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Continued from page 27 never got more than five minutes from home!” he laughs. Eventually, his reservation vanished, and with my mother, he attended an ever-widening circle of MG Club events. On one notable (perhaps overly aggressive) jun- ket to Florida, he suffered the car-guy’s nightmare: the engine started clanging, then quit, forcing the TF to finish the trip in tow. But if you have to breakdown, among a convoy of ‘car-guys’ is the place to have it happen. Some time later, they traced the problem to a puny — but apparently influential — part called a “circlip,” and she hummed again. Roy’s MG has since undergone a facelift — black ‘n’ red two-tone replaced the dove-grey he origi- nally painted it — as well as its share of routine maintenance. But one thing hasn’t changed: it’s still his “baby.” And it’s that very car we drove to Port Perry’s Despite the less than ideal weather, large crowds flocked fo Queen St., Port Perry on August 8 for the BIA's annual “Brits On The Lake” event. “Brits on the Lake”. Steaming along in our open interior mostly dry, and still allows the curious to peer inside. cockpit (whose “windscreen” shields only part of Once our car is readied for show, we become spectators your face), a steady rain pelts us throughout. But ourselves. It was interesting to watch my dad, who was obvi- man, we looked cool getting there. ously in his element, greeting many of the other car owners. The rain did little to dampen the spirits of either “A lot of them I haven’t seen since last year’s event,” he car owners or lovers. When we arrive, Queen Street confides. Their casual camaraderie provides evidence of a shared passion, as an observer would assume their previous meeting was last week. We pass critical comment on some vehicles, praise others, but mostly, it’s ‘car-guy’ chatter as we make our way down the line: the MGA twin-cam engine was powerful enough to race, but subject to frequent breakdown because it pushed the envelope of the cars’ engineering tolerances. The “Stag” was a 70’s-era Triumph with cutting-edge styling but lukewarm reviews, leaving it a modern rarity. No, I don’t know why there was a Triumph TR3, 4, 6, and 7 — but no 5. It’s contagious. I’m caught up in the excitement as well. “A bug-eyed Sprite — I haven’t seen one of those in years! And there’s a Nash Metropolitan, same two-tone combina- tion as Mrs. So ‘n’ so from around the corner used to have —I is quickly filling with British cars of all descriptions thought that car was sooo cool as a kid! And wow, look at and brolly (umbrella) carrying spectators aren't far those (Jaguar) XKE’s... if I ever win a million bucks...!!” behind. Roy’s enormous umbrella — no doubt a Our car attracts admirers as well. lesson-learned another day — keeps the TF’s open “1954,” Roy replies to an inquiry about the TF’s vintage. DONOVAN SMITH Responsible ¢ Fair * Experienced Leadership 1961 Nash Metropolitan owned by Bob Green, Oshawa. | VOTE REGIONAL COUNCILLOR (vj . 905-986-5084 « donovansmith7@gmail.com 30 FOCUS - SEPTEMBER 2010