The Tony Hart Collection – June 13th

Winner: The People’s Choice AwardOwners: Gary and Melissa Oakland

1967 Bentley T-1 (SBX1735)

VOLUME 51 ISSUE 6 JUNE 2015

The Tony Hart Collection – June 13th

2015 Regional OfficersChairperson Karen Perrault Vice Chairperson Larry EwaskaTreasurer Terri Mercurio Secretary Carolyn Quadt 562 598-7028

Appointed PositionsChief Judge Tom Mercurio Technical Chairperson Ronny Shaver Membership Chairperson Pierre LemieuxAwards Chairperson Gary Cerveny Newsletter Editor Dori OisenHospitality Chairperson Joan Hugron Cell: (949) 439-0465Marketing/Advertising Gene TowIe Directory Editor Karen Perrault Webmaster Steve Power-Fardy Archivist Diane Cerveny Bylaws, Policies, Procedures

2015 Board of DirectorsCharles Bivens Paul DaileyFulton Haight Betty GreenDori Olsen Bill SundinClint Camomot Joan HugronRobert/Nancy Ratinoff

Editorial StaffEditor: Dori Olsen

Cell Phone: (424) 644-5987 dorianolsen@earthlink.net

Please reference RROC in the subject line when sending an email to the editor. Do not send any material or photos that carry a copyright. It is our policy not to publish copyrighted material.

The Spirit of Ecstasy is published monthly, approximately two weeks after the meet. Articles and notices should be received no later than the 15th of the month prior. Please identify cars (with chassis numbers) and individuals in all photographs. Private party advertisements for Rolls-Royce/Bentley sales, wanted items, parts, lost and found, or information will be published for members at no charge. For car sales, include chassis number and asking price. Photos will be published at a nominal charge. Non-member advertising will be accepted at published rates. Display advertising is accepted, at the discretion of the Editor, for business card, 1/4, 1/2, or full page insertions in increments of three, six or twelve months. Advertisements are published as a courtesy to the membership. The Southern California Region and its Editor(s) do not assume responsibility in the event of a claim of loss or damage resulting from publication. Members are responsible for investigating any advertising claims prior to entering into an agreement with an advertiser. Please contact the Editor(s) for information or published rates. Articles reflect the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect national or regional policy. The Southern California Region and its Editor(s) seek to publish accurate material but neither assumes responsibility in the event of a claim of loss or damage resulting from publication. The organization is under the control of the National RROC.

JUNE 2015

JuneTONY HART COLLECTION AND CAFÉ FIRENZE

LUNCHEON We invite you to join your fellow Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club members and guests on Saturday, June 13th to view the Tony Hart Collection, followed by lunch at Café Firenze. At this memorable event you will be able to view the private collection of fellow member Tony Hart who is a race car driver as well as the owner of California RV Service. His company specializes in the maintenance and customization of RVs.

Some of the treasures from his personal collection include a 1931 Cadillac Phaeton, 1963 Split Window Corvette, 1990 Ferrari F40, 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Long Wheel Base Limo and a 1994 Lamborghini Diablo VT. But that’s not all! Tony’s racing cars will also be on display, some of which include a 1956 Lotus Eleven Wide Bodied Le Mans Series One, 1959 Cooper Monaco, 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster and a 1972 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. Tony will also showcase some of his handiwork in customizing RVs.

At 11:30 a.m. we will caravan the short drive to celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani’s famed Café Firenze northern Italian restaurant for a marvelous multi-course luncheon in the private Wine Room. Chef Viviani is a noted author and appeared on Bravo’s reality TV series “Top Chef.”

The price for this all-inclusive event is $40 per person and we are limited to 60 attendees. Reservations must be made by Monday, June 8th. Please make your check payable to RROC – So. Cal Region and mail it in the enclosed envelope to Terri Mercurio (Treasurer), 22512 Garzota Drive, Santa Clarita, CA 91350

What: The Tony Hart Collection and Lunch at Café FirenzeDate: Saturday, June 13, 2015Time: 10:00 a.m.Where: California RV Service 5397 N. Commerce Ave., Moorpark, CA 93021 (805) 553-9311$40. Café Firenze 563 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark, CA 93021 (805) 532-0048Cost: $40.00 per personHosts: Tony & Laureen Hart cell: (805) 559-2506

Directions to California RV Service:From South Bay/Orange County/Beverly Hills405 North to 118 West Right onto Gabbert RoadRight onto Poindexter 1st right onto N. CommerceBuilding is on the RIGHTDirections from California RV Service to Café FirenzeGo North on N. Commerce Left on PoindexterLeft onto Gabbert RoadLeft onto W. Los Angeles Ave / CA 118Restaurant is on the LEFT

From the Editor: An important photo in the “Ask Ronny” column in the May issue was omitted in error. Our Technical Chairman Ronny Shaver is concerned that members attempting the repair may perform it incorrectly due to the missing photo. The column was corrected and the correct version of the article is on the RROC So Cal website. If you are interested in performing the repairs outlined in the article, please go to the RROC So Cal website at www.rroc-socal.com for complete instructions.

