The Steering Column
Left Hand Drive from our President

How long have I missed thee, let me count the days.

*	It has been about 153 days since I remanded the MG to storage. I have about 20 days until it is paroled and once again under my custodial care.
*	It has been over 365 days since our world has been turned upside down by an unknown, unheard of, and uninvited scourge.
*	I have around 45 days until I am mandated to the weekly lawn manicuring duties. Of course this will also include planting, pruning weeding and fertilizing all the things we want green and colorful.

Difference between weeds and plants? If you water it, feed it and give it love but it still dies, it is a plant. If you ignore it, step on it and cuss at it all the while it flourishes, it is a weed.

Back to the MG.

Looking forward to picking up my beloved MGB the morning of the club’s “Spring Tune Up”. Hopefully, if the car had a nice winter’s nap, it will repay me with a trouble free ride from the Marengo storage site all the way to Don’s Auto Ade in Warrenville. The trip should prove to be a good spring shakedown cruise hopefully avoiding any major problems.

To any member that has not attended the Spring Tune up, I strongly suggest the event. Nothing like letting some of the clubs truly talented mates look over my car pointing out all the things I did wrong to feed that inferiority complex I thought I licked in 10th grade.

Time to load up your MG with oil, a filter and any other parts that you may need for those little fix it wishes and head to Don’s on the 17th.

This year we should have a pool to see who cross threads their oil filter, leaking most of the oil on the floor. If memory serves me, I was the lucky winner about four years ago.

Now I am counting down the days until the summer gods bless us with some beautiful driving weather. Of course we must all try to avoid the devil’s construction zones whenever possible.

Stay safe my friends,

~~ Phil Wydra

	The Steering Column
	Right Hand Drive   from our Vice-President

Uncle Phil.

It was about 1970 when my parents met Phil Jarvis, everybody knew him as Uncle Phil.? Phil, was a mechanic at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. He was the guy who introduced my mom and dad to the British cars. Uncle Phil was a brilliant man, his IQ ranged between 160 to 170. If I were to describe his physical appearance- he had a handlebar mustache, large round brown spectacles and most the time he wore button down shirts. However, when he was working on his car(s), Uncle Phil wore blue/white stripe overalls and cuffing jeans. Uncle Phil was a "hipster" before the term hipster became popular.

Phil was married to aunt VI (Viola) and they never had any children of their own. Although, I believed their cars were their children. Uncle Phil and Aunt VI named their cars Green Machine a 1952 MG TD, Aunt Gertie a 1948 MG YT and almost famous of them all-Scotty a 1949 MG. Scotty had his own identity for several reasons. 1. It was hand painted Scottish Plaid by Phil. 2. It carried celebrities such as, Mary Ann Childers, Fahey Flynn Newscasters from ABC7, Bozo the Clown, Son of Svengoolie and Ronald McDonald and, of course, other celebs when the Chicago Vintage club drove in the Chicago Parades. Those were some cold days burrrr...driving topless down I-55, OMG, it was so cold at times that I went numb from head to toe.

Uncle Phil not only hand painted the body of the car, but also the engine- Scottish Plaid, yellow spokes, a Union Jack top and, if I do remember correctly, red interior. This car turned heads and, yes, even at times, shrugged shoulders with blinking eyes and raised eyebrow.

Uncle Phil worked tirelessly on his cars after his day job. He even worked on everyone else's cars what eventually turned a hobby into a new venture- Heg Haggy. If you dialed heg haggy on a dial phone, then you were calling Uncle Phil. Uncle Phil and Aunt VI lived off Pulaski in Chicago - he worked out of his one car garage, he also took over the neighbor’s garage for additional space for more cars.

Prior to Pixar, Uncle Phil created clay animation and did short films, he filmed his cars doing funny skits, for instance, an MG giving birth to a baby MG. He had the baby MG held by the rear bumper and was imitating crying as he was holding it up and showing it the world. Uncle Phil was so precise with details as if he were actually delivering a baby, he did all the sound engineering, filming, and lighting. Uncle Phil of course was the Doctor and I think Aunt VI was the nurse.

I can go on and on about my uncle Phil.

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