Official Newsletter of the Austin-Healey Club of Southern Ontario
"Prez Sez" STILL WAITING FOR WINTER!! By now I expect the memory (or hangover) of the New Year has passed and we are all wondering when we will be getting winter. I for one am not disappointed with the mild, snow free season. If this is global warming, I say lets have more of it. Healey season is fast approaching and everyone should make sure that all those maintenance jobs are done before we take to the road, to ensure a trouble free and above all safe driving season. The events committee of David & Mark have put together a great selection of events for the year and I encourage you to take in as many as possible. There are still a couple of tech sessions to come and there are tours and shows and long distance drives to suit most tastes. You will find them all listed on your club website www.ahcso.com Fast approaching is the annual flea market in Ancaster. This is the main (only) fundraising event in our calendar and I ask you to please support the Club by volunteering an hour or more of your time on April 22nd. Please contact Ed Kesik edkesik@gmail.com and let him know you can be counted on. It is always a fun day and a lot of Club members come out and make it the success it has been for the last thirty years. I wish you all a great season of driving and enjoying your cars, but especially having fun with like minded people in your Club. DRIVE YOUR HEALEY, THEY ENJOY IT AND YOU WILL TOO!!
FEBRUARY 2012
Inside Prez Sez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 1 View From The Navigator's Seat . . . . . . . .Pg 1 Ancaster Flea Market . . . Pg 2-3 Tech Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 4 David Koch Memorial ..... Pg 5 Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 6-7 Spring Fling . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 8
Bob Yule Driving a Vintage Car . . . Pg 9
View From the Navigator's Seat Firstly, my sincere apologies for "February Issue" being so late.....but wait.....I have a good excuse....I was enjoying a wonderful family vacation in Naples, Florida! Check out why Naples is our favourite holiday destination - on page 5. We even ran into a British Racing Green BJ8 on U.S. 41 in Naples. These Healey guys are everywhere! We would love to take 'Misty Blue' to the Sunshine State - she would love it there! Maybe next time! Happy Healeying!
Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . .Pg 10 New Members . . . . . . . . Pg 11 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 12
Visit our web site
www.ahcso.com
THE RESONATOR / Page 1
Page 2 / THE RESONATOR
THE RESONATOR / Page 3
TECH SESSION - MARCH 17 We are hosting a mid winter tech session for the Austin Healey Club of Southern Ontario at our garage in Mount Hope, Saturday March 17th from 10:00 AM with a break for lunch at 12:45 PM. We’ll go to a nearby lunch venue as in the past and will reconvene here after lunch and the afternoon is ours. We will be covering a number of restoration points and details and this year we have two very interesting cars in the shop for viewing. 1.We have a lovely Healey Blue BN1 with dark navy Blue trim belonging to club member Michael Whitcombe. This car has been the subject of an extensive restoration with a new Kilmartin chassis frame and extensive new metal substructure. The car is now nearly completed and is an excellent example to take notes and pictures as you like. 2. Also in the shop is a very early example of a Primrose Yellow 100/Six series BN4 with the rolling chassis assembly going together but still wide open showing all the details, with no outer panels yet installed. This car has also been the subject of an extensive rebuild with a new Kilmartin chassis and a lot of new inner metal. This will be a very interesting study of the 326th 100/Six ever built when they were still working out many details on the early six cylinder model, and we have tried very hard to capture these details accurately. So come out for a day of good Healey camaraderie, bring your camera, note pad and pencil and your questions and let’s chase the mid winter blahs away! Rich and Lyn Chrysler
Page 4 / THE RESONATOR
DAVE KOCH MEMORIAL President Bob Yule presenting the Dave Koch Memorial Trophy to Bob & Jean Slater. "This award is presented annually to the driver and navigator who in the opinion of the club executive have demonstrated the true spirit of Dave by driving their car."
FLORIDA VACATION
Gill and Anna enjoying “Sex on the Beach”... relax guys, it’s a drink!
