British Marque Articles - 2023
|
|
LANCO MG CLUB (JANUARY) (01/09/23) The View from Behind the Wheel - By Ralph Spayd Well welcome to 2023 and the start of a brand new year. I’m an eternal optimist and love a new year and a new beginning with all the potential it holds. This year will have lots to offer for the taking. We held out first club meeting of the year today at the Centerville Restaurant. A bit of a rocky start as there was some confusion and our usual meeting room was not quite ready. But we did get it all sorted and held a very productive meeting with about 25 members attending. I did request several members to lead a discussion on key topics and want to thank Andy S, Trex, Gregg and Charlie B for leading the discussions. We have a great TOB, Taste of Britain car show in the planning process for August 27th. This year we’re expanding the show field to include antique/classic European cars. This should give us quite the eclectic mix of cars. We’re planning some overnight road trips with venues TBD. We had some excellent suggestions during today’s meeting for locations. We had an amazingly long discussion led by Trex on ice cream location for our monthly visit on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. In fact, it was suggested why we only do this once per month. Why not more often……so much ice cream, so little time!! Thank goodness the club does have its priorities. Mark and Cat L have graciously offered to host the “LANCO MG Club Spring Time BBQ Bash on May 20th. Mark is THE Texas brisket man but confessed to his 7 second chicken infraction and subsequent disqualification. Being in Lancaster County, the Amish would say the judges were “eine grossen hinkle drecht”! I’ll let you each translate that sentiment. But Dennis B can probably help with his connections….We have lots planned for the coming year with car shows, tours, drive in movies both at commercial venues and at Pam P’s and more cross pollination with our good friends from the AH and CPTC. We’re restarting our tech session on May 21st with the help of Jim and Bonnie at Jim’s garage. Bonnie made a very competitive alternative offer, but I’ll let her explain. Geeze Louise, what is not to be excited about with all the plans for the coming year. With all that pending frivolity, make sure you’re getting your LBC in good nick. With all that said, remember our hard and fast rule in the club. Never miss an event because of your car. We love to see your car, but we’re wayyyy more interested in you. Now for the first time in 2023…tada my soapbox epistle. Music is a very motivating and inspirational “thing” for me. It lifts my spirits, energizes me like nothing else. I enjoy a wide range of music from the oldies, to classical to rock to jazz, but sorry no rap. I’ve rediscovered one of my favorite songs and listen to it almost every day. It’s Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes song “Wake Up everybody”. The song is upbeat, and I love the lines “The world won’t get no better if we just let it be. The world won’t get no better, we gotta change it yeah, just you and me”. Whew, what a concept. I can’t change what is happening globally, but I can tell you after our club meetings or any gathering we have I leave believing we’ve changed our local part of the world and made it a better place by our collective energy. That’s something for us to get excited about for the coming months and years. So, let’s just you and me change our part of the world. Stay safe and positive and remember to check out our web site at www.lancomgclub.com and follow us on Meetup and Facebook. Mark your calendars for the upcoming events.
Annual Banquet – December 2022 - By Steve Dellinger, Photos by Steve Dellinger and Larry Ciarrocca The annual LANCO MG Club Holiday Banquet was held at the Fireside Tavern, Strasburg, PA on Saturday, December 4th with approximately 54 members in attendance.
Pre-Dinner Conversations - 1
Pre-Dinner Conversations - 2
Emcee Dennis Service awards for the year included the following: Years of service in the Club: 35 Years of Service 25 Years of Service 20 Years of Service 15 Years of Service 10 Years of Service 5 Years of Service Dennis read a letter from Ralph expressing recognition for last year’s meeting hosts, as well as for the numerous ”A Taste of Britain” Volunteers, and other Event and Club Volunteers. The annual “Enthusiast of the Year” Award went to Steve Dellinger. This year’s “Most Active New Member” Award went to Mark Litwin. The “Brown Wire Award” went to Andy Schneggenburger – for his car “issues”.
“Enthusiast of the Year” – Steve Dellinger
“Most Active New Member” – Mark Litwin
“Brown Wire Award” Winner – Andy Schneggenburger The festivities concluded with the annual presentation by Joan Martin. Another enjoyable end to a successful year!
