NORTHWEST
HEALEY
September 2006
Austin Healey Club of Oregon Officers/Representatives 2006
President: Doug Auburg 360-694-7769 dauburg@wa-net.com
Vice President: Tom Monaco 503-245-0174 tomsimport@ipinc.net
Secretary: Kymberly Randolph 503-245-5039 lclemson@mns.com
Treasurer: Dee Meyer 503-267-8639 gdeemeyer@verizon.net
Activities: Mark Schneider 503-643-7208 mandmschneider@ comcast.net
Advertising: Joe laws 503-636-5817 jflaws@att.net
Editor: Jack Jakobsen 503-432-8777 editorjack@comcast.net
Inter-Club Coordinator: John Wilson 541-933-2016 johnhealeylane@worldnet. att.net
Membership and Charity Chairperson: Skip Monaco 503-245-0174 tomsimport@ipinc.net Librarians: John Carter Jeff Mach John: 503-579-6599 Jeff: 503-364-6789 jc9821@msn.com mach@toast.net
Regalia: Jaci Koeber Tammy Auburg Jaci: 503-244-3731 Tammy: 360-694-7769 koegeoja@hevanet.com tauburg@wa-net.com ABFM Representatives: Doug Auburg Larry Clemenson Doug: 360-694-7769 Larry: 503-245-5039
Contents: President’s Message Club Activities Future Club Activities/Charity Update Other Car Events This Month in AHCO History August Membership Meeting Minutes In Memory of John Rueter South Willamette Valley Tour LeMans Story Healey Rendezvous 2006 And: Rendezvoue 2006, Nelson BC Classified Ads
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President’s Message Where has the summer gone?? For that matter, where has 2006 gone? The end of summer is rapidly approaching but we can count on September being a great month, as always. September will be a busy month. First we have our own All British Field Meet. “Our own” because AHCO is one of 6 clubs that presents and benefits financially from the event. If you haven’t signed up to come, please consider doing so. The more Healeys showing on the field, the more interest they will raise with attendees and lead to new members. Second, we will be doing a nice tour of Clark County to visit the historic Cedar Creek Grist Mill. That event will take place on our traditional 2nd Saturday, September 9. This should be a nice day out and traditional Healey roads drive through county backroads. Finally, we will be hosting members from the three Pacific Northwest Healey clubs for the annual Northwest Meet in Astoria at the Holiday Inn Express. Our hold on rooms at the hotel is about to run out, so if you are up for a great Healey weekend and you haven’t got a reservation, now is the time to call them at (503) 325-6222 to make your reservation. All in all, September promises to be another great Healey month. But it will be even greater if you join the group and add to the fun. See you soon.
Doug
September Meeting: Date: September 9, 2006 Program: Departs 9:30 a.m. from Vancouver, WA for Cedar Creek Grist Mill. Tour at 11:00 a.m. Meeting: 1:00 p.m. at Oak Tree Rest., Woodland See page 4 for further details. Covers: Our covers are in memory of John Rueter a long time member of AHCO who passed away on July 23, 2006. John owned the BN1 several years ago. John with his Ford Model A is on the back coverSee articles on page 9 of this issue.
