COVTR Members at the VTR South Central Regionals in Tyler Texas. Five First Place Awards!
Upcoming events:
May 6 – Monthly Meeting – Shorty Small’s Restaurant, I-40 & Meridian. Come At 6pm To Eat And Visit, Business Meeting At 7pm
May 17 – Howard & Nancy Wise Leads an Outing to Mt. Scott and Lunch at Meers. Details at Our Monthly Meeting on May 6
May 31 – June 8 – British Car Week
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:
Confucius say, “If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it”
First and foremost: The latest news, as of this writing, is that Max Speegle is home and doing well. He is still experiencing some numbness on his left side, but he is home. He will continue his medical observation and physical therapy on an outpatient basis…great news. Max, we’re all thinking of you and Linda and wishing you both all the best in the difficult days ahead. If any COVTR member can assist in any way, a simple phone call or email will do the trick. You’re the greatest!! We expect to see you, Linda, and Oz on the road again real soon!!
The month of April was an interesting month in many ways for COVTR members. Dennis Eckhout conducted his now famous auto buffing tech session, the Regionals occurred in Tyler, Texas and Jerry Wall led the membership on a wine tour of Woods and Waters Vineyards. What more could anyone ask for…good looking cars, car shows and wine!!
On April 12th, Dennis Eckhout, along with all his buffing equipment, conducted an auto buffing tech session at my house. With all his expertise plus a little help from my Pirates Brew Nut Brown Ale, Dennis gave an excellent demonstration into the do’s and don’ts of buffing out your favorite Triumph. You can read Dennis’ article regarding the event later on in this newsletter.
Next on the agenda were the Regionals at Tyler, Texas. With the exception of a minor hitch with Spidy, the event was very successful for COVTR. I think it’s safe to say that COVTR took more first place honors than any other Club there. Lazarus, John and Jeannie Gauldin’s Spitfire, took first place in the Senior Class. Elvis, Lonny and Kay Wall’s TR4A, took first place in the TR4/TR4A class and Sue and I took first place with Spidy in the TR7/8 class. Lonny and Kay also took first place in the “Gimmick Rally”. Even though Tweedy, Mike and Bonny Billotte’s Spitfire did not come away a winner, they will always be winners in our book. Now for the “hitch” with Spidy. To increase the engine compartments appeal on Spidy, the week before Regionals I took a perfectly good working alternator to Ace Alternator in Midwest City to have it rebuilt…I just wanted it to look good!! It was rebuilt, reinstalled and the first time I cranked Spidy up in Tyler, the ignition light came on. Bad news!! I pulled the alternator out again and with help from John Gauldin and Lonny Wall, I had it rebuilt again in Tyler. Bad news again!! The second rebuild didn’t work either. The wrong bearing was installed. So, to make a long story short, what driving Sue and I did in Tyler was on the battery. We were at least able to make one moving event and get Spidy to the Concours d’ Elegance for judging. After all is said and done, I’m now a firm believer in “If it Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix it”. A lesson well learned!! Actually, I was reminded many times of my dumb mistake.
Late update:
I must give a special thanks to Bob Nelson and Bob Cleere of Northwest
Alternator and Starter for getting Spidy back on the road. If "the
third time is the charm," then Northwest was my third charm. Thanks Bob and
Bob!
Unfortunately, Sue and I were not able to make Jerry and Jackie Wall’s April 27th winery tour event. Sue and I were in Houston, Texas on the Sunday event day. Sue’s sister had a surprise birthday party to celebrate the BIG 6 0. Unfortunately, we also missed last year’s tour due to school events. I’ve heard it’s one of the big events of the year. I hope everyone was able to make it and, I hope everyone had a great time. Take care everyone and we’ll see you at our May 6th meeting. Drive safe!!
Jerry Stewart
From the Veep:
Check Your Pressure
Its spring time and a great time for enjoying our Triumphs. But before we go for a drive, be sure to check that tire pressure. For our Spitfires that means 26 pounds in each tire. As we are all aware, too little pressure means wear and too much pressure means tear and all of that leads to unsafe driving. Be sure to check that oil pressure. For our Spitfires that means 60 pounds when running hot or about 20 pounds when idling hot. If the pressure is too high, it’s trouble; too low, no go. If you decide to bring your Triumph to an event location on your tow dolly, be sure to have 30 pounds of air pressure in the tow dolly tires when the car is aboard; and when the tow dolly is empty, lower the pressure to 15 pounds. If the pressure is too high when empty, lots of bouncing will occur, damaging both the tires and the tow dolly. If the pressure is too low when full, a blowout can happen. And we certainly don’t want that to happen to our precious Triumphs.
