Lone Star Lady January February 201

Lone Star Lady
Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club • Texas Region Newsletter • January-February 2012
Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club – Texas Region
2012 Officers & Directors
Chair: Cathie Mouton
1860 I-10 South • Beaumont, TX 77707
409-866-9339 • e-mail: tpsturbo@aol.com
Secretary: Sharon Galvan
8302 Forest Gate Dr. • Sugar Land, TX 77479
281-343-7478 • e-mail: SGsings@aol.com
Treasurer: Vernon Frost
P.O. Box 1848 • Fredericksburg, TX 78624
830-990-8310 • e-mail: vwfrost@ctesc.net
Activities Chairman: James Stryker
17515 South Yaupon Circle • Tomball, TX 77377
832-646-5542 • e-mail: colstryker@att.net
Membership: Sneed Adams
22906 Silent Spring Creek Ct. • Katy, TX 77450
281-395-8365 • e-mail: stadams64@aol.com
Chief Judge: Tim Myrick
3411 Homer Street • Dallas 75206
214-826-1878 • e-mail: amonfrank@aol.com
Technical Chairman: Dale Clark
23855 Northcrest Trail • New Caney 77357
281-689-5964 • e-mail: PV_5BX98@sbcglobal.net
Directors:
Exp. 12/31/11: Al Briseno
10205 Oasis Dr., Suite 320 • San Antonio, TX 78216
210-340-9575 • e-mail: abriseno@briseno-law.com
Exp. 12/31/12: Phillip Reese
P.O. Box 1705 • Austin, TX 78767-1705
512-291-1428 • e-mail: auspwr@aol.com
Exp. 12/31/13: John Lovick
160 Bent Trail Dr. • Southlake, TX 76092
214-914-9114 • e-mail: jhljhl@charter.net
Editor: Steve Krazer
3026 Ricsan Road • Abilene 79605 • 325-677-7755
Fax: 325-670-0566 • e-mail: spkrazer@sbcglobal.net
The Lone Star Lady is published bimonthly by the Texas Region of the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club. The Texas Region is under the control of the Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club.
Publication Deadlines: Articles and advertising should be received no later than
the 15th of the month prior to the date of publication. Example: articles/ads for
the January/February issue should be received no later than January 15th.
Articles and photographs can be sent via e-mail to: spkrazer@sbcglobal.net,
or by mail on disk. A hard copy of the article should accompany the disk.
Photographic prints will be scanned and returned as directed.
Advertising Rates: Advertising space is priced at $200 per page and smaller size
ads are priced proportionally, e.g. 1/4 page is priced at $50.00 per edition.
The Lone Star Lady endeavors to publish accurate information. The region,
its editors and officers assume no responsibility in the event of loss or damage
arising from any information contained therein. Statements attributed to individuals do not reflect the official policy and position of the Rolls-Royce Owners’
Club or the Texas Region.
Please direct any address changes to:
RROC National: 191 Hempt Road,
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 • 800-TRY-RROC
The Three Regents–
Hershey, PA
There was a reunion held at the AACA
Hershey show this year. We were able to
bring together three Springfield Phantom I’s
with Brewster Regent Convertible Coupe
bodies. Getting three Regents together at
one time is tricky, but we were able to get
these three together with body numbers in
sequence from Brewster. Brewster built a
total of 21 of these bodies that were put
on the Phantom I chassis and 1 that was
put on a Phantom II.
The Regent is a two passenger Convertible
Coupe with a rumble seat that allows for
2 more passengers. This is a later body
style by Brewster. All three of these were
cars that were returned to the factory and
then rebodied with the newer and sportier
bodies to help the resale market. This was
a common practice with the Springfield
cars as the Limousine type cars had fallen
on a flat market.
The three cars belong to Henry Hensley
from Houston, Jon Leimkuehler from
Pittsburgh and Ned Numata from Hawaii.
Henry’s car is S112FR with a Brewster
Body number B7151. Jon’s car is S374FM
with a Brewster body number B7152.
Ned’s car is S284RM with a Brewster Body
number B7153.
We had a great time showing these cars
and received a great reception from the
AACA. – Henry Hensley
In This Issue:
3 – Cathie’s Corner, Thanks!
4 – About Phantom II
AJS239
8 – Board Meeting Minutes
9 – Hooking My Radiator
10 – Abilene Spring Meet
Description
11 – In Memoriam;
New Members
12 – Future Region Activities;
For Sale
SERVICE AS GENUINE
AS THE PARTS WE USE.
Bentley Dallas is proud to use only Crewe Genuine Parts.
5300 Lemmon Avenue . Dallas, TX 75209 . Main: 214.849.5300 . Toll-Free: 800.336.7073
www.parkplacetexas.com
©2007 Bentley Dallas
by Cathie Mouton
If you rest, you rust - Helen Hayes
N
ot only does that relate to
us but also to our PMCs. I know
this time of year is not favorable
to drive some of our PMCs however, let’s get them ready for
the first hint of an unexpected
sunny day and on a whim take
a Drive!!
