hill country triumphs

Happy New Year.Lets start the newyear with a celebra-

tion. Elizabeth and DeanMericas are having a partyon Saturday, January 11th so

the club can bring in the New Yearwith a bang. It’s a costume party, soall participants should plan to wearattire appropriate for the year oftheir sports car.

What party would be completewithout our favorite foods? Pleaseplan to bring your preferred horsd’oeuvre for the guests to sample.The party will start at 6:30 PM.Elizabeth and Dean have includedthe party invitation and directionsto their home in this Ragtop.

In This IssueHill Country Triumphs by SteveJohnson..................................

Happy Hour Party Invitation,Dean and Elizabeth Mericas...................................................Page 3

Race Report, December 2013by Bob Kramer....................Page 5

VTR National Convention, Pt. 3by Mike McPhail.................Page 8

Cruisin’ the Coast — in a Stagby Peter Weber...................Page 9

Two Weeks before Christmasby Mike McPhail..............Page 11

From the Editor...............Page 14

Upcoming Events............Page 20The Hill Country Triumph Club, the 50th Chapter of the Vintage Triumph Register (VTR), wasfounded in 1990 to bring together the owners of Triumph automobiles in the Central Texasarea surrounding Austin. In 1991, the membership decided to include other British car fansas 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 ustogether. 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 meetingson the 2nd Tuesday of each month and at least one other event each month. We encourageyou to join and support us, even if you don’t drive your car regularly. We also offer technicalassistance 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 clubbenefits and spread the word about our club to others.

The Hill Country Club is a local chapter of the Vintage Triumph Register (VTR)/TriumphSports Owners Association, which is open to all drivers of Triumph motorcars; a chapter ofthe Triumph Register of America, exclusively for TR2 through TR4A sports cars; and achapter of the 6-PACK, dedicated to the enjoyment, preservation, and restoration of theTriumph TR250 and TR6 sports cars. Membership in these national organizations isencouraged. Visit their websites at www.vtr.org, www.triumphregister.com, and www.6-pack.org.The Ragtop is published monthly by the Hill Country Triumph Club. Material within may befreely reproduced providing Ragtop and the authors are credited. Any and all newslettercontributions are welcome. Deadline for submissions is the end of each month. Submissionsmay be emailed to [email protected]. Car related classified ads are free tomembers and will run for three months unless otherwise instructed. Contact editor for otherads.

Hill Country TriumphsBy Steve Johnson

January 2014

http://www.vtr.org

http://www.triumphregister.com

http://www.6-pack.org

http://www.6-pack.org

mailto:[email protected]


The Ragtop January 2014

Hill Country Triumph Club

This party will replace ournormal second Tuesday clubmeeting that was scheduledfor January 14th.

Tour De-lites — De-cember 10th

For the December club meet-ing on December 10th, Mikeand Nel McPhail took a num-ber of club members on a“Tour De-lites” of the JohnsonCity holiday lights that includ-ed dinner at the Pecan StreetBrewing. Mike and Nel alwaystake the club on this yearlytour and it’s always a won-derful time in the Texas hillcountry. I don’t know whatwe would do without Mikeand Nel and their dedication.Thank you both.

25th Annual Rallye toLuckenbach — Janu-ary 18th

Mike McPhail is also leadingour second event of the year.It’s time for the 25th AnnualRallye to Luckenbach put onby the San Antonio JaguarClub. This is a Time-Speed-Distance Rallye that Mike andRoger Bolick have won in therecent past. It’s scheduled forJanuary 18th this year and willstart at the El Chaparral Mexi-can Restaurant in HelotesTexas. Please put this one onyour calendar now. Mike willhave more details as we arecloser to the event.

2014 VTR NationalConvention — Sep-tember 9-14The Vintage Tri-umph Registerand Triumph Clubof the Carolinaswill be hosting the2014 VTR Nation-al Convention inDobson, NC and surroundingareas – September 9-14,2014. It has been 20 yearssince the TCOC hosted thisconvention. Their theme is“Back to the Blue Ridge.” En-joy the following video for ataste of what will be availablewww.youtube.com/watch?v=M6KbptrNRt0.

Be sure to checkwww.vtr2014.com periodical-ly for additional detail.

2014 VTR Regionalin Kansas City —April 27-30, 2014The KansasCity TriumphsClub is mak-ing steadyprogress onthe Regional in April. For ex-ample they have added a par-ticipant’s choice class to theshow for “Other British.”Over 30 people and 15 carsregistered with 6 months leftbefore the event.

Take a look at their websitefor more detailswww.kansascitytriumphs.com.

Would you please let meknow if you are tentativelyplanning to go to the 2014 re-gional? The Kansas City Tri-umph club need a tentativecount now for planning. Justsend me a note [email protected] if you think you will attend.Thanks in advance.

