BCNH newsletter 03-16 - TDS-Net

March, 2016
Anura and Devannee Guruge’s 1989 Jaguar XJS
Next Meetings
March 7, 7:00 pm at Moe Joe’s Family Restaurant
2175 Candia Road, Manchester, NH 03104
March 17, 7:00 pm at the Common Man in Plymouth, NH
Our Little British Car
Affliction
As far as we were concerned, and by
“we“ mean myself and my British-car
mad (then) 14-year old daughter,
Devanee, it was an unassailable choice:
two used Jags to replace the 3-year old
KIA Sportage whose lease was expiring. My wife, Deanna, was not convinced, but she had come to realize that
ever since I got Devanee a 1968 BRG
MGB (featured in July 2015 Newsletter) in September 2014, she was going
to get out-voted on all subsequent car
acquisition decisions. Her refrain had
become, “You two can do whatever
you want as long as I have my
(Chrysler) van.” So that was that and
the die was cast.
For reasons that still confound me I had
never owned a Jaguar though as a bona
fide Brit I had gone through a slew of
other British cars such as a 1967 Triumph 1250, two Spitfires 1500s (one
red 1977 the other pageant blue 1979),
a big, fat Rover sedan, a 1981 TR-7
convertible (the 3rd from last to be built)
and a Midget (in the U.S.). In 2001, I
was 65% through on a deal to buy an
E-Type when “woman troubles” derailed
that. Now I was going to rectify this,
though alas not with an ‘E’. In the intervening decade the prices of E-Types had
appreciated while my income had depreciated. During a fit of madness when
Devanee and I, uncharacteristically,
were thinking about being practical, we
had considered getting a X-type, as the
first Jag, for the AWD. But luckily sanity prevailed and we decided we wanted
2
both Jags to be iconic. So XJ6s also got
short shrift and the hunt was on, in anger, online for a good looking Jaguar
Vanden Plas, XJ8, or XJ8L.
We lucked out BIG time.
Found a gleaming maroon 2002 XJ8,
with 56K miles, on eBay – albeit in Philadelphia. I had never bought a car, sight
time we concentrated on Craigs list. We
had four firm criteria: it had to be a V12,
it had to be a convertible, the mileage
had to be well under 100K, and it had
to be in fairly good working order (since
putting petrol in a car is about as techni-
unseen, on the Web, though I had bought
a 2-story house, with the bedrooms upstairs, without ever looking beyond the
ground floor. We, Devanee and my 9
year old daughter, Teischan, went down
to Philly by Amtrak and Greyhound (that
had been the week of the Amtrak crash
outside of Philadelphia), in mid-May
2015, to pick up the XJ8 and drive it
back to New Hampshire. That was quite
the adventure and the XJ8 proved to be
a huge success; immaculate mechanically
and cosmetically.
cal as I want to be when it comes to
matters mechanical or for that matter
electrical). We went and looked at a red
V12 in Gilmanton Ironworks. That it was
buried under a pile of soiled carpets and
a cat was sleeping inside was not a good
Emboldened by our (obvious) acumen
of having found a gem of a XJ8 online,
Devanee and I proceeded at once to start
looking for a XJS convertible – the end
of the KIA lease just weeks away. This
sign. Then there were two black V12,
roughly the same mileage at ~70k,
$3,000 apart – one a dealer in MA and
the other a private seller in Vermont.
continued on page 15
BCNH
MONARCHY
PRIME MINISTER
Robert Mitchell
BRITISH CARS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
CHANCELLOR
OF THE EXCHEQUER
John Giese
Name_______________________________ Spouse______________________
NEWSLETTER
Chuck & Diane Connors
Owen & Virginia Christiansen
Visit us at www.bcnh.org
Address__________________________________________________________
City____________________ State____ Zip________ Phone_______________
REGALIA
Joan Young
E-mail address____________________________________________________
SECRETARY
Norma Karle
Year, Make, Model of Your Auto(s)___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Name of Referring Member_________________________________________
___ Paper Newsletter* or ___ electronic copy of the Newsletter
Please send application and $30 annual dues (payable to BCNH) to:
Lou Belanger, 11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052
*Dues for those who want a paper newsletter are $35.
