2007 in Review

February
3	Banquet; see what you missed
March
10	Tech Session -- Duanesburg; see what you missed
April
11	Tax Nite Dinner, Alplaus Fire House
May
5	Celebration of Celts, Ghent (new location)
June
2	Hilltown Tour, Duanesburg
9	BPOE Flag Day Parade in Guilderland
15	Go-Kart Night; see what you missed
21	Johnstown Downtown Car Show, sponsored by Vintage Cafe.
23	Wonderful Washington County Tour; see what you missed
July
4	Alplaus Parade; see what you missed
17-21	Vintage Triumph Register National Convention, Valley Forge, PA (hosted by Delaware Valley Triumphs)
21	British Motor Fest; see what you missed
August
6	Summer Freebie Cookout and Car Show, Niskayuna River Road Town Park; see what you missed
18	Woodstock Tour; see what you missed
25	Lake George Car Show ; see what you missed
26	Taylor Collection Tour ; Dave Faulkner, 518-372-6417; see what you missed
September
5	Golf Outing -- Cobleskill GC; see what you missed
14-16	British Invasion, Stowe, VT; Doug Shaver, 296-8018
29	Apple Picking -- Indian Ladder; John Iseman, 895-8470
October
6	Adirondack Tour, Bill Cook, 798-1171; see what you missed
27	Kim's Cookout: Picnic, Poker Run and Tour at Kim's Shop in Mariaville; see what you missed
November
10	Member Appreciation Night; John Iseman, 895-8470

November 10 Member Appreciation Night On Saturday November 10, 2007 the ATA held it annual member appreciation night at the Christ the King Church in Duanesburg, NY. Sixteen clubs members were on hand to enjoy pizza, soft drinks and a few brews. To start the night off John and Elizabeth Iseman pooled their minds and inter-net search engine to develop a 45-question car logo brain quiz. Some logos were very obvious others were not. According to this brain quiz participant there was even a trick logo throw in. Knowing that John and Elizabeth are a former and current teacher there is always something brewing to make sure everyone was paying attention in class. Needless to say I didn't win the argument that the John Deere logo was indeed one of the logos, but it was a good laugh all around. None of the logos will be given out just in case John and Elizabeth want to do this contest at the annual banquet in January. Bribes to the author for any logo answers are perfectly acceptable. Besides the logo contest a 50/50 raffle was held. Winners of the Logo Brain Quiz were with the most correct: 1st: Steve Busch 2nd: Tie - Pete Fullam and Rod Smith 3rd: Karen Warzek 4th: Bob Pommerer 5th: Denise Palumbo 6th: Kent Burchill 50/50 Raffle winner was Pete Fullam. Moving on in the evening, John Iseman and Dave Faulkner led a review and recap of the 2007 events along with short and sometimes humorous commentary about certain tours or events. Since the 2008 schedule of events has not been proposed suggestions were requested and possible tours mentioned. After the event discussion and a couple reminders by club secretaries Doug and Ann Shaver about membership renewals to get them in before the January 1, 2008, and the annual banquet to be held on January 26, 2008, the night came to end. -- Dave Faulkner

October 27: Kim’s Import Motors picnic, poker run and tour It wasn't quite the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, nor Mohican Sun in CT. What was it, you say? The ATA Fall Poker Run party hosted by Kim Graff on Saturday, October 27, 2007, at Kim's Import Motors in Minaville, NY which is south of Amsterdam on Rte 30. Kim set up a short, well-thought-out route that would take the poker run players though the back roads of the Town of Florida in Montgomery County. Unfortunately the day was a rainy one and only one brave soul drove his Little British Car, Jim Beil with his 1979 TR 7. Despite the rain, Kim picked out a scenic route to view the country side and fall colors in between the rain drops. The object of Kim's poker run is to make the best possible five-card hand from the cards pulled at each of the five stops along the route. Since the route is a short one and can be completed with 45 minutes, browsing was encouraged at each place of business where the cards were located. The places of business that participated in the poker run were, in order: The Garden Bug, Karen's Ice Cream and Produce, Old School House Antiques, Schuyler's Orchard & Greenhouse, and Kim's Import Motors, where the final card was drawn. After the poker run, everyone was welcome to view Kim's shop and sample the very good spread of food provided by Kim. The fare included chili, soup and beef stew along with a few bowls of Halloween candy, with one being passed between tables numerous times. The results of the poker run were for the best hand with 2-pair with Queens high -- Skip & Pat Beck. Followed by John and Elizabeth Iseman with 2-pair -- Jacks and 8s. The next hands follow were pairs; there was 3 of them. Kim provided the car-related awards for those who had the top hands. With the rain ending and the afternoon coming to a close it was time to call it a day. Everyone thanked Kim for a good time and good food, along with good conversation, as they left. Thanks again Kim for another wonderful annual fall gathering hopefully the weather will cooperate next year. -- Dave Faulkner