Thank you: Doug Auburg, Brian O’Boyle, Mary Gross, Jim Johnston, George Koeber, Jeff Mach, Skip and Tom Monaco, Kimberly Randolph, Betty Rueter, and Mark Schneider, for your contributions to Healey Northwest. Healey Northwest
September 2006
Healey Northwest ©2006 AHCO The official publication of the Austin-Healey Club of Oregon, Healey Northwest, is usually published monthly for the benefit of it’s members. Articles which appear in Healey Northwest express the opinion of the author and do not express the official Austin-Healey Club of Oregon position on any subject unless specifically noted. We do our best to insure accuracy, but can not be responsible for any errors or omissions of fact. Contributions are welcome on any subject related to Healeys, AHCO, Club members, or of general interest to the classic car hobby. Material from Healey Northwest may be reprinted in other publications, provided credit is given to the author and source, and if reciprocal article use permission is offered by that publication. For U.S. Postal submission, please address articles or correspondence to: Jack Jakobsen Healey Northwest Editor 160 SW 89th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97225-6804 For other communication: phone 503-432-8777 or e-mail: editorjack@comcast.net AHCO MEMBERSHIP Membership in the Austin-Healey Club of Oregon is available to anyone with an interest in the cars bearing the Healey marque. Individuals need not own a Healey to join nor is membership restricted to any regional, national or continental boundaries. Members are encouraged to participate in all Club activities. Winter activities are normally indoor technical sessions or social events. Summer activities are normally outdoors involving tours and car events. Calendar year membership is available in person at any meeting or by mail for US$25.00 per individual or couple (add US$10.00 for international mail). Checks should be made payable to AHCO and sent to: Skip Monaco, Membership Director 7710 SW 89th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97223 Publication Deadline Contributions to Healey Northwest are due to the Editor by the 15th of the month preceding publication to ensure inclusion in the month’s newsletter. Healey Northwest
AHCO Activities Calendar Editor’s Note: Some information or dates may change after originally published. Check the calendar each month for current information or visit our web site: http://www. healey-oregon.org
September 9, 2006 - Grist Mill Tour Tom and Cecilia Magnuson, with Doug Auburg, will lead a ride to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill. We will meet at the Pearson Air Museum in Vancouver, WA at 9:30 a.m. and depart for Cedar Creek Grist Mill promptly at 9:45 a.m. Directions to Pearson: From I-5 take the Mill Plain Blvd. exit and follow Aviation Museum signs through Vancouver Barracks to 1115 E. 5th Street. We will then drive on back roads to the mill for a special tour arranged for our club. The tour will start at 11:00 a.m. and will include history of the mill and a demonstration of flour grinding. A donation of $5.00 per person will help this non-profit, all volunteer group, to continue operation of this historic landmark. For more information about the mill, see www.cedarcreekgristmill.com We will then drive to the Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland, WA, where we have a 1:00 p.m. reservation for lunch and our monthly meeting. It is suggested that members bring your CB radios to assist in keeping our group together during the tour. See you on the 9th! September 21 - 24, 2006 - Northwest Meet As you know, our Club is sponsoring the Northwest Meet this year. The meet promises to be a memorable event situated on the beautiful Oregon coast in the port city of Astoria. With the Lewis and Clark activities in full swing, the meet should bring interest to all attendees. For more complete information, turn to page 6 of this issue of HNW. And, don’t wait to make your hotel reservation as time is running short. We look forward to seeing you in Astoria. October 21, 2006 - Creamery Visit & Tour Note: The date has been changed from the 14th to Saturday the 21st. 10:00 a.m.: We will start the day by meeting in the parking lot of the Starbuck’s on the corner of SW Barbur Blvd at Terwilliger Blvd. in Portland. 7421 SW Barbur Blvd. 503-245-7540. Directions to Starbuck’s: coming from I-5 north or south: use Terwilliger exit (exit 297) toward Terwilliger Blvd. Those who wish could arrive a little earlier and have
September 2006
time for a cup of Starbuck’s prior to our departure at 10:20 a.m. Around 10:30 we’ll stop by the SW Ronald McDonald House for the donation of art supplies from our Club. Their address is 3440 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd. 503-243-2969. In return they will give us a short presentation and tour of the house. Somewhere around 11:00 a.m. we’ll hit the road, taking a tour which winds through the beautiful hills of Portland, finally arriving in Sherwood for an early afternoon of freshly made ice cream at the O’Boyle’s Cold Stone Creamery. Directions to the Creamery: From north or south, I-5 to exit 289 toward City Center/Sherwood. Turn left onto SW Nyberg Rd. Stay straight to go onto SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd. End at the Creamery, 16055 SW Tualatin Sherwood Rd. 503-925-0157. The ice cream is on the house...we’ll just have to put Tom Monaco to work behind the counter (that may not be a good thing). While the ice cream is being prepared and served, we’ll ask the “powers that be” to conduct the October meeting. Let’s plan on 12:30 p.m. for the meeting time. Space will be tight as the creamery is a little small (if we keep Tom behind the counter...that should leave us plenty of room). For those of us who belong to the Austin Healey Club of America, you know that their “Ice Cream Social” is a big deal. This will be our version of that event. Following the meeting we will take to the road on Brian O’Boyle’s “short loop” through some beautiful rural roads of Sherwood. The day will conclude back at the Creamery. Brian O’Boyle
Healey Northwest
Future Club Events by Mark Schneider
October 21 - AHCO Meeting. Brian and Kerri O’Boyle will host this month’s meeting. See previous column for details. November 11 - AHCO Meeting. Troy and Katie Hall will be hosting our meeting at the Panoz dealership, Grand Prix Imports in Wilsonville. December 9 - AHCO Christmas Party. The party will be held at the Eastmoreland Golf Course club house. We will have a sit-down, plated dinner and some of the usual silly stuff for which our Christmas Party is known. January 13 – AHCO Meeting. Richard Mayor will host the meeting and conduct a technical session on Healey engine tear down. The technical session will be at Richards shop. The meeting location is under development.
