May 2022 LUCAS LAMP
‘British Cars Only’ parking at the Tarpon Lodge.
Photo courtesy BCCSWF
BCCSWF Events Report
by Hermann Schaller
Photo Drive & Lunch at Tarpon Lodge
On March 23rd, seven British cars, and three cars from countries that had been occupied by British forces at some time, brought 19 BCCSWF club members to a meeting point in western Cape Coral. These members — Christine and John Baum, Kitty and Bob Begani, Sue Fero and Steve Kurowski, Martha and Tom Lambert, Kim and John Orr, Jim Pase and Jackquie, Jeri and Hermann Schaller, Angela and John Sergeant, Jim Woodall, and Liz and George Young — drove from there in nearly complete convoy formation through Matlacha to Pine Island.
We stopped at a parking lot to take advantage of the opportunity to make semi-professional pictures of the cars for our 2023 BCCSWF calendar. The mostly empty parking lot, the lush green background and the lighting worked well, but the reflections in the shiny dark paint of some cars presented a challenge.
After that, we drove to the historic Tarpon Lodge, where the owner had blocked off a “British Cars Only” section of the parking lot right at the waterfront.
Maureen Larkin met us there for the group photo before entered the Lodge for a coffee or drink ahead of lunch. The staff at the Tarpon Lodge took great care of us and we enjoyed a classy meal in the cool atmosphere of this “hidden gem” location. Al Jensen arrived a little late for lunch, but not too late for the remainder of the tour.
After finishing lunch with a piece of real Florida key lime pie, we crossed the street to the Randell Research Center, where a guide was waiting to inform us about the significance of this location to the Calusa People, who had dominated southern Florida long before any European set foot on this continent. The details about the Calusa culture were fascinating and the circumstances of their demise sobering.
As interesting this history lesson was, we were facing increasing temperatures for the afternoon, and driving back through the Matlacha traffic jam would be a test of the cooling capabilities of the older British cars as well as their drivers and navigators. Everybody made it and no reports about overheating engines were submitted to the organizer.
Tom Shaw’s fundraiser for Ukraine
On March 26th, BCCSWF member Tom Shaw used the community garage sale in his neighborhood to offer hot dogs in his driveway to raise donations for the Ukrainian Red Cross. Many BCCSWF members responded to his call and drove their British cars or daily drivers to his address. Ed O’Neil organized a drive of three Austin-Healeys to Tom’s house.
Tom was able to raise $1,650 for the good cause. Our thanks goes out to Tom for taking the initiative to help the people of Ukraine.
Our April Meeting
Tom’s hot dogs. All for a good cause, the Ukrainian Red Cross.
Photo courtesy BCCSWF
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by President Hermann Schaller with 49 attendees present.
Bylaws
Two amendments were proposed and carried unanimously as follows:
Article 4: The references to “odd” and “even” years was removed from the verbiage in the first sentence.
Also Article 4: “In the event an officer cannot carry out their term of office, the President shall name a new person to that position” was inserted.
Membership
Per the Bylaws, each membership includes all family members. Each person within the family counts as one member, and is also entitled to vote on club matters. As of April 12th, there were 68 paid membership accounts with 129 voting members.
Member listing
Regarding this listing, members voted on the following content:
The list shall include a member’s name, city/town of residence (no street address), phone, and e-mail contact, with the possibility to opt out of sharing contact information.
The member listing will be available on the website under password protection. Membership Director Tom Shore will supply a printed list upon request to any member.
50/50 drawing for the Ukrainian Red Cross
The total pot for this month’s 50/50 was $172. Dan Sater was the winner and donated his winnings back. (Thank you, Dan!) The club matched the pot and a total of $350 will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross. With the funds generated through Tom Shaw’s “Hot Dog Day” (see accompanying article) $2,000 will be donated!
2022 budget
The 2022 Club Budget was presented to members and was approved. Hermann Schaller will follow up on the possibility to get insurance through NAMGBR. If this wouldn’t turn out to be the better deal, the membership supported going with Hagerty Insurance.
Past events
March 19 — Lunch run to LaBelle at the Forrey Grill on Saturday seven cars participated.
March 23 — Photo Drive & Lunch at Tarpon Lodge and visit to Randell Research Center 21 members participated, with nine British cars and three others.
March 26 — Ukrainian Red Cross fundraising event, “Hot Dog Day,” in Tom Shaw’s driveway. Many BCCSWF members and neighbors came and donated $1,650 in total.
April Meeting (Continued)
Upcoming events (as of the meeting date)
April 16 — Wheels Across the Pond, Jupiter, http://www.wheelsacrossthepond.com/. Ed O’Neal is leading a group drive to Jupiter.
