September s mega road trip was the one thousand. A Girl, a Guy, and a TR by Nel McPhail, President

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1 The RAGTOP Volume 18, Issue 10, October A Girl, a Guy, and a TR by Nel McPhail, President We spent the night in Pearland with our beautiful granddaughters and were up with the chickens Friday morning. Old Reliable was now on the car dolly, so I got to ride in the air conditioning to my cousin s house in Mindenmines, Missouri. Mike left Saturday morning to rendezvous with his pal and fellow road warrior Art Graves for the final leg of the drive to KC. Art had brought along Chad Jester from the Tulsa Club, who was driving a fixer-upper TR6, which refused to complete the trip without stopping at NAPA for a new fuel pump. The boys arrived at Kansas City in time for a late brew pub lunch and had plenty of time to settle in before the rally. On the road with Mike and Nel September s mega road trip was the one thousand mile plus drive to the Kansas City All British Car Day. Normally, the trip would be a couple of hundred miles shorter, but easy tradin Mike had a car to deliver to Houston on the way. Dutiful wife that I am, it was my job to follow in Old Reliable while Mike hauled one of his rusty hulks that had been littering the back yard. Aside from a wheel nearly falling off the old junker that Mike had sold to some poor soul in Holland, the trip was fine. I have been driving the TR3 a lot lately, and have become quite comfortable with it. The KCABCD is a favorite of Mike and Art, and they have been attending it off and on for several years. The event is held every Labor Day weekend at the swank Airport Marriott and features a Saturday afternoon rally and Sunday car show. Vendors are in abundance and a DJ is on hand to set the mood. Mike even won a plaque with the TR3! The TR was back in Mindenmines by supper time Sunday, and we left for Tulsa first thing Monday morning. It obviously killed my hubby to see his yard cars disappearing, so he was compelled to rescue Chad s TR250 that had been languishing in mini-storage. So off the dolly with the TR3 and on with the 250! We couldn t leave Tulsa with out having lunch with our dear friends Art and Karen at their lovely home in the Old Town. Of course, it was now up to me to drive Old Reliable 480 miles (and late into the night) in order to get our new prize home. As you know, women are not allowed to drive tow vehicles! The RAGTOP 1 October 2005

2 Officers President, Membership Nel McPhail Vice-President Bob Baker Treasurer Earl McGlothlin Secretary Barbara Kramer Ragtop Editor Carol Pennington Webmaster Dan Julien The Hill Country Triumph Club, the 50th Chapter of the Vintage Triumph Register (VTR), was founded in 1990 to bring together the owners of Triumph automobiles in the Central Texas area surrounding Austin. In 1991, the membership decided to include other British car fans as associates due to lack of other clubs in our area that represent some of the other marques. As owners and lovers of our unique types of cars, we have a special kinship, which draws us together. Membership is open to anyone who is a British car enthusiast, with or without a car. Annual dues are just $15.00 per family group or address per year. We have dinner meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month and at least one other event each month. We encourage you to join and support us, even if you don t drive your car regularly. We also offer technical assistance if needed. One goal of the club is to help its members keep their cars on the road. Please call one of the club officers listed in the newsletter for more information about club benefits and spread the word about our club to others. The Hill Country Club is a local chapter of the Vintage Triumph Register (VTR)/Triumph Sports Owners Association, which is open to all drivers of Triumph motorcars; a chapter of the Triumph Register of America, exclusively for TR2 through TR4A sports cars; and a chapter of the 6-PACK, dedicated to the enjoyment, preservation, and restoration of the Triumph TR250 and TR6 sports cars. Membership in these national organizations is encouraged. Visit their websites at and The RAGTOP is published monthly by the Hill Country Triumph Club. Material within may be freely reproduced providing Ragtop and the authors are credited. Any and all newsletter contributions are welcome. Deadline for submissions is the end of each month. Submissions may be sent to: Carol Pennington; 105 Etta Place; Austin, TX or ed to cpenn33@yahoo.com. Photos in jpeg format are always welcome. Classified ads will run for three months unless otherwise instructed. Membership Application Name: Address: City/State: Zip: Home Phone: Work Phone: address: Car Make: Model: Year: Color: Car Make: Model: Year: Color: Please circle which method you would like the newsletter delivered: Snail Mail How did you hear about the Hill Country Triumph Club? Please mail application and check to: Nel McPhail, 1105 N. Canyonwood Dr., Dripping Springs, TX, The RAGTOP 2 October 2005

