Tag: Cruise

Cruisin’ the Coast

Posted on by Bobby Spann

This year’s Cruisin the Coast was GREAT.  I spotted several little British Cars while driving from Ocean Springs to Bay St Louis and back.  And again, and again!  Wednesday, I drove the MGB on I-12 and met Tom Halbert at the Shell in BSL.  They have a 100% pump and let me tell you if you only have around 66 horsepower, that extra 5-10% of power really comes in handy!  We cruised to “Cruise Central and registered, and hung out with Peter Braun.  Then I went and checked out the Biloxi Block Party.

Thursday, I met Tom and Nancy in BSL and we checked out the cars then ate at ‘the Buttercup.’  Saw a fine XK120 and E-type power parked on the corner and gave the guy a “save the date” card for our show next year.  Then I hit Pass Christian and Edgewater Mall before returning to the Beau Rivage for the night.

Friday my friend Brian came down from TN and rode with me to the swap meet at the Coliseum, where I bought another MGB!  Well, it was a 1/64 scale Johnny Lightning, but still…  We met Rick and Nathan Mol in their bright yellow Spitfire at The SHED for lunch, then went and checked out Ocean Springs.  Packed as usual but I talked with several people interested in MGBs and gave out 3 BMCNO business cards!  Friday night was the Beach Boys concert, and I was reminded… the Jag actually made it through ‘Dead Man’s Curve!’

Saturday, I tried to do BSL again but there was not a parking place in the whole town!  Ahhh.  Saturday traffic was bad right around Biloxi as the traffic lights there are NOT synchronized!  Sunday there was an exodus of people heading to Louisiana and Texas in RV’s and pulling trailers… with perfectly good cars on them?  

The Roving Reporter

Bobby Spann

Bobby’s B and RIck M’s Spitfire on Hwy 90
A Hillman Husky
Some FINE Jaguars in Bay St Louis
Bobby’s MGB and Tom’s MGA

BR Breakfast Dec 12, 2020

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

The Renegade  Breakfast Group of Baton Rouge had a small group of 4 at the Dec 12 limited breakfast meeting, which was an equal split between LBC’s and two GCC vehicles.

Good food, fast service, a low ambient background noise and interesting back-story tales made for an enjoyable event.

There was Impromptu Tech Session immediately after with a windshield valet demonstration necessitated by a major condensation issue on both sides of the glass due to the inclement weather conditions, which then led to an extended discussions on MGB wipers i.e. “are all three identical or should the RH one be different?”  (Meanwhile, Randy pointed out that the German engineers had solved this issue on his vehicle by using just a single wiper arm and blade)

Meanwhile, the TR was undergoing carburetion adjustments so it could safely leave the parking lot.  “How to use the TR hand-crank mechanism with a minimum loss of coolant” was postponed due to the late hour.

Please remember that the last 2020 BR Group meeting is this Wednesday (Dec 9, 2020) – if you haven’t done so yet, please let myself or Bobby know if you plan to attend or not.  As it stands right now, it is forecast to be a cool but rainless evening and so absolutely perfect for us all to enjoy the dark and put our Lucas electrical systems to the test, plus a great opportunity to be an entrant to be the final “Loo Seat” winner of 2020. 

Cheers!

Robb C

subbing for the Roving Reporter!

BR Breakfast Dec 12, 2020

BR Breakfast Dec 12, 2020 mini tech session

BR Cruise Dec 12, 2020

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

Hey, nice BMCNO club meeting this week!  We had 10 members attend at Cafe’ American in the back room and we weren’t crowded at all.  I tried to run the meeting for Rick, but we missed his organization skills!  John and Mary brought 3 door prizes that were pretty cool.  Well, 2 cool door prizes and a Booby Prize – Bill Avery’s old air compressor.  He plugged it in and the waitress came running to see what we had blown up!  I guess with some fittings you might be able to air up a bicycle tire with it…

Cathy Greenfelder sent us 4 more masks she made for the BR group and we passed them out.  She is so talented!

This morning 4 of the usual suspects gathered at The Warehouse Restaurant for some British bench racing and good food.   If the weather doesn’t get better we may morph into the German Motoring Club!  (see picture)  We talked about the James Bond movie franchise, members who weren’t present (excluding Danny Bergeron who at least had the decency to call us on the phone) and how Jerry’s brother in law is doing.  I told the group I may have a line on 4 MGB parts cars for $1,800.  Waiting for contact info now.

John Paul at the Cushman table was telling me Robert Parent’s family may be clearing out his garage soon.  So I checked with Robert’s daughter and they are NOT selling anything just yet.  When I hear otherwise, I’ll let you know.  There is a treasure trove of old hot rods and parts, early Corvettes and more tools that all of us have put together, including maybe a lathe and milling machine.  