If possible, please submit a photo and article of your car to be included in
The Boot, Hood & Bonnet - BCNH’s monthly newsletter.
Any photos submitted will be returned.
AC – ALLARD – ALPINE – TVR – DAIMLER – MORRIS
MOTORCYCLES – TRIUMPH – MG - JAGUAR – AUSTIN HEALEY
LAND ROVER – RELIANT SCIMITAR – LOTUS
British Cars of New Hampshire (BCNH) is an organization devoted to the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of all British automobiles.
BCNH provides to its members and their families British auto-oriented activities
and social events throughout the year. Benefits of the club participation include
monthly meetings, rallies, tech sessions, club socials, car shows and other events.
The club publishes a monthly newsletter, The Boot, Hood & Bonnet. News of
upcoming events, club activities, car show results, technical tips and articles submitted by members are included in the newsletter. Members also receive a discount on a subscription to the British Marque, a monthly car club newspaper.
A club logo window decal is provided. Additional decals may be purchased.
Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at Moe Joes restaurant and
the third Thursday of the month at the common man in Plymouth unless otherwise
announced. All members are encouraged to attend and bring guests.
BCNH invites you to become a member of our active and growing club by submitting the application above.
WEBMASTER
Kate Stanley Robinson
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR
Louis Belanger
TECH SESSION COORDINATOR
(open)
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
(open)
PUBLIC RELATIONS
(open)
INTER-CLUB COORDINATOR
Bob Dougherty
CALENDAR COORDINATOR
Sue MacDuff
SHOW OF DREAMS DIRECTOR
Bob Stanley
HISTORIAN
Mike Sweet
NORTHERN COUNCIL
MINISTER
Karl Braconier
NORTHERN COUNCIL
SECRETARY
Killie Braconie
www.bcnh.org
Contact information on page 4
3
Prime Minister’s
Missive
Look for a number of pictures of our
25th BCNH Birthday Party on other
pages in this issue. If that party can be
considered to be the kick-off of the new
BCNH year, then we are certainly off
to a great new year. Ninety +/- Members were at the Party and from what I
could see; they all had a pretty good
time!!!
Unfortunately, we did have to start off
on a more somber note. Terry
Haines, our vibrant and energetic Tech
Session Coordinator had a completely
unexpected Heart Attack on Thursday,
Feb 11 and now he is gone. With
Terry’s death - and that of Rudy
Kruger last fall – we have lost a couple
of very valuable Members and true
friends. Both Terry and Rudy had encyclopedic knowledge bases. They will
be sorely missed.
Terry’s wife Penny has asked that any
cards of support be addressed to Historic Motor Sports, 174 Raymond
Road, Candia 03034. We will act as
Penny’s mailbox.
But once again we see that the cycle of
life goes on.
This is the time of year when we “clean
up” the Membership Roster by removing those members that have not cho-
sen to renew – but that also allows us to
confirm that we now have fully 15 more
“Dues Paying Members” than we had a
year ago. That’s an 8% increase in
Membership in the past 12 months.
Some of that growth can be attributed
to the Lakes Region and North
Council now meeting in Plymouth. Fellow LBC owners that have not been able
to be active in the past, now can. And
they are. A big Thank You goes out to
Karl & Kellie Braconier for making
the Lakes Region Council a success.
Remember as always, that the Club
doesn’t organize any of these things –
the Members do. In fact, I’d like to call
out Jerry Griffin (‘64 Sunbeam Alpine)
in Merrimack. He has already planned
3 new events for us this Season.
If you have “ideas” drop a line to me
and or to Sue MacDuff. We may be
able to suggest someone to work with
you.