Kastner Cup 2014 —May 16-18The Kastner Cup this year iscalled “The Battle of EaglesCanyon” and will be held May16th through the 18th in EaglesCanyon just outside FortWorth close to Decatur, Texaswhere you’ll find hotels. BobKramer is our contact for theevent and has added more in-formation to this copy of theRagtop. Better add this one toyour calendar now so you canget properly prepared for theevent.

Next Club MeetingWe won’t have our regularclub meeting on January 14th

this year. Instead we’ll haveour New Year’s party Satur-day 11th. Elizabeth and DeanMericas have added the partyinvitation and a map to thisRagtop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6KbptrNRt0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6KbptrNRt0

http://www.vtr2014.com

http://www.kansascitytriumphs.com




I’d like to see each of you atthe party, and please driveyour Triumph if possible. It’sa great opportunity to get anevening of club fun and TRTime too.

Triumphantly,

Steve JohnsonPresidentHill Country Triumph [email protected] Website -www.hillcountrytriumphclub.org



This year, we will be having a “holiday” party in January instead of December. You might say, a BelatedHappy New Year party. It will be held at the home of Dean and Elizabeth Mericas. Elizabeth is callingthe event: Happy Hour with Snazzy Finger Foods. Members will be asked to bring a favorite horsd'oeuvre.

There will not be a white elephant gift exchange.

Instead all members need to come dressed in the fashion attire of the era of their car, which probablymeans a bunch of us will be dressed like old hippies or nerds in plaid jackets. You take your pick. Anaward will go to the best dressed. (I can hear some of you grumbling right now. Just get into the spiritof whatever year your car was born and run with it.) You’re getting plenty of time to work on yourcostume, so have fun with it. (Check out Goodwill and Second Hand Stores, especially downtown oron Burnet Street.)

I may have a few other fun things up my tie-dyed sleeve, however If anyone wants to help me with otherideas, please drop me a note at [email protected] or call me at 512-291-6775. –Elizabeth Mericas

* * * *

What: Happy Hour with Snazzy Finger Foods

When: January 11, 2014

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Home of Dean and Elizabeth Mericas 16904 Upper Woods Cove Austin, TX 78734



http://www.hillcountrytriumphclub.org

http://www.hillcountrytriumphclub.org

January 2014The Ragtop


HCTC Happy Hour Party 2014.

No holiday party this year. Instead, we’ll celebrate 2014 with a fun theme (see below).Hosted by Dean and Elizabeth Mericas

Date: Saturday, January 11, 2014

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: 16904 Upper Woods Cove – Austin 78734

Phone: Dean/Elizabeth Mericas: 512.291.6775

Attire: Dress in period clothing of the year your car was built. Win an award for the coolest attire!Owners: Respectable, on the surface

Food: Bring your best appetizer/finger food (please no chips & dips)

*Desserts: Requesting Volunteers for Desserts (Call Elizabeth)

Beverages: BYOB

Directions:

No matter what direction you are coming from, you will need to get to RR 620. We live near Lakeway inHudson Bend, a peninsula that juts out into Lake Travis. Hudson Bend is south of the Marshall Ford dam. Welive near the tip of it, off the road that takes you to Carlos N’ Charlies.

Going south on 620: Shortly after you pass the Marshall Ford dam on your right (you can’t miss it), get intothe right-hand lane. At the first traffic light after the dam, you will take a right onto Hudson Bend Road.

Going north on 620: Take a left onto Hudson Bend Road (red light). A huge FIREWORKS store will be on yourright at the traffic light. Hudson Bend Road is the first street after the restaurant Hudson’s on the Bend (redpicnic benches in front of restaurant).

Continue up Hudson Bend Road, pass the marina supply stores, junky storage stuff and Hacienda RV Park. Youwill pass a pool company on your right and immediately come to a “Y” of sorts in the road. There’s a tendencyto go straight. Don’t. There will be a sign directing you left to Hiline Road/Rocky Ridge. Go left. You will passtwo houses on your right, then take a quick right onto Hiline Road. Huge electrical towers run along HilineRoad.

Continue on Hiline Road. Take a left at Trail of the Woods. (The Entrance is called Woods on Lake Travis.)

Take your second left onto Upper Woods Cove, a small cul-de-sac. We are the first house on the left, aterra-cotta stone/stucco house with a metal roof. On street parking and driveway.

BRING A DAZZLING HORS D'OEUVRE/FINGER FOOD. PLEASE-NO CHIPS AND DIP….EXCEPTFOR DAVE & BETINA!

*PLEASE CALL ELIZABETH OR EMAIL IF YOU ARE GOING TO BRING A DESSERT. Ph.512.291.6775 or [email protected]



Race ReportDecember 2013

By Bob Kramer

I used to write regular reportsfor the Ragtop about howmuch fun I was having racing

my Triumph sports car. I didn’t re-port on every race so I often beganmy report with some mention ofhow long it had been since my lastreport. Well this time it has been areally long time since my last re-port. I started my Triumph racingway back in 1996 as the lone TR3in CVAR when I bought that carfrom HCTC member Al Hughes. In2000 I sold that TR3 and bought aTR4, and we doubled the numberof vintage Triumphs racing in Tex-as. Since that time the group wecall the TxFOT, the TX Friends ofTriumph, has continued expand-ing. In the last few years we havegrown to the point that we canfield a dozen Triumphs at a CVARevent if all the cars and ownerscan get together at the same time.With all these other racers toshare their exploits I’ve been hap-py to sit back and read.