I would like to thank those of you who took the
time to send in your ballots for the election of
officers for the year 2012. I look forward to being
your first lady Chair for the Texas Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club. We have a good group of officers
representing you, the members. Please feel free
to contact us with any questions, ideas, complaints, etc. That is what we want. My email is
tpsturbo@aol.com. If we are not informed of any
issues you may have, we can’t improve where
needed. A big thanks to Elaine Krazer for her past
service as Activities Chair and a big welcome to
Jim Stryker as our new Activities Chair. He is very
enthusiastic and already working on ideas for
future events. We all need to thank Phillip Reese
for his 3 year term as Chairman. He worked
continuously with little recognition serving all our
needs. Next time you see Phillip give him a pat on
the back for his service to the club. Also, if you are
interested in serving on the board let us know.
Mark your Calendars
Don’t forget your area monthly breakfast.
Get Ready for an Adventure! Abilene, April 12-15,
2012 our Annual Texas Region Spring Meet.
Hosts, Steve Krazer and Bruce Bixby. Registration
forms are in this issue. Host hotel is the Marriott
Residence Inn at a rate of $99.00 per night. Let’s
show Steve and Bruce our support by attending
this meet.
Fall Tech Seminar will be in Austin October
18-20th, 2012. The Tech Seminar will be earlier
than in the past. At our last board meeting it was
suggested we try to have it earlier, due to several
other events going on at the same time. We will
try this change and see if this works better for all.
The Seminar is always well attended but we still
miss you if you don’t participate.
WE NEED YOU!!! The Texas Region will be
hosting the RROC National Meet, Fiesta, San Antonio, April 8-13th, 2013. Chairs for this are Al and
Lettie Briseno. This past December we had our
first committee meeting. Al Briseno, Phillip Reese,
Sneed and Anne Adams, Jim Stryker and yours
truly along with Dan met at the Hyatt our Host
hotel for the 2013 meet. We will be having meet-
ings on a regular basis and if you are interested
in helping with this, please let us know. As you
know, we hosted the Interregional Meet in Austin
last March and it was a great success thanks to all
of you who helped. We can do this again. Don’t
be afraid to offer, we have plenty of areas where
you are needed.
I want to thank Lucy and Bill Rasco and Heath
Hedden for hosting the Holiday parties. I attended
the Rasco’s in San Antonio and we had a great
time. I heard that the same was true for the members who attended the party in Dallas. Because
both events occurred at the same time, we were
unable to attend the Dallas function. Maybe this
year we can plan the parties on different dates. If
you are interested in planning or hosting an event
please let us know.
Dan and I will be headed to Florida mid-February
for a month. The Phantom II has been invited to
the 6th Annual Boca Raton Concours and in March,
the 17th Annual Amelia Island Concours. Really
excited this time of year is great in Florida. Now
for the real story. We, Dan and I, will be driving
to Florida in our Ford Dually with our Phantom II in
a 36ft Trailer. I know this is not a big deal to you
guys; however, I will be driving also. Dan has all
the faith in me so, I really have to step up to the
plate and get er done!!!! I know there will be a
good story to tell about this trip. So, you can look
forward, I hope, to another article.
Laugh of the day
Elsie, an elderly lady, stopped to drive into a parking space in her new black Bentley when a young
man in his brand new red BMW drove around her
and parked in the space that she had been waiting
for. Elsie was so angered that she approached the
young fellow and remarked, through gritted teeth,
“I was about to park there”. The man looked at
her with disdain and replied. “That’s what you can
do when you’re young and bright”. This annoyed
Elsie even more, so she got back in her car, backed
it up and then she stomped on the accelerator and
rammed straight into his BMW. The young man
ran back to his car and shouted in a stunned voice,
“What did you do that for?” Elsie smiled at him
and said, “That’s what you can do when you’re old
and rich.”
Happy Motoring!
Cathie Mouton
Texas Region members pulled
together once again and contributed
their hard earned money so that their
Texas Region could have a full-page
color advertisement in the 2012-13
National RROC Directory.
The original artwork used in the ad was
created by Texas Region member and artist
Lisa Daniels. Thank you Lisa.
Lone Star Lady Editor Steve Krazer adapted
Lisa’s artwork and added his own special
touches to create the ad that not only
advertises the Texas Region, but also the fact
that the Texas Region is hosting the National
RROC Annual Meet in San Antonio in April
2013. Thank you Steve.
Thanks to their contributions, we raised the
entire $2,250 required for the advertisement.
