Thanks for the nice post, Barry, about the 8th annual Heartland Regional
Event on Independence Square (Kansas City area). I’m sorry we didn’t get
together. If you got back to your car and found a newsletter in it,
that’s because I did it. Spent a lot of the day playing postman for the
Newsletter.
Yes, the C/GT made an appearance and, in fact, won Best in Class. But
there was a story about that . . .
I have been swamped with work and chores the weeks before. One of them
was to repair the starter in the C/GT. I’m not smart enough to just buy
a new one or get it rebuilt. I had to do it myself. And it turns I used
a couple of flat washers to replace a worn spacer on the end of the
starter snout. The washers were too large in diameter and fouled the
ring gear and I didn’t figure that out until the starter was installed
and the engine fired up. That was about midnight on the Thursday before
the event.
I had spent considerable time working on the TR6. I was actually
polishing it. I don’t usually do that but I was trying to remove all the
oxidation from the Arizona sun and poor maintenance by the DPO. Two
coats of medium-grit cutter then two-cuts of swirl remover. All done
manually. The car actually looks pretty good. My arms and back are
aching and most of the skin is off my knuckles but the car is a lot
better looking (and didn't win a thing).
So I was running out of time and figured the C/GT could just stay home
and I would merely enter the TR6 in the "Class Z Open."
Janet and I went to the Friday night BBQ and Social at the host hotel
and was wandering the parking lot admiring the cars. What? Where is
Gregg Hawley and his C/GT? He brought the B/GT. And where is Chip Poston
with his auto C/GT? No Show! It looked like the "Class Q C/GT" had no
entries.
And then the light bulb starts to flicker: For the eight dollar price of
a 2nd car entry, the C/GT would be "Best in Class!" This would be my
last, best chance of a first place trophy for the old war horse!
Yep, I dragged the SO back out to the Triumph a little before 11, raced
back home, and by 1AM the day of the event I had the starter repaired
and installed. After a few hours of sleep and two dollars at the local
self-wash, I had the C/GT at the show and the old war horse took home
the first place plaque.
All you "rubber bumper" common folk with your shiny paint and fancy
interiors will just have to get over it!
Bob Allen, Kansas City, "Best in Class" '69C/GT, "real shiny" '75TR6,
and this Elva.
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