british sports cars alaska - North American MGA Register

BRITISH SPORTS CARS ALASKA
British Sports Cars Alaska Limited is the club for
owners of all British sports cars including
Austin Healey, Caterham, Jaguar, Jensen
Healey, Lotus, Marcos, MG, Mini, Morgan,
Sunbeam, & Triumph
June 1, 2016
This issue: Eklutna Run > Autocross > Portage Lake > Coming Activities >
Periodical News > Facebook > Member News > Buy/sell/trade > Calendar
If you have renewed your membership already, thank you. If you haven’t paid dues for 2016,
you probably won’t receive the next newsletter… Please check the attached roster. Thanks.
Eklutna Run
Ken Morton
On Saturday, May 14, we departed from Fred Meyer
in Eagle River for Eklutna Lake. There were ten cars:
four Triumphs, belonging to Dean (TR8,) Ken & Dolly
(TR6,) Norm (Spitfire,) and Leonard (TR4;) the three
Jaguars of Johnson & Terry (E-Type,) John (V12 EType,) and Dave (XK8;) plus Martin’s MG Midget,
Travis & Jacqueline’s vintage Mini, and Rick’s
Marcos. Doug and his TR6 joined us for the pre-drive
chat, but previous obligations kept him from
completing the drive.
Rick led us on some back streets and roads through
Chugiak that most of us had never been on, and
probably couldn’t find again if our lives depended on
it. It was sunny and warm, a great day for a roadster.
Photos: Ken Morton, Rick Harding
On the cover: Stopping for ice cream
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Rick sent the above photo with the following note:
“On our drive up to Eklutna Lake, I took all of us
across the small one lane bridge that crosses over
Peters Creek. I grabbed my cell phone and set it on
the camera mode so I could attempt to take a picture
of the group crossing over the bridge. I steered the
Marcos with my knees, stuck the cell phone camera
up through the sunroof, made sure it was pointed
the correct direction, and then started tapping the
camera to see if I might get lucky enough to actually
hit the shutter button as I could not see it at all. I had
no idea if I even hit that button or not. Attached is
the only picture I captured from that attempt which
shows Norm Leuthold in his Spitfire, and the rest of
the gang behind him, crossing over the bridge.” Nice
effort Rick!
The drive went off without a hitch; no one got lost,
no one broke down. The bonnets went up on a
couple of cars when we reached the lake after the
long climb, but it was just a pre-emptive move to
prevent any problems with heat building up before
restarting.
Page 2
Autocross
Eklutna was a busy place, with everyone trying to
take advantage of the nice weather. People were
unloading kayaks and canoes, mountain bikes and
strollers, backpacks and babies. The parking lots
were full, and after monopolizing the loading zone
for a few minutes of photography, we moved on to
Rochelle’s Ice Cream Store for refreshments.
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Aaron Butterer
The snow has melted and it is time for our cars to
emerge from their annual hibernation. Spring has
passed and we have determined that all our repairs
have (hopefully) worked. Now that they are sorted
we can drive. And what better way to drive them
than with a little friendly competition. That’s right it
is once again autocross season. For those of you
who don’t know, autocross is a timed run through a
course set up in a local parking lot and delineated by
pylons (traffic cones). Cars run one at a time and
speeds rarely top 50 mph. Events are put on by the
Porsche Club of Alaska, the Alaska Sports Car Club,
and the Arctic chapter of the Sports Car Club of
America. Cars of all types participate in these events
from early 80s Honda Civics to brand new Porsches.
Last season there was even an MGB out there.
These courses favor nimbleness and agility over
outright horsepower and straight line speed.
Page 3
Portage Lake
A last minute drive down Turnagain Arm for the
Memorial Day weekend was organized via the
Facebook page.
Some of the fastest times are usually put down by
Mini Coopers (still counts as British right?). The first
event of the season was May 1st at Bartlett High
School. BSCA was represented by members Aaron
Butterer and James O’Malley.