Randy is 99% done with the harmonic balancer bolt repair on his Mini, so I expect to see more British cars as the weather dries out.  

Cruise Safe,

Roving Reporter 

BR Cruise Dec 12, 2020

BR Breakfast Cruise 11/21/2020

Posted on by Bobby Spann

I’ve been waiting to write this note as the substitute Roving Reporter about our drive on Saturday, but my heavy heart after going to Reg Dunbar’s service on Friday has had me searching for what to say.  I don’t know what else to say except that it sure does hurt to lose people you’re friends with and care about and share a common passion with our little British cars.  I’m afraid our suffering is not over, as Bob Gullic is hanging on to a thread after three weeks in the hospital with the virus.  Also, I talked to Jim Smith this morning after he missed the Saturday drive, and he and his wife Honie both have Covid, although, thankfully, at this point it sounds like they both have “light” cases. 

So, yes, we soldiered on, social distanced, and had our drive on Saturday morning. I think Reg would have wanted us to.  One of his daughters told me that they were burying him with his BMCNO name tag, she said our club was one of the highlights of his life.  Barbara wasn’t there, she’s still fighting her battle with Covid.  Maxine told Bob we were out driving again on Saturday, and he was happy for us, wished he could be with us again.  Jim would have been there if he was well. 

It was another beautiful day.  Six cars and nine people participated.  I was asking why there weren’t more cars/people, and Betsy Harper said probably because the LSU game was on at 11.  I just figured they’d be playing in the afternoon or evening, so missed that one.  We had two E-Types, an MGA, B, and C, and a TR3. Here’s a link to a couple before pictures and a couple after pictures.  Mary Lynne and I led, followed by Hank & Betsy Harper in their MGC,  Robb in his MGB, new member Will Jones in his TR3,  Milton and Randy in Milton’s E-Type, and Marc Zebouni in his MGA.   The drive was close to a repeat of our April drive, starting out from Alex Box Stadium at LSU and hopping on River Road just south of Baton Rouge.  This time we went all the way through St Gabriel, around a few plants, and then back to Bluff Road via LA3115 and LA74.  Bluff Road ends at LA427, the Perkins Rd extension, which we took up to the Home Depot parking lot for a little show and tell session (masks on, social distanced). 

So a nice drive together, but hard not to think of the people we’re losing to the  virus.   Please keep praying for those suffering and dying from this or any illness and their families and friends.

We still have very much to be thankful for on Thursday.  Wishing you a Thankful Thanksgiving.

Rick H

Substitute Roving Reporter

BR Cruise 11-14-2020

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

Hello Everybody,

Well, we sure had a great time this morning at breakfast and on our drive.  The weather was fabulous – high 50s to start, about 70 when we finished, and we had 8 vehicles/11 people on the drive.  Danny (and his friend Danny Bergeron), Bobby, Jerry, Randy, Milton, and I met at the Warehouse at 7, had a nice breakfast, talked about the upcoming Baton Rouge Cruise at the end of January, and made some plans for it.  

We left there just after 8 for the 15 minute drive up to Zoar Baptist Church where Annette Franklin, Robb Cowzer, Jerold and Molly Lebold, Butch Ammons, and Mike Jastram joined us for the drive. Bobby left us to head back home – he’s taking care of Connie after her neck surgery 2 weeks ago. So that’s why I’m the Roving Reporter today.

Jerold and Molly arrived in their bright red, looks like new, 1965 Sunbeam Tiger that has been in the family since 1970.  20,000 miles, painted once but never restored, I’m telling you it looked like new – perfect chrome, paint, interior, convertible top (replaced once).  What a treat for us all to see that car this morning.  You just never know what’s going to show up for a drive.  So we had an E-Type Coupe, two TR6s, a Tiger, an E-Type Convertible, an MGB, an MGB GT, and a bright yellow modern Honda 3 wheeler.  We sure got lots of honks from people we passed along the way.   

The winding roads in northeastern EBR  and southeastern East Feliciana parish were just lovely – lots of trees, shade, some pretty and falling leaves.  We left Zoar, went up Joor then N. Joor Rd.  Took a right on Peairs Rd, made a left on Hwy 409, Liberty Rd and took it all the way up into East Feliciana Parish where we turned right onto Hwy 969, Bob Jones Rd.  Then it was right on Hwy 63 back down to Hwy 37, Greenwell Springs Rd.  After a long drive along the west side of the Amite River, we turned right again to head west onto Stony Point Burch Rd until we got back to Hwy 409, Liberty Rd, where we turned left and followed it back the other way to the South.  We turned right on Hwy 64 to head further west, crossed over Joor Rd and then turned left on Hwy 410, Blackwater Rd which took us back to Hooper Rd where we turned left and headed back to Zoar.  Wow, that was fun – about an hour and 20 minutes of fun on the back roads.  Thanks to Milton and Annette for leading, we really had a good time.  We ended up back at Zoar Baptist Church, and parked our cars out in front for a photo shoot (those are the pictures I posted above).  