Let me take this opportunity again to
remind those Members that do not attend BCNH Meetings regularly that our
And there may be more.
meetings are not really “Business Meetings.” The primary purpose of our
Bob & Di Stanley and Rod & Norma
Meetings is to meet. We are a very
and I met with the New England MG
social club and our Meetings are just one
Car Club (NEMGCC) up in Alfred,
of the many opportunities we use to
Maine on Sunday Feb 7. Formed in
spend time with others that share our
1985 they are 5 or 6 years older that we
common interests.
are, but have not been attracting new
members. We are talking to them about Nowhere is this more obvious than at
some form of merging of the Clubs. It is the monthly Coffee & Cars gathering
quite possible that 40 NEMGCC mem- that we have been holding at Historic
bers may in some way join with us for Motor Sports one Saturday Morning
this season’s fun.
each month during “Cabin Fever Season.” There is no “program” at these
With most of the NEMGCC Members
gatherings; they are just a chance to keep
from the southern part of Maine, this
our friendships going during the “off”
may also allow us to accelerate our deseason. February 6th was the third Cofvelopment of a Seacoast Council of
fee & Cars, and over 120 people came
BCNH along lines similar to the Lakes
to spend some time together.
Region and North Council.
I encourage you to take a look at the
With this continually growing Member
Club website at www.bcnh.org. Click
Base, we look forward to both more
on Events just under the banner and the
BCNH activities – and a greater variety
of BCNH Activities.
Contact information
Louis Belanger
Karl Braconier
Chuck Connors
Wade dos Santos
Bob Dougherty
John Giese
Norma Karle
Sue MacDuff
Robert Mitchell
Bob Stanley
Mike Sweet
Joan Young
4
11 Forest Lane, Litchfield, NH 03052
295 N. Mayhew Tpk. Hebron, NH 03241
8 Mont Vernon Drive, Londonderry, NH 03053
PO Box 840, Manchester, NH 03105
28 Ledgewood Drive, Strafford, NH 03884
153 Crooked S Road, Lyndeborough, NH 03082
51 Durgin Road, Chichester, NH 03258
510 Sand Hill Road, Peterborough, NH 03458
PO Box 270, Stratham, NH 03885
64 North Shore Drive, Center Barnstead, NH 03225
3 Cross Street, Laconia, NH 03246
204 Concord Hill Road, Pittsfield, NH 02363
(603) 424-7835
(603) 744-8444
(603) 401-0101
(603) 361-2653
(603) 948-2078
(603) 654-2565
(603) 437-8931
(603) 924-1066
(603) 772-1116
(603) 776-6698
(603) 527-8563
(603) 435-8660
80mgbman@comcast.net
bractek@gmail.com
canddconnors@comcast.net
wademds@gmail.com
Rdocmg@gmail.com
johgie@tds.net
karle01@comcast.net
Lucymac1@comcast.net
RBMit-MM@comcast.net
bobstan1950@gmail.com
CoventryCat71@comcast.net
TWYJGY@aol.com
Events Calendar should pop up. You
will see that Sue MacDuff – the Club’s
“Calendar Girl” has been hard at work
entering the activities that our Club
Members (and other club’s club members) have already planned for this season.
Coffee and CARS
One more time we were reminded of Will
Rogers long ago observation that “A
stranger is just a friend you haven’t met
yet.”
When you get to any month’s “page” in
the calendar, you will see dates where
an entry is shown. Click on the entry
itself and more detail will pop up. If it is
a listing from another club (or the Larz
Anderson or Owl’s Head) there may be
a link on the event pop-up that will take February 6, 2016 – and it was certainly
you to more detail supplied by the orga- still winter. Snow was falling and the
nization actually staging the event.
parking lot was slippery enough to make
We all owe Sue a great deal of appre- it a challenge to get from a car to the
ciation for the time she puts into this!! door – but it was clear that people have
You will see that there are A LOT of started to look forward to these monthly
events on the calendar – more than any opportunities to get together with friends.
of us can possibly attend. Our goal is to
be sure that there will be at least some
that you will find of interest and will be
able to attend.
At each month’s regular meeting we will
“talk up” each of the next month’s events,
but if you can’t make a meeting, and you
find an event of interest, feel free to call
other members to see if they are interested too.
So Saith the Prime Minister
Could it be that we may gain even more
members from this activity?
As usual, there was no Agenda and no
Program – just a chance to convert more
strangers into friends.