The next event will be held at Bartlett High School on
June 4th and 5th. Saturday’s event will be the Patti
McNeff Memorial Fun Day from 10:30 am to 2:00
pm, which is a practice/fun day. You can come and
try it out for one run (or more) at a leisurely pace
and see if it is something you may be interested.
“Small group today but great ride… to Portage!
Thanks to all that came, Travis, Dean, Aaron and
Dwight.” - Elaine & Wolfgang
If your car isn’t running or you don’t \want to subject
your car to that, I will be giving rides in the Lotus to
anyone who asks. Sunday will be a full autocross
day, with timing & scoring and plenty of
competition. So if you are curious about autocross,
like watching cars stretch their legs, or just want to
go for a ride in a Lotus, come down to Bartlett and
check it out. If you have any questions, you can email me at [email protected].
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Page 4
Coming activities:
June 11, Saturday, Loussac Library
BSCA Concours d’Elegance 10 AM – 4 PM
Featuring Austin Healey and Jensen Healey
“And that BOOM of Thunder all across anchorage
just let me know we made it back from the cruise just
in time!!” - Travis
Photos: Elaine & Wolfgang Junge, Travis DeMoss
British Sports Cars Alaska is the
monthly newsletter of British Sports
Cars Alaska Limited.
British Sports Cars Alaska Limited is the club for
owners and enthusiasts of all British sports cars.
BSCA is an affiliated chapter of the North American
MGA Register.
The BSCA Ltd board is:
Dean Cox, President
[email protected]
Johnson Quarles, President-elect
[email protected]
Rick Harding, Past President
[email protected]
June 25 & 26, Alaska Scottish Highland
Games Alaska State Fairgrounds, Palmer. The
Alaska Games will host the IHGF World Heavy Events
Championships this year. BSCA is the only car club
invited to show at this British Isles-flavored event.
John Martin, Treasurer/secretary
[email protected]
David Baldwin, At-large
[email protected]
Ken Morton, Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Page 5
4th of July Parade, Anchorage
Outside Events: National,
Regional, & International
If you plan to participate in the Anchorage parade,
please email Dean at [email protected] The parade
officials require drivers’ names, license #'s (vehicle
and driver's), and proof of insurance.
MGs in the Dolomites
18th - 25th September 2016 Arabba & Sillian, Italy
Paul C Resch 1-661-645-5266 [email protected]
August 7, Jay Ofsthun Memorial Show
& Shine, Anchorage Parks Blocks
Plan to get there early to get a space. It fills up fast,
and we can’t save room for late arrivals.
MG 2016
June 13th-17th 2016, Louisville, Kentucky.
MG2016 is the fifth gathering hosted by the North
American Council of MG Registers.
https://namgbr.org/events/all-register-mg2016/
BSCA Shop Day to be rescheduled
The BSCA Shop Day at Dave and Tane’ Bathke’s was
postponed due to Dave’s father’s health. The Kool
Kruz was also postponed, due to rain. We hope both
events will be rescheduled.
See calendar for additional events
On some Saturday in September, we’ll meet at the
Carrs parking lot in Eagle River, drive to the Eagle
River Nature Center, then to Dean’s house for an
end of season BBQ. The date is TBD based on fall
foliage and clear skies.
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
VTR 2016
2016 Vintage Triumph Register Convention, October
3 through 7. Lake Texoma, north of Dallas/Ft Worth.
http://vtr2016.org/
Page 6
Sports Car Digest
Healey Reunion 2016
June 12 – 17, 2016. Cincinnati, Ohio
http://www.2016healeyreunion.com/
Periodical News
MGA!
