
ramp to full time business.
My son, Brooks, has taken his mother
Our old advertisements read: A lifelong
dedication to the marque. That statement
is as true today as it was when we first
used it. Thanks to all who have supported
us through this very dismal and
heartrending time. We hope to be of service to you during your MG ownership.
John Twist
Brooks Twist
University Motors Ltd
New Hampshire Maple Weekend
The weekend of March 27th and 28th, 2010 over 65 Maple Sugar Houses across the State of New Hampshire will
welcome visitors to demonstrate how maple syrup is made. Visitors will enjoy syrup samples and other maple products
while they learn about the process from maple tree sap to that golden amber syrup which has been and still is a symbol
of life in New England.
This weekend is especially important to the BCNH webmaster Kate Stanley Robinson. Kate and her husband Tim
Robinson own and operate Turkey Street Maples in Chocorua, NH. Tim has been involved in the production of maple
syrup for over twenty-five years and believes it is an important tradition to continue for future generations.
We all know how busy our lives can be, so, if you find you have the time, please try to spend a few hours on either March
27th or March 28th to visit Turkey Street Maples or your local sugar house and show your support for this time-honored
practice.
For a list of participating maple producers, please visit the New Hampshire Maple Producers website:
www.nhmapleproducers.com and click on Sugar Houses & Products or call 603-225-3757.
If you plan to visit Turkey Street Maples, the address is: 673 Turkey Street, Chocorua, NH 03817 For directions and
hours, please visit the Turkey Street Maples website: www.turkeystreetmaples.com Or call: 603-323-9320.
Look forward to seeing you there.
Bob & Diana Stanley
9
Tech Tip
Reading a Wiring
Diagram
have only one lead going to the light since
the socket it is in contact with the
grounded body. When the light needs to
be on, 12 volts is supplied to the other side
and the light comes on. This is a little easier
to visualize if you look at the wiring diagram.
by Lance Brazil
(editor’s note: Reprinted from Triumph
Club of North America newsletter (APR
2009) with permission.)
A word of caution: there are multiple sets
of wiring diagrams for every car. An example would be cars with right or left hand
drive or cars that were made for the California market which has always had more
stringent pollution control laws than the
rest of the nation. Make sure you have
the correct diagram for your car and year
before you start to work on the wiring. A
few generalities from David Gerrard at
the English Garage on wire colors on our
British Cars:
Brown: Carries voltage (hot) all the time
and is unfused.
Purple: Hot all the time, fused.
White: Hot with the ignition on, unfused.
Green: Hot with ignition on, fused
Blue: Headlights
Red: Side marker lights
Let’s start with some basics: battery and
ground. Most of our cars are 12 volts,
negative ground (Negative earth in
Britspeak). A few of the earlier models
were positive ground. What this means is
one side of the battery (negative or -) is
grounded or attached to the engine or
body of the vehicle in some manner. The
positive (+) of the battery is generally attached to the solenoid. When you turn
your key to the “On” position it switches
12 volts to the coil and other electrical
components. When you turn the key to
“Start”, it supplies 12 volts to the starter
motor by way of the solenoid and cranks
the engine. Everything electrical on the
car works on the princi-ple of battery on
one side and ground on the other.
If you have a marker light, taillight, backup
(reversing lamp) on the car, one side is
grounded to the body of the car. You may
10
In the excellent example shown, ground
is shown as B along with the universal
symbol for ground. This drawing shows
the wire colors as they will appear at the
light and if you follow the wiring back to
the source (the dip or dimmer switch, you
will find the same colors attached there).
Each of the headlamps has two filaments,
one for high beam and one for low beam.
Both filaments are grounded on one side.
According to the lead with battery supplied on it that lamp will light; battery on
the blue/white wire, high beam, battery
on the blue/red wire, low beam.
In this drawing from another company
we see a slightly different set of symbols,
these are more universal. This diagram is
still a good one because it shows wiring
in the colors found on that model. Notice
that the high beam indicator lamp is shown.
It shows a wire connected in the middle
of another... This is almost never done in
prac-tice. What you would see is two
leads coming from the same terminal or
connector. Both of the drawings here
show labels for each major components.
Bentley Workshop Manuals and Haynes
Workshop Manuals have eve-rything numbered with a numbered list identifying
what each number represents.
Also in these manuals, everything is in
black and white, so wires are labeled with
somewhat esoteric letters: N= Brown, U
= Blue, B = Black, etc. There will always
be a legend defining the coloring codes
used in their par-ticular diagram. The color
codes are very important. In the diagram
below notice the color codes of UR and
UW. This diagram is an example of what
you might find in Bentley’s or Haynes
manuals. Although functional, it is troublesome to locate an item, get its number,
refer to the key to the wiring diagram,
check the color code of the wires, look
them up in the legend, and then try to remember what you were doing in the first
place. Sometimes this is all you have to
work with and you struggle through, it just
takes a little more concentration.