Like most stories there is more toit than just that. The truth is I wasgetting bored with vintage racing.I’ve never had a lot of time to de-vote to race car “development”and racing while putting three kidsthrough college meant that payingothers to do so was out of thequestion. The quest for faster andfaster lap times was never my mo-tivation. I like vintage racing be-cause we race to rules that say youcan only build a car up to a point intime in the rules. We are tied tothe 1972 SCCA rules which effec-

tively save us money becausethere is only so much you can doand stay legal. Done right, thismeans that a bunch of guys are outthere is similarly prepared carsdicing it up, and to me that iswhere the fun is in racing. But af-ter a bunch of years behind thewheel and turning wrenches I hadpretty much done what I was go-ing to be able to do. I knew thetracks and sticking to the rules mycar wasn’t going to get any faster.Driving the same old tracksagainst the same competitors tookits toll on my motivation. Addition-ally, some time back CVAR hadmoved the D Production cars likemy TR4A into Group 7 with thePorsche 911’s, B-Sedan 2002’s,Datsun 510’s and Lotus 7’s. I couldalmost keep up with the middle ofthat group, but it was tough onboth me and my car to be racing ashard as I could only to lose a fewseconds a lap to the pack. On gooddays there were some 911’s that Icould race with and a Twin camAlfa in my class, but too manytimes I was out there all alone, andthat’s not racing, it’s just drivingfast.

It’s been a number of years since Irecorded my best laps at TWS. I’llremember it forever becauseweather conditions were perfectfor generating horsepower and Ihad new tires. I was hitting somepretty good lap times, even cross-ing into the 2:04’s. In the end Iwore a brand new right front tiredown to the cords trying in vain tocatch a faster car in the seasonending “pursuit” race, where thecars were gridded in reverse orderbased on our best lap time for theweekend. We were started at in-tervals that would have us allcrossing the finish line together ifwe could match that best lap eighttimes in a row! That race openedmy eyes to how hard I was beingon my car while ruining new tiresthat cost $195.00 each. I decidedthat keeping the car in one pieceand saving money on tires wasmore important than passing ablack Alfa or Tangerine 914-6 thatwere built to a higher spec. Withmy motivation waning I haven’tdone much to the car in recentyears other than routine oil chang-es.

Start of race at Texas World Speedway Pace lap one.



Things have been looking up thisyear. CVAR relented and let the DProduction cars run in Group 2against the MGB’s, Fiats andSprites. It was great getting all theTriumphs on the track togetherand we even held our own little AllTriumph race in September byholding back at the start so that wecould all cross together on the sec-ond lap. Greg Blake and I foughteach other hard. I got lucky andpicked up a set of used 205-50-15’s Toyo RA1’s from Jim Lee, aTR4 racer from Corpus and made ago of it. The lower profile trans-formed my tired engine and racingwith Greg got me motivated. It is alot more fun racing with wheel towheel action than it is to just drivearound. After that SeptemberCVAR event I ran COTA with a fewother Texas Triumphs. I had agood time but it was more of a fes-tival than it was racing. Andrewand I got to share my car in thehour long endure, although he hadto spend some of his seat timeparked at a corner station after anElva Courier did and flip and re-quired extraction and a helicopterlanding on track. He was fine andan ambulance ride to the hospitalwould have sufficed but he got thefull F1 treatment nonetheless. Wewere place in the SVRA Group 3,which is gaggle of unbelievablyfast cars led by a bunch of 283Chevy powered Specials and a pa-

rade of over-restored, supercarperformance, and aggressivelydriven Porsche 356’s. They wereimpressive on the track and comeup in the mirrors quite rapidly.The old TR4A developed a miss,caused by a bad electrical connec-tion bringing, somewhat sporadi-cally, power to the points andplugs. It was easy to figure outonce I got home! All said anddone, with the number of cars onthe track and with my goal beingjust to have fun and be a part ofthe festival, I was happy just to fin-ish all the laps I was allowed.

CVAR made changes to its sched-ule this fall to work around the bigCOTA event. They bumped thenormal November date for the Fallfestival to December trying toavoid poor turnout due to the CO-TA conflict. The thinking was tospace our event far enough awayto make room in the budget, orplans, or fix your car, from COTA.Whatever the plan was it didn’twork. We had a poor Decemberturnout for the “Fall Festival”,some 79 cars. That made our eightTriumphs in attendance a full 10%of the total registrations. Add tothat Duncan Charlton’s TR4 pow-ered Morgan and we were a forceto be reckoned with. Normally lowparticipation equals boring racing,but not this time. We had two fastSpitfires in the Joe Hovey and BillCollins machines, that very fast sil-

ver bullet TR3 belonging to GregBlake, and five TR4/4A’s, and in achange from the norm only threeof them wore red. Jim Cox, the pro-prietor of the Branson Auction,auction brought down his blackTR4 down from Missouri. JohnFrymark countered with his clean,white TR4A. Jim Lee’s son Phillipand Bob Blake both piloted redTR4’s, at least for a little while andmy red 4A filled out the pack. Wehad high expectations for the rac-ing and they were met.

