Fwd: Ragtops & Roadsters June 2021 Shop Talk Newsletter

[Jack Kimple]

Please note Rebels and Roadsters in Washington State Park July 3
It may be a nice reason for a ride even if we’re not in the show.
Jack

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Ragtops & Roadsters <dave at ragtops.com>
> Date: June 15, 2021 at 9:25:59 AM EDT
> To: JACK KIMBLE <JKIMPLE at gmail.com>
> Subject: Ragtops & Roadsters June 2021 Shop Talk Newsletter
> Reply-To: us4-bc8334f3e6-010f36ac6b at inbound.mailchimpapp.net
> 
> 
> View this email in your browser
> 
> June 2021
> SHOP TALK
> WELCOME NEW SHOP TALK SUBSCRIBERS!
> CONTACT US | SERVICES | WORKS IN PROGRESS | CARS FOR SALE
> Visit RAGTOPS.COM today to see recent updates and new photos! 
>  
> In This Edition:
> Through the Windscreen
> Events Calendar
> Shop News
> In the Rearview
> Looking for New Garage
> Through The Windscreen
> 2021 MG International Atlantic City, NJ
> June 14th - June 17th
>  
> Four MG National Clubs at one show! The MMM Register, T-Register, NAMGAR and the MGB Register all join together as the North American MG Council puts this event together once every 5 years! On-line registration is closed but you can register in person! Drives, rallies, tech sessions, tours, and banquets happen all week! 
> 
> 
> This week, look for us in the vendor room at Harrah's at MG 2021 in Atlantic City. We also plan on having this vintage 1939 MG VA Tickford at the show on Thursday!
> Rebels vs Redcoats
> July 3rd
>  
> As part of its annual Independence Day celebration, Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA) invites classic car owners to participate in its third annual Rebels & Redcoats Classic Car Show, being held this year on Saturday July 3rd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In keeping with the park’s revolutionary history, the show features only American, French, British and German cars, representing the four countries involved in the Revolutionary War. Cars from all years up to 1995 are welcome. Car owners can register to attend at WashingtonCrossingPark.org. Online pre-registration is $25, day of show is $35. The show is limited to 200 cars and awards will be given in numerous categories.
> 2021 Philadelphia Concours at the Simeone Museum
> July 17th  Delaware & Chester Counties Road Tour
>  
> Click here to join us for a Classic Car Tour on July 17th at starting at 8  AM at La Locanda Ristorante in Radnor for a delicious full breakfast before we head out on a two-hour tour driving through the beautiful backroads of Delaware & Chester Counties. The tour will end at the world renowned Simeone Automotive Museum where you will have access to the Fourth Annual Philadelphia Concours d'Elegance and an opportunity to show your car at the concours! Corvette is the featured marque at the Concours this year!  Limited tour spaces are available. Dave will lead this tour and can be contacted at (215)-527-1409 with any questions.
> 2021 Cars and Motorcycles of England
> Saturday August 7th 
>  
> These days will return very soon! Volunteers from the Delaware Valley Jaguar Club and the Delaware Valley Triumph Club have met several times since last December and at this time, we are pleased to announce that CMoE  is a GO for Saturday August 7th! Registration is now open!  New this year, this is a PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY event! NO DAY OF SHOW REGISTRATION! click here to register for CMoE at Hope Lodge!
> America's British Reliability Run
> September 25th 
>  
> The PA ABRR will be a single day event again this year! Starting at Yardley Inn again, we will navigate a route north and westward through many of Bucks County Covered Bridges to the town of Skippack, PA where we will be treated a fantastic luncheon at the Hotel Fiesole and a tour of Dave Markel's vintage car collection of British Cars which covers two large buildings.  Don't miss this day!  Limited space will be available and the PA ABRR REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click here to register now.  Don't hesitate as space is limited!
> 2021 British Car Calendar of Events
> It is truly looking a little better every month now that more than half of America is vaccinated!  We here at Ragtops & Roadsters are getting a little more optimistic every day, hoping that we can soon get back to enjoying our passion this year! It was very challenging to put this calendar together, as this year, many events just cancelled or were moved to the fall. Please double check the website to confirm posted events!