Charity Update by Skip Monaco
September 2006
Other 2006 Car Events September 21 - 24 Northwest Meet We will see you at the Northwest Meet in just a couple of weeks. There are no official activities on Thursday, but we look forward to seeing those of you who come that day. We are planning to eat at a pub on Thursday evening. You may join us or make your own plans. We will do all the event registration ($15.00/person) around 4 o’clock on Friday before the icebreaker which will include salad and pizza. On Friday night you should plan on BYOB or soft drinks. Also for Friday, be sure to contact Jaci Koeber if you want to attend the lunch and tea which will be held at noon at the Windsor House in Astoria. Cost will be $12. Please do that soon so that she can make the final arrangements. Jaci’s phone number is 503-244-3731 or e-mail her at koegeoja@hevanet.com Saturday there will be a morning and an afternoon tour with a break for lunch. The tours sound great and you will probably want to do both. Dinner on Saturday will be a full course catered buffet style meal with a no host bar. The dinner sounds delicious and will cost $22.00/per person. Following the dinner, there will be a special musical program based on the songs and stories from the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Door prize drawings will follow the musical program. We have had a great response for this meet. If you are unable to get a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express (1-888-898-6222 or 503-325-6222), we have arranged overflow rooms at the Red Lion Inn (1-800-733-5466 or 503-325-7373) which is a short walk from the Holiday Inn Express. They are holding a block of ten rooms for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday a room with a queen bed will be $89.95 plus tax. If not all ten rooms are booked for Friday and Saturday night, the rate will be $99.95/night plus tax.. We were told that the rooms would be on the waterside so be sure to ask for that.
COME TO THE NORTHWEST MEET IN ASTORIA AND YOU CAN:
Climb the Astoria Column. The Astoria Column was built as a monument to the railroads coming to the Northwest and was dedicated in 1926. The column Healey Northwest
has a mural which spirals up the 125 foot height and shows scenes of the area starting with the early events at the bottom. For a spectacular view, climb the 164 steps to the top. The column is open every day from dawn until dusk. Visit the new Fort Clatsop. The fort is a replica of the fort where Lewis and Clark and their men spent December, 1806 through March of 1807. The old fort burned in an accidental fire late last year. A new, more authentic replica has been completed and is available for viewing. When Lewis and Clark were there, only 12 out of 106 days were not in steady rain. We are counting on better weather! Check out Astoria’s historic homes. Astoria, founded in 1811, is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. There are 13 National Registry Historic Places including the Captain George Flavel House which is also a museum. We will have a map of these homes so you can see as many as you like. You might also like to stop at the Heritage Museum where, among other things, they have an exhibit named “Vice and Virtue in Clatsop County”. Ride the restored trolley up and down the waterfront. The trolley stops right outside the hotel. The round trip ride takes about forty minutes, but there are interesting stops along the way including the Astoria Aquatic Center and the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Along the ride you might see a ship heading up or down the Columbia River. They look huge from your close vantage point. Take some time to go twenty miles north of Astoria to the Willapa Salmon Art Trail. The trail has a wheelchair accessible walkway that curves along a wandering stream. Along the way are 25 bronze replicas of newts and 12 amphibian species, and a collection of 50 steel salmon attached to the trees. The art was designed by University of Washington public art students. The trail is a quarter mile long and there is a somewhat rougher extension that goes to the site of an old dam. The trail is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. rain or shine.
