Saskatchewan British Car Club - Brits by the Bus 2007 Brits 49.pdfIn those cars, you can go fast, actually hear Dave Mathews on the stereo, and enjoy the A/C. In the Jag, you, just

Old Brits

Saskatchewan British Car Club Newsletter

June – August 2007

Number 49

Brits by the Bus 2007 By John Pharr / Photos by Matt Toon

Once again we enjoyed great weather and a superb turnout of over 60 cars, including our

faithful friends from the JagNuts in Regina. I don’t know who came up with the idea of using

the centre line of the road to expand our display area but it worked very nicely. Several

vehicles never seen before made their Brits by the Bus debut and the simultaneous presence of

Taste of Saskatchewan ensured that there were plenty of people to admire our gleaming (well,

mostly) collection of LBCs (Little British Cars). Television coverage, too! Thanks as always

to Bob Forward for organizing the event and ‘bagging’ the meters, to Terry for creating the

gorgeous posters (very favorable comments from the proprietors of the businesses I posted

mine in) and to Mykonos restaurant for opening their patio for us on a Sunday afternoon.

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The Grosvenor Show 2007 By Ed Aldred

First a big thanks to Alvin for setting up the show, our traditional “season opener”, and all his

hard work. It was a great show with good weather. (Ed. note – Yes, really! No rain! See

photographic proof below.) We had a great turn out and a lot of wonderful cars showing.

The day was a success and it is always great to hear the remarks made by the general public as

they look at the cars in wonderment. More than a few times I heard "What the heck is that?"

or "Is that ever neat!" and not just about my car but almost every car. I love these types of

shows because there is a good time had by all and just a fun day in general.

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Bruno Cherry Festival Photos by Bill Rafoss

Ed. - I guess the pictures say it all. Mm-mmm…, British cars sure do look good on grass, eh?

SBCC OFFICERS / 2007-08

President: Bob Forward Vice-President: Terry Yuzik

Secretary: Ron Bland Treasurer: Larry Chapman

Webmasters: Ed Driver, Scott McGibney Newsletter Editor: John Pharr

Founding President: Alan Wilson

Website: www.sbcc.ca

SBCC Rally to the Valley and Back By Bob Burnyeat / Photos by various suspects

Day One - We’re Off

For most of us, this year’s trip to the Rally in the Valley (RITV) officially began at

7:30 am (or well, close to that) on Thursday, July 6th

at the usual rally point in Saskatoon. In

reality, the trip began much earlier as many of the SBCC participants prepared cars, tools,

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spares, and luggage well in advance. For some, like Rob Svoboda, it was a labour of love that

ended in the wee hours of that same morning putting the final touches on a new paint job to

his TR6 and a quick tune up from “Dr.” Bob (Forward). For others, it ended before it began.

Dick Noordman’s Jag threw a water pump (remember this) and Dennis Billo suffered a death

in the family. We were 8 cars and 12 people and we were off, tops down, sun shining and

many miles of British motoring ahead.

First stop - Rosetown for breakfast and to pick up our last two participants, Tony and

Ruth Hill. Now, we were officially 9/14:

Len & Kelly Bykowy 1963 MGB

Ron & Sandra Bland 2003 Jaguar S-Type

Bob & Kathy Burnyeat 1973 Jaguar E-Type

Rob Svoboda & Ernie Fuchs 1973 TR6

John Pharr 1968 TR250

Bill Rafoss 1980 TR7

Morris Sulatyski 1959 MGA

Rick Middleton 1976 TR6

Tony and Ruth Hill 2003 Mini Cooper JCW

Mid-summer prairie views of ripening canola, flax, and wheat framed the long, flat

journey to Calgary punctuated with stops for fuel, refreshments, lunch as usual at Hanna, and

a couple of unscheduled stops to restart Len & Kelly’s fuel pump. The Lucas jumpstart

‘hammer’ worked to perfection in the hands of Ernie, our master riding-mechanic. The main

entourage skirted Calgary and headed for the traditional overnight stay at Deadman’s Flats.