Let’s go through a trouble-shooting scenario. One of your backup lamps does not
work. It cannot be a fuse, since both left
and right lamps work from the same fuse.
The first thing you do is replace the bulb.
The new lamp still does not light. Set the
parking brake, remove the bulb, turn the
ignition key to the “ON” position (do not
start the engine) and put the gearshift in
reverse. Ground the common lead of a
voltmeter to the body, set the voltmeter
scale to DC volts and anything greater
than 15 volts. Take the other lead of the
volt meter and touch the center button at
the bottom of the bulb socket. If you don’t
have 12 volts, check the lead coming from
the other backup lamp. The wiring usually goes from the transmission switch to
one lamp and then through a short
(jumper) wire over to the other lamp. If
you don’t have voltage, check the wire
from the other lamp. If you do have voltage, it probably means the bulb is not
making good contact. Clean the button in
the bottom of the bulb socked, replace the
bulb, and test again. A few times you may
have to follow a wire from the electrical
device back to the source. This is where
having a color code for a wire is essential.
An example of my own is when my horns
failed to work after I had new carpeting
installed (that doesn’t seem logical does
it?) I first checked the horn relay, by
pressing the horn button several times and
I could hear it click-ing. I used a long piece
of wire temporarily from the positive terminal of my battery and touched the +
side of the air compressor. After banging
my head on the bonnet because it startled
me, I knew the compressor and the horns
worked. I began following the wire back
to the firewall. Once it went through the
firewall I was able to tease it out of the
wire loom and followed it to the horn relay. I unplugged the lead from the relay,
applied bat-tery, and the horn sounded.
Upon careful inspection, I found that the
WHITE lead to the relay was missing. I
found the lead, reconnected it and everything worked fine.
This diagram (above) is for the overdrive
circuit in a Spitfire. There are two
switches in this circuit: the first is the overdrive switch located on the gearshift connecting the green wire to the Yellow/
green wire. These colors may or may not
be correct. The second switch is located
on the transmission and it keeps the overdrive from being acti-vated in first, second, and reverse gears. The main thing
to see here is the symbols used for a
switch and that both switches have to be
operated in order to activate the overdrive
solenoid. Wiring diagrams for TR2, TR3,
TR3A, TR3B, TR4, TR4A, TR6, and al-
most all MGs can be downloaded free
from http://www.advanceautowire.com .
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find
the links. Each download is in the form of
a PDF file with multiple pages. Be sure
you are using the correct diagram for your
car. Excellent wiring diagrams for Spitfires and GT6s can be downloaded from
h t t p : / / w w w. t r i u m p h s p i t f i r e . c o m /
wiring.html. These diagrams are more
accurate than Haynes according to the
website and this is the one I use when I
need to work on the wir-ing. The first
example of diagrams at the beginning of
this article is from this site. I had my wiring diagram lami-nated ($2.36 at Office
Max) and took it along on a recent road
trip. Although my car has never given me
trouble, it did on this trip and the wiring
diagram enabled me to make temporary
repairs in order to drive home. I drove
1148 miles in three days
Lucas the Prince of Darkness
* Not many people know that Land Rovers attempted to market a computer.
Why did they stop? They could not find a way to get it to leak oil!
* Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Land Rover and asked
the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night? They all look
the same. " - "He replied, "It does not matter which one you use, nothing happens !"
* The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
* Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
* Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
* Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
* The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off.
* The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
* Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices
* Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency.
* "I have had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never had any trou..."
* If Lucas made guns, wars would not start.
* A friend of mine told everybody he never had any electric problems with his
Lucas equipment. Today he lives in the countryside, in a large manor with lots
of friendly servants around him an an occasional ice cold shower...
* Back in the 70's, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not
suck.
* Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas makes their
refrigerators
* Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone.Thomas Edison invented the
Light Bulb. Joseph Lucas invented the Short Circuit.
* Recommended procedure before taking on a repair of Lucas equipment: Check
the position of the stars, kill a chicken and walk three times clockwise around
your car chanting:" Oh mighty Prince of Darkness protect your unworthy servant.."
11
An Invitation to Subscribe to
British Marque
CAR CLUB NEWS
We are now a Participating Club of the British Marque Car Club News, a monthly tabloid
newspaper featuring the news of our club and numerous other British car clubs as well.
Members of Participating Clubs can subscribe to the Marque at a discounted subscription
rate. You can use the form below to subscribe and begin receiving 11 issues/year full of
information about British car events, tech tips, special features, parts supplies and
classifieds.
Free Classified Privilege
Each subscriber from Participating Clubs is also entitled to one free non-commercial
classified (up to 20 words) per issue. An additional 15 cents will be charged per word
over the 20 word limit. Photos are also additional, at $7.50 each.
