May, 2008

1974 TR6

Next MeetingMay 5th, 2008 7:00 pm at The Weathervane in Bedford

(603) 472-2749

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Car of the Month

The Hunt for the “Perfect” TR6

by Cathi Cass

Ok, so it wasn’t exactly keeping up withthe Joneses, but we were “inspired” byour friends. It was the spring of 1995 andclose friends of ours had just acquired a1968 Mercedes 230 SL. It was sweet andwe were instantly hit with a serious caseof “car envy.” Both Richard and I hadragtops in our blood; his first car was a1972 Pontiac GTO and my parents al-ways had one, sometimes two con-vertibles in the family “fleet.”Within 24 hours we decided that wehad to have a “summer” car.

German cars not being our thing,we started thinking in terms of Brit-ish roadsters. Easier to maintain (sowe thought), more affordable,more mainstream, and easier tofind. Our initial target was MGBs.Being somewhat analytical, westarted researching our options us-ing some books we found, and, mostimportantly, the Internet. At somepoint during this first exploration, westumbled upon TR4s and TR4As. Thisbecame the new objective. We found outabout McLean’s in Rye and scheduled aroad trip. We looked, asked questions, andlearned much. But, at that time, there wasnothing there we wanted to pursue.

About a year passed, and in the spring of1996, it was time to renew the search.We refocused our efforts with a newgoal…finding a TR6. The jump from theTR4 to a TR6 was easy. It was newer,more sophisticated, bigger engine, andagain, easier to find (we hoped.) We sub-scribed to Hemmings and each monthscoured the ads for TR6s, looking for onein the New England area. About this sametime, Richard discovered the Vintage Tri-umph Register and their website,www.vtr.org. In addition to all the greatinformation about Triumphs, they had a

classified section that listed cars for sale.Amazingly, one showed up that was lo-cated in Manchester! We made an ap-pointment to go see it.

I need to confess at this time that, althoughwe are avid car enthusiasts, neither oneof us is very mechanically inclined. Weknew we would have to find a knowledge-able expert who could go over the car forus and give us a recommendation aboutthe vehicle. Luckily for us, there was ahighly reputable mechanic right inManchester who could meet our needs.While we can’t remember the name ofthe owner or the exact name of the shop,some of you that have been around for awhile probably will remember British Auto(?) in Manchester, a shop that special-ized in Jaguars. The owner was a friendly

and personable guy, more than willing tocheck out the car for us for a low fee(one hour of his time). The car turned outto be a rust bucket, but again we learnedanother valuable lesson…look beyond thenew top and shiny paint. An unfortunateside note, the wonderful owner of theJaguar shop was killed in a car accidentshortly after we met him.

We realized two things pretty early on.The first was that any car we could findin our local area would most likely beloaded with rust and, therefore, undesir-able. The second was that the processwe had stumbled on could work for a long-distance purchase as well. As long as wecould find a reputable, expert local to in-spect the car we were interested in, andthe current owner would be willing to takethe car there for evaluation, we could geta full report on the vehicle and have some

idea of what we were purchasing.

Our first long-distance attempt involveda car that was located in Phoenix, Ari-zona. Using the resources on the VTRwebsite, we found a mechanic near thecar and made the arrangements. Unfor-tunately, the car, while mechanically infairly good condition, was a victim of thedesert climate. It was completely dry rot-ted.

The search continued….

In the summer of 1997, an interestingprospect showed up on the VTR Classi-fied site. The car was located in San Di-ego. It was in desperate need of paint,but was advertised to be rust-free. Inaddition, the engine, transmission, brakes,

electrical, carpet and interior had re-cently (within 4,000 miles) been re-built, replaced or restored. Theowner sent pictures and we locateda mechanic to do our inspection forus. Once again, the angels werelooking out for us. We contactedRandy Zoller, owner of HeritageMotorsports and asked him to lookat the car for us. Randy gave thecar high marks and verified that itwas, in fact, totally rust-free. Wefound out later that Randy is con-sidered one of southern California’spremier authorities on all things Tri-

umph-related. In a matter of days, wewere the proud owners of a 1974 Mal-lard TR6.

At the same time Randy was doing hisinspection, and we were negotiating a fi-nal selling price with the current ownerof our soon to be purchased TR6, we hadto locate a transport company that couldbring our new beauty cross-country.Once again, Hemmings came to the res-cue. We contracted with M&M Truck-ing to bring the car door to door. The totalcost was $910.00. We were thrilled. Itwas like anticipating the birth of achild…well, almost. The day it arrived wespent more time in the garage than in anyother part of the house. Just as new par-ents, however, we had yet to realize thatthe arrival of the car was only the begin-ning of our journey. But, that is a storyfor another month…

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BCNHMONARCHY

DIRECTORSWill Brien

Wade dos Santos

TREASURERJohn Giese

NEWSLETTERJohn Giese - Will Brien

Irene MacDougall

REGALIASuzi Polenchar

SECRETARYNorma Karle

WEBMASTERWill Brien

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORSLinda Cagan

Louis Belanger

TECH SESSIONS COORDINATORWade dos Santos

ADVERTISING COORDINATORLinda Cagan

VOLUNTEER COORDINATORMaggie DuPont

PUBLIC RELATIONSDoug Stead

INTER-CLUB COORDINATORJeff Abbe

SOCIAL DIRECTORSGinger Christiansen

Cheryl Bernstein

CALENDAR COORDINATORNorma Karle

SHOW OF DREAMS DIRECTORMike Sweet

www.bcnh.org

Contact information on page 4

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

LAND ROVER – RELIANT SCIMITAR – LOTUS

BRITISH CARS OF NEW HAMPSHIREMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Visit us at www.bcnh.org

Please send application and $25 annual dues (payable to BCNH) to:Linda Cagan, 25 West Country Road, Bedford, NH 03110

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

Any photos submitted will be returned.

