ISOA logo 2002 ISOA Event Articles

Last updated December 3, 2002

Here's a Quick Index of articles on some of the things we've done in 2002...

ISOA Frame Clinic
or
Grown Men Wearing Funny Helmets

January 19, 2002

On Saturday January 19, 2002 about twenty-five club members and one very talented guest changed Ernie Husmann’s twenty nine year old TR6 frame from a typically rusted and rotted conglomeration of boxed steel into a better than new platform for driving enjoyment.

The Stagmeister, all business ("time is money"), explained the process step by step, and many participants did a bit of grinding, cutting and welding. Nearly everyone had multiple chances to flip the frame over once or twice, each time adding sand to newly formed Hampshire Beach on the garage floor (leftovers from the sandblasting process). Many TR6 owners were particularly interested in the day’s activities because each and every 6 will eventually rust out in these same spots.

Tools for the day did not include much in the way of dainty finishing hammers and dollies - no, this was the day for tools with no conscience - the plasma cutter, MIG welder, angle grinder, air chisel and Sawzall. No pretty finishes or feathered edges this day - molten steel, showers of flying sparks and the smell of angle grinder grit attacked the senses.

While early arrivals munched donuts, Joe applied the plasma cutter to the rear breastplate, leaving only a little chiseling to be done before it lifted right off. The small lip it attached to was left on the frame, as the replacements came with no lip (unlike most of our participants). As we marveled at the plasma cutter going through eighth-inch steel like a hot knife through butter, Mike Mueller quietly worked at the drill press, making numerous holes in the replacement box sections for plug welds to be applied later.

Next to go were the rear trailing arm box sections which looked good enough when covered by the breastplate, but once the breastplate was removed, both sections had large rotted out sections. Joe informed us that this occurs because water enters where the breastplate meets the box sections on the inside. For whatever reason, the factory neglected to make an additional bead of weld on the inside, probably because they never expected these cars to be in service so long!

Next the replacement training arm sections were fitted up. Three datum points previously measured provided the necessary info for the exact fit. A nip here, a hammer tap there and the replacements were ready for tack welding into place. As Joe readied the MIG for the first weld, Chuck Price suggested one last check of measurements. Sure enough a slight adjustment was needed, and Joe quipped: "The Price is right!"

Following the initial tack welds, all interested participants were invited to try their hands at plug welding, thanks to the numerous holes Mike Mueller had created earlier. Some novices created slightly phallic pools of molten metal. This writer missed the hole twice ("...just pretend it’s Marilyn", says Joe) and created a mountain of metal needing a radical grindectomy.

After the plug welds were ground flat, a cover plate was welded over the box section. This piece WAS given a bead of weld to the inside, so that when the breastplate was reattached, water would have no place to enter. The finished replacement looked like new, and Ernie could be confident that the rest of his frame would rust and deteriorate long before this piece would go anywhere.

A word now about Joe’s friend Paul, who’s known the Stagmeister long before he even owned a Stag (was he the Spitmeister then?). Paul, a gear head whose passion is old trucks, owns a 30s Ford turned hot rod - his pride and joy. As much as all the rest of us helped where we could, Paul was Joe’s right hand on this project. Whether manning the air chisel, Sawzall or MIG, Paul was pleasant, knowledgeable and fun. I hope we see him more in the future.

This scribe left soon after the first box section was finished to have lunch with the first lady before the Bears would eventually break both our hearts. If only we could repair the Bears’ deficiencies as slickly as we did Ernie’s frame...

by Mike Blonder

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Indoor Go-Karting at Rev'd Up
or
You Missed a Great Time!

March 23, 2002

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day. Jeff Lathrop, Jack Billimack, Sandy &Jerry Hurst, Greg Hetzel, Bill, our Grandson Kris, and I met Tim Buja at the Farm and Fleet promptly at 12:30. Tim led us to "Rev'd Up", a new, indoor go-kart track and amusement center. I was impressed with the size of the facility. Not only do they have two go-kart tracks, they also have a bowling alley, arcade games, bumper cars, batting cages, golf simulators and a 250 seat conference room.

The grownups in the group immediately set out to try racing while Kris was more interested in playing the arcade games. The electric go-karts can go as fast as 24mph. They are equipped with switches to adjust the speed based on the drivers age/skill. We also learned that the pit crew can remotely run your go-kart. Jack tried his best to bribe the pit guy to make my cart go slow but I threatened him with bodily harm if he took the money! I'm pleased to report that the cart that I drove was not like the POC I drove at the outdoor track….. that is to say, this time I won!! J I figured I wouldn't press my luck a second time so I didn't race again. Mike and Marilyn Blonder showed up and were able to join the gang in the next heat. Watching from the sidelines, I noticed that every one of our group had a HUGE smile on their face. It doesn't get much better than this!

by Sheri Pyle

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An Electrifying Experience
ISOA's 2002 Electrical Clinic

March 23, 2002

March 30th dawned bright, clear and cold as ISOA'ers converged on the Quackenbush estate in Lake Forest for the electrical clinic. Not since the days of Mr. T's residence have the good citizens of that town seen such a scruffy aggregation.

In attendance were: Spuds Billimack, Sheri Pyle, Pat Lobdell, Jake Jaquet, Bruce Burnett, Pete Schoppelry, Irv-Bob Korey, Phil Fox, Jeff and Julie Lathrop, and others I can't remember now.

