Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 09:31:52 -0700 From: gpool@pacific.pacific.net (Granville B. Pool) Subject: Palo Alto Meet (long) It's a longish drive to Palo Alto from where we live (even if not in a Land-Rover) but Bennett and I eventually got there, while calling the traffic "engineers" of Palo Alto many dirty names. Boy, what a lot of British Cars! I've read that the Portland meet is the biggest all-British meet but now wonder how "biggest" is measured. Portland had a few more Rovers (official count at Palo Alto, according to Domingos Dias, was some 42 and I think 44 at Portland this year) but far fewer Rolls Royces, Aston Martins, Morgans, Jensens, and other distinguished marques. As at Hayward, at Palo Alto Land-Rover took honors for best turn-out. An enthusiastic bunch, LROs, eh. As others have mentioned, it was good to put some faces to names, such as Peter Whitbeck (a pleasure doing business with you, Peter), John White (Disco owner who was at Portland but without our managing to meet), and several others. A couple whom I met briefly at Hayward but didn't get to really talk to there, I got to get to know a little better this time, including Michael Carradine and Bill Grouell (who had a trailer behind his 88 in which he brought a beautiful BSA Victor Special, first one I've seen in years). Good to see Dan Connor (dba Danarosa) there with his solar 88, Matt Francis (even without his still engineless Rover), Glenn Bingham, appearing for the first time with his (my old) 109 one-ton, Kurt Jensen who rode with Dan Connor at Paradise, got the bug, and promptly knocked on Eric Mills' door to buy his first Land-Rover. Kurt showed up in his currenty topless 109 2-door, featuring rolled-on latex house paint! Kurt needs a door-top that isn't rusted out (a right-hand one, I think). Anybody got one? I checked my stock and found that my only extras were pretty badly rusted out. Bob B.? Seems to me that I saw Bob Peterson's Discovery there but managed not to meet Bob (must have been over at the Rolls row looking for Grey Poupon). Henry Nesmith's smiling face was there but his RR was not in evidence (must have been lurking around somewhere). Meet-regulars Domingos Dias (this time with his Camel Trophy 110 which finally got legally registered about two weeks ago--huzzah!), John Kirn, Lynn Helm, Brad Blevins, and several others whom I did or did not meet but whose names have, in any event, slipped away (only so much room in my slightly mashed noggin and I know I'm nuts to list folks here, knowing that I'm not remembering everyone). Oh, yeah, another roverless: John Hong, now expatriate, but no less enthusiastic, was there. Notable presence also of Mike Robinson who says he has a Land-Rover in pieces (well, there are several of us, eh) and who got as far as the trials for the Paraguay Camel Trophy two years ago. Mike had some interesting stories to tell about the trials (and a cool shirt) and plans to try again this year. Good luck Mike!! Brad says the initial trials this year will be at Hollister Hills so maybe we can do another PPMGC and gawk (December, I think). Rather surprisingly, John Hess was the lone Dormobilian there. Unless your count TeriAnn, recently back from the far north, with various Dormobile bits strapped into place, movie-lot fashion. Get busy, Nick (who, at least was there with his 88)! Nick's neighbor, that stogie-smokin' lazy bugger Jimmy, was there in his topless 88, dispensing some gnarly chili from his tailgate (thanks, buddy). Walt, you missed a chance to get hoist on your own petard Surprised not to see Morgan and Vance; hey, guys, don't let lack of your Rovers keep you away--Bennett and I and numerous others didn't. Speaking of Bennett, poor kid, these British meets are hard on him. He'd like to have a sportscar, preferably a Lotus Super Seven. Mike Robinson made him a little jealous by revealing that he just scored one. TeriAnn, Mike also has an MGB-GT (but came to the show in an old Ford Ranchero). But Bennett's real-world choices of sportscar are a Fiat Spider (his sister's that she wants to sell) or an Alfa GTV (his sister's fiance's that he could get a good buy on). He even tried to talk Michael Carradine out of his hopped-up TR-6. After the Portland meet he'd made up his mind to go with the Alfa. But after the Palo Alto meet, he's back to scheming on building up one of our yard-rovers. Must be the infectuous enthusiasm of this group! Mike Robinson is smitten with our camaradarie, too, and plans to get on the net and join our list, soon. Another victim of this group's aficion, in addition to Bennett, Mike, and Kurt, is Stan (not, he informs us, Stanley) who has clearly been bitten. When I walked onto the field where the Land-Rovers were parked, the first familiar smiling face I spotted was Roger Sinasohn's, together with Rachael's (big smile) and another pair of smiles belonging to Stan--immediately recognizable as Roger's brother--and his charming companion whose name seems to be eluding me at the moment. Roger and Rachael seemed to slip away after a bit (of course Bennett and I got there rather late, about 1:00 P.M.), leaving Stan to do duty (most willingly, it seems) dispensing the semi-free hot dogs, chips, and sodas, courtesy of LROA,NA (donations accepted). I didn't see any Grey Poupon in evidence so presumably Rog and Rach were off in pursuit of some... Well, the show was great but some of us couldn't let it rest there. Bennett and I joined Michael C., Mike R., Brad, Nick, John H., Jimmy P., and a few others at Unamas (Mexican take-out/in-in eatery at the shopping center across the way) for some unneeded chow and vapour locke and some apparently still needed jawing and jabbering. But, eventually, all good things must come to an end and we straggled off along our myriad separate paths. Until next time... CHEERS!! Granville and Bennett (Snarkless but shooting for Mojave) ------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 20:58:29 -0700 From: Roger Sinasohn Subject: Palto Alo British Car Meet Cc: lro@team.net So Sunday was the big British Car Meet in Palo Alto. I had spent Saturday in Palo Alto as well, toting antique computers around in the 109", so at least I knew where I was going. Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked at the meet; a friend had planned her 90th birthday party for the same day. So I missed seeing and chatting with a number of folks from this list, as well as other, non-connected LRO's. But I did see a few. There were a total of 3 non-93 110's there, including Dom Diaz's Camel Trophy 110, which he finally got registered. I didn't see any of the 500 '93 110's. (Frank, did you make it down?) Dan Connor (Danarosa) made it, though I didn't get to talk to him. Brad Blevins, John Hess, Jimmy Patrick, Granville Pool, are just a few of the folks I got to say hey to. All in all, I had a great time, but I wish I had had more time. I was also cooking and giving away hot dogs on behalf of LROA, which seemed popular, but I think that if I had planned it better and sooner, it would have worked out even better. As it was, I didn't have my table, or a real sign, or anything. Next time, eh? Anyone want to help out? Someone (an LRO from all the way in Reno!) suggested someone planning a get-together the night before at an Irish pub there. Sounds like a great idea to me. And maybe we don't even have to wait for a british car meet for that? Anyway, I had a good time, though I was a bit disappointed in that I didn't get to stay too long. Can't wait 'til next year! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad sinasohn@crl.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California