Socially Speaking

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope the Festive Season was kind to you all.

The Christmas dinner at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club was well attended, the ambience was good and the food was of a high standard.   A great evening shared by some seventy seven members with lots of laughter in the room as friends celebrated the Triumph Year.  Trophies were presented to well deserved club members, for Day of Triumph and club involvements. Thanks must go to Sue Gibson for organising the annual event.

The After Christmas run to the Vine Inn in Nurioopta was well attended, and from all reports was a great run and good fellowship by all.

The Informal meeting in January saw some model cars that members have collected and also included an informal auction for the sale of Tom’s collection!  A few ladies enjoyed the coffee and gelato at CIBO before joining the men folk at the clubrooms.

The Annual Ice Cream run was held on Sunday 26th January – Australia Day – the run was good – people everywhere at Semaphore so plan B was out into place and Café de Vili’s saw most of us finish the run there.  A good evening run and fellowship enjoyed.

I am looking for volunteers to set the monthly runs this year…please come and see me with your ideas and assistance.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the All British Day at Echunga on Sunday February 9th – come along and enjoy the event even if you have not entered the day and enjoy the magnificent display of British Cars!

Starting to think about the annual weekender….thinking about end of May and the Copper Coast…stay tuned.

Till we meet again

Bill Berlemon.

Girl Torque

Firstly may I thank everyone for their kind wishes following my surgery in December?  I am recovering well and although still not driving, am returning to work in February! It is amazing how much you miss being outside when you are recovering from an illness and how much you  miss the interaction of people….well I do anyway…and I will be pleased to see people and do things again and not watch TV..which thank God for the cricket and tennis or else I would have gone stir crazy!

Thanks to Sue for organising the Supper Roster… we still need people to help out, so please see either Sue or myself at the meeting to fill in the spaces…many hands make light work, so in advance I thank everyone for their help.

Looking forward to another great year with lots of fun and coffee runs!

Margie Berlemon.

While we all enjoy our wonderful hot summer, this shot of Geoff Bills’ TR3A in the middle of snow up in Australia’s high country might just make you feel a bit cooler! Ballsy stuff Billsy!

Sunday 26 January 2014

“I scream, You scream, We all scream for Ice Cream!”

This very popular annual event takes us on a relaxed run from the City to the Beach, arriving at sunset

Destination: NOONIE’S KIOSK at Semaphore Park

Big range of ice cream treats, great coffee, fresh doughnuts, hot dogs etc.

Plenty of off-street parking available

Meet 7.30pm for 7.45 start

Super Cheap Auto Carpark, 69 Port Road, Thebarton

Opposite Bonython Park

Bring your kids or grandkids too!

Enquiries: Tom Long 8267 4452

November was a fantastic month for Triumph Enthusiasts. Even though I’m writing this before months end, the TSOA has had some terrific events, The Day of Triumph in absolute perfect weather, a discounted buffet breakfast at Café Primo and a complimentary printed Photo of entrants cars, made for an amazing day. However, I do know that some people can leave the day a little disappointed after spending many hours, cleaning, polishing & waxing their pride and joy, not to win a trophy. Hopefully, an honest, step back approach to looking at the other Concours cars gives you many ideas on what it takes to win at this very high standard.

I personally love the Club introducing many years ago the Pride of Ownership category. As original parts become harder to source, as you personlise your car and for people that love to regularly drive their Triumph in any weather on any road, this is a fantastic class to compete in and was certainly the biggest group of entries on the day.

But no matter if your car won a trophy or not, just by being there and proudly displaying your Triumph mingling with other Triumph enthusiasts, I think everyone can say it was a wonderful day. I am looking forward to next years event already.

I am also looking forward to next years observation run to be set by Rory & Sue Gibson. They both seem to always uncover some new roads to travel on and I know they are very keen on their quizzes and trivia, so it is sure to be another great event. It was great to see Children and Grandchildren of members out this year, this younger generation might be the long term future of our club so if you have a Stag or Saloon you are happy to lend for a day, so we can have less excuses for not driving a Triumph (I can even loan my tired Spitfire with a dodgy gearbox to someone if needed !),  let me know.

At this time of year, the General Monthly meeting with its formalities takes a summer holiday, so does the competition side, (thankfully as I desperately need more time to save for some new racing tyres!) but this is always a great time of year to connect with family & Triumph friends and enjoy a leisurely cruise now that your Triumph is looking at its best and the days are longer. I hope to see as many of you at the upcoming events, keep your Trak handy for reminders of events, and check the website also.

Duane Kaak

The Day of Triumph was held in perfect conditions with approximately 45 cars on display .

Dino Vettese who owns Cafe Primo in the TTP shopping centre offered TSOA members a $5 buffet breakfast and many members partook of a hearty breakfast before judging began in earnest.

There was particularly keen competition in the TR4/5 and TR6 classes which provided the overall winners on the day.

Thanks to Alan Gold and Lyle Taylor who collated all the scores and the team of judges who all did a splendid job.   Once again we were able to use the tent from the Girl Guides and thanks to Bill & Margie for organising this along with tables and chairs for the collators.

Thanks also to Bob Cini who once again opened up the reserve early Sunday morning to ensure access is secured, and all those members who assisted on the day.

