October, 2012

Dave Tothill and Old Blue 1959 Morris

Next MeetingOctober 1st, 2012 7:00 pm at The Weathervane in Bedford

(603) 472-2749

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Car of the Month

Old Blue &Two Tone Red

by David Tothill

The year was 1973 and we were experi-encing our first oil embargo. When mybrother-in-law offered me an automobilethat got 40 mpg I was all ears. The priceof $25 sealed the deal for this college stu-dent with no money. So began my firstexperience with Morris Minors and myentrance into the world of British cars!While the price of $25 seemed like a bar-gain, there was plenty of work to do asMorris had been in a fender bender. Thecar needed a front bumper, right wing,front grille and new bonnet. I had no ideawhere or if I would be able to find re-placement parts for a 1959 Morris MinorSalon. My parents had recently relocatedfrom Massachusetts to New Hampshire.I drove my crippled Morris to my parent’sold farm house, which was undergoing itsown restoration, when the electriciansworking on the home exclaimed, “Wow,a Morris Minor! There’s a fella in Loudonwho has a dozen or more Morris Minors.”

After receiving directions to Mr. ElliotBatchelder’s home and shop, I made myway to Loudon and introduced myself toMr. B. This first pleasant encounter ce-mented my enthusiasm and involvementwith Morris Minors. Mr. B. was a pri-vate gentleman who worked on Englishcars in his quiet, remote shop in the woods.He asked me what I needed and I pro-ceeded to show him my damaged parts.He took me to a number of sheds andpulled out a bumper, right wing, front grilleand bonnet.

Thinking this was going to cost me morethan my original purchase I uttered,“What do I owe you?” Much to my de-light, Mr. B. treated me more than fairlyand charged me $18 total! He would con-tinue to be a great source of parts andknowledge, especially during my earlyyears of Morris Minoring, and he wouldlater sell me my yellow Tourer, which I

still own, for $225.

Now the work began, as I had lots of bodyparts of different colors and stages of rust.Sanding and painting would be next! Thework would take place at my parent’sfarm house. Off I went to the hardwarestore to buy sandpaper and paint. I walkeddown the paint aisle looking at the rain-bow of spray cans. This was before so-phisticated color charts and computerizedcolor-matching machines. Since Morris

was already blue, I decided to keep thatshade and searched for a blue cap thatmatched closely enough.

I was home on Thanksgiving break andthe temperature was a balmy 30 degrees.When I read the instructions on the can,it stated, “Best when used at 70 degreesor above.” I considered my options. Thebarn wouldn’t do as it was as cold as abarn. The basement wouldn’t do as it wasa damp 40 degrees and inaccessible. Myparents were gone for the day and thehouse seemed the best option. The diningroom was the warmest at 65 degrees, soI set about masking off the brick hearthand covering the dining room table withnewspaper. “That ought to do it!” Ithought. I went about my business andbegan to spray each part as carefully as

possible. When I was finished, I steppedback to admire my work. The good newswas I got all my parts covered in paint,but the bad news was that I learned aboutover-spray. This would be the first andlast time I painted in my parent’s house!

After assembling my freshly painted bodyparts, I got Morris inspected and headedback to school. The almost five hour rideback to Castine, Maine would prove tobe challenging as the heaters in MorrisMinors are barely adequate on a cool day,never mind when it is below 30 degrees.I would later find out the handling ofMorris Minors in the snow is less thandesirable as well, as they are very light inthe rear end and have poor traction.

I survived my first winter with my MorrisMinor at school with few mechanicalproblems until the spring. I was about tolearn about torsion bars and cross mem-bers. I was driving around Castine, whenall of a sudden my left wing dropped ontomy left tire and Morris became impos-sible to steer. After examining my sus-pension, I realized that rust had dissolvedmy cross member where the torsion barmounts, causing the torsion bar to releaseand drop the left wing onto my tire.

I was an engineering student and hadtaken welding as one of my courses. Withpermission from my welding instructor, Iput my minimal welding skills to the test.After quite a bit of jacking, blocking andwelding, I was able to secure my torsionbar, thus holding my left wing off the tire.Not knowing what the torsion bar torquesetting should be or even how to accom-plish that, my work had left the left winghigher than the right wing, making Morrislook a little cocked! That was good enoughfor me!

After making a safe trip home, I realizedI was pushing my luck with the seriouslyrusting unibody. This would be Old Blue’slast trip. She would spend the next 25years beside my parent’s barn before Idecided it was time to part her out. Bythen, the neighborhood kids had takencare of all her glass with rocks. So Igrabbed the torch and saved what I

Dave and Two Tone Red(same jacket as in cover photo)

3

AC – ALLARD – ALPINE – TVR – DAIMLER – MORRIS MOTORCYCLES – TRIUMPH – MG - JAGUAR – AUSTIN HEALEY

LAND ROVER – RELIANT SCIMITAR – LOTUS

BRITISH CARS OF NEW HAMPSHIREMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

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If possible, please submit a photo and article of your car to be included inThe Boot, Hood & Bonnet - BCNH’s monthly newsletter.

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Name_______________________________ Spouse______________________

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Year, Make, Model of Your Auto(s)___________________________________

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British Cars of New Hampshire (BCNH) is an organization devoted tothe preservation, restoration and enjoyment of all British automobiles.