When I arrived a gaggle of people were gathered around Eric's latest acquisition, a Herald no less! This was an object of considerable interest since there hasn't been a Herald in the club since our former treasurer fled town. His Herald is rumored to be with him somewhere in Brazil.

Sheri's Three was the first subject to be worked on. By "worked on" I mean we all stood around with concerned looks on our faces as Eric did all the work. Sheri's main complaint was a left turn signal that did not work. She blamed Billy. Eric fixed it by plugging it in. A new flasher was installed and a bad wire to the facia mounted indicator light was repaired also. The dash light used to remain lit, now it constantly flashes. A grateful Sheri said "Now it's more annoying than ever". At least she can't blame Billy.

I brought my Hi-Tone horn to be repaired. The Hi-Tone Lucas Windtone horn is the one that sounds like a ferret being squeezed. This is to be distinguished from the LO-Tone horn which sounds like wildebeest flatulence. You can tell that your horns are functioning in perfect harmony when you honk them and people on the street stop, point in your direction and start laughing.

To understand the wonders worked on my horn by Eric, a little explanation of electric horn theory is in order. Inside the horn button are many tiny little objects called electrons. These can't be seen with the naked eye, but under a microscope they appear round with little feet, kind of like scrubbing bubbles. When the horn button is pushed, a whole bunch of electrons, fifty at least, run down the horn wire. Being British electrons, they run down the left side of the wire. My car is early so it has Whitworth electrons. Late model Triumphs have metric electrons.

Upon arriving at the horn, the electrons encounter the horn plate thing. (Hereinafter called the HPT) The electrons run around the HPT in an anti-clockwise direction. (clockwise when south of the equator) On the other side of the HPT are devices called decibel. The vibration on the HPT caused by the running electrons causes the decibels to ring, thereby making a horn sound.

Eric checked out the electrons and decibels and found them in working order so he disassembled the horn and let out the bad vapors. Many Lucas problems can be solved by letting out the bad vapors. So for the first time since 1972 my horn works.

About this time hypothermia was setting in so we retired to the warmth of chez Quackenbush for lunch. Susan put out a great spread of lunch meats and other goodies. After we stuffed ourselves and regained our circulation we went back to the garage.

Eric's garage has three bays and a lift. It even has a TV, stereo and air conditioning. All the tools and parts are in neatly labeled containers. (Where's the fun in that?)

Next, Bruce attempted to pull his Three into the garage. In the process he wiped out a five foot tall stack of parts bins, sending parts flying in all directions and earning a boomer nomination. The cold must have gotten to his brain. About this time I realized my feet were numb and since my horn was fixed, I left. The rest of this report is based on surmise, conjecture and speculation since I wasn't there.

Eric switched the polarity on Bruce's Three. This is done by emptying the ]~positive earth container and filling it with negative earth and some mulch.

When I left, Pete was working on a strange looking wiper motor. It appeared to be from a Humber Super Snipe. He was pounding on it with a hammer, probably trying to let out the bad vapors. It most likely was fixed.

Phil brought a Spitfire and he might have had something interesting done to it. The clinic went on late into the evening with much frivolity, dancing and singing of Triumph songs. Probably.

by Pat "Judge Dredd" Morse

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ISOA's Spring Tuneup Clinic

May 11, 2002

This year's clinic was hosted at the Manteno Mental Institution and Carburetor Repair Facility located in Highland Park. Proprietors Elwood and Vicki Manteno did a tremendous job in controlling the inmates despite the precipitation. Double doses of lithium to each for the fine work, especially to Vicki who donned her best tattered Triumph convention sweatshirt. This definitely contributed to the warm welcome.

I can honestly say that every car that came to the clinic left in much better shape than it arrived. Toolman and myself came in his resurrected TR6 after said vehicle received numerous part consultations and an overdrive lobotomy. 2 years of therapy by Dr. Toolman has produced another fine upstanding TR6 with a very sweet and well behaved final drive.

While most patients want to concentrate on carburetor tuning, most running maladies emanate from the ignition area. Several of the vehicles were challenged by deep rooted ignition problems. Previous electronic ignition installation treatments bordered on malpractice. We observed the absence of any changes in ignition timing despite increasing doses of RPMs to the patient. Problems as the result of vacuum leaks, locked distributor weights, and distributor plates frozen in place along with misplaced timing sensors contributed to poor behaviors. Timing, mechanical and vacuum advance issues were sorted out for the clinic participants by Drs. Snake, Toolman and Stagmeister.

Miscellaneous: Ernie "Evil Bert" Husmann forgot that it was a tune-up clinic and brought a transmission instead. Senile Donile provided much needed expertise by providing key support to those souls who have locked themselves in various precarious situations. Larry Nolan's TR7 was diagnosed with a couple of carb issues, but we just plain ran out of time to apply proper treatment. Larry will address those issues as an outpatient. Glen "Huffer" Manarik the hypochondriac showed off his nicely tuned Webers on his TR6 and required no corrections. Thanks to Mark "Silo" Fisher for bringing the much beloved gas analyzer and shock treatment device.

by Joe "Stagmeister" Pawlak

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Champagne British Car Festival

