2023 October Meeting Notes

St Johns Austin-Healey Club
Jacksonville, Florida

a chapter of the

Austin-Healey Club of America

St. Johns Austin Healey Club Member Meeting for Oct. 2, 2023

The October meeting was called to order by club President Bill Young at 7:25 p.m. at the home of Bill and Char Maroney in Ponta Vedra. In addition to the hosts, attending were Judy Young, Paul Sandefer, Dave Morton, Tony Martini and Ron Keysor.

The minutes of the September meeting held during the club 49th Anniversary Birthday celebration Sept 16, an event hosted by Tom and Linda Carollo at their home in Deerwood, were approved. Bill extolled the preparations the Carollos made for the event at their very natural wooded and landscaped property. Treasurer Sandefer reported the club bank balance stands at $$$$$$$. Member Chair Maroney reported the club membership unchanged at 38.

Tony, who, along with Bill Maroney, drove one of his Healeys to the club anniversary outing at the invitation of Carollos, also recorded the only casualty. Upon departure his exhaust systems, a BJ7 system on a BJ8 car, snagged on the driveway bridge and damaged two of the hangers. Tony was able to get that car home, where it awaits repair.

Erling Onsager, who manages the club’s web site, SJAHC.com, has been updating the content, including photographs from the club birthday and low country boil event mentioned earlier. Members should visit the site and possibly provide Erling with some new content which might include photos of their cars or additional material about Austin Healeys. Bill expressed thanks for Erling’s continuing care for the web site.

Members are alerted to a car cruise luncheon at the Kings Head Pub on U.S. 1 scheduled this Thursday, the meeting time 11:30 a.m. Please give Tony a call if you plan on making the drive. The Pub property, which features a London double-decker bus, is also the site of the XXXIV British Car Classic to be hosted by the Triumph Club of North Florida on Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A number of SJAHC members plan on attending, but the show is always open to the public without charge.

Only one Healey from the SJAHC made it all the way up to Asheville, N.C., for the Southeastern Classic, the major annual Healey show in this region that was held last month. John and Nancy Leenhouts put something like 1,200 miles on their BT7 driving to the show and attendant activities, departing from their place near Lakeland and driving every one of those miles. This in a side-curtain car. No roll up windows for the Leenhouts. Nancy’s car, Tinkerbell, not only made the trip, it also captured best of show, the second such award Tinkerbell has won, Bill Young said. This is no “trailer queen.”

One additional upcoming SJAHC event is a tech session at Paul Sandefer’s home/garage/lift/boat dock, etc., hard by Doctors Lake alongside Orange Park beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Members are free to bring their Healeys. The theme is fuel gauges and fuel float “adjustments,” but generally anything goes in addressing maintenance issues, a field that Healey owners all know (or soon learn) are rich with possibilities.

In the more distant future, the Christmas party, will be held on Dec. 16 at the home of Ben and Lisa Procter In Palencia, a very nice residential development in the St. Augustine area. The Procters, it was mentioned, were introduced to our club at the Christmas party held last year at Tony Martini’s home, a particularly engaging evening that dispensed with the often problematic gift exchange. Members will be updated on this party as its date approaches.

One other event last night, the nomination of officers for the coming year. Ignoring the opportunity to surprise unsuspecting members with their nomination, the current officeholders, with one exception, will stand for reelection at the November member meeting. The exception, Dave Morton, last night accepted nomination for the club vice presidency currently held by Alan Winer. Alan, as most know, is super busy multi-tasking with two Healeys, two Porsche 356s, and a pair of Jaguar 140XKs. He and wife Janis Croft have managed the 356 organization in Florida for years.

Nominations for club offices are welcome and should be submitted prior to the Nov. 6 member meeting. Those currently in office include Bill Young, president (many times), Dave Morton, VP; Paul Sandefer, treasurer; Ron Keysor, secretary; Bill Maroney, membership; Rick Stevenson, AHCA delegate; Erling Onsager, webmaster; Tony Martini and Dave Morton, activity directors. Members will find all of this, along with our complete schedule on the agenda notice President Young sends out each month. It’s included here because the club secretary is (unwisely) being paid by the word.

During the past month Bill Maroney and Mike Foster joined Rick Stevenson at Rick’s Mandarin garage to install a rear axle assembly in Rick’s ’67 BJ8. This chore took part of two days. It wasn’t so much trouble getting the axle, which of course includes the bulky and heavy differential, back in the car. It was getting the leaf springs reattached, this even necessitating a call to an expert in Maryland who offered this encouraging advice, according to Bill, once you get the leaf springs attached on one side, the other side will be even more difficult. Confirmed.

Dave Morton, having recently become well versed in car painting as he repaired the rear of his Healey damaged by another car backing into it, has now tackled what sounds like a pretty rough TR6. This has included replacing doors, panels, etc., what sounds like the opening foray into a prolonged restoration. Fortunately Dave hopes to retire from his real job as a commercial pilot in 2025, freeing him to tinker with his car collection and serving as an air controller at air shows. Backing up just a bit, Dave’s new expertise in painting applies to full-size cars. He is noted for the quality of the model cars he builds. An acquaintance attended a model car show in Tampa a few years ago where Dave won ALL of the prizes.

The October meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m., with the guests gathering in the Maroney kitchen to enjoy the many snacks and liquid refreshments provided by the hosts. They are always attractive and plentiful.

The Nov. 6 member meeting will held once again at Casa Amigos Mexican Bar and Grille in Mandarin. Members will receive a reminder closer to that date. R.Keysor, Sec.