General TR Roadster factory summer party who's going?

[Got_All_4]

Just thought I would put in a quick note about TRF's Summer Party. Over the past years many of you have expressed a desire of attending summer party. I got an email on Friday that explains that over the last few years attendance has been down and Charles the owner has been thinking of canceling them. I have only missed a hand full of these and it is a great time for those of us that like to use our cars as they were intended to be used. First it's fun getting there. The racing, tech sessions, drives through the country, pig roasts and best of all new life long friends made there that share our same love of these LBCs. Anyway this is the year to go if your on the fence about going. Below is a few paragraphs from his letter and a link to the registration form. Needless to say they provide a great service to us by providing the bits we need to keep our cars on the road and their of championing quality parts in their industry. We need to support these guys. Hope to see you there.

I also need to write a little about Summer Party, 2014 now before it is too late. The number of pre-registrations received with only a month to go is too small, making it hard for us to plan what we will do. As it is, we will attend a car cruise in an historic village twelve miles from TRF, we will hold driving events, including autocross if possible, we will offer a participants’ choice car show, and our traditional field party with games for the whole family and a talented blues band. If the number if registrants remains low, we may invite everyone to The Coventry Inn for dinner one night. The exact program depends on the number of participants. In fact, the decision made at a senior staff meeting on Wednesday was that we would wait another ten days and possibly cancel Summer Party if the number of pre-registrations remains low. But when I explained this to my son Simon at dinner earlier this evening, he stated categorically that if we have sixty registrations now, they are surely the customers who’ve attended Summer Party year after year, and there is no way that we can let them down. I agreed, and we will have Summer Party as planned with either a smaller number of participants or a larger number. We will provide a wonderful event, as we have always done in the past with unique awards and T-shirt designs. But, we will include autocross only if we have at least fifty participants who indicate an interest in running it. If autocross is deleted from the program, the amount charged to credit cards will be 30% less than previously quoted. Whatever decision is made about autocross, a full schedule of enjoyable events will be provided, and time will be allotted for socializing with other British car folks.Summer Party remains important to all members of my family and to TRF staff as well, and everyone attends every year. Caroline and Chris have already planned to make the trip from Boston to participate in her MGB. Albert is sales manager at TRF, and Simon is working at both TRF and The Coventry Inn this year. My wife, Diane will attend too, and I hope that she will drive the TR6 to some of the events as she has done in the past. John-Paul loves to drive my TR5, and Simon is finally learning how to handle a stick shift. I am also hoping that TRF staff will bring their cars out for the occasion. Although our staff is small, the number of British cars is amazing.The years that remain for Summer Party are surely numbered, but this year, we are still not too old, and we can still afford the gas. Yes, it might rain, but we’ve got through that before. Going on an adventure with the sports car and family members is a strong draw, and the time with British car friends, old and new, is priceless. Our theme this year is “Family Reunion,” and it applies not just to my immediate family but to our extended family of British car connections. We will hold this event at least this one last time, and I hope that you will be a part of it.Thank you for reading my newsletter again this week. Have fun with your British car now that the summer solstice is here, and please stay in touch...Your friend, Charles A. Runyan The Roadster Factory June 19, 2014
https://gar.zeni.net/trf/SPform.php

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[TR3driver]

I got an email on Friday that explains that over the last few years attendance has been down and Charles the owner has been thinking of canceling them.

He's been saying that for at least 11 years that I know of.

Not in my cards for this year, but maybe next year ... after all, what's 5000 miles to a well sorted Triumph

(Actually, I'm more worried about the effects on the driver than the car.)

 

[Got_All_4]

Understood Randall! With bad knees and stiffening limbs if the top is up on the TR3 I have to fall out of the car to get out. Even with the large Doors on the TR7 that's tough too. To the rest of you don't get old!
I know it would be a long trip for you but it would be great to see you there. Maybe talk to Herman Von ??? who does the Toyota tranny conversions. He's made the trip twice and I sure he out your way.

 

[Gordon_Dedrick]

I had the opportunity to attendSummer Party last year for the first time and I can tell you that they do a GREAT event. I have been involved with organizing this years VTR National and I can tell you that putting on an event like this is not only time consumeing but COSTLY. Yes, Charles may say it may be the last year, but unless he can lose JUST a couple of THOUSAND it does not make sense to do it...........and we would ALL be the losers. REGISTER AND ATTEND IF YOU CAN, you will not be dissappointed.
Gordon

 

[TR3driver]

Maybe talk to Herman Von ??? who does the Toyota tranny conversions. He's made the trip twice and I sure he out your way.

Herman van den Akker. Yes, he does live nearby (well, if you call 100+ miles "nearby") and I know he's made the trip several times. It's a possibility, but I will probably travel on my own, at least mostly. There are things and people along the way that I would like to see again; and I've got family in IN.

Possibly I'll wait until one of the Stags is running again and take that. They ride a whole lot easier than a TR3! I'd also like to try following what's left of the old Route 66 to Chicago; while I think Herman usually drives the Interstate.

And if Charles decides to quit having SP, well, that's my loss. It is a great event, I actually preferred it to some of the VTR events I've attended even though it rained quite a bit and the field got muddy. Seeing the insides of the 'Sabrina' engine was a special treat; as was meeting some folks like John Kipping and "Uncle Dave" that I had not met before. (Lots of others too, of course, as well as some old friends.)

 

[Got_All_4]

Randall are you saying you were at SP in 03? I was there too for the mud bath. 2 days after SP That year was my 25th wedding anniversary and my wife said see was not going to stay in a freaking tent (we camped every year) on our anniversary. So we stayed in a cabin in the local state park. Best decision she ever made.
I think I got my years correct but 1999 was the year they had the Sabrina engine and it's engineer there too. That was a great year there for me there. I meat Herman, Richard Good and got to drive his car, saw the Sabrina engine assembled and disassembled. There were some Lucas engineers that were flown in too. The English were very charming and the seminars went to 2 AM and were suppose to end at 10PM. I don't think there will be any SPs like that one again. But lets hope so. Maybe Charles's kids will take the lead.
I did talk to Uncle Dave today and John Swager today and they did cancel the autocross. No participation. He said the insurance was $4500 and they have to pay for an ambulance to be present with 2 techs.

 

[TR3driver]

Randall are you saying you were at SP in 03?

Yes, I was there. That was the combined VTR/Summer Party. I flew into Dulles where Fred Thomas picked me up and chauffered me to the hotel in Indiana. Then he even let me drive his beautiful TR3A back & forth to TRF! A true southern gentleman, I miss him. Afterwards, he invited both me and my older sister to stay at his house. That's the last time I got to see her as well.

As I recall it was John Ames that showed off 'Sabrina'. I've got some bad photographs to prove it (didn't really know how to use my new camera and didn't want to flash lights in his eyes anyway). Here's one of the better ones