May 24-26, 2002

Last month was the annual Champagne British Car Festival in Urbana, Illinois. Though I've shown my TR-7 Spider for a few years, this was the first time I attended the dinner on Friday night, which had a 50's theme this year. Mom, Sandy, and I were dressed in poodle skirts, and Dad was a rebellious greaser. One of my college buddies went as well, and, lacking a poodle skirt, dressed up as a movie starlet. At the dinner-set as a 50's high school-we were all reprimanded for our above-the-knee skirts (well, not Dad) and rowdy behavior. Joe and Emily Kaplon, and Dan and Kathy Swanson were also at our table, so we were closely watched by the schoolmistress-armed with a wooden ruler-to make sure we didn't cause trouble. Only a few of us got detention slips. Principal Mark Joslyn made a few announcements and we were treated to the "faculty's" rendition of some 50's classics. Perhaps most memorable were the very masculine legs showing under two of the poodle skirts, belonging to the "physical education" teachers, Ima Man and Bea Man. After the dinner were the games-the goal to collect puzzle pieces for one of five car-related pictures. The "students" tried their hand at hula-hooping, a ring toss, waitressing, and bowling. Meanwhile, at the other end of the room were musical chairs and a bubble-gum-blowing contest. My friend Diane won with the biggest bubble and is now known as "the best blow in town." Our table was first to complete our particular puzzle, and we were awarded fuzzy dice (which still hang from my rearview mirror) and old albums (didn't they have CDs back then?). There was a kareoke contest, too, and we got to listen to Sonny and Cher-I mean Dan and Kathy-sing "I Got You Babe." Though they were a bit distracted by the soft-core porn on the lyrics screen (you'll have to ask them about it) they still won the sing-off.

On Saturday, more ISOA'ers arrived in time for the car tour and visit to Chanute Air Force Museum. We only got detoured once, and were soon back on route to the Museum. Mom and I were driving in the middle of probably fifty or so cars-a lot of Triumphs and MGs to keep in line. Once we got to the Air Force Museum, we pretty much separated and looked through the displays at our own pace. I saw a few planes that I liked, but if Diane (who happens to be in the Army Reserves) won't let me have a helicopter, then there's not much chance I'll get a plane. Besides, I don't think Dad wants one of those to fix up and maintain (though it would be a fun hobby). Sandy and I went to look down in the missile silo, and I told her that if she touched anything, she'd blow us up. She didn't really believe me, but she was paranoid after that. Gee, I wonder where I get my sense of humor? After a couple of hours, the ISOA group met back at the entrance, and, after a search-and-rescue mission to find Mom, we were off to Jumer's.

There was a brief pit stop, and most of the group followed me to the campus greenhouses, where I'm currently employed (and injured almost daily). I gave a tour through the rooms, and gave everyone a chance at the conservatory scavenger hunt. OK, OK, I'll make it easier next year.

That evening, the streets surrounding Jumers were blocked off and a stage was set for the night's block party event. The featured band was Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets, who played until 10. There was a beer garden, which appeared to get a bit rowdy, judging by the loud laughs and strange gestures. Alas, there was no University Drinking Team this year.

On the day of the show, everyone washed and polished their car-or cars-and drove over to the organized parking lot for the judging. There weren't as many cars this year, which is probably why the sun decided to shine. The way I figure it is: the more cars, the higher the chance of rain or other foul weather. I was the only TR-7 this year, and there were only two TR-8s, so I was in a small class. There were quite a lot of Spitfires, though, so voting was difficult. (Though I have to admit, I voted for the people who pay my college tuition).

At the awards ceremony, ISOA made a fairly good sweep, I think someone placed in all the classes (the Triumph classes, anyway). We also had a pretty good raffle win. I took home a first place for the Spider (its second 1st-place trophy in its brief showing career) and the ever-impressive Governor's Award. I, of course, wasn't paying much attention to the last two awards (the Governor's and Queen's) since I hadn't considered my car actually winning one of them. When they announced that the car was a 1980, I started paying a little more attention-after all, how many of the Triumphs there were so young. Then they went on to say that the car was a TR-7 from Urbana, and I nearly fell out of my seat! There was a hearty yell from the ISOA'ers and I went to pick up my trophy. As I understand it, I've broken a few traditions-my car is a 'working-class' car, not owned by someone with exorbitant amounts of money; and I think I'm the youngest person to ever win one of the highest placing awards at the show. Very cool. And many thanks to Dad who worked many hours rebuilding the Spider.

So now I've cleaned off my shelves to fit two new trophies. I'm looking forward to the next show at mid-Ohio, and of course, the VTR convention. Apparently, I'm the only TR-7 in the Concours competition. Shouldn't I have a little competition for first place? (Just a little, not too much.) My car has definitely got a boosted ego now, especially now that it's the only Triumph of the parking lot, or of the block, or the street

by Jenny "Spider Lady" Pawlak

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Peoria British Autofaire

June 8, 2002

June 8, 2002 dawned as a truly great Triumph day. The temperature was in the low 70's and there was not a cloud in the sky. The "yellow beast" was in fine running form albeit with a high idle that I have not been able to correct yet. Natalie and I left for Peoria looking forward to a wonderful day. The trip down was totally uneventful and we arrived at Tower Park at 11:45AM just in time to register as the last car- #60.

There was a nice turn out of MG's, Triumphs, Jaguars, Sunbeams and other assorted brands such as a nice Morgan. There was even a Citroen 2CV that showed up to add a Gaulic flavor, from across the channel, to the British iron! Fellow attendees from the ISOA were Jake and Donna Jaquet and Jack and Barb Billimack. They were down to see their son Jim, who had entered a Sport 6, as well as move some baby furniture back to Chicago for grandchild 9 S!.