>  
> 
> This is a web-based calendar of mostly British motorsports events for the 2021 Northeast driving season. We have included most major car marques and their websites. We suggest that you explore many other events that are listed on each website. If we have missed listing your event, please let us know so we may include in future calendars! Concours shows, overseas events, local meetings, regional events, national marque shows, rallies, cars and coffee events, vintage races, hill climbs, fall tours, and even Sunday drives, are also listed. We make our best attempt to provide a thorough and accurate listing of events. Remember to double check before you roll...
>  
> Many of the local British Car Clubs listed below are conducting their monthly meetings via Zoom. Check their website or Facebook Page for more info. Below is a sample of events that we have confirmed are on the 2021 calendar.  We encourage you to click on the links to find other events hosted by British car clubs. 
> 
> >
> Recurring Events
> Please check with event sponsors for recurring events this month.
> 2nd Tue	 	The Philadelphia MG Club Mtg. Blue Bell, PA
> 3rd Mon	 	Austin Healey Sport & Touring Club Mtg. North Wales, PA
> 3rd Tue	 	DVT Club GTR Mthly Mtg. North Wales, PA
> 3rd Sun	 	DVJ Breakfast Social Spring House, PA
> 3rd Sun	 	Mugs & Morgans Lumberville, PA
> Every Sat	 	Katie's Cars and Coffee Great Falls, VA
> Summary of events that are on the calendar!
> 6/14–6/17	 	NAMGAR GT-45 MGA National 2021 Atlantic City, NJ
> 6/22–6/26	 	Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Meet Lake George, NY
> 6/27	 	Brits by the Bay 2021  Hydes, MD
> 8/7	 	Cars & Motorcycles of England Ft. Washington, PA
> 9/14–9/18	 	VTR National Convention 2021 Oklahoma City, OK
> 9/25	 	America's British Reliability Run Yardley, PA
> 10/3	 	27th Annual British Car Gathering Hellertown, PA
> 10/15–10/17	 	Chattanooga Motorcar Festival Chattanooga, TN
> 11/5–11/7	 	Hilton Head Concours d' Elegance Hilton Head, SC
>  
> 
> Shop News.... We are Hiring!
>  
> Immediate opening for Master Automotive Technician experienced in mechanical assembly, fitting, repair and tuning required. Position is for restoration and repair of classic European cars. Our reputation for top-quality work is built on the talent of our team, 40 Hours per Week. If interested please click here for more details and contact Karl Kritzer email at shopmanager at ragtops.com or call 215.257.1202
> Motorcars Delivered... Ready for Spring / Summer Driving!
> by: Dave Hutchison
> 
> This 2005 Jaguar XK8 is a very nice, well kept car with a very clean light interior. Given the car's age, we recommended that the top hydraulics be inspected BEFORE the potential green shower rains down on the interior from the center top latch.  Sure enough we found lines that were cracking and we replaced the entire system as 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!'
> 
> This 1970 Lotus Elan came into the shop for a full evaluation.and it was soon revealed it had quite a bit of deferred service work that was needed. We rebuilt the front suspension, brakes and carbs.  We worked on chasing away the Prince of Darkness, balanced the carbs and installed a new set of tires. Look for this Elan blasting around the back roads near Princeton.
> 
> This 1973 low mileage Lotus Europa sat for a couple of years since purchased.  After a safety inspection, we installed a new stainless steel exhaust system including the header, replaced all four shocks and rebuilt the battery box with a reinforced steel plate molded in under the fiberglass. The owner is a happy driver.
>  
> 
> This 1959 Triumph TR-3A came in for seasonal maintenance. We sorted out some wiring issues, changed the oil and filter and put a new set of sneakers on this TR. The longtime owner just reported  that the car handles so much better with new rubber and he might been seen driving at night on the back roads of Millstone Township NJ! 
> In the Rearview
> 31st Annual Spring Open House
> by: Dave Hutchison
> 
> Our 2021 Spring Open House was very well attended and we estimate that over 100 classic cars with over 200 classic car enthusiasts stopped by to say hello! Mike led a group of a dozen cars on a spirited drive to Ragtops from our sister shop, Pollock Auto Restoration in Pottstown and the street was packed when they arrived!
