The February Club meeting will be our “Official” annual Business Meeting. This meeting also fulfills the State charter requirement. It is also a good chance to hear each of the key officers give their outlook on the past year and where they see the club headed in the future. This may sound boring to some, but very interesting to others and truthfully is key for the club. It also offers attending club members to ask questions or challenge what is being said. I am looking forward to a lively and productive interactive meeting. We will also be presenting our annual club awards for 2013. Hope you are able to attend. To spice up the meeting, we will be viewing a video recording of the Abingdon Players and the Magnettes from our Christmas party.

I don't need to say anything new about the cold weather, other than to say that January was a miserable time for trying to drive our MGs, or any car for that matter. The amount of salt on the roads and the number of pot holes is beyond sensible description. I just hope that the cold and snow ends early this year, since it started early and really hasn't let up.

For our March meeting we will be having Dave Bralich hold a tech session on oil filters. We will also have Reinout Vogt begin to finalize plans for our driving events for the season. For April, Steve Skegg will be hosting a tech session on topics of your choice. Just let one of us know what you would like to have for a topic. These should be great meetings as we get our cars ready for the driving year.

It is time to begin volunteering to work at our Swap Meet that is being held at the end of March this year instead of the end of February. So planning for this event is now well underway and is discussed in other parts of this Driveline. Make sure that you hold this date, March 30 on your calendar as we always need lots of volunteers to make this a continued success and money maker for the club. This will be the 18th year for having this event. Remember to follow us on Facebook and our web site.

-- George Phariss

The Steering Column Right Hand Drive

I joined the Club in the fall of 2005 when I looking for a MGB to purchase. A former member had a car for sale in the city and I bought it. I took part in many of the activities that year and wanted to get more involved, so I ‘cast my hat into the ring’ for the Secretary position in 2007 (losing to incumbent, Doug Clark) and again in 2008. I won that election. I completed five years in that position and stepped down to focus on the Driveline as Editor – a position I still hold.

Why did I want an MG? Well we have to go back a few years. What kind of car would a single Navy sailor in San Diego want to be seen in? Well, my good (married) buddy had a 1962 British Racing Green TR3. I wanted to look as good as he did at that sporty car, so I went to various dealers to find my car. My first disappointment was that I didn’t quite fit comfortably in the driver’s seat of the Triumph. I don’t remember what the problem was – maybe I was too tall – I forgot. I was a skinny kid so I can rule out being too wide for the bucket seat. Another Navy buddy (from Red Bluff, CA – north of Chico) had brought down to San Diego his 1953 red MG TD. He looked great in that car – he would drive with a black & white checkered snap-cap on his head and a Meerschaum pipe in his mouth. I got to get me a MG to look cool!

Again back to the dealers looking for a MG. Since the 1970 models were out, I started looking for a used 1969 or earlier. I found this 1969 primrose yellow MGB with overdrive and low mileage – I fell in love! Well I bought that car and that was when I found out about the feud between MG vs Triumph owners. My TR3 buddy and I had many friendly barbs between us and we were always in competition for the best car performance. I left the San Diego area a few years later after being discharged and traveled back to Chicago. My TR buddy resides now in Simi Valley, CA and is still a good friend. His TR3 has been in the garage on blocks for the past 20+ years and covered in a tarp. He tells me he wants to refurbish it and start driving again, but who knows if that will ever happen.

I sold my 1969 MGB to a friend when I ‘upgraded’ to a new car that was all the rage – a Datsun silver grey 240Z hatchback. What a car! Six cylinders with 151 hp, a terrific 5-speed transmission and a great sporty look. Well a number of events changed my car needs – I got married, moved back to the West Coast, started a family and needed a ‘family car’. The 1976 red Volvo 264GL filled the bill, but I knew someday I would again have a MGB to drive. My family has grown and ‘left the nest’ and my dream of owning a MGB resurfaced. Well, you know the rest of the story…

-- ~~ Victor L’Heureux