October 6: Southern Adirondack Tour The ATA on October 6th went on a fabulous driving tour planned by club Vice-President Bill Cook of the Southern Adirondack Mountains of New York State. The tour started off bright and early at the Saratoga Auto Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY. There were 14 Little British Cars along with 4 daily drivers in the line up. The tour stated out of the Saratoga Spa State Park and headed west into Saratoga County. The tour route would take our group through Saratoga, Warren and Essex Counties of New York along some of the most scenic roads of the Southern Adirondack Mountains. Our first stop was in the Village of Lake Luzerne to view the Rockwell Falls. At Rockwell Falls all of the water of the upper Hudson River flows through a narrow gap into the lower Hudson River and the Great Sacandaga Lake and then flowing south to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean. After a short stay it was onto the Gore Mountain ski resort to ride the Northwoods Gondola to the top of Gore Mountain. At 3,200 feet in elevation the views were terrific even if a little hazy, but still photogenic. Returning back to the parking area, we were off to the Village of North Creek, NY for lunch at one of the many fine restaurants. The North Creek train station holds a place in history of being the station where then Vice-President Teddy Roosevelt boarded a train to Buffalo in 1901 to be with President William McKinley who was shot while attending the World's Fair. Roosevelt was on vacation hiking the high peaks of New York State when the shooting happen and The North Creek Station was the closet rail station. After lunch we lined up along the scenic rail tracks with train departing the station, blowing the air horn and our touring group hooking our horns in response and waving to the passengers in the coaches we partied way to another destination. Leaving North Creek, we were on our way to Pottersville near the Schroon River and 9 miles from Schroon Lake to visit the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves. The main attraction was the Natural Stone Bridge, which was formed by the retreating Wisconsin Glacier over 10,000 years ago. At the time the Natural Stone Bridge spanned the entire gorge. The Natural Stone Bridge and Caves are a self-guided tour with interesting geological features. Along with a history of how the early Dutch pioneers used the Trout Brook for lumber and grain milling. Finishing the hike and of the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves, those of that were still left headed out of the parking area towards U.S. Route 9 south to Pottersville and eventually to the end of the tour at Lake Luzerne. Upon reaching Lake Luzerne and stopping at a convience store near our first stop earlier day our tour ended. Saying our good-byes and thanking Bill and Teri Cook for a wonderful tour, we all headed our separate ways until the next ATA gathering. -- Dave Faulkner

September 5: Golf Outing On September 5, nine golfers participated in the Adirondack Triumph Association's first Annual Golf Outing at the Cobleskill Golf and Country Club in Cobleskill, New York. We established 3 teams of 3 golfers. Team 1 was Joe Corsall, Steve Shaver and Al Cerutti. Team 2 was Sam Garzone, Dave Faulkner (ATA member) and Larry Laurence (ATA member). Team 3 was Doug Shaver and Linda and Bob Pommerer, all ATA members. Our team competition included 1st low gross score ($40) and 2nd low gross score ($20) for 18 holes. There were individual competitions for Closest to the Pin on the par 3, 8th hole ($15) and Longest Drive in the fairway on the 9th hole ($15). Following the round we adjourned to the 19th hole and had some drinks and sandwiches, told some stories and announced the awards. Before I begin with the awards, I should note that while my team did not win a low gross team award, it was said by several people that we were the nicest looking team. Thankfully, Linda Pommerer was on our team because Bob Pommerer and I aren't much to look at. With that out of the way: 1st Low Gross - Team 2 with Sam Garzone, Dave Faulkner and Larry Laurence shooting a 72. 2nd Low Gross - Team 1 with Joe Corsall, Steve Shaver and Al Cerutti shooting a 73. And, in case you are interested, our team of Doug, Linda and Bob shot a 76. This did actually result in an award. Joe Bena, an ATA member, had donated a calculator that golfers use to keep the scores of all members in a foursome. The thought behind this award was that the team with the highest score needed the most help keeping track of their score. Thank you Joe. The "Closest to the Pin" award went to Linda Pommerer with a sneaky close drive of 47 inches from the cup. The nearest competitor to her was 23 feet (sorry Sam). The "Longest Drive" award went to Steve Shaver. He sure can hit the ball a long way. I taught him everything he knows about golf. After a terrific day of golf, camaraderie and lunch we all said our goodbyes with hopes of doing this again next year. -- Doug Shaver Above: Left -- ATA golfers Doug Shaver, Linda Pommerer and Bob Pommerer; Center -- Joe Corsall, Steve Shaver and Al Cerutti; Right -- ATA golf winners Sam Garzone, Dave Faulkner and Larry Laurence. Click on any of the pictures to see a larger version.