April 22-24 — MG GOF South, Howey-in-the-Hills, https://www.gofsouth.org/.
April 23 — Ed O’Neal’s Lunch Drive to Gator Shack.
April 23 — Boynton Beach Charity Car Show. Contact John Robinson, Johnrob12706@gmail.com or (561) 523-1072.
April 30 — Murder Mystery Drive & Party. RSVP to hermannschaller@msn.com, deadline April 22nd.
May 5 — SanCap Motor Club Cruise-in, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Periwinkle Place Shops, Sanibel.
May 10 — Member meeting.
May 12 — Addams Family musical comedy at the Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd., 7 p.m., possible dinner together before.
Tech sessions
Hermann Schaller will send e-mails about time and place. Topics include:
Pertronix conversions for MGBs. Ken Groh, John Baum and Ken Taylor have experience with this.
Stromberg carb repair. Chris Cosden, Dennis McKinley and Hermann Schaller will schedule this.
MGB parking brakes. John Baum needs help with his.
TR8 fuel injectors. Dennis McKinley and others are looking for somebody knowledgeable with the Rover 3.5L V8 fuel injection. Please contact Hermann Schaller.
For sale
The meeting closed with members discussing cars and parts for sale, including an Austin-Healey Mark III ($59,000, contact Dennis McKinley), a 1954 Lagonda DB 3-Litre Drophead Coupe (contact Hermann Schaller), and a 1970s Spitfire window (free, contact Jerry Blessing).
April 2022 LUCAS LAMP
Attendees at the Chili Cook-off.
Photo courtesy BCCSWF
BCCSWF Chili Cook-off
by Hermann Schaller
On February 26th, the first annual BCCSWF Chili Cook-off was held in Punta Gorda-Harbour Heights, with 25 members attending.
Several appetizers opened the taste buds of the participants before the line-up of chili pots was approached for testing.
Eight chilis, made with secret ingredients, competed for the honor of Best Chili. The variety of chilis couldn’t be any larger, from burning spicy hot to flavorfully mild, using beef, pork, chicken and turkey. There was something for every taste.
At the end the votes were counted and Jeri Schaller announced the winners and gave out the prizes.
The 3rd-place chili was prepared by Sharon Cunningham, who took home British-style pot holders to protect her hands from future hot chili.
Dan Sater had created his fearsome “Jagzilla-Chili,” which won 2nd place and a British flag apron to stop the chili from burning holes in his shorts.
The top prize went to Larry McCartt’s “Not Your Mother’s Chili.” For this achievement Larry was knighted as “Sir Larry of Crockpot,” using a ceremonial British umbrella that he then received out of the hands of President Hermann Schaller (yours truly).
In a special category, Susan Fero won the Best Name Award for “Honkin’ Good Chili.” For further inspiration for creative meals, she received a copy of The White Trash Cookbook.
Cookies and chocolate mousse offered a sweet ending to this culinary odyssey into the realm of chili, while club members relaxed in the company of their fellow British car lovers.
The only widely seen point of improvement for the next time is to time the Chili Cook-off in a period of cooler weather, which supposedly can occasionally happen even in Florida.
Land Yachts Commodore Cup
BCCSWF member Sheldon Arpad’s Best of Show winner, a 1935 Bentley.
Photo courtesy BCCSWF
After being forced by the coronavirus to forgo last year’s show, the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club (CHYC) finally hosted their second annual show for classic, exotic and sports cars on Saturday, February 12th — the Land Yachts Commodore Cup.
Members of the BCCSWF organized and supported the event. A very wide variety of vehicles came together in perfect weather conditions on the grounds of the CHYC.
Considering the limited space at the Yacht Club, the organizers welcomed back the winners from the 2020 event and completed the show field with selected makes and models by invitation only. The result was an impressive display of design and technology development over the last 100 years.
There were 91 models from 37 manufacturers out of six countries, plus one very special “Art Car” from the Punta Gorda Quilt Guild. The Art Car captured the hearts of the spectators and it was voted People’s Choice Best in Show.
The British cars were the largest group among the six countries, with Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Bentley, Elva, Jaguar, Lagonda, Lotus, MG, Morgan, Rolls-Royce, Sunbeam-Talbot, Triumph and TVR all represented.
BCCSWF members brought 26 cars and took 17 trophies home including Best of Show, with a 1935 Bentley 3.5 Liter Open Tourer from Sheldon Arpad winning over a 1941 Ford and a 1973 Lamborghini Espada.