It had rained Friday afternoon andwe awoke to a cold, wet track onSaturday. Qualifying was a littletempered but after Jim Cox passedme a couple of laps in I followedhim around to see how he drovethe track. As he picked up the paceI was expecting him to spin in thewet conditions but he didn’t andwe both qualified well picking upfourth and fifth. Jim had come ear-ly and completed the test day onFriday to get used to the track. Hiscar is equipped SVRA style withdual Weber’s and that reportedlygive better high end HP for downthe straights. John Frymark cameto CVAR from Southern Californiawhere they run dual Weber’s withVARA. He missed the Friday prac-tice and turned in his first laps onTWS during the cold and wet qual-ifying session keeping his fast cartowards the back, for now. Frommy perspective both Jim and John

Pace lap two.Lap one, turn two. Lap one, coming into turn three.

January 2014

were faster down the straight thanme, but so was Greg, so it is not allWeber’s.

As for the rest of the Triumphs,Bill Collins had qualified his Spit-fire third, just ahead of me on thestart and the Triumphs of Greg,Bill, Joe and John had all qualifiedright behind us. Phillip Lee wasstruggling with a clogged fuel lineand Bob Blake had brakes lockingup. Neither would have much funon track. The racing that tookplace the rest of the day was spirit-ed and tremendous fun. Most of ushad GoPro’s running to documentthe passing back and forth thattook place. The morning race wasthe most fun that I have had in along time. My car would loseground on the straights but I wasable to catch up and often passagain in some of the turns. Video

snippets show a variety of Tri-umphs and other nondescript carspulling up alongside, back andforth, time and again. All the driv-ers came in with huge grins.

Sunday was much the same. Wepulled off another Triumph raceby making sure we started at theback and then racing each other.John Frymark had learned thetrack and this point the two of usspent a lot of time chasing eachother in our IRS cars. Greg was thefasted this weekend and heworked his way to the front ofmost races including this one. Thelast race on Sunday was a Pursuitrace. They gridded us in reverseorder based on fastest lap timesand then held us the equivalent of8 lap time differences so that wecould chase down all the slowercars in front of us. This format

gives a well driven slower car achance at the win, and sureenough an MGA took the flag. JimCox came in fourth with me on histail for fifth. Greg Blake put downsome really fast laps, fastest beinga 2:06.5, which is a really fast lapin a TR.

Now that it is over the race hascome to be known as the Cold TireClassic, and classic it was. I can’twait to get all the Triumphs backtogether in February. I’ve heardthat we may have 2 or 3 new rac-ers for the Driving School. We willbe putting on some shows worthyof a trip to TWS or more impor-tantly, the Kastner Cup next May17-18 at Eagles Canyon Racewaynear Decatur, TX. With over 30Triumphs expected this might besomething to put on your calendar.

The Ragtop


Row one: Lap one, turns three, four, and five.

Row two: Turn seven - catching John Frymark, and John Frymark pass-ing Bob on front straight.

Row three: Bill Collins outbraking Bob in carousel. Wild wheel camber!

January 2014

Hill Country Triumph Club on Tour

VTR National Convention 2013Part ThreeBy Mike McPhail

DAY TEN: THE LONGROAD HOME

San Rafael to PalmSprings

500 miles

Sunday morning, Art and Iwere relieved to find Roger,Tina and Bill safely tucked in

their beds. They had made a fullday of touring San Francisco, butwere stirring soon after dawn.They would be taking the directroute to Palm Springs, while thedynamic duo headed across theGolden Gate Bridge into San Fran-cisco and along the coast. Jim tookthe interstate, like the others, butat his own pace.

The traffic was unusually light, andwe were on Route 1 in no time.The detour was certainly worth-while, and over one hundred de-lightful miles was covered beforewe finally headed west, just afterSanta Cruz.

IH 5 through the central valleygoes on seemingly forever throughthe semi-arid middle of the state.Not much to see except a lone TRwith Texas plates; none other thanEd Gowett!

It became apparent that our fel-low adventurers were only about45 minutes ahead of us when thecall came from Bakersfield thatBill’s new engine had developedproblems. Roger was already onthe case and it was determined

that U-Haul was in Bill’s future.Good thing Roger brought hisDodge Ram Hemi!

It was still a long way to PalmSprings, so we left them to it. Traf-fic really picked up as we climbedthe hills approaching Los Angeles.I lost Art when the TomTom di-rected me downtown…Art knewbetter, took the loop and was thir-ty minutes ahead of me by thetime I reached the motel.