BCNH provides to its members and their families British auto-orientedactivities and social events throughout the year. Benefits of the club par-ticipation include monthly meetings, rallies, tech sessions, club socials,car shows and other events.

The club publishes a monthly newsletter, The Boot, Hood & Bonnet.News of upcoming events, club activities, car show results, technical tipsand articles submitted by members are included in the newsletter. Mem-bers also receive a discount on a subscription to the British Marque, amonthly car club newspaper.

A club logo window decal is provided. Additional decals may be pur-chased.

Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Weathervanerestaurant unless otherwise announced. All members are encouraged toattend and bring guests.

BCNH invites you to become a member of our active and growing clubby submitting the application above.

___ Paper Newsletter or ___ electronic copy of the Newsletter

BCNHMONARCHY

PRIME MINISTERSWade dos SantosRobert Mitchell

CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERJohn Giese

NEWSLETTERJohn Giese

Irene MacDougallLinda dos Santos

Joan Giese

REGALIA(open)

SECRETARYNorma Karle

WEBMASTERKate Stanley Robinson

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORLouis Belanger

TECH SESSIONS COORDINATORWade dos Santos

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR(open)

PUBLIC RELA TIONS(open)

INTER-CLUB COORDINA TOR(open)

SOCIAL DIRECTORSGinger Christiansen

Cheryl BernsteinIrene MacDougall

CALENDAR COORDINA TORNorma Karle

SHOW OF DREAMS DIRECTORBob Stanley

HISTORIANMike Sweet

www.bcnh.org

Contact information on page 4

Please send application and $30 annual dues (payable to BCNH) to:Lou Belanger, 11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052

4

Disclaimer:As a matter of policy, British Carsof New Hampshire does notendorse any of the businesses thatadvertise in this newsletter.

Prime Minister’sMissive

Contact informationLouis Belanger 11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052 424-7835 80mgbman@comcast.netCheryl Bernstein 14 Franconia Drive, Nashua, NH 03063 882-8682 Cherylbern@comcast.netGinger Christiansen7 Sycamore Lane, Nashua, NH 03063 883-0288 gingchrist@aol.comLinda dos Santos PO Box 840, Manchester, NH 03105 732-2854 lin41957@yahoo.comWade dos Santos PO Box 840, Manchester, NH 03105 623-5209 wade@grolen.comJohn Giese 153 Crooked S Road, Lyndeborough, NH 03082 654-2565 johgie@tds.netNorma Karle 22 Partridge Lane, Londonderry, NH 03053 437-8931 karle01@comcast.netIrene MacDougall 147 Concord Street, Nashua, NH 03064 305-5976 limacd@msn.comRobert Mitchell PO Box 270, Stratham, NH 03885 772-1116 RBMit-MM@comcast.netBob Stanley 64 North Shore Drive, Center Barnstead, NH 03225776-6698 tlckit@yahoo.com

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Treasurer’s Report

Start BalanceMembershipNewsletterWindow decalsEnd Balance

August 15 to September 15Club account

$7743.58$50.00

$170.00$67.19

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Show of Dreams accountStart BalanceSponsorsTwo way radiosThank you cardsEnd Balance

Welcome ourNewest Members

Brad & Susan Geer58 Evergreen Hill Road

Hancock, NH 03449(603) 525-8076

bgeer@stdhardwarenh.com1979 MGB

Like many of you I belong to more thanone car club. Since 1982 I have been amember of Triumph Travelers Sports CarClub (located in California). In this col-umn I wish to tell you about the differ-ences and similarities between the twoclubs.

Triumph Travelers Sports Car club (alsoknown as T.T.S.C.C.) and the British Carsof New Hampshire (also known asB.C.N.H.) are both regional clubs thatcover approximately the same amount ofsquare miles... or rods for those peoplethat are into old English measurements.

Whereas TTSCC is a single marque club,BCNH is a multi-marque club. Both clubshave maintained approximately the samenumber of members (around 150).

Both clubs do not insist that membersactually own a British car, only that theyhave an interest in British automotive ve-hicles. In fact, TTSCC has allowed suchnon-sports cars as the Triumph Heraldsedan and the Triumph 2000 stationwagon. BCNH have members who own(or who have owned) British bicycles,delivery vans, and even a double-deckerbus!

TTSCC is the grandfather club being es-tablished in 1958, while BCNH is theyoungster, formed in 1992.

Every November/December draws manyTTSCC members to vie for club offices...with hot debates (wink), whereas, BCNH

officers seem to be elected for a lifetimeof servitude (perhaps for the amusementof the general membership).

Both clubs have monthly meetings. Andwhile BCNH has met in a variety of res-taurants, TTSCC has met in a variety ofplaces; they started out in a dealership,moved to a restaurant, then into a com-munity room at a savings and loan. Fromthere they moved into a Hewlett-Packardauditorium. TTSCC is currently in a res-taurant.

Finally, both clubs have kind, caring,friendly, fun-loving people who love/hatetheir British cars and are having a goodtime!

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Minutes

Bob Mitchell called the meeting to orderat 7:03. The Minutes and Treasure’s re-port being accepted as read.

Introductions of New Members andGuests as follows:

1. Brad Geer. He has a ’79 MGB. Hemet Bill & Sue MacDuff at the car showyesterday and will be going to the BritishInvasion at Stowe in September.