> 
> 
> Our friend Jerry drove all the way in from Long Island and was the first guest arriving around 7 AM. He asked if he could help set up so we put him to work! Thanks again Jerry! He used to autocross his Europa back in the day and we went though the car a couple of years ago. He reported no problems on his early morning pot hole dodging on I-278! Charlene was there greeting everyone and not one scone was left!
> 
> 
> Many stopped in  from the Delaware Valley Triumph Club, Keystone MG Club, Delaware Valley Jaguar Club, Philadelphia Area Lotus Society, Old York Road members showed up to see what we had going on in the shop.
> 
> 
> Bob Pilat came down with his very handsome MGA sporting one of our competition windscreens and Jeff describes how much better his Elan handles since Craig rebuilt the entire suspension. The question remains; Does it handle as well as Ray's Elan?
> 
> 
> Owen got the word out to many of his Land Rover friends and several came by including this very rare Land Rover 107 Station Wagon where he photo bombed my picture! The Aston Martin Club parked on our overflow lot! 
> 
> 
> Late in the day, about a dozen members of the New Jersey Triumph Association came in from their Covered Bridge Tour led by club President, Peter Nelson to get a tour of the shop. Owen and I walked them around for a private tour and then Mike, Melody, Charlene and I joined them for dinner at our local pub here in town "The Perk". A good day was had by all!
> 
> 
> 26th Amelia Island Concours Report
> by: Dave Hutchison
> This year's Concours was, in spite of Covid 19, still the best in the business!  Down from 320 plus cars, Bill Warner and company fielded 231 of the finest classic cars out there!  The crowd was a bit smaller which was a pleasant surprise as you could see the cars up close and take the time to speak with their owners. As always, Bill's passion for racing and sportscars was present in full force! More show details later.
> 
> We almost didn't go this year as we, like so many others, held back due to Covid and we did not enter a client's car.  We got a call from our friend Chuck Reimel at Remiel Motorcars to see if we were trailering anything down this year. He was looking to transport a 2017 Aston Martin DB11 to have (and maybe sell) at Amelia. I called my good friend Sumra to see if he would like to ride shotgun and with less than 48 hours notice we put it together and we were on the road!
> 
> 
> We met Chuck at the Bonham's Auction, that was already underway when we rolled in after lunch on Thursday and saw this 1963 E-Type FHC that was estimated to bring 110 -140K bring 170K! The phone bidding was strong and it was reported that this auction brought in $20M with a 91 percent sell through rate. That is very good news for our hobby.
> 
> Price were back up again! The high dollar car of the auction was the 4.45M paid for the 1934 Mercedes Benz 500/540 K Special Roadster. After reading the history, we saw that it was not re-sprayed in it's original, Speedgray coloring with dark green accents? Maybe the new owner will bring it back to the way it looked in 1934.
> 
> We spotted the Bob Byers collection all ready to go up for a no reserve sale!  Bob was a local collector here in Bucks County and he helped us by sharing his cars at the Philly Auto Show in the AACA Exhibit and we did work on his cars for him. 
> 
> 
> The next morning we walked into the Cars 'n Coffee which was quite a bit smaller than in past years. In the shade were many E-Types, MGs, Alfas, vintage and modern mixed! We saw the Edsel Station Wagon with the camper that Tim Suddard from Classic Motorsports had restored and said hi to his lovely patient wife, Marjorie.  A couple of cars down there was Pete Brock with his Aerovault, the second generation car hauler that he designed! Wow. We chatted for a couple of minutes and I told him I will be in the market to buy one of his car haulers one day. 
> 
> 
> A very interesting take-off of a British car caught my eye; It is a 3-wheeled Vanderhall complete with wood dash, built in Provo, UT and sold through a distributor in Fort Lauderdale.  Make no mistake, it is not British nor even close but they do pay homage to the Triumph TR6!  I am sure it is an interesting ride!
> 
> Later we stopped by the RM Auction preview tent and yes less car were there, also! 
> 
> 
> We looked over this BN1 100-4 for our client who was thinking about bidding on the car. It was very nice although some trim items were incorrect; this car sold for 92K. Three DVT members did manage to find the only Triumph-based car at RM, a Swallow Doretti that we have all seen before in the Concours. Estimated to sell higher, it brought about 89K!