3 Saturday, October am Jim s in Oak Hill Join Carol and Mars for a wonderful back roads tour of the hill country. We will go to Johnson City on Fitzhugh Road, mosey over to Willow City on 1323, around the back side of Enchanted Rock, and up to Llano for lunch. You will see old and beautiful farms, homesteads, and scenery. Be sure to bring your camera. You may also want to bring some things to drink. Please feel free to join us even if you are not driving a Triumph. The roads are all paved and the pace will be relaxed. We will leave Jim s coffeehouse at the Y in Oak Hill at 10 am. Carol s cell phone is Hope to see you for our fall drive. Our thoughts go out to our British Car Family in the New Orleans area. They have a very strong club there and this is a reply to my message of concern from the president of the British Motoring Club of New Orleans ( Carol: thanks for your concern and support. I do know that at least 4-6 LBC s were lost in the flood. Member Fraser Rice rode out the storm in Bay St. Louis, Ms. Lost his MGA under 7 of water. Several went under in New Orleans. Member Harold O Reilly lived 2 blocks from breach in 17th St. Canal. Tr 7 and his home are under 10 of water. Former President Bill Breithoff has lost his TR 8, and possibly his MGB. Does not know about his house, as it was approx 10 blocks from Lake Ponchartrain, and about 2 miles from the same levee break as above. Cliff Hughes, Pres. BMCNO. Bits from Barb by Barbara Kramer Our September meeting of the Hill Country Triumph Club brought us to The Pier on Lake Austin (Established 1958 not a bad year!) to pay our respects and a fond farewell to a Keep Austin Weird landmark. It s not an easy place to find and they say it was for a reason, as it was established during prohibition as a lakeside speakeasy. They placed lookouts to spot The Man coming to raid the place, who then sent word to throw the hooch into the lake. With no breeze coming off the lake it was a bit warm and humid, so it was a good thing that our crew of 20 old and new Triumph enthusiasts didn t have to throw our cold and not-so-cold ones into the lake. Madam President Nel and First Man Mike were not present as they were doing British Car research carousing in the UK at the Goodwood Festival. Past President Bob Skewis ran the meeting. We learned that Ed & Eva Gowett are now putting a new engine in their TR6 and Yolanda said that Warren made a really, really strong effort to get their TR6 to the meeting. The Knowles were feeling lucky and drove their TR7 without a flashlight or a cell phone for the drive home. Our Treasurer Earl and wife Connie joined us as did the West s and the Waller s. Jim Icenhower announced that he has driven his Spitfire ten feet. We all have to start somewhere! We received a treasurer s report and thankfully we do have money in our HCTC account. Bob Skewis discussed the Tx All British Car Day and enlisted some volunteers for this past weekend s event. A big THANK YOU to all who helped out. Some announcements: The 16th Annual Houston All British Motor Vehicle Expo will be held at Traders Village on Saturday, October 15th. The San Antonio All British Car day will be held in Bourne in November. Check the calendar for more details. With Nel and Mike back from the UK and back at the helm, I know that we have an October event. Look for information in this newsletter. As always, join us whenever and wherever you can. The RAGTOP 3 October 2005

4 How I Was Introduced to Triumph Sports Cars By? The editor is looking for club members to write an article about how they became Triumph lovers and owners. It can be short or long, with or without photos. You may send your documents via or snail mail. I ll even scan a photo if you wish. My address is cpenn33@yahoo.com and my mailing address is Carol Pennington, 105 Etta Place, Austin, THANK YOU! Is your vehicle required to be emissions tested? All Texas registered vehicles are required to receive an annual inspection. All inspections include a comprehensive safety inspection, however some vehicles are required to have an emissions test in addition to the safety inspection. Which vehicles are required to have the emissions test? 1. Vehicles registered in designated county. Designated counties include: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson and El Paso counties. 2. Gasoline powered vehicles. Diesel powered vehicles and motorcycles are exempt from the emissions standards, but are still required to have the annual safety inspection. 3. Vehicles between 2-24 years old OR upon expiration of the 2 year initial inspection sticker. The RAGTOP 4 October 2005