Introductions of Semi- New Members andmembers that we don’t get to see a lot,BUT always love to see them when wecan are as follows:

Mar c Vadenais from Peterborough.

Dana Casko and Denice Anderson.They own a couple of MGs and Tri-umphs. They will be showing their TR7at Stowe.

Nancy Rouset lives in the lakes regionand drives a 1970 Jaguar XKE will alsobe going to Stowe this year as well.

Recap of past month’s Events

1. Top on the agenda was the SOD finaltally. At this time per John Giese, the Trea-surer, we have $7,743 in the account.Taking into consideration that we try tokeep at least $1,000 for start up moniesfor the following year, it was decided andvoted on this year’s amount to donate toHigh Hopes: $6,500.00

Bob Mitchell brought up the fact that inthe beginning, we were donating $2,000 -$3,000 each year. With the hard work anddedication that we have in our club, overthe past few years, we have increasedour donations to High Hopes to: $6,500 -$8,500. At this time, we may want to con-sider dividing the donation to a couple ofcharities. He asked the club to think aboutthis as an option to be discussed at an-other meeting.

Bob let us all know that the license platesare in for anyone that wants one. He leftthem in the Riley, but passed around onefor show. He will be bringing them in for

the next meeting for anyone that wantsone.

2. Bob talked about the BarnstormersPlayhouse and about visiting the A – ZCollection that they saw in Chocorua.What a wonderful time did all that wenthave! He suggested that any one that wantto go on a nice ride and show should takea ride up to Tamsworth and take in theshow. We will definitely be trying to dothis ride again next year!

3. The MacDuff ‘s talked about thePeterborough Cruz in Day which is heldon the Second Sunday of every month.The last one will be in October.

4. The MacDuff ‘s also talked about theannual car show on Prince Edward Is-land. It was a lot of fun. They also met aman selling a Lotus Eclat at an extremelylow price.

The last of past events that was talkedabout was the Kiwanis Car Show. (Storyand pictures are in the newsletter). Whata wonderful display of cars and clubs!The Studebaker club brought (28) vari-ous Studebakers and the Cobra clubbrought 8-10 cars. BCNH shined as wellwith winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the For-eign – English class. Congratulations BobMitchell with the Riley taking 1st, DaveLeblanc’s 1958 Healey 100/6 took 2ndPlace and Dave Tothill’s Morris MinorDelivery Van took 3rd Place.

John Giese reminded everybody who goeson events to try to write a little something.Every little bit helps to keep the club in-formed as to events that are happening,

as well as wonderful reading for ournewsletter! Bob Mitchell added in, thateven those who take pictures should sendthem into John so he can marry them upwith the articles.

Upcoming events

1. The British Invasion at Stowe (Sep-tember 14-16). Everybody who is goingraised their hands. It was suggested thatafter the meeting that they talk aboutworking on caravan plans. A suggestionwas made to meet at the park & ride atexit 2 on Route 89.

2. The Murder Mystery will be Sep-tember 23rd. Bob Stanley will be step-ping down this year from being the Serial(or is that Cereal) killer this year. (SeePage 8 of last month’s newsletter.)

3. The Boston Cup will be on Septem-ber 23rd as well. On display will be 100invitations-only quality vehicles from theold to the new organized by country:United States, Italy, France, Germany andGreat Britain. All will be competing forthe prestigious Boston Cup. Bob Mitchellwill be entered with his Riley. Good luckBob!

4. September 29th will be the first 2013SOD committee meeting at Bob & DiStanley’s house.

5. Page 14 of the newsletter has infor-mation on the “Speckled Hen Run (Oc-tober 5th – the 7th).

6. October 13th - There will be a

continued page 6

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Aluminum Alloy Cooling Fan SystemsPolyurethane Suspension Bushings

Electric Wire Harness/Loom SetsFuel Injection Rebuild Kits

LED Upgradesfor all British and European Classic Cars

6

Evil Never DiesSEPTEMBER 23RD 2012

BCNH Murder Mystery tourRain date September 30th

Grimsby Graves gives up the ghost. Evil Eye Emil may have come backand done it. That’s for you to find out.

Suspects:

Gregory Graves; Grimsby Grave’s only child. Gregory is a “loner” with fewacquaintances and even fewer friends. His time is occupied by his unusualhobby.

Bella Bones; Mortician and owner of Bones Mortuary. The Bones familyhas supervised the eternal interment of Reapers for as long as people canremember.

Jack Lantern; Pumpkin farmer. Halloween is his most profitable time of theyear as people travel from miles around to purchase the perfect grandgourd from his peculiar patch.

Penelope Crust; Owner of the Reaper Bakery. Her recipes for Halloweentreats have been passed down from generation to generation. No one isquite sure of the ingredients.

Todd Sweeney; Reapers Junction’s Barber. He’s been cutting Reaper hairfor years and still uses a straight razor to give his customers the closestpossible shaves.

Tara Cardoli; Mystic and former fortune teller. Townspeople clandestinelyseek her advice. Her predictions have been amazingly accurate.

We need three female and three male role players to portray the suspects.Please email me geolincob@comceast.net to indicate your interest. Let’stry to have some new faces in these roles. All other parties will be assignedas investigators.