September 2006
This Month in AHCO History Hike along the Fort to Sea Trail. The trail follows the route that Clark used to find a way from Fort Clatsop to the ocean where they hoped to set up camp to extract salt from the ocean. You can hike from Fort Clatsop to the sea or do only part of it. If you are interested, check out the web site www. lewisandclarknationalpark.com It has all kinds of information. If you are a movie buff, you can take a self-guided tour of Astoria’s movie locations. Some of the movies made in Astoria are “The Goonies,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “The Ring Two,” and Free Willy.” There is a guide available. Don’t forget to contact Tom Monaco if you want to go fishing. Also, we checked out the Willapa Salmon Art Trail. It is really worth a stop if you are coming to the meet along 101 north of Astoria. However, I don’t think you should drive there only for the trail Check out the Astoria Sunday Market. It is along 12th Street which is closed to traffic for the market. Last year they had 200 booths along with live entertainment and an international food court. The market is open from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Might just be the way to top off your weekend before you head home. Tour Fort Stevens State Park. There is a beach with a shipwreck, and the Fort Stevens Military Museum and Visitors Center. Fort Stevens was the only military installation to be fired on since the War of 1812. There are displays from the Civil War to WWII, a Civil War earthworks site, and gun batteries. There is a $3.00 per car fee. Also, for those interested in autocross. The Autocross Club of Astoria is holding an event on Saturday & Sunday while we are there and they have offerd to let us join them at our convenience - either day, any time. Can’t beat that! It’s not too late to join us for the fun, but you need to act fast! We look forward to seeing you in Astoria.
Healey Northwest
by Jeff Mach
Thirty years ago, a committee was working on putting together the Club’s constitution and bylaws. They promised to have them done soon. The membership voted to send Donald Healey a box of apples for Christmas in thanks for attending Healey Meet West in Eureka. Donna Brunhaver requested pictures of Club members’ Healeys for the Club photo album. Does anyone know where that album is today? The Club was up to 101 members and had $280 in the bank, which wasn’t too bad for starting with 23 founding members earlier that year. Ten years later in September, the Club toured the Salem area before meeting at Mini Motors for a technical session on winterization and storage (See, more evidence of global warming – winter came earlier in these parts back then). Club membership was reported to be at 193 and Mark Schneider was reported as a new member that month. At the combined All British Field Meet and (first) Northwest Healey Meet, 58 Healeys turned out. Ten years ago this month, the AHCO hosted the Northwest Healey Meet 1996 at Cascade Locks. The Meet celebrated the 20th anniversary of the AHCO. Eighteen of the founding members of the Club (those who could be located – and there are still a few of you who are members and active in the Club today!) were invited to attend and share their stories about the beginnings of the AHCO. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a follow-up account of the Meet or the stories told that evening in subsequent editions of Healey Northwest, so perhaps us more recent arrivals will have to impose on some of those old timers to regale us with those stories again in Astoria later this month. I’ll bet a pint or two will loosen their tongues. Elsewhere in Healey Northwest that month, Tammy Auburg provided an account of traveling to the Summer Healey Drivers’ Meet “across the pond” in Cornwall, including a visit to the Healey family estate. And Doug Auburg provided an exhilarating account of participating in the Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rallye. Good fun was had by all.
September 2006
Austin Healey Club of Oregon Membership Meeting Minutes, August 12, 2006 CTO: By President Doug Auburg at 2:40 p.m. at Big Mountain Pizza and Chicken Restaurant in Oakridge. Minutes from last meeting were approved after a spelling correction for Richard Mayor’s name. Officer and Committee Reports:
Northwest Meet: George reported 43 rooms reserved so far out of the 50 set aside at the Astoria Holiday Inn Express. We will have more rooms set aside, but the August 21th cut off date is rapidly approaching. A reminder that the Tea (lunch) that Jaci is organizing is by reservation so please contact her if you would like to join them.
