Ventura County British Car Meet 2009

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This year's Ventura County meet, presented by the Central Coast British Car Club at the marina in Oxnard, CA, was big as ever with over 200 cars on display on the lawn and in the car park. The car park was a show in itself as spectators had brought everything from an early 1930s American Austin sedan and a restored 1962 Valiant hardtop, to a number of customized Fifties Ford pickups along with the various British and European iron that didn't make it onto the lawn.

The first car we encountered when we walked onto the field was the amazing orange Rover V8 powered MGB that was driven all the way down from Canada! Meet Coordinator, Dave Wellwood covers the car, at the end of this report. Attached, you will find photos I took of the cars that impressed me most. The maroon and black 1948 Standard saloon was nice as can be and is a car that I have never seen before, even in the UK.

The AC coupe is another rare one, as was the Rolls Royce Shooting Break (Estate Wagon) and the Triumph Vitesse Sport Six convertible. These are six cylinder powered Heralds with dual angled headlamps. Fast, but tricky to drive with the rear swing axle, this green and white beauty looked better than new! The blue 1967 Morris Minor convertible was a show stopper with its wide whitewall tyres and white piped black interior, as was Craig Cody's red, 51,000 mile, mag wheeled, 850 Mini........ Nice, Nice, Nice! Bill Czerwinski was back again with his Bright blue 1933 English Ford, this time sporting a GMC 3-71 supercharger on a homemade manifold that pumps more power into the Buick 3.8 liter V6 under the bonnet - If there was a bonnet.

A fun show for sure - A special mention for Darryl Struth who made the wonderful engraved granite awards and Albert Escalante who was given an award for over 20 years of service with Central Coast British Car Club and years of work with this event.
by Rick Feibusch, British Car Network

Albert Escalante getting his award
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

Albert Escalante on the Ventura Meet:
Things are getting pretty interesting in the Car Show circuit. Take our 19th Annual Central Coast British Car Show held on July 26, 2009...I saw a man and a woman who were pushing around a "Steadycam" (a mobile movie camera on a crane like set-up) around the field. In the past 20 or so years so much technology has gone into mobile cameras in order top give viewers a feeling of actually being there. Today, the technology has them as smooth and steady as the the last generation of Studio Cameras.

No matter how professional looking or expensive edited studio films are what's missing is the nitty gritty reality & immediacy of the new "Steadycams." Now anyone can try to be a Marty Scorsese!

I've seen them at concerts or independent film productions like those aired at the Sundance festival, but here they were at our local and well established, but by no way a Pebble Beach, event. By the way this years Featured Marque was the Mini. First introduced 50 years ago, now they're all grown-up have even been reintroduced by BMW due to it being so damn popular and innovative.

But back to the movie of our clubs 19th Annual Car Show. The DVD will soon be out and will primarily be sold to people who had their cars out there on display at the Channel Islands Harbor. When I saw them they just happened to be doing a 360 degree and overhead filming of a 1930's era Rolls Royce Shooting Brake. (Station wagon) It all seemed rather heady especially surrounded by cars at least 29-40 years old?

I ran into an old pal named Dick Doyle who has a 1960 Bugeye and 1963 Sprite laughingly he said, "Hey Al, not bad for an 83 year old guy, eh?" And I said "Dick you're not 83!...you're 38....You've just found a way to turn time backwards!." Like Moss Motor's Ken and Barby Smith (Or, Mr. and Mrs. MG - as they are the unofficial Ambassadors from Abingdon!) were there as was Brisbane meet organizer Rick Feibusch and his lovely wife Carolyn just back from assisting the organizers of the 2nd Annual British Car Meet in Woodstock, NY.

To see more on the show in the next few days we should have pictures posted on our club website at: www.centralcoastbritishcarclub.com What else can I say..... You shoulda been there but with the movie of the Car Show that was filmed today you can order a copy and see what you missed!
Cheers! Alberto Escalante-CCBCC West Coast USA

1969 MGB-Rover V8
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1974 MGB With Rover V8 Punch - And A whole lot more

This was the first car that we saw as we entered the Ventura British Car Meet this year. Sporting Canadian license plates, it obviously came a long way - we wondered if that was on a trailer?? First clue to the insides was the bright orange finish and superbly done body modifications. These roadsters are very sensitive to fender flares and modern wheels that often look awkward and "added-on." Not this one! Everything looked in perfect proportion and slick as can be.... a walk around the front confirmed our suspicions that this was way more than a pretty face. - - Rick Feibusch

Dave Wellwood, Ventura meet coordinator and owner of Wellwood Restorations (wellwoodautorestoration.com) tells us more:

1969 MGB-Rover V8 Engine
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

I can tell you about the V8 MGB from Canada. It belongs to Bruce Mills from Sechelt, British Columbia which is just a ferry ride north of Vancouver. I knew Bruce years ago in Vancouver and had not seen him for maybe 15 years or so. We met through sports cars in Vancouver back in the early 1970's. He tracked me down to our shop in Ventura via the internet and sent me a message. I told him about the car show and he though it would be a great cruise for his '74 MGB.

He has owned the car for 21 years and it is the most modified "B" that I have ever seen. Rover V8 & Camaro 5-speed gearbox, All wiring hidden, shaved door and trunk handles, steel flares and w_i_d_e tires, great wheels, signal lamps hidden in the headlamps, LED marker lamps, great leather seats, roll bar, gauges and more. It is a fantastic job. I drove it around all day Monday and it was a gas. I don't need to buy a Ferrari 308 now if I build an MGB like his!

Bruce drove about 1,400 miles down for the show and stayed with us for a couple of days. He left Tuesday morning to go to Vegas, Monument Valley in Utah, Wyoming, then Yellowstone and eventually back to BC. about 5,000 miles in all in two weeks plus a couple of days. He won a very nice trophy at the show.
Cheers!
Dave Wellwood
Show Chairman, CCBCC 2009
WELLWOOD AUTO RESTORATION, INC
wellwoodautorestoration.com

1961 Morris Mini, Owner Craig Cody
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1933 Ford (UK) Rod-Buick
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1934 Rolls Royce Estate Car
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1947 MG TC
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1948 Standard Saloon
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1948 Triumph 1800
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1957 AC Aceca Coupe
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1960 Bugeye Sprite
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1961 MGA
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1967 Morris Convertible
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

1969 Triumph Vitesse Sport Six
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

MG SA
The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet
Central Coast British Car Club 2009
Rick Feibusch Photo 2009

The 2009 Ventura County British Car Meet Poster
Central Coast British Car Club 2009

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