Kathy & I ripped into Calgary to stay at my brother’s place.

Day 2 - The Real Fun Begins

Kathy and I caught up with the party at Deadman’s Flats waiting for Rob to scurry

around and put the final touches on hotel arrangements for the remainder of the trip. We were

off again for another spectacular day with a cool run along the Trans Canada with Ruth, the

intrepid photographer, risking life, limb, and sanity for the obligatory highway photo ops.

Mountain driving with the top down, Rick’s traveling tunes on the CD player, and warm

weather are an unbeatable combination. Lots of fantastic Rocky Mountain summer scenery to

keep one’s mind off oil pressures, engine temperatures, clutch hydraulics, and all those funny

new sports car noises. A couple of stops along the way for fuel, oil, and refreshments (there’s

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that term again - loosely applied) saw us in Revelstoke for lunch. Summer mountain driving

is always fun as you get to share the road with 18-wheelers, campers, and tons of gawking

tourists. We spotted a couple of British cars coming from Calgary on their way to the RITV.

We passed under a spectacular bridge under construction outside Golden. Truly a

marvel of sculptural engineering, this sinuous line of concrete positively towers above the

existing highway. Another stop for refreshments at a quaint, little biker-like bar outside of

Sicamous to cool off and let the cars cool down as the temperature was rising into that skin

frying and rad hose blowing level that keeps British car folks on the edge of their seats. It

occurred to me that we were making numerous little stops along the way, which normally

would drive me nuts as I’m more of a get-in-and-drive-till-you-get-there kind of guy. But in

reality these frequent stops, although adding time to the trip, served to break the day up, make

it more tolerable and in many ways actually safer and certainly more fun.

Following the Sicamous stop, everyone sort of wound up and just legged it down thru

Vernon and into Kelowna late in the afternoon - hot, dry, tired, and thankful for no incidents

or breakdowns. No unofficial stops except for a brief extraction of that annoying plastic, oil

container cap ring that magically found its way into the valve cover of Len & Kelly’s car - no

harm done. The official car park at the hotel quickly filled up as the eventual long distance

award winners from the SBCC settled in for the night.

It was a pleasure to get cleaned up, relax with some refreshments, and listen to

something other than wind noise, clattering camshafts, and exhaust noise. Kathy noted that

we were getting old and spoiled - the Jag was a lot of fun to drive and a real novelty, but we

certainly appreciated the quiet, creature comforts of our other modern cars. In those cars, you

can go fast, actually hear Dave Mathews on the stereo, and enjoy the A/C. In the Jag, you,

just get to go really fast. But somehow a Volvo wagon just doesn’t turn heads like an E-Type

Jag and at my age, I need all the help I can get.

Day 3 - Visiting In Paradise

After breakfast, a small group of us navigated our way up to Len Drake’s. For car nuts,

this is like MECCA. Len, a Saskatchewan transplant, owns a British car restoration and parts

business located on a hillside overlooking Kelowna. He’s got four acres of British sports cars

and parts ranging from rusted out TR6s to running, restored Healeys. If you’re not a car nut,

you just wouldn’t get it. I could feel my wallet quivering in my pocket. The first car we saw

was Len’s pink ’57 T-Bird that was just perfect for Kelly. Good thing it wasn’t for sale. Bill

instantly fell in love with a gold TR8 that was happened to be for sale. “No, Bill,” we said,

“consider how expensive the divorce would be.” I was there to collect my MGA 5-speed

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conversion kit plus a few other necessary bits for the MGA and the TR6.

Parts pickup, general ogling, and lots of car stories all topped off by a bottle of Scottish

ale courtesy of Len & his wife, Connie and their dog Dolly. Man, service with a smile on our

faces (and wallets a little lighter)!

