Exhaust Notes
Newsletter of the St. Louis Triumph Owners
Association
www.SLTOA.org February
2008
February Meeting, Tuesday February 19th, 2008 7:00 PM at Nicoletti’s Restaurant – Shopping center, south-east corner
of Big Bed and 141.
Presidential
Ramblings, by Craig Madsen
Come one, come all
- February 19, @ Nicoletti’s to the monthly SLTOA
meeting! Located at
the strip mall on the corner of Big Bend & 141. Arrive & eat
anytime after 6, meeting usually starts around 7:30
or 8:00.
It's
election paloosa not only for our country but March
is fast approaching & the club will be holding elections as well. All
offices are up for grabs, so feel free to step up and lend a hand. I've found
in the last two years, that everyone has a contribution to make if the
opportunity avails itself. My term(s) as president have been educational &
rewarding. So don't be shy There's plenty to do! (Editor’s note: Even if you don’t volunteer to be an officer,
there are plenty of other opportunities to help out.)
On that "to
do" note, before the next meeting, think about what additional or
different things you would like to see the club be involved with, and we'll
discuss!
It's been all I
could do to contain myself this long in regards to this years
Polar Bear Run. Those that let this pass them by,
missed a wonderfully relaxing event. Karl Schmitt
is one of these individuals I was referring to in an earlier paragraph. He's
one of our self starters that isn't afraid to jump in
and get his hands dirty! Those that don't know him, will, given any length of
time with the club. For as long as I can remember Karl has been Grille Master extraordinaire
at every June club picnic I've attended. You'll also find him at the grille
next to Jack David at the All British car show in the fall. This event was a
total success. We had around 24 cars from various clubs. Departure was timely,
there were about 3 groups spread out, a perfectly timed bathroom break at the
covered bridge (for me anyway)! A short jaunt to the governor’s log cabin,
where we got a brief education along with hot apple cider! The drive back
culminated at a restaurant by the name of Jillie’s.
The food was good, the company was better, and the weather was great!
Thank you again
Karl for everything that you do!
There is Rumor of
an upcoming tech session at the hobby shop some Saturday to be determined. I
believe we are to witness the installation of a spitfire windshield. Keep your
ear to ground as I've also heard noise of maybe an alternator upgrade session
as well. (Ed. Note: Stay in touch with Arlie King
636-677-0545 for date and time)
Wedge Owners
Rejoice! - Dave Massey has informed me
of an interesting reorganization that has taken place. Apparently the former
TR8
club of North America/ TR8
club has undergone a positive transformation that now includes TR7 owners. I've
just finished reading their latest newsletter and I truly believe they are on
the right course. A couple of names I recognized that may be familiar - Tim Lanocha & Woody Cooper are actively taking part in this
reorg. I don't want to steal all of Dave's thunder
here, Dave is a Regional representative (big surprise!) he loves this stuff! I
will try to get him to possibly print out a copy or two of the newsletter and a
half a dozen or so of the applications for those that might be interested. This
is a perfect case in point where new blood (members), larger numbers and new
ideas continue to keep things fresh & fun.
GT6
Club? I'm recalling a
conversation I had with Steve Street, telling me how the landscape of the club
had changed - The club used to have an over abundance of TR6's. At one time
there was a large number of Wedges, now a lot of Spitfires. Most recently - the
GT6's are coming out of the woodwork! In fact, I think 4 of our last 6 members
are GT6 owners! So, I thought I would publish the "short list" - of
our current members that own GT6's so they can seek each other out, should they
choose to do so. Again - " Welcome"-
to our nightmare!
Bill Wahl -
Louisiana 69 GT6 Gary Mazzoala -
Ballwin 72 GT6 Bill Love - Belleville
73 GT6 Shawn Joseph - St. Charles 72
GT6 Patrick Hughes - Kirkwood GT6 Jack Fansher -
Chesterfield 68 GT6 Jeff Bateman -
St. Peters 68 GT6 George Bentz - Imperial 70 GT6
Ron Theel - Festus 73 GT6 If you can't find each other in the
phone book, give myself or Creig Houghtaling a call
and we'll get you a number from the roster.