August 26 Taylor Collection Tour On Sunday August 26th the ATA along with the Patroon Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America enjoyed the opportunity to view the impressive private collection of businessman Jim Taylor at his Gloversville, NY facility. The tour was attended very well by both car clubs. Jim Taylor along with the staff that was on hand warmly received us. I'm not sure of the total number of people and autos in the collection. A rough estimate would be around 100 for each. To start off the models in the Taylor Collection are as follows; Jaguar, Allard, Shelby, Buick, Ford, Chevy, Cadillac, Aston-Martin, Ferrari, Dodge, Olds, Diamond T, Cunningham, Willys, MG, Land Rover, Austin Healey, Horon, Diamond Reo, Porsche & VW. Before the tour started Jim allowed everyone to walk freely throughout the facility and view the autos on their own. The tour started off with the Jaguars, how fitting. Sorry BMW lovers. Jim lead the way down the median, one could say, alternating between the Jaguars lined up along the wall and the Shelbys in the center of the floor. Remarks and comments were made about each model or certain autos to the group as we made way to the back of the facility. I say facility because the term garage is not fitting. Along the way Jim would mention his worldwide travels and rallies as well as acquisitions of certain vehicles. A recent rally starting in Beijing, China and finishing in Paris, France in June of this year in a 1941 Buick was recalled while in front of the Jaguars because a large picture of the Buick traveling through Mongolia was hanging on the wall. A little more of the rally was told when we reached the worldwide traveling '41 Buick. Next to the '41 Buick is a 1925 Ford Popcorn Wagon that is owned by the Saratoga Auto Museum. The popcorn wagon almost made a trip of its own to California. While the Saratoga Auto Museum was bidding on the wagon Jay Leno was also bidding for the wagon. When Jay was told that he was bidding against the museum, he called Bob Bailey the chairman of the museum, and said to Bob the he was withdrawing from the bidding so the '25 Ford could stay in upstate New York where it belongs. A very gracious thought from one avid collector to the museum. Each vehicle had a story just waiting to be told no matter how short or long the tale was. Jim gave each car and models the attention they deserved in some way, shape or form. As well as his insight, reasoning and research involved in purchasing some of the cars in his collection. The stories were both humorous and personal. There is the tale of Ford pulling the VIN numbers off the '69 - '70 Shelby 350 Convertible. Somehow the FBI got wind of this, a GM wind, and an investigation was under way. Then there is a 1931 Cadillac that Jim's father spent countless hours mixing paint just to get the right color scheme. The Cadillac is a real beauty inside and out. Sitting across the way is the 1948 Jeep that Jim's father drove. ATA club member Lynn Arnold hopefully has come down from her state of nostalgic euphoria. What caused her to be in this condition? Well how about a Shelby 427 "original aluminum body" Cobra before exhaust pipe and roll bar modifications. That would do it for Lynn. Lynn worked on a 427 Cobra restoration about 15 years ago. She says she her '57 TR3 needs a "big brother" in the garage. As the tour concluded, we were welcome to continue to browse around and view the autos again as well as the toy car collection in the office and the outstanding automobile related memorabilia hanging on the walls through out the facility. The memorabilia was just as impressive as the automobile collection. Finally the day of viewing cars had to end. Everyone thanked Jim on their out for an outstanding and wonderful time and being allowed the privilege to view his beautiful, interesting one of a kind collection and facility. Thank you again Jim, for a marvelous tour. Click on either picture below to see a larger version.

August 25 Lake George Car Show Writeup to come....