We will all meet at Sunny’s restaurant, 250 Calef Highway, (rt 125) Lee,NH 03861. 603-292-6607. Meet at 8 AM for breakfast or a bit later forthose wanting only coffee. We will introduce the role players and thebackground of the Murder Mystery at 8:45 AM in the parking lot. Expectto pull out no later than 9:30 AM. CSI sites are in Portsmouth, HamptonFalls, and Exeter. Hope to see many of you on Sunday Sep. 23rd.

George Coburn 603 834 2224

uniqueTour/ Driving event-takingplace in Athol, MA. This Fall Foliage Tourwill be held for the second year. The meetup location is at 399 Exchange St., inAthol, MA. The day is scheduled to be-gin at 9 am with an informal Tech / Tune-up session. (Further information is in thenewsletter)

7. Dave Leblanc will be holding the Oc-tober 21st SOD Meeting at his place onPawtuckaway Lake. Further informationto follow at a later date.

8. October 27th is Extinct Car day at theLar z Anderson Museum. Wonderfulopportunity to see cars that you don’t seeanymore!

9. Sunday November 11th will be the lastSunday drive for the year. It will start witha brunch at Gilmanton Winery & vine-yard and then to visit with Nick Greweland his collection of 40-50 cars.

New Business

Holiday party: Bob Mitchell asked fornew ideas of places to go. We are look-ing at the last weekend of November orthe first weekend of December. Therewas some discussion of checking outHampshire Hills and the Mile Away (Bothof which are in Milford).

Please email Bob at: rbmit-mm@comcast.net if anyone has any ideasof places to go. We need to seriously de-cide where we want our party in order tobook it soon.

Under New Business Wade dos Santosintroduced his new “Jaguar” that will begoing to the SOD raffle next year. Wewill be taking good care of him until then.Thank God he doesn’t eat much. It isnever too early to start finding raffle prizesfor the next SOD!

Under New Business Bob Mitchelltalked a little about the BCNH clubhouse.More information will follow at a latertime.

Meeting was adjourned at 7:55. A goodtime was had by all!

Goldie

Minutes Continued

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could. My son helped me take the remainsof the unibody to the bone yard. Thatevening on my way home, I was feelingrather melancholy and realized that Iwould never have that experience of driv-ing the two door Morris Salon again. Mydaughter overheard my lament and sug-gested, “Dad, what about the internet?”She proceeded to pull up Morris Minorsfrom all over the country. “Look at thisone,” she said. “A 1959 Morris Minor twodoor salon, 95 percent rust free.”

“Let me see that,” I said. “It can’t be true!I have never heard of a Morris Minor 95percent rust free!” The car was a twotoned blend of red with shiny chrome.After many emails, pictures and phoneconversations to the owner in Arizona, Ibecame the new owner of Two ToneRed! I was very excited to get the car,although somewhat nervous about its truecondition. I waited up until almost mid-night for the car carrier to arrive. Onceagain after so many years, I was able todrive a stock 1959 Morris Minor Salondown the road. She drove and handledjust like Old Blue.

Luckily, I hadn’t been without Morris Mi-nors that whole time. To sustain me be-tween my drought from Old Blue to TwoToned Red, I have been driving my yel-low 1957 Tourer purchased from Mr. B.as well as a recently purchased cream1955 Morris Minor Van. I also own a(soon to be) blue 1959 Morris Minor Trav-

eller, which I drove from Long Beach,California to Barnstead, New Hampshirein 1980. That is a story for another time!

In all the years of driving my English cars,I had never joined a club, registry or or-ganization until meeting Tim Young. Hispersistence both in talking to me and leav-ing BCNH business cards in my Englishcars finally got me to the Show of Dreamsat the Nick in Wolfeboro, New Hamp-shire. I brought Two Toned Red to theevent and met lots of British Car enthusi-asts and had a wonderful time. I joinedthe club that day and my wife and I haveenjoyed numerous events sponsored by

Car of the Month Continued

the club, including holiday parties and din-ner drives. I hope to be at the Nick onAugust 4th, but am not sure which MorrisI will take. Perhaps it is time to take theMorris Van. I am looking forward to manymore activities and events with BCNH.

You never know who is going to comeinto your life and how they are going toinfluence you. It is safe to say that if mybrother-in-law had not sold me my firstMorris Minor and taught me basic me-chanic skills or if I had never met Mr. B,my enthusiasm and interest in British carsmay not have developed into what it istoday.

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FROM THE GARAGE

INSTALLING GASBOOT (TRUNK)

STRUTSDave Braun, Tech CoordinatorMinnesota MG Group by Steve

Greenway V. President – MMGG

Reprinted from the Octogram, thenewsletter of the MGs of Baltimore

Steve Greenway is our Guest Writer forthis month’s column. I hope you enjoy hisarticle as much as I did. MMGG did atech session on this topic a couple of yearsago. The project is a great addition for anon-concours MGs!

This past spring I purchased a set of trunklid gas struts from Victoria British to re-place my single stock strut. I guess theseshould really be called boot lid struts sincethey are for a British car, but the catalogdidn’t call them that and I’ve never beento the U.K. so I’m calling it a trunk. Feelfree to read “trunk” as “boot” if it makesyou feel better. I got the strut kit for about$60. I was sure that someone was goingto ruin my trunk lid by attempting to closeit without releasing the strut. (That “some-one” would probably be me.) I purchasedthese in May and here it’s the end of Sep-tember and the new struts are still sittingon my workbench. I guess it’s time to putthem on before it gets cold and I decideto wait for spring. Without any doubt Iwill lose one of the important and irre-placeable parts if this kit sits in my shopover the winter.

