Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club • Texas Region Newsletter • Summer 2014
Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club – Texas Region
2014 Officers & Directors
Chair: Al Briseno
10205 Oasis Dr., Suite 320 • San Antonio, TX 78216
210-340-9575 • e-mail: [email protected]
Secretary: Bill Rasco
104 Ivy Lane • San Antonio, TX 778209
210-828-6188 • e-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer: Ken Harris
467 Scenic Valley Rd. • Kerrville, TX 78028
830-896-9861 • e-mail: [email protected]
Activities Chairman: James Stryker
17515 South Yaupon Circle • Tomball, TX 77377
832-646-5542 • e-mail: [email protected]
Membership: Sneed Adams
22906 Silent Spring Creek Ct. • Katy, TX 77450
281-395-8365 • e-mail: [email protected]
Chief Judge: Tim Myrick
3411 Homer Street • Dallas 75206
214-826-1878 • e-mail: [email protected]
Technical Chairman: Dale Clark
23855 Northcrest Trail • New Caney 77357
281-689-5964 • e-mail: [email protected]
Directors:
Exp. 12/31/14: John Lovick
160 Bent Trail Dr. • Southlake, TX 76092
214-914-9114 • e-mail: [email protected]
Exp. 12/31/15: Phillip Reese
P.O. Box 1705 • Austin, TX 78767-1705
512-291-1428 • e-mail: [email protected]
Exp. 12/31/16: Cathie Mouton
1860 I-10 South • Beaumont, TX 77707
409-866-9339 • e-mail: [email protected]
Editor: Steve Krazer
3026 Ricsan Road • Abilene 79605 • 325-677-7755
Fax: 325-670-0566 • e-mail: [email protected]
The Lone Star Lady is published bimonthly by the Texas Region of the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club. The Texas Region is under the control of the Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club.
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The Lone Star Lady endeavors to publish accurate information. The region,
its editors and officers assume no responsibility in the event of loss or damage
arising from any information contained therein. Statements attributed to individuals do not reflect the official policy and position of the Rolls-Royce Owners’
Club or the Texas Region.
Please direct any address changes to:
RROC National: 191 Hempt Road,
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 • 800-TRY-RROC
Team Stroman, Bill
(Twister) & son, David,
triumphantly completed the
2014 Great Race from Maine
to Florida in their 1936
Bentley Saloon, B69GP.
The racers traveled over 2100 miles mostly
in rural areas, dodging farm equipment
and grain trucks, rattling over pot holes
and facing blind corners. The Great Race is
not a race but a time rally for automobiles
manufactured prior to 1979.
Extreme navigation skills, reading verbal
instructions, a stop watch and watching
for road signs and landmarks are a must to
keep on course. The driver must keep one
eye on the road and the other on a calibrated speedometer to arrive at exactly the
right second. Together the team must travel
the route in the prescribed time. A perfect
score is a zero and times are recorded to the
1/100th of a second.
Penalties are imposed for arriving early or
late and a perfect score of zero is an Ace.
Stromans scored one Ace during the race.
Rose, the 4 1/4 liter Bentley, made the
trip admirable with only one failure to
proceed. For small horsepower Rolls-Royce
and Derby Bentleys make sure the spare
condenser is not connected to the ignition.
Our failure to proceed occurred when this
extra condenser was utilized and not the
proper condenser inside the distributor. It
is difficult to achieve a good positive earth
or ground using the spare condenser. Good
tires and brakes are mandatory to complete
the race.
While Team Stroman won no special
awards for driving talent, Rose, won first
place in the beauty contest receiving the
best classic automobile in the Great Race.
Many Father/Son teams competed in the
Great Race and is a wonderful experience
to share together. – Bill Stroman
3 – Chairman’s Column
4 – A Blue Ridge Parkway
Adventure
7 – Silver Shadow Leaks
8 – 2014 Tech Seminar
Details
10 – Silver Shadow
Preventive
Maintenance
12 – Activities
Your Bentley is the
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Make sure the parts are, too.