August 18 Woodstock Tour The ATA's almost end of summer tour took place on Saturday August 18th. Starting with breakfast at Gibby's diner in Duanesburg, N.Y., fourteen club members arrived throughout breakfast to partake in the drive to Woodstock, NY. Beginning at the home of John and Elizabeth Iseman because it was the closest to the diner, we lined along his front yard to head out. John and Elizabeth Iseman in their TR8 were in front leading the way. They were followed by in no peculiar order by Lynn Arnold and Dineen Dale in a TR3, also Charlie & Carol Flanagan in their Morgan and Bill & Terri Cook in their MGA. Dave Faulkner flying sole in his Spitfire. In their regular vehicles were Pat & Marie Jackan along with their dog and Larry & Linda Laurence. We were off. Heading east on Route 7 and then onto the Schoharie Turnpike into the hill towns of Albany County. Traveling through the Albany County hill towns of Berne, Knox, Berne again, Knox for a second time and finally Westerlo our small troop headed south on Route 32 through Albany County into Greene County along the north eastern edge of the Catskill Mountains to Woodstock. While stopped at a local gas station waiting for a top to be put up because of a passenger complaint. John mentioned that he really enjoys the scenery of the hill towns when asked if he realized that we passed a couple of places twice. There is a blinking red light at the intersection of Route 32 and some route heading west to the Hunter Mountain ski area. Across the intersection is the "Big Belly Deli" such a catchy name, which is the only reason why it is mentioned. This is where our tour leader and one of the troops (the author) became separated, by that blinking red light and a line of traffic in both directions. So proceeding onward and not having the golf clubs along for the ride the trek continued instead of stopping to play a round at one of the area courses that are close by. While I was having a one-car tour of Saugerites, NY and Woodstock, NY and the route between them which is Route 212. The rest of the troop headed to OPUS 40 which some of us visited a couple of years ago on a different tour lead by John Iseman. OPUS 40 is a few miles outside of Woodstock and was intended to be a forty-year project of Brad College Art Professor Harvey Fite. But due to a tragic accident, Harvey only worked on the OPUS 40 project for 37 years. What is OPUS 40? OPUS 40 is a series of Blue Stone walls of various heights and lengths in a circle design that are held in place by stone shape, size, placement and gravity. In the center, on a hill that rises above the walls is a large rock slap that is set vertical. When I first saw this vertical rock slap it reminded me of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. OPUS 40 is an unique place to visit and hang out on a summer day. Having missed the chance for a round of golf and having already been to OPUS 40. I was passing the time away in Woodstock people watching (a favorite past time) and eating a baloney sandwich and drinking a root beer because hunger had set in. Setting up shop near the Landau Grill on the main drag and scanning the road for any sign or sound of a British car. The rest of the troop managed to arrive without being seen or heard. Being spotted by and almost walked into by the others it was time for lunch at the Landau Grill. Sneaking in the baloney sandwich and with everyone gathering around the bar waiting for the table to be readied for 13. It was time for a pint or other beverage and a recap of the blinking red light separation and if I saw any ghosts or sprits of long dead rock stars that played at the original Woodstock. The lunch conversation included the visit to OPUS 40 and some of the upcoming ATA events such as the Taylor Collection tour on the 26th, Bill Cook's West Mountain tour on October 6. As well as Charlie and Carol Flanagan's up coming trip to Niagara Falls, that brought out the classic Three Stooges Niagara Falls skit rendition. At the conclusion of lunch and a short walk through Woodstock along with making a special stop at the Pegasus Footwear Store owned by club member Len Sapiro who had a Welcome ATA sign in the window. It was finally time to part ways and head back north to Albany and points beyond, a fitting end to a wonderful day of driving. -- Dave Faulkner

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August 6 Summer Invitational Freebie Picnic Monday, August 6, was the date for the ATA Summer Freebie Picnic. As the name suggests this is a picnic event for our members and their families sponsored by the ATA. Hot dogs, hamburgers and soda are provided by the club and each member/family brings a dish to share. This year we had over 40 attendees and as always some of the best food in the NorthEast, well, at least in Schenectady County. Our chef for the evening was none other than David Faulkner. He really knows his way around the kitchen and it doesn't hurt that he was a professional for about 15 years. Just stand back and let him do his thing. This event has been held at the Niskayuna Town Park on River Road for many years and includes a car show for those who bring them. There are two awards given, one for Favorite Car and the other for Furthest Traveled. This year, in spite of predictions of possible showers, nine owners brought out their vehicles to show. The picture above is Steve Kramer standing by his 1966 Morgan + 4. It was no surprise that his Morgan won the Favorite Car award. He has done a tremendous amount of work on it and it is apparent. Andy Mace, driving one of his Triumph Heralds, won the Furthest Traveled Award having come from East Nassau, NY, a distance of roughly 40 miles. The field was rounded out with three MGBs, an MG Midget, a Triumph TR 6, and two Jaguars. The 50/50 winner was Denise Palumbo. Luke Sheremeta, Andy Mace and Bruce Sells won shirts or hats as door prizes. President John Iseman used the occasion to make several announcements concerning upcoming events including the Woodstock Tour, Lake George Car Show, Taylor Car Collection, Golf Outing and the Gore Mountain Tour. He also read a thank you note from Joshua Barnes, a senior at Duanesburg Central School, who is the recipient of the Adirondack Triumph Association Award worth $250. Finally, we would like to give our well wishes to Joe Bena, one of the main organizers for this annual event, who was home recuperating after surgery. -- Ann and Doug Shaver