When it was all over, the winners celebrated their accomplishment and their enduring passion for the special motor vehicles that brought them together that day. —Hermann Schaller
February and March Meetings
February 8th meeting
The meeting was called to order by President Hermann Schaller. It was announced that the minutes from the January meeting are on the club website. The Treasurer, Larry McCartt, stated there are 45 paid members. New or renewing members included Steve Cleveland, Tom Berger and Mark Schlian.
Marcia McCartt invited the membership to Larry McCartt’s 90th birthday party at their home on Super Bowl Sunday.
Past event
Cecil Carter reported on Cars on Fifth. There were 700 cars, including 18 British cars from the club. He said the crowd liked the variety of British cars at the Show. Proceeds exceeded a million dollars and will be going to a charity.
Jim Collins received one of the Best in Show awards for his Jaguar XK150S.
Upcoming events (as of the meeting date)
February 12 — CHYC Car Show.
February 20 — Gold Coast British Sports Car Club show, Coconut Creek.
February 26 — Chili Cook-off.
March 6 — B.I.G. Show, Cape Coral.
March 8 — BCCSWF member meeting.
April 12 — BCCSWF member meeting.
April 16 — Wheels Across the Pond, Jupiter.
April 22-24 — MG GOF South, Howey-in-the-Hills.
Other items
Cecil Carter is selling his Jaguar Mark II. A door prize raffle was held. The meeting adjourned. —Mary Newman
March 8th meeting
The meeting was called to order at 6:32 p.m., with 38 members in attendance.
President Hermann Schaller welcomed everyone. He noted that membership and meeting attendance have been ramping up in recent months. The club is planning to have a driving event every month.
Club officer change
Mary Newman, BCCSWF Secretary, has had to step down effective immediately due to family needs. The club’s current Bylaws do not provide a mechanism for appointing a replacement or staging an election out of cycle.
President Schaller appointed Isabel Mack to take the meeting notes until such time as the Bylaws are amended and a new Secretary is confirmed.
President Schaller proposed two options for an amendment to the Bylaws and the members voted to accept the change allowing the President to appoint an officer when needed to fill a seat between elections. An e-mail will be sent out to all members to note the change and a final vote on the new Bylaws will be taken at the April meeting.
(Continued)
Membership
The club stands at 56 “household” members. It was proposed that membership numbers reflect all members who have a name tag (104).
Tom Shaw has been appointed Membership Director until December 2023. He will partner with the Treasurer and will be pursuing lapsed members as well as recruiting new ones. There is the potential for reducing annual dues as the roster grows.
New members that joined at the meeting included Bob Begani (returning member), Austin-Healey BJ8, Sheldon Arpad, 1935 Bentley (Best of Show at the CHYC event), and Dan Tiedge, ’56 Healey 100, ’62 TR4 and ’95 Defender 90.
Member birthdays and anniversaries were noted and celebrated.
The Treasurer reported the club’s balance. He added that the club needs insurance for events and there are other potential expenses upcoming. A budget will be proposed at the May member meeting.
Past/upcoming events
February 12 — Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club car show (101 vehicles, 23 BCCSWF attendees, 17 awards, numerous BCCSWF volunteers).
February 13 — Club Treasurer Larry McCartt’s 90th birthday celebration, great turnout (14 members) and a lively event.
February 24 — TSWF tech session on “Installing a Color Tune” glass spark plug to review the fuel mix.
February 26 — Chili Cook-off hosted by Hermann and Jeri Schaller (25 attendees, eight chilis).
March 6 — B.I.G. Show (130 cars, 16 BCCSWF attendees, six awards won).
March 23 — Photo Drive, Lunch at Tarpon Lodge and guided tour of Randell Research Center on Pine Island.
April 12 — BCCSWF member meeting.
April 30 — Murder Mystery Drive & Dinner Party, hosted by Hermann and Jeri Schaller.
May 10 — BCCSWF member meeting.
Other events of interest were also noted.
Calendar/photo guidance
The club would like to print a 2023 calendar featuring member vehicles.
President Schaller is acquainted with noted vehicle photographer Blake Discher. He shared a list of pointers for taking pictures of cars:
• Don’t “shoot from the hip.”
• Show all four tires.
• Tilt to lift the front of the car in the photo.
• Fill the screen with the car you lose resolution when you crop a larger photo.
• Take quarter views.
• Use your zoom to show the real shape of the car.
• Watch for reflections in the shiny finish/paint.
• Plan for the best light: the first or last hour of the day, a deep blue sky, the sun at your back.