And what about your pressure? Yes, your pressure! Max Speegle found out in a dramatic way what happens when his blood pressure was too high and continued to be too high for a period of time. He experienced a stroke. He is fortunate to be making progress in his recovery from the effects of the stroke. But he was lucky and we wish him a speedy and full recovery!
Check the pressures in your Triumph. But more importantly check the pressure in your body!
Jean Scott Gauldin
Activities Report
Always under the gun…Was April a Month full of Activities or What?!?! Bill and I went to Hallet in the TR-uck 150, and it was a Blast-From-the-Past for sure. We had such a good time. Gary Fuqua was such as poised and generously welcoming host in his paddock areas, showing us around pit row and under the bonnet! The weather couldn’t have been more perfect! Congratulations on a great turnout, Dennis and LuAnne!
The Stewart’s hosted a Tech Session at their beautiful home on Saturday, April 12th, serving up “Pirates’ Brew Nut Brown Ale” and some Chili that was “the bomb!” (in my son’s vernacular). If you missed Dennis Eckhout “In the Buff”, be sure to follow up with him for some excellent tips. Aaarrggghhh! Bill and I showed up with our Jolly Roger, eye patches and earrings, though we don’t own a parrot.
I cannot comment on The Regional VTR in Tyler nor the Wine Tour, Bill and I missed them. I did see some cool pictures on the website, Thanx Kay! Mike Billotte told me he and Bonnie bought several bottles of wine, from the selection at Wood’s and Water’s Winery, that they think are really exceptional.
I hope you’re looking forward to May and perhaps some more stable weather. I know I am! Howard and Nancy Wise will be guiding us on our SOB to “Drive a Mountain” Check out the view: http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/pr?NzM2M2Z8NDc5YmUzYTE= Mt Scott/Mears
Cheers, Anne Gingerich
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Membership Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President Jerry Stewart at 7:05 pm.
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved. Motion made by Lonny Wall and seconded by Kay Wall.
Treasurer’s Report for March 08: Bill Gingerich
Motion made and seconded to accept Treasurer’s Report as given.
Membership Report: Jean Scott Gauldin
Jean gave out membership cards. She then introduced a visitor, Bruce Bachman. Bruce is the owner of a 1974 TR6. We hope Bruce will come back again and perhaps decide to join the club.
Activities: Anne Gingerich
Anne discussed possible membership in the British Auto Museum.
Dennis Eckhout outlined the trip to Hallett that he is sponsoring on April 5. The MG Club will be joining the COVTR. They will meet at the Flying J at NE 122 and I-35 at 7:45 am and leaving at 8:00 am. The entrance fee is $5.00 for cars built before 1972 and $10.00 for all later models. Dennis would also like to host a trip to Dallas for an all European Car Show at White Rock Lake Park on May 4.
Jerry Wall’s Wine Tour is scheduled for April 27. The winery is the Woods and Waters and is located in Apache. The group will meet at 1:00 pm at Garden Ridge Pottery. This time will give an opportunity to go to dinner is they so choose.
Newsletter Report: John Gauldin
John asked if everyone received the newsletter. Lonny stated that he did not receive all of it and received a new hard copy. John then asked if anyone could identify the person in the mystery photo for a prize of a quart of Castrol 20w50 motor oil. The Gilberts won when they were able to identify Cathy Danford.
Old Business:
Mike Billotte reported that the club received $1244.57 from working the Leake car auction. Mike also said he would return any club shirts that shrunk or you can call Mark Danford directly, if you prefer.
New Business:
There was no new business.
B & B:
Howard Wise pulled an April Fool’s Day joke by announcing he was divorcing Nancy.
Jim Ware announced that their house flooded on Easter due to a faulty washing machine.
He also announced that he and Judy are looking at purchasing a 1978 Spitfire that is vermillion in color.
