BMCU Newsletter

13TH ANNUAL BRITISH FIELD DAY JUNE 5TH
Get your British Cars and Motorcycles out for British Field Day. Its that time of year for all British car and motorcycle enthusiasts to dust off their bikes and cars, tune them up, and get them out of the garage and running. All British cars and bikes in any condition, restored or under repair, are welcome. There is no judging; this is not a show strictly for flawless and gorgeous vehicles. If youre thinking my car isnt good enough, think again. As long as you can get it there under its own power or by any other means, we want to include it in the show. The more the merrier!

For the brave of heart, we will have the driving course set up again this year on 3rd South between 3rd and 4th West. During the event there will be music, dancing, car and bike shoptalk, food, vendors of British paraphernalia and drawings for superb raffle prizes.

This year, the British Isles Association will be participating in British Field Day. This group exists to further cultural awareness of the British Isles and, in the process, enjoy camaraderie and British related food and entertainment. Some of the events scheduled are music of the British Isles performed by Idlewild, an Irish Dance Group performing hard and soft shoe dance, a British Brass Band, some Highland Dancers performing the Highland Sword Dance with, of course, Bagpipes, and an English Country Dance with audience participation. In case all this dancing makes you hungry, the food vendors we plan to have are The London Market, Ben's Cookies ("British" cookies), Leslie's Bakery, Curry-In-A-Hurry, and the Utah Brits Cotton Candy/SnoCone/Popcorn stand.

Proceeds from this event will be donated to The Center for Family Development. Since 1981, The Center for Family Development has helped more than 13,000 people significantly improve their ability to understand and effectively cope with abusive relationships. Every year more than 900 families or 3,000 individuals in Utah seek guidance from the center. Seventyfive percent of the centers clients are family members directly affected by abuse. Through education and treatment, families and individuals can learn to avoid the repetitive cycles of abuse and put their lives back together.

We need a few good men and women who are willing to help with this event. If you are game to volunteer for assisting with set-up on Friday evening at 6:30 PM or more set-up and registration Saturday morning at 7:30 AM, please contact Bill Davis at 486-5049.

Help support this worthwhile event by getting out your cars and bikes and joining in the fun!

Dont Miss The Fairview Run
This circuit was a favorite in the early days of the club, but somehow became forgotten. We'll be renewing this fine tradition with an outing on Saturday June 19 through to Fairview and the Scofield Reservoir. The roads in that part of paradise were designed with our cars in mind -- rolling hills, good surfaces, and little traffic.

We'll start with the same route as the Highland Games trip -- rendezvous at South Towne Mall on 106th S. in Sandy, and then south on State Street and the Pony Express and Thanksgiving Point frontage roads, to pick up US-89 in Lehi. Then we'll parade down Utah's Main Street (US-89) through Pleasant Grove, Lindon, Orem, Provo, and Springville to US-6 in Spanish Fork. Altogether, it will be about 45 miles of freeway-free cruising, and is expected to take a little over an hour on a Saturday morning. U-89 then follows US-6 up to the Manti turnoff, where the fun begins.

Lunch will be in Fairview, which is a pleasant little town with a terrific diner, the Home Plate Cafe. Then we'll transit up Fairview Canyon on U-31, U-264, and U-96 through Scofield to rejoin US-6 at Colton, just east of Soldier's Summit.

All in all, it should be a delightful day. Just fill your tank, pack some sunscreen and a lunch if you don't want to forage at Fairview, and come to South Towne Mall at 9am for a 9:30 departure.

Triumphal Memorial Day Run
It was a dark, rainy, and even hail-y morning when four stalwart Triumphs and their financial backers arrived at Hogle Zoo for the annual BMCU Memorial Day Run, this year to Dinosaur Land.

While the financiers debated the merits of trying to scale Wolf Creek Pass in the snow, their partners were heard to say "Hey, we may be dumb to be out here with you guys, but we're not stupid!" so the decision was made to take US-40 to Heber, and save Wolf Creek for the return trip.

Hearts were racing as we drove through slush and driving rain up Emigration Canyon and I-80 to Heber -- but just as we entered town, the rain subsided. After a quick pit stop, off we went to Fruitland on US-40 and across U-208 to U-35.

We stopped for lunch at Pinn Willy's, a wide spot in the middle of this road to nowhere. It turns out the proprietor had owned one of all our cars at one time or another, and was a real fan of British cars. After lunch we drove on to Vernal on unbelievably scenic back roads, through Altamont, Bluebell, and Neola. Once at the hotel a number of participants retreated to the indoor hot tub and pool, and all went to dinner at the 7-11 (restaurant, not C-store).