Name_______________________________ Spouse______________________

Address__________________________________________________________

City____________________ State____ Zip________ Phone_______________

E-mail address____________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________

Name of Referring Member_________________________________________

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

4

Director’s Corner

Contact informationJeff Abbe 14 Winchester Court., Pembroke, NH 03275 210-5010 mgdurango@yahoo.comLouis Belanger 11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052 424-7835 80mgbman@comcast.netCheryl Bernstein 14 Franconia Drive, Nashua, NH 03063 882-8682 Cherylbern@comcast.netWill Brien 33 Newbury Road, Ipswich, MA 01938 (978) 356-2999 will-brien@comcast.netLinda Cagan 25 West County Road, Bedford, NH 03110 472-5212 lcagan@comcast.netGinger Christiansen 7 Sycamore Lane, Nashua, NH 03063 883-0288 gingchrist@aol.comWade dos Santos PO Box 840, Manchester, NH 03105 623-5209 wade@grolen.comMaggie DuPont 75 Island Pond Road, Derry, NH 03038 434-4627 bigcat106@comcast.netJohn 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.comSuzi Polenchar 19 Shoreline Drive, Hudson, NH 03051 598-6494 spolenchar@comcast.netDoug Stead 360 Circle Road Unit L1, Manchester, NH 03103 668-3438 gmman1228@aol.comMike Sweet 50 High Street, Penacook, NH 03303 753-9164 sweetm@graphicpkg.com

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

In my last article, I talked briefly about a

few of my pet issues, those that I findmyself thinking about more and more re-garding the future of our hobby. Several,I feel, are good examples of the type ofissues our club can, and probably should,address. At the top of the list is a ques-tion that has become more compelling asthe years have passed. It involves thedirection our hobby will take as the el-ders hang up their keys and reach pointsin their lives at which they can no longerrealistically enjoy the hobby as they oncedid. So, who steps in and becomes thenext generation?

Simple question? Yes, but not one with a

simple answer. Most, if not all, of us knowthat there is a whole lot more white hairin our circle (when there is any hair atall!) then there is any other color. Thatfact is significant because it means thatthe great majority of us grew up with thecars we now collect, drive, show, fix andgenerally just cherish. We know and lovethese cars. Most of us are (unfortunately,at times) all too familiar with their pecu-liar quirks and strange behaviors. Ask anyone of us who Lucas is and you knowwhat the answer will be. Try the samequestion on a young person today and youwill nearly always get a blank stare or betold that he was the guy who inventedStar Wars. Other than that, they have noclue.

Do we, as current carriers of the torch,

have a responsibility to make special ef-forts to pass that torch along and ensurethat the cars we love will live on and beloved and enjoyed by others long afterwe’re gone? I believe that we do. Thatwas why I found it surprising, amazing,gratifying and a whole host of other de-scriptive adjectives when Dylan Bowers,the 15-year-old son of my neighbor and

friend, decided that he would like to buyone of my MGBs to have as his first car.And this included doing the work thatwould be necessary to bring the car backup to full operational standards.

I was really tickled about this in a way

that I couldn’t have imagined. Not hav-ing children, there have been no young-sters to teach and to pass on to. So tofind a person as young as Dylan express-ing a sincere interest in owning a vintageBritish sports car was quite gratifying.

Moreover, I knew that he would needassistance as he began his journey downthat road we’ve all traveled. Knowingthat, at my age, I have a reasonableamount of knowledge of, and experiencewith, these LBCs gives me a certainsense of satisfaction that I can contributeand help a young newcomer to our hobbycut his teeth on his first car.

So, in a great many ways, these

cars continue to provide pleasureand enjoyment to all who are in-volved with them. With that in mind,our mission, as current owners anddrivers, should be to do whateverwe can to introduce our hobby toas many young people as possible.More than that, I believe that ourclub should have, as one of its ba-sic principles, a commitment to dowhatever it takes to keep our won-derful hobby alive and to pass it onto future generations. To that end,I would encourage discussion on

the subject of what BCNH may do torealize that goal.

5

Minutes

2005 BMW 645ci, Black 21K, $51,0002004 Mercedes E55AMG, Black 46K $44,5002005 Audi S4Q Cab, Black 5K, $40,5002005 BMW X5 4.4i, Beige 39K, $34,9002003 Corvette ZO6, Yellow 25K $33,5002004 Audi A8L Q, Silver 56K, $31,5002004 Mercedes SLK320, Black 25K $27,9001999 Porsche 911 Carrera Cpe, Black 69K

$27,5002004 Audi TTQ Cab, Ocean Blue 31K $25,5002006 Toyota Avalon XLS, Steel Blue 34K

$23,5002006 Audi A4Q 2.0T, Steel Blue 39K, $22,9002004 Lexus RX330, Pearl White 66K $22,9001989 Porsche 911 Carrera Cab, Blue $22,5002004 BMW 330ci, Silver 50K $21,9002004 Infinity G35X, Silver 31K $21,900

