COVTR Members at the June 17th Mount Scott / Meers OK Outing hosted by Howard & Nancy Wise
Upcoming events:
June 3 – Monthly Meeting – Shorty Small’s Restaurant, I-40 & Meridian. Come At 6pm to Eat and Visit, Business Meeting At 7pm
May 31 – June 8 – British Car Week
June 6-9 – Northern New Mexico Outing (see pg. 6 for details)
June 21 – Stewart Outing (destination TBD)
COVTR STAFF
PRESIDENT
Jerry Stewart
5100 Trail Ridge Ln
Choctaw, OK 73020
(405) 391-6392
VICE-PRESIDENT
Jean Scott Gauldin
Edmond, OK 73034
(405) 844-0413
TREASURER
Bill Gingerich
18600 Andrew Ln
Newalla, OK 74857-8774
(405) 386-4777
SECRETARY
Nancy Wise
3900 Patterson Dr
Edmond OK 73013
(405) 285-7157
howard87@cox.net
HISTORIAN BOY
Mike Billotte
8101 NW 28th St
Bethany, OK 73008
(405) 789-1725
piwac@swbell.net
MEMBERSHIP
Jean Scott Gauldin
Edmond, OK 73034
(405) 844-0413
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Dennis Eckhout
641 Jean Marie DR
Norman, OK 73069
(405) 366-0137
deckhout@sbcglobal.net
ACTIVITIES
Anne Gingerich
18600 Andrew Ln
Newalla, OK 74857-8774
(405) 386-4777
raggetyannie@yahoo.com
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
John Gauldin
Edmond, OK 73034
(405) 250-0903
WEBMASTER
Kay Wall
(405) 341-7134
MISSION STATEMENT
The Central Oklahoma Vintage Triumph Register (C.O.V.T.R.) was established in 1982 by Triumph owners and enthusiasts for the purpose of preserving the future of the Triumph Marque. Triumph ownership is encouraged but not a prerequisite for membership. The C.O.V.T.R. sponsors a monthly meeting, monthly SOB’s, car shows, road tours and technical inspections.
From Your President:
Jerry Stewart
I would like to start this newsletter by correcting a serious mistake I made in our May Newsletter. While acknowledging the winnings of everyone in Tyler, Texas, I totally overlooked Robert and Janette Scott and their first place win with Julius, their 1979 Spitfire. When I saw the membership photograph on the Newsletter cover, it hit me like a ton of bricks…..I forgot Robert and Janette. So, Robert and Janette, congratulations from all the COVTR members on your first place win in Tyler. Please accept my apology for being a month late on the good news of your win. Hopefully, an oversight like this won’t happen again.
Speaking of the May Newsletter, I had written that Spidy was up and running on his three-time rebuilt alternator….I lied. The newly three-time rebuilt alternator kept running the battery down. After much consulting (cursing too) with COVTR alternator gurus, John Gauldin and Lonny Wall, it was decided that a new alternator was in order. $218.70 shipping and handling later, I put a new alternator in Spidy. EUREKA, I now have electricity going into the battery, not someplace else. One interesting note however: When John and I took the new alternator apart to align the face plate for proper mounting; we discovered the new alternator did not have a surge protector as was in the old one. Out of curiosity, I removed the surge protector from the old one, had it checked and it’s now working perfectly also. Go figure!! So, the moral of the story is, if you have a 25 ACR alternator in your TR7 and the battery keeps running down, a good place to start checking is the surge protector…Vicky Brit #8-3037. Unfortunately, Spidy now has a cranking problem. Perhaps I’ll have to save that goody for the July News Letter…will it ever stop!!!
Thanks to Howard and Nancy Wise, we had a super SOB run this month to Mt. Scott in Southwestern Oklahoma. Along with Mt. Scott, we also had lunch in Meers with just about every Harley Davison Bike Club in Oklahoma. I think most of us had long horn steer hamburgers with some having a large bowl of great tasting homemade ice cream for desert. Fortunately, it was a perfect day for top-down driving. It was the first time Sue and I had ever been to Mt. Scott….What a view!! I honestly didn’t realize anything like that existed in Oklahoma. If you have never been there, make it a point to put it on your things-to-do list. I promise you will not be disappointed. I plan on taking a serious photographic trip there sometime this summer.
Well folks, as you probably already know, the June 21st Rock Café SOB has been temporally put on hold. There was a major fire there on May 20th and, it was totally destroyed with the exception of the exterior rock walls. The last report I heard was that it was to be rebuilt. Let’s hope so, it’s a very important landmark for old Route 66. As soon as Sue and I find another place for the June SOB, I will let everyone know via email. Hopefully by the time you receive this newsletter, we will have another place identified.
Everyone have a safe month and we’ll see you June 3rd at our next COVTR monthly meeting. Please drive safe.