Joan tells a Story
January Coffee – Cars and Conversation - By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Steve Dellinger We held our 1st CCC of 2023 on Saturday January 7th at the Burger King in Columbia. Nice group of 15+ regulars discussing a wide array of events. Rich R from CPTC joined in and was using the BK as a delivery spot….We had several LBC’s show up and I did drive the TVR. The car has more air leaks than - I don’t have a good analogy, but I have a lot of towels stuffed in strategic locations! Can’t imagine how it will perform in the rain!!!! I think what I enjoy most about CCC, after my initial cup of coffee, is the diversity of conversations. We had Dr. Gregg S. describing the effects of excessive methane; Steve R. telling SR71 stories; I spoke with Tom H. of European Imports fame on the phone and the typical car updates on repairs, new maladies and $$’s spent. We learned that Larry and Gloria’s tires had 5 o’clock shadow but are now shaved! What was designed as about an hour long event stretches longer each gathering….beautiful. After all we are charged with solving the world’s problems. We didn’t do that, but don’t think we created any new ones……..so I’ll take that as a win!!
Good mix of Cars
Some of The Crew
Larry, Gloria and Pam
“Dr. Gregg” discusses Methane
|
|
The View from Behind the Wheel, By Ralph Spayd Well Linda and I are traveling the first two weeks of February and will miss the February CCC and regular club meeting. At the Board meeting on January 24th I was going to “dump” this chore onto Steve D., but decided that wasn’t really fair…..so here goes, besides I wouldn’t get to write my “soapbox” message. But more on that later! We held a board of directors meeting on January 24th at the epicenter. We did welcome our two new board members, Trex aka Richard T. and Andy S. Now Andy is recycled but Trex is a newbie, welcome both for stepping up to help lead the club. We did finalize our 2023 calendar and added 7 new ice cream dates to our regular Wednesday night schedule. Trex did a great job of laying out the locations so we are spread out over hill and dale with new locations so it shouldn’t be difficult to pack on some miles on your car and some pounds on the participants! Now, just to entice you to attend, we’ll start an Ice Cream Passport beginning in March. So, if you attend all the ice cream events through October you’ll receive a gift at the December Holiday event. I think I can probably pencil in Charlie B, Margaret and Gregg as filling in their passports. We have several new events this year. Mark and Cat Litwin have agreed to host the Spring Time BBQ Bash on May 20th. Phil G has agreed to host a CCC event at his location on the river in Marysville on August 5th at 11 AM. We’re restarting our Tech Session on May 21st at Jim’s garage in Strasburg. The calendar is filling up with events, drives, car shows and food. It’s truly a thing of beauty. With lots of British cars, friends and food, what’s not to like as there is really something for everyone in the club. Remember though, we can’t do any of this without you, don’t be a stranger. We’ve had four members step forward this year to host events for the club. I’m not sure that is a record but it’s an indicator of how we come together as a club to enjoy and celebrate our passion for British Motoring…..well done all! And what a segue into the “soapbox”. Today, the 30th of January, it was 51° and just beautiful. So, I had to take the TVR out for a drive. What a gift to be driving the car at the end of January. I just finished rebuilding the headlight pods, but that’s another story. As I was driving, I was pondering what in the world IS the attraction to driving these cars? In the summer they are hot, in the winter they are cold and ride like a buckboard. They leak when it rains and are getting smaller. (Reference an article I did some time ago about British car shrinkage). And there is always two parts to a trip in a British car, getting there AND getting home. These cars were not designed to be on the road 40, 50 or 60+ years after being sold. Why oh why?? For some they are time machines taking us back to our youth. For some it’s the challenge of re-engineering them to keep them on the road. For some it’s the challenge of just driving them and having something that is unique. For some they are moving pieces of art, sculpted by creative designers with a vision for motion. Whatever your reasons, LANCO provides a reason to continue to drive your LBC. Robert Browning had sage advice and it’s fitting for both our members and our cars. “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be” It is a new year and the best is yet to be! Let’s enjoy it together. Stay safe and positive and remember to check out our web site at www.lancomgclub.com and follow us on Facebook and Meetup. Mark your calendars for the upcoming events. February Coffee – Cars and Conversation By Steve Dellinger, Photo by Steve Dellinger The 2nd Coffee, Cars and Conversation of the year was held on Saturday, February 4th at the Burger King in Columbia. Fifteen people attended – and 7 British cars were driven. Attendees included LANCO and Central PA Triumph representatives, along with Deb E’s brother Bob. Along with the “usual suspects” there were some new faces, as well as some faces that we’ve not seen for a while. After many interesting conversations, the meeting was adjourned to March 4th, at the same place and time.
