Ranch News!
BRITISH CAR RANCH NEWS FOR JANUARY 2025
Welcome to the New Year! We at BCR have so much to be thankful for that happened in 2024, we are planning an even better year for 2025.
What is our New Year`s Resolution? To make some tweaks in our processes and add to our specialty tools we can deliver an even higher level of client satisfaction, and at the same time, add to the satisfaction level for our teammates here in the shop!
For instance, have you ever heard of a “smoke machine”? No, not uncle Neds` two pack a day habit, but a small metal case that has a heater and pump in it, and it heats baby oil to a smoke consistency and pumps it into an engine or transmission and shows where leaks could be occurring. With this device, we have found vacuum leaks in the carb system, leaks in the exhaust system, water pump leaks and transmission leaks. What a time saver!
Yet another tool that helps us out is our new air riveter gun. The transmission covers Triumph and Austin Healey use transmit a LOT of heat into the cockpit. To help reduce that, we line the underside of the cover with Dynamat, a great heat reflector. Living in that oily, hort environment can cause the self-adhesive glue to release over time, so we rivet large body washers at intervals to help keep it in place.
Cal`s Healey made good progress, the rebuilt engine and transmission were test run on our special test sled`s and then mated and installed into the car.
Don`s TR6 had the final coats of paint applied and first buff job done and transported to our shop to begin assembly. Don and friend Steve flew up from California to celebrate the milestone and see the car close up and in person. Absolutely stunning almost covers it! Tony joined us for the celebration show and tell and went over the car with Don, pointing out all the work that went into the finished product. And yes, Don is happy with the results, and ready to drive!
This is a picture of why you want to pay attention to your cooling system. When antifreeze is left in too long, it begins to corrode and if left unchecked, it will turn to rust and corrode the entire engine. Every 3 to 4 years is the general rule for a flush and new antifreeze.
Another tool that needed to be replaced after 40 years of faithful service was our drill press. We really stepped up and got a monster. It’s a Jet brand 1.5 HP model and really does the job for us. The pix shows me testing the release point on a brand new clutch system before we install it. Trust and verify!
We did get some work done in the month too.
Mike`s Healey got a good doing over and maintenance visit to prepare him for the East Coast Conclave and Kirby`s 2000-mile tour he will be going on. His brother joined him for a visit to check out the progress and then arranged for the transport of the Healey back home to Arizona.
Henry`s factory 100M is patiently waiting its` turn to get focused attention. The cars ahead of him keep revealing new important needs and delaying that full entry into the shop. We are , however, able to devote bits of time in between those new needs to do some diagnosing on the 100M. We are tracking down a severe runnability problem, step by step in those short times. Too soon to say for sure, we are gathering information and data right now.
Lloyd`s Healey BJ8 is getting a major reseal job amongst other things and that part was done by Sulley and we have installed the engine back in the car.
Bob`s MGA is moving along. During the early test running, it revealed a bad engine part. The diagnosis was confirmed and the part replaced. Now back to installation and start up.
Christopher has been working on Don`s engine and transmission rebuild, complete with a brand-new SU HS6 carb conversion.
Randy`s Bugeye likes it so much here at the BCR Spa, that it refused to go home early in the month. It created a mysterious oil leak the day before transport! That problem has been diagnosed and fixed, and it is ready to go home….again.
Bob`s GT6 is also waiting for the full-time entry day to continue his mechanical refresh that is ongoing.
Nathan`s family Healey had its` assessment done and is waiting for the completion of talks to create the repair plan.
Mark`s Healey is just waiting for the weather to warm up enough to do the final test driving after the repairs that were completed.
Scott`s Healey is now getting Tony`s attention and is starting on the paint and body phase of his restoration. Tony is hand crafting new outrigger assemblies and doing frame repair also.
Keep Calm and Motor On!!
Steve, Laurie, Christopher, Dana, Chasen, Sulley, Mike, Eric and Mini
Ranch News November and December 2024
Here is a snapshot of the workload in the shop today.
Rick`s MGB is on the hoist and getting attention, with his engine and rebuilt trans ready to install.
Bob`s MGA rebuilt engine and trans is ready to go into the car.
Scott Johnson got his car back this month with a brand new convertible top installed by Tony.
We were asked recently if we rebuild our own engines in house, yes we certainly do!
Don Dermond makes more progress toward the finish line, along with the hard top being prepped for paint
Mike Oveson got a major interior upgrade converting from black carpets to blue. Great job Sully!
Mark Tomlinson came in for some maintenance, but during his time he wanted to address some cosmetic issues. He got a new dash pad with an adjustable mirror. What an improvement!
Rick Casey picks up his MGA and is layered up with clothing for the cool ride home.