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excellence that’s as unique as the car you drive. Our well-stocked inventory of genuine Bentley and
Rolls-Royce parts provides the same high level of quality as the original. And for extra peace of mind, parts
installed at Bentley Dallas come with a three-year warranty and one-year labor warranty, with a 15%
discount for RROC members. Stop by today and discover what makes Bentley Dallas such an original.
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Spring has come and
gone and now we are all
enjoying the summer (at
least those of us with a/c
in our cars)! I would like
to thank all the Texas
Region members who
attended the Spring Meet at La Toretta
Resort on Lake Conroe. The resort was
great and we had a very good turnout of
pre-war and post war PMCs. As our first
“joint” event with the Texas Concours it
proved to be a great success. The exposure our cars received was wonderful and
I hope we planted the seed with some
prospective PMC owners. The Friday
Gala Dinner was as anticipated – spectacular -- thank you Cathie, Phillip and
Shawn. The Concours organizers finally
saw what a true gala dinner is supposed
to be.
I would like to thank Cathie Mouton,
Phillip Reese and Shawn Behrens for
their work. As with most events, the
general public never truly can appreciate
the difficulty and work that goes into an
event such as this. We are very blessed to
have members such as these who go the
extra mile to make our events very special
and memorable.
ety of car shows to attend. One of these
events, the Van Alstyne Annual Antique
and Classic Car Show, was organized by
our Texas Region Member Bob Bishop.
Congratulations Bob! The Houston
area members were invited to attend
the Royal Ascot Race simulcast at the
Sam Houston Race Park and to display
their PMCs at the entrance to the park.
Whatever the event, get out and exercise
that PMC. Thank you Doug and Sneed
for keeping us posted on upcoming
events. The more people see and appreciate our cars the better opportunity we
have for attracting new members.
The 2014 RROC Annual Meet has now
come and gone. There were several Texas
Region members attending. Beginning
on page 4 of this issue is an account
of several Texas Region members who
caravaned to the meet via the Blue Ridge
Parkway. We had a large Texas turnout
at the meet which was held at the Seven
Springs Resort outside of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
Also coming up is our
Fall Tech Session which
will be held in San Antonio this year. See pages
8-9 for details of this
year’s event. The Tech
Seminar registration
form is also included in
this issue!
As a final note, with your help I was one
of the RROC members elected to serve
on the Board of Directors of the RROC.
I thank each of you and will keep you
informed of what is happening at the
national level. As always, please email
me if you have any question regarding a
Texas Region or National event or issue.
This is our club and I encourage each of
you to actively participate in all events
and club activities and get the most out
of your membership.
Enjoy your summer and hope to see you
and your PMC motoring on the highways of Texas and beyond.
Happy Summer Y’all and Keep Motoring On!
– Al Briseño II
While visiting with many of you at the
Spring Meet I began to hear a recurrent
theme. Each of us has a story about our
car. For people who are not car nuts, it
is hard to understand the bond we have
with our cars. I see a Cloud and think
of my grandfather, some of us remember
their father and the many trips the family
took in the PMC to regional or national
events. It is great to see how our members’ children and grandchildren are now
creating their own memories with our
cars.
As we head full speed through the summer months, there are numerous car
related activities happening all around
the state. The Dallas area has had a variSummer 2014 • The Lone Star Lady
3
Texas Region
Members enjoy a
Driving Tour up
the Blue Ridge
Parkway to the
Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club
annual meet at
Seven Springs
Pennsylvania.
4 The Lone Star Lady
• Summer 2014
On July 25th four cars from the Texas
Region met at the Balsam Mountain
Inn in North Carolina near the start of
the Blue Ridge Parkway. Participating
were John Sweney and Mike Stargel in
their 2011 RR Ghost, Tom Koger in his
2013 Bentley GTC, Dale and Maria
Clark and Dale’s mother, Audrey, in their
2006 RR Phantom, and Sneed and Anne
Adams in their 2006 Bentley CFS.