One strut would probably would work fine,(and that kit was $20 cheaper) but I just

couldn’t bring myself to do that. I recentlyhad my springs replaced all the wayaround and now that the car sits level,that cockeyed truck lid bothers me. I al-ways start these projects with a little trepi-dation because I am something less thana master mechanic and I know how littleprojects sometimes have the magical abil-ity to turn into long and drawn out projectsin the blink of an eye. But, you can’t fin-ish something that you haven’t started yet,so I carried forward.

First, I assembled the tools I thought wouldbe necessary for the project. The instruc-tions that came with the struts didn’t re-ally specify what tools were needed, butby looking at the bag of parts I could seethat a 7/16 inch wrench would play intothis as would a 3/8 inch wrench and a #2Phillips screwdriver. I don’t know whatthose dimensions are in Whitworths, butI don’t have those kind of tools anywayso I made due with ordinary fractionalsized stuff from Sears. (It turns out that Ialso needed a portable drill, two 1/8” bitsand a 3/16” drill bit, but I didn’t know thisyet.)

The instructions said to begin by remov-ing the original strut. Easy enough, but thatmeans there will be nothing holding thetrunk lid open. A broom handle, a brokengolf club, a 2x4, or even a short neighborkid will all work as long as they are about36” in length. Once the trunk lid is sup-ported you can remove the two bolts hold-ing the original strut in place.

I needed a couple of 7/16” wrenches todo this, and one needed to be either a boxend wrench or a thin-wall socket. Thehead of each bolt is in the metal channelthat makes up the strut and open endwrenches are too wide to fit inside thechannel. The left side strut was actu-

ally really simple to install. Two boltsthrough existing holes, stick on washersand nuts, and you’re ready to pop the firststrut on – but don’t, later measurementsare easier if it isn’t in place yet and thestruts go on a whole lot easier than theycome off. (Guess how I know this.) Oneof the nice things about this project is thatit moves along quickly so you can feellike you are actually making progress in ashort amount of time. That keeps you mo-tivated and energized enough to move onto the next part. So far I really haven’teven had to read the instructions, I mostlyjust followed the diagrams.

Even for a klutz this is only about a 5minute job – so far. If I’d been happy witha single strut installation I’d be done rightnow and I could go out driving, butnoooooo…. being the fussy sort I got thedual strut kit so I’ve got a ways to go yet.(Simple mathematics might suggest thatI’m half way finished, but in fact I’m onlyabout 5% of the way there – of course Idon’t know that yet either.)

The first strut had the benefit of attach-ing to existing brackets meaning it wouldhave been difficult to go too far wrong.On the right-side however, you actuallyhave to use a tape measure and drill bits.As you will see, there are many opportu-nities for mistakes on the second strut.Have you ever noticed that most drill bitsets include two-each of the small bits andonly one each of the larger sizes? I be-lieve the thinking is “they’re small and theybreak easily, this way you have a backupready in case you break the first one”.When I opened the case to get my 1/8”drill bit out, I saw that both 1/8” slots wereempty – you can probably guess why:they’re small and they break easily. Icouldn’t find any 1/8” bits in the junk

9

drawer either so it was time for a trip tothe hardware store. At least I could justclose the trunk lid and drive my B there,this made the trip more fun than drivingmy truck. I must not be the only personto break both my 1/8” bits because thestore only sold them in packs of two. OK,back home with my new bits… The ideais to get the right side strut brackets in-stalled in the same relative (mirror image)positions as the existing brackets are onthe left side. No pattern or measurementswere provided, but overall it wasn’t toodifficult – or maybe it just wasn’t all thatcritical that they match closely. The strutsconnect to the car with ball joints, so Imeasured to the center of the ball on theleft bracket. I put masking tape on theright side of the trunk lid and then marked,on the masking tape, where the ball shouldgo. I lined the bracket up so the right sideball connector was directly over my mark.I held the bracket stationary and markedthe screw holes. It would be helpful tohave someone assisting at this point. Youneed to center punch the trunk lid and thendrill two small holes in it. This should bepretty simple, but working overhead canmake simple tasks a bit more trying. Forexample, the trunk lid could lift up a bitwhen you smack it with the center punch.If it lifts too far, your support stick mightfall over and if you’re really unlucky thelid could fall and clunk you on the head.Don’t ask how I know this. The instruc-tions caution you to use a drill stop whendrilling these holes so you don’t go throughthe brace and dimple the trunk lid itself.This seemed like a good idea to me so Iwent to my junk drawer and after search-ing for a few minutes a minor miraclehappened: I actually found a 1/8” drill

stop. I put the drill stop on my brand newbit and tightened it up just a little snap.

Oops…good thing these bits come twoto a pack. Once I got the drill, bit andstop ready to go the holes were really easyto drill. The right-side bracket was at-tached with the included self-tappingsheet metal screws. The last bracket waseasier to drill, but harder to mark. Youhave to drill in the rain channel and thebracket doesn’t fit in there for markingthe holes very well. It’s probably worth

spending some time getting this markedcorrectly before you drill. My holes wereabout 1/16” off and I made a mess ofthings trying to adjust the hole afterwords.Once the last bracket is bolted on youcan snap the struts in place and test themout. Mine work great right from the start.