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From the Veep:
Jean Scott Gauldin
Like the Corners of My Mind
We have just celebrated Memorial Day, or when I was a child what we called Decoration Day. This year in our family we had a family reunion and spent time reminiscing about family stuff. We also shared our thoughts and prayers for those in our family that served in the military and for those who served our country in other ways. My father was a WW II navy veteran of the Pacific Theater, my brother spent 20 years in the army reserve, and John served the air force for 35 years as a civilian. Memories -- so important as the condiment of life. They enhance our relationships, they connect us with prior times, they bind us together.
One of the pleasures of driving our Triumphs together and of gathering to talk about those little British cars is the memories we form. I remember the first event John and I enjoyed with COVTR, a trip to Eischen’s for fried chicken. Barney Emberton was the president. I remember the first National event we shared. We went to Breckenridge, Colorado. The morning breakfast run was to the top of a mountain pass where we had our picture made in Lazarus. I remember when John bought his first Triumph. We went to Gary and Judy Harrison’s place in Piedmont on Easter Sunday afternoon to look at it, then went back later to buy that GT6. That car turned out to be the “Six Shooter.”
Memories – let’s continue to make and share them. The next big driving event is to New Mexico. That will be a great opportunity to make some more Triumph memories. Hope to see you then.
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Activities Report
May has been a tumultuous month weather-wise, rather than the fair days of spring that I’d hoped it would bring! However Mother’s Day did bring a couple of rewarding phone calls from the kids! My youngest, Mike, has purchased a house, and he took time out from the rigors of painting to call and give Mom & Bill some of the details. We’re very proud he’s also gotten a “shotgun raise;” His boss quit, leaving him to acquire the IT Manager position at the company where he works in Chanhassen, MN.
Yes the kids do grow up and amaze us, as did the view from the top of Mt Scott on our May Saturday Out Bunch (SOB) with the Wise’s this past weekend. Our Spitfire is currently up on jack stands L so Bill and I met up with the group reroute and took up copilot positions. I rode with Nancy Wise, Bill with Lonny Wall. After eating at the Meers Store Restaurant in Meers, Ok I was surprised and somewhat pleased to see a business card from DickBlickArt Materials (a retail store I was very fond of in MN)
Our bellies full, we were off to Lawton, OK where President Theodore Roosevelt established the Wildlife Refuge in 1905, in what was then the Oklahoma Territory. It now occupies some 60K acres of wilderness and is populated with buffalo herds, longhorn cattle, deer, elk(wapiti), coyotes, red-tailed hawks, prairie dogs, and turkey are commonly seen. More than 50 mammal, 240 bird, 64 reptile and amphibians, 36 fish, and 806 plant species thrive on this refuge. Examples of hoof prints were impressed into the concrete sidewalk of the visitor’s center. One of the highlights inside the Visitor’s center were color pencil drawings done by a group of 7-9th grade and 10-12th grade students of wild fowl. Utterly amazing! Mt. Scott is an ear popping 2464’ high. We traveled up an ever upward ONE WAY “No Pedestrian Traffic Allowed”, 25 MPH path all the way to the top~Whew~!What A View~!
Thursday 29th is Bill’s birthday J and Saturday 31st begins British Car Week, which runs through Sunday 8th of June!
Please join us for the June Monthly Meeting at Shorty Smalls on Tuesday 3rd of June; I will be celebrating my 50th Birthday and accepting toasts, so start memorizing your best. Come early to socialize, the meeting comes to order at 7:00PM!
Cheers, Anne Gingerich
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Membership Meeting Minutes
May 6, 2008
The meeting was called to order by President Jerry Stewart at 7:08 pm. Jerry welcomed everyone. He gave out the new cell phone list for SOBs. He will update the list periodically.
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved by a vote, with the motion being made by Lonnie Wall and seconded by Bonnie Billotte.
Treasurer’s Report for April 08: Bill Gingerich
Motion to accept the treasurer’s report was made by Jean Scott Gauldin and seconded by Howard Wise. Motion passed.
Membership Report: Jean Scott Gauldin
Jean welcomed Larry Hopper to the club. He has been a member before, but is here to stay this time. He has a TR 4.
Jean reported that Max Speegle is home, but still in rehab. His blood pressure is down, but not as far as it needs to be. He is getting better and looking forward to when he can drive again. Max and Linda are now ready to have company.
Jean also reported for John that the April Newsletter has an error in it. Members, Robert and Janette Scott also won at the Regionals in Tyler last month. The mystery picture in the newsletter has been correctly identified as a ’63 Herald by Rob Scott.
Activities: Anne Gingerich
British Car week is coming May 31 through June 6.
The COVTR logo can be put on Scott Helm’s website free of charge. He will also list events, etc. LuAnne Kuelzer reported for Dennis Eckhout who is out of town. Dennis suggested going to the Tulsa Jaguar Car Club’s European Car show being held in Sand Springs on Saturday, June 14. After the show the group would go into Tulsa for an early dinner. The cost of entering a car in the show is fifty dollars.