The Balsam Inn was constructed in 1905 and retained its antique
charm with a few selected modern conveniences. We enjoyed a
delightful dinner at the Inn as we made ample use of the quaint
atmosphere of this country Inn in the Smoky Mountains.
The following morning we started out on our 450 mile drive up
the Blue Ridge Parkway. The first point of interest on the parkway
was stopping for photographs at the highest point along the
Parkway. At 6,000 feet above sea level we had a spectacular view of
the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. There was ample smoke
in the valleys down below which gave rise to the name of these
mountain valleys.
We had lunch this day at Little Switzerland along the parkway at
a Carolina barbecue establishment. They were very proud of their
pulled pork barbecue and their vinegar and sugar-based barbecue
sauce. We informed them that we were from Texas and were
members of a Texas barbecue judging team and were searching
throughout North Carolina for good barbecue. We were quickly
informed that the owners of the establishment had the only allgirl championship barbecue team in North Carolina. We paid our
compliments about the good quality and taste of their Carolina
barbecue. We all had a bit of a giggle once we got outside and in
the parking lot.
We covered a leisurely 250 miles this day and spent the night in
a modern hotel near Fancy Gap, Virginia. The next morning
we departed early and made a stop at Mabry Mill along the
parkway. The mill was built in 1910 by Edwin Mabry. It
is the most photographed site along the parkway and
attracts the most visitors.
As we neared Roanoke, Virginia, Harry
Davis driving his 2008 Rolls-Royce
Phantom joined our caravan.
Shortly thereafter we stopped at
the Peaks of Otter near Bedford,
VA, along the parkway for
lunch. The Peaks are noted
for their scenic mountain tops
of 4000 feet that dominate the
skyline in this area. Bedford,
VA, is noted for being the
hometown of Sneed Adams.
Summer 2014 • The Lone Star Lady
5
We continued on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the end at mile
marker zero, and turned west to head across the Allegheny
Mountains to Monterey, Virginia. This road was not like the
parkway. It had a section of about 10 miles that were a Dragon’s
tail of exciting driving. Having paddle shifters on your hot ticket
Bentley’s transmission made it even more exciting. It was thrilling
to go around the sharp turn down hill, and then 140° turn sharp
uphill at full bore and to see your taillights outside your passenger
window trying desperately to keep up with the rest of the car.
Our accommodation this evening was the Highland Inn which
was built in 1914. Another grand old antique hotel in the tradition
of 100 years ago on the dirt road route from Washington, DC,
to Central Ohio. We enjoyed a home-cooked dinner at a small
restaurant across the street from the Inn. Liver and onions, fried
chicken and roast beef. Finished with blackberry cobbler and ice
cream. The only thing missing were Virginia cigars and some
Allegheny Mountain moonshine.
We had a wonderful continental breakfast in the Black Sheep
Tavern in the Inn and reluctantly departed this marvelous old
hotel to continue through the mountains of West Virginia through
Maryland and into southern Pennsylvania and Seven Springs.
Touring is a great way to get to the Annual Meet. Plans are afoot to
tour the Florida beach scene en route to the March 2015 Annual
Meet in Orlando. Sign up early and avoid the late fees. :-)
– Sneed Adams
6 The Lone Star Lady
• Summer 2014
10 Ways to Conquer
Silver Shadow Leaks
M
any Silver Shadow owners have had their cars
develop leaks in the same areas. Most Shadow owners
can minimize and correct these leaks as they develop.
The leaks do not go away and the effort/expense of fixing
them now is much less than waiting until the part they
work with or protect also fails. And it is nice not getting the rear of the car, the underside of the car and the
garage floor covered with oil and grease. Starting from
the back and under the car, the following areas should be
inspected for leaks/seepage:
1 – Look at the trunnion seals in the areas between
the bellows.