Subscriptions for U.S. Participating Club members are only $14.00/year.
Subscriptions for Canadian club members are only $17.00 (U.S.)/year.
Subscriptions for U.K. and elsewhere overseas are only $22.00 (U.S.)/year.
Regular subscriptions are $22.00 U.S. and $26.00 Canadian, and $31 U.K./year.
Don’t delay ~ Subscribe today!
British Marque Car Club News
c/o Enthusiast Publications, LLC
5 Old Nasonville Road
Harrisville, RI 02830
U.S.A.
PARTICIPATING CLUB SUBSCRITION FORM
Club Name _________________________________________________________
Member Name ______________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________
City ______________________ State/Prov.______ Zip/Post Code ____________
Phone (Optional) (____) _____-_________ Date ___________________________
Attach cheque or money order payable to Enthusiast Publications, LLC
Form and cheque must be received by the 20th of month prior to receive next issue.
12
BCNH Regalia Corner
INVENTORY SALE!!!
CHECK OUT THE SAVINGS!!!
The following is a list of items currently in stock, priced to sell:
ITEM
REG
SALE
1-Cotton Long Sleeve Golf Shirtsize M…color cobblestone w/embroidered crest
$29
$17
1-Munsingwear 100% Flat back Rib V Neck Sweater size-Men’s L…gray w/embroidered crest $47
$30
1-3/4 Sleeve Crew size-Ladies L…black hot pink crest screen print
$18
$13
1-Short Sleeve Golf Shirt size-S…royal blue w/embroidered crest
$20
$15
1-Lee Hooded Zipper Up Front Sweatshirt size-L…grey w/black crest screen print
$30
$20
2-100% Heavyweight Gildan Ultra Cotton Tee
$16
$12
1-Jerzees T-Shirt size-XL…white w/burgundy crest screen print
$15
$5
1-Denier Nylon Duffle Bag (16x9x9) size-XL…grey with embroidered crest
$23
$15
1-Golf Towel size-XL…grey with embroidered crest
$19
$15
2005 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS
2 S…yellow
2 M…yellow
5 L...yellow
13 XL…yellow
2 XXL…yellow
$12
$5
size-M…eggplant w/cream crest screen print
size-L…azalea w/dark blue crest screen print
2004 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS $donation
8 S...stone
7 M...stone
5 L...stone
1 XL...stone
2003 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS $donation
1 L...prairie dust
2001 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS $donation
3 XL…sage
4 XXL…sage
Great Gifts for Fathers Days, Birthdays, Just
to Show I Care Days!!!
If you would like to become the
regalia sales person contact
Wade or Bob
13
BCNH 2009
Calendar of Events
April
5th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
May
3rd Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
14-15th Minis in the Mountains, Stowe,
VT
16th Monthly Dinner Drive -Coat of
Arms Pub, 174 Fleet St, Portsmouth,
NH 03801
18-20th Vintage races – NH Motor
Speedway
www.vintagecelebration.com
June
5-6th British Car Show and Hill Climb,
Camden ME,
6th - CTMG British by the Sea,
Waterford, CT 860-482-MGMG
6th - British Car Day 9AM Larz
Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline,
MA
7th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
12-13th Manchester Classic Car Show,
Manchester VT
12-13th BCNH Lupine Tour, contact
Bob Mitchell
19th BAMG British Car Day Faneuil
Hall, Boston
20th Monthly Dinner Drive, Holy Grail
Pub, 64 Main St, Epping, NH
25th 6-10PM Moonlight Madness,
Wolfeboro,NH
July
TBD Castle in the Clouds Car Show
11th JANE at Myopia Polo Matches,
Hamilton, MA
12th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
18th Monthly Dinner Drive TBA
30-31st The Roadster factory Summer
Party, Armagh, PA
August
2nd Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
6-7th BCNH Show of Dreams,
Wolfeboro NH
22nd Monthly Dinner Drive - TBA
21-23rd Mt Equinox Hill Climb
September
13th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
16-19th British Invasion XX
October
1-3rd Speckled Hen Tour, West Dover,
VT
1-3rd British Legends Weekend, Cape
Cod, MA
4th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
17th Monthly Dinner Drive – Yankee
Siege Trebuchet Greenfield, NH , then
to Pig Roast at Paul & Doris Karle’s in
Milford
November
1st Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
December
6th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford
For Sale
MGA 1500 short block - fresh ground
balanced crank and rods crank .020 and
.030 Bore .020 Block only No head. All
work preformed by Auto machinist
$2,400.00 call 603-652-4717 Ivan.
1948 MGYA 4 door with large sunroof.
Will sell to club member for $16,500 now.
Not many of these. Active club in UK
has most parts. Uses some MGTD pieces.
No time for this car. No space to store it.