PAUL’SEXECUTIVE CAR CARE, INC

Buy - Sell - Trade - Consign DETAILING84 Elm St. Manchester (603) 627-4300

Visit our new web site at www.paulscarcare.com

2004 BMW X3 2.5, Blue 57K $21,5002004 Mercedes C240 4Matic, Burgundy 48K

$19,9002004 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 58K $17,5001997 Mercedes S600, Silver 76K $16,5002006 Mercury Gr Marquis LTD, Maroon 28K

$15,9001983 Porsche 928 S, Rose Quartz 64K $14,5002002 Lexus ES300, Silver $12,9002001 Mercedes C240, Desert Silver 88K $12,9001992 Mercedes 500SL, Green 82K $12,9002002 Volvo XCountry, Silver 89K $12,9002000 Chevy Cube Van, White 65K $10,9002004 Mazda Tribute, Graphite 75K $10,5002000 Infinity QX4, White 97K $8,9001996 Mercedes E320, Silver $7,4002002 Nissan Altima 2.5S, Light Green $6,999

So, here I am again, sitting in for, butnot nearly as cute as, Norma.

We had a packed house of 37 mem-bers because they are renovating theplace to accommodate a new bar. Thatfigures! just as we are deciding to moveour meeting location, they put the barback.

The Emperor called the meeting to or-der at 7:40.

Lou said that we are 160 strong andcounting.

Will updated us on the web site. Referto your newsletter, okay? Read yournewsletter than refer to same.

Our pizza meeting last month was su-per. We thank the Nelsons again forputting up with us.

Our new member, Bob Mitchell, spokeon a trip to Shaker Village. He sug-gested high tea with popovers and jam

on the lawn. A possible date of Saturday17 MAY. Shouldn’t we be at the JordanPond House for that?

Next up was the Queen’s birthday gettogether – same time and wonderful placeas last year…big applause, but don’ttouch those wires….

Wade wants to do Sunday drives startingon 18 MAY. This is a good way for ourmembers, who perhaps cannot make allthe meetings, to meet one another.

There was talk of a lending library. Thismight be a good idea for people like meand can’t find a damn thing “on line”.

Our show director and club directoremeritus, Mike, brought us up-to-date onour car show at Nick Field in Wolfeboro.This will be, without a doubt, our best ever,as we are enhancing the schedule with acruise on the Winni Belle… big applause.Refer to newsletter.

Now don’t forget the following upcom-ing events – The Tech session at Cush’sSaturday 3 MAY. A Vintage event atNHMS (no longer NHIS) on 16-17 MAY,

The Londonderry Rotary car show Sun-day 25 MAY, The Hildene car show inManchester, VT 14-15 JUN, Our carshow, 9 AUG, and the Derry Village Ro-tary club’s car show at Pinkerton Acad-emy 16 AUG.

Suggestions for a new meeting place –The Yard at the Londonderry/Manches-ter line and Billies Sports Bar in Manches-ter.

Don’t forget to get your badges… we doneed some stinking badges.

Until then…

Rod

Welcome ourNewest Members

Christopher Giacomo108 Old Stoddard Road

Nelson, NH 03457(603) 852-8424

clochristopher.giacomo@usafa.edu

1978 Spitfire 1500

6

John Twist, renowned British car expert and owner of University Motors in Michigan will be flying in to give us his “Day ofTech.” This will be a day of hints, fixes and knowledge of all things British – cars that is. It promises to be a session you don’twant to miss. So to make sure that everyone who wants to has the chance to see and hear John we will be limiting the numberof attendees to 45 people. This limit will allow John and our attendees to get up close and hands-on experience.(Limit applies to the tech part of the day only.)

How to Sign up:

At approximately 4:00 p.m. the social portion of our day will start with our now famous “Burger and Dog” extravaganza.Everyone is invited! The club will provide the burgers and dogs with other food items to be brought by the members. We will needchips, appetizers, soda, salads and desserts – anything that is picnic food would be great. Please bring your own “Adult Beverage”if you desire one.

Please RSVP with what you will be bringing by April 28th. If there are too many items of thesame type when you respond, you will be contacted and asked to bring a different item.RSVP to Kathy Ahrendt at mgtparty@comcast.net or 603-434-6079 This promises to be afun day. We hope to see you there!

Directions:

From Points South:

Take Route 3 North to exit 12 (Bedford Rd. 50c toll) - go left at the stop light after the toll gate. Go about 3/4 mile and just afterthe Grace Baptist Church take a right onto Pearson Road (it becomes Liberty Hill Road.) Stay on Liberty Hill for 2 miles. Therewill be a big red barn on the right. Turn into the marked driveway.

From Points North:

Take Route 3 south through Manchester to the Bedford/Salem exit (293/101/3) stay to the right onto 101W then take Route 3exit. At the 3rd light go right on 3 South (those coming from 293-South will bear to the right). Travel south on Route 3 until you gounder the bridge and take a right onto Meetinghouse Road. Continue for 1.5 miles to the intersection with Liberty Hill Road. Leftonto Liberty Hill and follow for 2 miles to the big red barn that will be on your left. Turn left into the marked driveway.

• Make out a check for $10 (made out to MG T-Party) Include your name and phone number andemail address.• Put it into an envelope to the following address: MG T-Party, 25 Cunningham Drive, Derry, NH03038• Mail must be postmarked after March 15th. (Phone calls won’t get you on the list.)The list of attendees will be created from the payments received in the order they come in. If weget more than 45 you will be put on the waiting list and notified if anyone drops off the list.• You will be notified by email or snail mail if you have made it on the list.