2 – Examine the height control to frame hoses for
wetness.
3 – Check the height control level arms where they
enter the unit.
4 – The Transmission usually has a leak at the shift
lever seal.
5 – Both rocker arms covers usually are the major SS
leak source.
6 – The steering shaft bellows often has many holes in it.
7 – Many holes are in the rubber boots on the steering
linkage.
8 – Clean the flame trap or oil leaves both ends of
the engine.
9 – Examine the power steering cooler hoses behind
the grille.
10 – The water pumps seal will fail at 20 years (+/- 2.)
It can not be inspected. A large leak in the front of the
engine will be a “clue.” If you are smart, you will
replace it before it fails.
The Owners Manual recommends other hose changes
that should also be considered. When I changed my brake
hoses, several of them had failed internally. Maybe they
do not have to be changed every five or ten years. But
if they are 20 years old, you could have trouble. Finally,
the left side rocker arm cover is very difficult/expensive
to change. But the right side is easy and a major leak is
fixed. – Dave Sjolund
Summer 2014 • The Lone Star Lady
7
2014 RROC Texas Region
Fall Tech Seminar
Friday, Oct. 17 to Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014
Please Note Major Location Change:
San Antonio TX instead of Austin TX!
Please join club members in San Antonio for
the 20th annual Fall Tech Seminar!
After making the journey to San Antonio through Friday
traffic, everyone attending the Fall Tech Seminar weekend will
enjoy not leaving the comfort of the host hotel, Drury Inn &
Suites San Antonio Airport, for dinner Friday evening.
We will also have dinner at the hotel on Saturday evening! No
fighting the Saturday evening San Antonio traffic to get to a noisy,
crowded restaurant, and then waiting to pay the check individually.
Both the Friday and Saturday small evening meals are included in
the price of your hotel suite. Your club will be providing additional
food in the hospitality suite. We will be able to offer a “small evening meal” package to local members wanting to join attendees for
the hotel meals but not wanting to stay at the host hotel. The additional food your club is providing will be a part of the per person
event registration fee.
Expert Rolls-Royce/Bentley Technicians for 2014
There will be two Rolls-Royce and Bentley expert technicians on
hand this year.
Simon Curzon, owner and chief technician of Zenith Motor Co. in Independence, Mo., will be here to go over our
Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Simon is the son of National
RROC technical specialist Ralph Curzon.
Pete Smirnis will return to troubleshoot and evaluate
our automobiles. From his shop in Houston, European
Autoworks, he freely shares his knowledge and experience
with us.
8 The Lone Star Lady
• Summer 2014
The main focus of the Fall Tech Seminar will be for members to
have their Rolls-Royce and/or Bentley diagnosed/inspected. Repairs
will be made only if the fix is simple and the tools/parts are available. This will be a unique opportunity for all of us to learn from
each other, the technicians and from the experience.
On Sunday, as time allows, we will have a couple of features not
to miss! We will facilitate a “drive exchange” among members and
their cars. You drive my Bentley, I drive your Rolls-Royce! It will
be great to experience a different RR/B model of which you might
be curious and find out about the ownership experience. Maybe
you’ll want to ride along in a car that interests you.
Also, we’ll have a Pre-War focus on Sunday. Owners will discuss
issues, cost of ownership and driving cars produced prior to WWII,
in a question and answer session. Come and learn more about
these elegant, distinguished automobiles!
Host Tech Seminar Garage
Robert Ober, Shawn Behrens and Al Briseno are opening their
shared garage space for us to use as the host garage for the Fall
Tech Seminar. We will have access to three lifts. We will have lunch
brought in to the garage on Saturday. This meal is included in your
per person registration fee.