I left early so Kathy and I could meet our good friends, Phil and Brenda Macdonald,

who live in Kelowna. Brenda is a schoolteacher and Phil and I were classmates in

architectural school. Phil gave up what could likely have been a successful career as a

standup comic and general cutup, opting for an even more successful architectural career. We

had lunch on their deck overlooking Lake Okanagan and chatted about work, kids, and our

failing bodies and memories. We left all too soon to prepare for the car show.

The RITV car show is located in the main park in downtown Kelowna. Attendance was

a bit down but almost 100 of the faithful gathered in the park and pretended we were on the

lawn at Pebble Beach. There was a pretty wide variety of cars with lots of the usual suspects

– TR6s, MGBs, MGAs, a few TR250s and Midgets. A few of the more rare cars were present

such as older Jags, Rolls Royces, a lone Healey, a pristine Sunbeam Tiger from Grande

Prairie and a beautiful, red Jag XK150 from Seattle. All in all, a pretty impressive show,

fantastic venue and again, wonderful weather.

After dinner in a restaurant along the main street, amid the screaming cacophony of a

young bridal party, we hopped into our very much quieter cars for a quick cruise thru

Kelowna and back to the hotel parking lot for some relaxation, refreshments, and swapping of

more stories.

We had a good chat with Joan Wilson, whose late husband Gerry Hastings had been a

pivotal organizer of previous RITV’s. There were promises of a Saskatoon shindig next year

and to keep the bond of car driven friendships alive. Indeed it’s a curious and wonderful

blend of people who congregate at these events. Drawn from all walks of life and all levels of

mechanical abilities and interests, these folks love to gather, show off their toys, and offer

assistance with all the troubles, worries, and fun that these cars can bring.

Day 4 – Time to Wind it Up

Sunday morning breakfast was followed by me dropping Kathy at the airport for a flight

home as back to work Monday was on her plate. One can just take so much wind in your

hair, sun in your face, and sports car noises, then some must return to the reality of life. At

breakfast, various awards were handed out. Our intrepid group did fairly well, with Bill, Rob,

Ron, Morris, John, Rick and I picking up awards. Our group topped it off with the “Long

Haul Award”.

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After breakfast our group gathered for one last picture, weighed down with our awards

and a hearty breakfast. Ron and Sandra were heading off for more fun elsewhere, so our

group, now down to 8/12, headed off for a scenic drive up the west side of Lake Okanagan up

to Vernon. After a bit of a miscue on directions, the Mini was quickly dispatched to track a

few of us down and drag us back in line (any excuse to go fast, eh Tony!) We were on our

way for a brisk drive up and down narrow, winding, and rolling roads cut into the hillside

overlooking the lake. We were afforded wonderful views of lush hills, lake vistas, and some

fantastic homes. Only Kelly seemed to be less than thrilled with the ‘twisty bits’, as James

Hunt used to say.

A couple of brief stops for fuel, oil, and refreshments and we soon found ourselves

heading east out of Vernon up Route 6 past Lumby and on our way towards Nakusp thru the

Monashee Mountains, across Lower Arrow Lake by ferry towards the central Kootenay

region of BC. More winding rolling roads with spectacular mountain scenery – another

warm, clear, top down day in paradise.

We rolled into Nakusp, settled in and prepared for an evening of food and refreshments

(no oil or gas this time). Nakusp is a sleepy little town located on picturesque Upper Arrow

Lake that has to be one of the prettiest little pieces of heaven on earth. Frequented by lots of

tourists manning cars and motor bikes, this town with its backdrop of the Monashee

Mountains resembles a Markgraf print in the serenity of dusk. Rick performed a few quick

repairs to a loose muffler, and briefly contemplated a clutch master cylinder swap (aw c’mon

Rick, we can do it!) A quick look at his pit crew and the number of refreshments (there it is

again) that had been consumed and he wisely rethought that idea. Morris made a solo run up

the mountain to the spa for some quiet time, then back to town to join the festivities.