Dean Berlemon did a great job photographing all vehicles with their owners and delivering them before the end of the event.

Congratulations to winners of the various classes who are listed below and also to the outright winners, 1st Dino Vettese, 2nd John Fricke and 3rd John Tuohy.

Trophies were awarded as per the rules which were published in TRak.

CONCOURS                          PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP
TR2/3/3A/3B           No eligible winner                         Kevin McEnroe
TR4/4A/5                1st John Fricke                             No Entry
2nd John Tuohy
3rd Greg Fiedler
TR6                         Dino Vettese                               Haydn McPherson
TR7/8                      Roger Lange                               Jack Zeunert
Spitfire/GT6            No entry                                       Kyle Lill
Stag                        No Entry                                      Mike Temby
Saloon                    John Tuohy                                 Bill Berlemon
Herald                     No entry                                      No entry
Dolomite                 No entry                                       No entry
Modified                  Dino Vettese                               Kevin Foster
Competition            Neil Martin                                  Geoff Burdon
Pre 54                     No entry                                      No entry
Restoration             No entry                                      No entry
Masters                   Roger Lange

Michelotti Trophy                John Fricke

Harris Mann Trophy            Roger Lange

Register Trophy                  No eligible entry

Herald/Vitesse Trophy        No eligible entry

Rory Gibson

The Day of Triumph was well attended with 45 cars on display. The weather was fine and there were loads of public visitors to the site – quite a number of members went across the road to Café Primo for a great breakfast – thanks again to Dino Vitesse for his great offer. Trophy winners listed elsewhere. Thanks to everyone who helped on the day.

Our annual observation run saw 35 people head off at the start about half in Triumph’s (not wanting to set next year’s run!). The questions were difficult and brought out the best in Rory and Sue who were the eventual winners! The run was great and BBQ lunch was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Alex and Sue Smithson for all their hard work and setting the run, and setting up our lunch area.

Pleased to report we currently have 74 members signed up for the Christmas dinner (to the relief of Sue!) and will be a great event.

The next Club run will be on December 29th for more food and festivities following Christmas…just what we all need! See Flyer for more details.

2014 will start with the Club informal meeting on January 21st. Just for a change could you please bring along any model cars which you could display for us all to enjoy. It may even be an opportunity to sell any duplicate models or surplus stock – for interest sake it may not be just cars, but any models you would like to share. Ladies will head off to Gelato and coffee as per usual.

Margie and I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Birthday wishes to Maureen Gold, Sue Taylor, Natalie Farrell, and Margie Berlemon.

Till next time – a happier Social Secretary!

Bill Berlemon.

Firstly may I take this opportunity to thank all the ladies for their support with the Supper roster for the year….as the saying goes….many hands make light work…and this is the case if we share the load.  Look out January ….we will have the list again for 2014!

The January meeting will again be off to CIBO for Gelato and Coffee for the ladies….look forward to the catch-up following the Festive Season.

Best wishes to everyone for the Festive Season – I hope it is a safe and happy season for all.

Margie Berlemon.

Welcome back to those who attended the recent National Meeting. Alex Smithson gave us a glowing report from the National Meeting, it always sounds like lots of fun, and I’m sure a detailed report will be in Trak for you all to read.  It was great to hear all made it there and back safely and no major mechanical problems were encountered. Before buying my first Triumph, and shortly thereafter, I heard of some scary stories of Triumphs being unreliable, the Prince of Darkness always lurking etc, but although I have had a few minor issues that have been easily fixed, despite letting the Spitfire sit still for months on end it always starts and runs with no major drama.

I loved hearing Phil Bagust’s story of his Triumph 2000 being dragged from the jaws of a crusher and knee high weeds etc,  within hours the Saloon was running and could be driven with transmission, brakes etc. My Spitfire was sitting still in a shed for around 7 or 8 years when I simply poured petrol in it, a fresh battery and it started.

I’m sure the men that built these cars 50 years ago would be so proud to hear how these cars have survived and continue to run today.

No doubt they would also be impressed with their modern day equivalent men (and women) who have rebuilt these cars and maintained them to very high standards. It was truly a pleasure to hear that some cars from our club picked up a trophy or two at the National Meeting and a big Congratulations to Noel & Cindy Schmidt who not only presented their Triumph to TSOA concours standards and awards and not only to a level that stood out above hundreds of other marques and exotics in Noosa,  but themselves also in best dressed events.

The Day of Triumph is just around the corner. If you are reading this online on our Website then you still have time to bring your Triumph, in any condition, along. It does not need to be shining, perfect, fast or judged, just put it on display and proudly show off your piece of Triumph history.

Better still, invite your friends to come along to support you and see your car and others like it. Invite them along to the All Triumph Observation Run also. There are still Triumphs for sale in Adelaide, from $1,200 to Oh my Gosh how much , and as a club it would be great to see so many more Triumphs saved from doom, be maintained and on the road participating actively in our club.

Till next time, drive safely.

Duane Kaak

Winner of the 2012 TSOA SA Concours, and three year winner of the Harris Mann Trophy for TR7/8 bodied cars saw Roger’s silver TR8 elevated to the Masters Class for 2013. Didn’t it look great centre stage at Civic Park . . . even if it was a bit lonely . . .