As usual ISOA'ers were well represented in the awards. Jake and Donna took "Best of Class" in the late TR-6 category (see photo). I took Best of Class in TR-4/250 class (see photo) but since I was the only entrant it somewhat diminished the thrill of winning. A new family tradition was established by Jim Billimack (son of spuds) as he won a "Best of Class" for his stunningly original Sport Six (see photo). Fortunately, the Billimack family tradition of not over restoring their Triumphs is continuing. On an upbeat note the pride in Jack and Barb's faces watching Jim accepting his award was honest and touching.

All in all it was a wonderful day and a great excuse to go cruising-as if one is needed! A good time was had by all and we had a chance to see old friend and meet new ones. A note of thanks is deserved by Jaguar of Peoria that sponsored the event and had both "S" and "X" class saloons on display. The only down note was when I got up Sunday morning the left rear tire was flat! Now to scramble to get ready for Mid-Ohio!

by Tim "Yacker" Smith

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Vintage Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio

June 14-16, 2002

Saddle up and onto Mid-Ohio!

The Mid-Ohio Sprint Vintage Grand Prix with the featured marque as Triumph was announced at the banquet to be the largest gathering of Triumphs to date! Over 550 Triumphs in attendance, quite the sight to see and be a part of. Overall the weekend was superb. There were some challenges at times with the weather, but it seemed to cooperate at the right moment.

The adventure started out uneventful but would soon turn into a full time challenge in arriving in Mansfield Ohio sometime within the next few days. We gathered the whole group which had an assembled caravan of 15 Triumphs a TR Windstar and TR Cherokee. We left partly sunny Illinois and arrived in Ohio under the cover of darkness and in the pouring rain.

The first stop was Fort Wayne where we would have a dinner break. Prior to that, new member Lars "Geyser" Sullivan was the winner of the first breakdown award with an overheated TR3. About an hour from Fort Wayne, we were able to cool him down and made it the rest of the way to rendezvous for dinner. We are officially 1.5 hours off schedule.

After dinner and everyone getting gassed up, we head for the I-69 bypass on our way back to US 30 east. About 3-4 miles, the Arch's broke the first of many wheel studs on their Spitfire. The Stud story will require a special edition Snic Braaapp, but let's just say that 5 additional stops were required before the Spitfire limped into Mansfield. 3 of the 5 Spitfire stops were in the rain.

The unscheduled stops continued along a 15 mile stretch of US 30 that I will refer to as the Bataan death march. Next on the hit parade was Suds-Hops Streepy with a broken throttle linkage on the TR6. At that point we sent the remaining group on ahead to the hotel since we were a little over an hour away, it's 1 am and everyone was very tired. Whizmo, Gizmo, Toolman, Big Mama, Peetso and the Stagmeister stayed behind to get the TR6 throttle working again. About 20 minutes later, we were back on the road. Did I mention it's still very dark and raining!

We were cruising right along when the lead car radioed saying that there were some emergency flashers up ahead. Sure enough, another breakdown! Mr. Geyser get's number two (he had one more on the way back). A faulty rotor was diagnosed and replaced by Pat Lobdell. The faulty rotor was thrown into a dark, rain soaked field off the highway. Did I mention that it's still dark and raining but this time it's about 1:45 am! The remaining ride into Mansfield went well. Everyone checked in and passed out. Tim Mantel calculated that it took 4 hours to travel 15 miles!

Friday brought much nicer weather and we enjoyed the numerous practice sessions at the track. That evening we all gathered at a local restaurant for some beers and other assorted good eats. From there we had an impromptu parking lot patrol and discussed pressing world issues such as the best Simpson episodes and Mr. Hanky.

Saturday morning didn't start out too well and this was the time of the Peoples Choice car show. A misty rain didn't damper the enthusiasm despite the conditions. The infield was filled from one end to the other with nothing but Triumphs!

After some great racing, the reception banquet was held Saturday evening. The guest speaker was famed Triumph racing genius, Kas Kastner. A true first class individual and one of the nicest fellows you would ever meet. He commended all in attendance for keeping the Triumph marque alive and that we should all be proud of that accomplishment. The event sponsors and Mr. Kastner handed out the awards and ISOA did very well. Among the winners were Joe Kaplon (Spitfire), Tim Smith & Ken Crowley (TR250), Scott Resac (TR6), Lars Sullivan (TR3), Tim & Ann Buja (TR8), Jenny Pawlak (TR7) and Mark Joslyn (Sports 6). Following the awards ceremony, the ISOA group had just completed some photos when Mr. Kastner and his wife were driving by in a golf cart. He graciously stopped by and chatted with us all and signed everyone's award plaque! A truly memorable occasion for all of us.

Prior to the big all Triumph race event on Sunday, the racetrack was awash with every imaginable car as it was an open show. The feature of the show was a true Concours de Elegance. Only a select few (24) of the entire field of cars, well over a thousand would make the final judging arena. ISOA selected our Stag to represent the club which was a touching honor. Kathy and me scrambled and cleaned and polished the Stag in very short order. The Stag looked superb among all the other competitors. One show contestant argued with me that the Stag had the wrong motor in it! He said it should have the Rover V8. What a fool and I didn't even smash him in the mouth. We were parked between a 1962 Corvette and a 240Z. It is unknown at this time who won as we left before the concours award ceremony.