Dinner at the club at Sterling Oaks
THE RESONATOR / Page 5
To advertise please call Anna Orr at 905-930-8899 or E-mail: healeygal@cogeco.ca
RATES* Full Page $400 1/2 Page $210 1/4 Page $105 Business Card $45 *per year (6 issues)
Page 6 / THE RESONATOR
Visit our Web Site at:
www.ahcso.com
THE RESONATOR / Page 7
Page 8 / THE RESONATOR
DRIVING A VINTAGE SPORTS CAR Not too many people would relate driving a sports car with a cruise: you can if your ship takes you to Madeira. We were on the Queen Mary 2 on our way to South Africa when I noticed one of the excursions was 'Drive a Vintage Sports Car'. I found that for a large amount of $'s plus a large amount of Euros as deposit against bending anything I would be able to join the fun. The Vintage sports cars turned out to be TR6s. I may be wrong about the '6' but as a Austin Healey owner I can at least recognize a Triumph when I see one. I am sure our knowledgeable readers will know anyway from the photo. We were not exactly turned loose on unsuspecting Madeira but had to drive in convoy, there were six of us, following a white Mercedes. You should be aware that Madeira is an isle of 35mls by 22mls consisting of one volcanic mountain which rises to 6,000ft. Except for a coastal road of some 5 mls there is not a flat ,or straight piece of road, for more than 100yds any where. For the first part of the drive getting out of 2nd. was quite an event;needless to say the drive was conducted at a stately speed of not more than 20mph. After a coffee stop on top of the mountain things improved enormously and 4th gear was the norm, on reaching the coastal road we were let loose and enjoyed a glorious finish back to Funchel the Capital city. My assigned car's hand brake did not work too well -- lots of clutch fibers were lost as every halt sign was on a hill ;usually with bonnet up!! It was also out of tune ,this may have been because of the difficulty of tuning correctly from sea level start to 3000ft. finish. it also rattled a lot no doubt due to horrendous road conditions (read potholes and road repairs). The hiring company I understood has a variety of sports cars --even a Healey which are available for hire under the same conditions as we experienced. I would rate the outing as an' experience' an abilty to say 'I have done that!!' nothing more. You could have had the same experience in any old car. BUT I have driven a sports around Madeira and got my deposit back. Submitted by John Morralee
THE RESONATOR / Page 9
BOOT 'N BONNET CLUB 12TH AUTOJUMBLE Boot 'n Bonnet Club 12th AUTOJUMBLE - we have booked the Sail Room at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour here in Kingston, Ontario for Sunday, April 29th, 2012. This date is the week after the Ancaster Flea Market. Since this is the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the MGB, we're planning to feature the MGB at AUTOJUMBLE. (Last year, the E-type Jag was featured, and most people enjoyed seeing some splendid examples of that marque.)
CAA MEMBERSHIP NOTE I have gone over ALL the different numbers submitted by CAA to AHCSO and tried to make sense of it all!! So here it goes. `First of all, there is a AHCSO Corp. Account set up, it has done nothing for us over the pass few years. I recieved a letter from CAA, dated Nov. 25/11 where they were going to give us a DEAL, both on NEW members signing up as well as renewals. According to Scott Mingle, who tried to contact this women, believe she was fired for "giving the store away". Hence, we had a rep, Andrew Ezechiels show up at our Feb. Pub Night to go over their lastest offer. The figures are based on the "plus" level. Primary$102.53, Assc.$42.38 ,HST included, for a total of $144.91, but you have to be a NEW CAA member signing up for the first time, not renewing! A renewing member pays $117.53 for primary and $84.78 for assc. for as total of $202.29, that is almost $60.00 more!! for nothing!! A new sign up can get the lower rate for the assc. when a primary renews, that is $42.38 vs $84.78. I would suggest that all of you who have CAA cancel it NOW, as the low price is only good until March 30 2012 and then sign up with the new LOWER price around March 15/12 Submitted by Ian Allison
OBITUARY CHRYSLER, Doris “Ferne“ - Suddenly on January 24, 2012 in her 82nd year. Loving wife of Cal for 61 years. Devoted mother of Richard (Lynda), Barbara (Al), Roger (Nancy) and Ken (Jo). Will be missed by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Page 10 / THE RESONATOR
NEW MEMBERS Mike & Molly McNeely 48 Grist Mill Drive Georgetown, Ontario L7G 6C1 Home: 905-873-7311 Work: 404-886-8558 mmcneely@gmail.com 1963 BJ7 HBJ7L 21992
Philip & Carol Hall 10 Mapleridge Road RR#2 Shanty Bay, Ontario L0L 2L0 Home: 705-797-0762 philiphall@gmail.com 1958 100-6 BN4 BN$L48949 1960 Sprite AN5L 43306 1962 MK11 SPRITE HAN6L 14751
THE RESONATOR / Page 11
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2012 MARCH 17
AHCSO TECH SESSION WITH RICH CHRYSLER
APRIL 22
ANCASTER FLEA MARKET
MAY
AHCSO TECH SESSION WITH AUTOFARM WITH BOB YULE
JUNE
AHCSO DRIVE TO FLEETWOOD CAR SHOW IN LONDON, ONT.
