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

THE MG CLUB OF ST. LOUIS NEWSLETTER
www.stlouismgclub.com
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
JULY 1, 2013
1936 MG SA—Tickford Drophead Coupe at the 2013 European Car Show
Inside this issue:
The History of British Racing Green
9
Gathering of the Faithful 2013—St. Charles, MO
10
GOF 2013 Registration
11
All-British Car Show
13
June Meeting Minutes
2
Chairman’s Message
3
Classic Car Club of America Car Show
4
European Car Show at Frontenac Plaza
7
MG Club of St. Louis Calendar
14
Tech Tip: Door Panel Moisture Barrier
8
Contacts
15
Tech Tip: Freeze Plug Installation
8
Back Page—Next MG Club of St. Louis Meeting
16
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 2
June Meeting Minutes
By Carolyn Westbay
The MG Club of St. Louis
June Meeting Minutes
April 8, 2013
Pioneer Park, Des Peres, MO
Meeting was called to order by John Mangles, Chairman at
6:30pm
Members attending (those in bold drove British cars): Carolyn
Westbay, Robert Roberson, Bob Horzmann, Fred Houser, Jane
Bolliger, Fannie Pritchett, Larry Pritchett, Greg Quigley, Kathe
Quigley, Robert Rushing, Mike Fishman, Lee Fox, Andy Ackerman, Sterling Ellis, Mike Titass, Frank Lauryssen, Ranney
Dohogne, Steve Taylor, Carolyn Golfin, Richard Griffin, Bob
Bentzinger, Rich Berger, Walt Murphy, Bob Strathman, John Mangles, Carol Mangles, Barb Berger, Paul Howard, Chris Kresser,
Bruce Hamper, Rich Rhyner, Donna Murphy, Kathy Kresser, Don
Gaitheman, Simon Dix, Keith Mangles.
New Members attending – none
Treasurer’s Report –
General fund has $4029.25
Events fund has $3001.29
GOF entry forms and schedules were handed out by Bob Horzmann. This is an event to be held in St. Charles that will celebrate the T series cars.
Old Business –
Carl’s Drive in for a British Invasion had about 8-9 cars
show up. Good food and good conversation with a nice assortment of cars.
Regional show – both Robert Rushing and Simon Dix
took awards at the show for their cars.
Bloomington car show – was a good showing and time
per Lee Fox.
RUBCO next will be held on June 19th at the Egg & I
near Clarkson and Dexter.
Beat the Heat rallye will be on July 7th which is a Sunday. Information to follow in e-mail and on the website.
July meeting will be held at the Granite City Brewery.
Drawing had Rich Rhyner, Walt Murphy and Greg Quigly winning.
Meeting was adjourned at 6:34 pm in order to begin the BBQ
festivities.
Meeting was Adjourned at 8:30pm
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Westbay, Secretary
Photos: Andy Ackerman and Bruce Hamper
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 3
C h a i r m a n ’ s M e s s ag e
by John Mangles
Here it is, June, Summer, HOT, middle of the year and the longest day of the year just past. Can you
tell….. the days are getting shorter. Soon it will be fall.
I have to say our June meeting was fantastic. Thanks to Rich, the Grillmeister Berger and his crew,
Lee Fox, Bob Bentzinger and Walt Murphy for preparing a very nice grilled meal and thank to all that brought
a dish to make the meal even better. The meeting itself, I thought, went very well (fast). I was told that I might
have set a record for the shortest MG Club meeting ever, right at 3 minutes! Of course I was informed that the
food was ready and the members were hungry.
I’ve heard that the invasion at the Third Degree Glass Factory was well attended. I must apologize for
not attending it. I had made reservations at St. Francis State park for camping before the date was set. I probably should have cancelled my reservation as it rained so hard at the park, we had to evacuate because of possible flooding!
Plans are going well for the All British Car Show. We might be trying a new computer program to
help with the vote counting. However, head counter Ranney said he’ll be counting the old fashion way just as
a back up.
Myself, Robert & Vonda Rushing, Simon and Tara Dix and……AND, Bob Bentzinger , in his soon to
be completed 1974 MGB Roadster, are making plans, (well mostly Simon & Tara ) for our trip to Corvalis,
Oregon for MG2013. We’re planning on doing quite a bit of sightseeing on our way out and heading straight
back after the show. That’s going to be one long fast trip.