We really dug into assessing Henrys Factory 100M and got him started and running so we can now continue the diagnostics on drivability issues.
We also began digging deeper into Loyd Witham's BJ8 tracking down all the leaks and possible fixes that will need to take place
One of the common problems we face is the poor quality of the parts we receive. When they are not up to our standards, we have to create the correction/fix to make them quality. This carpet kit came to us with a terrible fit on the transmission tunnel. We made adjustments, corrected the fit and sewed it to meet our needs, with beautiful results.
Keep Calm and Motor On!!
Steve, Laurie, Christopher, Dana, Chasen, Sulley, Mike, Eric and Mini
BRITISH CAR RANCH NEWS FOR OCTOBER 2024
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
It doesn`t seem possible, but Thanksgiving is days away and Christmas is right behind it
Lots going on in the shop and in the family. Laurie just got back from her first international trip; she was on a 10-day knitters' trip to Norway. She had so much fun, she just signed up for a knitter's trip to Ireland in June
We will start with Mike`s Healey. It still had an original wiring harness in it, and after so many years, it needed replacement.
As all the cars do, his Healey revealed extra needs as we got into it. The heater was removed and cleaned with new hoses, the intake manifold was replaced, the carbs were rebuilt, a complete tune up and replacement of the carpet set in the cabin.
Our faithful enclosed trailer needed some real attention after transporting so many miles for us. It got a new 12,000 lbs winch, LED light conversion, re-wired the electrical system, a new battery and charging system, new tires and a rebuilt suspension system.
Jack`s Healey got a thorough tune up and went home.
Gary and Judy`s TR3 came in for their assessment and maintenance, and because they have consistently come in for maintenance and repairs as needed over the years, there were no serious needs and were able to drive home the next day.
Sometimes cars just need extra, extra attention and the pathway to excellent driving takes more time and effort. Scott`s TR6 fits that description. In the beginning it was a normal clutch system refresh, but a hidden problem required more diagnosis. It appeared to be a textbook throw out bearing noise, so we pulled the trans and replaced the new bearing with a new bearing from a different vendor. Still noisy. More diagnosis led to another removal and more new parts. Still noisy. A new diagnostic tool was purchased and put to work. It revealed a problem in the pilot bearing area. Pull the trans again and found my first bad flywheel in 53 years. A new Fidenza High Performance flywheel solved the clutch problem, except the starter now rubs on the new flywheel ring gear. Take the starter out, make a thin shim, install the starter, Christopher does the test drive and signals the positive results, and Scott can drive it home! Moral to the story, our persistence pays big dividends for us and the client. Thank you, Scott, for being so good to work with!
Cal`s Healey moved forward. The engine is rebuilt and was mounted in our test sled. It was then started for the first time and the initial break-in process was completed with no problems arising.
Rick and Sherilynn brought their MGA in for an appointment. Rick did a great restoration on the MGA and wanted us to go over the car and check his work. What a pleasure to go over a nicely done car!
That’s the MGA in the background, but the picture of the 3 friends was too good to pass up.
Our expert body shop, Tony, had his usual big input on our month. The first is Don`s TR6 which is approaching final paint application. This shows me examining the chassis and body after the epoxy primer has been applied. Beautiful!
The next was a visit from Scott to see the progress on his Healey in the body shop. It had just come back from the sandblast shop and Tony was explaining the work that will be next to Scott.
Next came Gary`s TR250 that was in for a new convertible top installation.
Next comes a sad reminder of “BUYER BEWARE”. An unnamed client bought a Healey from Alex Manos at Beverly Hills Car Club in California. The client did a walk around but did not have it assessed by a trusted source. The BJ8 was a beautiful car sitting there, nice paint, good interior, shiny chrome, wood dash, hard to resist. He had some trouble getting it running and more trouble getting it to stop. He called me to set up an assessment of his newly purchased car. It only took 20 minutes to uncover the true condition. The original brake servo created a dangerous and unpredictable braking system. The engine needed a complete tune up. But the biggest problem was the rust on the underside of the car. The inner and outer sills on both sides of the car were full of rust and holes. All 4 frame outriggers were rusted completely out. The truck floor was full of holes from rust. Steering and suspension needed to be rebuilt to make it a viable club racer in classic car racing. Rebuilt. We stopped the assessment right there. The client is working with the seller but not getting any satisfaction at all. There were dozens of pictures of the car available, but I couldn't see the defects when I viewed the pictures. Moral to this story, assess before purchase!
New into the shop is Lloyd`s Healey. He is interested in an assessment and elevating the car to safer more dependable driving fun.