5 Earlier this year, Bob Skewis took Marilyn s TR250 for inspection and was told the horn was too loud. This got us to talking and doing some research into car inspections. The TXDOT website ( is very informative. This is what we found out: Items of Inspection Inspect Every Passenger Car For: (Listed in suggested order of inspection) * Check for evidence of Financial Responsibility 1. Horn 2. Windshield Wipers 3. Mirror 4. Steering 5. Seat Belts 6. Brakes (system) (Parking - beginning with 1960 models) 7. Tires 8. Wheel Assembly 9. Exhaust System 10. Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models) 11. Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models) 12. Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier 13. Stop Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier 14. License Plate Lamp (1) 15. Rear Red Reflectors (2) 16. Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models) 17. Head Lamps (2) 18. Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number & newer - inspect for window tinting or coating 20. Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old. Then you may choose one of the items of inspection to view how that item will be inspected during the inspection process. This is what we found out about the horn: Horn. Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a horn (electric or air) in good working order and capable of emitting a sound audible for a distance of 200 feet or more, but no horn shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. Bulb or hand-operated horn is acceptable if original vehicle equipment. 1. Inspection Procedure a. Sound horn. b. Check actuating device. c. Examine wiring - mounting. 2. Inspect for and reject if: a. Vehicle is not equipped with a horn. b. Horn or horn switch is not securely fastened. c. Wiring insulation is worn, rubbed bare, or shows any evidence of burning, short cir cuiting, or poor connections. d. Horn switch not readily accessible to vehicle operator. e. Horn is actuated by grounding two naked wires or similar method. f. Sound is not audible under normal conditions for 200 feet. g. Horn emits an unusually loud or harsh sound or whistle. h. Operation of the horn interferes with the operation of any other circuit. i. Horn switch missing or inoperative The RAGTOP 5 October 2005

6 BEST IN SHOW Texas All British Car Day 1952 Allard J2X no This is a sport racing car. There were only 83 made. It is powered with a Ford V8 engine with 500 hp. It has been raced since new and is still raced. It has won over 50 major races. While it is not a show car, it has won four 1st place awards, one top ten award, and one 2nd place award. This is the 7th time it has been shown. The car is named the Bitch and has been owned for over 45 years by Bill Bauder of New Sweeden, TX. The bus is owned by Craig Burchsted from Friendship, TX. It s a 1957 Morris/BMC Bus. He recieved an Honorable mention for driving the bus 1650 miles from Canada to Texas, the Diamond in the Rough Award and the 1st in class for Special Interest. The RAGTOP 6 October 2005

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9 Graham Davies CHROME ANYONE? Do you need some car parts chromed? I am looking for some people to go in together with and get some parts chromed. It is financially prudent to have quite a few small items and maybe one or two large items (bumper). Please contact Carol Pennington at or cpenn33@yahoo.com if you are interested. BEST OF BRITISH Austin, TX Restoration, Service, Tuning of Austin Healy, Triumph, Mini Cooper S You can take your own garment to be monogrammed with the club logo to Monograms Today, Simon Bedoya, 1738 W. Anderson Lane, Austin, They are set up for hats, shirts, and jackets. If my 1951 Triumph Renown is sold through your club, I will pay your club $ Bob Skewis had this jacket done for $ Beautiful! Get yours done Needless to say, this rare and unusual automobile wins wherever it is shown. Since its restoration, it has only been driven a thousand miles and has only 34,000 actual miles. Full documentation of the restoration including extensive photographic history, and history of ownership documentation will be supplied. Accepting reasonable offers. Contact Larry Kappauf at or rlkfla@netzero.com. Come to the meeting Tuesday to see a photo. The RAGTOP 9 October 2005

10 Hill Country Triumph Club 2005 Events OCTOBER Triumphest, San Diego, CA; sandiegotriumph/tfestindex.htm 8 Oak Hill Cruise n Blues. 12 noon - 7 pm. See 11 Hill Country Triumph Club Meeting. 7PM. Location below. 15 Houston All British Motor Vehicle Expo, Trader s Village HCTC Driving Event. Hill Country Backroads Tour; see page 3 29 London to Paris Rallye. See NOVEMBER South Texas All British Car Day. Boerne, see page 8 8 Hill Country Triumph Club Meeting. 7PM. TBA Tour of Lights Drive Christmas Party DECEMBER N. Canyonwood Dr. Dripping Springs, TX The next meeting will be Oct. 11 th, 7PM, at Sherlock s Pub; 9012 Research Blvd. It is located on the southeast corner of the Burnet Road/183 intersection, behind the Highland Lanes bowling alley. The RAGTOP 10 October 2005