July 21 British Motor Fest On July 21, the Adirondack Triumph Association, in conjunction with the Saratoga Auto Museum (SAM), held its annual British Motor Fest on the grounds of SAM in the Saratoga Spa State Park. One hundred seven British car enthusiasts enjoyed the terrific sunny day to show off and converse about their little British cars. In addition to the Motor Fest, the Saratoga Auto Museum held an exhibition of motorcycles, including a Triumph motorcycle that was a replica of the cycle ridden by Henry Winkler in the ABC sitcom Happy Days. Other British auto clubs appearing in this year's Motor Fest were The MG Club of Berkshires, The Connecticut MG Club, Brits of the Hudson and the Daimler-Lancaster Owners Club of North America DLOC/NA. This year's show had 20 classes. The ATA President's Award was presented to Russ & Anne Moore, 1963 Austin Healey Sebring MX, and the ATA Best in Show winner was John & Linda Spillman, 1959 Jaguar XK 150S (also a national award winner). The SAM Prize Winner for People's Choice was Bill Finlay, 1959 Triumph TR3A; and the SAM Prize Best of the Brits went to Larry Laurence, 1969 Jaguar XKE. The SAM Best of Brits award to Larry for the 1969 Jaguar XKE, which could be a setup for the next exhibition at SAM entitled "Barn Finds". Larry's XKE is currently in the restoration process. The XKE did make it to the show on its own power with a just a minor problem of running just a little hot. Before the awards were presented, a 1927 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow owned by a private collector in Pa. was rolled off the travel trailer to be exhibited in the "Barn Finds" exhibition that is now open for viewing. The Rolls drew quite a crowd while being off loaded and readied to be driven into the museum. Auto shows are where car buffs, especially British car enthusiasts, meet to talk - well -- about their cars, and the Motor Fest is no exception. Larry Laurence's Motor Fest adventure starts off by receiving many "thumbs up" while driving the XKE from Schenectady to the show. I think the "thumbs up" has something to do with the Union Jack on the bonnet of the "Shaguar," Larry's Jaguar started out as a coupe, which no one knew until they were told. The Jaguar has not been out on the road for 15 years, which made the trip to Saratoga even more "shagadelic"! John Moore, an ATA club member, and Peter Mitler of Toronto, ON, Canada, met through the MG Experience web site and also at the MG2006 in Gatlinburg, TN. Peter is the owner of a restored 1979 B and drove from Toronto to participate in this year's show. John also restored his 1970 MGB and has a photograph album of the restoration that he proudly shows off. Somehow John always finds something new over winter to replace or redo. The night before the show, John and Peter performed some last-minute detailing in John's driveway. The extra attention worked for both John and Peter, because they took home the top prize in their respective classes. In closing, a big tip of the hat goes out to Motor Fest Chairperson Bill Cook, along with a big thanks to the rest of the Motor Fest organization committee and the show field volunteers for an outstanding job. An additional thanks goes out to the Saratoga Auto Museum, the venue of the ATA British Motor Fests. L-R: Bill Brett, John Moore, Barney Brower, Matt Gifford, Dave Watson, Peter Mitler and Adam West (kneeling). Click to see a larger version. Larry Laurence's 1969 Jaguar won Saratoga Auto Museum best of the brits award. Click to see a larger version. Other pictures from Bill Schroeder; more pictures to follow! British Motor Fest Results Class 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 1 TR2, 3A, B Lynn Arnold 1957 Triumph TR3 Michael Fitzgerald 1957 Triumph TR3 Mike and Karen Warzek 1962 Triumph TR3 2 TR4, 4A, 250 Herb Broestler 1966 Triumph TR4A Mitch Meisler 1966 Triumph TR4A   3 TR6 Craig Dorion 1973 Triumph TR6 Gray Brunenstuhl 1973 Triumph TR6 Larry and Sue Groesbeck 1975 Triumph TR6 4 TR7 & 8 Ken Coffi 1980 Triumph TR7 John Iseman 1980 Triumph TR8 Anthony and Jonathan Brennan 1980 Triumph TR7 Spider 5 Spitfire & GT6 David Pendergast 1967 Triumph Spitfire Pete, Kathy, Alicea Coon 1970 Triumph Spitfire Mk3 Jim Perry 1972 Triumph GT6 6 MG T Series Julie Stokes 1954 MG TF Joel Spiro 1955 MG TF Rick Hall 1948 MG TC 7 MGA Bill and Teri Cook 1957 MGA Steve Knoll 1961 MGA Chuck Thompson 1960 MGA 8 MGB/C Chrome Bumper John Moore 1970 MGB Richard Wagner 1963 MGB Al Dufault 1974 MGB 9 MGB Rubber Bumper Peter Mittler 1980 MGB Doug and Ann Shaver 1979 MGB Scott MacFalland 1976 MGB 10 Sprite / Midget Richard J Delorey 1965 MG Midget Ron Briggs 1961 A-H Sprite Keith Ray Wood 1967 A-H Sprite Mk IV 11 Austin Healey 100 / 3000 John and Judy McMullen 1960 Austin Healey 3000 BN7 Jerry Dwileski 1967 Austin Healey 3000 12 Jaguar Sports thru 1981 Pete Collins 1965 Jaguar E Type Larry Laurence 1963 Jaguar XKE Paul Dutra 1952 Jaguar MKVII 13 Other British sports thru 1981 Steve Kramer 1966 Morgan +4 Tom and Mary Zabresky 1963 Daimler SP 250 David Ford 1963 Daimler SP 250 14 Other British sedans & tourers thru 1981 Vic and Jeanne Handy 1948 Jaguar MK IV Dr. Joe Clark 1950 Morris Minor Ian and Elaine Sim-Mutch 1955 Daimler Conquest 15 British Trucks Joe and Wendy Gawlik 1961 Land Rover 88 Bill and Pam Badger 1970 Land Rover 109 16 Kit car / Replicar Jim Chamberlain 1971 Lotus 7 Replica 17 British Motorcycle Dennis and Pat King 1970 Bonneville 18 British cars 1982 on (except Minis) [No Entry] 19 Original Minis Tom and Marsha Judson 1964 Mini Van 20 Modern MINI 2002 to present Bill Cuddy 2006 Mini Cooper S President’s Award Russ and Anne Moore, 1963 Austin Healey Sebring MX Best of Show John and Linda Spillman, 1959 Jaguar XK 150S SAM Prize Peoples Choice Bill Finlay, 1959 Triumph TR3A SAM Prize Best of the Brits Larry Laurence, 1963 Jaguar XKE