Until next time, Happy Motoring,
John
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 4
Classic Car club of America car show
B y K a t hy K r e s s e r ; P r o o f r e a d b y A n i c e E t z
The classics were out in style on Saturday, May, 18, at the Kemp Auto Museum. This was a
smaller show, allowing one to really enjoy each car for its magnificence. I wondered what defined
a classic. The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) provided this information regarding approved
classics on their website:
“The CCCA defines a Classic as a ‘fine’ or ‘distinctive’ automobile. American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948. Generally, a Classic was high-priced
when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors, including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and ‘one-shot’ or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a
car is considered to be a classic.”
Gracing the show field were Rolls-Royces including one with a vinyl-wrapped body, Packards,
Bentleys, Lincolns, Cadillacs, Jaguars and others.
This field included some show-stopping hood ornaments such as the Arrow, Jaguar, Flying Lady,
Deer, Greyhound and so forth. I love these ornamental features from days gone by.
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 5
Classic Car club of America car show
Cont’
I talked with Richard and Anice Etz at the show. Richard loved the show and shared these comments:
“The Classic Car Club of America held its regional car show at the Kemp Auto Museum on May 18, 2013. Members of this club have cars that are termed “Grand
Classics,” drawn from a specific list of particularly excellent cars produced from
1925 to 1948. For example, the only qualified Triumphs would be Glorias and Dolomites from the 1930s. This may have been the greatest show I’ve ever attended,
with 40 cars that looked like they might appear at Pebble Beach or Meadowbrook. One of the entrants told me that the Sunday show would be the same only
with more cars, but it wasn’t. There were only a few carryovers. Apparently he didn’t
realize that the Kemp Concours Show was a totally different registration process.
All of the cars deserve special mention, but I always remember certain cars. Some
cars were familiar. The 1928 Cunningham dual cowl phaeton was the star of this
year’s Easter Show, in my opinion. The owner told of helping Jay Leno source parts
for the Cunningham in the Leno garage. The green LaSalle phaeton that we passed
last year on Highway 40 was there again. It was great to see that car traveling at
highway speed! There was also a familiar Pierce Arrow dual cowl phaeton, owned
by a local fellow who has several Pierce models. Two Cords were there, the first
modern front wheel drive American cars. These were built by Auburn /Duesenberg
and were noted for advanced styling. The L-29 was a low slung coupe that was only
the second I’d ever seen. The 1936 was the famous “coffin-nose” designed by Gordon Buehrig. It was powered by a supercharged V8. Anice was fascinated by a
cream- colored Jaguar that had belonged to the ‘queen mum’. It was rumored to
have been given to Winston Churchill when his garage burned. I showed Anice the
fake grille on the Franklin, which was added as a styling feature to later models. Being air cooled, earlier Franklins had no radiator and thus, no grille. As the
cars were judged, we heard them start and run. A sleek V12 Lincoln coupe required
lots of choke and belched black smoke on start up! The fantastic list goes on: 1947
Lincoln Continental, 1933 Packard coupe/roadster, 30s Jaguar drop head coupe.
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 6
Classic Car club of America car show
Cont’
Some cars were apparently unrestored: a Rolls Royce sedan had a ripped headliner
and dead paint; period costumed owners presented a tatty 20s Rolls limo. Others were
restored to apparent perfection: The 1948 Chrysler Town and Country that we saw on
the Healey Club field trip last summer at Mann’s Restoration was there. Mann’s had
just finished it. We saw the power top retract, as it arrived. The most stunning car was
a 20s Rolls Royce roadster. The fenders were polished aluminum and the body
was a torpedo or boat tail apparently covered in leather. The owner just bought the
car from a specialist in England. He received it only a couple of weeks ago and had
changed the color to maroon
and stripped and polished the
fenders. The body was recovered from green vinyl to
maroon vinyl. Turns out it was
a low mileage car whose mechanicals had never been rebuilt. It has overdrive, so it is
able to achieve 70 mph on the highway. As it turns out, it was a rare short wheelbase
hearse that was re-bodied at some time in the past. That reminded me of some of the
roadsters that have been created out of old fire trucks.