Door Prizes:
Magnetic pick up tool Max Speegle
Funnel Judy Ware
Mechanical pick up tool Lonny Wall
Shop rags Frank Steindl
Grab bag Judy Piggott
Magazines: Howard Wise
Jerry Wall
Lois Holdsclaw
Bob Norbury
WD 40: Bruce Bachman
Jerry Stewart remarked about the great service by the restaurant staff. He then stated that he would have the cell phone list ready for everyone at the May meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.
Respectfully Submitted, Nancy Wise
Classifieds:
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
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Mystery Photo
Be the first to e-mail the Editor the model & approximate year of the car and win a prize at the May meeting!
Road Trip To Hallett
By Dennis Eckhout
We had a great turnout of COVTR and MG club membership for our road trip to the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit to watch the Corinthian Vintage races on Saturday, April 5. The last time the club sponsored a Hallett event was in 2006 when the Friends of Triumph (FOT) held their annual feature race there. Although the FOT will be at Watkins Glen later this year, we were well entertained by our own Gary Fuqua who raced a Bugeye Sprite and all the other racers that showed up.
Eight COVTR members in six Triumphs and six MGs met at the Flying J: Mike Billotte, Dennis Eckhout & LuAnne Kuelzer, and Steve & Mary Beth Craven driving TR6s; Lonny Wall in his TR4A; and John Gauldin and Jim Ware in Spitfires. Still a bit brisk for top down driving (except Billotte), our dozen LBCs made an impressive caravan as we motored east on Rt. 66 in the morning sun. As we made the turn north on Rt. 99 in Stroud, we were met by Mike & Judy Piggott in their TR4 and Steve McCarley in his TR6. Near Drumright, Frank Steindl joined in his TR3. But wait, there’s more! Once we arrived at Hallett, Bill & Anne Gingerich, Kip Miles, and Tom Lains arriving in their daily drivers, and member Gary Fuqua from Branson MO was there with his TR4 and Bugeye racers. All told, 17 COVTR members enjoyed recapturing those thrilling (race) days of yesteryear, today. Add in our MG friends, and the event’s 23 participants was one of the larger turnouts we have had.
The races included eight classes of vehicles, ranging from the big V8 muscle cars, to MGs, Triumphs, and Austin Healeys, and open-wheel Lotuses and Formula Vees and Fords. A father-son team from Tulsa brought along their 1951 Allard to display next to their pit. It was for sale, by the way, and I noticed some tempting glances in its direction throughout the day. Gary Fuqua’s ear-to-ear grin upon pulling in from his afternoon race reminded me of Hallett founder, Mike Stephens saying that the guy on the track has a bigger smile on his face than anyone in the stands.
Author’s note: Unbeknownst to me at the time, I learned that Stephens passed away in June, 2007. He was a young man, in his early 60’s, and the track and racing were his life’s work. I recall talking with him to make arrangements for the club when we attended racing in 2005 and 2006. He was always welcoming, friendly, and enthusiastic to have our group come out. He is sorely missed by his family and the racing family around Hallett, although I understand his wife, son and other family members will be carrying on the tradition.
Buffatouille* Anyone Can Buff
By Dennis Eckhout
My very first car was black and I own two black cars now. Ask anyone who owns a black car and you will probably discover that they love them because when they shine, they’re absolutely stunning (the car, not the person). But red, blue, green, and yes, even white cars look better when they shine. (Ok, yes, I know, so do yellow cars, brown cars, grey cars, etc.) There is no better way to get that mile-deep shine than with the right elixir and a power buffing machine.
The truth seems to be, however, that most people are reluctant to use a buffing machine on their cars because of well-founded fears of damaging the paint, either by leaving swirl marks, burning through to the primer, or worse. There is a legacy of products, machines and techniques that are best discarded, and others that should be left to professional refinishing shops. Modern approaches can be useful in the hands of the hobbyist, in fact, one system has been developed just for us. But like many other developments, the available choices can be confusing and expensive to sort through.
Over the years, I have gained a fairly good base of knowledge and experience with buffing cars. In the early days, I used products like DuPont Rubbing Compound, two-step Blue Coral, Classic Car Wax, Turtle Wax and Kit. I have experience with today’s products by 3M, Meguiar, and Griot. I have used both wool bonnets and foam applicators attached to machines that included my dad’s 6-inch drill, Craftsman rotary buffer/polisher, DeWalt variable speed buffer/polisher and Griot’s random orbital polisher. And I have applied all this to my own cars’ lacquer, enamel and base/clear coat finishes.