Howard Wise reported on the June SOB, a trip to the top of Mt. Scott on Saturday, May 17. The trip will feature a visit to Medicine Park, Mt. Scott, the wildlife preserve, the Holy City where the Easter Passion Play has been held for the last 80+ years, and lunch at the Meers Café which is famous for its hamburgers. (The Meers Café accepts only cash) We will be meeting at the Love’s at NE 122 and I 35 at 8:15 a.m. and departing at 8:30 a.m.
A reminder will be e-mailed the week of May 12.
Bill Gingerich suggested renting a suite for the baseball game for July’s SOB, July 20. We will also be visiting Bass Pro in conjunction with the game. We will discuss it more at the next meeting.
Jean Scott Gauldin announced that the New Mexico trip will be June 6 through June 9. John needs the number of participants as soon as possible in order to make room reservations.
Old Business:
Mike Billotte reported that he is out of the shirt business. He also reported that he and Bonnie put together the Made in Oklahoma basket for the raffle at the Regionals. The club voted to reimburse the Billottes for the basket.
New Business:
COVTR was well represented at the Regionals with four cars winning first place in various categories. The winners were John and Jean Gauldin, Lonny and Kay Wall, Jerry and Sue Stewart, and Robert and Janette Scott. Lonny and Kay also won the Rallye.
B & B:
Bill Gingerich has a birthday coming up the end of the month.
Lonny and Kay Wall have purchased the Isbell’s Stag and Lonny will be rebuilding it for Kay. He is naming it Robuck for Land ROver and BUCK for stag.
Jerry and Sue Stewart won first place the very first time they entered Spidy in a show.
LuAnne Kuelzer has received the ok on her dissertation research.
Motion to adjourn was made by Anne Gingerich and seconded by Jean Scott Gauldin. Meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
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Road Trip to Northern New Mexico
It’s not too late to join the group going to Northern New Mexico this coming June 6th through 9th!
We will be meeting on Friday morning, June 6th at 7:00AM and leaving from the Braum’s, I-40 and Mustang Rd (same as last year). You should plan to trailer / tow your Triumph as we will be making minimal stops out and back, and will have about a 9 hour drive before reaching our destination of Ohkay Owingeh Hotel and Casino (North of Espanola New Mexico). We will have two full days of touring in the high country of Northern New Mexico, with great food, wine tasting, scenery, and shopping. On Saturday we will enjoy the hospitality of Jemez Springs for lunch and with hot mineral baths / massages and optional extra. Sunday will take us on “The High Road to Taos” with lunch and free time in Taos to relax or shop, then across the Rio Grande Gorge and on to Tierra Amarilla! We will leave New Mexico on Monday morning after an early breakfast and should be back in OKC before dark. Please give me a call if you have any questions. John Gauldin 250-0903
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For Sale:Fiberglass GT Top Rare and very hard to find! Fits early Spitfires only (63-70) Personal pick-up only, no shipping Asking $600 or Best offer Contact: Larry Melton 405-692-1094 Located in South OKC area
June Mystery Photo
This month the mystery photo is a two part challenge! First give the proper English term for the item indicated with the arrow, and then correctly identify the Triumph model. The first person to e-mail the editor the correct answer to BOTH questions wins the prize! Thanks to the photographer & Spouse, unfortunately they are not eligible to enter!
Last month’s winner was Rob Scott, who correctly identified the car as an early 60’s Triumph Herald!
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COVTR Activities for 2008
Date Activity Notes POC
5/31–6/8 British Car Week Drive Your LBC, A Lot!
6/6-9 New Mexico Tour Gotta Love It! J&J Gauldin
6/11-15 TRA Nationals Huron OH
6/21 Rock Café Eat in Stroud OK Old Route 66 J&S Stewart
7/20 Baseball & BassPro Redhawks Game in Bricktown B&A Gingerich
7/26 Wedding Bells LuAnne & Dennis Get Married
8/4-8 VTR Nationals Ypsilanti,, MI www.natc2008.com
8/23 Drive-In Movie Guthrie OK, Movie TBA Jean Scott Gauldin
9/6 Mystery Breakfast Come Along, It Will Be Good! M&B Billotte
9/20 Progressive Dinner Fine Dining in Edmond K Wall & L Speegle
10/3-5 Vintage Racing Hallett Motor Racing
10/24-26 Red River Shootout No More Red Shorts! H&N Wise
11/7-9 Fall Foliage Tour Eureka Springs AK WHEEEE! J&J Gauldin / L Wall
12/6 Tour-O-Lights ~*Twinkle*~*Twinkle*~*Twinkle* M&B Billotte
12/14 Christmas Party Dinner & Dirty Santa H&N Wise
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COVTR
PO BOX 12272
OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73157-2272