Alternate Saturday Event (formerly known as the Ladies’ Event)
Local Texas Region member and Fall Tech Seminar co-chair,
Shawn Behrens is busy working on ideas for what the Alternate
Saturday Event will be during the Fall Tech Seminar while the
rest of us are at the garage. Any and all Texas Region members are
invited to participate in the Alternate Saturday Event. So, if you or
your spouse/partner have no interest in what happens in the garage,
plan to attend the Alternate Saturday Event. Knowing Shawn, the
event will be well planned, well executed and enjoyed by all who
attend! This event is included in your per-person Alternate Event
registration fee.
Host Hotel
Drury Inn & Suites San Antonio Airport is our host hotel for the
2014 Fall Tech Seminar. Our Drury Inn is less than four miles from
the Tech Seminar Garage. Here is why your Fall Tech Seminar cochairs Phillip Reese and Shawn Behrens chose this Drury Inn:
1) $84.99 per suite, per night - Two-room suite, with your choice
of either a King bed or two Double beds, with a compact refrigerator and microwave.
2) Hot Quickstart Breakfast - Included.
3) 5:30 Kickback - From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. EVERY evening,
relax and enjoy a rotating menu of hot food and cold beverages
(including three free adult beverages, per adult) - Included. Please
note: The food provided by the hotel is considered to be a small
meal. Your club is providing additional food in the hospitality suite
starting at 7 p.m. each evening.
4) Wireless Internet Access - In all rooms and the lobby - Included.
Please consider attending the Fall Tech Seminar this year. You
can be a “charter member” of the 20th Annual Fall Tech Seminar
as we begin a new era in a new host city with a new host garage
and new host hotel!
Register Today!
Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations!
The registration form and hotel reservation information are
contained in this Lone Star Lady.
5) Long Distance - One hour free per room every night - Included.
6) Popcorn and Soda - From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. EVERY night in
the lobby - Included.
7) Reserved Covered Parking for Rolls-Royces/Bentleys as well
as Security and “no stairs” covered access from the parking garage
to the hotel - Included.
8) Hospitality Suite - Just as in years past, this tradition will
continue for us at Drury Inn. Refreshments and snacks as well as
additional food to supplement the small meal offered by the hotel
on Friday and Saturday evenings, included in your per-person
registration fee.
Yes, the Drury Inn is an older hotel and the two-room suites are
smaller in size than what we are used to at Homewood Suites in
Austin. However, the rate is much less expensive, especially when
you consider ALL that is included in our special rate. And the
rooms are updated, clean and well maintained.
Socializing
Even if you are not mechanically inclined, there are plenty of opportunities to socialize with club members. We start out Friday
evening having dinner together. There are always members to visit
with during the Fall Tech Seminar, whether at the garage, hotel or
during meals. We will also have dinner together at the host hotel
on Saturday evening, and then we finish up with lunch on Sunday
together at a nearby restaurant.
Summer 2014 • The Lone Star Lady
9
Silver Shadow
Preventive
Maintenance
by Dave Sjolund
Over the past few years I have determined there
are a few preventative maintenance steps that
should be performed on your PMC that are not
included in the manuals. Performing these takes
a little time and effort, but like all the recommended maintenance, major and/or minor inconveniences/expenses might be avoided. These tasks
are described in the next few paragraphs.
The first
of these is to lubricate the speedometer cables every decade. It appears that over the years the cable housings collect water
in low spots that eventually cause the speedometer cable to rust,
seize and break. Removing the cable and re-lubing it will prevent
a failure - but to lubricate the cable is not easy. You must remove
the cables from the top. This requires finding the backside of the
speedometer with a bright light, small hands and “reverse driving
position” (having your head where the driver’s feet normally are.)
Unscrew the housing, move it out and down to remove the cable.
Smear a little wheel bearing grease on the cable and return it and
housing to original position. Note: If your R-R has cruise control,
you must repeat the procedure on the other cable that is located on
the passenger side of the engine compartment. This cable goes to
the transmission.
Second, I have found that over the years many of the electri-
cal connections in the Rolls-Royce become dirty and may fail to
function. Now I am not saying to remove, clean and reinsert every
connection, as this would be a big job. (Is that an understatement?)