If you missed Matthew Fox’s story of George
Buhite’s “Lost & Found” MGA, it’s reprinted in the
May/June edition of the North American MGA
Register magazine, MGA!. Also in this issue is a brief
explanation of performing initial settings on twin SU
carburetors.
www.namgar.com
Classic & Sports Car
Sports Car Digest, “The Sports, Racing and Vintage
Car Journal” is an on-line magazine covering the
vintage car scene worldwide, with articles and photo
galleries on vintage racing, concours, rallies, and
auctions. Though they tend to favor German and
Italian cars, the May 2 article on the 2016 “Flying
Scotsman Rally” features lots of great old British cars
such as this 1937 Riley Lynx Sprite.
Find Sports Car Digest at:
http://www.sportscardigest.com/
BSCA on Facebook
We’ve had a Facebook presence since last year,
thanks largely to BSCA member-in-exile Ben
Compton. New member Travis DeMoss is helping
out with notices of upcoming events. Travis recently
posted a great Go Pro video filmed from his Mini
during the Eklutna Lake cruise.
Classic & Sports Car magazine’s May 2916 cover
story is entitled “Return of the Silent Sports Car,”
and is a profile of the V12 Jaguar E-Type. The V12 is
sometimes criticized as not being true to the spirit of
the original E-Type, but C&SC makes a case for the
V12 possibly being the best E-Type ever.
www.classicandsportscar.com
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
https://www.facebook.com/groups/441619005978014/
Page 7
Member News:
Need a project?
TR8 paint, XK electronics, continued
My TR8 came out of the paint shop in April, just
hours before I had to put it in the garage and fly back
to Anchorage. I was in Oregon again last week to put
the car together, but the closer I looked, the more
problems I found with the paint. Pretty
disappointing. The new paint was buffed through to
the primer, old paint cracks were showing through
the new, there was primer overspray on top of the
green paint and overspray on the alloy wheels. So
the TR8 is back in the paint shop for some remedial
work. Hoping I’ll be able to reassemble it in August.
While driving around Chugiak one day in May,
Martin Walters spied this Morris Minor pickup in a
boneyard. “Today I was out in my Midget, cruising
the streets of Chugiak. I stopped at the Chevron
station and was approached by a guy about parts
that he had for sale. He also has a 1960 Morris Mini
truck that he would like to get rid of. He is moving to
Texas so he is a motivated seller. He also has 4-door
Cadillac and an older truck on a modern chassis. Let
me know if you are interested.” Martin’s contact
information is on the member roster.
Last month I reported on my experiences with a
2007 XK Jaguar, generously loaned to me by my
niece and her husband while my TR was in the paint
shop. The third day the dashboard display
continuously scrolled through an endless list of dire
warnings: “Parking brake fault, Transmission fault,
Low fuel, Low oil pressure, Low coolant, Brake rotor
fault…” I took it to the shop in Eugene that had
previously maintained the car. They recharged the
battery and cleared the fault codes from the car’s
seven computers. Everything seemed fine until the
next day when it did it again. After a second shop
visit, I returned the car to its owners. It did the same
thing to them. They took it to a Jaguar specialist in
Portland. When the problem recurred, they were
sent to the dealer, who also couldn’t solve it. The
dealer consulted with the factory rep, and the saga
continues… There is definitely something to be said
for the simplicity of an MG or a Triumph.
- Ken Morton
Mini storage needed
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Travis DeMoss is being deployed and needs storage
for his Mini from July until January. If you can help
him out, contact him at:
[email protected]
Page 8
Matthew Fox returns to Calgary
“I have some bittersweet news - my family and I
recently learned that we will be moving from
Anchorage. We are heading back to Calgary, Alberta,
as my wife has a tremendous opportunity with her
Canadian employer. We will miss Alaska as we have
loved our time here, but we are excited to be closer
to family and friends again. I am looking at my
options for taking my MGA to Calgary and right now
I'm leaning towards buying an enclosed trailer and
towing it, and going through the importation process
myself. Thanks for your warm welcome into the
BSCA. I had hoped to become more involved but I
will have to picture those future drives down
Turnagain Arm from a distance.”