A great big Texas Region
THANK YOU to:
Anne &
Sneed Adams
Al & Leticia Briseno
Dale &
Maria Teresa Clark
Patricia Detelltu
Jim & Jeane Durbin
Vernon Frost
John & Evie Grubb
Doug Handel
Ken Harris
Dan Harrison
Don &
Demaris Knobler
David &
Elaine Krazer
John &
Marcy Lovick
Dan &
Cathie Mouton
Ronald Murphy
Jim &
AnaMaya Powell
Phillip Reese
Peter Shavney
John Sweney
& Mike Stargel
Carl & Betty Tongberg
Dana Woodruff
Your generosity is appreciated!
January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady
3
by Dan Mouton
Rolls-Royce production in
the United States ended
during the Great Depression,
so left-hand drive Phantom II
chassis were built in England
and shipped to Springfield, Massachusetts.
This Phantom is built on a long wheel base
chassis. Once here, the cars were bodied by
various coachbuilders, most often Brewster.
This is one of just 13 cars fitted with the
Drophead Coupe Croydon design, named for
the south London suburb. To the best of our
knowledge, only four Croydons are known
to exist.
AJS239 at local and National Meets. It has won
numerous awards throughout the years.
Previous owners and RROC members were Dr. W. Hall,
New York - C. F. Wilding-White, New York - Paul Rizzo,
New York and Royce J. Noble of MA.
I feel the Merle Norman Classic Beauty Collection as
stated above also owned it.
Not sure when Bob Atwell of Texas purchased the
car. He was well known and active in the Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club. He was an avid automobile collector. I
feel the Phantom was stored at one of his warehouses
and never to be seen again for many years. During that
I have always loved and currently own several postwar
Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars. I then decided I
wanted to purchase a prewar Rolls-Royce. My favorite
prewar Rolls-Royce is the Phantom II convertibles.
Therefore, I did not have to decide what my next
purchase would be.
I first fell in love with the PII Croydon when I saw it in
the book, Great Marques Rolls-Royce, pages 28-29
with the caption: “A Croydon convertible by Brewster.
A Derby-built left-hand drive Phantom II of 1932”.
Provided by Merle Norman Classic Beauty Collection.
I then saw this car several years later at an Auction but
did not purchase at the time. I told my wife, Cathie,
that I was going to own this car some day. I followed
the car for several years and finally had the opportunity
to purchase the PII, September 2001. What a lucky
surprise, not really, because I had made up my mind
this was going to be mine some day.
The Phantom II was shipped to Beaumont and
the journey begins.
I started with getting the build sheet from the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club and researching the archives of
the Flying Lady.
It looks as though the Phantom II and its previous owners were active RROC members; I have books dating
back to 1952 showing the Phantom and mentioning
4 The Lone Star Lady • January–February 2012
time, we heard parts were taken from the car and used
on other cars. Bob Atwells son, Rich Atwell, decided
to sell the Phantom II, which was where I first saw the
car at the auction I had previously mentioned.
My Venture Begins
I have always worked on my cars, so this project did
not bother me in the least. First, began the assessment
of restoration, do I just want a good reliable PMC with
new paint, interior, etc or do I want Concours quality. I
do not make that decision until many years later.
When I first got the Phantom my granddaughter,
Peyton, who was only 1, came to my shop and wanted
to sit behind the wheel. See photo– more to this story
later.
After cleaning and minor work, I made the car drivable
so that I could begin my “Love Affair” with my newly
purchased slightly used Phantom II.
I then began my restoration of the Phantom. Parts
were missing and many parts in need of repair. All of
us who have restored cars knows one thing leads into
MANY and MAJOR repairs.
Several years later my granddaughter, Peyton, and her
younger brother, Parker, would come and visit me at my
shop on a regular basis. On this particular day, I was
working on the wheels of the Phantom and she comes
and wants to know if she can help work on “Her” car.
So at that point, what is a Poppy to do but say, Yes that
is your car. In my mind I am thinking, WOW, I have the
next generation car enthusiast in my grandchildren.
My progress was slow in restoring the PII,
however each little bit of progress would take
me one-step closer to completion...
• Pulled wheels off – to evaluate brakes
and wheel bearings
• Sent wheels off to have clean, repaired
and respoked
• Side mount wheel covers made and sent
to be plated
• Trilin taillights
• Road wheel from England
• Pilot Ray lights made – car showed signs
of having pilot ray lights
• Made head lamp stanchions
• Sent chrome parts to be replated
• The list went on and on...
After years of working in my spare time on the Phantom, I reached the point where I needed someone who
had the capabilities and knowledge to aid me with
the interior and paint and body work to complete my
restoration.
My choice was D & D Restoration in Ohio. I have seen
several restorations that D&D had completed and was
pleased with their quality and work ethics.
Ten years later, dreaming, working and finally completing this labor of love... the restoration of 239AJS
Phantom II Brewster Croydon.
The Phantom II was invited to Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance 2011.
Our Pebble Beach
Concours Experience
by Cathie Mouton
Dan and I for many years have
gone to The Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance. Every year Dan would
say I would love to show a car here.