July 4 Alplaus Parade Every 4th of July the Village of Alplaus puts forth an outstanding parade and celebration to honor America on its Independence Day. This year was no exception. To help honor America six ATA club members were in line for this year's parade. They were and in line order, Charley French along with three of his sons Eli, Isaac and David in father-in-law and Grandpa Joe Bena's 1960 TR3A, followed by Dave Faulkner in his 1975 Spitfire. Next were Joe Bertino & Ann Nafziger in a 1981 Delorean, Luke Sheremeta and his traveling partner in his 1974 MGB, Bob and Linda Pommerer in their 1967 Austin-Healy Sprite and John and Elizabeth Iseman in his 1980 TR8. Joe Bena's sore and stiff back kept him from driving down the parade route through the village. Everyone in the ATA line gave an extra wave and hook of the horn to cheer him up when passing his house. While all the cars were very well received along the parade route. The Delorean owned by Joe and Ann appeared to be the showcase of the ATA cars. Driving the parade route all the way and them some with the "gull wings" up, I think the kids were waiting for the car to take off like in "Back to the Future". Many comments were made along the parade route as the Stainless Steel Delorean drove by. Even one lucky parade support attendee was able to get a ride while the lining up was taking place. She was thrilled. All of the British Cars received many looks, but the Delorean by far got the most attention. Again this year the weather person was not promising a sunny and warm July day. The rain did hold off until after the parade ended. With the parade over and the candy to toss to the spectators all gone it was time to enjoy the rest of the holiday either at the Alplaus Fire House or at Joe Bena's house with his family and friends for a cookout. -- By Dave Faulkner & Joe Bena

