Gee the year is racing by. It is February already and all that time I had to fix those Triumph issues came & went with all those jobs are still waiting to be done. Can anyone relate?  I have a cracked brake disc on the TR7 (Neil says I need to do more cool down laps before parking) and the first competition event is on the 23rd February so I am sure I will get it done at the last minute. Having a deadline is a good thing!

Maybe you made a New Year Resolution to undertake something on your Triumph or drive your Triumph more. Maybe we can help you stay accountable to that. Send a photo of your Speedo in now and each month for the magazine so we can see how many km’s you are covering. Maybe you are intending on finishing that big job before the Nationals, or just before a certain date? Whatever the goal or plan, it is often easier with the help of some friends and there are plenty of them in this club. I know many of you have some very close friends in the TSOA, and with a few Triumphs changing ownership recently hopefully you all have room to extend it to include a few more. We had a couple of new members at our January meeting, and some others join recently so if you don’t have a New Year Resolution to do something on your car, maybe you can make it a resolution to get to know someone new in our club. Maybe sit in a different spot at the meetings, with a different group at a lunch, or take a minute to stop and have an in depth chat with someone new.

I am sure the year ahead will be a great one for our club, but we still rely on the same people over and over again, so maybe this year, YOU can set a run somewhere, mid week, Sunday or even break tradition and go for a Saturday or Friday, whatever the members want. Maybe you can volunteer to assist in a sub-committee for us hosting the upcoming National Event in just over 2 years. Maybe you could run it. If you have never done it before, have you ever bought anything from IKEA? How did you feel after you finished building it? This is the secret behind the success of not just IKEA, but packet cake mixes. By doing some work, putting something into it, you have a lot more pride in the outcome.  When we all join together and everyone does a little bit it makes the club run so smoothly and keeps us all TSOA proud.

My new year started with moving into our own house and I now have my own shed, so its going to be a great year for me, I hope it is a great year for all of you and I look forward to hearing of all your success and fun in your Triumph as the year progresses.

Duane

November was a fantastic month for Triumph Enthusiasts. Even though I’m writing this before months end, the TSOA has had some terrific events, The Day of Triumph in absolute perfect weather, a discounted buffet breakfast at Café Primo and a complimentary printed Photo of entrants cars, made for an amazing day. However, I do know that some people can leave the day a little disappointed after spending many hours, cleaning, polishing & waxing their pride and joy, not to win a trophy. Hopefully, an honest, step back approach to looking at the other Concours cars gives you many ideas on what it takes to win at this very high standard.

I personally love the Club introducing many years ago the Pride of Ownership category. As original parts become harder to source, as you personlise your car and for people that love to regularly drive their Triumph in any weather on any road, this is a fantastic class to compete in and was certainly the biggest group of entries on the day.

But no matter if your car won a trophy or not, just by being there and proudly displaying your Triumph mingling with other Triumph enthusiasts, I think everyone can say it was a wonderful day. I am looking forward to next years event already.

I am also looking forward to next years observation run to be set by Rory & Sue Gibson. They both seem to always uncover some new roads to travel on and I know they are very keen on their quizzes and trivia, so it is sure to be another great event. It was great to see Children and Grandchildren of members out this year, this younger generation might be the long term future of our club so if you have a Stag or Saloon you are happy to lend for a day, so we can have less excuses for not driving a Triumph (I can even loan my tired Spitfire with a dodgy gearbox to someone if needed !),  let me know.

At this time of year, the General Monthly meeting with its formalities takes a summer holiday, so does the competition side, (thankfully as I desperately need more time to save for some new racing tyres!) but this is always a great time of year to connect with family & Triumph friends and enjoy a leisurely cruise now that your Triumph is looking at its best and the days are longer. I hope to see as many of you at the upcoming events, keep your Trak handy for reminders of events, and check the website also.

Duane Kaak

Welcome back to those who attended the recent National Meeting. Alex Smithson gave us a glowing report from the National Meeting, it always sounds like lots of fun, and I’m sure a detailed report will be in Trak for you all to read.  It was great to hear all made it there and back safely and no major mechanical problems were encountered. Before buying my first Triumph, and shortly thereafter, I heard of some scary stories of Triumphs being unreliable, the Prince of Darkness always lurking etc, but although I have had a few minor issues that have been easily fixed, despite letting the Spitfire sit still for months on end it always starts and runs with no major drama.