The all Triumph race was a once in a lifetime experience. A race group of 54 Triumphs were assembled and took to the track. A TR5 that one of the Brits brought over and wrecked during the Friday session, was rebuilt on Saturday &Sunday. This car was the pole sitter and carried the medallion that Ken Richardson received during the Jabbeke speed run in the TR2, 50 years before. This was very cool! Spitfires, TR4's, TR3's. TR6's, TR7's, TR8's were all racing side by side. (No roadsters as they don't allow trailers on the track.) The Brits dominated the race, but somehow it didn't matter because it was a sight to see all of our favorite cars speeding around the racetrack.

The trip home went very quick! No breakdowns in our group (although the "light weights" who went home before the big race had some problems). We had time for a leisurely dinner at Pizza Hut. One by one we all peeled off to our homes and Kathy and me finally arrived home at 10 that evening. A wonderful time with a great bunch of people. We will undoubtedly have many stories to share about this trip. It is full of great memories and we'll get some of those stories published in upcoming newsletters.

Story By Joe "Stagmeister" Pawlak &others

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Chicagoland Orphan Car Show

Date

It was a great day for a car show, but what day isn’t. The Orphan Auto Show and Picnic, sponsored by the Chicagoland Corvair Enthusiasts, is one of the most unusual and fun car shows I have been to. This was the 12th annual show for them, and the 2nd annual for me. Triumphs were well represented with one TR3 (Bruce Barnett), one Spitfire (Al Malkovich a non-ISOAer…yet) and three TR6’s (Dale Kofoed, George Grumbos and Jim Thing).

The grounds where the show is held is in the backyard of Rick Korthauer (‘47 Crosley Wagon), in Aurora. He has several acres of property along the banks of the scenic Fox River and offers it up gladly to us Orphans. The Corvair Club sells raffle tickets to help support the event. They provide the beer, pop and grills for the picnic; you just need to bring your car, your friends and family, and whatever you want to throw on the grill.

There was a great mix of cars in attendance; Corvairs of every type lined the riverbank, including a full size motorhome powered by a Corvair engine. Ramblers, Studebakers Hudsons and Packards filled in in front of them. Ferrari’s and Fieros were to the north of us while we were in the infield with three MGs, two Jaguars, a couple of Jensens, a handful of Metropolitans and a DeLorean.

At the front of the show were the more unique cars. There were a couple of Crosleys, a Henry J, a BMW Isetta, a Subaru 360 car and van, an Amphicar, a Berkeley 3 wheeler and a Mikrus, 2cyl 2 stroke 300cc car from Poland.

This is a fun event, with a lot of unusual cars in varying degrees of restoration. The people were friendly and laid back, the atmosphere was great, and the Corvair Club and Rick Korthauer did an outstanding job to make it a wonderful event.

by Jim Thing

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Cars and Stars
Tour through the North Shore

August 8, 2002

Excellent planning by Pat "Judge Dredd" Morse and superior weather by the Big Boss made the Cars and Stars Tour and Picnic on August 18th a huge success. Thirty shiny cars dazzled in the early morning sun in the parking lot at Edens Plaza early Sunday morning.

Eight TR6s, three TR4s, three TR8s, two TR3s, a Spit and a GT6 were joined by a (magnificent) ‘38 Packard, a Chrysler Imperial convertible, an Alfa, several MGs and two Corvettes. Early morning shoppers getting their cuppa’ Starbucks certainly got an eyeful!

ISOA commitment to Family Values was evidenced in the father-son team of Erik "Iceman" Quackenbush and dad Craig, Sheri "Big Mama" Pyle and mom La Donna, Gloria "Queenie" Capetto and daughter Deanna, and Tim "Toolman" Buja with daughter "Sparky" Megan. Eight pairs of married folks (plus Pat and Marilyn - married, shmarried - what’s the difference?) rounded out the family field.

After the mandatory and pleasant shmooze period, Pat organized all drivers and went over the twelve-page rally packet. Erik then launched each car in one minute intervals while Pat photographed each vehicle as it took off. In no time, shiny sports cars were seen all over Evanston, Highland Park, Wilmette, Glencoe and Lake Forest with drivers and navigators craning their heads and making more u-turns per square mile than one would think humanly possible. Lots of sniccin’ and not a whole lotta’ brappin’!

Literate drivers soon cruised through the neighborhoods and past the homes where Rock Hudson, Charlton Heston, Bill Murray and Ann Margaret played as kids. Sites from the movies Home Alone (1 and 3), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Dennis the Menace, Ordinary People, The Color of Money, Pioneer Days, Uncle Buck and Trains, Planes and Automobiles were identified and logged in. Sites of automotive interest included Newman-Haas Race Team, Imperial Motors, Ullrich Engineering, Wilmette Grand Prix and SCCNS Headquarters. Bahai Temple and Gilson Park were seen along the way.

The tour ended at Skokie Lagoons where shiny sporty cars lined both sides of the road. Grills were fired up and the smells of burgers, brats, chicken and steaks soon filled the air. Pat Kaplon passed around her special cole slaw, Phil "The Factor" Fox treated us to his pork strips and Karen Rust forced Jeff’s sinful brownies on the crowd (Karen: "These brownies were the reason I married Jeff. Come on…don’t make me take these home and have to eat them all by myself…"). Latecomers to the picnic included the Gills with baby Gastro-Gnome, Dale Sorci and many others.