If I continue, it
would just be babble and I think there's a beer in the fridge waiting for me. In
addition, we wouldn't want the computer to hemorrhage while using the spell
check on the last paragraphs of the diddy! So come visit us at the meeting - we want your
input & enjoy your company! Craig Madsen
Annual dues
are due
Please make out your
check today for $15 or $25 to St. Louis Triumph Owners Association (or SLTOA)
and mail it to Bonnie David at 500 Marie Dr.,
St. Charles, MO 63301-0500. Either price gets you full membership in the
club with many chances to meet other Triumph nuts who will help you with your
own affliction. The lower price gets you
an e-mail note when the newsletter is available on-line. The higher price gets you a hard copy of the
newsletter in your mail box. Either price
is cheap, about the price you would pay to ship a few parts from your favorite
Triumph parts vendor, or eat out once, or pay for half a month of cable TV, or
buy half a tank of gas… You get the
idea. Club dues are cheap because many
volunteers contribute many hours of work to put together our events and
activities.
Minutes of the
St. Louis Triumph Owner’s Association, By Matt Gossett
January 15, 2008
Meeting called to order at 7:30
President’s Notes (Craig
Madsen): President Madsen starts by
thanking Richard and Annis Etz
for lining up the Square 1 Brewery for tonight’s meeting.
The 2007 Christmas Party at Bevo Mill was a smash and it seemed that all 70
participants had a great time. Madsen
has already reserved Bevo Mill for the 2008 Christmas
Party which will be held on December
5th, 2008. Party-goers
should arrive at 6:30 pm with dinner
served at 7:30.
Madsen introduces two new members
to the SLTOA, Ron Theill who owns a GT6 and a
gentleman named John who owns a TR6.
Welcome to the SLTOA gentlemen!
It has been settled that Secretary
Matt Gossett will reformat the existing membership form and update the current
membership information roster.
The next SLTOA meeting will be held
at Nicoletti’s restaurant (Hwy. 141 and Big
Bend) at 7 pm on February 19, 2008. See you there.
March elections are looming so, if
you’re interested in really making a difference for an active car club with
about 100 members, throw your name in the hat and write up an acceptance
speech.
Last year’s Easter Car Show at
Forest
Park was a big hit thanks in large part to the hard
work of Dave Schulz. Unfortunately, Dave
has been incognito of late and we’re looking for a member to take charge of the
Easter Car Show for 2008. If this sounds
like something you would like to do, please let us know.
The 2008 Polar Bear Run looks like
a great time. Thanks to the hard work of
Karl Schmitt and others to assemble this route.
The Polar Bear Run information was passed out at the meeting but, will
be available to all on the Club’s website, www.sltoa.org. It will be held on January 27, 2008.
Treasurer’s Report (Bonnie
David): Mrs. David presents her
information to the club.
Old Business: None to report.
Upcoming Events: (Thanks Dave Massey)
• The
South Central Reginal VTR will be held in
Tyler,
Texas (about 600 miles away) on April 16th
through the 19th.
New Business: An idea was raised that the SLTOA reserve
some club seats for an upcoming St. Louis Blues hockey game. Let your voice be heard!
Meeting adjourned at 8:17 pm.
November 20, 2007
Meeting called to order at 8:35 pm
Vice-President’s Notes (John Lamberg): Vice
President Lamberg welcomes everyone to his home.
Lamberg
makes a motion that, based on President Craig Madsen’s
stellar performance as the SLTOA’s President, he be
nominated as President for another term.
The motion is seconded by Dave Massey and passed unanimously. (Editor’s note: This was not a real election. Members were just having fun at the expense
of Craig Madsen who wasn’t present to defend himself. Poor guy was in the hospital having his
ticker checked out. We apologize Craig, but you know you only get this kind of
abuse because we love you so much!!!)
Treasurer’s Report (Bonnie
David): Mrs. David presents her
information to the club.
Old Business:
• Fall
Color Tour: A big success. Approximately 50 cars in attendance drove
about 50 miles or, 2 hours on a beautiful day.
• Halloween
Rally: Held at New Towne St. Charles
Upcoming Events:
• Polar
Bear Run: Specifics to be given at the
Xmas party.
• Austin-Healey
Club Xmas Party: Decmber
8th, 2007
New Business:
• SLTOA
Xmas Party: Held December 7th at Bevo Mill in south St.
Louis City. Please pay $10.00 ahead of
time so we may turn in the final count to Bevo
Mill. We have 34 SLTOA members so far.
• December
meeting: None because of Xmas party
• Next
meeting: To be held at the Square One
Brewery in Lafayette Square. Thank you Richard Etz.
Meeting adjourned at 8:48 pm.
September 11, 2007
Meeting called to order at 7:30
President’s Notes (Craig Madsen): President Madsen thanks the members of
Arlie’s garage for having the meeting here.