From experience when Dan gets
fixated with something, I have learnt he will do this
someday.
As the Phantom was nearing completion at D & D
Restoration, we had the opportunity to send information about the Phantom for the 2011 Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance. As most of you know, you send
this information in and they have a committee to select
the cars to be shown each year. So... you wait until
the letter or packet comes indicating whether you have
been accepted for the Concours.
We received the letter of acceptance the first part of
April. What a thrill for Dan. He was on cloud nine!!!!
Then 2 weeks later, we received news that Dan
needed bypass surgery. He had 95% blockage in his
main artery. He had surgery and did very well. He was
bound and determined nothing was going to stop him
from showing at Pebble Beach. Things seemed to be
going very well and all of a sudden, he began to feel
the same symptoms he had before his surgery. So, on
July 15th they did the angiogram. The result was an
January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady
5
occluded LIMA-to Lad graft. In other words his bypass
had closed and he was back where he was before the
surgery. It was decided since the bypass did not work that
the better option was to put in a stent where the blockage
was. If that didn’t work he would have to have bypass
surgery again. They had the surgeon and operating room
on stand by. All went well, the stent worked, and he was
able to come home days later. Again, he was on the mend
with one thing in mind attending Pebble Beach in 4 weeks.
I was not very keen on this idea. After talking with the
doctor, he assured me Dan could go on this trip.
Finally, we were bound for Pebble Beach; first stop was
Lake Tahoe the National Rolls-Royce annual meet was
at Squaw Valley. It was my last business meeting as an
officer of the board. Wish we could have been there for
the entire meet; it was a wonderful place. We had to
leave on Monday. The Phantom was arriving in Monterey
on Tuesday with Roger James, his wife, Jetta, and his
team from D&D.
When we left home, it was 99 degrees and when we
arrived in Monterey, it was 68 degrees. We could not
have asked for better weather. We stayed at a home that
was about three blocks from The Pebble Beach Lodge; it
had a three-car garage for the PII to sleep. The PII had a
roommate , a 1925 Stutz 695 Speedway Sportster. This is
one of the last of the famous 6-cylinders. Fred Guyton from
St. Louis, Missouri was showing the Stutz. He has an extensive collection of automobiles and it was our pleasure
to have another beauty in the garage. Staying there was
nice. We did not have to deal with all the traffic with Dan
still recovering, the location was great.
The 2011 Pebble Beach Concours celebrated the first
automobiles, created by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler
back in 1886, so they marked the 125th Anniversary of
the automobile. They featured the creations of Benz and
Daimler and their successors. They also featured the
centennial of Stutz and the 50th Anniversary of the birth
of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Special classes focused on the
Edwardian Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.
Our class was one of 28 plus 2 for motorcycles. There
were 211 automobiles entered this year. Not sure how
many were in the 2 classes of motorcycles.
On Thursday, the Phantom’s maiden voyage, and our first
time riding in the car, was the 14th annual Pebble Beach
Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex. 155 cars participated
for this 70-mile drive. This tour serves as the test of the
mechanical competence for the cars. Roger, Jetta, Dan
and I had a wonderful day on this tour. This drive weaves
6 The Lone Star Lady
• January–February 2012
through forests of intertwined cypress and towering Monterey pines. During this course, we saw some of the most
scenic roads that the West has to offer. We departed on
a foggy morning and drove to Big Sur along Highway 1.
It is a challenging and picturesque route. After arriving at
Big Sur, your number is recorded and then we headed back
for a luncheon in downtown Carmel. By that time, the sun
was out and the fog had lifted. All participants parked on
Ocean Drive for the large crowd of spectators to ooh and
aah. We really enjoyed this part of the tour.
After lunch and visiting, we headed back to the Lodge
where we received our tour completion ribbon and a glass
of Champagne.
This driving tour is an integral part of the Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance. The cars that successfully complete
the tour have the advantage if they tie in class competition at the Concours. Roger James did the driving for Dan
during the tour. This is an all day event and I had a concern
that this would be too much for Dan at this time. So,
when you see the photos, that is Roger doing the driving.
However, Dan is in the front passenger seat with a Big
Grin!!!! Needless to say, we could not have been happier
with the day’s event and had no mechanical problems.
Two of our children with their families came in for the
event. Peyton our granddaughter had to come because
she is the one who claims ownership of the Phantom!!
The family had a wonderful time – we rented golf carts
and instead of going by car, we went by golf cart, much
quicker that way.
There is so much to see and do the week of Pebble Beach;
just the auctions alone would keep you busy. There were
opening parties, dealership parties; if you attended all that
is available to the participants, you would be partied out!
Then came the day of the Concours, which is believed
to be the best in the world. Cars and enthusiasts from 5
continents, 14 countries and 30 states participated in this
year’s event. Roger, Dan, Peyton and I and left around
6:30 that morning. They changed the route to enter the
show field, as stated earlier we were only 3 blocks from
the field, however the street was made one way and it
took us 45 minutes to arrive. It was fun to see all the cars
heading to the field. Finally, all the cars were placed in
their designated area.