Jerry Stewart asked me about the Griot’s Garage system he was considering buying to prep Spidy for the regional Triumph meet in Texas. The Griot system consists of a random orbital variable speed polishing machine, foam applicator pads, a couple of containers of polish and wax. At the time, I did not have experience with Griot’s detailing products, but was familiar with the catalog and had watched his DVD online. Because of Griot’s hobbyist orientation, and the fact that Jerry’s car has relatively new paint, I thought Griot’s system would be fine for him. He graciously offered to let me try it out and suggested I conduct a tech session at his house for other club members who wanted to attempt power buffing their cars.
The tech session, held April 12, was attended by Lonny Wall, Mike Billotte, Bill & Anne Gingerich, Max Spiegel, Howard Wise, Jack Beckham, and of course Jerry Stewart. My goal at the end of the session was to demonstrate Jerry’s Griot system on Spidy. I also decided to discuss some of the other products and systems that I have had success with, in particular both the 3M Perfect It system and Meguiar’s various numbered polishes and waxes using foam pads and DeWalt variable speed rotary machine. Finally, I wanted to create awareness of some of the “old school” stuff that should not be used on our cars for any reason.
The presentation and lively discussion, lubricated by some of Jerry’s latest homemade beverage, lasted about an hour. When we finished the “talking” part and got to the “doing” part, someone noticed that Jerry had mysteriously disappeared (witnessing is difficult when your car is the guinea pig for one of these sessions). A few moments later, he returned to help remove some scratches with his Griot’s orbital buffer and #3 polish. Using two other member’s vehicles, we also demonstrated removing heavy oxidation from an older lacquer paint job by applying Meguiar’s with the DeWalt rotary machine and foam pad, as well as removing heavy scratches from a modern clear coat paint.
Jerry and Sue finished going over Spidy the next day, and reported to be very happy with the results. Apparently, so were the judges at the Regional meet, as the Stewarts came home with a first place trophy.
*In case you haven’t seen it, an allusion to the movie Ratatouille, in which the chef’s slogan is “Anyone Can Cook.”
Let There Be Wine!
It was a dark and stormy night..... but by mid morning the sun was out and the wind was blowing. An absolutely perfect day for our SOB to Wood's and Water's Winery in Apache Oklahoma.
We met at Garden Ridge Pottery, I-40 and MacArthur, and the four carloads left about 1:05 PM. They included... Mike and Bonny Billotte in their TR-6, Dennis Eckhout and LuAnne Kuelzer in their TR-6, Howard and Nancy Wise in their TR-7, and Jackie and I in our Stag. We were 20 minutes out when the first call of nature rang through the woods, so we stopped to answer the call and the workers at the C Store took pictures of the cars (sure makes your head swell). We then continued down Highway 81 to Chickasha where we turned west on 62/9 and headed for Anadarko. Along the way we picked up another TR-6 with Howard and Lois Holdsclaw from Purcell.
Exactly one hour and forty five minutes after leaving Garden Ridge we pulled into Wood's and Water's. The owner and winemaker was a Texas lad and he had lived in Germany a while as a winemaker. His Rieslings and Gewurztraminer were excellent and his Eiswein (red and white) was superb. He also makes a dandy port wine that I know Lonny and John G. would have loved to taste. All of his wines (cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz, Rose`, Rieslings and Eisweins are made from grapes grown right on the property. He said that he had the largest vineyard in the state. He does not sell his wines anywhere except at the winery.
His wife, 100 per cent Russian, ran the kitchen. I’ve got to tell you folks that the food was delightful and varied. Wine is sold along with the meals and he will be glad to make food parings with the wine if you like. All in all, I believe this to be the best winery tour yet!
As we were getting into our cars to leave, there was an outpouring from some of the bystanders looking at our cars. Ask Dennis about his special outpouring gift. We were all envious. For all of you who went on the Hotter Then Hell Winery Tour a couple of years ago, today was a sunny, yet cool day just perfect for a Sunday afternoon drive. Max and Linda, we missed you being with us!
Jerry and Jackie Wall
Stag-Black Beauty
COVTR Activities for 2008
Date Activity Notes POC
5/17 Mt Scott/Meers OK Drive a Mountain H&N Wise
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