Pat completed his specialty: judging, and the rally winners were announced. John Roberts in the Packard snatched first place, Ernie Husmann and Greg Scholtz tied Jim and Kathy Felix for second, with Ernie and Greg winning the tie-breaker. New members and Stag owners Mike Mitsch and Chris Crosbie earned the Boomer by their horrendous score, but were redeemed by their extremely creative answers.

The festivities continued throughout the afternoon, with fine tunes blasting out of the boom box, more food and beverage consumed, and no shortage of yarn spinning. Many thanks to Pat for his fine preparation that made the day such a success.

by Mike "Hands" Blonder and Pat "Judge Dredd" Morse

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Chicagoland British Car Festival

September 8, 2002

Bright hot sun rather than drenching rain was the weather theme for this year’s Annual Chicagoland British Car Festival at Morraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. The concessionaires made out like bandits and the Pawlaks were nice enough to share their ice with anyone who asked. JABU’s hat inventory dwindled steadily throughout the day.

Over six hundred Triumphs, Jaguars, Austin-Healeys, Morgans, Minis, Berkeleys, TVRs, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Aston-Martins, DeLoreans, MGs, and a host of other British cars did their best to provide a free seal coat of fresh oil for MVCC. The Triumph section looked especially classy thanks to the Stagmeister’s specially made signs for each model, not to mention the finest daily drivers in the show. Steve Yott and his wife arrived in their (finally) restored TR4A, and it definitely turned a lot of heads. Watch out Mark Moore and Pat Lobdell!

MVCC once again proved to be an accommodating and pleasant venue. Some participants felt the concessions and vendors were located a little far from the action, but what’s the harm in a little exercise? Those filling out ballots took the better part of an hour to see all the cars. Once again, the ISOA ballot counting team performed flawlessly and efficiently, thanks in part to the traditional high octane brain fuel: Jeff Rust’s chocolate chip (and raisin) cookies.

Tech sessions included basic welding techniques and Weber tune up tips. Each marque provided a talking tour, with ISOA members performing the Triumph honors. Joe did the different Spitfire and TR6 models, Bill talking about the 2000, Tim giving a talk about wedgies, Brian Ploetz doing TR3’s. Once again, ISOA walked away with the lion’s share of Triumph awards. See the award list.

Following the awards presentation, a caravan of shiny LBCs snaked its way to the Capetto Castlet in southwest Chicago. Amidst hot and mild chicken wings, brats, Italian sausage, pasta, salads and more beer than even ISOA could consume, Denny Capetto brought interested parties into the garage to tell his tale of woe of an engine rebuild gone bad. (This makes a strong case for providing your own parts to a professional. It’s not as if the parts for our cars fall off the NAPA shelf, and some research and questions can go a long way towards success. Tom Andreson has provided many an ISOA member with excellent work, but he is only as good as the parts that go into the job.) At this point, Denny takes disgusted and sad pride in saying he can now remove a TR3 engine in under three hours.

At the Capetto’s, Bruce Barnett announced that the mysterious Mrs. Barnett made an appearance at MVCC, and although his friends Jim Thing and George Grumbos confirm the sighting, I personally will not believe this phenomena until I see it with my own eyes.

DRIVN 62 headed into the sunset as the food and drink dwindled away. Queenie reports that this years party precluded her and Denny having to eat chicken wings for the next two weeks - yet another job well done by committed club members. 

TR2/3                       Keith & Chris Gill
                            Bob Streepy

TR4/250                     Steve Yott
                            Pat Lobdell
                            Tim Smith

TR6-Early (1969-73)         Tim Mantel
                            James Kauppinen

Triumph TR6-Late (1974-76)  Jerry Hurst

Triumph TR7/8               Mike &Diane Mueller
                            Ann &Tim Buja

Spitfire                    Kathy &Joe Pawlak
                            Terry Marski

Other Triumphs              Bill &Sheri Pyle
                            Bill Bentley

by Mike "Hands" Blonder

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Lake Geneva Poker Rally

September 28-29, 2002

A lot was different this year. Fewer family and friends joining us, jet lag, different hotel, etc. We would try our best to have a good time.

This was the 25th Annual Lake Geneva Poker Rally. The organizers planned special gifts, larger prizes, etc for the anniversary event. Unfortunately, the host hotel, Interlaken Resort and Day Spa was fully booked months ago, get this, by the Portugese Water Dog Club. Every room was taken! The front lawn was covered with dog…pens. So we ended up a few miles west on Rt. 50 at a privateer hotel called the Royal Inlet.

Since we didn’t wait for everybody to rendezvous in Mundelein we got to the hotel early, met fellow car nuts, neighbors Karen and Dolores, and vegged for a while. Again on the different theme, we were early(!!!) for the Friday night cocktail party. Recognizing the TR4 headlights, who parks right behind us but Pat and Marilyn. Like so many years in the past, this party is held at a wealthy participant’s decadent playhouse about 100 feet off the water of Lake Geneva. It is decorated like an English pub, has three bars and four English cars in the garage along with the kegs and wine piped underground to the house. There we also met Mike and Diane, Greg Hetzel and Debbie, and Dave and Betty from work. It was somewhat less attended than in years past but this was the first time for Snakelet to attend and he whipped me (like usual) playing pool.