Tech Session with a

John Twist, that is!Our annual Tech Session will be held on May 3rd this year and it

will be a great one. SAVE THE DATE!Session will start at 11:00 a.m.

Bob Cushman’s Barn, Bedford, NH

7

Cruise NightMonday

Burger King Hudson, 219 Lowell Rd,Hudson NH, 603-889-6487Tilton Diner, Rt 3 Tilton, 6-8PMAuburn Go-Go Mart, 312 LondonderryTurnpike, 6-8PM, June 2 start, 603-625-8387

Tuesday

Arnie’s Place, 164 Loudon RdConcord,NH, 5PM - ?, May 6 – Until ColumbusDayGolden Rod Drive In, 1681 Candia Rd, 6-8PM, May 6 startRosey’s Place, Rt 28 Salem, NH, 5PM-Dark, June 3 start, 603-890-3411

Wednesday

Hampstead Station Rest., Rt 111 &Emerson Ave, Hampstead, 6-8:30PM,603-329-5501High Tide Take Out, 239 HennikerRdHillsboro, NH, May 14- Oct, 12603-533-4033ABC Pizza, 21 Londonderry Turnpike,Hooksett, NH, 6-8PM, May til Septem-ber, 603-669-0084Theo’s, 102 Elm StManchester, NH, 6-8PM, 603-668-8107

Thursday

Granite Town Plaza, Rt101A Milford,603-673-7064The Clam King, 791 SecondStManchester, NH, 6-8PM, June 5 –Oct603-540-3138

May3rd Tech Session at Cushman’s Barn,Liberty Hill Rd, Bedford, NH5th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford10th Tech Session, Brit Bits, Rye, NH13th - 18th New Hampshire MotorSpeedway, Vintage Celebration17th Shaker Village Canterbury, NH Teaand Popovers- tentative18th First BCNH Sunday Drive (to beheld weekly on Sunday afternoons)25th Londonderry Rotary Car Show, Rt102, Londonderry31st - June 7th British Car Week

June2nd Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford9th Second Annual Galaxy of British CarShow, Concord, NH14th - 15th Manchester Antique andClassic Car Show Dorr Farm,Manchester, VT

www.manchestercarshow.com20th The Queens Birthday Celebration,hosted by Bill and Carol Nelson, Milford,NH29th British Car Day at the Museum ofTransportation in Brookline, MA

July

7th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford4th Castle in the Clouds Antique andClassic Car show, Moultonboro, NH 603-254-5640

19th Bedford Historical Society Antiqueand Classic Car Show & Rally, Bedford,NH, Bedford Village Shops, Rt 101, (raindate 20th) Rally starts 9:30Am, Show runs11:30-2:0027th Day of Triumph at the Museum ofTransportation in Brookline, MA

August4th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford9th SHOW of DREAMS, Nick Field,Wolfeboro, NH4th Derry Village Rotary Car Show,Pinkerton Academy, Derry, NH16th BCNH at the Drive-In Milford, NH

September8th Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford18th - 21st British Invasion, Stowe, VT20th - 21st Crusin Downtown 2008,Manchester, NH

October5th Stratham Hill Car Show, Stratham, NH603-772-51336th Meeting at the Weathervane, BedfordTBD - Fall Foliage Tour

November3rd Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford

December1st Meeting at the Weathervane, Bedford

PAUL’SEXECUTIVE CAR CARE, INC

2006 Land Rover Range Rover HSE 2K $55,5002002 Jaguar XKR, Green 51K $26,9002006 Mini Cooper S Convert, Hot Orange 89K $21,5001997 Jaguar XK8 Convertible, White 70K $16,9002003 Jaguar SType, Blue 57K $15,5001995 Jaguar XJ6, Blue 86K $6,9001978 MG MGB, Orange 89K $6,500

Buy - Sell - Trade - ConsignDETAILING

84 Elm St. Manchester

BCNH 2008 Calendar

Friday

Merrimack Common Plaza, May to SeptCruisn at Target, Rt101A, Amherst, NH,5PM, April 11 - ?,mstng69conv@verizon.net

Saturday

Home Depot, 41 Nashua Rd 6PM –9PM, May 10- Oct 4

Upcoming Event - Brit Bits Tech Session May 10th, Open

Lift DayCheck out the Undersides of

your car.

8

Rebirth of an MGB,Part Two

by Mike Dvorak

Living in New Hampshire, we are blessedwith experts on British cars as well asplenty of car parts. We have Brit Bits,Brit-Tek and Veloce Imports inLondonderry. Plenty of folks to help uswith our projects.

I called Sam at Brits Bits and asked if hehad any MGB engines sitting around thatI could purchase for a rebuild. He saidhe had a few in the shed and said if Imade my way to Rye, we could go in theback and pick one out. About an hourlater, we were looking through his shedand picked out the best looking block hehad on the premises. The cost was rea-sonable and Sam’s service, as always,was outstanding.

After stripping the engine of most of itsparts, I dropped it off at R&R for its re-conditioning. It only took a matter of two

weeks and I received the phone call thatthe block was ready for pick up.

That spring we spent many nights work-ing on the engine block in my makeshiftwork area in the basement, re-assemblingthe engine with a major re-haul kit. ByJuly of 2004, we were ready to install theengine into the car. From experience, Inow understand why the car manual rec-ommends that you remove the enginewith the transmission. Trying to matchup the engine with the transmission usingan engine hoist was an almost impossibletask. It was in the early morning hoursof July 4th, around 2 AM, when we were

finally able to get the bolts on the engineblock matched up with the transmissionand secured to the car.