Not counting the little trip to the hardwarestore, I was finished in 53 minutes flatwhich I thought was pretty good. This wasa really nice small project for the car thatwas easy, not too expensive and I enjoythe results every time I open the trunk.

David LeBlanc and Dave Tothill and I allattended the Concord Kiwanis Car Showat the NH Technical Institute today - andwe took 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Foreign -English class - with the Riley 1st and DaveLeblanc's '58 Heal;ey 100/6 2nd and DaveTothill's Morris Minor Delivery Van 3rd.

Dave & Jane Corbett were there asspectator's (Dave having successfullysold their MGA.)

BCNH did it again

10

A to Z + P + F

Gimme an “A” Gimme a “Z”Gimme a “P” and Gimme an

“F”

What have you got?

You’ve got BCNH Members going to seeJohn Moir’s “A to Z Car Collection” inChocorua and then to a Picnic at theRemick Country Doctor Museum andthen to see a matinee performance of TheForeigner at the Barnstormer’s Theaterin Tamworth on Saturday Aug 25.

And what a day we had. If you missedthis one, you missed something good.

Many thanks to BCNH Member LeeSpencer for setting up the visit to JohnMoir ’s collection. This is a truly one of akind collection with – quite literally – acar for each letter of the alphabet, not to

mention shelves and shelves of variousautomotive paraphernalia. It was abso-lutely amazing.

It was an unexpected bene when welearned later that Bob and Di Stanley’sson-in-law Tim (husband of BCNHWebmaster Kate) was one of the con-tractors that helped John to build his “C’aBahn.” (That’s Car Barn with a NewEngland accent for those that haven’t fig-ured it out)

We then had a very pleasant picnic lunchprovided by the good folks at the RemickCountry Doctor Museum and Farm inTamworth. Everything on the menu –except for the complimentary red or whitewine – was grown on the farm (or near-by farms) and was delicious. We thengot to tour the good Doctor Remick’shome/office to see what life was like fora Country Doctor of the 1800s. It wasvery interesting to see just what “conve-niences” they did –and did not – have.

After the picnic we “walked next door”to the Barnstormer’s Theater to see anabsolutely hilarious performance of theplay “The Foreigner.” Joyce and I havehad the good fortune of having seen this

Leesa Knudson HudakDon Hudak, Owners

www.BritBooks.com

800.732.3646BritBooks@BritBooks.com

149 Morrill RoadCanterbury, Nh 03224

You can see pictures taken at CA’A BAHN by Bob Stanley athttps://plus.google.com/photos/101311072147790574553/albums/5782907702738808657?banner=pwa

play before at the Peterborough Play-house so we had some idea of what wewere in for. Both of these theaters aretrue “Summer Stock Playhouses” withprofessional Actor’s Equity Guild per-formers but I will have to admit that I thinkthe “players” at the Barnstormer’s – atleast for this performance - were evenbetter than those at Peterborough!!

They really did have us rolling in the aisles.I would highly recommend putting theBarnstormer’s on your list of “places togo” in the next season. It was absolutelyworth the drive to the “north of theLakes.”

11

Another Fall FoliageOpportunity

On Saturday, October 13th, 2012, therewill be a unique Tour/ Driving event-tak-ing place in Athol, MA. This Fall FoliageTour will be held for the second year, andmany LBC enthusiasts are expected toattend. Participants come from MA, RI,CT, NH, and possibly even from ME. Themeet up location is at 399 Exchange St.,in Athol, MA. The day is scheduled tobegin at 8 am with an informal Tech /Tune-up session. This will be an opportu-nity to discuss any minor issues you’reexperiencing with your car as well as re-new & make new acquaintances. Up-

dates to the schedule can be checked bynavigating to the MG Experience website,click on the MGB and MGB GT Forumand type New England (MA) Fall Foli-age in the Search Box. This year’s touris expected to be slightly longer than lastyear’s, since many of the twisty, curvyroads have been improved after lastyear’s storm damage. The Tour allowsfor both enthusiastic and sedate drivingstyles. Those who choose to pursue amore spirited driving experience will leadoff, followed by a second group that canenjoy a more leisurely pace. Either way,you’re sure to have a wonderful day ofcamaraderie and adventure, as our TourLeader has selected a route that’s sureto please every sports car enthusiast.

BCNH DinnerDrives

Sunday Dinner Drive – Nov 11

There Have Been Some Changes

The date for the Dinner Drive (ac-tually Brunch Drive) that we hadplanned for October 28 has beenchanged.

This Drive will be another new for-mat for us. Instead of dinner thisdrive will be to Brunch at theGilmanton Winery on MeadowPond Road in Gilmanton.

Following Brunch, we have been in-vited by Club Member NickGrewal to visit his collection inSanbornton which is about 15 milesfrom the Winery.

So, we will meet at the Winery atabout noon and spend about an hour-and-a-quarter to fully appreciate thebrunch fare and then wend our wayover to Nick’s farm in Sanbornton.Hopefully, Nick will be able to joinus at the Winery and will be able tolead us to the Farm using the backroads.

Nick has a wonderful collection ofabout 40-50 cars – all British – thatare roughly half road cars and halfrace cars. And these are not thecars that you usually see – even atshows.