I loved hearing Phil Bagust’s story of his Triumph 2000 being dragged from the jaws of a crusher and knee high weeds etc,  within hours the Saloon was running and could be driven with transmission, brakes etc. My Spitfire was sitting still in a shed for around 7 or 8 years when I simply poured petrol in it, a fresh battery and it started.

I’m sure the men that built these cars 50 years ago would be so proud to hear how these cars have survived and continue to run today.

No doubt they would also be impressed with their modern day equivalent men (and women) who have rebuilt these cars and maintained them to very high standards. It was truly a pleasure to hear that some cars from our club picked up a trophy or two at the National Meeting and a big Congratulations to Noel & Cindy Schmidt who not only presented their Triumph to TSOA concours standards and awards and not only to a level that stood out above hundreds of other marques and exotics in Noosa,  but themselves also in best dressed events.

The Day of Triumph is just around the corner. If you are reading this online on our Website then you still have time to bring your Triumph, in any condition, along. It does not need to be shining, perfect, fast or judged, just put it on display and proudly show off your piece of Triumph history.

Better still, invite your friends to come along to support you and see your car and others like it. Invite them along to the All Triumph Observation Run also. There are still Triumphs for sale in Adelaide, from $1,200 to Oh my Gosh how much , and as a club it would be great to see so many more Triumphs saved from doom, be maintained and on the road participating actively in our club.

Till next time, drive safely.

Duane Kaak

It is spring, yippee. Better driving weather is now here and I hope you are all clocking up some k’s on your Triumph and blowing off the winter dust and cobwebs in preparation for our busiest time of the year in our TSOA Calendar. Taking the Triumph for a maintenance run, or even just to check the tyre pressure is also a good excuse to avoid having to mow the lawn (again.. just like you did last week, how does it grow so fast..???)

With Spring comes lots of new life, eggs hatch, flowers grow and thankfully we have new life in the Club in the form of new magazine Editors! A big thank you to Dean & Margaret for taking on this task. I encourage you all to make their job as easy as possible by overloading them with great photos and articles so we can continue to have a great club magazine. At the same time, send your submissions to our Website Manager also!

The Club wishes those about to head off in the coming weeks to the TSOA National Meeting in Queensland a safe and enjoyable drive and holiday away. I have run out of holiday money & time so can’t attend which I’m a little sad about as Noosa is certainly a top holiday destination, and mixed with Triumphs and old friends, sure to create some wonderful memories for those who are attending. I know many are taking it slow & steady to drive the journey in convoy with others. I’m hoping to hear nothing but success that our trusty Triumphs conquered those miles with ease.

The Club certainly has some great events coming up for the rest of the year, culminating in a Christmas Dinner which is always a great way to end the year. Until then I sincerely hope to see you and your Triumph one sunny Saturday or Sunday soon.

Duane Kaak

Its been a short year in the HOT Seat but again a huge thank you to all of those who have given me support and guidance and advice.

The committee intends to continue work on our Constitution this year, and just recently Mike Temby found a near original copy of our current one and a copy on a ‘Floppy Disk’. Technology has come a long way over time and the TSOA has embraced that with email, and a great and growing website.

It was a year mixed with sadness of the loss of some members including John Sampson & John Allnut who we all saw regularly and new well, but also exciting to meet some new members and new cars.

All in all we still have a very strong club, with some fun and professional events. If you were there, you know how great they were, and they are too numerous to list here. We have just as much coming up, so come along! Although Bill is the Social Secretary, his job is certainly made easier by the volunteers who set and managed runs throughout the year. Thank you to all who drove, mapped and double checked all the run sheets, rang and organised venues for morning tea, lunches and dinners etc to make our social events such a success.