Saturday, June 23: Great Turnout for Wonderful Washington County Tour So sure we had a perfect day for a tour and ok, since we had a great turnout (18 cars) and sure the Alpaca's were cute and soft but to drive our British sport cars all day on the country roads of Washington County, New York, well….it just doesn't get any better. Bill Cook, tour director and V.P., handed out route guides at our gathering spot in Mechanicville. Instructions were given and we were off across the Hudson. The tour was nicely broken up into moderate 45 minute to an hour drives between stops so as not to have numb parts of the body and/or overheating motors. Mechanically we did well with only a few glitches. Steve Knoll's MGA ran out of gas (nonfunctioning gauge) but a reserve gallon in the boot saved the day. Lynn Arnold's TR3 was more interesting in that the starter motor would not disengage. A few raps to the solenoid and a good quick disconnect on the battery kept her in the tour. Triumphs and MG's carried the day. Two beautiful Morgan Plus 4's, driven by Steve Kramer and Clark Flanagan with copilot, Carol Flanagan added diversity. Other cars and drivers included: Jim Bell, yellow TR7; Herbert Broestler, red TR4A; Bill and Teri Cook, red MGA; guests Gary and Kathy Clifford, light yellow MGB; David Faulkner, Spitfire; Scott and Sheila Zirlin, orange MGB; Dennis & Pat King , TR6; Denise J. Palumbo and Bernadine Peterson, dark blue TR6; Mike and Karen Warzek, black MGB; Doug and Ann Shaver, 79 brown MGB; Jim and Linda Shea, white TR4A; Rod Smith, dark blue TR4A; Phil Stoddard, red TR6. Our route moved along the Battenkill on secondary winding roads, perfect for our cars and opening motoring. Lynn Arnold's yellow TR7 and Peter and Dianne Tullan's red TR4 were the only fixed head coupes. We stopped at three covered bridges and had photo opportunities at each one. The Shushan covered bridge museum is a covered bridge! Closed off to traffic as it was filled with antiques and farming machinery from a bygone era. Lunch in Granville was a nice way to get back in touch with old friends as each group picked different restaurants. A vote taken after lunch nixed the zoo so we headed to Easton for our Alpaca education. We arrived after a fabulous drive past Cossayuna Lake and a ridge with great views east and west toward the mountains. A full Alpaca lecture with hands-on petting followed by a tour of the shop finished our trip. Everyone thanked Bill and Teri for leading our club on a great tour. After all, cleaning and maintaining our British cars is fun, but driving them on a glorious day in June is what it is all about. -- Steve Knoll

June 15: Go-Kart Night The ATAThe ATA rolled into Muscle Motors Speedway go-kart track in Cobleskill, NY on June 15th for the club's annual night of racing in powered vehicles smaller than a Mini. Ten club members along with six guest showed up for a night of racing, pizza eating and car talk. Muscle Motors Speedway is a road course with various curves along with a bridge an underpass and a "hair pin" turn to boot. This nifty little left-hand turn is over the bridge turning down into the underpass. After buckling in the karts and being giving the "rules of the road - No Bumping Allowed". The green flag was waved and the "start racing" command given to the set of Formula 1 want-a-bees, putting the pedal to the metal and the drivers were off on the course. Since this was a "gentlemen's" track the racing skill developed attempting to pass without blatantly bumping another kart. Of course nudging and blocking were perfectly acceptable. Since the ATA didn't have exclusive use of the track, we managed to hold our own against the competition. Track talk centered on the different karts and the driver's techniques employed on the track. This driver's technique was to get passed from the beginning and follow everyone until the end of the race. Damn, I knew I should have paid better attention to that kid in the GEICO commercial. In addition to the go-kart night, it was also a "Cruise In" night at Muscle Motors Speedway with number of different car makes and models on the field. Representing the British Auto flavour were; a TR4A, a Spitfire, a Mini 1275 GT, a MGB and a '91 Lotus. Also represented by a couple of club members were a Datsun Z-28 and a VW- Thing. Also receiving acknowledgement for being spotted but not on the field was another MGB and a Range Rover. With the darkness rolling in it was time for awards to be presented by the DJ. Club Member Herb Broestler's 1966 Triumph TR4 A won the trophy for "Best 1960's" car. There were a couple more spins on the track for those whose tokens were burning a hole in their pocket. Good byes were said along with "see ya at the Washington County tour on the 23rd" the night came to an end on another enjoyable night of go-kart racing. -- Dave Faulkner