Saturday morning started chilly and foggy, we all got out of the hotel about 8 am, met Greg and Debbie, and drove to Millie’s for breakfast. This place is popular with the club for a number of reasons, namely food for the guys and shopping for the gals. Lotsa knick knack stuff to be had.

Since we picked up our hands the night before at the cocktail party, we started running the poker rally after breakfast. The cops were worse than even last year, a guy in a Cobra got caught doing 85 in a 40!! Ouch. We met Pat and Marilyn at our first stop, the Hunt Club, they had gone into town and for the car show and parade back to Interlaken. The Bentley Speed 6 dual cowl phaeton last spotted at the British Car Festival was there, cool to hear it running and see it driving. There was also a replica of a Talbot Lago. The day warmed up and the sun burned off the fog as we went to four more places picking up our hands. With tops down, it was a thing of beauty to be going from bar to bar getting your poker cards, all to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. We stopped at the Classic and Wooden Boat Show at the Abbey. There was a beautifully redone Ford Woodie wagon turned hot rod there as well. Being different once again we avoided downtown Geneva and went to dinner at Kirsch’s in Williams Bay. The martini’s hit the spot, as did the pool and hot tub back at the hotel.

The jet lag was kicking my butt. Making sleep even more difficult was a horrendous thunderstorm from 4 to 6am Sunday. Again the day started chilly and foggy and ended up warm and sunny. We drove to Delavan for breakfast (I couldn’t resist and had my Lake Geneva usual Biscuits and Gravy). Being at a different hotel, I didn’t meet club members at the starting point. I went back to Interlaken as the rest of the group went to Janesville to the legendary Blain’s Fleet/Farm. At the resort I staked out a spot, set up camp and started wandering around. Soon ISOAers started rolling in, Jack and Barb Billimack, Bob Steele and Tess, Greg and Debbie, Pat and Marilyn, Mike and Diane, the Snakes, then Ryals Cheek makes an appearance. Because of the early morning rain the attendance was down. Afraid of the slippery grass, they couldn’t put many cars up the ski slope, more were forced over to where we were parked. Some of the wild cars included two Alfa Romeo 8Cs, a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, a Talbo Lago replica, and my favorite, a two person British armoured car. Turret mounted machine gun and all! A guy had an Amphicar and giving rides in and out of Lake Como, behind the Interlaken. Only him and his wife had life jackets on, not the passengers!!

The club made out pretty well this year. Out of the thousands of hands dealt, Diane had the fifth best of the day (four jacks and a 9) so she won an $300.00 black pearl necklace, a $50.00restaurant gift certificate, a $25.00 jewelry gift certificate, and a plaque. Neighbor Dolores won a pumpkin, a cooler and a free massage. The Club won some booze (to be raffled off at the Big Bash, so don’t drink it Marilyn). The Snakes won $100. ISOA has won lotsa prizes in previous years but this was the best by far.

For the ride home Mike and Diane led us around south of Lake Geneva, avoiding the terrible traffic of last year. I think this is my new way back and forth to Lake Geneva.

All in all it was again a marvelous weekend.

P.S. November 6 we received a phone call from George Kreissel, the event organizer, telling us that Craig Richardson (owner of the fantastic party house) had passed away suddenly. He was 71 and knew how to have a good time.

by Dave "Snake" Shedor

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Fall Tour and Campout

October 11-13, 2002

Okay, okay! It IS true that I came to the camp-out and didn’t camp! Big Mama and the Stagmeister admonished me many times with the "L" word (you know, rhymes with "cruiser") among other things. So next time I’ll camp, okay?!

Friday’s weather was made for driving. With tops down and long sleeve shirts on, Sheri, her grandson Chris and I enjoyed the bright sun as we caravanned up Route 88 to meet the Pawlaks and Bujas at the Petro outside of Rochelle. While schmoozing in the parking lot, who appears but Joe Kaplon and a work partner, heading home from a business engagement in Madison. They’d stopped for some lunch when Joe spotted us in the parking lot. Joe K. began explaining the Triumph mystique to his associate, and before you know it, out came the pictures of his babies: his Spit, his TR3 and oh yes, Emily too. Joe said he and Em would see us tomorrow.

Leaving the Petro in T-shirts, the Stagmeister led us on a lovely drive through western Illinois to the Fulton County Conservation Area in St. David. PAPPYS 3 began misbehaving at speeds over 62 mph, so Joe and Kathy were forced to rein in the Stag. Waiting for us at the campsite were Jenny the Spyder Lady and her friend John, who together, represent two-thirds of the active members of the Champaign Triumph Club.

Ann’s selection of a campground couldn’t have been better. A short walk to the bathrooms/shower house and a hundred yards to the lake, plus a covered pavillion with three picnic tables, provided a lovely home away from home. Being an ISOA camping newbie, I confess to being amazed at the efficiency of the operation. Tents were set up in record time. Sheri performed her second potential Boomer nomination (the first was pouring a quart of gear lube into the crankcase), by informing us that although she had her tent, it seemed she left the tent poles at home. Fortunately the Pawlaks packed an extra tent, which once set up, Sheri discovered her tent poles buried in the trailer she’d pulled behind the 3 (Boomer possibility #3). As air was being pumped into air mattresses, a campfire was ignited and the dinner preparations commenced. The aroma of corn and beans soon permeated the air, along with burgers and dogs cooking over the fire. Following dinner, a tasty combination of cocoa and Peppermint Schnapps was brewed up - what a tasty treat!