That was so much fun I think we’ll organize another one for next Saturday, if the weather is nice.

Cheers,

Rick

Baton Rouge Cruise 11-14-2020

Baton Rouge Cruise 11-14-2020

Baton Rouge Cruise 11-14-2020

Picnic at Fontainebleau

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

It was a great evening in Fontainebleau State Park, even though the size of the crowd at the park gave us some concern when we drove in at 4:35 and had to wait in line at the entrance. I have never seen so many people enjoying the park before. I thought the crowd was for some kind of special event, but the ranger said that size crowd was normal for a Saturday.

We found a pavilion that is never available by reservation with 17 tables right on the lake, and it was EMPTY!! We settled in with our picnic suppers and enjoyed the sunset as much as the company: Colin & Celia, Hans & Sue, Benny & Lilly, Carol & Wayne, Cliff & Linda, Hugh C., Allan M., and our intrepid members who joined us from the Southshore: Ed Vail & guest and Ronnie P. and Karen M.

Thank you to everybody who made this a success.

Colin McCormick
Mandeville, LA
Keep Healthy, Keep Calm and Drive On

NS Cars & Coffee 10/10/2020

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

Cars & Coffee 10-10-2020

The Northshore Cars & Coffee on Oct 10 at Daisy Dukes-Mandeville was well attended by hardy, hurricane-proof members Dean D., Hans H., Cliff H., Robert H., David J., Allan M., Colin Mc., Robert R., and Benny S. who did their duty to support the local food service economy.

Robert M and his son Christian joined us for the drive.

After breakfast five of us did a 66 mile loop around northern St Tammany parish ending at the Covington trailhead of the Tammany Trace bicycle path. 

A splendid time was had by all.

Keep Healthy Keep Calm and Drive On
Colin McCormick

Mandeville, LA

NS Cars & Coffee 9/26/2020

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

The Northshore group had Cars & Coffee at our usual spot, Daisy Dukes on West Causeway Approach. 

In attendance were: High Coleman, Dean Duplantier, Wally Gettys, Paul Guichard, Hans Hassinger, Cliff Hughes, Bob Hurst, David Jones, Allan Maxwell, Colin McCormick, Bob and Christian Muller, Benny Stiegler.

We discussed last weekend’s Brits on the Bluff car show.

Last week Colin put out a call for possible tech sessions suggested at our last meeting; a detailer to do one of our cars and explain what products they use and why and/or a person with access to a lift so we can get under our cars to tighten where the drips are and to inspect for other things that need attention. 

We now have a volunteer with a lift, and we are working out the details for the session.

After breakfast a few of us drove to Ponchatoula for a small car show we learned of at the last minute. 

Colin McCormick

Mandeville, LA

BR Breakfast Cruise, Sept 12, 2020

Posted on by Cathy Greensfelder

Wow, the weather this morning in the capitol city was incredible! Six BMCNO members showed up at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant before 7:00 in 4 LBC, and enjoyed brisk conversation with good friends. We learned about Rick’s Jaguar flywheel / starter replacement, car trailer incidents, and how much the new Jaguar 6-cylinder blocks cost – $18,000! Since Danny wasn’t there no mention of movies or TV shows were made.

Danny sent us pictures of himself and Dana camping and some of the hot rod guys were out of town for a car show, so it wasn’t a big crowd. But did I mention that cruising around town after breakfast, the weather was incredible! Nice and cool and overcast… Hope it’s a sign of things to come this fall.

On a side note the ‘unofficial BMCNO-BR board of directors’ (the usual breakfast crowd) disqualified me from getting the “Loo Lid Award” just because my alternator light came on. Bummer. 🙂

But that sparked a conversation about jump boxes and LBC charging system problems. Rick said he replaced the battery in his Lotus, and the alternator checks at 30 amps on the bench, but when everything is in the car there is only 12v across the battery terminals?! Might be the ‘exciter’ wire going to the alternator…

Cruise Safe,

Roving Reporter

Bobby Spann

Breakfast with the BR guys

Today’s participant cars

Our Roving Reporter, Bobby!