Other items
Name tags are $12 and can be ordered from the Treasurer. Other tech sessions are planned watch for e-mails and please propose topics/vehicles. As attendance increases, should the club consider other dinner/meeting venues? Suggestions are welcome.
Before lockdown, the club held an annual Spring Picnic at Franklin Locks. VP Cecil Carter will contact ACOE to see if any pavilion reservations are still open for this year. Plan now for a 2023 event.
The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. —Isabel Mack
March 2022 LUCAS LAMP
Cecil with Jim Collins (right, with trophy) and his Best-in-Show XK150S.
Photo courtesy BCCSWF
British Cars Return to Cars-on-Fifth
by Cecil Carter
NAPLES, Fla. — Fifteen British cars participated in “Cars-on-Fifth,” in Naples on Saturday, February 5th.
Cars-on-Fifth is one of the premier car events held in Southwest Florida. This year the event, which is sponsored by the Ferrari Club of Naples, showcased more than 700 cars along Naples’ Fifth Avenue. Several vendors showcased their products as well.
The show was preceded by a classic car auction and a hangar party at the Naples airport. There was also an after-the-show party for participants at the Ferrari dealership.
Proceeds from the event are donated to St. Matthew’s House, an agency that provides multiple services to indigent individuals in the area. This year the event raised more than $700,000. The British Car Club of Southwest Florida is one of the supporting organizations for Cars-on-Fifth.
The day started out with frigid temperatures, but the thermometer rose later in the day to make it perfect for displaying the cars. The sky was overcast much of the day and temperatures were in the mid-70s.
The British cars gathered early in the morning in a nearby shopping plaza and at 7:15 a.m. caravanned to Fifth Avenue. By 8 a.m. all cars were in place. There was a good mix of British marques that included Aston Martin, Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Bentley and Lotus.
Jim Collins received one of the Best in Show Awards for his beautiful Jaguar XK150S. Participating BCCSWF members included Cecil and Isabel Carter, Chris and Mary Jane Cosden, Charlie and Mary Cox, John and Kim Orr, Frank and Chris Palulis, Dan Sater, Steve Cleveland, and Dennis Labbe.
By 10 a.m. Fifth Avenue was crowded with spectators who appreciated all of the cars, especially the British ones. A local band and a DJ, multiple vendors, and several hospitality hosts added to the festive atmosphere.
In keeping with tradition, at 3:45 p.m. all cars were started and the police-escorted exit parade began. The drivers proudly took their places among the cars and slowly left Fifth Avenue, thus enabling all the spectators to admire the uniqueness of our British cars.
Our January Meeting
Our January 10th club meeting was called to order by President Hermann Schaller at 6:33 p.m.
Hermann spoke briefly about his background and also the importance of preparation.
Treasurer Larry McCartt stated we had 37 new and renewed members. One guest was present, Jim McArthur, who has a 1963 Morgan 1.6 Liter.
The Secretary stated there was a brief report of the December meeting in British Marque.
No birthdays were reported by the membership present.
Past events
The Club Christmas Party was held on December 14th. Thirty-six members attended.
Upcoming events (as of the meeting date)
January 16 — CHYC Car Show.
January 22 — Celtic Festival.
February 5 — Cars-on-Fifth, Naples.
February 8 — Member meeting.
February 20 — Gold Coast British Sports Car Club show, Coconut Creek.
March 6 — B.I.G. Show, Cape Coral.
March 8 — Member meeting.
TBD — Chili Cook-off.
April 22-24 — MG GOF South, Howey-in-the-Hills.
Miscellany
Dennis McKinley spoke about the B.I.G. Show. Registration is on-line only no entries the day of the show. The Boy Scouts will be selling food. It is limited to 150 cars.
President Hermann proposed a Chili Cook-off. He also wants to do driving events and tech sessions.
Marcia McCartt invited the membership to Treasurer Larry McCartt’s birthday party on February 12th.
Name tags are available for the membership through the Treasurer for $12.
Dennis McKinley spoke about the difficulties he has had with his TR8.
There was a brief discussion about electric cars.
President Hermann raffled off some door prizes for the membership.
The meeting adjourned. —Mary Newman
February 2022 LUCAS LAMP
High spirits, good food — and paper crowns!
Photo courtesy BCCSWF
Officers Elected, It was Party Time!
by Mary Newman
Our December meeting was called to order by President Mary Newman, who announced she was resigning as President and that Bill Newman was resigning as Secretary. A motion was made to nominate a new officer slate: Hermann Schaller for President, Cecil Carter for Vice President Mary Newman for Secretary, and Larry McCartt for Treasurer. The motion was seconded and carried.
The meeting then adjourned, and the Christmas Party commenced.