March 10: Tech Session On Saturday, March 10th at the Christ Church in Duanesburg, NY, the ATA held an informal tech session. Twelve club members were present to chat about their LBC and eat pizza. Club President John Iseman started the discussion on what car projects everyone is working on during the winter. To get things rolling, John brought along his Spitfire seat that was a tech session topic last year and is still a work in progress. Bob Bailey had with him a steering wheel and column from his 1949 English Ford Prefect and provided a quick update as to what project he was working on. Also, Bob related the story to the group on how he acquired the '49 Prefect from a neighbor. After everyone had finished relating any car projects it was Paul Munson to have the floor with a couple of stories about his various vehicles. First of which is attempting to figure out how best to spend his recent 50/50 winnings from the February banquet on his 1964 Herald. The next humorous tale involved a 1950s era small station wagon (not sure if it was British) that he purchased for $1,200 because that is all he had in his pocket. The cash must have been burning a hole in his pocket. According to Paul this little gem of a car for the next 4 or so years was either in the repair shop or close to being on its way there. A Ben Franklin bill, relieved Paul of this little gem with a promise from the buyer to return in a week and show the Munsons how good the car could look. Which did happen according to Paul. Since no one could top any of Paul's tales, not even John Iseman's eBay purchases and subsequent road trips from Portland, OR, and Indy with the purchased car, the night came to a fitting end.

February 6: Tech Session Bob Ensign hosted a tech session on "Hands on Prep and Painting" on February 6, 2007, @ 6:00pm., at Ensign Auto Body, 1334 Central Ave. Albany, NY.

February 3: Banquet The ATA's annual banquet was held on February 3rd at the beautiful River Stone Manor in Scotia, NY, on the banks of the Mohawk River. Jim Beil and Joe Bena on the high recommendation of Lynn Arnold get high marks as well as many Kudos for organizing an excellent banquet. Forty-eight people attended the event twenty-six of them were club members. The night started off with a cocktail and Hors d'Oeuvre hour with background music provided by DJ and club member Barney Bower and his side kick, son Doug. A very delicious dinner buffet of Breast of Chicken filled with Cranberry/Apple pear stuffing and Chef Carved Ginger Glazed Tenderloin of Pork as the main entries. Accompanying the entries were steamed broccoli, red potatoes with rosemary, a garden salad with rolls, of course finished off with coffee and apple crisp for dessert. Following dinner club President John Iseman began the night activities with the answers to the trivia contest for door prizes. The trivia contest was prepared and researched by John and Elizabeth Iseman. The contest questions were the vehicles driven by James Bond matched to the movie they appeared in. Here are three questions from the night. Name the vehicles driven by 007 in the following movies? Dr. No, Live and Let Die and Tomorrow Never Dies. [Answers: Dr. No -- Sunbeam Alpha Series II; Live and Let Die -- Double Decker Bus; Tomorrow Never Dies -- BMW 7500 iL.] Club member Skip Beck won the trivia contest. Maria Jackman did another outstanding job of selling 50/50 raffle tickets. Paul Munson was the 50/50 winner. Hopefully his winnings will be put to good use getting his Herald in driving condition for the upcoming year [AMEN to that! -- Webmaster]. The main event of the evening was the traditional wacky auction with its variety of gifts. Surprisingly the appearance by Mr. Wizzer never materialized. Instead, a purple article of very skimpy evening attire made the rounds of a few tables along with plenty of laughs with each theft. The main prize that appeared to have everyone's eye besides a box of lottery tickets was a Bluebird house. As usual the wacky auction provided plenty of humorous moments as well as nice gifts. Chardonnay topped the list of the wines that were chosen during the auction. With the conclusion of the wacky auction the rest of the evening was handed over to Barney for music and dancing. There was a good mix of music and a request for a swing melody that two couples showed off their fancy footsteps on the floor. I believe I heard a little bit of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" in the swing melody. Again many thanks to Jim and Joe for their work in organizing the banquet it was a very enjoyable time with great food in a great place. Click on any of the pictures below to see larger versions.
Barney and Doug Bower	Steve and Nancy Knoll	Steve and Nancy Knoll	Maria Jackan, Elizabeth Iseman, Dineen, Lynn Arnold	Maria Jackan, Elizabeth Iseman, Dineen, Lynn Arnold