Vintage Viewpoint · 2014. 5. 8. · The day of the Spring Tour dawned bright and clear (despite...
Transcript of Vintage Viewpoint · 2014. 5. 8. · The day of the Spring Tour dawned bright and clear (despite...
Vintage Viewpoint
The Newsletter of the Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago
Vol. 47, No. 6 June 2013
FROM THE OFF SIDE by Win Gould, President
AND A GRAND PARTY IT WAS!
The 2013 Driving Season is officially underway! Sunday, May 5th dawned bright and clear as Barb and Glenn
Grossklags gathered a whole flock of MGs together on Edens Plaza,
then herded them northward on a scenic Spring Breakfast Drive
through the North Shore’s winding roads to the Lake House
Restaurant in fabulous Lake Bluff.
The Chicagoland MG Club was invited to join us, and as a result
more than thirty individuals all infected with the same propensity to
play with strange little automobiles filled the west end of the
restaurant. The food was good, and from the way some repeatedly
filled their plates, one would think they just came out of hibernation
along with their cars.
All in all – a great start to the 2013 season!
The next regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 12,
beginning at 8 p.m., at the Pizza Joynt, 39 W. North Avenue, Northlake, Illinois.
Minutes of the May 8, 2013 Meeting of the Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago
President Win Gould called the meeting to order
promptly at 8:01 pm. There were eighteen
members present.
A motion was made to approve the minutes of the
April 10th meeting as published. The motion was
seconded and passed unanimously.
Reports:
Treasury—Ric Maitzen passed around the
Treasurer's report.
Membership— Ric Maitzen reported that there are
eighty paid members.
Regalia—Lou Louchios reported about regalia
sales. There were no sales of the stock regalia; five
of the oil drip pans have sold. The remaining five
will be taken to the July GOF in St. Louis.
Old Business:
The Spring Brunch Drive was a rousing success
with nineteen participants. The club extends its
THANKS! to Barb and Glenn Grossklags. Glenn
mentioned that he will be out of town next spring,
thus the Spring Brunch Drive needs a new chairman
for 2014.
Reinout mentioned that there were 24 participants
for the Spring Tune Up. He has dash plaques
shaped like half of an octagon for all of the
combined Chicagoland MG club events.
Jerry Cihak is continuing to work on Club polo
shirts.
New Business:
Ric Maitzen mentioned that he has dash plaques for
the Spring Tour, scheduled for May 18th
. The flyer
has the tour details, which include tours of a jail,
and a museum as well as Jerry Kaufman’s garage.
Reinout mentioned the Spring Chicken Rally, set
for May 19th
will end a George Pharris’ home.
The 2013 GOF Central is scheduled for July
however registrations must be in by June first. The
website is www.gofcentral.com. The hotel phone
number is 636-946-5544. Lou Louchios will mail
out a flyer to all members so they will have it before
the June first deadline.
The fourth of July parade will be a Vintage Club
“members only” event.
Brian Dubin received an email last month inquiring
if a “Replica TD” fiberglass body on a Ford Chassis
would be welcomed at club events. The question
was discussed at length and the answer is No.
There was a question of whether someone could pay
for an oil drip pan electronically; this is not possible
at this time.
Technical Topics:
Reinout bought a new throw-out bearing from
England, for his M Type. During installation he
found that one of the three brackets that secure the
clutch levers broke and left the vehicle. He plans to
make three new brackets.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 pm.
The meeting program was a movie of the 1961
British Racing and Sports Car Club, BRSCC
activities, brought by Marvin Primack. There were
a variety of cars racing; the drivers were both
BRSCC club members and professionals. The 1961
season consisted of twenty-two events and the cars
were not equipped with roll bars or seat belts. An
amusing British chap narrated the movie.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bob Lee, Secretary
The 2013 Driving Season is in full swing. We have already had several events with a great selection of MGs
and members from both clubs. And I hope that the editors found space to print the reviews of the events so that
those of you who weren't able to attend can read about them.
June promises to be another busy MG month with events just about every week. Russ and Amy Mehaffey will
present their second Land's End Rally. This is the oldest rally in the Chicagoland MG Club and it got the name
from the historic trial with the same name in England. In 1925. Cecil Kimber put his MG Car Company on the
map of serious sports cars with his win in Old Number One. In June 1981, 19 MG's participated in the
Chicagoland MG Club's first Land's End Rally. I know that we missed one year, maybe a couple more, so this
could very well be the 30th edition of our rally. And when there were 19 cars in 1981, from less than half the
membership of the two clubs today, we should easily be able to beat that in 2013. How about 30 MGs for
the (about) 30th Land's End Rally?
