BMCU Newsletter - MARCH 2004
Volume 16 Number 6

Wearing o' the Blarney, Talking o' the Shamrock
St. Patty Day Parade, March 13
The BMCU will once again defend its and the Empire's honour at the Salt Lake St. Patrick's Day Parade. Green food colour is recommended for the sumps of our Britmobiles, so we can truly participate in the "Long Line of Green".

Rendezvous will be 9am at the same locale as last year, 400 West and 200 North, whence the parade will defile about seven blocks south through the Gateway Center. After that we are invited to the post-parade "Siamsa", or festive gathering, at the Hellenic Center opposite Pioneer Park.

The big news this year is that the Hibernian Society -- parade organizers -- are asking a donation of $10 per car to defray costs, mainly skyrocketing insurance fees (welcome to the new century). So, BMCU participants will be asked to "feed the kitty" at least this amount. At the Potluck a sign up sheet was passed around and a dozen stalwarts enlisted, so we're certain to have a fine turnout.

Join in the fun -- a great time will be had by all, once again. Gary Lindstrom can answer any questions, via gary@cs.utah.edu . Phone: 532-1259, Fax 606-2837.

Well Attended Potluck and Business Dinner February 21
by Nathan Massie
Each year we have a business meeting to discuss the club, elect officers, and plan our events for the year. At least, that’s the official reason for the February Potluck.

The unofficial reason is the great food and wonderful company. Thanks to Bill Davis, we met at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (261 S 900 E) again this year. It’s a perfect meeting place, with a large meeting room right next to the kitchen, so we can use the equipment to warm up a dish or put the finishing touches on dessert.

While the food was getting spread out, everyone talked of the driving season, shared pictures of their summer trips, and listened to stories of the current car project. Once the food was ready, the call went out, and everyone lined up to filltheir plates. What a feast! The menu ranged from salmon to braised beef, salads, and lots of excellent desserts. Everyone outdid themselves with the food, and no one left hungry.

As the supper was winding down, Gary stood up and started the business meeting. The first order was to elect the Board of Governors. Gary had sent out an email earlier that week listing the proposed Board, and with a quick chorus of agreement, the Board was elected.

The Board includes: Gary Lindstrom, Governor General; Bruce Schilling, Membership Director; Mark Noeltner, Webmaster; Marty Van Nood, Chancellor of the Exchequer; Floyd Inman, Newsletter Editor; Jim “Pugs” Pivirotto, Board Member; Mitch Johnson, Board Member. Gary asked for a show of thanks to Jeff Porter, who served as the Newsletter Editor the past year, and whose efforts made the newsletter alive photos along with the text. The group quickly agreed with a hearty round of applause. Gary then announced that the new Editor is Floyd Inman who has volunteered (Right! ! ! !) to serve as Editor.

The next order of business was to decide the events for the year. We had a lively discussion and tried to form a mix of old favorites and new experiences for the year to come. There were several suggestions for new drives, places to visit, or helpful tech sessions, and in the end we compiled a list of events for the year (that’s why it’s important to attend the February Potluck, so your event ideas can be heard!). The result is the Lucas Calendar (you know, subject to change at any time…intermittent use only…not to be used after dark…pick your favorite Lucas joke) that appears in this newsletter. We also “picked” on a few of the club members who weren’t present, and stuck them with the responsibility for organizing a few of the events. Yet another reason to attend the Potluck!

Some of the highlights include:

St. Pat’s Day Parade.
Due to increased insurance costs, the Hibernian Society of Utah has asked for a donation of $10 per car. This is new. During the Potluck, we passed around a signup sheet for folks to commit to the Parade, to determine if there was enough interest for the BMCU to join the parade. About 12 people signed up, so we decided to make this the March driving event.

May 28-31, Memorial Day Run.
Last year’s Jackson trip was wonderful, and some suggested we do the same. Others wanted to do something different. One suggestion was a resort in southern Utah, that’s so remote that they don’t even have a “land” phone. After some discussion, we decided to appoint a group to come up with a plan.