A memorable show; wish you could have been there!”
Hands-down, I want to attend the next show with Richard. He has an amazing amount of car
knowledge in his head. Thank you for sharing these interesting facts.
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 7
European Ca r Sh ow at Fron tenac Pl aza
By Kathy Kresser; Proofread by An ic e Et z
The European Car Show is well-known for being a hot, uncomfortable event on black asphalt. This
year was pleasantly different with cloudy skies and temperatures around 69 degrees F. Cars of many descriptions filled the show field and visitors toured the cars all day. The 250 car owners, the most ever for this
show, were not wilted at the end. The proceeds of this Euro show benefit Shriner’s Hospital.
To my surprise, there were five Triumphs on display. My husband’s TR3A was one of the five favorites selected by the kids from Shriner's Hospital as they graced his car with a trophy. Five Healeys filled the
next spaces including Bruce Hamper’s 1959 Sprite. A lone MGA was on display. Mark Hyman arrived with
an incredible 1936 MG SA TIckford Drophead Coupe. Richard Etz commented that he would love to take
this car home MG or not. Well, the car is for sale, Richard. Bruce Hamper said “there are MG emblems everywhere on this car – on the levers under the hood, on the door handles, in the middle of the headlights, and
elsewhere.” Yes, it is a beautiful car.
There was an impressive line-up with over 25 Porsches including 911s, 356s and a Cayman S. A
1971 Land Rover loomed in its space. Two Morgans, one red and one green (owned by Dan Hayes),
charmed me. I love those louvers lining the top and sides of the bonnet. The six DeLoreans which so similar
– all being brushed stainless steel bodies. One DeLorean owner, Jay, said “can’t afford paint!”
We move on to the Audis, where Andrew Bridges pointed out his future car – a new Audi R8 V10 in silver. I advised Andrew he better start saving his dollars. The Mercedes Benzes shared the area with Jaguars and plenty of
them from the E types to XJ12s. The 1966 Jaguar Mark II
Sedan was shown with a replica model Mark II on its
bonnet.
Of course this show included high-end cars like the Ferraris but also had a simpler 1964 Renault Dauphine 40.
The wide spread of cars makes the show interesting.
Today, I thought the Ferrari Spyder would be an excellent fast car and the red Morgan would be a thrill to own
for a day or two.
PAGE 8
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
Tech Tip: Door Panel Moisture Barrier
by Bob Bentzinger
Who Knew? New uses for GLAD Press’n Seal:
I used Glad Press 'n Seal to make a moisturebarrier for the doors of my MGB before installingthe door panels. All I needed was a couple oflong sheets and an Xacto knife to trim it to allowfor the door latch and the
window crank.
Here’s a Tech Tip from University Motors, Grand Rapids, MI
Fitting Freeze/Core Plugs:
Ensure that the cylinder into which the core plug is to be fitted is absolutely clean. Use green
(sleeve locker) Locktite to cement the plugs into place. Then, fill the gap between the freeze plug
and the outside of the cylinder block with JB Weld. That will hold the plugs nicely. For the T types,
my first business partner (from forty years ago), Tom Lange, has introduced brass plugs which will
not rust. Find Tom at: Full Moon Farm, 236 Knox Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-7730.
MG Midget for Sale
Red '76 Midget for sale at Cahokia Motors, on Il 157 east of I-255 along the used car row. Looked to be in good condition, don't
know if anyone in the club would be interested in the car but I thought I'd pass the info along
The dealer is Cahokia Motors, 2600 Camp Jackson Rd (IL 157), east of I-255, (618)332-8000.
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 7
PAGE 9
The History of British Racing Green
R e p r i n t e d f r o m “ B o n n e t t o B o o t ” , J u n e 2 0 1 3 ; J a g u a r C l u b o f N. F l o r i d a
BRG is shorthand for British Racing Green, that iconic color of pre1960’s British race cars.