Dave Bralich will be presenting a new event, a Drive In Movie Night on Saturday evening the 22nd. If you are
not able to participate in the rallies and tours this month, this might be the type of night that you'll like to attend.
Just a drive to the theater and relax for a movie. When was the last time that you went to a drive in movie? For
me the answer is never, and we'll certainly be there!
The midweek experiment for the Jo Daviess Tour turns out to be a great success. More participants than ever
already registered. Please call Dan Herman if you're planning to go to this event. June also has two Auto Cross
events. Our Auto Cross coordinator Joel Brossard is moving out of the area and our most enthusiastic racer,
Seth Jones, is not able to be involved as much as he likes this year. Therefore we're looking for someone to
pick up the racing gloves and continue where Joel and Seth took the program.
Because there are so many new participants, and members from the Vintage group that are not familiar with the
Tulip system for directions in driving events, there is a separate article in this issue. I'll explain the history and
how to use the instructions. I hope that you agree with us that it is very simple and just about bullet proof in
preventing getting lost.
Please contact me at 847.342.9804 or [email protected] with any questions or suggestions. We like to
hear from you.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! JUNE MEETING TO FEATURE SHOW AND TELL
Your MG will be a key part of our June 12 meeting. Weather permitting, bring your MG to the Pizza Joynt
for a VMGCC traditional Show and Tell Night program. We’ll keep the business meeting short and spend
our time outside admiring and learning more about each other’s personal favorite MG
Directions
Monthly Column of Driving Events
“The more your drive the more you smile"
~~Reinout Vogt
VMGCC Spring Tour By Ed Hlavka
The day of the Spring Tour dawned bright and clear (despite about 10 days of the weatherman’s dour
prognostications). By 8:15 a.m. five MGs (all TDs) and a Honda SUV were assembled and ready to go. After a
90-minute ride enjoying scenic back roads and having an opportunity to inspect the current crop of road repair
projects the convoy arrived at fellow member Jerry Coffman’s garage in Crown Point, Indiana.
Jerry’s garage is very well equipped and the members had a good time inspecting everything. Bill Cole had an
opportunity to adjust one of the three spare distributors Greg Hoeft had brought. With Jerry as our guest, we
then drove into downtown Crown Point for a tour of the old Lake County jail—from which John Dillinger
escaped in 1934. It was a great tour and lasted well over an hour; lots of “mug shot” photos were taken.
Afterward we had lunch at a nearby restaurant; the Spring Tour then adjourned.
Our thanks to Nancy and Ric Maitzen for putting a great day together.
Garage Tour II – Saturday July 13
There is not going to be so much driving involved this time as the three garages that we’ll visit are all in close
proximity. But what you’ll get to see in these three garages is definitely going to make up for the lack of
driving fun. These places are packed with car related memorabilia, tools, parts and cars. It is going to be like a
mini museum tour with things to see and learn at every stop.
9:30 am: Meet at the first stop: Jeff and Sharon Powell's, 910 Hirsch Street, Melrose Park, IL 60160. This
garage has an MGB, a TC race car, an Indian motorcycle, and lots posters, signs, memorabilia, old tools, parts
and other things. There will be so much to see that Jeff has organized a Gargoyle Hunt to do while you’re
looking around. (You'll understand it when you get there.) Jeff and Sharon will also have coffee and rolls, and
there will be a few prizes for the winners of the hunt.
11:00 am: The tour then continues to Rey and Lupe Navarro's, 284 Bartram Road, Riverside, IL 60546. Rey
has a TC and an Austin Healy and some other non-MG’s in his garage.
12:00 noon: Leave for the drive to Andy Simo's garage at 7500 Industrial Drive, Forest Park, IL 60130
No MG's but a collection of several classic cars including a Stutz.
1:00 pm: Leave for lunch at Portillos, 7740 West Roosevelt Road, Forest Park, IL 60130.
There will be Tulip driving instructions for the short drives to every stop.
Please contact Reinout Vogt 847.342.9804 or [email protected] with any questions.