Familiar (and some new) faces
Celebrating 100 Years of MG Cars at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum By Steve Dellinger, Photos by Rob Shingle and Steve Dellinger On Saturday, February 11th, 20+ LANCO members traveled to the Simeone Museum for the opening day of the “100 Years of MG” exhibit. A caravan of 9 cars, including Ed Cook in his 72 Midget – with Bob McFarland navigating, left from Sheetz in Lancaster at 9 AM. Ed bought his Midget new! Attendees included Steve Dellinger, Ed Cook, Charlie Baldwin, Margaret Sultner, Jon & Edie Arndt, Pam Preston, Larry & Gloria Ciarrocca, Deb Eckert, Scott & Mark Walter, Rob Shingle, Bob McFarland, Cor Engelen, and Pete Lobianco & his granddaughter Bailey. Bruce Hurley and Mark & Cat Litwin drove there separately. The place was packed, with 400+ in attendance! The morning started off with a presentation by MG historian Jonathan Stein about MGs in America. Kevin Kelly followed with a presentation about Jaguar’s presence at Le Mans with a great Demo Day, which included laps of the Museum’s Jaguar C-Type, D-Type, and a XK120 FHC in the back lot. The Museum’s 1934 MG K3 Magnette also joined in the fun! According to Museum information, the 1952 Jaguar C-Type finished 3rd overall at Sebring in 1953; the 1956 Jaguar D-Type came in second in the 1957 Watkins Glen Grand Prix; and the 1934 MG K3 Magnette came in fourth overall in the 1934 Le Mans. There were two dozen MGs in the exhibit, ranging from a 1926 Bullnose Supersport to a 1996 MGF. The Lancaster contingent hung around the Museum until 1:30 PM, then headed for the Texas Roadhouse in Glen Mills (on US 1) for lunch. Everyone made it successfully home from there.
Ed’s Midget!!
Some of the LANCO Crew
MGs in America
Jaguars at Le Mans
Three Ts and an A Midgets and MGBs
MG K3 on the Move
A Closer Look The Shop
February Club MeetingBy Steve Dellinger, Photos by Steve Dellinger The second Club Meeting of the year was held at the Centerville Diner in Lancaster on Sunday, February 12th. Seventeen Club members were in attendance and four British cars were driven (all new MINIs) – plus Rich Trexler’s old VW bug! In the absence of President Ralph (who was off somewhere warm and sunny), Secretary Steve Dellinger held a very brief club meeting. No decisions were reached, and discussion was limited (perhaps everyone had Super Bowl plans?). Then it was time to eat! Someone who will remain nameless (but who did have his nametag on) decided on chocolate cake and a couple of scoops of Moose Tracks ice cream for dinner (?) Which is a reminder that Ice Cream Nite is scheduled for this Wednesday!
Dessert/Dinner!
After Dinner Chat
|
|
The View from Behind the Wheel, By Ralph Spayd, Photo by Steve Dellinger We held our regular monthly meeting on March 12th at the Centerville Diner. We had 27 of the faithful attending. The restaurant is very accommodating and provides a great venue for us to gather, eat, conduct our meeting and socialize. The calendar was reviewed and noted that our next meeting on April 16th will be at the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA at 1 PM. The club will present our $750 donation to the Museum at the meeting. We have a very busy calendar planned for this year. In addition to eating, we’ll actually provide some opportunities to drive our LBC’s!! It’s very gratifying to see the interaction between the Central PA Triumph Club (CPTC), Austin Healey Sports and Touring Club (AH Club) and LANCO. CPTC has conducted some great tech sessions and the AH club is holding the 2nd annual movie night on June 10th. (The feature will be a showing of the original (1969) version of “The Italian Job”.) The cross pollination amongst the 3 clubs will keep us all busy. Amazingly, everyone noted the time change and the meeting went well. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Al L’s dog joke. I’m sure if you ask him he’ll retell. Not to be outdone, Steve and Lucy shared their pictures from their recent trip to Spain and Portugal. It was quite the trip and quite the driving experience. After that experience, I think we’ll put Steve and Lucy in charge of parking cars at TOB! We have some outstanding events planned this year hosted by several members. Make sure you check the web site for details. We’re working on several road trips and there is interest in heading to Summit Point, stay tuned for details. I received an email from a young man in the Netherlands. He’s 15 and a big British car fan. He’s requested some club related badges or pins, so we collected some club regalia and I’ll forward to him. What a wonderful experience that we can connect globally with people all over the world to share our passion for British motoring right here from central PA. As we’re halfway thru March, hopefully you’re in the process or making plans to wake up your “sleeping beauties” for the driving season. We’ve been very fortunate this year to be able to drive our LBC’s through this mild winter. I’ve been putting some quality miles on the TVR this winter. Finally, on the club front, our A Taste of Britain (TOB) car show is set for August 27th at the Forney Polo Field in Rothsville. We have expanded the show field to include all Antique and Classic European Sports Cars and registration is open via Eventbrite. We’re looking for an interesting eclectic mix of cars. Now for my monthly “soapbox” ramblings and it’s all about connections. I worked in the connector/electronics