Jim made even better time, and un-like me, got to see the place in thedaylight. The TRuck was nowherein sight, and would not arrive forsome time. In fact, the three of uswere just about done with our latesupper when the Dodge pulled upto the curb with the TR6 in tow.We had found a rather gay littlecafé on the strip with a command-ing street view from the patio. Wewere certainly pleased to see ourcomrades safe and sound! Tinahad booked us into a charmingmotel on the edge of town. It was ashame we had so little time to en-joy Palm Springs, but we had an-other long day ahead.

DAY ELEVEN: JUST DES-SERT (DESERT?)

Palm Springs to El Paso700 miles

There is absolutely no one at theIHOP in Palm Springs at 7:30 Mon-day morning! A round of Senior

The Ragtop


January 2014

Specials, then we were back be-hind the wheel. The mountainssure are spectacular in the Califor-nia desert, but we didn’t lingerlong admiring them. The SonnyBono Freeway East bound (IH 10)would take us back to Texas, so weput the maps away and the pedalto the metal. The temperature roseto nearly 100 as we passedthrough Arizona; the only reallyuncomfortable few hours of thetrip. Once again, it was after darkbefore the La Quinta was in sight.Art, Jim and I were way ahead ofthe Dodge…apparently Tina hadenough of Bill and Roger and de-manded to be dropped off at thePhoenix airport. Can you blameher?

We regrouped at the Texas Road-house for a late dinner. Art ap-

peared with a surprise guest…hisdear sweet mother! Mrs. Graves isan El Paso native and delighted uswith a charming narrative of herlife in West Texas. We were as-sured, of course, that “Arthur issuch a nice boy.”

DAY TWELVE: HOME ATLAST

El Paso to Austin560 miles

Art was waiting in the parkinglot for us at 7 am Tuesdaymorning. We would not havethe pleasure of his companytoday, since he was headedhome to Tulsa (825miles…ouch!). The 80 mphspeed limit would have therest of us in the Hill Country inno time. Hurrah, no more des-

erts. You could tell that Texas wasgetting more rain this year by theabundance of greenery along theInterstate. We even saw somegrass!

I eventually lost track of Jim andthe boys but was reunited withRoger and Tina at Rudy’s…it wasthe second Tuesday of the monthand I wouldn’t miss the HCTCmeeting for the world.

The Ragtop


Cruisin' the Coast — in a StagBy Peter Weber

Greetings from the deepSouth, where New Orleansis home to a small but active

community of British car owners.I’m a member of the British Motor-ing Club of New Orleans,BMCNO.org, who organizes a clubevent every year to attend Cruisin’the Coast, which is held annuallyin early Fall on the Mississippi GulfCoast. Their web site iswww.cruisinthecoast.com.

I’ve enjoyed British cars and mo-torcycles since I started driving inthe early 70s. Back then I had aTriumph T25T trials bike and latera 750 Bonneville, but now it’s Tri-umph cars. I have a ’74 TR6 thatI’ve been restoring for severalyears, and this past April I brought

home a magenta ’73 Stag, Commis-sion No. LE21378UBW. I set a goalto drive the Stag to the Gulf Coastfor the event.

When I bought the car there werea few must-do items before itcould be driven more than a fewmiles from home. The lower radi-ator hose at the water pump inletwould swell to double its normalsize as the car warmed up. Almostevery interior and exterior lampeither didn't work at all or didn'tfunction correctly. Finally, thesteering rack leaked fluid on mygarage floor almost as fast as Icould fill the reservoir. Fortunate-ly I learned who Michael Coffeywas before I bought the car, and hecheerfully provided the guidance I

needed with the purchase and healso supplied parts and advice forthe steering repair.

The required repairs were com-pleted only the week before theevent, and what a shakedowndrive — 200 miles plus from NewOrleans to the Gulf Coast and back!To be safe I reserved car trailersfrom a rental agency for both thetrip there and back, but happilythey weren’t needed. The car ranperfectly the whole trip. BMCNOorganized a convoy to Mississippi,with two stops along the way tojoin up with more club members— and for me to check on things!This event was actually the firsttime anyone else in the club hadseen the Stag, and it drew a lot of

http://BMCNO.org

http://www.cruisinthecoast.com

January 2014

attention. This was shaping up tobe a nice trip.