I strongly encourage you to join usfor this outing. I do not think youwill be disappointed.

Nick’s garage is heated so weather(short of an actual snowstorm)should not be an issue – and no-onewill be penalized for driving their“winter car” to this event.

Rather than planning a drivingroute to the Winery the “drive” willbe from the Winery to Nick’s Farm

More detail next month.

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,2159250,2159250#msg-2159250

12

McLean Enterprises Inc.

Sales & ServiceOrderingInformationFax

Over 30 Fine British Sports Cars in stock14 Sagamore Road (Rte.1A) Rye. Nh

Check out our Web Site at www.britbits.com

603 436-1989800 995-2487603 433-0001603 433-0009

MG • Austin Healey • Triumph •Sunbeam • Jaguar • Morris MinorSales & Service • Parts, New & Used • Gifts • Clothing • Accessories

Brit Bits at

To order your BCNH name badgecontact John Giese at:

(603) 654-2565 or

johgie@tds.net

September23rd - Murder Mystery Tour27th - Extinct Car Day Museum ofTransportation, Larz Anderson Park,Boston, Ma www.larzanderson.orgTBD Sunday Dinner Drive29th - SOD meeting at Stanley’s

October1st Meeting at the Weathervane, BedfordTBD Sunday Dinner Drive21st - SOD meeting at LeBlanc’s

November5th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford

December3rd Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford

BCNH 2012 Calendar of Events Show of Dreams

Meetings

September 29Bob & Diana Stanley64 North Shore Drive

Barnstead, NH(603) 766-6698

tlckit@yahoo.com

October 21, 1PMDave & Cheryl Leblanc

137 Highland Ave.Nottingham, NH(603)895-6606

leblancs2k@comcast.net

Since the cool weather is uponus, I thought if people had somefavorite crock pot recipes, itwould be nice to add an ‘autumn’touch. I have plenty of outlets.

Cheryl

I received the notice found belowfrom a number of sources in our club(ENMGR). Before I sent it out tothe club membership I did some re-search to determine that this was notsome kind of scam. After talkingwith the father (William Broome) Icame to the conclusion that the mes-sage was legitimate. William is 76and has accumulated over 1000sports cars including MG's, Tri-umphs and Jags of all ages - mostlyparts cars. The message is belowbut as in all cases neither I or theclub assume any responsibility.

Message From:Kelley Broome

Classic & Sports Car Parts1708 Donna Dr.

Columbia, SC 29203803-743-5537

I have over 300 MG MG-B & GTautos of all years, That have lots ofhard to find parts that will be goingto the crusher, if there are any partsthat you might need or think that oneday you might at a large saving. Sendme a list of what you need or wouldlike to stock for the future when Istill have them. My email iskelleybroome@live.com

MG PARTSfrom John TribleMG Cleveland

Interesting paint job

13

An Invitation to Subscribe to

British MarqueCAR CLUB NEWS

We are now a Participating Club of the British Marque Car Club News, a monthly tabloidnewspaper featuring the news of our club and numerous other British car clubs as well.

Members of Participating Clubs can subscribe to the Marque at a discounted subscriptionrate. You can use the form below to subscribe and begin receiving 11 issues/year full ofinformation about British car events, tech tips, special features, parts supplies andclassifieds.

Free Classified Privilege

Each subscriber from Participating Clubs is also entitled to one free non-commercialclassified (up to 20 words) per issue. An additional 15 cents will be charged per wordover the 20 word limit. Photos are also additional, at $7.50 each.

Subscriptions for U.S. Participating Club members are only $15.00/year.Subscriptions for Canadian club members are only $19.00 (U.S.)/year.

Subscriptions for U.K. and elsewhere overseas are only $25.00 (U.S.)/year.

Don’t delay ~ Subscribe today!

British Marque Car Club Newsc/o Enthusiast Publications, LLC5 Old Nasonville RoadHarrisville, RI 02830U.S.A.

PARTICIPATING CLUB SUBSCRITION FORM

Club Name _________________________________________________________

Member Name ______________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________

City ______________________ State/Prov.______ Zip/Post Code ____________

Phone (Optional) (____) _____-_________ Date ___________________________

Attach cheque or money order payable to Enthusiast Publications, LLC

Form and cheque must be received by the 20th of month prior to receive next issue.

1980 TR-7 convertible, white (originalpaint), no visible rust or major dents, carwas never in any accident. Engine runswell and shifts well. Tires in goodcondition. Top is black and in faircondition. Car is garaged. It was registerin NH for many years and in MA the past12 years. I was a previous member ofBCNH and as such you may have seenthis car at shows. Asking $3300. Dr.Bruce Witte (508) 875-5552

MG Parts for sale: 1800 bare block - $75 cylinder head - $100 (4) rods/pistons - $25 manifold and (2) SU's Radiator with electric cooling fan - $75Dick Merrill 603 224-6822NHHealey@comcast.net

Free to good home1. Owners Workshop Manual (softback)for MGB Roadster & GT Coupe 1962to 1974 by Haynes2. SU- Hitachi Carburetors Manual(softback) by Carbooks, Inc. - Tune,Adjust, Repair, Rebuildemail me at: Robert.Weller@Bdal.com

1953 Jaguar Mark 7 salon sedan -original California car -metal sun roof-needs restoration. All there. In barn for15 years now. Too many projects. Makeoffer. I will email pictures. 978-356-7295johnr@americanrecoveryllc.com

1979 MGB - $16000 (Westbrook,Maine) Allright all of you British LeylandCar Lovers

For details see my ad on the MaineCraigslist http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/3067212258.html

A MUST SEE BRITISH LEYANDTOURING SPORTS CAR. It was anend of the era, of a true British TouringSports Car. Call Anytime, 1-207-318-2769

This Columbus Weekend 2012 is the 5th AnnualSpeckled Hen Run at the Kitzhof Inn.