business for 30+ years. So, on Sunday when Gregg S showed me his detailed schematic for his rewired MGB I was blown away. It is outstanding and if/when he ever sells the car, the next owners are getting a wonderful gift. They will understand the connections in the car. As we emerge from 3 years of COVID and other restrictions, I’m very proud of the way LANCO has stayed connected. We understood the need to stay connected and we did. We’re no different than our cars when it comes to connections. Sometimes we need a tweak here and there. We may need to refresh our grounding, but hey, it’s all just part of our process of staying connected. When I leave a club meeting, I feel that connection as we come together to banter and share our interest in our cars and each other. This year’s calendar is our “schematic” and reflects those connections. We’re an interesting schematic of people and cars and I’m humbled that I can be a part of that circuit. Stay safe and positive and remember to check out our web site at www.lancomgclub.com and follow us on Facebook and Meetup. Mark your calendars for the upcoming events.
The Prez is back!
March Coffee – Cars and Conversation, By Steve Dellinger, Photos by Steve Dellinger The 3rd Coffee, Cars and Conversation of the year was held on Saturday, March 4th at the Burger King in Columbia. Nineteen people attended – and 4 British cars were driven, including 3 new MINIs and Steve D’s “new” 1995 Monte Carlo Edition Classic Mini. A couple of Porsches, a BMW Z3 and Trex’s VW Bug were also on the lot. Attendees included LANCO, Central PA Triumph and Carlisle MINIs representatives. Along with the “usual suspects” there were some faces that we’ve not seen for a while. Steve Rineer was back from his trip and promised that he would be driving a British Car “soon”. After many interesting conversations, the meeting was adjourned to April Fool’s Day (the 1st) at the same place and time.
Familiar Faces
Breakfast Conversations
Monte Carlo Edition – surrounded by the Germans!
|
|
The View from Behind the Wheel, By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Steve Dellinger Well Steve D has moved up his editorial deadline this month sooooo … I’m going to assume we had a great meeting at the AACA Museum on April 16th as today is the 6th!! But I do write that with some trepidation. We will/did/have presented a $750 donation to the Museum. As you may recall, that was the proceeds from the auction of the donated BGT that Tony S gave to the club. Not to digress, but I did see the movie, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”. It’s about parallel universes. So, writing about past, present and future events leave me “tense”. Any English majors out there…get the pun”? OK, back to business. Past activities this month included ice cream, CCC, a monthly meeting, The Whip Tavern road trip and a CPTC sponsored tech session, not bad for March. A preview of coming attractions include more ice cream, more club meetings, CCC and just some spectacular member hosted events like June 3rd CCC hosted by Rob and Jim. The Spring Time BBQ Bash on May 20th, hosted by Mark and Cat and Outdoor Movie Night on June 10th, hosted by Pam and Bob via the AH Club. Thanks to all for graciously hosting. This year is shaping up to be very busy with club events and gatherings. We’re planning a road trips to vintage racing later this season. I think that’s a new one for the club. I’d like to work in a poker run this fall and welcome any ideas from past events. I know we’ve run them in the past so let’s resurrect one for the fall. Our Taste of Britain (TOB) is coming together for August 27th and will be open to all antique European cars. That is another first for the club. Just like last year, registration will be via Eventbrite. Our August CCC will be hosted by Phil G at 11 AM in Marysville by the river, yet another first for the club. I sense a pattern forming here. Lots of same old, same old, but yet we still manage to add new events. That’s really what our club is all about, enjoying the past, but managing to grow and add new events. Speaking of new, here’s a quick summary of “new” things I learned this past month: Margret S had a tragic flat tire event involving loose hardware. You’ll need to quiz Charlie B for details; Steve R, has a joke to share about the foreign legion and a trip in town; Gregg S is the club official wire nut; Larry C is not good at following a car; Steve D is a VERY demanding editor; Mark L can share some exciting driving stories and last but not least, nah that it for new stuff, but what a lead in to the soapbox. How do you measure the success of any club? Is it in the number on members? The treasury balance? The number of activities we run in a month? Nope, it’s measured by time spent hanging around after an event. CCC now lasts 2+ hours. A group drives to Coatesville for dinner and has to be asked to leave as there is another group coming in. Club meetings go 2+ hours and then continue in the parking lot. The conversations are about cars, family and experience we want to share with each other. It’s all about getting together and sharing our stories. That’s the measure of the health of any organization. “There is something special when creative people get together.” Stay safe and positive and remember to check out our web site at www.lancomgclub.com and follow us on Facebook and Meetup. Mark your calendars for the upcoming events.