I do so love the TRak magazine so I appeal to all of you to consider how we can continue this to a high standard.  It is a great record of our club, advertising us and the fun times we have in our cars, and each issue over the last 12 months and more has been superb. A Huge thank you to the outgoing editor, Richard Sutherland. He is also the recipient of this year’s Presidents Award.

I also see an opportunity to get more Triumphs on the stage, even repeats from years ago that I’d love to hear about what problems you may have had or repairs undertaken.

Although we have a couple of years, this year I would also like to  begin planning for our National Rally in 2016, an event that the TSOA SA can certainly be proud from our past performance.

Thank you all for the support over the past year, and I certainly look forward to the opportunities in the future.

Duane

By the time you all read this, I will be travelling in Europe. As exciting as that is, I am also a bit disappointed I didn’t plan it better as I have just missed the Dutch ‘National Rally’ by 1 week.  My eyes will be keenly peeled though looking for Triumphs on the (wrong side of the ) road, and I hope to get a snapshot of one or two.

But wether I am in Europe, or in Adelaide, my eyes are always on the lookout for other Triumphs. They are not hard to spot, since buying my first one and joining the club, it has become so easy,  more of an automatic thing, rather than a hard task.

The hard task, is trying to get these unknown Triumphs to see what a great club we have. Obeying the road rules, it is almost impossible to catch up with one and follow it if they are headed in an opposite direction.

At this time of year, many Triumphs are off the road undergoing repairs and maintenance for the warmer weather. It certainly is the best time of year to drive your convertible in the Spring and Summer but it always warms my heart to see so many regulars out in their Triumph, no matter what the weather. The postponed Breakfast run was a perfect example of despite cold and pouring rain, the usual dozen Triumphs gathered together. Sure, they aren’t the most comfortable car to drive, but I know they are easy to spot, and certainly stand out from the crowd.

Nothing looks and sounds more impressive than a convoy of Triumphs together, all with their distinctive exhaust notes cruising along together. On the club runs, I truly enjoy being right behind another Triumph, seeing a Triumph in my rear vision mirror and switching positions a few times.  So for my benefit, and the benefit of the general public, on the next run, can I please strongly encourage you all to drive in a close (but safe) convoy together. What a sight and sound it will make!

Duane Kaak

It is with again much sadness this month that we said goodbye to another great TSOA member, John Allnut. He was a great contributor to the club, and I believe there may be an article in this month’s magazine reflecting a bit more on his life. As sad as saying goodbye is, it is also very joyous to see and meet new members at our meetings and on our runs. I would love to meet many more of the unseen members, as I’m sure they have a great Triumph story to tell and I have set myself a challenge on how to do this over the coming years.

This month at the meetings we introduced a new Concierge service, thanks to Bob Farrell for taking the lead on this. Too often at meetings we are busy catching up with our regular friends, and I’d hate for any new attendees to be missed or too feel uncomfortable in such a large group. Thank you to all of those that have expressed an interest, in being the face of the TSOA at our future meetings.

Our membership secretary Natalie Farrell supplied with more numbers of interest which I hope will also be published in the next TRak magazine, of the total number of members cars in each make and model. I love reading these numbers but I wonder more, are these non historically registered cars running, registered fully, under restoration? Please let us know where each of your Triumphs are at so we can compile some great and interesting facts about triumph cars in SA.

Hopefully in the June TRak are also some photos from the 6 hour regularity competition event. A HUGE thank you to the volunteers who assisted on the day. Those that were there know I had a blast when I achieved my nominated lap time, pumping the air and I could see these antics also put a smile on the face of those behind pit wall also.

The committee is meeting soon to discuss the budget for next year. A small membership increase is proposed to keep income and expenses steady, and we had a passionate discussion about the cost and the production of the Trak magazine, being a major cost to the club. I see the magazine as more than just something to read and discard, for me it is a great way or marketing our club to new members and keeping in touch with those that aren’t up to speed with internet. Maybe in the future, near or far, it could be an electronic newsletter, but to have any decent magazine in print or on-line, we need members to submit articles of interest, photos etc. Many like to read it, are passionate about it, in any form, but only a few seem to submit articles. So please, put Pen to Paper, or fire up your computer and type something, tell us all your story about your repair, restoration, or Triumph Spotting and travels, online or in print, it will be a much greater read for all those involved.

