Small world

[Michael Oritt]

I ran across this picture on a French Healey site. It was taken in 2002 on the way to Conclave in Lake Tahoe, during a detour to the Bonneville Salt Flats. That's my car in the foreground wearing the bra. One or both of the red cars and the green Abbot were from the UK. I believe the picture was taken by Bob MacElwee's daughter--his car is out of the picture.

 

[Bob McElwee]

The car next to yours is Peter and Ann Hunt's car that they ran in the Around the World in 80 Days Rally. The next one is another Brit julian Bowen's, car, the white Bugeye is Bill Cantrall's of the Midwest Club and finally it is Clive Randall's Abbott. The three Brit cars started in Ocean City, MD and ran US 50 all the way to Lake Tahoe, except for the side trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Jean and i joined up in St Louis. Bob Brown and I flew to MD to surprise greet the Brits at David Stonely's place.
It was one of the most fun Healey road trip we've ever been on. Jean drove Linda's BJ8 to Salt Lake City where Linda flew in and drove the rest of the way in her car. I think about a 5,500 mile 3 week trip with the top down the whole time.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Bob--

Thanks for the refresher--thed trip was indeed a blast.

I was among the approximately 15 cars that started in Ocean City and finished in Tahoe--so was Steve Byers who frequents this forum. I paired up with Julian and his navigator--name now forgotten--and while we generally stuck with the pack on Route 50 we sometimes took smaller parallel roads during the day and met up with the others at the nightly planned stops. The high point for me was when several of us went up Pike's Peak, the top section of which was unpaved. Julian and his passenger were both big men and I remember Julian having to eject his rider in order to climb the last 500 or so feet.

 

[Bob McElwee]

Michael,

I think Julians companion was Laurance McDowall. I still have a mail 'group' Open Roads from back in the day. Might just fire out an email about our reminiscing about the trip. Almost 16 years ago!

 

[dougie]

That Tahoe event was one of my favorites. My son (12 at the time) and I drove down in a conclave with about 30 Healeys from the Oregon and Washington Healey Clubs. Keith Martin, editor of Sports Car Market Magazine was among our drivers as he bought a Healey for the roadie to the event. My wife and 7-year old daughter flew into Reno where we picked them up then ran the hill climb back up to the lake. Kids had a great time, the weather was wonderful, we even took the long boat tour across the lake which was beautiful. We all enjoyed every bit of this event.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Bob--

Maybe we can have a reunion in the Black Hills next summer?

BTW--What broke for me on the trip:

1. On the way to Tahoe a burned up ignition switch which I replaced with a simple SPST switch in Dodge City, KS.
2. After Tahoe and on the way to LA to visit my children a broken second gear some place near Lompoc, CA which I replaced with a Toyota 5 speed at Smitty's Thousand Oaks shop (with a lot of help from Smitty and a couple of local Healey guys whose names escape me), and,
3. On the way back to MD a burned set of points in Pittsburgh.

Other than that the trip was trouble-free for me--I had a ball!

 

[Bob McElwee]

Michael,

Doubt if we will be there, no Healey anymore. But i'm sure Bob Brown and some others will be there. When i went to write the email, it appears that multiple upgrades from MS for Mac Entourage to Outlook lefft the list but not the group.

The only problems we had were I had to replace the starter on the '62 on the hot motel parlking lot at the KC overnight stop. A fromer neighbor picked it up at Vicky B and we had dinner after we finished. It caused me to miss the 'ceremony' in Jeff City where the day was proclaimed Donald Healey Day. One of the Gateway members was the Jeff City correspondent for the St Louis Post Dispatch.
The other problem was a loose wire to the fuel pump on either the '62 or '67 somewhere in South Dakota or Nebraska. It took more time to find it than fix it.

Over the years we've had remarkably good luck with all our Healeys on our road trips to Conclaves, regional shows and regular trips.

 

[Keoke]

OH YEAH!

Me N Lil Red was there too what a ball.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Bob--

I sent you a PM

 

[Bob McElwee]

Michael,
i tried to reply, don't know if it worked or not.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Bob--Yep, got it.

All--

It is quite amazing the number of us who were at the event and went away not knowing each other only to have now "met" through this forum.

 

[Healey 100]

Lake Tahoe event was one of the best Healey events ever. We drove from New Mexico with a few of our Healey friends. It was brutally hot in the lowland deserts that surround Tahoe. Arriving at Tahoe felt like landing in a cool and beautiful oasis. It is one of the finest destinations in this country. My car ran reasonably well on the long trip, but it one of its old Semperit tires delaminated suddenly on that lonely US50 on the way home. My spare tire was a bit of a clunker so the trip home from there was rather slow and delicate.

 

[John Turney]

Lake Tahoe was my Healey's first event following rebuilding.

 

[Jerry]

I was there too! Loved that meet. It took me almost 1 hour to get there! I really had fun in the autocross. My wife entered me in the Modified class with the V8s. I had a 100 6 with a 3000 engine. Got first place and had a great time.
Jerry

 

[BJ8Healeys]

I've enjoyed regular longish trips of 300 - 700 miles since I've owned my BJ8 (1984), but the US50 drive to Open Roads is the absolute highlight since it was the first time I had ever driven completely across the country in one go, and to do it in a Healey was a very special treat (I did it again, to San Diego in 2008 for Conclave). I had zero failures during the round trip to Tahoe -- not even a flat tire.

 

[BJ8Healeys]

Bob--

Thanks for the refresher--the trip was indeed a blast.

The high point for me was when several of us went up Pike's Peak, the top section of which was unpaved. Julian and his passenger were both big men and I remember Julian having to eject his rider in order to climb the last 500 or so feet.

On top of Pikes Peak, 20 June 2002. Peter and Ann Hunt's #83, Michael's Hundred, Clive Randall's Healey Westland, TARHEELY. The Westland went on to some very interesting adventures: https://www.marqueart.com/marqueart/background_fwm_237_the_praying_mantis.htm