Madsen
goes over the specifics for the All British Car Show this weekend at Creve
Coeur lake. Set
up people are to arrive at 8 am sharp bringing the ice, coolers, British car
flag, petty cash, grill and, food. All
thanks to Tom Culverson for again donating food. We couldn’t do it without him. A thank you card is being passed around for
his efforts.
Thanks
to Joe Mueller for being the Car Show contact
with St. Louis County Parks and for being responsible for this wonderful event.
Treasurer’s Report (Bonnie
David): Mrs. David presents her
information to the club.
Old Business: None to report.
Upcoming Events:
• All
British Car Show: The car show is set for Sunday, 9/16/07 at Creve
Coeur Park,
next to the lake.
• 9/14/2007, Bar-B-Q at Red Roof Inn at
Westport
• 9/14/2007, Hangar Dance: World War II theme in St.
Charles.
• 9/15/2007, Drive through Missouri
wine country. Meet at the Red Roof Inn
at Westport.
• Scottish
Games: Held at the Dwight Davis tennis
courts in Forest Park
• Fall
Color Tour: 10/21/2007
• MG Halloween Party: 10/28/2007. Meet at Target store in
Chesterfield
Valley with a party
afterwards. No costume required.
• SLTOA
Xmas Party: Held at Bevo
Mill.
New Business: None to report.
Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.
August 21, 2007
Meeting called to order at 7:45
Vice President’s Notes (John Lamberg): John Lamberg, Vice President, welcomes everyone to his
home. He is presiding over the meeting this
evening.
Treasurer’s Report (Bonnie
David): Mrs. David presents her
information to the club.
Old Business: None to report.
Upcoming Events:
• All
British Car Show: Several registration forms are here for the members at $25.00
each for entry. The car show is set for
Sunday, 9/16/07 at
Creve
Coeur Park,
next to the lake.
• 9/14/2007, Bar-B-Q at Red Roof Inn at
Westport
• 9/14/2007, Hangar Dance: World War II theme in St.
Charles.
• 9/15/2007, Drive through Missouri
wine country. Meet at the Red Roof Inn
at Westport.
Joe
Mueller: Mr. Tom Culverson has been gracious enough to donate food again for
this All British Car Show and we all owe him thanks. The club will again offer Mr. Culverson a free membership in the SLTOA.
Set
up will be at 8 am sharp. We need volunteers. We also need a grill, ice, coolers and, petty
cash. No funnel cakes will be made this
year.
New Business:
• Thank
you Tom Stark and Anne Wippold
• Next
SLTOA meeting on the SECOND TUESDAY (because of All British Car Show) to be held
at Arlie’s garage located on Highway 30, 1 mile west of Highway 141.
• Member
pages: anyone wishing to have or update
their member page on the website, contact the webmaster at:
webmaster@sltoa.org.
Meeting adjourned at 8:10 pm.
Calendar of Regional and National Events. By Dave Massey
March 28 – 29, New
Orleans, LA, 18th Annual New
Orleans British Car Day, http://www.bmcno.org/Show08/Carshow.htm Host hotel: Hampton Inn – Elmwood,
5150
Mounes St. Harahan,
LA 70123,
(504) 733 5646
April 16 – 19,
Tyler Texas, VTR South Central Region Triumph Meet. Come to Tyler
in the height of the flower season. http://www.redrivertriumphclub.org/. Host hotel: Holiday Inn Express.
May 23 – 25,
Champaign, IL, Champagne British Car
Festival.
http://champagnebritishcarfestival.com/
June 11 – 15, Huron, Ohio,
TRA National Meet. Host hotel: Lodge at Sawmill Creek, (800) Sawmill.
http://www.triumphregister.com/TRA2008_RegForm.pdf
June 19 – 21,
Armagh, PA, Roadster Factory Summer Party. http://www.the-roadster-factory.com/
July 13 – 16, Port
Washington, WI: British V8
Annual Convention. Host hotel: Country
Inn and Suites, Port Washington, WI.
(262) 284-2100.
http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-Meetings.htm
Aug 4 – 8, Ypsilanti,
MI: VTR North American Challenge. Featuring:
The Spinal Tappets, 48 hour Spitfire rebuild, Burt Levy, Triumph Wedge
Owners Association Annual meeting. Host hotel: Marriott at Eagle Crest
1275
S Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI
48197 Register here:
http://www.natc2008.com/index.php?pr=Registration
Sept 20,
Creve
Coeur
Lake, All
British Car Show. This is a
Saturday.