Sunday morning we awoke to a gorgeous blue sky with just a nip in the air. First up was a visit to the Utah Field House of Natural History. The newly opened museum tells the prehistoric story of Dino Land. We then drove out to Dinosaur National Monument, and spent several hours enjoying the landscape and points of interest.

After lunch, most of us headed out to Dry Fork Canyon, to view petroglyphs and traverse the Red Cloud Loop, until it became unpaved. At that point, we asked some young locals about road conditions, and before we knew it we were in their garage, ogling a modified mint condition 55 Chevy coupe. The boys tried hard to sell the coupe and their house to Pugs, once they heard he was a real estate tycoon. (They didn't, and he isnt.)

Then it was back to the hotel to relax and soak in the spa. Meanwhile Mitch and Diane, having stayed in Vernal, had stopped in at the Checker Auto Parts store for a quart of oil. The manager told Mitch he had sold a car very similar to Mitch's about 20 years ago to someone in Montana. Through further questioning it became evident that Mitch's son Greg now owns that very car, a black Triumph Spitfire Mark I. A reunion (tearful, no doubt) was set for next week when the manager comes to Ogden for Checker training.

On Monday, another blue bird day, we retraced our Saturday route, this time east to west, incurring different wrong turns. In contrast to Saturday, we courageously traversed Wolf Creek Pass, which was indeed spectacular. After lunch in Kamas, we said goodbyes and headed home. Attending this all TR event were Pugs & Diane Pivirotto (Spitfire 1500), Larry & Margaret Farrington (TR6), Gary & Sandy Lindstrom (TR3A), and Mitch & Diane Johnson (Spitfire Mark I).

Bumper Sticker Of The Month
You don't stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stopped laughing

The Lucas Calendar
This calendar works about as well as its namesake, so use it with care. All events are subject to change. Check our web site for the latest information.
www.britishmotorclub.org
June 5 : British Field Day. Dont miss this or youll be sorry. It will be at Pioneer Park again this year.
June 12 : Utah Highland Games. See article this page.
June 19 : Run to Fairview. Gary Lindstrom. See article on page 1.
June 26 : British BBQ at Ardell Browns. See article on page 3.
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. To be confirmed.
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 : Miners 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 to Monte Cristo. 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.

Huge Sunbeam Meet Coming To Park City July 4-10, 2004
The biggest and best Sunbeam owners event is just around the corner. This year, July 4-10 (Sun-Sat), Park City, Utah will be the host site for all the activities. The Canyons resort offers unequalled facilities for this event: an exceptional autocross course, Concours location along with banquet facilities, and, of course, a swimming pool for young and old alike.

Join together with Sunbeam owners from all over the world for five days of touring, racing, showing, swapping, seeing old friends, making new ones and meeting our special guests. There will be lots of activities in Park City for the whole family.

Among the featured guests and speakers will be Carroll Shelby -- designer of the successful Tiger prototype, Rosemary Smith -- Ralley car driver for Rootes Group and has been featured in many magazine articles, George Boskoff -- Shelby employee and builder of the successful prototype. We expect others that have been invited will want to attend.

--Ken Miles Prototype Car. One of two prototypes that competed to be the successful design for Sunbeam Tiger production.

--The Le Mans Tiger #9, one of two prototype coupes entered by Rootes in the 1964 Le Mans Race and restored by Darrell Mountjoy. Raced in the 2002 Goodwood and Le Mans and in 2003 at the Monterey Historics.

--The Targa Florio Tiger #192, one of the first group of works ralley cars which was modified and ran in the 1965 Targa Florio and restored by Dave McDermott. Raced in 2003 in the Monterey Historics.

--The Sports Car Forum #74 BP Tiger, driven in numerous events in 1965 by Don Sessler and restored by Buck and Claudia Trippel. Raced in 2003 at the Monterey pre-historics and Coronado.

--And, many more Alpines, Tigers, Imps, Hillmans and Rapiers. So get the cars ready and join us in Park City, Utah for another once-in-a-lifetime experience with the Rootes Clan.

Check out our website at www.suni4.org for event registration. Please be aware that all competition events will be limited to Rootes related vehicles however, all banquets, autograph sessions and tech sessions will be open to anyone based on registration. This is a unique event so don't miss out. How often will you have a chance to have dinner with Carrol Shelby?

BMCU at Utah Highland Games June 12
June will be a busy month for the club, but we hope you can find time for a new and different event on June 12 -- Utah Highland Games ( http://www.utahscots.org/games2004.htm ).

This event will be held at the Electric Park Fairgrounds at Thanksgiving Point. A special show area and People's Choice trophy will be provided for BMCU member cars. Admission to the event is $10, but if you contact Gary Lindstrom (532-1259 gary@cs.utah.edu ) by June 9, your name will on the complementary admission list at the gate.