I had no idea what to expect whenwe reached the Gulf Coast, exceptthat this was a going to be a largeevent, with thousands of cars reg-istered, and very few of them Brit-ish. Cars must be at least 25 yearsold to register — no problemthere. Our first stop was “CruiseCentral” where we registered ourcars and picked up our cruisepackets. Next we drove to each ofthe 5 cruise venues along the Mis-sissippi Gulf Coast. This event isn’ta car show, instead it’s all aboutcruising in classic cars, seeing oth-er amazing cars, and enjoyingsome great fellowship with otherenthusiasts – all this along a his-toric and beautiful stretch of theMississippi Gulf Coast. Our firststop was Ocean Springs, Mississip-pi, where the downtown area wasreserved for us registered cruisers.Our group of little British carspassed through the check-pointwhere we showed our paperwork,and then we idled down the clas-sic-car-lined streets, past somebeautiful cars and thousands of en-thusiasts (the Stag's auto gearboxwas a bit of a luxury in the stop-and-go traffic). The response tothe car was terrific. Only a handfulhad even seen a Stag before, andthe car attracted a lot of smiles,thumbs-up, and folks walking upto complement the car and askwhat it was. Folks sitting in lawnchairs along the route would stareas the car drove by, then I'd hear“Stag” when they read the badgeon the rear wing, followed by “Tri-umph” as the car passed and theyread the badge on the the rearbumper – great fun.

Here's a photo I took through thewindscreen when we stopped for amoment:

Notice the gentleman wearing theorange tee shirt with his hands onhis hips on the right. I saw thislook a lot:

Later I was waiting at a checkpoint behind a nice 70’s Plymouth,when the driver jumped out andran up to my window. We had thisexchange, with him speaking in aBritish accent:

Brit: “This is a Stag!”

Me: “Yes it is!”

Brit: “Has it got the origi-nal engine?”

Me: “Yes it does”

Brit: “Son of a #####! IHAD one of these.”

He took pictures, smiled, and thenjumped back in his car and contin-ued on. The weekend continuedwith similar experiences at all 5venues. The Stag was misidenti-fied as Jaguar, a Lancia, and our fa-vorite — an Impala. I suppose itwas the emblem on the frontgrille?

The event offered a lot to do, withevents like drag races and a largeswap meet. There was live musicat each venue. There was also anauction, where I saw a Spitfire, afew MGs, and a replica Austin Hea-ley on the block. Cruisin’ the Coasthas grown every year, with over7,000 cars registered this year.

On Saturday afternoon the BMCNOgroup parked our cars at CruiseCentral (along with several hun-dred other cars) and we enjoyedthe morning while folks walked byand took it all in. This was the larg-est car-related event I've attendedand also one of the most enjoyable.I’m looking forward to next yearalready. The response to the Stag,particularly from car buffs who'veseen and know a lot of cars, wasone of the best parts of the week-end. I feel lucky that I've ended upwith more car than I thought I wasbuying. The styling is eye catching,it’s a pleasure to drive and it'scomfortable on a long ride. I'll bedriving the Stag to next year'sevent and I hope you can join uson the Gulf Coast in the Fall of2014!

The Ragtop


January 2014

TWO WEEKS BEFORECHRISTMAS

By Mike McPhail

The Ragtop


TWAS TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS WHEN ALL THROUGH THE PLACE,CAME THE ROAR OF NINE TRIUMPHS SETTING THE PACE.

WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN, AS WE SPED THROUGH THE NIGHT,THAT OUR DESTINATION WAS THE TOUR OF THE LIGHTS?

FOR CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, JUST TRY JOHNSON CITYYOU’LL BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A TOWN THAT’S THIS PRETTY.

WE RAN FOR THE PECAN STREET BREW PUBHOPING THE BILL WOULD BE PAID BY THE CLUB

WITH JANE IN HER KERCHIEF AND CLARK IN HIS CAP,THEIR COMING SO FAR HAD MADE QUITE A FLAP.

YES, FROM FAR AWAY BELLVILLE THEY DID HAIL,DRIVING THE TR THEY BOUGHT FROM MCPHAIL.

STEVE AND CANDY WE SO DID MISS,FOR NOW THEY WON’T SHARE OUR HOLIDAY BLISS.

MARK AND MARCELLA WE MET AT THE DOORINSIDE WERE DEAN, ELIZABETH AND SEVERAL MORE

MIKE JANKOWSKI AND FAIR JULIANNHAD CHICKEN FRIED STEAK, STRAIGHT FROM THE PAN.

BILL AND ANNETTE WERE SHARING A BEERWITH GOOD FRIEND BOB SKEWIS, SO FULL OF GOOD CHEER.

VINCE AND BARBARA WERE MOST ANXIOUS STILLTO VIEW THE BRIGHT LIGHTS JUST UP THE HILL

SO WE FOLLOWED BEHIND JOLLY ROGER AND TINATO SEE THE HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW MAS FINA

YOU COULD HEAR MIKE’S VOICE, AS HE DROVE OFF WITH NELHAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL; I HOPE YOURS IS SWELL!

January 2014

The Ragtop




Michael [email protected]

210-262-0275

1973 Triumph TR6 with Overdrive

Commissioned April, 1973. Full frame off restoration 11/2001-11/2003. Totally disassembled, sand-blasted and cleared of any rust. Paint job includes two coats etching primer, two coats of standardprimer, 4 coats of color coat (Duco Jet Black) and four coats of Clear Coat. The under carriage is coatedwith POR 15 which is used to protect oil derricks in the Gulf. The car was voted Participant’s Choice atthe 2006 VTR National Competition in Dallas. It has won 1st and 2nd Place in subsequent competitions.It cruises comfortably at 70 mph and has been as far as 1,200 miles round trip on more than one occa-sion. The car is appraised and insured for $22,000. I am offering it for $19,500.

