Several Chicagoland MG Club members graciously participated in the Naperville and Lisle Townships Triad Spring Car Care Safety Clinic for Seniors (50+). This semi-annual event helps area senior drivers to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition for driving in the upcoming summer months.

Six club members were on hand to lend their expertise by performing multipoint vehicle inspections on cars driven by seniors. Reinout Vogt, Bill Kalafut,

Jim Vondran gets a push from Reinout Vogt in a 1984 Mini-Corvette go-kart. (It was built in 1983 under license from GM in advance of the introduction of the 1984 Corvette C4.)

Scott Boyer, Dean Hickenlooper and Tim Schafer staffed the inspection floor, along with other volunteers from UTI (Universal Technical Institute, AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Team), and the Lisle Police Department. Fellow MG Club member Jim Vondran organizes and coordinates the car care safety clinics for the Triad organization.

The combination of nice weather, a great venue, and so many talented volunteers helped set a new record 71 vehicle inspections at the May 13th event. Seniors were welcome to wait in a comfortable setting, located just steps from the vehicle inspection area. There they could have coffee, doughnuts, and other treats while viewing vendor tables expressly chosen to provide safety information.

Several antique and vintage cars were on display, and seniors could climb into and have their picture taken in a Model T Ford, an MG, or a 1956 DuPage County Sheriff’s squad car. Others opted to take a ride in a Model T, offered by two of the Tin Lizzie owners. Additionally, a corps of AAA/AARP volunteers performed optional CarFi inspections, designed to make sure that drivers are properly positioned in their vehicle, and their mirrors are properly set for safe driving.

I’d like to thank the MG club members who championed this important event, particularly Reinout Vogt and Victor L’Heureux, and those that dedicated their time to make this a very successful and worthwhile event.

~~Jim Vondran