Henry has an original Healey 100M that was totally restored some years ago to a very nice level but is now in need of some maintenance and TLC to return it to its` roots of high performance and be his club racer to compete in classic car competition in California and possibly beyond. He contacted us and set up an appointment to go through the Healey and make it happen. The transport arrived after hours so we met the driver and took possession.
Shop improvements this month:
We upgraded our hydraulic press machine to a 50-ton brute of a unit. It does our press work in less time with less effort and is safer for the operator. I love good tools!
Keep Calm and Motor On!!
Steve, Laurie, Christopher, Dana, Chasen, Sulley, Mike, Eric and Mini
British Car Ranch News September 2024
We begin this month with a picture of a box of paint.
Don`s Tr6 is at Tony`s getting a fresh paint job, and Tony found out it had been re-painted 6 times. All of that paint had to be removed before any metal work could be done and by the time he had used his sander to grind it all off, he had a box full of paint!
Craig`s MGB reached that wonderful stage of completion, passed the final test drives and he brought his trailer to transport it home. What a great day it was!
Rick and Sherilynn drove their MGA to us so it could have a thorough shakedown inspection. Rick did the restoration himself and wanted us to vett his work for him. Isn’t she gorgeous?
Jennifer`s Healey cooperated and passed its` final test drive, after having a thorough mechanical refresh. The car was her Dad`s and she last rode in it when she was 9, this was the first reunion since that time and boy was it a treat to be a part of that first ride/drive!
In September, the Northwest Healey meet was held in Seaside Oregon, my favorite location to hang out. We stayed in a hotel right on the beach.
Bob`s MGA engine rebuild was completed and mounted in our engine test sled for initial start up, to bregin the break in of the cam, lifters and rings. Boy did it run strong and smooth!
Randy`s Bugeye is getting a differential rebuild and new calipers on the front brakes. The rebuilding of differentials has become a job not taken on by many shops nowadays, we are lucky to have Chasen with the training and experience to do the job for our clients.
Tracy`s TR6 got a new gear reduction starter and new clutch hydraulics.
Same car, it has had almost all the metal work done and is in epoxy primer. From there it will get the first stages of sanding and smoothing it out to be ready for painting.
Jocko`s MGA is progressing with its` assembly. It will be a total restoration when done.
Jack`s Healey came in for an alternator conversion, tune up and rear brake job. His ride home was a friend who owns a Volvo P1800ES in beautiful shape. We owned one early in our married life and what memories that yellow Volvo brought back!
Bill had his GT6 transported to us for an assessment and then do a mechanical refresh on the car to return it to safe driving again. This picture is titled “ GT6 eats Sulley”.
Steve`s Healey 100-6 also passed all of its` test drives and he brought his trailer to transport it home. This was a case of major transformation, from a Healey that needed a lot of TLC to a Healey that is a true pleasure to drive!
75 Healeys travelled to Seaside for 3 days of fun. Christopher and I took my Healey and got to catch this great sunset moment.
Mike`s Healey is in to have his nasty original wiring harness removed and a brand new one installed. Sulley has really excelled at that job and has his old harness out and the new one halfway installed.
Rick`s MGB has a transmission rebuild waiting for a hard to get part, coming from Germany!
Scott`s TR6 is still in the diagnostic stages of a clutch noise.
Mike`s Healey came in for its` 500 mile after the engine rebuild checkup.
Due in next are Dennis`s TR250 for leak fixes, Gary’s TR3 for check up maintenance, Terri`s Healey for brakes and exhaust, Tomlinson`s Healey for fuel system work, Scott`s TR250 is due in for a starter and a new convertible top, and James` Healey is coming in for assessment and a repair plan.
BRITISH CAR RANCHNEWS JULY AUGUST 2024
Even growing up here in the Valley I don’t remember 4 weeks of 100-degree heat! I`m glad the boys asked for new air conditioners before this heat wave set in.
Laurie`s turn to drive! We loaded the TR6, put Mini in the back seat and drove to Vernon B.C. for the All-Triumph Drive In. 85 cars, lots of old friends and a bunch of new friends, it was a long weekend of car fun. Mini loves to travel!
In early August Jocko`s MGA chassis was brought in to begin the assembly process. We had disassembled the car to the bare chassis and then he had his body and paint guy do the paint work. Now we will assemble it to a rolling chassis and ship it back to the body guy to have all the finished panels installed, then returned to us to finish the restoration process.
Rick`s MGB came in for a transmission and overdrive rebuild. This looks like the first time it has been out of the car. Thanks to our hot water pressure cabinet, we can clean it up in no time at all and start disassembly fresh and clean.
Bob`s TR6 came in for maintenance and a wake up from long storage. That was finished in July, and he got to drive it back home to Chelan.