Show of Dreams (SOD) Committee
Chair Bob Stanley called that committee to order upstairs in the “BCNH Clubhouse Room” at about 10:00. The Committee has found that this is a great time
to accomplish all there is to be done (see
minutes elsewhere in this issue) without
having to schedule yet another meeting
at yet another place.
Even with the inhospitable weather, the
total in attendance during the three hours
between 8:00 and 11:00 was somewhere around 125. The largest turnout
we have had so far. And a lot of people
there were not from BCNH at all, but
rather were non Club members that had
heard about what a good time we were
having – and wanted to get in on it.
It was noon by the time we again locked
the doors at HMS. Glance over the pictures to see some of those that braved
the weather to be together.
Next month’s Coffee & Cars will be on
Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 8:00 AM
By Bob Mitchell
Prime Minister
Photo’s by: Nancy Banner
5
February 2016
SOD Meeting
The February Show of Dreams meeting
was hosted by Bob Mitchell & Clarke
Taylor at Historic Motorsports in Candia,
NH (aka the BCNH Clubhouse)
The following planning items have been
completed:
The wine for the 1st place prize has been
ordered with Pinch (Joe) & Suzi
Polenchar. This year the wine will be a
Beaujolais instead of the Malbec the
Polenchar’s have made the last couple
of years.
The bread and cheese boards used as
2nd & 3rd place trophies have been ordered with Mike Blaudshun from Big
Brown Dog Woodworks. The order
should be completed and ready for pickup by the end of February.
Tim Wolff of Stone Oven Catering will
be joining the other food vendors on the
field with wood fired pizza. We welcome Tim and crew to the show.
The confirmed vendors are as follows:
Bruster’s Ice Creams
Big Brown Dog Woodworks
Good News Garage
Stone Oven Catering
Town of Merrimack Seat Belt
Convincer
Five Star Barbeque & Catering
Several Raffle Sponsors have been contacted. The following have responded:
Inn at Mill Falls (request is in review by
6
donation committee)
Moss Motors sending raffle items in June
Little British Car Co. sending raffle items
in June
Barbour (NYC Corporate office)
sending 2- $250.00 Gift Certificates
NHMS (request in review)
Attitash Grand Summit Hotel
(request in review)
Goodie Bag Sponsors have been contacted as follows:
Meguiars (waiting for response)
Surf City Garage sending car cleaning
samples
Sprayway Glass Cleaner sending
samples
TD Bank, Alton, NH (waiting for response)
Many of the 2015 Show Sponsors have
been contacted to request sponsorships
and donations for the show. We need
more sponsors. So far, we have received: $1,000.00 from an anonymous
contributor and $500 from Davis &
Towle Group Insurance Agency
Items to be completed:
Reserve the Dumpster from Casella
Waste
Speak with David Alukonis (Hudson
Historical Society) about tours of the
Alvirne Hills House on show day.
Speak with Pinch (Joe) Polenchar regarding Junior Judge plans
Order new “Car Show” sign to fit the
existing sign frame on the field.
Repaint the Sandwich Board Signs we
have in storage at the Karle’s House
Print wine bottle labels.
Contact more sponsors
Contact other car clubs to invite the
clubs to the show
Reserve Police Detail
If anyone is interested in joining Field
Planning Team, please contact Bob
Stanley (bobstan1950@gmail.com)
Field Planning Team
Bob Stanley
Rod Folia
David Townsend has completed the Vince Spaulding
poster, dash plaque & wine bottle label Wayne McLeay
artwork for the show. Thank you David! Dana Casko
The March SOD meeting is scheduled
The posters are being printed (500 pcs) for Saturday, March 12, 2016 at Hisand should be available shortly.
toric Motorsports in Candia, NH startNorma Karle is ordering the dash ing at 11am (right after Coffee & Cars).
plaques.
The April SOD meeting is scheduled for
Joan Young and Norma Karle have visited Teddies Tees to acquire pricing for
the SOD tee shirts. As soon as the artwork for the tee shirt is completed, they
will acquire the final quote for the shirts.