New MINIs only at April CC&C
E.T. went for Ice Cream! British Wiring Tech Session Sponsored by the CPTC By Ralph Spayd The Central PA Triumph Club sponsored a British wiring tech session on March 25th at the Rolls Royce Foundation. The Foundation is located at 189 Hempt Road in Mechanicsburg. It is very impressive and well worth your time to visit. You can contact them at 717 795-9400. Rich R and Ron W were very gracious to invite the LANCO Club to attend. LANCO had 5 members attending a very excellent and informative program conducted by Jack Merryman. CPTC provided coffee, pastries and lunch. Geeze Louise, talking British cars, hanging with good friends and enjoying food….what was not to like. Jack did a great job of reviewing relays, color coding, and all things Lucas which by itself is no small feat. I’ve never attended a tech session and not picked up some new tidbit of info to use or help me to demystify the wonders of British wiring. To be honest, over the last 50 years of working on LBC’s I’ve had very few problems with Lucas wiring or components. What I have had was issues with previous owners doing some really “impressive” and “creative” repairs. Jack gave a very positive spin on the status of the supply chain and availability of components in today’s market. It’s not a perfect world, but with some effort we can and do continue to make it all work. Thank to Jack and the CPTC for sharing the event with the LANCO MG Club. Oh yah, Gregg S is recovering from a severe case of schematic envy. But he can trace the problem…..yuck, yuck, yuck!!
The Whip Tavern Road Trip, By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Ralph Spayd We made our 2nd annual road trip to the Whip Tavern in Coatesville on Friday March 17th. It was a St. Paddy’s day celebration and the “Tavern” although English style was the perfect place to celebrate. We had 15 attending and the food and service were excellent. The parking is best left to the valets and best if you don’t peek to see your car being parked. I also suspect it best if you don’t drive a manual shift car to be parked….except for a brave Mini and a Fiat, our LBC’s were left at home. The Whip Tavern is located close to nowhere, but a beautiful drive. I’m sure if I consulted a map, it’s not really THAT far from civilization. A group met at our usual spot at the Sheetz on Oregon Pike to caravan to the restaurant. Pam P knows the back road to bypass the Rte. 222 traffic fiasco. The rest of the group braved the trip solo and met us there. Larry C followed Pam part of the way as he knew a short cut, sorta, kinda, better road thing and amazingly we did arrive! This event is staying on the books as an annual road trip and well worth the drive!
The Crew, Part 1
Al??