All suspension bushings replaced.Wheels sandblasted and powder coated.5 Yokohama 203 x 5.5 Tubeless TiresAll new rugs and door panelsNew Dash CrownNew Convertible Top

Engine:New Rings and Valves GroundNew Rod Bearings and Crankshaft Bearings andsealsNew Clutch and BearingNew Slave CylinderCarburetors RebuiltDistributor Rebuilt (Advanced Distributors)Modified CamHeadersMonza ExhaustRadiator Rebuilt

Richard Good Triple Manifold with three Strom-berg CarburetorsMSD Multiple Spark Distributor and Heavy CoilNew Master Cylinder and Vacuum BoosterRichard Good HD U-Joints on Drive Shaft and ShortShaftsAll New Discs, ShoesDrums and Rotors TurnedAll Brake and Fuel Lines replaced with StainlessSteel TubingSpin off Oil FilterRear Lever Shocks Replaced with Tube ShocksSet of Four Koenig 15x7 Rims and Goodyear EagleTiresNew WindshieldTourist Trophy Laminated Walnut Steering WheelConvertible Top CoverTonneau Cover




FOR SALE 1978 TRIUMPH SPITFIREHave you always fancied a Spitfire, but were put off by the sorry state of most offerings? Eureka! Now thereis an outstanding example available right here in Austin. This absolutely rust free car was bought new in ElPaso and has covered only 35,000 miles. It has been treated to a complete brake overhaul: master cylinder,calipers, pads, rotors, rear wheel cylinders, shoes…the works. The clutch master cylinder and slave cylindersare new and therefore the clutch action is delightful. The engine has been de-smogged with a Weber DVG32/36 carburetor with automatic choke. It has a custom dual exhaust with headers. The engine is verystrong and the gearbox is exemplary. This model has the big radiator and fan for cool running. The interior isspotless and features a 14 inch Grant leather steering wheel... the top is very nice, too. Needless to say, ev-erything works!

$4500 or best offer.

Act soon, before the Spitfire is listed on eBay. For more information, contact Mike McPhail at 512-695-8637.

From the EditorBy Dan Julien

Happy New Year, HCTCmembers and otherTriumph enthusiasts!

We have a great set of articlesfor the first issue of 2014. BobKramer returns to the pagesof the Ragtop with a race re-port. Mike McPhail takes uson the long ride home fromthe VTR

Nationals/Triumphest innorthern California, and thenreveals a hitherto-hidden po-etic talent in his account ofthe Hill Country Tour De-Lites. And we have a guestcontribution from Peter We-ber of New Orleans, via BetinaForeman (Southwest Directorof the USA Stag Club).

I am happy to report that thelast issue keeping my TR6 offthe road has been sorted out,so it should once again be aregular guest at HCTC clubmeetings and events. Wishingyou all another year of happyand safe motoring!



For Sale: TR6 fiberglass hardtop “Snug Top” by Custom Hardtops of Longbeach, CA. Outstanding condi-tion. Located in Dripping Springs. $500 Contact Benson 361-947-7704 [email protected]

Chairman’s Message:Welcome to Excelsior Springs.2014 South Central Regional Vintage Triumph Register

APRIL 27 TO 30, 2014

Excelsior Springs, located just 29 miles from Kansas City, MO, was a worldwide attraction fortheir healing mineral waters in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Our host hotel, The Elms Hotel& Spa was built in the 1880’s to serve affluent mineral spa devotees.

The Elms today

Excelsior Springs is just 29 miles fromKansas City, MO

The Elms completed a multi-million complete update and remodel in 2012. They have one ofthe largest spas west of the Mississippi for your enjoyment. Head to their web site forinformation about this beautiful resort hotel http://www.elmshotelandspa.com/

Spa at the Elms

Area Attractions

You will also want to see the Hall ofWaters and try their soda fountain ofmineral waters. The Hall of Waters wasplaced on the Clay County HistoricalLandmark Register in 1981 and listed onthe National Register of Historic Placeson June 9, 1983.