Treasurer: Dee Meyer made the report. Please contact ABFM: Doug reported 323 registrations at this time, her or Doug if you want specifics. making a record attendance a definite possibility. Kym Randolph reminded everyone that we are President: Doug Auburg had nothing to report. responsible for counting the People Choice ballots and we still need 3-4 more people to sign up to count. Vice-President: Tom Monaco not present. Activities: Mark Schneider reminded us that Regalia: Tammy Auburg had an assortment of regalia September will be a busy month beginning with the set up. She reported that Jaci has ordered new fleece ABFM. Our September membership meeting will be jackets which will be available at the ABFM and will on Sept 9. We will meet at Pearson’s Air Museum cost @ $20. Tammy also asked for a volunteer to help and then drive to Cedar Creek Grist Mill for a tour Jaci at the Regalia Tent at the ABFM. Dee Meyer said of the facilities. We will then drive to the Oak Tree she had already volunteered and talked to Jaci. Restaurant in Woodland, WA for lunch and our monthly meeting. The Northwest Meet begins on Membership: Skip Monaco not present. Sept. 21 in Astoria. Mark also wanted to give a big thanks to John Wilson and Jim Johnston for a great Charity: Skip Monaco not present. tour today. Advertising: Joe Laws not present. Nominating Committee: Committee Chair Jerry Barron was not present. George Koeber reported that there were few volunteers for next year’s officers. The committee will be calling members directly to ask for help. Librarian: Jeff Mach reported the library quiet Editor: Jack Jakobsen not present. Club Coordinator: John Wilson introduced his friend Steve Pike from Australia. He also reported that John Chatham’s race car recently sold in Britain to a Dutch/Swiss buyer for £250,000. Next year’s Rendezvous will be held in the TriCities in mid July. Also the East Coast Conclave will be in June in Burlington, Vermont. There will be a Conclave in San Diego in 2008, and consequently, we will not have a Rendezvous that year. Healey Northwest
Old Business: Kym Randolph asked for funds ($125) to be approved to cover the cost of the lunch to be served to ballot counters and those manning the regalia tent. It was moved and seconded, and carried. It was reported that Steve and Laurie Day won Best of Show with their Bug-Eye Sprite at the Rendezvous. Tom and Cecelia Magneson won Best 100-6 and Larry and Marie Emerson won Best Jensen-Healey. George Koeber reported we were right on track budget wise with the Northwest Meet. New Business: no new business Meeting Adjourned 3:00 p.m.. Respectfully submitted, Kymberly Randolph Secretary
September 2006
In Memory of John Gorham Rueter, Sr., 1920-2006 Editor’s Note: Betty Rueter provide the following in a handwritten note to Skip Monaco. While the note did not reproduce well, Skip has retyped it exactly as written. I wanted to write a few words about John’s life. As we all know, if you have old cars you must have extra time and change to keep them on the road. Well, John persued this hobby with vengence. His livelyhood was made by helping with the designs & overall construction of frozen food plants in the Northwest. He traveled somewhat when the need for funds for his Porsches & Healeys arose. Although he retired several times he always found himself back to work on a part-time basis because he loved being with the younger guys. For about 10 years before the interest in cars, sailing with his children was his hobby. They even raced them - Snipes & Hobie Cats. Together, he and his boys built their first boat in the basement. Later came the challenge of putting together a Model A Ford from boxes and buckets of “stuff”. The challenge never left him. John was very proud of our kids (2 boys, 2 girls), all college graduates, plus 9 grandchildren. He kept active with our home and garden. He built his own workshop where he was able to let his mind wander and be very crafty. Touring successfully with the Healey and Model A Clubs and often was his goal. Our last tour to Kennewick, WA. had ended only two days before he died. His 86 year old body just gave out. He lived his life to the fullest. He was a great reader and was writing his memoirs called “My First 80 Years”. I’ll share some of this with you at a later date. He was tired and deserved the peaceful ending to his life. Thank you for the good times, Betty The following as provided by George Koeber: Long time AHCO member John Rueter passed away on July 23rd. John was 86 years old. A memorial was held at Hayden’s Bar and Grill in Tualatin on July 30th. The memorial was well attended with standing room only. A lot of stories about John and his Model A Ford Pick-up and his Austin Healeys were shared by his family and friends. John and his wife Betty were very active in our club and when it came to tours and meet events John and Betty were usually in attendance. John was very creative and a hands on type of person. He made a sun shade out of conduit and drapery fabric and a fiberglass top with a clear plastic sliding sun roof so Betty would be more comfortable. Quite often when on tours, when the group would stop John would put on his coveralls and tinker with his car. John was blessed with a wonderful wit and humor and will be greatly missed by all of us that have had the fun and pleasure to tour with him and Betty. George Healey Northwest
Editor’s Notes: The above obituary is as it appeared in the Thursday, July 27, 2006 issue of the Oregonian. Cover photos show John with two of his favorite automotive pastimes -- one of the 100-4 Healeys he has owned and his Model A Ford. September 2006
South Willamette Valley Tour
article & photos by Jim Johnston
T
acres for us to pause for cold beverages. What a lovely place it is. Then, following the Row River and Bryce Creek, we proceded up through the beautiful Oregon timber lined ridges to view the valleys below.
