The Octagon 

NEWSLETTER OF THE CLASSIC   CLUB

   Vol. 46                       No.9                    Issue 552                                  September 2009 

MAINTAINING THE BREED FOR OVER FORTY YEARS

PRESIDENT:   Jim McSweeney.  3516 Seaford Ln., Casselberry, FL 32707. Phone 407 695 2981.  E-mail jimspeedmaster@aol.com.

EDITOR:   Al Cook, 8554 Amber Oak Dr. Orlando, FL 32817.  Phone 407-678- 6814. E–mail arcpa@mpinet.net.

 WEBSITE:  www.classicmgclub.com Contact Webmaster, E-mail: CMGCO@cfl.rr.com MEETING:  As usual, it is the third Thursday, September 16th at 7:00 PM in the Maitland Senior Center, 145 S Maitland Ave. in (can it be?) Maitland.    Directions: from Horatio and Orlando Ave. (AKA 17-92), Go West on Horatio to Maitland Ave. Then left (South) on Maitland Ave. to Packwood. Go right (West) on Packwood about ½ a block to the parking lot. Pull into the 1st driveway on the left.   AUGUST REVIEW AND WRAP- UP OF EVENTS:  Downtown Sanford will never be the same!  On Saturday August 22, more than 20 of us gathered at Holerbach’s Willow Tree Café, a bit of Ole Germany in Central Florida.  We enjoyed delicious and traditional German food and drink and sang along with the wonderful musical entertainment for over two hours.  We had excellent seats, excellent service, and a wonderful time.  It was a shame that Patrick couldn’t make it to the dinner.  We could all see (from his singing, at the meeting earlier that week) that he was a “natural” for this event!   SEPTEMBER EVENT:  Our September Driving event will be a cruise from lovely downtown Maitland to the thriving Metropolis of Umatilla, where New Member Pete Rogers hides out.  The event will take place on Saturday, September 19, 2009.  Pete is the principle of Sterling Equipment & Manufacturing Co., which manufactures aftermarket products for trucks and 4X4 vehicles.   He also is in the process of restoring a number of MGs and has the use of such wonderful toys as sandblasters and powder coating equipment.  It promises to be a real gear head’s tour that will enchant many and bore others.  I am told that there are some Antiquing opportunities (that have nothing to do with cars) in the surrounding areas and there is a local restaurant, the Quarterdeck Restaurant, on US Highway 19, in Umatilla, which features modestly priced seafood and is within easy walking distance from Pete’s shop.The plan is to meet at our Maitland Assembly Point (now to be referred to as the MAP) which also happens to be The McDonald’s closest to the intersection of Horatio Avenue and US 17-92, at 8:30 AM which will allow some of us to get coffee and others to have Breakfast before heading off at 9:00 or so, MG Time.   The trip to Umatilla takes us through some lovely Lake County country and if someone plans a lovely route, we will surely enjoy the drive.  If no one steps up, we will still have a wonderful time driving our MGs on a wonderful, early fall morning.  The plan is to arrive at Pete’s shop, tour the facilities, kick some tires and then meet for lunch with those of our group who think looking at machinery and old cars is second choice to a root canal and who abandon us for the more glamorous jobs of shopping and antiquing.  After lunch, we will meander back and check out any interesting sites that the group passed on the way up.    OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST; October 3, 2009, the British Car Show at the New Smyrna Beach Airport “Wings and Wheels” from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  Sounds like a good event to drop in on. (It’s free to enter or view.)  For information, go to. www.timelesswingsandwheels.com  If you are interested in ta tour to it, let Al Know your plans and he will advise others to join you if you like.      The Southeastern MG Fall GOF, in Hiawassee, GA on September 25-27, 2009.  For information and registration information, go to www.SEMGTR.org. The Brit Bash at Wickham (formerly Fox Lake British Car Show) is November 6-7, 2009 in Melbourne, Fl.  For information and registration, go to BritBash@comcast.net or call Danica Perhacs, Show Coordinator, at 772-770-0083. GOF South, Mark 44 will be organized by our friends, MG Classics of Jacksonville, and will be held on April 9 – 11, 2010, at Jekyll Island, GA.  The host hotel is the Oceanside Inn and Suites and it isn’t too early to make both your overnight reservations and to register for the event.  For information, go to www.mgclassics.org/gof2010 or get information at one of our monthly meetings.    OVERNIGHTER:   Our traditional October Overnighter will again be in October (duh!) at the Tuckaway Shores Resort, 1441 S. Miramar Avenue, Indiatlantic, and Fl 32903 on Saturday, October 24, 2009.  The folks from the Orlando area will tour over together, enjoying the scenery and generally having a good time getting there.  Perhaps our friends from the East Coast can plan their own route down to Indiatlantic.   We have plenty of time for suggestions for diversions along the way, but we need to encourage you to do something that is unusual, perhaps even radical, for the Classic MG Club.  Yes, folks, we need to plan ahead and make reservation and plans to attend ahead of time.  We have excellent pricing for our stay ($118.15 for Ocean front and $101.15 for partial Ocean view).   Be sure to mention that you are with the Classic MG Group!  These prices are less than what we paid when we stayed there in 2006!  Although it is low season, there are other bargain travelers and if you want the best selection, you need to call NOW.  The local number is 321-723-3355 and the toll-free number for the non-locals is 800-820-1441. They have an updated web site, which is at www.tuckawayshores.com.  Please reserve now and plan to either travel over there with the Orlando group or meet us there in you are traveling from other starting points.  If you would like, these rates can be utilized to stay either before or after the 24^th when the main group will arrive.  It’s a guaranteed good time!P.S. Because the first floor rooms were already getting scarce, I reserved one in my name and will gladly trade you for a second or third floor room, if you move too slow and they can’t promise you a first floor unit.     CLASSIFIED ADS:  Carl Jowell of Altamonte Springs (407-831-5290) has a jewel (pun intended) of a 1978 MG Midget.  It is one of the last of the Midgets made and has a rubber bumper, custom, bolt-on wheels and is reported to be in good condition with new paint and a nice radio/CD player.  Recent work includes brakes and new steering rack.  Carl needs to sell his little car and will entertain best/reasonable offers.  Call him to go see!