I look forward to seeing you all on the road or at the next event soon!

Duane Kaak

It is with great sadness that I report the death of long standing TSOA member and Triumph enthusiast John Allnutt on 2nd May following a short illness.

John has been an active member of TSOA for well over 20 years, with his main Triumph interest being his pristine yellow TR7 fhc. John also owned and cherished a silver TR8 dhc during the 1990’s before selling that car to Roger Lange to renew his acquaintance with his TR7 that he regretted selling – fortunately he was able to convince the then owner to sell it back to him.

During his involvement with TSOA, John has served as Club Treasurer and on National Meeting committees, and has been a regular attendee at General Meetings. He has been rewarded on many occasions over the years with Concours trophies for his Triumphs, and always enjoyed presenting his Triumphs for inspection. John has made many friends within the club and will be sadly missed.

A funeral service for relatives and friends of John was held at Charles Berry Funeral Home, 198 – 204 Magill Road, Norwood on Monday 6th May.

The TSOA Community joins with Helen and family in mourning the sudden loss of John – a true gentleman and a highly respected and loved man.

Duane Kaak, President

Hi All,

I today sent an email out to all of our members that I have an email address for. For those of you without email, (or we don’t have a current email address) I want to use this opportunity to share something I feel is important for the future of keeping our beloved TRiumphs on the road at a realistic and appropriate cost.

I know many of you currently enjoy the Historic Registration Scheme, but I am sure many of you also know a fellow TSOA member or Car Enthusiast with a car that doesn’t meet the Code.

The Street Machine Association of SA (SMASA) has previously begun a fight to allow modified vehicles into the code, to bring us in line with other states Club Permit schemes etc. They began this before the last Code was accepted, and weren’t successful at that stage, however they haven’t given up!

I know many of you personally dislike wildly modified vehicles, Air Filters or Carbies sticking out of the bonnets, massive rear oversized rubber, but this Modified Vehicle Inclusion could be critical to the future of Triumph Cars on the Historic Registration Scheme as replacement parts become harder to source, or safety upgrades are needed. Although there is still a good range of parts available thanks to the Internet, I’ll bet most of you have a story of a struggle to find just that right part, or have concerns over the safety and reliability of a standard or 2nd hand part fitted to your pride & joy, and carrying around your most valuable asset, your life, and your loved ones.

I’d love to have much better brakes on the Spitfire. Naturally I always keep a safe distance from the car in front, but naturally I need to share the road. Some better brakes can avoid the heart starter of someone pulling in front of me and then jumping on their ABS, Porcelain, Brembo, vented, cross drilled stoppers etc.

I just signed the petition “South Australian Government, Dept of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure: Include pre 1979 Modified Vehicles in Conditional Registration ” on Change.org. If you Google it, I am sure you will find it, or email me for a link.

It’s important. Will you sign it too? I hope many of you do, and that our State Government seriously considers some further inclusions into the Code.

Look forward to seeing you all on the road or at the next event soon!
Duane Kaak

Easter is here already, the year seems to be going so fast, lots of great quality events so far, and especially with all the events fast approaching also I think the year is going to be one to remember.

I see the TSOA WA have already pencilled in an agenda and dates for the 2014 National Rally so if you are a long term planner, check their website for more details.

I also have some long term plans for our club. I want to keep it fun and exciting and grow it however we can. At the latest meeting I mentioned there are Triumphs for sale, over 70 across the internet in Australia, so encourage your friends and family to turn off the TV then consider filling that void in their life with a classic car and some wonderful social events and the best group of south Aussies they will ever meet. They can then show us their new pride and joy on stage at an upcoming meeting.

At the last meeting a member put forth a suggestion of what he would like to see in the magazine , don’t be shy. Especially those members who for what ever reason can’t attend meetings, please feel welcome to pass on ideas and suggestions for perhaps your only communication with the club.

We are also seeking a new Magazine Editor this year, if you would love to learn the ropes and some new computer skills, or already have skills in that area, we would love to hear from you.

Until next time , safe and happy travels.
Duane