As planned we arrived at exit 174 off I-5 in Cottage Grove at the Chevron station. We fielded ten lovely Healeys and one BJ-9 Honda. Having led the McKenzie A’s Model A Ford Club over the same route earlier this summer I was familiar with the route. I also suggested an added rest stop at my friend’s Bob and Sue Basso’s log home fronting on the Row River. Bob and Sue are Model A’ers now, but had once owned a Healey in years past.
We stopped on a logging landing with views to the Three Sisters, Diamond Peak, Hills Creek Lake, etc. The altitude reached 4,860 ft. and some of the road gradiants near 8%. This portion of the the single lane road trip was approximately 42 miles.
he August 12th tour, otherwise called the Row River or Bryce Creek Tour, depending on what group you are in, came off without a hitch. John Wilson had proposed the trip, but found out he had family coming to visit, and a coast trip planned. In desperation he called me to lead our Healeys over the mountain from Cottage Grove to Oakridge via Forest Service Roads 22, 5850, and 2102. I accepted of course. But, guess who showed up after all, John Wilson and his friend Steve Pike from Australia. They just couldn’t miss a good tour.
We stopped for lunch, and our meeting, at the Big Mountain Pizza and Chicken Restaurant. A great time it was. For our club members from the Portland area this was a long day, but I believe it was worth it.
Home of Bob & Sue Basso. This photo by Jim Averill.
Bob and Sue opened their home, and eight beautiful
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September 2006
Le Mans Story by Tom Monaco
Howdy: some of you have heard this story before but bear with me. Seven months ago we sold a Healey to a Dutchman who told us he was going to take it to Lemans. Well he did. There is a whole great story about this that I can tell in person at some point. If you would like to see what you missed at Lemans this year go to http/ www.dcsc.nl/ Scroll to the right, click on “Gallery”, scroll right again, click on” 2006”, click on “Healey Meets Lemans”. The Dutch Healey Club won the award for best showing by any club - 267 members came to the event. Our new friend had the highest placed Healey - 14th out of 67 cars entered. His car is #24 in the pictures. Enjoy! And, all the best, Tom
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September 2006
Healey Rendevous 2006 Article by George Koeber
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his years Rendezvous was hosted by the Austin Healey Club of British Columbia in Nelson, BC. Nelson is located on the beautiful Kootenay Lake about 50 miles north of the US-Canadian border, directly north of Spokane, Washington. Allan and Mary Gross led a tour of nine cars from the Portland area. We met at the rest area on I-5 north of Vancouver, WA. Bert and Betty Hand, who, due to schedule conflicts, were not able to go to Nelson came by to say good bye and good luck. This is the first time they weren’t able to attend the Rendezvous (formerly WCM). We left the rest area and went north on I-5 to Woodland where we headed east through Couger, WA, and then around the south and east sides of Mt. St. Helens. A side trip was a 12 mile (each way) drive to a lookout called Windy Ridge. We were able to look down into where Spirit Lake was, which is still covered with debris. We also viewed the massive blow down of trees. We saw first hand the awesome power and force of the eruption. Viewing all of this from the open cockpit of a Healey was a real treat. We continued north and around the east side of Mt Ranier, great Healey roads and views. In the afternoon we stopped for a break at a general store and there was a motorcycle group there. As we pulled in, one of the riders yelled out “Look, the British have invaded, the British have invaded”! He proceeded to tell us he hadn’t seen so many British cars in one place before. After traveling about 300 miles we spent the first night in Everett, WA. The next morning we drove through the North Cascades toward Eastern Washington. Along the way we passed a white Healey at an intersection. He pulled out behind us and we thought he was also headed to Nelson. We decided to pull over and chat with him and to see who it was. As we were about to pull over he turned off and we never saw him again, and he wasn’t in Nelson. Who it was remains a mystery. We continued east on the North Cascade Highway until we stopped for a break at the North Cascades Visitor Center and here was a British Racing Green Healey. We talked with the owners and learned they Healey Northwest