The rest of the engine rebuild was fairlystraight forward. I picked up a set of dualcarbs from an MGB that had been hit bya snow plow and replaced the inadequateZenith single carb that seemed to lack anypower or punch. We were able to getthe engine running a few days later, al-though the SUs just did not like to worktogether well and the idle was always

Innovative Design & Flawless Execution of Dimensional Signage

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Jeff GregoryGeneral Manager

Route 101 WestBedford, NH 03110Tel: (603) 472-2749

Corporate Headquarters31 Badgers Island West

Kittery, ME 03904

Come along for a Sun-day drive this May 18th

We will meet at the Village Eaterylocated along SR 114 in beautifuldowntown Goffstown.

Leave time is 10 a.m. and we willbe heading in a Westerly direction,stopping for breaks, to see the sights,and possibly a detour or two.

For more information contact WadeM. dos Santos 603)623-5209 orwww.wade@grolen.com

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9

above 2000 RPM while cold. Ieventuallyreplaced the SUs with a Weber that hasless of an issue starting while cold.

Several other major repair issues re-mained. The front end made noises whenturning and the car needed a new paintjob. Tackling the front end first, I decidedthat, since we did not have the equipmentto do the repair work ourselves, I wouldhave Veloce help us out. They basicallydid a complete rebuild on the front endand she now corners like a good MGBshould.

I had no thoughts of spending thousandson a new paint job (I didn’t want to pumpmoney into a car that would never appre-ciate in value to the extent that a chromebumper MGB would) and was able toconvince the Manchester TechnicalSchool to paint this car for me. Whilestripping the body for its eventual paintjob, we finally found the original key tothe car underneath the driver’s seat.

The boys at the technical school did afine job and we thanked them with pizzaon the day we picked up the car. The“Porsche” red paint job shines well, andalthough it is not close to show room qual-ity it certainly is a big improvement overthe faded blue. My older son was able tosand-blast the wheels in his machine shopclass at LHS, thus saving some moneyand helping with the cause.

There’s one last restoration episode tomention before closing out our story. Tak-ing out the windshield prior to the paintjob was not a difficult task. However,re-installing the windshield, as I learned,was a different matter. My mistake wastrying to do this by myself as I ended upcracking the windshield during the instal-lation. On the bright side, it was the origi-

nal glass and had some imperfections soI was not that upset about having to re-place the glass.

After ordering and receiving a new wind-shield, I had a local shop in Derry thatwas familiar with installing windshields inMGB’s, install the glass and frame for me.They did a great job and I had no issuepaying the price of having it done right.

The car is a nice driver on warm days,and this past summer my wife and I tookit to Rye, NH for a drive along the coast.We avoided Rte 101 and decided to takethe slow way by driving on many of thecountry roads in southern NH that leadto the ocean. It was one of those pictureperfect days and the car had no issues.

As the funds become available, we stillhave several items to restore including:

2008 Show of DreamsThe 2008 Show of Dreams will be held at The Nick Field in Wolfeboro NHAugust 9th, rain or shine. Show committee members Bob & Diana Stanley,Norma Karle, Doris Karle, and myself met with Tracy Hayes, rec managerof the field and Chris Lawton, the director of sales and marketing at TheWolfeboro Inn on Saturday March 15 to tighten things up for this year and toplan for a weekend event next year.

Impressed we were! It was clear from our meeting that we have a lot ofthings to bring to the table in making the Show of Dreams a huge success forBCNH, High Hopes, and the town of Wolfeboro. Watch this space next monthfor a more detailed update!

· Seats (right now we have seat covers) · Rear End · Distributor (upgrade would be nice) · Gas Tank

Last year the big upgrade was the We-ber carburetor and this year I am leaningtoward doing the seats and crossing thatitem off our “to do” list. I have receiptsfor all of the improvements made to ourcar so far, along with pictures taken dur-ing the upgrades. Although the MGB isknown as the “poor man’s sports car”,we have had a great time driving it aroundtown and treasure all of our experiencesfixing up our British two-seater.

Editors note: Part One was also writ-ten by Mike Dvorak, not by his sonSteve as was indicated in last month’sissue.

10

Tune It Up!by Sam Smith

It’s been a long, cold winter in NewHampshire, with more snow than anyonehas seen in years. The weather is a littlemilder at our location on the coast so wehave not had the depth of snow many ofour neighbors have experienced. Snow upto the eaves? Hard to imagine and toughto shovel.

Among the winter issues we all face are

the rising costs of all types of fuel, gaso-line in particular. And most of us use themore expensive 93 octane or better in ourBritish cars. So I’m always interested intrying to tune the car to get the best useout of every drop. Thinking of how we’llall soon be ready for some top-down driv-ing, a few pointers might be helpful.

Rolling resistance comes to mind. Thesmoother the car rides and rolls, the lessfuel it will take to push that ton of massalong. Making sure the wheel bearingsare properly lubricated and adjusted andthat the differential and transmission are

topped off with the correct type of fluidsis important. While the original owner’smanual may have specified 90 weight gearoil in the transmission, some of the carswill perform just as well with 30 weightmotor oil which gives slightly less resis-tance. New cars use engine oil as low as0W-15 to reduce friction and improve gasmileage, but that’s something I don’t rec-ommend in our classics.

