18th Annual Wheels & Wings trip report - Osceola, WI - September 12, 1998
Preparations for trip:
--------------------------------------------------
Installed convertible top in case of rain and/or hot sunny day. Although I
love driving with the top down, I prefer to do it when the sun is not
beating down on me.
I also decided to check the rear differential fluid level (how does one do
this?), by checking to see if I could get more into it. At first, the oil
spilled out the opening. But I persisted, and once the oil started going
in, I pumped in almost 3 quarts! Glad I checked it. The strange thing is
that the rear end has never leaked any oil (i.e. no garage floor spots)
since I
’ve owned it. The conclusion that I’ve drawn is that the oil level
has always been that low. I recall trying to add more fluid when I first
got the car. The oil spilled out the opening just as it did this week.
Drive to/from car show:
--------------------------------------------------
The trip to Osceola, WI from my home in Oakdale (suburb of St. Paul, MN) is
35 to 40 miles. I took highwary 36 east into Stillwater, crossed the
beautiful St. Croix river into Wisconsin, and then took highway 35 north to
Osceola. Osceola is the home of Classic Motorbooks, and the show takes
place on the property surrounding their warehouse. Their website is
http://www. motorbooks.com/.
Thankfully, the drive was uneventful. Skies were clear, the morning
temperature was around 70 degrees, and traffic was light. The water temp
ran under 195 on the way to the show. On the way back, the ambient
temperature was around 85 degrees and the water temp ran about 200. Oil
pressure was a good 50 lbs at 60 MPH.
Car Show:
--------------------------------------------------
This free show attracts vehicles of all types - cars, trucks, motorcycles.
Even the U.S. Army had a Hum-Vee there. Last year the show attracted over
700 cars, and I’d say the turnout this year was about the same. I arrived
late (10:30 AM) and my entry number was 630. When I arrived, the main
show-car area was "filled up", so I had to park in an auxiliary area. After
surveying the main show-car area for a half hour or so, I came across an
open spot near some British cars and retrieved the Alpine.
There was a fair amount of interest in Sunbeams, many recalling a movie in
which a Sunbeam played a part. Before I left at 2:30 PM, I came across two
other Sunbeams, a ’67 Series V Alpine and a ’64 Tiger w/ a 289. I also ran
into father/son tiger/alpine owners that had started the trip in the sons
Alpine, but got the dreaded starter ‘click’ after stopping for gas, and
drove a different car.
Although this show brings a lot of variety, there were very large
contingencies of Triumphs and MGs at the show - reflecting very well
organized groups in this area.
I’ve posted some digital pictures from the show off my newly arranged
homepage at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/3725.
Next Time:
--------------------------------------------------
Bring business cards. It’s a lot more convenient than scribbling on a piece
of paper.
Brad Sahr
brsahr(at)imation.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 10:16:02 CDT