The three hosts graciously open their garage doors for us. Please make sure that you respect their directions
and be extremely careful with the museum quality items and cars on display.
For Sale
Does your T-type leak oil? If not, you can stop reading this now. But if your car leaks oil, you have a
few options available. You can remove your engine and install a Moss seal (very expensive), or you
can install a drip pan to catch the oil before it reaches the ground (very cheap). We have a limited
supply of drip pans that are easily installed on the rear of your bell housing. The cost for VMGCC
members is $60.00; for non-members it's $70.00. Contact Jerry Cihak to purchase this item
([email protected] 708-246-6951.
The Tulip System By Reinout Vogt
Before we go into the details of the widely-used Tulip driving instruction system, let's first take a look at rallies
in general. A rally is a competitive event with automobiles. That means that participants drive their cars and at
the same time are involved in some kind of competitive activity. These competitive activities can be outright
speed (what you see on TV from the WRC), average speed (a.k.a. time speed distance or TSD), gimmicks and
questions (the kind that we usually have), and lastly, following the rally master's route correctly. Please note
that scoring in the first three types is not based on finding the correct route. Also note that in the 4th type,
participants easily get lost if they fail to find the route that the organizer had in mind. The first three types
should have driving instructions that are simple, straight-forward and unambiguous so that the participants
focus on the challenge of the competitive activity at hand; i.e. going as fast as possible (WRC), maintaining the
expected average speed (TSD) or finding the answers to questions, trivia or other gimmick activities. Today,
our clubs are only involved in the latter kind of rally, maximum or average speeds are never scored. Early
European rallies used a variety of driving instructions based on written turn-by-turn directions and maps. It was
very difficult to prevent participants from getting lost because of interpretation, difference in maps, and a
general lack of standardization. This caused that speed or gimmick rallies turned out to be more like the 4th
type; finding the rally master's route. And in doing so, rallies got their reputation for people getting lost, in-car
fights between driver and navigator, and divorce.
One of the famous speed scored rallies of the 50s and 60s was the Dutch Tulip Rally. Facing the problem just
described, they came up with a system of very simple sketches to indicate the directions they want the cars to
follow between, and more importantly during, the timed speed sections. The Tulip system became the standard
in rallying throughout the world and is used in just about every rally where finding the correct route itself is not
the challenge. The Tulip folks also were well ahead of their time because GPS systems today adapted a very
similar approach. Every instruction more or less consists of 5 elements: 1) Sketch of the road situation; 2) Dot
to indicate from which way you approach the intersection; 3) Arrow to indicate which route to follow; 4)
Distance from the previous instruction; 5) Some landmarks, such as street names, stoplights, stop signs etc.
Here are a few examples:
Instruction 1
In words this would be something like: In 1.2 miles go across Camp McDonald on Owen in a little bit offset
intersection. You see how much easier it is to
draw the offset intersection than to describe it
unambiguous?
Instruction 2
Self explanatory, right? Note that because it is
clear that you're looking for an end-of-road
situation, it is easy to find. Any intersection or
side road on the 3.4 mile stretch can simply be
ignored. The stop sign doesn't have to be drawn
like it is here. You can also use an abbreviation,
SS or so, as long as it is consistent.
Instruction 3
This one is clear also, isn't it? Turn left at the
stoplight at Dundee Road. Just like the stop sign
in instruction 2 the stop light can be abbreviated
or simplified.
Instruction 4
In 5.6 miles turn right on Ridge Road. Because the sketch shows the Portillo building at the intersection, you
don't have to slow down and check the name of every side street on the 5.6 mile stretch. Also the orientation of
the side street, angled, helps to identify the correct route easily
Some more details are:
The sketches indicate only when you really change directions. That is, turn left or right at a normal 4-way
intersection, T-junction, Y-split, or into a side street. The sketches are not to scale but should represent the
angle of the intersection. That is 90 degree, bear left/right at a Y etc. In between the sketches you follow the
road, as it curves through the landscape and as it sometimes goes straight across an intersection or passes any
side streets that you are not supposed to turn into. Because the sketches include the distance as well as some
land marks it is very easy to be sure that you're on the correct route. You ignore intersections and junctions that
do not match the looks of the next sketch or are not at the correct distance
Please note that the sketches are not oriented according to a compass. Just like Google and GPS systems, they
usually appear as you'd see them when you drive. There are many ways for a rally master to provide the Tulips
instructions. We've seen hand-drawn sketches and computer generated illustrations. The nice thing is that it
doesn't really matter. Because the system is so simple, it is very robust to the rally master's drawing or
publishing skills.