During the discussion on tee shirts, it was
suggested that we approach the show
sponsors to see if they would be interested in sponsoring the tee shirts. The
sponsor’s name would be listed on the
back of the shirt as an acknowledgment
of their support.
Chuck Connors (newsletter editor) has
volunteered to be the SOD Photographer. Thank you, Chuck!
Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Historic
Motorsports in Candia, NH starting at
11am (right after Coffee & Cars).
Respectfully submitted,
Bob & Diana Stanley
BCNH 25th
Birthday Party
door prizes, and a sprinkling of red,
white and blue star confetti!
By noon the cocktail hour was well underway with a total of 90 club members
both new and not so new mingling, getting acquainted and re-acquainted over
Saturday, February 13, 2016 marked
the 25th Birthday of British Cars of New
Hampshire
Shortly before noon, club members began to rush through the doors to get out
of the wind and extreme cold temperaThe day began with the arrival of the tures to find Norma Karle (Club Secreparty decorating team at the Grappone tary) stationed at the hospitality table drinks and appetizers. Prime Minister,
greeting party goers with name tags and Bob Mitchell opened the festivities with
Center in Concord, NH at 10:15 am.
Show of Dreams Registration forms.
(After all, the name tags would be very
important after a few cocktails and it’s
The Team was welcomed by the wait
never too early to register for the Show
staff in the process of setting the tables
of Dreams)
with white table cloths and red and blue
napkins to coordinate with the Union
Jack Flag, British theme. Henry, the
event manager, assisted Bob Stanley,
Paul Karle & Rod Folia with placement
of flags and banners while Doris Karle,
Norma Karle and Diana Stanley added
to the table décor. By 11:30 the scene
was set with flags, banners, pennants,
Palace Guards, Archive Photos, doubledecker buses, London phone booths,
a welcome speech introducing club
founder, Mike Sweet and original members Bill & Linda Cagan. Bob spoke
7
of the club’s humble beginnings in 1991 seamlessly transformed to the dessert
as a small group of 6 couples growing to table with red, white & blue cupcakes
230+/- members today with a very ac- arranged in the form of the Union Jack
tive club calendar organized by energetic
club members.
With a heavy heart, Bob asked us for a
moment of silence to remember club
members Rudy Krueger of Wolfeboro,
NH who passed away last summer and,
most recently, Terry Haines of New
flag accompanied by hot coffee and tea
to round out the meal.
With our bellies full, it was time to draw
tickets for the door prizes. Jim George
announced the winning numbers for a
wide array of prizes including Three Olives Vodka with a Union Jack Flask, tote
bags which stated “You can never have
Boston who passed away on February
11th. They will be missed.
Now it was time for BCNH DJ, Jim
George to get the party started with some
dinner music to set the mood for the
meal. The buffet was ready for service.
Rod Folia (acting as the club Beefeater)
were first in line. The buffet line moved
quickly with conversations continuing as
plates were filled with the well prepared
fare.
The appetizer table was
8
too many British sports cars” and Union
Jack Pajamas. The centerpieces were
won by a game of musical dollars and
birthdates closest to February 13th. The
50/50 raffle was won (much to his surprise) by club founder, Mike Sweet. He
commented, “I never win anything”.
Some things are just meant to be.
Jim George announced it was time for
everyone to get up and dance. He played
tunes which made us tap our feet, shake
a tail feather, spell YMCA, hold our
loved ones close and try to figure out
what the heck “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
means. By 4pm, our tired legs told us
the party was over. Slowly, the happy
revelers left for home with their prizes in
hand and the memories of 25 years of
BCNH and thoughts of future car shows,
dinner drives, club meetings, rallies, restoration challenges and successes and,
most of all, the chance to spend time
enjoying time with great friends.
All of the members of British Cars of
New Hampshire “Thank” the Grappone
Center staff for providing a wonderful
venue and superb service for the celebration of the 25th Birthday of our club.
Respectfully submitted,
Diana Stanley
9
10
11
Brit Bits at
McLean Enterprises Inc.