Surprisingly BRG history goes way back to 1903. British drivers first adopted British Racing Green
for the Gordon Bennett Cup – 110 years ago. The rules stated that components for each car
should be made in the country being represented and painted in a ‘national’ color. The British
team could not opt for red, white or blue because Italy, Germany and France (respectively) had
already taken them. Motor racing was still illegal in Great Britain so the race was staged in Ireland
and the British contingent decided to paint their cars shamrock green – partly as a mark of respect
for their hosts. The color stuck from that moment on.
Stirling Moss driving a BRG Vanwall in a 1958 Grand Prix
The Japanese eventually stole white from Germany so the Germans migrated to Silver The 1958
Vanwall shown above appears to be an off-shade of BRG. This is explained by the fact that although each Nation had its National color individual race car manufacturers painted their vehicles a
slightly different shade. For example a French built Matra would have been painted a slightly different shade of FRB from a French Built Bugatti
During 1968 everything changed and the F1 rules updated to include unlimited sponsorship. Lotus
appeared in the red, white and gold of Imperial Tobacco’s Gold Leaf brand. The era of National
colors came to an end
Lotus 49 powered
by a Ford-Cosworth
DFV V8 appeared at
JAMA 1968
Clearly moving ‘Bill Boards’. The 1968 changes
were introduced to keep F1 alive after a number
of ‘National’ teams threatened to withdraw from
the competition
PAGE 10
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
The Gathering of the Faithful!
The GOF Central is a loose coalition of independent MG clubs
and state chapters of the New England MG-T Register located
in the central United States.
Each Year a different state club sponsors a regional
“Gathering of the Faithful” of MG cars and local British Cars.
The convenient central U.S. location often attracts the TripleM Register of pre-war MG sports cars to stage their yearly
gathering in conjunction.
GOF Central has become the premiere yearly MG event in the
Midwest drawing over one hundred of the most beautiful MGs
in the country! It also allows for the local British car clubs to
show off their other British cars also.
All MGs and British cars, whatever vintage, are welcome at
the GOF Central!
Come join us!
GOF Central Mk XXXV will be held at the Embassy Suites in St. Charles, Missouri
July 15-19, 2013
The St. Louis T's invite you to GOF Central Mark
XXXV.
After a fun fill day going to tech sessions or touring
for antiques, the true expedition starts. "The Expedition - First Timer's Show" will take place at the beautiful Creve Couer Lake. The cars parked near the water front with the smells of food cooking in the air.
The breeze and the great atmosphere of the GOF
family gathering is all a buzz around the cars. It will
be a great time to meet new people and visit with old
friends while admiring the cars.
The Rally and Tour will take us through the back
roads of Missouri's Wine Country, where Lewis and Clark get lost and end up in England.
Oh my, how did this happen? What will our brave explores have to do to get back home?
Find out more along the way, through the beautiful
country side where the sun shines through the tree
tops and the river's flow.
The Car Show will be held at the splendid
Noboleis Vineyards in Augusta, MO. With all different
types of British cars gathered for the show the vineyard
lends the rolling hills and picturesque views to make
the day, very enjoyable. During the car show there will
also be the Valve Cover Show and Races, so keep your
eye out for some very fancy and for some very fast
valve covers.
Along with all of these fun activities there will be a
funkana, a silent auction, a live auction, and the
awards banquet.
Hope to see you all there!