The other rule that we've tried to implement is that all landmarks, clues, gimmicks, questions etc. are on the
right side of the road, unless marked differently. This is very important from a safety point of view. It is the
driver's responsibility to drive the car. To do so safely, a driver can't be expected to pay attention to anything
other than the traffic situation at hand. The navigator can only really search for landmarks, clues, gimmicks,
questions etc. on one side of the road at a time. Therefore, these items should all be located on the right side so
that the driver doesn't need to help with watching for answers to questions and other distractions.
The Tulip system and the right-side-only clues proved to be very successful last year. In the rallies, tours and
events that adopted the system there were no reports of participants searching for the correct route or getting
lost. All teams arrived at the finish point smiling. No arguments! And even though the clues and answers were
all on the right side, there was enough differentiation in the results to score and celebrate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
results. And because the clues and answers were all on the right side, there were no stories of narrow escapes
and near misses by distracted drivers searching for answers instead of paying attention to traffic.
I hope that the 2013 rally masters will continue to use the Tulip system with the right-side only rule and, even
more so, I hope that you, the participants, will learn it quickly so that you can enjoy safe and easy driving events
without getting lost, without driver-navigator disagreements, and without accidents.
Please feel free to contact me at 847.342.9804 or [email protected] if you have any concerns or
questions. Safety Fast,
CMGC's Land's End Rally
June 9 - 9:30 a.m.
Meet at Calibre Coffee in Arboretum Shopping Center, NE corner of IL Rt-59 and Rt-72 (Higgins Rd)
100 W Higgins Rd, South Barrington, IL
With Russ and Amy Mehaffey organizing this classic rally, it promises to be a great time! This event is
the second oldest CMGC event on the calendar.
Russ Mehaffey – [email protected] – 847-877-1925 (cell)
GOF Central Mk XXXV will be held at the Embassy Suites in St. Charles, Missouri
July 15-19, 2013
The St. Louis T's invite you to GOF Central Mark XXXV.
After a fun fill day going to tech sessions or touring the area looking for lost treasures and antiques the true expedition
starts. "The Expedition - First Timer's Show" will take place at the beautiful Creve Couer Lake. The cars parked near the
water front with the smells of food cooking in the air. The beautiful breeze and the great atmosphere of the GOF family
gathering. Meet new people and discuss the cars for a wonderful time. All are welcome to come and attend the First
Timer's show, while the judging will take place for just the first timers' cars.
The Rally will take us through the back roads of Missouri's Wine Country, where Lewis and Clark get lost and end up in
England. Oh my, how did this happen? What will our brave explores have to do to get back home? Find out more along
the way, through the beautiful country side where the sun shines through the tree tops and the river's flow.
The rolling hills and grape vines will be the background for the Car Show. Held at Noboleis Vineyards, the cars will be
right at home with the valve cover show and races taking place. With sitting under the shaded pavilion and all around the
show, everyone can get together and have a great time.
Along with the wonderful car shows, valve cover show, valve cover races, and the adventure through wine country, the
GOF Central 2013 will have a funkana where Lewis and Clark will have to wind through the course having a great time.
And just maybe they won't get lost this time.
A silent auction will be held, where everyone can place there bids for those treasures. If you are more into the excitement
of live bidding wars, you can place bids during our live auction. With items being auctioned off in quickness, you may
want to stop by and take a look at some of the great items being auction before hand in the registration room.
After all the fun throughout the week the awards banquet will be held at the St. Charles Convention Center. There will be
lots of great food for everyone one that attends, along with the car show awards ceremony.
Hope to see you all there!
Visit the official WEB Page
WWW.GOFCENTRAL.COM
for on-line registration link and additional information.