BCNH 2016
Calendar of Events
MG • Austin Healey • Triumph •Sunbeam • Jaguar • Morris Minor
Sales & Service • Parts, New & Used • Gifts • Clothing • Accessories
Sales & Service
Ordering
Information
Fax
603 436-1989
800 995-2487
603 433-0001
603 433-0009
Over 30 Fine British Sports Cars in stock
14 Sagamore Road (Rte.1A) Rye. Nh
Check out our Web Site at www.britbits.com
New Members
Ben & Candance Morong
York Maine
Bob Schenk
Windom, NH
1959 MGA 1600
1980 MGB Limited
Ken & Linda McAdams
Hudson, NH
1962 TR3B
Michael & Jaime Laurent
Meredith, NH
1961 TR3A
Joe & Cindy Benedict
Dracut, MA
1973 MGB GT
1978 MGB
12
Treasurer’s Report
January 15 to February 15
Club account
Start Balance
$3,136.28
Membership
$3,190.00
Birthday Party Deposit
$1575.00
Newsletter
-$471.75
Birthday Party expenses -$3112.41
End Balance
$4,317.12
Show of Dreams account
Start Balance
$4,139.16
Porta-potty raffle
$145.00
Sponsor
$500.00
Wine expenses
-$192.00
SOD Posters
-$130.74
End Balance
$4,461.42
Events planning meeting
March
7th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
12th Cars and Coffee Historic Motor
Sports
17th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
April
4th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
16th Cars and Coffee, Historic Motor
Sports
21st Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
24th Spring Drive with John Bowe
May
2nd Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
7th 5th Annual Spring Coastal MG Drive
14th Annual BCNH Tech Session TBD
19th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
21st BCNH Hobbs Brewery and Club
Motorsports Drive
June
5th British By The Sea, Waterford, CT
6th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
11th BCNH Lupin Festival Drive
16th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
18th BCNH Queen’s Birthday Gathering
25th BCNH Fuller Gardens and Or- Manchester
chard Street Chop Shop Drive
15th or 16th Extreme Pumpkin Chuckin
at NHMS TBD
26th British Car Day, Larz Anderson
20th Monthly Meeting at The Common
July
9th BCNH Harpoon Brewery and Pre- Man, Plymouth
September 30, 2016
BCNH drive to the Kitzhof Inn for the
Speckled Hen Run, West Dover, VT
23rd BCNH Drive TBD
11th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s, November
Manchester
7th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
16th British Motoring Festival, Nova Manchester
Scotia
17th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
16th BCNH Lake Sunapee Cruise
cision Museum Drive
21st Monthly Meeting at The Common December
Man, Plymouth
5th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
23rd BCNH Show of Dreams
31st Day of Triumph, Larz Anderson
August
1st Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
6th BCNH Aviation Museum, Manchester, NH Drive
14th BCNH Peterborough, NH CruzIn Drive
18th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
20th MG Day, Larz Anderson
20th BCNH Drive to Wright Museum,
Wolfeboro, NH
September
10th BCNH Drive to Stonehenge
12th Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Manchester
15th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
16th-18th British Invasion, Stowe, VT
24th BCNH Covered Bridge Drive,
Keene area
30th BCNH drive to Speckled Hen Run,
West Dover, VT
October
1st-2nd Speckled Hen Run, West Dover, VT
3rd Monthly Meeting at Moe Joe’s,
Kitzhof Inn
15th Monthly Meeting at The Common
Man, Plymouth
Upcomming Events
On Monday, March 7th we have our
regular monthly meeting at Moe Joe’s in
Manchester. Our Northern Council will
meet on Thursday the 17th, St Patrick’s
Day at the Common Man in Plymouth.
Cars and Coffee at Historic Motor
Sports in Candia will be on Saturday the
12th from 8-11am. There will be a Show
of Dreams Meeting after starting at
11:00 am.
Kitzhof Inn Dining Room
August 20, 2016
Tentive date for joint drive planed by
both the northern and southern BCNH
members to Lake Winnipesaukee and
the Word War II Wright Museum
For future planning, if you are joining
Norm Michaels for his drive to Nova
Scotia or just part way to Arcadia in July,
contact Norm at nhmichaels@aol.com.