Brakes that release correctly will mini-mize the drag on the wheels. Old flexiblebrake hoses can cause the brakes not torelease all the way, as the inner lining ofthe hose collapses and restricts the brakefluid from returning to the master cylin-der.

Tires are more and more in the news andI see quite a few advertisements. Onewith Mario Andretti is my favorite. Al-though I can’t remember which tire com-pany he’s speaking for, he advises check-ing tire pressures on a regular basis. That’ssomething I’m very familiar with on theseold British cars. Almost all of the carscoming into our shop have low tire pres-sures and the correct pressure will helpthem roll along with less friction. The oldtimers (I use the term gently as I fastapproach that qualification) used to overinflate their tires to gain a few more milesto the gallon.

But keeping the engine in good runningorder and in tune is the best way to stretcheach gallon of gasoline as far as possible.I read lots of manuals and see many pro-cedures to tune an engine; many are dif-ferent, although not wrong. Here are theareas I like to look at, generally in the or-der I’ll attend to each one.

• Check the charging system. The propervoltage is essential in getting a good, cleanspark. I like to see around 12.5 volts atthe battery and 14.5 volts when theengine is running and charging the battery.

• I start tuning the engine by removingthe spark plugs. I inspect, clean and regapthem or replace them if they’re worn, withthe electrodes rounded off, not sharp-edged. If they have the little screw-onadapter to snap into the plug wires, checkto make sure it’s on tight. I’ve grown to

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11

like the NGK brand, having changed fromusing Champions in years past. TheNGK’s have always given me good ser-vice. That’s my preference, not a require-ment. There are many high-quality sparkplugs on the market.

• The next step is to adjust the valves.With the spark plugs still out, follow theinstructions in the shop manual. I look forloose valve clearances, and more impor-tantly, tight valve clearances that mightindicate the valves are receding into thehead. I will go through the steps severaltimes trying to get the valve adjustmentthe same and as even as possible on eachvalve. This can be trying on a worn en-gine as the wear between the valve stemand the rocker arm can result in what Icall spooning, nestling into each other andprevent the feeler gauge from getting anaccurate reading. A noisy valve will re-sult. Another thing to watch for is to seeif all of the valves are traveling about thesame distance. Any differences can be awake-up call about wear on the cam shaftlobes.

• I will then perform a compression test.Everyone likes to see high readings butI’m generally happy if each cylinder iswithin 10 to 15 percent of each other. Idrove a great running car the other daythat had only 85 psi or less in all cylin-ders. But in general, low compression isan indication of a worn engine that won’tmake best use of the fuel it gets.

• After all that fun stuff with the internalsof the engine, put those spark plugs backin place. Check the rest of the ignitioncomponents for condition, wear and de-fects, replacing items as required. Cleanand gap the ignition points to the correctspecification. While you have the distribu-tor cap off it’s a good time toensure the distributor plate willrotate freely. A drop of oil inthe top of the shaft under therotor will assist that. Examinethe condition of the rotor andterminals inside the distributorcap and the plug wires forcracks and age. Crusty termi-nals can reduce the voltagegetting to the plugs, as can oldor fluid-soaked wires that leak

voltage. That means a weaker spark andunburned fuel.

• Having checked and put these partsback to their proper places, connect a tim-ing light, start the car, warm it up andcheck the timing. Loosen the distributorclamp bolt and adjust to spec. Some timesI’ve found advancing the timing on a wornengine can let the engine run better, buttrial and error prevails here.

• The final step is to check over the carbs.Look to make sure the linkage adjust-ments work together, the throttle shaftsare tight and everything visually appearsin good order, including the air filter.

• You should only make adjustments whilethe car is warmed up. Most of the time aproperly tuned carb set will stay correctlyadjusted for a long time. I like to see theidle at around 800 to 1000 rpms, withequal air flow at each carb in multi-carbsetups. Then set the idle mixture, usuallyfor smoothest idle. As there are many dif-ferent carburetors fitted to these cars, youwill need to consult the manual for theexact tuning specs. If you want to dive ina little deeper you can check for the cor-rect needles and make sure they are in-stalled at the right height. Racers will playwith different needles searching for justthe right mixture. Tens, if not hundreds,of needle combinations are possible.

• Once all these tasks have been com-pleted, drive the car a little. Sometimes alittle fine tuning, of the timing or carb isnecessary to help the engine run as strongas it can.

The days are getting longer and we’reseeing temperatures above the meltingpoint most days now. But while I wait forthe frozen snow piled up in front of my

BCNH by-lawsIt was bound to happen. After passing aset of by-laws several errors and omis-sions were spotted. So, at the next meet-ing we will get to vote on the followingcorrections/additions:

Since we are not incorporated the sec-ond statement listed in the by-laws shouldbe eliminated.

A couple of sections mentioned an Ex-ecutive Board. I am sure that the PatriotAct had something to do with this. Any-way, the term “Executive Board” shouldhave been “The Board”

Article 3 Section 2: Add the word “mem-bers” to the sentence: “To present a re-port to the members at the business meet-ing or at the Boards request.”

Article 3, Section 4: The last sentence isa little confusing. Therefore, the last sen-tence should read: “The Secretary is ex-

pected to perform other dutiesas required by law.”

We have a listing for Past Di-rector but with no responsibili-ties (other than being on TheBoard). We can’t have that, soit is proposed to add to the by-laws: “The Past Director shallpreside at all Business andBoard meetings if the Directoris not present.”