JUNE 15-17
VARAC WEEKEND AT MOSPORT, ONTARIO
JUNE 17-22
AUSTIN HEALEY CLUB OF AMERICA CONCLAVE - LOUISVILLE, KY
JULY 17
BRITS IN THE PARK - LINDSAY
JULY
BBQ AND DRIVE
AUGUST 5
BRITS ON THE LAKE - PORT PERRY
AUGUST
WINE TOUR AND POT LUCK SUPPER
SEPTEMBER 16
BRITISH CAR DAY
OCTOBER 13
AHCSO “RUN FOR THE LEAVES” (RAIN DATE - OCTOBER 14)
HEALEY SMILE A father, son and grandson went to the country club for their weekly round of golf. Just as they reached the first tee, a beautiful young blonde woman carrying her bag of clubs approached them. She explained that the member who brought her to the club for a round of golf had an emergency that called him away and asked the trio whether she could join them. Naturally, the guys all agreed. Smiling, the blonde thanked them and said, 'Look, fellows, I work in a topless bar as a dancer, so nothing shocks me anymore. If any of you want to smoke cigars, have a beer, bet, swear, tell off-color stories or do anything that you normally do when playing a round together, go ahead. But, I enjoy playing golf, consider myself pretty good at it, so don't try to coach me on how to play my shots.' With that the guys agreed to relax and invited her to drive first. All eyes were fastened on her shapely behind as she bent to place her ball on the tee. She then took her driver and hit the ball 270 yards down the middle, right in front of the green. The father's mouth was agape. 'That was beautiful,' he said. The blonde put her driver away and said, 'I really didn't get into it, and I fad ed it a little.' After the three guys hit their drives and their second shots, the blonde took out an eight iron and lofted the ball within five feet of the hole. (She was closest to the pin.) The son said, 'Darn, lady, you played that perfectly.' The blonde frowned and said, 'It was a little weak, but even an easy seven would have been too much club. I've left a tricky little putt.' She then tapped in the five-footer for a birdie. Having the honors, she drove first on the second hole, knocked the heck out of the ball, and it landed nearly 300 yards away smack in the middle of the fairway. For the rest of the round the statuesque blonde continued to amaze the guys, quietly and methodically shooting for par or less on every hole.When they arrived at the 18th green, the blonde was three under par, and had a very nasty 12-foot putt on an undulating green for a par. She turned to the three guys and said, 'I really want to thank you all for not acting like a bunch of chauvinists and telling me what club to use or how to play a shot, but I need this putt for a 69 and I'd really like to break 70 on this course. If any one of you can tell me how to make par on this hole I'll take him back to my apartment, pour some 35-year-old Single Malt Strath Mill Scotch in him, fix him a steak dinner and then show him a very good time the rest of the night.' The yuppie son jumped at the thought! He strolled across the green, carefully eyeing the line of the putt and finally said, 'Honey, aim about 6 inches to the right of the hole and hit it firm. It will get over that little hump and break right into the cup.' The father knelt down and sighted the putt using his putter as a plumb. 'Don't listen to the kid, darlin', you want to hit it softly 10 inches to the right and let it run left down that little hogback, so it falls into the cup.' The old gray-haired grandfather walked over to the blonde's ball, picked it up and handed it to her and said, 'That's a gimme, sweetheart.' The blonde smiled and said, 'Your car or mine?' OLD AGE AND TREACHERY WILL OVERCOME YOUTH AND SKILL EVERY TIME!
Page 12 / THE RESONATOR