Register at www.britishcarsofamerica.com or by contacting [email protected]. Details at:
www.gofcentral.com
PAGE 11
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
PAGE 12
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
PAGE 13
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
PAGE 14
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
THE MG Club of St. Louis Calendar
Sun July 7
Beat the Heat Rally
7:45 am – 9:15 am; Meet at CVS Pharmacy, 15846 Manchester Rd., Ellisville, MO
(corner of Manchester and Clarkson)
Mon, July 8
St. Louis MG Club
Monthly Meeting
Granite City Brewery, Creve Coeur, MO at
7pm
July 11-16
MG’s on the Oregon
Trail
MG 2013 is planning a caravan from Independence, MO (7/11 at 9am) to Corvallis,
OR. Details: www.mgsoregontrail.org/
July 15-19
GOF Central MkXXXV
MG ‘Gathering of the Faithful’ at the Embassy Suites in St. Charles. See:
www.gofcentral.com
July 17-21
MG 2013 – Corvallis, Or- www.mg-2013.com
egon
Sat. July 20
Cars & Coffee
Starbucks Coffee, 9616 Manchester Rd,
St. Louis, 8:15 am – 10:15 am
Aug 10
Birthplace of Route 66
Festival
Springfield, MO
Mon, Aug 12
St. Louis MG Club
Monthly Meeting
7 pm – Location TBD
August 15-18
2012 University Motors
Summer Party
Grand Rapids, MI. For details see:
www.universitymotorsltd.com
August 17
Full Moon Fever Run
Sept. 21
All British Car & Cycle
Show
Creve Coeur Lake
www.AllBritishCarShow.com
For updates and the latest details, visit the STLMG Club Website at: www.stlouismgclub.com
PAGE 15
THE ST. LOUIS METRO GAZETTE
Club Officers & Support Roles
Name
Address
Phone
E-Mail
John Mangles
Chairman
31 Canyon Court
(636) 939-9338
[email protected]
Lee Fox
Treasurer
12855 Big Bend
(314) 821-1295
[email protected]
Carolyn Westbay
Secretary
2124 Sunset Lane
(636) 376-0064
[email protected]
Janel Demick
Events Chairperson
1028 Lexington Dr.
Fred Houser
Membership Coordinator
544 Winding Trail Drive
St. Louis MO 63131
(314) 965-9320
[email protected]
Bruce Hamper
Newsletter Editor
132 Wildwood Lane
Kirkwood, MO 63122
(314) 822-4831
[email protected]
St. Charles, MO 63303
Kirkwood, MO 63122
High Ridge, MO 63049
[email protected]
Columbia, IL 62236
Registrars
Name
Phone
E-Mail
Pre-war
Bob Horzmann
(636) 227-3449
[email protected]
T-Series
Charlie Key
(314) 428-9335
[email protected]
MGA/Magnette
John Mangles
(636) 939-9338
[email protected]
MGB/MGC
Robert Rushing
(314) 614-4671
[email protected]
Spridget
Lee Fox
(314) 821-1295
[email protected]
Cars In Boxes
Mike Barnes
(314) 803-1921
[email protected]
Other Marques
Ranney Dohogne
(314) 878-7766
[email protected]
FOR A FULL LISTING OF UPCOMING EVENTS, CLASSIFIED ADDS, AND MUCH
MORE GO BROWSE OUR EXCELENT WEB SITE AT:
http://www.stlouismgclub.com/
Just click on this link to go to the web site
"The St. Louis Metro Gazette (SLMG)" is a publication of the MG Club of St. Louis and remains the property of the club. It is published monthly and is provided free to
members in good standing and to officers of other British car clubs upon request. "SLMG" solicits articles from members and other sources. Opinions expressed here are
not necessarily those of the Club, Club Officers, or the staff of the newsletter. Technical information is believed accurate, however, any repairs or mechanical advise is
attempted at the readers own risk. The Club, Officers, or newsletter staff will not be responsible for any misinterpreted or incorrect technical information. If in doubt,
consult with a certified technician. Articles may be reprinted by other car clubs provided that credit is given to author and “SLMG”
THE MG CLUB OF ST. LOUIS
c/o Fred Houser—Membership Coordinator
544 Winding Trail Drive
St. Louis MO 63131
Web Site: www.stlouismgclub.com
Editor E-Mail: [email protected]
This picture recently appeared in an MGA online forum.
Anyone we know?
The July General Meeting of the St. Louis MG Club will take place on July 8th at
Cranite City Food & Brewery, 11411 Olive Blvd, Creve Couer, MO; (314-432-3535; ).
Our social hour begins at 6:30 pm and the meeting will start promptly at 7:30 pm.
"The St. Louis Metro Gazette (SLMG)" is a publication of the MG Club of St. Louis and remains the property of the club. It is published monthly and is provided free to members in good standing and to
officers of other British car clubs upon request. "SLMG" solicits articles from members and other sources. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Club, Club Officers, or the staff of the
newsletter. Technical information is believed accurate, however, any repairs or mechanical advise is attempted at the readers own risk. The Club, Officers, or newsletter staff will not be responsible for
any misinterpreted or incorrect technical information. If in doubt, consult with a certified technician. Articles may be reprinted by other car clubs provided that credit is given to author and “SLMG”