Linda and The Prez
Mark and Cat
|
|
The View from Behind the Wheel' By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Linda Mascelli Well again, Steve D needs the BM article before our monthly meeting, but actually it’s not his doings. With Mother’s Day we moved the regular meeting back a week, so Steve you’re in the clear. Lot’s to recap this month as LANCO has been very busy. We held our April meeting at the AACA Museum in Hershey. We presented our $750 donation to the front desk with minimum fanfare….the Museum was gracious enough to let us use a room for our meeting and Tiger Tom gave us an excellent in depth tour of the museum. Thanks to Tiger Tom for an excellent tour with lots of history to explore and explain. We then adjourned to the Soda Jerk in Hummelstown for a great meal with outstanding service. On May 3rd we held our Ice Cream Night at the Hayloft in Leola with the usual diehard sugar cured regulars attending. Then on May 6th we held our monthly CCC at Jim Mack’s. This kicked off the outside gathering season and it was very well attended as the weather was picture perfect. On May 7th we held our annual covered bridge tour. This time we covered 4 bridges in the southern part of Lancaster County. The Amish Buggies were out in force. Check out the attached covered bridge article for a full explanation of BPM. Now for the preview of coming attractions, well actually it all will have transpired by the time you read this. But here goes, on May 20th, Mark and Cat will be hosting the 1st BBQ Brisket Bash. Mark is quite the chef and we’re all looking forward to the event. The next day on the 21st, we’re off to Jim H’s garage for our tech session. We’ll have Gregg S. aka “sparky” presenting schematics and how to not let the smoke out of your system. Bruce H. will present how to set up a fool proof 2nd fuel pump to keep you rolling and avoid cursing the Prince of Darkness or at least keep him in check to the next “event”! As a 2nd option that day, Bonnie will teach “hooking”…personally, I understand wiring and I’m more inclined to become a hooker!!! Whew, quite the month, something for everyone. I say this often but want to reiterate how much the Club appreciates the support from the AH and Triumph club’s respectively via Pam P. and Rich R.Thank you both. We’re running tag on events and sharing our calendars….perfect way to expand our British Motoring passion. June will be just as busy with the AH Club Movie Night on the 10th and our monthly meeting on the 11th. The 3rd, we will be at Rob and Jim’s for our CCC, just a spectacular event. The 14th and 21st will be ice cream events to keep you on a sugar high. July will feature our 3rd Annual Drive In Movie Night at Haar’s Drive In in Dillsburg. Remember, never miss an event due to your car, we’re wayyyyy more interested in see you! I know this will be hard to believe but it’s soapbox time…yeah. Helping and sharing, isn’t that what it’s all about? Well it is!. Mark and Cat share their culinary expertise, Rob and Jim host CCC at their “garage”. Gregg shares his wiring expertise; Bruce helps us avoid fuel pump problems. Pam and the AH Club share movie night. Rich and the CPTC share tech sessions. It just goes on and on. We share our time, friendship and advise with each other. Two weeks ago, I got a call from a fellow LBC owner in upstate New York. He has a TR 250 and let the smoke out of the system. He read the BM article from LANCO about the wiring session I attended. He had questions and I shared some ideas, supplier contacts and advice. Great conversation and just good fun helping someone I probably will never meet. That IS as good as it gets and helps us to fulfill our real purpose as a club. We’re not just an assemblage of cars, but an assemblage of people with knowledge, compassion and passion for helping each other. Keep up the great work, makes me proud to be associated with such a great group of friends both old, new and yet to be discovered. “I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.” Stay safe and positive and remember to check out our web site at www.lancomgclub.com and follow us on Facebook and Meetup. Mark your calendars for the upcoming events.
Meeting at the Museum
On the Deck at the Soda Jerk
Remembering a Friend, By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Ralph Spayd and Steve Dellinger On April 21st a dozen or so members of the LANCO MG Club had the privilege of attending a dedication hosted by the Penn State University Berks Campus in Reading, PA for Cliff Maurer. Cliff was a professor at the campus and the University dedicated a beautiful Seven-Sons tree in his memory. Cliff was an active member of the LANCO MG Club, and we all knew he was a larger than life “character” and we were not surprised to learn from Cliff’s colleagues that he was the same persona at Penn State. The weather was beautiful, and we all shared our stories and memories of Cliff enjoying the memories and our time together that day. Cliff and Diane were always available to help and support any and all club events. We all miss Cliff and his presence. I speak for the club, Diane, that LANCO will always be your extended family.