Driving to East Peoria later that night I experienced a wonderful phenomenon: it’s one thing to be driving, top down in the sunlight, and be at one with the surroundings, but late at night on dark country roads with the top up and the heater on, it’s like being in your own cozy little British time capsule.

In Farmington the next morning we met up with the Jerry and Sandy Hurst and Joe and Emily Kaplon. I was informed that the coyotes and owls kept the hearty campers up much of the night. It was also reported that the individual pie making iron was heated up in the campfire until it glowed red! Those must have been some quick cooking treats!

The Crowleys were discovered in Ellisville, where they suggested a cute diner for lunch. The menu offered Chicken and Noodles, Chicken - No Noodles, Noodles - No Chicken, Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Hot Dog, Soup or Chili. Though the selections were sparse, the food was tasty. Joe K set a record for cheapest meal on a tour: $2.40 for a hot dog and a Pepsi.

The locals suggested we check out Mt. Pisgah (pronounced Mt. Piz-gy), a five mile drive down what turned out to be an unpaved road with a stone surface. Fearing for our paint jobs, we were a pretty impressive cararvan by this time. Each TR body style was represented: one TR3, one TR4, one TR6, one TR7, one TR8, one Spit and one Stag. Yes, we were a sight to behold! At Mt. Pizgy we experienced one of many roadside flea markets. Apparently, the local population considers these two weekends of Spoon River Days an opportunity to yard sale and flea market to the money spenders from Chicago. We did not disappoint them. We all learned the meaning of the Yiddish word "ckaz-ah-rye", roughly meaning worthless junk. On nearly every road, about every hundred feet, someone or groups of someones had all their ckaz-ah-rye on the front lawn or set up in groups on empty lots.

Soon the sunshine disappeared, the temperature took a nosedive and light rain began falling. Sheri announced possible Boomer #4, informing us that she’d left her convertible top at the campsite. She was one bundled up sight! The turn-offs for the various towns all seemed backed-up with traffic, so we headed back to the campground after a short stop for provisions and imbibements.

Dinner festivities took place at the local Pizza Hut where five pizzas were devoured by the sixteen of us. Though a certain amount of jeering accompanied the inclusion of a Taco pizza, it WAS the only one of the five that was completely consumed! While waiting for the pizzas, we all played the children’s games on the back of the placemats. Our newsletter editor managed to use the words provided in the "Make These Words Into a Story" game into something gross and disgusting - are we literate or what?

Back at the campsite, another fire and various liquid concoctions were the order of the night. Rum and coke, tequila and pineapple juice (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it), and cocoa and Schnapps seemed to be the favorites.

Later that evening in East Peoria my order of the night was bourbon, including some third generation White Lightning brought up from Kentucky. The Sunday morning breakfast extravaganza was merely a dream to me, as it began about two hours after I’d gone to bed.

Most emphatically, I’d highly recommend an ISOA camping experience. I suspect we’ll return to the beautiful Spoon River area - on any weekend OTHER than Spoon Rivers Days.

By Mike "Hands" Blonder

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Casino Bowling
or
ISOA Invades Hampshire Bowling Lanes
and Triumphs!

November 17, 2002

How about doing something never done before in ISOA history (according to the club historian/curmudgeon). A bowling/pizza party! What a classic combination. ISOA has never been an organization that has had a lack of things to do. I had been thinking about doing this before but we always had something else scheduled. Well, we got a break in the regular activities, so we slipped this one in.

I contacted Linda, the owner of the fabulous Country Lanes in Hampshire about getting a few lanes reserved for us. She suggested we do a "Casino Bowl" which she says always turns out to be a good time. Ok, I never did anything like that before so there’s a first time for everything. As it turned out, she was 110% correct. We went up and back on setting a date and finally settled on a Sunday. Why on a Sunday afternoon? If we thought we could get more than 16 bowlers, we could get the whole bowling alley to ourselves. Thats what we did and had a superb turnout with almost triple that amount and did we have a great time!

With the exception of the "Bowling Buja’s", almost everyone said it had been years since they bowled. The pre-bowling "buzz" was on as everyone reminisced about all the gutter balls they’ve thrown, the beers they drank or the times they fell on their butts. Is this a quality bunch of folks or what? We waited around as long as we could for the people who signed up for the event, but alas some never showed. Linda then went through the rules of the Casino Bowl and the throwing and thrashing of balls commenced.

Laughter. The yelling at balls going in opposite directions than they were told. The sounds of joyous moans of people using muscles they used hadn’t in years. All of these combined, drowned out much of the noise of pins being struck down by colored globes of hardened rubber polymers. Believe it or not there were actually members winning money for their bowling prowess. About an hour into the event the pizzas arrived, which prompted more beer consumption. Two waves of pizzas fed the masses. Jerry "BJ" Hurst was so intent on bowling that he missed out on his favorite taco pizza selection. Don’t worry, next time we’ll order more of those.

After 3 lines of bowling, we started to wind down the evening. By the reactions of everyone who attended, we have the makings of an annual event! This was one of the best times I ever had and everyone shared the same sentiments. The club thanks Linda and her entire staff at Country Lanes for being such great hosts. Super job you guys and we’ll be back for another ISOA British Car invasion to Hampshire.

By Joe "Stagmeister" Pawlak

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Copyright © 2002 Illinois Sports Owners Association