. Jesse James This museum features the largest collection of James familyartifacts, and is accompanied by outlaw Jesse James' family home and farmin Kearney, Missouri. Tour the museum and restored home, and view aninformative video that relates the story of Frank and Jesse James and theirbank- and train-robbing escapades. There's also a gift shop where you canprocure Jesse James tee shirts, coffee mugs and other souvenirs. JesseJames’ home and grave is about 10 miles away

EventsMonday Welcome Reception Concours

Gimmick Rallye Funkhana

Autocross Dinner Runs

Photo/Model/Craft Concours 'Partipants Choice'

Awards Banquet

The committee has worked for the last eighteen months planning this event. They have planned rallies, tours,and secured the accommodations and a host of other things that go into making a successful and enjoyableevent.It is the planning committee’s hope that you will have a great time at the 2014 South Central RegionalConvention. During your stay, you will be able to identify the committee members by their fluorescent greenvests. They will glad to answer any questions or give directions to local sights for you to visit.The Excelsior Springs Police Department has worked closely with us, and they will be glad to assist you in anyway they can. Be sure to thank them for the security services they are providing us when they assist youPlease join me in thanking the planning committee and the rest of the KC Triumphs for all of their efforts. Wehope you find this program useful as it will give details of the events, history and places of interest in ExcelsiorSprings. I encourage you to contact any of the 2014 planning committee members with any questions orconcerns.Welcome to Excelsior Springs! I look forward to visiting with each of you. If you see any way we can improvethe event please let me know your thoughts.

Ja ck Edwa rdsChairman 2014 SC RegionalKansas City Triumphs Host

Registration will be available beginning August 15, 2013 athttp://www.kansascitytriumphs.com// .

Those registering between August 15 and December 31, 2013 will be entered in a drawing to be held Jan 6,2014, for one (1) night’s stay at the host hotel (The Elms Hotel & Spa). There will be six (6) winners; the night’sstay has a value of $104.00 + taxes.

Good Luck!!



http://www.elmshotelandspa.com














































FOR SALE

1960 TRIUMPH TR3JUST SERVICED NO RUST

NEW TOP NEW BATTERYTONNEAU COVER & STICK COVER

TIRES ARE FAIRLY NEWSOME SPARE PARTS

DOES NOT HAVE OVERDRIVENeeds Side Curtains$17,900 or best offer

MIKE 512/252-3767 or [email protected]

Jim Icenhower’s

Wood, Leather and Vinyl Steering Wheels for Classic Cars At Exceptional Prices

Wood Wheels with Hub $219.95Leather Wheels with Hub $119.95Vinyl Wheels with Hub $109.95

I have steering wheels and hubs for almost all British classics as well as accessories like shift knobs, mirrors, light/badgebars and more. Check out my current listings on eBay at http:// stores.ebay.com/specialtypartshop or email me at

[email protected] for more information.

Listing change as I get shipments from the UK so check back often or contact me for any special requests.



Name:__________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________

City/State:___________________________________ Zip:________________

Home Phone:____________________________________________________

Work Phone:____________________________________________________

Email address:_____________________________________________________________________________

Car Make:__________________ Model:_________________ Year:___________ Color:__________________

Car Make:__________________ Model:_________________ Year:___________ Color:__________________

How on earth did you hear about the Hill Country Triumph Club?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Please mail your application and $15 check payable to HCTC to:Nel McPhail, 1105 North Canyonwood Dr, Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Membership Application



HCTC OfficersPresidentSteve [email protected]

ConsigliereElizabeth [email protected]

WebmasterJim [email protected]

TreasurerEarl [email protected]

SecretaryBetina [email protected]

MembershipNel [email protected]

Ragtop EditorDan [email protected]

Pay Your Dues!!!!!!!Please check the latest spreadsheet sent out by Nel. It says the monthand year your dues are due. If the year listed next to your name isn’t2013, you owe right now. Any quite delinquent members who haven’tpaid will be dropped from the roster.

Cost is $15 per year per family. If you don’t wish to renew, please no-tify Nel.

Mail your check made out to HCTC to:

Nel McPhail1105 N Canyonwood Dr

Dripping Springs, Tx 78620(512) 656-1456

[email protected]

Back issues of The Ragtop are available on our website:

http://www.hillcountrytriumphclub.org/newsletters.php
















No meeting in JanuaryInstead, we will have our annual Holiday Happy Hour

Party hosted by Dean and Elizabeth Mericas Details on pages 3-4

Saturday, January 11, 2014 6:30 PM

HCTC ClassifiedsFOR SALE (in New Mexico)—1961 Triumph Herald Convertible. This car spentmost of its life in southern New Mexico. I bought it as a project from an estate andit had been garaged for the past 25 years. It has a 948 cc engine, new tires, newinterior, the convertible top is good. It needs door latches. $3,500. Call Ron (575)531-2193.

For Sale1958 TR3A

Frame off restoration completed 2002. Runs great. Mostly original with few upgrades. Less than 5000 mileson rebuilt engine. White with black interior. Lots of extra parts. Detailed history of car repairs.

$20,000

Carol Pennington

Upcoming EventsDates Event Location Where to Find Information

Jan. 11 HCTC Holiday Party Home of Dean & Eliza-teth Mericas See pp. 11-12.

Feb. 11 HCTC Monthly Meeting TBA Watch this space.

April 27-29 VTR South Central Region-al Convention Kansas City, MO www.kansascitytriumphs.com

I am looking for a TR250 or TR4a Bonnet for a vehicle I am restoring. If you have one for sale please call meat 512-517-5325 or email me at [email protected]. Thank you, Fil Valderrama























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