There were six Rolls-Royces in our H-2 class:
• 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Oxford Tourer–
Gary & Sheryl Hunter, Arcadia
• 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Murphy Convertible
Coupe’– Robert & Agaja Matteucci, Jupiter, FL
• 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brewster St.
Andrews– Bill & Alice Habeger, San Diego, CA
• 1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP Graber Cabriolet–
Richard Raynsford, Northamptonshire, England
• Our 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster
Croydon Drophead Coupe
• 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster Newport–
Lee and Sandra Gurvey, Riverwoods, Illinois
We readied the car for judging. Then you wait and wait
and wait. Finally, the judging team arrived and I must say
they did a thorough job. It is different from our judging at
the Rolls-Royce National Meets. The judges want to talk
to you about the car and all the history and see all the
documents you have. Dan enjoyed having the opportunity
to expound his knowledge and giving history on the PII and
answering questions from the judges After the judging
was over, Dan was told to stay close to the car, that is an
indication that you will place or that they will be back for
more questions………..
Again... You wait; you do not want to go too far, so you
just settle in until you hear something. It was not so bad.
You visit with all the other car enthusiasts who have the
same love as you. By the afternoon of the show, we got
the news that we would be going to the awards ramp, this
indicates you will take 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. With much
excitement, Dan, and our grandchildren, Peyton, Parker,
Mackenzy and I, of course Roger was driving, proceeded to
line up. You have no idea which place you will take. Just
the thrill of knowing you will receive a trophy at Pebble
Beach is indescribable. Sure you want 1st, who doesn’t?!!
As we were driving up to the stage to receive our trophy
Roger told the children you really need to take this moment in, because just look at all the automobiles here and
only a selected few ever get to drive up and experience
what we are about to do. I thought what a profound
statement.
caught up in our memories, we did not walk the field, take
in the beauty, and admire all the automotive history that
was showing during the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours.
Therefore, next year, you can bet we will be there enjoying
the treasures on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach 2012.
Rolls-Royce members Brad and Michele Zemcik from California took care of capturing our memories for this event.
They are responsible for all the photos during our stay.
If you have not seen their work please do so at www.
bzemick.smugmug.com. We had the pleasure of Phillip
Reese joining us for this time. (Ask him about playing
chess with Parker and our little 3-block walk that turned
into 5 miles!!!!!.) We saw Texas Rolls-Royce members
Tim Myrick and Scott Jordan (Phillip, Tim and Scott spent
the day with us) as well as Al and Sarah Kroemer.
• 3rd Place– 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster
Croydon Drophead Coupe– Dan and Cathie Mouton
and Peyton, Beaumont, TX
• 2nd Place–1932 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP Graber
Cabriolet– Richard Raynsford, Northamptonshire,
England. Originally sporting a saloon body by Gangloff,
this Rolls-Royce 20/25 was rebodied in 1937 and is one of
just two 20/25s with Graber coachwork to survive. Owned
at one point by HRS Shar Ali Wali Khan of Afghanistan,
the car toured occupied Europe before being sold in 1945
to the Reverend George Irving of the Church of Scotland,
who drove it around Italy on his honeymoon.
• 1st Place– 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I, Murphy
Convertible Coupe– Robert & Agaja Matteucci,
Jupiter, Florida. This Murphy-bodied Springfield Phantom
I was presented by Alford Chapin to his wife Gloria for
Christmas in 1929. Design details include Gloria’s initials
behind the hood louvers, carved running boards, door hardware shaped like fishes, and a place on the gear shift for a
photo of children. A Phantom I chassis cost about
$14,000, but the Murphy coachwork doubled the cost of
this car.
WOW, What a class of winners!!!!
After Dan and I returned home we looked at each other
and both said we had one regret. Because we were so
If you have never attended this great week in
Monterey this should be put on your Bucket List!!!
January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady
7
A scheduled meeting of the Board of
National Annual Meet Update, April
2013: Phillip Reese updated the board on
the plans that are being put together for the
National Meet being held in San Antonio, TX.
A meeting was held in late November 2011 to
finalize details at the host hotel.
Directors (BOD) of the Texas Region
RROC was held November 5, 2011 at the
Homewood Suites on 3908 W. Braker
Lane in Austin, Texas. Chairman Phillip
Reese called the meeting to order at 5:01
PM CST, welcomed everyone and thanked
them for their attendance.
Holiday Parties: The Hill Country and North
Texas areas have gatherings planned which are
printed in the LSL.
All Board members were in attendance, except
for Al Briseno, Tim Myrick, and Elaine Krazer. In
addition, several region members were present.