There will be lots of activities, exhibits and food that will get in touch with your inner Scot (hey, we're all Irish on St. Patty's Day, right? Same difference here, as they say in Utah).

Rendezvous will be at 9am for a prompt departure from the South Towne Mall east parking lot (106th S. between I-15 and State St. in Sandy). We'll follow a direct and lightly traveled freeway-free route to Thanksgiving Park. Latecomers can take I-15 to exit 287.

Autojumble
An Idaho Falls chap wants to sell his very restorable MGTD. Some club members have seen it and think it is well worth the $4,000 asking price. Call DeWayne at 208-521-1493.

Want a Sears Craftsman Radial Arm Saw with attachments? I no longer want mine. $280. Call me at 208-24-7323 or email at pamdav@ida.net

MK3 ('65-'66) Austin Healy Sprite. Complete rolling chasis minus engine and tranny (complete exhaust still installed). Exterior complete including lights, bumpers and windshield/windows. Seats and instruments missing but dash still installed. VERY GOOD body including floors and rockers. Quality conversion by previous owner to '73-'74 style round arch rear fenders. Great starting point for restoration without much if any welding or body work or could be made reasonable driver just by replacing missing parts. No title. Too many projects but want to find it a good home. Much too nice and complete to part out. $300 or offer. (435)649-0106 home. (435)640-0451 cell or e-mail at Odernheimer@juno.com

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. $18,500. Records back to original owner. Joseph Feaster, home 801-731-0517, cell 801-390-3039.

FOR SALE; 1965 MGB Good condition, runs good, motor has about 8,000 miles. New clutch. Asking $2,000.00 or best offer. Has extra rims, no top but has tonneau cover. Restored 11 years ago. Almost original. Positive ground. Call DONI- 801-792-9684

SPECIAL INVITATION BRITISH BBQ
SATURDAY JUNE 26th, 4:30pm
ARDELL BROWNS RESIDENCE
Ardell Brown invites the British Motor Club, the Jaguar Club and the Austin Healey Club to a barbeque and tour of his collection of over 120 cars.

There is plenty of room on the large lawn area to park the cars. He will supply the grills and tables and each attendee should bring the food and beverages they like.

This should be a good opportunity for the British car owners to get together and share their passion for British cars.

The address is 12000 South 865 East in Draper, Utah. Once you turn east on 12000 So. From 700 East continue East over the railroad tracks to the end of the street. Turn left and go through the gate to Ardells place. His phone is 572-6336. Please RSVP to Ron Gunderson at rgpi@comcast.net

Motoring with Microprocessors
from Embedded.com
So, do you have your hands full diagnosing Lucas electrical systems? Just imagine if your Little Britmobile were from this century. Here are extracts from an article surveying the "architecture" of modern automotive electrical systems, gleaned from an article by Jim Turley on the above cited web site.

How many embedded processors does your car have? Go ahead, guess. If you've got a late-model luxury sedan, two or three processors might be obvious in the GPS navigation system or the automatic distance control. Yet you'd still be off by a factor of 25 or 50. The current 7-Series BMW and S-class Mercedes boast about 100 processors apiece. A relatively low-profile Volvo still has 50 to 60 baby processors on board. Even a boring lowcost econobox has a few dozen different microprocessors in it.

The statistics are startling. New cars now frequently carry 200 pounds of electronics and more than a mile of wiring. Processors and their peripherals have squeezed into the side- and rear-view mirrors, wheel rims, headliner, gas tank, seat cushions, headrests, bumpers, and every other crevice of a modern car. Dashboard electronics such as the radio, air conditioning, and satellite navigation system are just the obvious ones.

For example, the radio on many cars talks to the automatic transmission over an in-car network. Why? So the radio can automatically adjust its volume in relation to road noise (which is a function of speed). The airbag accelerometer, parking lights, GPS navigation, cell phone, and door locks also network so that in a serious accident, the car calls for emergency aid, sends the GPS coordinates of the accident, unlocks the doors, and flashes the car's lights. Side mirrors get a cue from the transmission so that when the driver shifts into reverse, the mirrors bend down and inward, the better to provide a view of what you're backing into.

This last feature was removed from a number of cars after thieves discovered that breaking off a mirror provided convenient access to the car's control network, including commands to unlock the car. (They could have just as easily reprogrammed the radio presets or reclined the passenger seat, but that's much less profitable to car thieves.)

Antilock brakes have been microprocessor controlled for years; now the brakes themselves can be computer controlled. Mercedes-Benz offers Brake Assist, a system that decides when the driver isn't pressing hard enough on the pedal and creates its own panic stop. The system is said to shorten emergency stops by a significant amount, but also makes the car difficult to drive smoothly in slow traffic.