were headed to Nelson. They joined us as we headed east. So now we had 10 cars in our group. (All were Healeys except Kent and Judy Lambert’s BJ9) Allan and Mary had planned our travel time to have lunch in the Historic Town of Winthrup. We had time to explore and enjoy some shops. The British Green Healey decided to stay at a B&B in Winthrup so our group was back to 9 cars. As we dropped out of the North Cascades into Eastern WA, the conditions can only be described as EXTREME heat. As we pulled into our motel in Omak, Wa, the temperature was 113 degrees. We couldn’t exit our cars fast enough. After checking in some went swimming in their street clothes, since they hadn’t brought swimsuits. Because it was still so very hot our afternoon libations were held in John and Judy’s air conditioned “suite?”. There were 19 of us in their room. We had traveled about 210 miles. On Monday morning Allan and Mary had to head back home to Vancouver, WA to get ready to attend their daughters wedding. On the drive to Nelson from Omak we were welcomed with a cool morning and we arrived in Nelson in the late morning. The BC Club had picked the beautiful Prestige Inn, which was right on the lake, for the meeting headquarters. We had traveled a distance of 185 miles. The first day was the car show which was held in a park 2 blocks from the hotel. The setting, also on the lake was great. A BBQ lunch was served on the lawn. After lunch the awards were given out for Popular Choice. Several of our club members had their cars shined to the point of taking home trophies. Congratulations to all of the winners. (See List). On the second day there were two tours scheduled. One was approximately 190 miles and the other was only 40 miles with a great ferry ride and a visit to an artist colony. We drove the shorter tour and had a great time. The ferry ride was beautiful, the waters calm, weather perfect and the ferry was free both ways. How could we NOT like it?? Day 3 - Earl Kagna chaired a Question and Answer time where owners discussed problems and answers. It was a good exchange of ideas and solutions. 12
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Day 4 – There was a talk by Nigel Matthews with the ICBC, a specialist on insurance and licensing of antique cars in British Columbia. We learned that costs for antique cars insurance is quite low because the number of incidents is very low. It seems owners of older cars tend to take care of them very well. To this we all agreed.
MKII 3000 BJ7 1st – Lynn & Mary Martin 2nd – James & Ida Morton 3rd – Robert & Jean Slater MKII 3000 BJ8 1st – Danny & Beth Danskon 2nd – Dennis Saxon 3rd - Mark Norris 4th – Steve Day 5th – Len Hartnett Sprite 1st - Laurie Day ALSO AWARDED BEST OF SHOW 2nd – Walt & Zoe Harrison Jensen 1st – Larry & Marie Emerson Modified 1st Larry Patterson & Linda LeGeyt
All too soon it was time to leave for home. There were 5 cars for our trip home. We spent the night in Pasco, WA. The next morning we joined AHCO member and Activities Director, Mark Schneider at the Unlimited Hydroplane Races which were being held on the Columbia River in Pasco. Mark is the National The pictures are by Mark Schneider: Safety Directory for the Unlimited Hydroplane RacTom & Cecelia Magnuson ing Association. Mark had arranged special passes for us so we could view the boats up close in the pit area. Although we didn’t get to see an actual race, we did get to see some of the boats run time trials. These boats are powered by jet turbine engines and sound just like a jet airplane. They reach speeds close to 200 MPH in the straightaways. WOW, what a sight!! Mark also covered all of the safety procedures and how a driver is rescued in the event of a mishap. Mark had to return to his safety responsibilities and we said goodbye and headed home. It had been one week since we left and none of the cars on our tour to Nelson or to home had any problems. Not even any vapor locking during the heat. A big THANK YOU to Allan and Mary for all of their time to arrange for the tour. It was another fantastic tour. Also, a big THANKS to the BC Club for another great meet, and lastly, a BIG thanks to Mark for showing us the Unlimited Hydro Planes. RENDEVZOUS 2006 POPULAR CHOICE RESULTS 100-4 100-6 MKI 3000 MKII 3000
1st – Lou & Carol Boido 2nd – Roger & Donna Hawk 3rd- Byron Krystad 1st – Lois Buhman 2nd – Tom & Cecelia Magnuson 1st- Bruce & Sue Jackson 2nd- Tracy & Todd Drummond 3rd- Robert & Maxine Cray 1st – Don & Karen Manning 2nd – Bruce Stark 3rd- Udo & Gisela Putzke
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September 2006
Rendezvous 2006, Nelson British Columbia Article & Pictures by Mark Schneider
wenty years after the first Canadian meet at Whistler the Austin Healey Owners Association of British Columbia hosted the 30th celebration of Austin Healeys at Nelson, BC in the Selkirk Mountains July 24 through 28, 2006. Nelson is located about halfway between Vancouver and Calgary and approximately 40 miles north of the US Canada border above Spokane, WA. Several members of the Austin Healey Club of Oregon (AHCO) caravanned to the meet. Marilynne and I had to travel a different route due to some responsibilities I had to attend to on our return trip to Portland. We drove our Dodge Grand Caravan and were very glad we did. As we rode along in air conditioned comfort our Healey brothers and sisters were cooking in 112114°F heat in open cars. One brave soul placed a thermometer on the floor of the cockpit and measured a temperature of 130°F.