LBC, my next enjoyable job is to go overthe toolbox. In order to accomplish all ofthe above services I know I’ll need a volt-meter, test light, feeler gauge, compres-sion gauge and many various small handtools. Many hours can be spent search-ing online, in tool catalogs or at the localtool outlets for the right tool at the rightprice. Did I also mention I probably shouldbe in a support group? Wait a minute… Iam a member of several clubs. Doesn’tthat qualify?

Happy Motoring!

12

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 $14.00/year.Subscriptions for Canadian club members are only $17.00 (U.S.)/year.

Subscriptions for U.K. and elsewhere overseas are only $22.00 (U.S.)/year.Regular subscriptions are $22.00 U.S. and $26.00 Canadian, and $31 U.K./year.

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13

Great Gifts for Fathers Days, Birthdays, Justto Show I Care Days!!!

BCNH Regalia Corner

INVENTORY SALE!!! CHECK OUT THE SAVINGS!!!

The following is a list of items currently in stock, priced to sell:

ITEM REG SALE1-Cotton Long Sleeve Golf Shirtsize M…color cobblestone w/embroidered crest $29 $17

1-Munsingwear 100% Flat back Rib V Neck Sweater size-Men’s L…gray w/embroidered crest $47 $30

1-3/4 Sleeve Crew size-Ladies L…black hot pink crest screen print $18 $13

1-Short Sleeve Golf Shirt size-S…royal blue w/embroidered crest $20 $15

1-Lee Hooded Zipper Up Front Sweatshirt size-L…grey w/black crest screen print $30 $20

2-100% Heavyweight Gildan Ultra Cotton Tee $16 $12

size-M…eggplant w/cream crest screen printsize-L…azalea w/dark blue crest screen print

1-Jerzees T-Shirt size-XL…white w/burgundy crest screen print $15 $5

1-Denier Nylon Duffle Bag (16x9x9) size-XL…grey with embroidered crest $23 $15

1-Golf Towel size-XL…grey with embroidered crest $19 $15

2005 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS$12 $5

2 S…yellow2 M…yellow5 L...yellow13 XL…yellow2 XXL…yellow

2004 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS $donation8 S...stone7 M...stone5 L...stone1 XL...stone

2003 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS $donation1 L...prairie dust

2001 SHOW OF DREAMS T-SHIRTS $donation3 XL…sage4 XXL…sage

Contact: Suzi Polencharspolenchar@comcast.net

603-598-6484

t o m o r r o w h a p p e n s

DAVIS & TOWLEINSURANCE GROUPwww.davistowle.com

PRODUCTS & SERVICES:Personal Auto • Business Auto

• Recreational Vehicles • Homeowners

• Tenant / Condo • Business Specialties

• Professional Packages

• Financial services

• Life & Health • Claim Reporting

Davis & Towle Group115 Airport Road, PO Box 1260Concord, NH 03302(603) 225-6611 / (800) 367-3848

Davis & Towle Group8 Main Street, PO Box 2300Henniker, NH 03242(603) 428-3238 / (800) 491-3238

Knapton, Reade & Woods22 School Street, PO Box 2250Hillsboro, NH 03244(603) 464-3422

A.W. Frost Agency325 Central Street, PO Box 129Franklin, NH 03235(603) 934-3319 / (800) 983-7678

Davis & Towle Group378 Village StreetPenacook, NH 03303(603) 753-6328 / (800) 822-1600

Davis & Towle GroupState Route 101AAmherst, NH 03031(603) 672-5155 / (800) 242-5609

a r e y o u r e a d y ?

14

1979 MGB car (no motor-does havetransmission). Body is in good shape.Doors are in good shape. Holes in thelower rocker panels of both front fendersbut very repairable. Truck and hood arein good shape. The dash has all the gaugesin it. The odometer reads 41000 miles.Roof needs repair, roof bow's are there.The seats are out of it but I have one ofthem. The windshield is out of it ,but I havethat also., $400.00 dollars or B.O. and youtow it away. Milford, NH 672-2616RoadKing112@verizon.net

1972 MGB - runs daily, new tires andexhaust, working overdrive and gauges.Inspected and registered in NH.Cranberry red exterior with a black topand interior. A great car for an MGenthusiast who wants a car that could bea showpiece with a little work. asking$4,500 I am moving and want the car togo to someone who would keep it up anddrive it. Robert Heartz, Concord,NH(603)224-1714

MG Midget parts from rubber bumperMidget: transmission, rear axle withsprings, miscellaneous engine bay partstake all or just what you need. Make offer.(603)428-8439stevenbrooks2@comcast.net

1971 TR6 - It’s in rough shape, but canbe restored. Not looking for a lot ofmoney. I am in Milton NH and can bereached at 603-235-9004.