Friends Gathering
Jessica, Diane and Todd
In Memory …
Ralph Talks about Cliff
Annual Covered Bridge Run, By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Ralph Spayd We held our annual Covered Bridge Tour on May 7th starting at the Clarion Inn in Strasburg with 11 cars touring the southern part of Lancaster County. We toured Mercer’s Mill CB, Pine Grove CB, White Rock Forge CB and Jackson Sawmill CB. They represent an interesting part of the county’s heritage and are still engineering masterpieces with amazing workmanship. What a difference a year can make. The tour last year was held 2 weeks later, but it was a sweltering 90 degrees and humid….this year the weather was in the mid 70’s and very comfortable. There were several noteworthy events for the day. Cor E. did redeem himself and was not listed as a DNF…good job Cor, nothing hit the fan this year!! As we covered 47+ miles and 4 bridges in the southern end of the county we averaged 2.26 BPM. Now you ask, what is “BPM”? Well it’s buggies per mile, yep that’s right Linda and I kept count and we passed 107 Amish buggies. There were a whole lot of Amish “courting” going on with Ma and Pa following in the family buggy. Sadly, I have to report I did not see any “courting” going on in the 11 cars participating in the tour! Was that TMI????? We had the typical eclectic mix of cars both British and non-LBC. I am babysitting my friend’s BMW Z4 while he’s in California, so the German’s were well represented as Trex and Victoria did show up in their 911. Hum, LBC’s meaning little British cars or just little bitty cars, don’t know. We did finish up at the Strasburg Creamery in town and enjoyed some ice cream. The cars all held it together, but the bathroom at the restaurant was out of order. Between the two, I think the latter is a bigger catastrophe. It was a beautiful day with good friends and spectacular scenery. It was nice to see Rich R. cross over to the dark side…..lol!
Getting Ready for the Run
ICN and CCC, By Ralph Spayd, Photos by Skip Partlow Well that should get your curiosity up and running. Let me decipher the acronyms. ICN = ice cream night and CCC = Coffee, Cars and Conversation. We held our ICN on May 3rd at the Hayloft in Leola. What a wonderful venue AND great ice cream. Believe it or not, this was our 6th ICN of the year. I believe that Trex has stock in the local dairy industry as he’s laid out an aggressive schedule for the season. It’s a sweet schedule he’s mapped out and we’re finally getting our just deserts…ouch!! The hit of the night was Steve R’s car. There were some young (pre driving age) kids that fell in love with his “7”. We never really know how we impact people with our cars, but I’m sure Steve ignited the imagination of 2 young future motor heads. Our 5th CCC was held on May 6th and we made the switch to Jim Mack’s. The weatherman got the message and the weather was perfect for our 1st outside CCC of the year. The turnout was spectacular with 15 cars spread around the parking lot. This is a great venue for the event as the parking is easy, seating with shade and good eats. Over the years this has become a very successful event and a great recruiting tool for the club. The AH club used the event as a starting point for a tour around the country and finished at The Burning Bridge Tavern in Wrightsville. What a wonderful connection when we can combine events with the clubs. Finally, thanks to Pam P. from the AH club and Rich R. from the CPTC for their support in our shared passion in British Motoring and helping to keep the spirit alive and well in Central PA.
Back at Jim Mack’s Nice Mix of Cars
Rob and George
Plotting Something? Happy Couple! Lane Motor Museum, By Steve Dellinger, Photos by Steve Dellinger After spending the weekend watching the MINI John Cooper Works Team racing at the NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, I made a point of making a stop on my way home at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN. I’ve heard several people talk about the Museum, and I wasn’t disappointed! According to the Museum’s website, the Museum was founded by Jeff Lane in 2002. “Jeff has been an automotive enthusiast since an early age. He began restoring his first car - a 1955 MG TF - when he was a teen. His personal collection was the donation that began the foundation.” “Lane Motor Museum is one of the few museums in the U.S. to specialize in European cars. It is a working museum with the goal of maintaining all vehicles in running order. Some cars are in showroom condition, while others represent typical aging. Efforts are made to restore each vehicle to near-original specifications.” “Over 550 vehicles are in the collection. We have room to display approximately 150 cars on the museum floor. Lane Motor Museum rotates its collection on a regular basis to keep the exhibit area fresh for returning guests.” Both Jeff’s 1955 TF and his father Gene’s 1954 TF are on display at the Museum. When I was there, Fiat and Lotus were the featured marques – lots of Fiats of all sizes and a nice collection of Lotus cars. I saw a presentation on the Museum’s propeller-driven 1932 Helicron, which was a year 2000 barn find in France. Interesting! I was also privileged to tag along with a group of high school students to tour the basement, where most of the rest of the collection is stored. The acres are stored by color – not by marque! Saw quite a few British cars downstairs, including Minis, MGs, Triumphs, Jags, Austin Healeys, etc. Definitely worth the stop if you are ever in the Nashville area!
Stopping at Lane Motor Museum
Lots of Unique Cars!
The Fiat Section
Gene Lane’s 1954 MG TF
Jeff Lane’s 1955 MG TF
1932 Helicron Propeller Driven Car
In the “Red” Section of the Basement
|