Matthew Fox
Best wishes and many thanks to Matthew!
Out for a ride
Potter Marsh to run a few errands. After Costco, a
stop at AutoZone to get a part for the Toyota. And
squish, out of nowhere, import car rivalry!!! The
Sunbeam demands equal time and blows a clutch
slave cylinder seal and makes scene in the parking
lot, and quite a mess.... Sorry AutoZone.... Fill, bleed,
fill.... Nope - it's pissed and wants lots of attention.
Well it didn't anticipate that I consider a clutch
optional equipment and can start and grind the
gears all the way back home clutchless and then
push it back in to the dark garage of shame. Now,
back to finish the errands so we can fly out to the
lake in the morning.”
Ky Holland
Buy/sell/trade: cars & parts
1952 MGTD
This is not a kit car, but a 1970 California hot rod of a
1952 MG TD. The powertrain is Ford, but the body is
original metal and wood. The engine appears to be a
racing version of the Ford Pinto 4 cylinder. Front disk
brakes, 4 speed synchromesh transmission, and
drum break rear end are also Ford. The conversion
was well done, and appears to be reversible.
Reportedly, it was done by an aircraft mechanic. The
car runs well, looks great, and is fun to drive. The top
is serviceable. The tonneau cover needs snaps, and
the side covers need recovering. $13,500 Please call
for an appointment to drive the car, and put it up on
my lift for inspection: 907 223-5831, Jay Skaggs
MGB Wire Wheels
“Out for a ride Friday that didn't end so well. It
started so innocently... A drive the long way around
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Two wire wheels (not
chrome rims) for an MGB roadster, 1963-1966, free
to good home. Rolfe Buzzell, 907-903-9192.
Page 9
MGTD
1978 MGB
This was Tom
Manson’s beloved
green roadster,
and Ursula would
like to sell it to a
good home. You
can reach Ursula
at 907-301-1950.
Charlie Laurence, BSCA member-in-exile, Oklahoma,
writes: “I have finally decided to sell the MG. This is
the 1952 MG-TD that founded British Sports Cars
Alaska in 1998. My earliest information on the car
had it purchased from a fellow in Seattle in 1980. I
bought it in 1981 and have owned it ever since. In
1983, the engine was completely rebuilt after we
spun a rod bearing. The clutch was replaced at that
time also. In 1988 I shipped it to Seattle and kept it
on the West Coast to use as a vacation car, mostly in
California. We kept it on the West Coast until 1997
when we decided to bring it back to Alaska for some
extended maintenance. It was July of that year that I
decided to make the drive up the Alcan which took
4½ days. It never skipped a beat until the last day
when I burned a valve due to cheap Alcan gas. I
limped in on 3 cylinders and a quick valve job put it
back on the road. It was the following year that I put
an ad in the paper for anyone interested in forming a
British Sports Car club and BSCA was born. Over the
34 years I owned it, it has never left me stranded.
Current mileage is 88,200 amounting to 12,000 miles
in 34 years due in part to summer driving only in
Alaska. Virtually every mechanical system has been
rebuilt and it is a good strong runner. That having
been said, the body is a bit rough as it has not been
touched in those 34 years. I am asking $12,000 for it
and can assist with shipping arrangements.” Charlie
can be reached at: [email protected]
British Sports Cars Alaska, June 1, 2016
Triumph TR4A radiator
Used, but serviceable. It came out of a running car
and I didn't want to send it to the scrap yard. $50 or
best offer. The radiator is at Rick's. Richard Black,
907-250-5864 [email protected]
BSCA Grill Badges
We are still gauging interest in having more BSCA
grill badges made. The cost would be about $40
each, with a minimum run of 25 pieces. Nearly half
that run is spoken for; we would need a few more
people interested, and would have to collect
payment from all those before we could afford to
place an order. If you are interested, please email
Ken at [email protected]
Page 10