Host and location of 2012 Fall Tech Seminar—a
discussion was held whether to change the
location and moving the date. After many suggestions, Vernon Frost made a motion to stay
at the Austin location, and move the date from
the first weekend in November. Sharon Galvan
gave a second, and the motion passed unanimously. Phillip Reese agreed to investigate an
alternative date for this event.
Secretary’s Report: Sharon Galvan reported
that the minutes from the last BOD meeting
had been approved and printed in the LSL for all
members to read. Also, there were 2 electronic
votes since the last board minutes had been
taken. First, on Sept. 8, 2011, a unanimous vote
passed to keep the 2012 dues rate the same
as 2011. Second, on Sept. 11, 2011, a motion
to approve the budget for the Fall Technical
seminar passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: Vernon Frost reported
there have been few expenses due to no Spring
Meet expenses reported yet for this year.
Vernon submitted his report to the BOD, it was
discussed, and Cathie Mouton made a motion
to approve the report, and it was seconded by
Sneed Adams. The motion passed unanimously.
The report will be published in the LSL.
Membership Report: Sneed Adams reported
that the Texas Region membership is holding
steady at 309 members.
National Report: Sneed Adams reported
many issues are being discussed at the National
level, along with membership sustainability.
About 50 members a month are being added,
with the total nearing 8,000. A national survey
was sent out to members, which produced 1400
responses. A consultant was used to process
this survey which discussed expectation and
satisfaction of the members. Concerns were
1) The National BOD needs to effectively communicate with the members, 2) Members asked
for Technical Assistance 3) A user friendly
website, 4) The Flying Lady. The national board
is also working on these future endeavors: 1)
Putting Technical manuals on the website 2)
Developing a list of locations in the nation
to work on our cars 3)Improving the online
directory search 4) April tour in Virginia 5)June
National meet in Louisville, Kentucky 6)the
Oregon tour in August and 7)The Nova Scotia
tour in September.
Editor’s Report: Steve Krazer reported the next
issue of the LSL would be mailed in late November/early December. He encouraged members
8 The Lone Star Lady
• January–February 2012
to submit articles containing technical information or interesting “happenings” with our cars
for publication. Cathie Mouton made a motion
that National members that live in Texas, but
are not region members, should be put on the
LSL mailing list. Steve Krazer gave a second,
and the motion passed unanimously.
Activities Report: Spring Meet 2012—Meet
chair, Steve Krazer, reported that all plans are
being finalized. Our host hotel is the Marriot
Residence Inn. The meet will be held April
12-15.
Election of 2012 Officers: 50 ballots were
received and counted by region members David
Galvan and Carl Tongberg. The results were
unanimous and are as follows:
Chair
Cathie Mouton
Treasurer
Vernon Frost
Secretary
Sharon Galvan
Membership
Sneed Adams
Activities Director Jim Stryker
Chief Judge
Tim Myrick
Technical Chairman Dale Clark
Editor
Steve Krazer
Directors
Phillip Reese,
John Lovick
Al Briseno
Adjournment: With no further business to
discuss, a motion was made by Phillip Reese,
and seconded by Sharon Galvan to adjourn
the meeting at 6:24 PM CST. Motion passed
unanimously.
by Jim Powell
Having been twelve years since I last
attended a workshop specifically for Small
Horsepower cars it was a sure bet there
might be a few things forgotten. When Gil
Fuqua and I attended the RREC one in 1998
we were the only two “Yanks” from this
side of the pond and the amount of technical data presented was overwhelming especially since I was still learning how to start
my car. Certainly our cars haven’t changed
much in the twelve years but my mind has
and I figured it was time for more learning
or at least a much needed refresher. With
Texas experiencing record breaking heat and
the RROC offering a workshop in northern
Vermont this was an enticing event.
Making the trip from Texas were Doug
Handel, Bob and Donna Wright and myself
for the workshop on Small Horsepower
cars held at the Vintage Garage in Stowe
Vermont. The garage is run by Pierce
Reid and Billings Cooke and has earned
the highly respected and envious award
“member of Rolls-Royce Bentley Specialists
Association” of which only two garages in
America have this honor. Pierce started the
workshop on the first day with an excellent presentation covering the history and
development of the small horsepower series
beginning from 1922 through the addition
of the Bentleys and up to 1939. Joining
Pierce and Billings was Dick Frawley giving
us three wonderful instructors. There was
much to learn and experience and before
long there were many dirty hands. All three
taught separate sessions at times but the
attendants were free to roam from class to
class and get all they could. I’ll attempt to
share more of what we learned as I and the
others apply what we learned at home.
is somewhat the shape of a hook on the
end closest to the sparkplug wire contacts.
For some reason, many of these get turned
around so they look like the one in picture
one. That is a picture of mine as it looked
when I checked after the workshop. Doug
confirms his looked like that also. Pierce
assured us the car would run with it in
backward but we wouldn’t have all the benefits. Mine has run just fine for the last 16
years on my watch so I was very surprised.