On-line registration and credit card payments can be
made by visiting: www.britishcarsofamerica.com
GOF Central Mk. XXXV – 2013 Name(s):
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone: Email:
Club Affiliation
1st Car Year/Model: 2nd Car Year/Model:
Has your car won 1st in class in at the GOF Central the past 5 years? Yes No Is this the first time your car has been to a GOF Central? Yes No Valve Cover Show entry? Yes No Valve Cover Race entry? Yes No Photo contest entry? Yes No Art/Craft contest entry? Yes No Scale Model contest entry? Yes No Auction Donation? Yes No
Auction Donation Description: ________________________________________________________
Registration (1 car) Early—$50.00; After 6/1/13—$60.00 $____________________ Additional Car(s) @ $10.00 each $____________________ First Timers Cookout $20/person $____________________ Bus Tour $30/person $____________________ Awards Banquet $40/person $____________________ Polo Shirt @ $30 each (S, M, L, XL, XXL, and 3XL for $5 additional) $____________________ T-Shirt @ $15 each (S, M, L, XL, XXL, and 3XL for $5 additional) $____________________ Vendor/Swap Table @ $15/per table $____________________ TOTAL: $
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Checks should be payable to GOF Central.
Sent to: GOF Central, 2338 N. Lindbergh, St. Louis, MO 63114
Credit Card payments can be made by registering at www.britishcarsofamerica.com or by contacting
[email protected]. Please leave a name and phone number and someone will get back to you.
If you have any questions please contact [email protected] or 314-428-9335. Ask for Adrianne.
STEVE'S BRITISH CONNECTION
WANTED: EUROPEAN antique, classic cars.
Jaguar, Austin-Healy, MG, Morgan, Triumph, 356,
190SL, Alfa Romeo, Riley, Land Rover, Singer.
Also pre-War cars and other interesting European
cars in ANY CONDITION, ANY LOCATION
Please call 630-553-9023
E-mail [email protected]
www.stevesbritishconnection.com
Columbia Restorations
Gregory Serduke (708) 715-5517
Drivability Issues * Resurrections * Engine Rebuilding High Performance Upgrade * 5-Speed Conversions *
Custom Enhancements * Elect Rewiring * Metal Polishing Mappa & Walnut Burl Dash & Brake work
E-Mail: [email protected]
“Sterling Recommendation from Gerry Risner”
VMGCC REGALIA
Qty. Item Price Amount Send Regalia orders to:
Lou Louchios
3101 West Frontage Rd.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Orders may be picked up at regular business meetings
with no postage charge. Contact Lou first.
e-mail: [email protected] phone: 847 397-0623
First Name
________________________
Last Name
________________________
Lapel Pin 1" 6.00
Key Ring 1" 6.00
Stick Pin 1" 6.00
Charm 3/4" 5.00
Tie Tack 3/4" 5.00
Lapel Pin 3/4" 5.00
Name Tag 12.00
Decal-transfer 1.00
Car Badge 25.00
Patch, sew-on 6.00
Cap (black or tan) 12.00
2005 GOF Lapel Pin 2.00
2005 GOF Dash Plaque 1.00
VMGCC Flashlight 10.00
MG License Plate
Frame
15.00
Postage 3.00
Total
Name: Address:
Phone:
Membership Application and Renewal Dues and registration: $25.00 per year
Make your check payable to: Vintage MG Car Club
Mail your payment to: Rick Maitzen
2881 Fredric Court
Northbrook, IL 60062
Include the following with your dues. We will use this information to update our membership directory
Name:___________________________________ Spouse or Partner:_________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________ Home Phone:_________________________________
Street:_____________________________________________ Business Phone: ______________________________
City:_______________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________
State and Zip:__________________________ Send me the newsletter only by email: ____________
Please list your MGs, including Model and Year: Send me a hard copy of the newsletter: ____________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
__
Vintage MG Car Club
c/o Editor 1814 Illinois Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
First Class Mail
Officers and Directors – 2013
President: Win Gould; Vice President: Don Ross; Secretary: Bob Lee; Treasurer: Ric Maitzen;
Board of Directors: Jerry Cihak, Brian Dubin, Glenn Grossklags Newsletter: Greg Hoeft- Editor; Lou Louchios- Distribution
Website: www.vintagemgchicago.com Email Contact: [email protected]
Upcoming Events:
Sunday, June 9 - CMGC Land's End Rally
Wednesday, June 12 - VMGCC Club Meeting, Pizza Joynt
Saturday, June 22 - CMGC Drive-in Movie Nite (chicagolandmgclub.com for more info)
Wednesday, July 10 - VMGCC Club Meeting, Pizza Joynt
July 15-19 - GOF Central, St. Charles, MO