Also, Di has gotten us a good rate for
the Speckled Hen Run at the Kitzhof Inn,
West Dover, VT. Now is the time to
make reservations. The cost is $298 for
two which includes two nights, tax, a
hearty breakfast on Saturday and Sunday plus a British themed dinner. Call
the Kitzhof at 800-388-8310 and be
sure to mention BCNH for the special
rate.
Sue MacDuff
13
Factory Five Racing Cobra Daytona
Coupe with 600 miles since completion.
347 stroker motor producing
approximately 440 hp
Five speed transmission,
airconditioning, Halibrand wheels,
independent rear suspension.
Very well sorted and ready to drive.
Titled as a 1965 Ford Cobra.
Asking $55,000 Call Historic Motor
Sports at 603-587-0577
1980 MGB, $850 or B.O.
1994 Jaguar XJS Coupe’
RHD shown, Car is LHD
L 6 cyl, injected late XJ6 engine.
approx. 30 mpg highway !!!
Car won 96+ points at a Judged
Jaguar event this past Summer based
on its 100% originality.
Texas, rust free car.
Asking $8,500 Or Near Offer (ONO)
BCNH Member
John Gallagher
603-769-7797
johnpgallaghers@earthlink.net
Greg Mercado,
mercado6ster@gmail.com
1974 1/2 MGBGT. Daily driver, solid
car and runs good. $5,500.
Call Dave Stewart at 603-622 2145.
1967 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8
$59,900 or B.O.
Call Steve @ 603-867-6464 or email @
hhf18@aol.com
Located in Manchester NH.
To order your BCNH name badge
contact John Giese at:
(603) 654-2565 or
johgie@tds.net
14
Car of the month
Continued from page 2
needed to be done, in which order, where
I could get the parts and how much it
should cost. By now, with a van, a XJ8
and MGB, I had found that ‘B-Boys’
garage in Barnstead, with a 70-year old
a master mechanic, Paul, familiar with
most cars, was my best bet for repairs
and upkeep on my vehicles. As with the
XJ8, the XJS passed Paul’s ultra-rigorous NH inspection without requiring even
a screw to be tightened. But to my delight, not aware of the 4-page list that I
had, Paul also basically said these are the
things I should do ... such as replacing a
bush in the transmission.
More Photos from the
BCNH Birthday party
I called the seller in Vermont mid-week.
He said a serious potential buyer was
coming back with his mechanic on Friday. Given that it looked good and the
price was fair I assumed that it was a
goner. So we kept on looking. It galled
me that one in Massachusetts was
$3,000 more than the one in Vermont.
So, on a whim I called the Vermont
owner back. As is often the case with
Craigslist transactions the “guy” had not
come back. The black 1989 Jaguar
V12, in pretty good working order, beSo we now have three British cars and a
ing driven every day, 25 miles to workChrysler van. The XJ8 is a peach. The
and-back, was still for sale.
XJS needs a new battery but has done
us proud. We don’t take it far, but driving it topless is a treat. A Jaguar X-type
is still in the cards – as a fourth vehicle
now that Devanee is approaching driving age. No, she is not going to drive the
XJS as her first car. That she asks me to
check out Rolls Royces on eBay is a
great cause for concern!
We started negotiating, in earnest by email and phone. We quickly established
that we had similar backgrounds, in IT,
and he was glad that I was an enthusiast
as opposed to a trader. As an ex-salesman I like to drive a hard bargain. In my
old age, however, I know it is best to
haggle on a win-win basis. And that is
what I did – but with the proviso that he
had to drive the car, with his Vermont Anura Guruge
plates, and deliver it to me in New
Hampshire. I was by then an expert on
the hassles of buying cars out of state.
We agreed on a reasonable price that
suited us both. He wanted cash. He
would deliver the car on Sunday, his wife
driving his Volvo convertible so he could
get back.
Sunday came. At noon as promised the
black V12 XJS Jag pulled up, roof down.
The seller, given that we hit it off, had
sent me a four-page e-mail with what
15
British Cars of New Hampshire
51 Durgin Road
Chichester, NH 03258
1958 Austin Healey “FrogEye” Sprite
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