While at the workshop we were told of an
excellent resource available to all owners
of small horsepower cars which none of
us had any prior knowledge. A hardcoverbound notebook titled “The Derby Bentley
Technical Manual” is about three inches
thick with, you guessed it, a green cover
and is the ultimate authority on all things
small horsepower. Even though written for
Bentley owners, it still covers at least 90%
of anything the owner of a small horsepower Rolls-Royce would require. Not that
I doubted Mr. Reid’s advice about my rotor
contact but this proved to be an excellent
bit of detail to research in my new Technical
Manual. I was impressed. Not only finding
the instructions but also a reason why and a
clear diagram on page B/Q/8! The manual
states it is designed this way to prevent
backfiring on a cold engine. Pierce told us it
also provides a much larger contact surface
for the flow of the current to the sparkplugs
which would mean the rotor would last
much longer between cleaning. When the
rotor is in backward all the contact is immediate upon the first sharp corner passing
by and so you will find all the wear at that
point. This is exactly what I found when
I removed mine. Picture two shows mine
installed correctly after cleaning up the contact surface on a wire wheel. As you can
see in the photo by where the distributor is
in relation to the radiator, I now understand
the term “hooking the radiator” as the rotor
turns.
One small item of interest to several was
when Pierce casually mentioned to be sure
our rotors were “hooking the radiator”.
Let me explain. On the small horsepower
motor, the distributor rotor turns counterclockwise. The metal contact on the rotor
January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady
9
Jforointhefellow
Texas Region members
first ever Spring Meet in
Abilene and West Texas. Your hosts
the Bixbys and the Krazers have put
together a real West Texas Adventure. The meet is being sponsored by
Bentley Dallas.
Our host hotel is the Residence Inn by Marriot. The rate for a
Studio Suite has been set at $99 for our group. Larger suites are
available at an additional cost. Breakfast will be provided at the
hotel each day.
Thursday, April 12
Activities start on Thursday, April 12th with early check-in
beginning at 3:00pm. The hospitality room will be available
for visiting. Around 7:45 we will drive en masse to Lytle Land
and Cattle Company for dinner. The hospitality room will be
open after dinner to continue catching up with
friends.
Friday, April 13
Friday morning will begin with breakfast….
Then we’ll caravan to Frontier Texas, Abilene’s
own high-tech journey into the mid 1800s. You’ll
learn about the area as it was more than a century ago from spirit guides who are part of our
history. From Frontier Texas we’ll drive west US
277 to Coronado’s Camp.
Here you will have a choice (Please
mark on your registration form which tour
you would like to complete):
Choice A- Turn South through the tail end of
the Horse Hollow Wind Farm and on to sleepy
Buffalo Gap, Texas. Here you will tour the
Buffalo Gap Historic Village, which includes
the original Taylor County Courthouse and jail
(Admission is $7 per person). After enjoying a box
10 The Lone Star Lady
• January–February 2012
lunch on the grounds, you will head back
to Abilene for anexclusive tour of the Tigé Boat manufacturing
facility. Tigé builds beautiful inboard V-8 powered wakeboard
watercraft start to finish at their Abilene facility. From
fiberglass molding to upholstery to all the mechanicals. It’s quite
an adventure in and of itself.
Choice B- Continue west through the Horse Hollow Wind Farm
(one of the world’s largest) and on to a real frontier fort… Fort
Chadbourne. This fort is on a private ranch approximately 50
miles from Abilene. The ranch has been in the same family for
seven generations. Garland Richards decided just a few years ago
to begin restoration of the Fort which had never been open to the
public. The result is quite a transformation. After enjoying a box
lunch, we’ll drive back to Abilene via Buffalo Gap.
Dinner Friday night will be at the Bixby home.
Saturday, April 14
Saturday morning cars will assemble on the grounds of the Bob
and Shirley Hunter Center on the campus of Abilene Christian
University for judging. We’ll enjoy real West Texas Barbeque at
lunchtime. The afternoon schedule will be at
the member’s choice… a jaunt to the downtown
arts district…. a peak inside the Bixby Car Barn...
a drive to one of two other frontier forts in the
area… or possibly a relaxing nap.
The cocktail hour and the awards banquet will
be held at Fairway Oaks Golf & Racquet Club.
Here we will enjoy a great meal and West Texas
entertainment.
Sunday, April 16
Sunday, visit as long as you like…. our Texas
Region Board meeting will be held at the hotel…. And departures for home will take place as
you see fit.
We hope to see you in Abilene for a laid-back West
Texas weekend April 12-15, 2012. Please complete the
enclosed registration form and return it along with a
check for the appropriate amount no later than
March 5, 2012.
