Classic Car Corral – 2011 Edition

A Jeff Smith report as edited

The Texas MG Register sponsored the British Car Day at the State Fair of Texas on October 22. It was superbly organized by Paula and Steve Ward, who had organized it on some of the previous years on behalf of the Jaguar Club.

The day dawned chilly, but that didn’t impair some intrepid Morgan drivers from attending the State Fair. A large selection of MG’s, Triumphs, Rolls-Royce, Jaguars, Minis, Austin Healey and, of course Morgans, converged on Flagpole Hill Park in Dallas for photos and to get a police-style motorcycle escort to the fairgrounds, some 9 miles south. The Morgans were represented by Ali Sheikh’s 4/4, Charles McGeough/Cathy Rich’s +8, the Boyles’ +4+ and the Smith’s 4/4.

After some confusion, all the cars were lined up for the group photo-op, and we then proceeded to queue up for our drive down. (Writers note: Gee, my brakes feel kinda spongy. Should bleed them again.) The Wards had arranged a later individual photo-op before some historical landmark, as they had in the past. But time constraints eliminated that, so each got a photo of their car in the corral. Great shots, but that’s the best they could do.

Proceed we did, with only one incident of a Sprite and a motorcycle escort trying to occupy the same space. . . both came out OK, but provided a stern reminder that pulling out to the left was a VERY bad idea. (Dang! I’m having to pump the brakes 4 times to get any retardation!)

We all arrived at the State Fair, set up in the Car Corral, ate some breakfast, and set out to explore the Great Texas State Fair. And eat corny dogs; we made a valiant effort to sustain the food vendors’ livelihoods. There’s always a lot to see and we made sure to see the homemade jams, quilts, and spend a few quality minutes at the Auto Show making trenchant comments about various new cars and trucks. (Does anyone else notice how uncomfortable the new headrests are in pushing your head forward?)

Later in the afternoon, we relaxed in the Car Corral and enjoyed each other’s company, while answering questions from passers-by. At 3:00 PM everyone was requested to return to the corral, where the Wards had devised various games of “skill” for selected participants. There were also raffle prizes for everyone as well as a silent auction on certain items. Soon, the organizers started announcing winners in each category . . . and completely forgot the Morgans. This grievious error was, however, brought to their attention, and amends were made. 1^st went to the Smiths (showing voters clearly had a sense of humor), 2^nd to the Sheikhs, and 3^rd to the Boyles.

Soon, it was time to push off. In keeping with the spirit of adventure, it was apparent quickly that the Smith’s 4/4 was essentially brakeless. . . 8 pumps, which I can assure you, dear reader, makes for a highly-focused driving experience around Fair Park and up Central Expressway. We did make it home OK. (POSTCCRIPT: After replacing the master cylinder and THOROUGHLY bench- bleeding it – and replacing some lines – and bleeder screws – the brakes are now performing better than I’ve ever experienced them. So THIS is what Morgan brakes are supposed to be like!)