Jack`s Healey needed a charging system repair, so he took this opportunity to upgrade to an alternator conversion with a Lucas system. That conversion is very cost effective when the generator goes out and needs to be rebuilt.
Jennifer stopped by to check in on the progress on her Healey. It has been in the family all her life, she grew up in it, and now she wants it road worthy and be able to drive and enjoy it. At the time of this picture, we were over ½ way to the goal. Today, in August, we are getting close to the finish line!
A potential new client stopped by in July. Thomas and Lynette have an MGB that has been following them around the country and it is time to make a plan and get it back to daily driving. During their visit, they got to see the shop layout, meet the crew that would be handling the project and talk in detail about the process of restoring an MG, what the timeline would be, and cost estimates of the project. They got a real kick out of seeing the assorted cars in various states of maintenance and restoration.
Randy`s Bugeye completed the engine rebuild, supercharger installation, suspension rebuild and new brakes installation. Sorry to see it go, it was a little rocket to test drive here in the canyon!
Chasen and Sulley dug in and unearthed the short in Scott`s TR6 that has been causing problems for some time. Scott chose to install a completely new wiring harness, and it proved to be a good choice, as we found additional problems hiding within the harness as we removed it.
Scott and his son were on a motorcycle trip around the Northwest and stopped in to check on the progress on the TR6.
Don`s TR6 originally came in for some maintenance and refreshing of mechanicals. As we worked on the car, the plan expanded to include rebuilding the engine and while the engine was out, painting the engine bay. The engine bay turned out so stunning, it was agreed that the outside of the car should look that good too. In early August Don`s spot in the body shop opened and we transported the car to Tony for that paint work.
As we do the same, Tony works on more than 1 car at the same time, so we also transported Scot`s Healey to the body shop to begin the complete restoration process.
Arriving here at the Ranch this month are Bill and his Triumph GT6. He arrived by open car hauler; we met him at a large open lot nearby and transported it to BCR from there.
Dave and Carol dropped off their Triumph TR3.
Both Bills` GT6 and Dave`s TR3 have been off the road for years and it is time to make them both roadworthy again.
Time for a quick lemonade and back to work!
EARLY SUMMER 2024
What a shock to the system, it went from 70 degrees to 100 degrees in a week! Fortunately, we installed 2 new shop air conditioners to keep it cool enough to work in this heat. If you look close, you can see Chasen peeking out of the hole in the wall for the AC unit.
Then the helicopters and scooper plane showed up and within hours they had the whole thing contained and then had 11 hot shots up on the mountain all night putting out spot fires. I thought I had a hard job!
All is Calm and safe now, on with normal business duties.
We hosted the 2024 Run to the Ranch again this year, and had the Healey club join us for that day. Great to be back in the swing of get togethers! More next year.
Laurie has been spending a lot of time in the shop helping us and mentoring Chasen on the upholstery work. It is so great to have her talent`s available to us!
Mike got to take his really nice TR6 home after a nice maintenance visit.
Mike got to drive his Healey home! First we did his TR6, then he wanted a Healey, so we found one and restored it. In the meantime he had been spending so much time in our shop with these back to back restorations, we asked him to just stay and go to work for us!
Then he was able to drive to his first all British show and be the focus for our vendor booth at WWABFM field meet. We had to leave early for the show.
Cal chose this combination for his Healey restoration. Really shiny and gorgeous. Great, but where is the rest of the car!?
David brought his TR6 in for the initial assessment and creation of the repair plan for it.
And just before it did hit 100 degrees, the fire showed up on our back yard. A neighbor’s equipment failure started it, a pure accident. What was amazing was how quickly the fire department responded and thank God they did.
They contained the fire at the tip of our property and prevented it from charging down to the shop!
Ron Gangnes got to take his Healey home! It has been a long and winding road that leads up to this, but what a great car. We did a full walk around review of the car and had a chat moment to share with him. The Healey received a complete restoration, and is stunning. Not only that, but it is a pure pleasure to drive on the road.
Just like in the early days of BCR, father and son are working together on a Randy`s Bugeye, solving problems!
The Dulings got to take Pearl home. Joel performed the beautiful restoration on the TR3, and wanted us to check the TR over and really make it perform. Nice job Joel!
And then spend all day talking to people that flooded him with questions all day long.
Christopher is rebuilding Bob`s MGA engine right now. Here is the current stage it is in.
And here is the latest creative repair job we have encountered. This is the ground cable, battery to frame on a car. It appears that there wasn`t enough length to reach the frame, so they simply bolted on another length of cable, and just to be safe, put a section of a bicycle tube on.....floating on the cable.
Steve, Laurie, Christopher, Dana, Chasen, Sulley, Mike, Eric & Mini
The dream
The memories
Reality