Car in Bedford, NH.
[email protected]
Free to good home
1. Owners Workshop Manual (softback)
for MGB Roadster & GT Coupe 1962 to
1974 by Haynes
2. SU- Hitachi Carburetors Manual
(softback) by Carbooks, Inc. - Tune,
Adjust, Repair, Rebuild
email me at: [email protected]
Save These Dates - Watch this Space
rd
On the 3 Sunday of each month we will have a Sunday Dinner Cruise which will end at a
restaurant that (hopefully) has some British connection. We will arrange at least one (and
perhaps more) “windy road” route for members to follow to get to the restaurant. Details will
be posted in this space in the month of each dinner drive.
General plan is to “drive’ for two or three hours and then get to the restaurant for an early
dinner (5:00ish) so we can get home before it’s too late.
May 16 – The Coat of Arms in Portsmouth
June 20 – The Holy Grail (Irish Pub) in Raymond
July 18 – Do You Have an Idea for a Good Restaurant?
Aug 22 – Maybe a Beach Party?
Sept 19 – British Invasion in Stowe, VT
Oct 17 – Pig Roast
No “meeting”; nothing “official”; just good times with our cars and our friends.
14
AA & RAC CAR BADGES
RAC badge is new old stock; comes with
fitting instruction sheet and mounting
hardware. $45.00
AA badge serial number 8A83344 (issued
1957 – 59) VGC $60.00
AA badge serial number 3B34774 (issued
1960 – 61) VGC $60.00
These are not reproductions. Please see
www.oldclaasiccar.co.uk
or
www.theaa.com for additional info on
TR6 Metal rims for sale: I'm converting badge dating.
over to wire wheels so I'm selling 4 newly Mike Sweet (603) 230 – 5124 or
painted rims, spare tire rim, four chrome [email protected]
wheel trim rings, and black hub caps.
The 4 wheel rims were bead blasted and
power coated only about 5 months ago
and look great! Spare rim in good shape
but has not been repainted. Chrome wheel
rim rings are in great shape with no rust
or nicks... Black hub caps are also in very
good shape.
7” Lucas Pre-Focus Headlamps,
I'm looking for:
good shape with bulbs and holders
$275 for the 4 newly painted rims
$40.00 for the pair. Mike 230-5124 or
$25 for the spare tire rim
[email protected]
$50 for the 4 chrome wheel trim rings
$35 for the 4 hub caps
Local pickup only. Willing to meet you for
an exchange if the distance isn't too far.
Please call (603) 512-2675, ask for
Dennis
Note: pictures show the rims mounted
on red line tires... this sale is for the
rims, trims and caps only...not the red British Motor Corporation AM Radio
line tires.
No knobs, no idea if it works. Best offer.
MGB Removable hardtop - This is
an aftermarket unit that is black with a
white interior. Top is in very good
condition, but some weatherstripping
has to be replaced. It’s held on by the
2 clamps along the top windshield rail
and 2 angle brackets mounted just
behind the seats on the side. $200.00.
(603) 883-0288 [email protected]
1975 TR6 - 54,087 original miles. Red
with black interior. This is a two owner
vehicle and the first owner is family.
Always garaged. Never had any body
work except paint about twenty years
ago. Bondo-free. Michelin red-lines.
Seats and carpet were to be next project.
Small patch on conv top, but otherwise in
good shape with very clear windows.
New stainless exhaust. $10,250. Please
email with further inquiries and photos.
[email protected]
Vintage London Street Sign Ennismore Mews S.W 7. Porcelain on
steel – nice home or garage décor. Nice
shape for its age. Go to Google Maps and
check the street out. $375 bro. Call Mike
Sweet (603) 230-5124 or (603) 731-4509
[email protected]
call or e-mail Mike, (603) 753 -9164
[email protected]
Wanted
1973 MGB 4-speed with new head.
Good top, fair interior and seats. Needs
new floors. Rockers are solid. $3500 or Marquette DTNA VISION
BO. Call Ivan at (603) 652-4717. Owned by a local garage since NEW. I
think one cable got lost as
[email protected]
I never got it from owner.
I never used it because I
have 2 others in my
garage. A real classic tool
priced to move $150.00
or best offer Ivan.
[email protected]
Wanted Jaguar XKE, - manuel, straight
6, convertible, in driver condition. If you
know of one or can give me advice on
finding one please contact Nancy at:
[email protected]
4 Tires for 1959 Morris Minor 1000.
Size:5/5.60x14". Call John 225-6915, or
email [email protected]
1953 TD Engine I would appreciate
anyone’s help in finding a 1250cc Engine
to rebuild. Ivan Dore
[email protected]
15
British Cars of New Hampshire
25 West County Road
Bedford, NH 03110
Car donated by a NH resident to the Good News Garage to
support their JumpStzrt funds