Sept 19 – 22, Elkhart
Lake, WI, Vintage Races at
Elkhart
Lake. http://www.vscda.org/
December 5, SLTOA Annual Christmas
Party
2008
Missouri Endurance Rally, April 19 & 20, Robert Rushing
Hello Road
Warriors!!
It’s time to start
preparing for the kick-off event of the year – the Missouri Endurance (soon to
be Enthusiast) Rally! This year the
rally will be held later in the spring to see if we can get more of our
far-north British car nuts to make their way down to the Show Me State to
participate in one of the most fun, most challenging, and least understood
events of the year!
Above you noticed
I said “soon to be Enthusiast” well, apparently, Illinois
has passed a law that forbids driving events that tests a driver’s
endurance. While the MER is not a test
of the driver’s endurance, it is definitely one that tests the “endurance” of
our classic cars and since we’re really “enthusiastic” about driving our 25+
year old cars, we’ll change the name to reflect that fact. I had considered changing the name to the
“Missouri Classic British Car Navigational Challenge and Chili Cook-off”, but
besides being too much of a mouthful, I realized most people don’t want to be
cooped up in a car with someone who ate a bunch of chili. It’s a sad fact, but never-the-less true.
Mark your
calendars for April 19-20!!
As in years past,
the MER is about driving our classic British vehicles with their antiquated
systems (none of that electronic controlled, computer assisted mumbo-jumbo for
us!) over some great roads while trying to test your navigation skills using
only paper maps (no laptops or GPS for us either!). Any British vehicle built
before 1982 (with no modern engine swaps or modern engine systems) is welcome. This is all Old School
at its best!
Also again this
year will be a full-version and a mini-version of the rally. I expect both the full rally and the mini
rally to be fewer miles than previous years, but with additional stops making
navigation more of challenge. We’ll only
be in Missouri this year so
you’ll only need your Missouri
maps.
For those of you
who don’t know, the rally works this way – in the morning of the event you will
drive a set course to determine any offset of your odometer. After the check run, you’ll be given a list
of locations that you must go to (you pick the order and the route to take to
all the stops). The team who can
successfully navigate the stops while covering the least number of miles –
wins. This is not a timed or speed
event. All competitors must seal their
license in an envelope and if opened or if a ticket is given; the team is
disqualified for unsafe driving. Teams
must obey all traffic laws and drive in a safe, prudent manner.
Please forward
this to anyone you think would enjoy this event and also send this to your
newsletter editors for inclusion in your club’s newsletter.
Attached are the
registration forms and simple rules sheet.
You can also find information at www.stlouismgclub.com
. If you are interested in
participating but do not have a navigator (or a driver/car for that matter),
let me know and I will spread the word to see if anyone else is looking for a
partner.
Thanks! Robert
Polar Bear
Run, 2008, By Kay Houghtaling
We couldn’t have
special ordered a more perfect day for this year’s Polar Bear Run. The sun was shining brightly and temperatures
climbed to the 50’s last Sunday as about 25 little British cars (including several of our MG Club
friends)completed a lovely drive through the hilly terrain of
Jefferson
County. Most of the tops were down
and the drivers and passengers weren’t even too frozen by the end of the
tour. Karl Schmitt graciously donated
his time and energy to map out a terrific route that included stops at the Fletcher
House in Hillsboro, the
Sandy
Creek Covered Bridge,
and lunch at Jilly’s Café and Steak House in Fenton.
Besides directions, Karl included a great written narrative to accompany our
drive which included many interesting historical facts about the sites we were
passing. He put a lot of work into it,
and we really appreciate it! Many
thanks to Karl for a fun-filled day – a great time was had by all!!!
TR250 Engine
Installation, By John Maneke
Hi everyone my
name is John Maneke and this story is about my TR250.
I bought the car four years ago and it sat in my garage up until January of
last year. I drove it numerous times during the cold weather as long as the
roads were dry with no problems. In the spring the radiator sprung a leak in
the webbing and I took to a shop to have it fixed.When
last summer rolled around I started having trouble with the car overheating. At
first I wasn't sure if the gauge was working properly or not so I replaced it
along with the sending unit and it still showed that it was running hot. I
tried cleaning out the engine and radiator with chemicals and it still
overheated. I thought to myself maybe the shop soldered too many of the tubes
shut so I got a new radiator. I checked and rechecked everything that I could
think of. Finally I pulled the head and took it down to JCM Machine and
Coatings to have it looked at. Charley called me and had me come down to see.