MG owners from all over the North-East come for this event year afteryear.

You arrive on the Friday with a welcome reception around 5pm. This isan opportunity for us to meet and tell you all about, the Inn and the areawith a few snacks and drinks.

The next morning starts with a hearty Vermont Breakfast or if you canhandle it we do “The Full English” breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage,grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and toast.

After breakfast and a little rest its off on the “Speckled Hen Run” whichis led by the originator of this event Grant Legere (CT MG).

The run stops for lunch at the “Man of Kent” pub in Hoosick, NY wherethey serve “Speckled Hen” beer and British pub grub.

An evening meal is served that night back at the Kitzhof Inn. After themeal we have a pub quiz on a MG or British car theme.

Next morning you have the option of pancakes served with localVermont maple syrup or other cooked options.

Before you leave Simon, your host, takes a group photo of the occasionas a souvenir for you to take home and remember the event.

The 2 night package includes:

Lodging accommodationsA hearty country breakfast each morningA chicken and ribs BBQ dinner on Saturday eveningTax and dining gratuitiesJust $147 per person based on double occupancy!

Three night packages and single rates are available on request.

Call 802-388-8310 for reservations or book on line from our web site.Don’t miss all the fun! Book soon before we are sold out!

Regards Simon & Alison Ferris Kitzhof Inn Tel: (802) 464 8310 (800) 388 8310www.kitzhof.com

Wanted1953 TD Engine I would appreciateanyone’s help in finding a 1250cc Engineto rebuild. Ivan Dorechuck23@metrocast.net

1975 TR6 - 54,087 original miles. Redwith black interior. This is a two ownervehicle and the first owner is family.Always garaged. Never had any bodywork except paint about twenty yearsago. Bondo-free. Michelin red-lines.Seats and carpet were to be next project.Small patch on conv top, but otherwise ingood shape with very clear windows.New stainless exhaust. $10,250. Pleaseemail with further inquiries and photos.dhreedjr@yahoo.com

TR6 Metal rims for sale: I'm convertingover to wire wheels so I'm selling 4 newlypainted rims, spare tire rim, four chromewheel trim rings, and black hub caps.The 4 wheel rims were bead blasted andpower coated only about 5 months agoand look great! Spare rim in good shapebut has not been repainted. Chrome wheelrim rings are in great shape with no rustor nicks... Black hub caps are also in verygood shape.I'm looking for: $275 for the 4 newly painted rims $25 for the spare tire rim $50 for the 4 chrome wheel trim rings $35 for the 4 hub capsLocal pickup only. Willing to meet you foran exchange if the distance isn't too far.Please call (603) 512-2675, ask forDennisNote: pictures show the rims mountedon red line tires... this sale is for therims, trims and caps only...not the redline tires.

MGA 1500 short block - fresh groundbalanced crank and rods crank .020 and.030 Bore .020 Block only No head. Allwork performed by Auto machinist$2,400.00 call 603-652-4717 Ivan.

Jensen Healey Factory Workshopand Owner’s Manual Both in verygood condition, $100.00 for both

TR6 and Spitfire Restoration Guides.Like new, $20.00 each

Big Healeys Collector’s Guide.Excellent condition, $30.00

MGB GT V8 Owner’s Manual.Damaged cover, $10.00

Contact Mike at:coventrycat71@comcast.net

Free to good home60 spoke MGB wheels. In OK shapebut would be better with a good blasting.800-221-6238, mike@mssc-traffic.com

1979 Triumph Spitfir e Red with whitestripe. Low mileage. New paint job. Hardtop, new soft top, tonneau cover, magwheels. $5000 or B.O. Call John 225-6915

Austin Marina Dealership LightedSign: Two sided Austin Marina sign,works great. $250. Contact Mike Sweetat coventrycat71@comcast.net

Marquette DTNA VISIONOwned by a local garage since NEW. Ithink one cable got lost asI never got it from owner.I never used it because Ihave 2 others in mygarage. A real classic toolpriced to move $150.00or best offer Ivan.chuck23@metrocast.net

2 rebuilt Zenith carbur etors, Ser.#175SCD-2, plus 2 new air filters and newmanual choke. Total price $350. Haveother misc. parts for British sports cars.Contact John at 225-6915, orjod4019@comcast.net

Antique 1973 MGB Convertible.Condition is very good. Running conditionis excellent. Have owned this sports carfor approximately 14 years. It has beenput up for the winter each of these. Wehave service and repair orders of whatwe have done. Well maintained. $7995Call Bob at 603-332-9038

1970 E-Type Jaguar - plus parts Plaistow, NHPAUL NARKUS 603-382-2064

British Cars of New Hampshire22 Partridge Lane

Londonderry, NH 03053

BCNH does it again (story page 9)