Noyes (Nockey) Willett
(1924 - 2011)
W
e lost our good friend Nockey
Willett Wednesday, October 12, 2011. I
first met Nockey and his wife, Flo, at a
Tech Seminar in Salado. This was back
when we did ”Tech” in the parking lot of the Stagecoach Inn
using a floor jack and a prayer. With his commanding voice
and good humor, Nockey could really spin a yarn…especially
when it came to “Hilda”, their 20/25 he acquired after a
radio contest winner failed to claim her as their prize.
Nockey, Flo and their “chauffer”, Gary, made many a club
outing in Hilda. Several club members have helped keep her
on the road and steadily improved both mechanically and in
appearance.
Nockey was a career broadcast engineer who spent most
of his years at UT, building the broadcast infrastructure for
KLRN/KLRU TV and KUT FM. It has been said that Austin
City Limits wouldn’t be where it is today if it had not been for
his vision and determination to turn KLRU into a first class
broadcasting facility. He will be missed by those who knew
and loved him.
He is survived by his wife; one son, James Willett of Austin,
TX; one granddaughter, Savannah Pearl Willett of Austin,
TX; niece, Sally Moore and husband, Bruce, of Fisher, IN; and
nephew, James Nixon and wife, Denise, of Indianapolis, IN.
HOWDY! glad you’re in our Corral!
Robert Belt
Houston, Tx
Brooke Brooks Dallas, Tx
Xavier Castillo Baytown, TX
Jeffery Cecil
Fort Worth, TX
Ricky Clawson San Antonio, Tx
Daniel Crowley Southlake, Tx
Carl George
Tyler, Tx
Robert Griffin
Arlington, Tx
William Haden Houston, Tx
Bob Higbee
Plano, TX
Ken Harris
Kerrville, Tx
Joseph Hooper Fort Worth, Tx
Bill Hogue
Houston, Tx
Ray Kinney
Dallas, Tx
John Leguay
Houston, Tx
Charles Malone The Woodlands, Tx
Chris MastrangeloHouston, Tx
John Melcher
Fort Worth, Tx
Joe Mignone
Colleyville, Tx
Ted Muller
Houston, Tx
Robert Ober
San Antonio, Tx
William Osborne College Station, Tx
Paun Peters
Fort Worth, Tx
William Reardon Granbury, Tx
Peter Regan
Houston, Tx
Lamont Roach
Baton Rouge, LA
Joe Salatino
Dallas, Tx
Edward Sandelin Granbury, Tx
Howard Sigler Grandbury, Tx
Kirk Simons
The Woodlands, Tx
Douglas Smith Dallas, Tx
Carl Soderstrom Dallas, Tx
Raymond Symens Spring, Tx
Toby Toberny
Midlothian, Tx
John Wampler Mineola, Tx
Richard Will
Georgetown, Tx
Jim Wright
Dimmitt, Tx�
January–February 2012 • The Lone Star Lady
11
by Jim Stryker
Texas Region Activities Director
Dallas Area Activities:
Dallas Monthly Breakfast– Dallas area breakfast meetings
are held the second Saturday at 8:30AM at the Egg and I
located at 15203 Knoll Trail Dr. in Dallas. This is just north
of Arapaho one block east of the Tollway. Knoll Trail is the
same road as Monfort south of Arapaho.
Houston Area Activities:
Houston Monthly Breakfast– Every 2nd Saturday - 9:00AM
Location: Skeeters at 5529 Weslayan, Houston, TX
Hill Country Activities:
Hill Country Monthly Breakfast– 3rd Saturday of the
month, 9:00AM, Schobels Restaurant, New Braunfels, TX.
Interstate 35 Northbound frontage road at Exit 187 off of
Interstate 35 (north or south), 830/626-2200.
Statewide & National Activities:
February 11, 2012–Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance,
Texas Military Forces Museum, Camp Mabry in Austin.
The Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry will be
holding its annual Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance on February 11, 2012. When you arrive they will park your car and
take your picture in front of a tank or other WWII backdrop
and provide the portrait at the end of the evening... big band
playing era music... wonderful dinner followed by dancing.
Make reservations ASAP... it is a sell out every year. Please do
not wait until after the holidays. Go to http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/dinnerdance.html to make reservations.
For additional information, contact Texas Region RROC
Activities Director Jim Stryker at colstryker@att.net
April 12-15, 2012– Texas Region Spring Meet in
Abilene, TX. See page 10 of this issue! Registration form
enclosed. Please return no later than March 5, 2012.
1987 Rolls-Royce Corniche II (ZDH 20490), Mulliner
ParkWard drophead coupe (1 of only 312). GORGEOUS,
Award Winning-LOW Mileage, White exterior with Tan
leather interior (still smells NEW). Runs and drives perfectly.
Coldest A/C I’ve ever known. Drive anywhere with
confidence. Cocktail compartments with Crystal, owner’s
manuals, boot cover, tools and more. This garage kept original
California Rolls-Royce has been loved and well cared for since
new. Call my cell 602-679-1270 or email jmichaelhall@cox.
net for more info. More photos available upon request.
$61,995. No disappointments with this one.