The head had cracks all over the place! He said that he could weld it up and
grind it down but couldn't guarantee it. OK now what do I do? There aren't any
new heads being made for the six cylinder engine at this time, although I have
read about a chap over in the UK
that is working on an aluminum prototype. I started asking around and Arlie
King let me have a used head that he had down at the Hobby Shop. I took that
head over to JCM to have it redone and THEN IT HIT ME, as long as the head is
off I might as well go hole hog and freshen up everything. The clutch had so
much play in it that sometimes I had to push it all the way to the stop to get
it to disengage and I had no idea what kind of shape the motor was in. With all
of the things that I had found wrong with the car since it's
purchase I didn't want to take any chances. I pulled the motor and transmission
and took the rest of the motor down to the machine shop and had them check it
out. Well 20 over on the pistons, 20 over on the mains and 20 over on the rods.
While this was going on I took a good look at the transmission! What a mess!!!
The tapered pin was missing and the clutch operating fork was welded to the
shaft. One of the pins in the fork was worn almost in half. New bushings and
all new hardware and back together with a new clutch. I can't believe its the same transmission, there is no slop at all now. I
have been having all manner of problems putting things back together. Although
the car is a TR250 not all of the motor is from that year. The head was correct
but the rest of the motor is from a later model and that presents a host of parts
changes. Some of the parts that I purchased wouldn't fit and I had to send them
back and order parts for a later year. I believe that the block stayed pretty
much the same but the head, crankshaft and flywheel all changed.
Creig Houghtaling came up and helped me mate the transmission
back to the motor and install it in the car. THANK YOU CREIG! I couldn't have
done it by myself. I hope to have it up and running before winter is over. I
also want to thank Dave Massey for the donation of a later model intake
manifold. THANK YOU DAVE. My old manifold wouldn't fit the later model head. I
have already given away my old intake to a club member who needed it. There
have been numerous upgrades made in the rebuilding process. New
cam, roller rockers, double row timing chain and gears and bigger valves to
name a few. I can hardly wait to get back on the road.
Classified Ads: Contact Creig Houghtaling at 
, the
address listed below, or 314-401-7817 to place a free ad in this newsletter.
For Sale: 1979 TR7
rolling chassis - Texas car, solid floors straight body with exception of nose
but have straight replacement sheet metal. Your choice of
390:1 or 345:1 rear end ratios. Additional parts negotiable, details - 636-734-3937 ask for Craig.
Arlie King has a
set of TR3 spoke wheels and tires for sale, Call today to get a really low
price. Please call him at 636-677-0545
I’ve got a new
supply of Castrol GT LMA brake fluid. $10 for a quart. $5 for a 12 oz. Creig Houghtaling
314-401-7817
Press Release, By Robert Rushing January
28, 2008 - St Louis, Missouri
John “The MG Doc”
Mangles would like to announce a name change for his business from Hi-Tech
Collision Repair to All British Car Repair.
Located in St Louis, Missouri,
John has been the owner/operator of his shop since 1986.
He began his
career in 1969 after graduating from technical school and focused mainly on
collision damage repair. Around the time
he opened Hi-Tech, the British car bug bit him and he restored his first – a
1965 MGB. Over the course of the next 14
years, John took on a number of restoration jobs as side work to his main
business of collision repair.
Eventually, he got so many requests for general repair and restoration
work from British sportscar enthusiasts that he
decided to go start turning away collision work and only focus on those great
English cars.
Beginning in 2000,
John began specializing in MG and Triumph repair and restoration, focusing
mainly on MGA and MGBs, including V8 conversions; but
also performing work on other British marques like Austin-Healey, Jaguar,
etc. John is a charter member of the
British Motor Trade Association – www.britcar.org – and is active in several
local as well as national car clubs.
Examples of his
work and an extensive collection of detailed photos can be found at his website
– www.allbritishcarrepair.com, including the beginning-to-end story of the
restoration of his famous MGA V8 that he created out of a parted-out rusting
hulk of a 1957 MGA.
All British Car
Repair is located at 2618 Woodson Road,
St
Louis, Missouri 63114. His phone number is (314) 426-1600 and can be
e-mailed at mgdoc@sbcglobal.net.
Creig Houghtaling, Editor
36 Copper Mountain Court
Fenton, MO 63026