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The Nelson Rendevous was the first such Healey meet Marilynne and I have attended. I doubt that we will miss many of the future gatherings. We thoroughly enjoyed the time. As we approached the entry drive of the Prestige Lakeside Inn in Nelson I couldn’t see very many Healeys. I thought this was odd but as I was driving I couldn’t really search for cars. I asked Marilynne if she could see any. In the short time it took to ask the question we had driven into the motel portico and could see the length of the parking lot. Marilynne said in a hushed tone, “They’re everywhere”. And she was right. The last time I had ever seen that many Healeys was at the ABFM when
Healey Northwest
the Austin Healey was the featured marque. The first full day featured a display of all the registered cars. They were organized according to production group, eg, BN1 or BT7, etc. and arranged all over the lawn of a huge park along the Kootenai River. The
surrounding mountains reached into the blue skies on both sides of the river. At mid-day a buffet style lunch was served. Everyone gathered paper plates full of BBQ’d ribs, chicken, fish, salads, bread. There was even a fondue of melted chocolate to pour over pieces of cake. The second day presented one of the highlights of the activities for the week, i.e., a tour of the Kootenai Lake area. Actually, there were two tours arranged and we had to choose one. We chose the shorter tour and were glad we did. The fact that we had our
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September 2006
minivan worked out well as we had plenty of room for passengers. Judi and Kent Lambert joined us and we spent the day on the road enjoying the sites and conversation. The tour took us north from Nelson up the west side of Kootenai Lake to a little ferry terminal called Balfour. There we loaded about 18-20 Healeys, one Jaguar and one Dodge on a ferry and cruised up the lake to Crawford. After disembarking from the ferry we drove a little further to an artist community. Here we parked the Healeys on a large field and spent an hour or two wandering around the shops of weavers, furniture builders, potters, blacksmiths, jewelers and glassblowers. Afterward we stopped for lunch at a golf course and then headed back for the return ferry ride to Balfour and on to Nelson.
Each evening we usually accepted the gracious invitation of Gary and Dee Meyer to gather in their room next door to ours for a little refreshment and chat before dinner. Nelson is a beautiful little town. If you’ve ever seen the movie,”Roxanne” with Steve Martin playing a retired small town fire fighter, you’ve seen Nelson. Nelson was the movie set. The town has an impressive collection of 20th century architecture homes and store fronts. Marilynne, Judi Lambert and Sue Trummel spent several hours prowling through Nelson’s shops and boutiques during our stay. The Austin Healey Owners of British Columbia should be very proud of the job they did organizing the event. A couple more technical sessions was about the only improvement I heard suggested. On the other hand the days were full of spectacular weather and surroundings. It would have been a difficult challenge to stay indoors and talk Healeys, probably. Pictures continued on page 16 .... Healey Northwest
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September 2006
Nelson picture continued from page 15 ....
Healey Northwest
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September 2006
Classified Ads Parts for Sale Med blue Everflex hood for BN-1. Purch ’96, Brit Car Specialists and never installed, still in box. $300. Craig House 503-656-9750 (Oregon City) or cooperbee@att.net
Healey Northwest
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September 2006
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Koeber’s Carpets was established in 1963 by George and Jaci Koeber, and continues to be family-owned and operated.
Koeber’s is a full-service floor and window coverings store, offering outstanding service at excellent prices. 6700 SW 111th Ave. Beaverton, OR 97008
503-641-1901 Fax 503-671-0808 CCB #036566
www.koebers.com
While most of us remember our friend John Rueter in either his red or white Austin Healey, his favorite vehicle was probably his Model A Ford pickup.
Austin-Healey Club of Oregon Healey Northwest 160 SW 89th Avenue Portland, OR 97225 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 141 PORTLAND, OR