But, the evening belonged to John. Apparently John had been named the designated

entertainer. Songs, jokes, (thankfully no dancing – plus we just missed the karaoke) and a

general flow of info kept the rest of us in stitches until closing time at the bar. Everyone

retired after another wonderful day of fresh air, sunshine, and open top motoring. My evening

however continued as I discovered Ernie’s hidden talents as a champion snorer. No, the

passenger seat of an E-type does not make for a good nights sleep. It’s a testament to Ernie’s

wife’s patience that Ernie (thankfully for all of us) is still alive today.

Day 5 – Monday in the Mountains

Bright and ‘chipper’ (well most of us anyway) fresh off 2-3 hours of sleep, we headed

off for the obligatory run up the mountain to the Nakusp Hot Springs. What a blast! More

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tight turns and mountain scenery punctuated by the odd small rock on the road for excitement.

The spa is a gem of a little building designed some 15 years ago by Regina Architect, Clifford

Wiens. After a brief rest there, we made a return ‘untimed’ rally run back to the bottom of the

mountain, dodging rocks and locals in half-tons (thankfully no guns involved) – who seemed

intent on joining in the fun.

We congregated at a local gas station outside of Nakusp where a young lady approached

Bill to see if he or any of us were interested in a free TR6. Pinch us someone! Her father

wanted it off the farm, so we went in search of this potential treasure. It turned out to be a ’75

TR6 in a sorry state of decay but ripe with lots of useable parts. So like a pack of hungry

jackals a few of us unloaded as much as we could in the way of useful parts, paid for our

treasures, and were on our way.

Rob, Rick, and I left somewhat later to try and catch the rest of the crew who had

headed north. We just missed the crew at the Galena Bay Ferry Crossing, another scenic

crossing at the north end of Upper Arrow Lake. The remainder of the morning completed the

run through the forests of the Selkirk Mountains, into Revelstoke. Lunch and refreshments

(there we go again – seems like every stop we made involved refreshments of some sort – but

hey, it was hot).

We finished the day with a quick run up from Revelstoke to Golden, thru Yoho National

Park, Banff and a stop for the night back at Deadman’s Flats. Refreshments and pizza that

evening brought a toast from one of the intrepid crew, “Congratulations – no breakdowns.”

This of course is the kiss of death and yes, first thing next morning that ‘kiss’ came as I fired

up the Jag for the final day of the trip. A quick diagnosis pin-pointed a water pump on its last

legs (remember Dick?). After a careful but tense drive into Calgary with Tony and Ruth in

the Mini as chaperone, we deposited the car in the capable hands of Jay Chapman and his

staff at British Auto Specialists to begin the parts search and undertake the necessary repairs.

Then I piled into the all-purpose Mini with Tony and Ruth for the trip to Rosetown (turn right

Tony – NOW, Tony – oh, man!) and later with John in his TR250 for the final leg into

Saskatoon.

After a couple of days of retrieving various pieces of luggage and parts from their

couriers, all was well again and with the exception of the Jag, a very clean trip in terms of

breakdowns and no accidents. All of us had a wonderful time and continued the tradition of

SBCC travel and ambassadorship. We traveled a total of about 1900 miles, consumed many

gallons of gas, a few pints of oil and a few gallons of refreshments. I can say, despite the

obvious car issues, that I had, this was one of the best, most relaxing car trips I’ve had in

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awhile. Great weather, great cars, great company – motoring just doesn’t get much better

than this.

Aren’t these kids just trouble looking for a place to happen? Now where did that trunnion sprig pin go?

More RITV Trip Photos

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Saskatchewan British Car Club Minutes – June 13th, 2007

Members present: 36

Location: Boffins Club, Innovation Place

Saskatchewan British Car Club Minutes – July 11th, 2007

Members present: 40

Location: Boffins Club, Innovation Place

Saskatchewan British Car Club Minutes – August 8th, 2007

Members present: 28

Location: Boffins Club, Innovation Place

More Grosvenor Photos

“Duct tape is like The Force. It has a light side and a dark side and it binds the Universe

together”