July 24th Pioneer Day Parade.
This even would be new for us. The focus of the discussion was, oddly enough, not so much for the fact that it might be warm, but because this Parade is very highly organized (unlike the BMCU?) and the Parade organizers want a firm commitment to the number of cars and other details. There was also some discussion as to other requirements for this Parade. In the in end, we decided to add this event to the calendar, with some additional investigation.

January 2005 Tech session.
The idea for this event is powder coating. We still need someone to organize this event.

Sunday events.
Several folks expressed an interest in having a few of the events on Sundays, since work responsibilities prevent them from joining our traditional Saturday events. The group agreed to try a few Sunday events to see how it works. If attendance is strong, we may continue to have more Sunday events in the coming years.

After we decided on the events, Marty Van Nood gave the Exchequer Report. While our finances are sound, the club experienced our first year that ended with a loss, largely because of the well received, but expensive, December color newsletter. Marty also asked the group to give thanks to Gary as the Governor General, and everyone quickly responded with a round of applause.

With that, the meeting portion of the evening adjourned, and everyone gathered again into groups to finish off the desserts and tell a few more stories before the evening ended.

Attending were: Gary and Sandy Lindstrom, Bill and Robyn Rhinehart, Connie and Kendall Dewsnup, Marty Van Nood and Terri Kauffman, Mary, Larry and Suzy Bishop, Mark and Joyce Noeltner, Mark and Karen Bradakis, Nicholas S. Nichols II, Pugs and Diane Pivirotto, Susan and Jon Hermance, Julie and Dan McEligot, Bill and Julie Van Moorhem, Mitch and Diane Johnson, Doug and Ilene Wimer, Bob Jahnke, David and Muriel Machovec, and Nathan Massie.

(caption for photo in printed edition)
A Triumph Herald assembly line. This may explain why their steering pulls to the right."

GoF-West 2004
Harrison Hot Springs
GoF West is the annual gathering of owners and appreciators of T-series (and earlier) MGs. (Post 1955 MGs are also welcome to attend this event). BMCU has sent a delegation to this event for over ten years, and this year will be no different. In fact, BMCU hosted the event in Park City in 1997, and is slated to do so again in 2007.

This year Gathering will be held at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa on a beautiful lake is southern British Columbia. The dates are July 12 - 16.

Due to the distance, the BMCU contingent will probably depart Friday July 9, and spend three nights on the road. Veterans of the event will tell you that the trip up and back is as much, or more, fun as the event itself. We shunpike, taking back roads and dazzling the small hamlets we pass through. More than one has asked us to line up for an impromptu "Concours" car shows and photo op’s for the local tabloid.

Further information is available from http://www.gofwest.com/GoFWest2004.htm BMCU's organizer is Floyd Inman, Telephone: (435)645-8460, or via email floydinman@earthlink.net If you're considering attending, definitely contact Floyd to get on the list of people to contact for planning meetings this spring.

BMCU Key Fobs Available
Dress up your key collection with a stylish BMCU key fob. These are enameled metal,
with the BMCU logo in full color, and either MG or Triumph logos in relief on the
back.

Price is $10 each. Contact Mitch Johnson at spitfiresrule@msn.com or (801)-547-1087. Some of the enameled MG and Triumph fobs may be available, as well.