But selected areas should be attacked with nimble hands and a
little sandpaper. For example, all the fuses should be removed, ends
sanded clean and replaced every decade. I had a window that would
not work until I performed this simple action. Also, if something
electrical does not function correctly, simply remove, clean and replace the electrical connections before you panic. I fixed my starter,
alternator, regulator and fuel warning light this way.
10 The Lone Star Lady
• Summer 2014
The third area involves the electrical fuel pumps that all 1955-
1980 Rolls-Royce models have. R-R recommends removal,
testing and fixing/replacing every 25,000 miles or two years,
whichever is sooner. I recommend that every year you also
check that both pumps are working as I have noticed many
R-Rs have only one pump working. And when the second one
fails it is normally not an opportune time. The “check” is simple
and clean the second time you do it. After you have jacked up
the right side of the car, and it has not been run for a day or
so, remove the six Phillips head screws that hold the two fuel
pump protectors. Clean these parts to “ease” installation. Now
you will notice a wire(s) connected to each end of the pumps.
Remove these with a small 11/32” wrench or the “knurl nut”
if installed. Notice that one of the wires connects to the other
end of the pump. Insure the car is in park and the emergency
brake is on. Now have an assistant turn the key to the “on”
position - not the “start” position. The alternator light should be
on. Touch the non-interconnect wire to the pump for a second
or two. Several clicks should be heard. Now hold this wire and
the interconnect wire to the other end of the pump. Again, turn
the key on and several clicks of the same type should be heard.
Turn the key off and reconnect the wires as you removed them.
Turn the key on again and after a few seconds the clicks should
stop. If one pump doesn’t “click” the pump probably needs new
points or a condenser. If they do not stop “clicking” you have an
internal fuel pump or carburetor problem. But if both “click”
and stop, your fuel pumps are most likely good for another year
or so. (See fig. K6 and K7 in the pre 75 workshop manual).
Summer 2014 • The Lone Star Lady
11
Dallas Area Activities:
Dallas Monthly Breakfast– Dallas area breakfast meetings
are held the second Saturday at 8:30AM at the ‘Egg and I’
located at 15203 Knoll Trail Dr. in Dallas. This is just north
of Arapaho one block east of the Tollway. Knoll Trail is the
same road as Monfort south of Arapaho.
Houston Area Activities:
Houston Monthly Breakfast– Every 2nd Saturday - 9:00AM
Location: Skeeters at 5529 Weslayan, Houston, TX
Hill Country Activities:
Hill Country Monthly Breakfast– 3rd Saturday of the
month, 9:00 a.m., New Braunfels Coffee, 489 Main
Plaza, New Braunfels, TX, 830/643-0098.
Statewide & National Activities:
Texas All British Car Days, Old Settlers Park, Round
Rock TX, September 28-29, 2013 (just north of Austin).
Contact Phillip Reese at: [email protected]
Mark Your Calendars!
Important Note: New City and New Garage
Texas Region Fall Tech Seminar in San Antonio–
Friday, October 17 to Sunday, October 19, 2014.
Host Hotel: Drury Inn & Suites, San Antonio Airport
Great Rates, Covered Parking, Breakfast and Dinner
Every Day, less than 4 miles from Tech Seminar Garage
Garage Hosts: Robert Ober and Shawn Behrens, with
THREE lifts!
Alternate Event: For ANY attendee not interested in the
Tech Seminar, Shawn has his creative juices flowing and
will come up with something fun and interesting!
Registration form in this issue!
Holiday Parties
Houston Area Holiday Party – December 6th
(Location to be determined). Point of contact Jim Stryker
(832)646-5542 [email protected]
Hill Country Area Holiday Party–
Date and location to be determined.
Contact Phillip Reese at: [email protected]
Dallas Area Holiday Party –
Date and location to be determined.
Contact Doug Handel at: [email protected]