For Sale

1962 TR4 - British Racing green, redinterior, very solid drivable project car. Carhas only been in NH 4 years, stored indoorsfrom October to May. Prior to that thecar was in north Florida. Heavy layer ofundercoating when new. very solid. Carruns and drives well. This car has mixtureof early and late TR4 features. Early:white steel dash, convex glass gages, S/Ucarbs, TR3 style seats; Late: long powerbulge on hood, two bolt upper control arm,aluminum block steering gear mount. Allgauges work and are the original matchedset. This car does not overheat in summerheat due to bolt-on coolant fanmodification. Many improvements andnew/rebuilt parts. No time to furtherrestore this car. Asking $5000. Pleasecontact Steve at 603-749-4749 orsbrey3@netzero.net

1973 MGB 4-speed with new head.Good top, fair interior and seats. Needsnew floors. Rockers are solid. $3500 orBO. Call Ivan at (603) 652-4717.chuck23@metrocast.net

1973 TR6 - burnt red with 68,000 miles.Very good condition with new top, dash,teak, interior upholstery, front windshield,CD player and door panels. Enginecleaned and rehabbed. Garage storedevery winter. More photos available.$11,000 or BO. Keene 603-352-8534

Water pump - can you identify this waterpump? At first glance its a commonBritish Leyland/BMC model found onmany British cars such as Austin, Morris,Rover, MG etc. However take a secondlook at the layout of the fixing holes andyou'll see its different. The impeller is54mm (2 1/16") diameter. If you knowwhat it is and you need it, I have 4 ofthem. Shop soiled but unused. Make mea reasonable offer. They are located inIsrael. henry8@013.net

1956 Wolseley 15/50, rhd, very goodcondition, located Harrington, Delaware.Please email for more info and photos atrileyelf01@aol.com $9800

Marquette DTNA VISIONOwned by a local garage since NEW. Ithink one cable got lost as I never got itfrom owner. I never used it because Ihave 2 others in my garage. A real classictool priced to move $150.00 or best offerIvan. chuck23@metrocast.net

$1474.71-$218.62

$50.00$1306.09

Treasurer’s Report

Start BalanceNewsletterMembershipEnd Balance

March 15 to April 15

15

Wanted

MGB cylinder head in useable condition.jayjenbenjackeva@verizon.net

1979 Triumph Spitfire Red. 35,000miles. Excellent condition. 90%restored. New paint job. Includes tonneaucover, soft top, and hardtop. Has Magwheels. Appraised for $8,000. Asking$5,500 or BO.Call John at (603) 225-6915.

Chrome bumper MGB in good toexcellent shape. Call Chris 508-241-5990or email: someguyonearth@hotmail.com

1976 MGB, red, good driver but not ashow car. Paint and interior are tired.New top in the box needs to be installed.Originally a California car, has been inMaine for 12 years, never in salt or snow.Has DCOE 45 carb and Allison electronicignition. Spare windshield and frame,some other spare parts, roll bar (notinstalled), Weber carb manual and MGBshop manual. Tonneau cover. Asking$3,500.00. Call Kevin at 386-316-9466for details or to arrange viewing.

1965 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8,$26,000. Exterior Coronet Cream,interior black vinyl (mixed original andnew ). Eight year hobbyist ground uprestoration. 57,250 on odometer whenpurchased. All numbers match factoryrecord from British Motor IndustryHeritage Trust. Serious buyers only.(603) 672-7014.

1973 MGB new tires & exhaust, workingoverdrive, registered & inspected in NH,driven weekly, red/w black interior, radio/cassette, asking $5000, good condition,Robert, 603-224-1714, 603-344-4322codeman653@comcast.net

1979 MG Midget. Runs and drives good,was registered and inspected in 2005.Needs two small floor pan patches (under2") for inspection. No time to drive it anymore. Tires are 90+%, new front tie rodends and ball joints, newer top. $2500 orbo. Call for details, car located in Alton,NH. Kendall 603-776-6702

1967 Triumph TR4A - needsrestoration. Located in Southern NHnear MA border. This car has been inmy family for over 30 years. 45K originalmiles. Motor fires right up and runsstrong. Needs clutch, breaks, fuel line,etc. Rust in the normal areas. OriginalBRG paint. Lots of extra parts (4 extrawire wheels, steering wheel, 2windshields, door, bumper guards andbrackets, valve covers, clutch plate,wood dash, tail lights, bumper brackets,coil, starter, distributor cap with wires,shop manual, restoration books, andmore random nuts, bolts, and mechanicalparts). Kills me to part with the car, butshe is not a practical “family Sundaydriver”, so I’m looking to clear thedriveway space while I search for a ragtop that will accommodate 4. Hoping thata TR enthusiast will see the value andpotential. First $3K and a flat bed drivesaway with a great project car.hmkemail@yahoo.com

1948 MGYA 4 door with large sunroof.Will sell to club member for $18,500 now.Not many of these. Active club in UKhas most parts. Uses some MGTD pieces.No time for this car. No space to store it.Car in Bedford, NH.wmann@mannad.com

1980 MGB IN EXCELLENTCONDITON. 39,000 ORIGINALMILES, NEW PAINT, WIRE WHEELS,Blauplunt STEREO W/ CD NEWSPEAKERS. This is an immaculate wellcared for, 2nd owner, daily driver. Maroon/Beige color. Asking $10,500. Will considerany reasonable offer. Call John (978) 590-8284. We have too many sports cars andnot enough people to drive them.

Free to good home1. Owners Workshop Manual (softback)for MGB Roadster & GT Coupe 1962 to1974 by Haynes2. SU- Hitachi Carburetors Manual(softback) by Carbooks, Inc. - Tune,Adjust, Repair, Rebuildemail me at: Robert.Weller@Bdal.com

1953 TD Engine I would appreciateanyone’s help in finding a 1250cc Engineto rebuild. Ivan Dorechuck23@metrocast.net

Dvorak 1977 MGB at High Hopes 2006 (story on page 8)

British Cars of New Hampshire25 West County RoadBedford, NH 03110