Other applications abound. Jaguar and others offer station-keeping cruise control that holds your distance from the car in front. Backing a Mercedes S-class into a parking space lights a sequence of indicators to show how much room you have left, like docking a cruise ship. BMW air conditioners have separate front/rear settings and even different left/right settings. Volvo ignition keys hold personal settings, such as seat and mirror positions and radio presets, in flash memory.

As often as not, analog gauges aren't really analog. A stepper motor controlled by a microprocessor spins the dials. Usually one processor controls half a dozen different steppers, which is enough gauges for most cars.

The list goes on. New BMWs cut the steering column in half, interposing motor and planetary gears to tweak steering "feel" at different speeds. Air bladders are replacing springs and shocks to give continually adjustable ride height and firmness. Headlights angle into corners. Side mirrors fold themselves flat for parking on narrow European streets. Rain-sensing windshields turn on the wipers automatically. Brake systems lightly engage the brake pads periodically to wipe away moisture. Even the humble parking brake (either as a lever on the center console or as foot pedal) has been replaced by an electronic version that engages itself when the key is removed and releases itself when the car is put in gear. So much for flamboyant handbrake turns.

Our cars are easily the most wired and technologically advanced devices we own, and more development is just down the road. It's been twenty years since the first electronic systems began replacing critical mechanical components. The easy stuff is done. We're well into the optional, exotic, gee-whiz phase now. It's hard to argue against modern safety featuresantilock brakes and traction control, for instancebut I wonder how many other new features will turn out to be counterproductive. Will we see an equal but opposite reaction toward relatively low-tech cars, like the people who prefer vacuum tube amplifiers? Or will tomorrow's drivers become dependant upon electronic nursemaids to find their way to the grocery store?

Midges and Midgets
Lots of BMCUers were concerned about the Antelope Island Run. The questions started coming in via email early in the week. After all, the local TV news reported that black clouds of bugs were just waiting along the shores of the Great Salt Lake to clog your radiator and spoil your wax job. The pictures were just frightening.

But not everyone was scared away, as we had 13 cars make the trip. Some even followed the recommendations from the news reports and coated the front of their cars with cooking spray so the bugs wouldn't stick. Turns out that the midges weren't that plentiful, either because the wind had picked up that morning or we were just lucky, I'm not sure. The day turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. Very few clouds appeared, and not a drop of rain. It was a great drive.

We followed the plan just as we published in the newsletter: first, we collected the Salt Lake cars and drivers at the capital, then up I-15 to the Burger King in Layton at Antelope Drive and Main to collect the northern BMCUers. After some quick lunch buying, we drove to the causeway, paid the entrance fee, and toured on out to the island. We stopped for lunch under a covered pavilion at the beach, and marveled at how little water and how much beach as a result of the low lake level. After lunch, we had a quick game of Antelope Island and Great Salt Lake trivia (as in `How deep is the Great Salt Lake?' and 'Who gave the Island its name?') -- with prizes, I might add. Our drive took us to Buffalo Point, then to Garr Ranch (OK, we had a quick detour to the Buffalo pens, just because somebody took a wrong turn). A few folks had never been to the Island, so now they can say they saw it all!

We just can't say enough about what a beautiful day it was. The drive to the Ranch is always a blast. Next year, we may drive to the Ranch first and have lunch at the picnic tables in the shade of the huge cottonwood trees near the ranch house.

Along for the run were Pugs and Diane Pivirotto, Will Holoman, Todd and Connie Pixton, Mary and Larry Bishop, Wade Ashby, Mike and Becky Chambers, Phil Bates, Julie and Don McEligot, Rich Goodman, Jesse Meade, Bob and Valerie Lux, John Progess, Steve Nelson, Alden and Kenzie, Gary Lindstrom, and Nathan Massie.

Oh, by the way, the title didn't really tell the truth. We didn't have a single Midget. But, we did have a few Bs, a Spitty or two, an Austin Healey, two As, a TF, a couple of `wedge' cars (a TR7 and a TR8), and even a way funlooking new Mini!

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 Bruces email address shown above.

Exchequer Report
As of May 25, 2004:
Beginning balance	(from last report)		$ 1,920.31

Income :
	Members' contributions	$ 207.75
	Interest income	$ .30
			$ 2,128.36
Expenses
	Printing & Mailing	$ 135.00
	Logo Digitizing	$ 223.86
		----------
		$ 358.86

Ending balance			$1,769.50

A Chapter of the North American MGB Register
A Zone of the Vintage Triumph Register

In kind support of the BMCU by ZenZoey's Copy Shop (487-9915) is gratefully acknowledged.

BMCU Newsletter - JUNE 2004 Volume 16 Number 9

Exchequer Report

BMCU Newsletter - JUNE 2004
Volume 16 Number 9