Monica and I had been away from Club activities for about six weeks. Her Sprite is in the shop (coming back SOON!), while I trusted in my trickle charger and didn’t bother starting my Big Healey (1960 3000 Mk1) last night. When I uncovered the car in the morning though, I was bitterly reminded of my broken driver-side door latch. It was tied shut by a wad of plastic balloon string we had scrounged from a supermarket on our way home from our last drive. Ah, the adventures of car ownership. Good news, the engine started right up, and after a little bungee cord jerry-rigging to keep the door from flying open on the turns, we were on our way through the warm and partly cloudy morning.
More good news: club member attendance at the UA Theaters increased 500% from last month – we went from ONE to FIVE members! Upon arrival at 6:45, we recognized the unmistakable saunter of Phil Caliva with a rare La Canada appearance by the always amusing Dave Beugen.
We met them at the Starbucks for a Hill-up, soon followed by steadfast Tim McNiff, and FOC and COP (Friend of the Club and Cousin of Phil) Vic Cuilla. The conversation soon turned to recommendations for great breakfast burritos. If you want to know, you’ll have to come next time. (Vic also gets the group photo credit.) The lot was especially full, with all sorts of cars, and we guessed it might have to do people warming up for the Glendale Cruise Night later that evening. We gathered around our four Healeys and everyone was in good form for the usual round of friendly ribbing, slights, and insults. I was given a hard time for not fixing my door since last time – I forgot, okay! But a couple of the guys had the genius idea to use a bungee. Gee, thanks.
After I got home, I spent a couple hours disassembling my door panel and latch to figure out how it all comes apart so that I could hopefully put it back together. Turns out the machine screws and nuts holding the latch in place on the bracket had come off completely (all four of them!). After a trip to the hardware store for some replacements, and some fancy Hinger- work, my door works again. Bon voyage, bungee!