The Lucas Calendar
This calendar works about as well as its namesake, so use it with care. All events are subject to change. Club ev ents are in bold . Check o ur web site for the latest information.
www.britishmotorclub.org
March 13 : St. Pat’s Day Parade, 9am. Gary Lindstrom, 801-532-1259.
April 10 : Tinker Day. Larry Bishop.
April 25 : Poker Run. Stewart Nichols.
May 8 : Antelope Island Run. Nathan Massie and Mitch Johnson.
May 29-31 : Memorial Day Run. Pugs Pivirotto and Gary Lindstrom. Destination to be determined.
June 5 : British Field Day. Don’t miss this or you’ll be sorry. It will be at Pioneer Park again this year.
June 12: Utah Scottish Festival. While we didn’t make this an “official” event, we do have a relationship with the organizers of the Festival and they would certainly welcome our involvement.
June 19 : Run to Fairview. Gary Lindstrom.
July 12-16 : GoF West 2004, Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada. Contact Floyd Inman (435) 645-8460 or FloydInman@earthlink.net for further information.
July 24 : Pioneer Day Parade. Bill Davis.
August 7 : Heber Valley Parade in Heber. Doug and Ilene Wimer.
August 21 : Alpine Loop Run. The event that started the BMCU, and a club favorite. Larry and Mary Bishop. We need another person to help organize this event.
September 6 : Miner’s Day Parade in Park City. Floyd Inman, (435) 645-8460.
September 19 : State Street Cruise Night. Mark Noeltner and Joe Chou.
October 2 : Fall Color Tour. Bill Walton.
October 23 : End of the Season Dinner. Gregg Smith.
November 13: Tech Session. High Performance Coating (HPC) for heat/durability. Mitch Johnson.
December : No event.
January 2005 : Tech Session. Suggested topic is powder coating. Date and organizer needed.
February 12, 2005 : Potluck and Business Dinner.

Autojumble
Wanted: Information on Sebring Alpine last seen in Salt Lake City. If you know of ANY right hand drive Sunbeam Alpine, EVEN if it were destroyed please contact me with this information. The car would look virtually stock since it had been converted back to street use. I can help make positive identification if it should still exist. Steven Silverstein, milano164@comcast.net , 508-303-3391

MGB drilled rotors for sale, Will Holoman, wholoman@hotmail.com

1970 MGB FOR SALE Asking 2,000.00. Body is in good shape, but needs new paint. Good mechanically, but needs tune-up. 801 485-1058

WANTED: XPEG engine. Mike Bailey, 743-2875.

1972 MGB , chrome bumper. Ambitious project or parts car. Runs but needs major body work. Unmolested motor compartment. New fuel tank. $750 or best offer. Also, 1977 MGB parts car. Fair body, no interior. 90K on engine, was running when parked. Could be restored. $400 or best offer. Contact Bob Wagner, 455-4400 or wagner@aros.net

'56 Bentley S1 saloon . Beautiful condition, new paint, wood, carpet. Black with silver roof. $20,000. Records back to original owner. Joseph Feaster, home 801-731-0517, cell 801-390-3039.

2 sets of rostyle wheels that need a new home. These are free just call and come and get one or all. Thanks, Call Roger at 269-7531 or home is 278-4767.

Two 1967 Sunbeam Alpines . One was a parts car that has been fairly well picked over but still has things like axles, brakes, and wheels. I am about to send it to scrap, but want to offer it to any club members who are interested, before I do so. Who ever wants it has to take the whole deal, not just parts! They must also arrange to tow it away promptly. I can be contacted at 364-4427. The car is up by the University of Utah.

GREAT BUMPER STICKER
Politicians & Diapers Need to be Changed for the Same Reason!

Board of Governors:
Governor General: Gary Lindstrom 801-532-1259 gary@cs.utah.edu
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Marty VanNood 801-467-0525, vannood@intergate.com
Newsletter Editor: Floyd Inman 435-645-8460 floydinman@earthlink.net
Webmaster: Mark Noeltner 801-352-2743, mark@buffalochips.org
Membership director: Bruce Schilling, 801-486-0425, partsmaster4@sisna.com
Board Member: Jim “Pugs” Pivirotto 801-486-0547 jimp@corp.firstindustrial.com
Board Member: Mitch Johnson 801-547-1087 spitfiresrule@msn.com

This Newsletter is published by the British Motor Club of Utah, Ltd., a non-profit corporation of British automobile owners. The group holds monthly events such as drives, picnics, technical sessions, and more. We welcome owners (or potential owners) of British cars, in any condition, to the group. Membership is free, but we ask for a donation at events to support the Newsletter and other activities. If you would like to join the group, send your name, address, and a list of British cars owned to:
Bruce Schilling
917 East Mill Creek Way
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
or to Bruce’s email address shown above.

Check us out on the web!
http://www.britishmotorclub.org/