> 
> 
> Officially recognized as the Cunningham 60th Anniversary C8 Corvette just 60 are being hand built as a tribute to Briggs Cunningham. The never seen before original 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante prototype was there in all it's glory complete with untouched aluminum grill trim from the Carrozzeria Touring. Only four of these wind tunnel tested experimental race cars have survived!
> 
> 
> This Lotus MK VIII may well be the only one in the states as it was recently imported from the UK.  Aerodynamically beautiful in everyway as it was the first full body aero design by Frank Costin for Lotus. Check out the location of the SU Fuel pump in the 1956 Cooper T39 MkIII... Is that so the driver could give it a whack when failing?
> 
> 
> This is a 1958 AC Ace with a Bristol engine chassis # BEX 389 in black with the original red interior stored for 40 years and purchased by its current owner in 2010.
> 
> 
> I finally got a shot with these two guys! I never know who I am talking with! This Harrington Tiger has Sebring history and may come up to the Simeone Museum.
> Charlie Kemp by Sumra Manning
> 
> At Amelia Island, you can bump into famous people just walking around.  One example is Charlie Kemp, a Can Am racer from the '70s, who raced at Laguna Seca, Riverside and Watkins Glen against George Folmer, Mark Donohue and others.  He scored wins at Daytona, and Mosport, driving Lolas, McLarens and the famous Porsche 917/10.
> 
> While I was chatting with the owner of a Sunbeam Alpine on the show field, Charlie walked up to talk with the owner, whom he knew.  Then the conversation turned to CanAm racing, on which he was an expert!  The stories continued for a good 10 minutes and ranged from downshifting at the kink at Road America to avoid flipping his 917 to his recommendation in 1973 to change Can Am rules and concluded with his opinion on the UOP Shadows on the show field (featured at this year's Concours).  There's nothing like listening to someone who was actually there!
> 
> 
> This Ferarri 275 GTB/S won the GT Class in the 1965 24 Hours of Lemans!  Where else do you find ten 275 GTBs all in one location? Nowhere but Amelia!
> 
> 
> Leave it to Jeff Lane of the Lane Motor Museum to bring the full size Monopoly piece that all us car guys and girls wanted when we were kids and it won Best of Show Peoples Choice! Lyn St .James was the well deserved honoree this year as she was the first lady to again blaze the trail for others to follow!
> 
> Best of Show Concours de Sport went to the 1974 DN4 Shadow race car (one of six) that James Bartel brought in from Key West. The Concours de Elegance went to Jill and Charles Mitchel for their stunning 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Cabriolet from Stuart Florida. Congratulations to Bill Warner and his team for another fabulous event in the face of uncertain times. Well done!
> Looking For a New Garage
>  
> We have recently listed on our website more of our client's British cars looking for new homes. Click on our For Sale page to see current listings. 
> 2005 MORGAN ROADSTER
> Built in November 2005, the odometer shows only 6000 miles and this car is one of 82 Morgan Roadsters that were imported into the US that year. The 3.0 liter V6 Duratec engine runs very strong, the gearbox operation is smooth and brakes are very good. The aluminum body is finished in Connaught Green, a standard factory colour, fitted with Yarwood biscuit leather upholstery. Included is a fawn mohair hood, tonneau and suede side curtains. Black carpets are piped with biscuit leather, finished with black wing beading. Air bags, air conditioning, LeMans shift knob, door pockets and luggage carrier and more. including the original chassis certificate, a banner celebrating the 100th anniversary of Morgan,  custom dust cover and more. This A-title, one owner, motorcar looks and drives like a new car and has been meticulously maintained since new. Recent annual service completed at Ragtops & Roadsters and all maintenance records are available for your inspection. Click here to see more pictures, asking price and contact Dave at ragtops.com. 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> We are here to help out with spring and summer projects. Now is the time to take care of the deferred maintenance, restoration, preservation, and upgrade needs that are on your car's 'To Do' list! Click here to send an e-mail to dave at ragtops.com; or just call us at 215-257-1202 to schedule an appointment. We are running at full speed and we are currently scheduling appointments late July through the summer. It's not too late to schedule and plan repair or restoration work soon, so that you can be enjoying driving your classic this summer and fall!
> Happy Motoring!
> Dave & the Staff at Ragtops & Roadsters.
>  
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