I also have eight printed copies of the newsletter with the article in the correct format. If you would like a printed copy, please send an email to dorianolsen@earthlink.net and include your name and mailing address. First come, first served until the copies are gone.

My sincere apologies for the error.Dori

RROC-SOCAL.COM

2014

RROC-SOCAL.COM

2015

JUNE 2015

Chairlady’s CornerDear Fellow RROC Members and Car Enthusiasts,

This picture, of course still black and white, is my graduation picture from primary or elementary school, which for me was 6th grade. That put me about half way through my undergraduate education, as we come near half way through 2015. I can’t honestly tell you I was dreaming about owning a Rolls-Royce or Bentley someday, but I was sure dreaming about being able to drive something.

Now here I am, a part of a fantastic car club filled with wonderful people that love these fine automobiles as much as I have learned to love them. Thank you all so very much for being those car enthusiasts that are eager to preserve and drive these fabulous PMCs.

I hope that you all have been as pleased as I have been with the outstanding events that we have had so far this year. Our attendance has been better than ever and these successful events are the results of the many efforts of our fine volunteers. We thank you all so much. I also want to thank the many new members that have been coming to our events. Our May event was held at the Aaron Weiss Collection and the Huntington Library and we have more than fifty signed up to attend at the time of this writing. Of those signed up, about fifteen are new members with less than one year of membership. I think that is terrific and I hope we continue to have events that appeal to all of our members.

We have events planned through June and also for the fall months, but we still need your help for the summer months July through September. Do you know of a collection or special event that we could work into a RROC event? If you have any thoughts at all or are just willing to help, we can put some ideas together, and come up with something special. Please contact Larry Ewaska, our Vice Chairman, and let him know what you are thinking.

I want to make a very special thank you to Dori Olsen, our Newsletter Editor, who pours her heart and soul into this fabulous monthly publication, and she does this from her new residence in Texas. Yes, she manages to organize and publish this very informative periodical some zillion miles away and makes it look like she is doing it with ease (but that’s Dori’s way). Thank you so very much.

Please put that top down and enjoy your PMC.

Karen

June6 Tech Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

13 Tony Hart Collection/Café Firenze $40 Hosts: Tony and Laureen Hart

20 Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival This is a non RROC-sponsored event

18-28 RREC Rally 2015

July18 Tech Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

August1 Board Meeting Hosts: Larry and Gary Ewaska

8 Technical Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

12 - 16 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

September12 Technical Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

20 – 27 British Columbia Region Sea to Sky Tour

October3 Technical Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

TBA Fox Hunt Host: Sanford Doi

13 - 18 Yankee Region Cranberry Country Tour

31 Air Museum and Great Car Show, Palm Springs This is a non RROC-sponsored event

November7 Tech Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

13-15 Palm Springs Weekend Host: Pierre Lemieux

December5 Tech Meet Host: Ronny Shaver

20 Holiday Party Host: Karen Perrault

JUNE 2015

Pageant of the Masters

On April 8th, about 21 fortunate RROC members were given a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters. This wonderful display began in 1932 to encourage attendees from the Los Angeles Olympics to travel to Laguna Beach before heading home. The Pageant has brought spectacular entertainment to the art community of Laguna Beach for over eighty years.

We were greeted by the chief electrician and lighting manager who gave us a very informative look at how the Pageant is created. We were able to see where the makeup is applied, where costumes are designed and how they are sewn and painted, and where and how backdrops and sculptures are created and painted! Surprisingly, most of the costumes are made from fine muslin, so that they can be easily painted. Many times three dimensional details such as buttons are painted on instead of being an actual button to eliminate the three dimensional look. They do not care what the back of the costume looks like because that side is never seen.

We were privileged to be taken up on the stage to see how the sets can be moved quickly in and out on wheels, sized to fit the picture that is being showcased, and how the cast members are positioned in the frame. The time frame for any one masterpiece is about 90 seconds. The persons in the picture are encouraged not to try and hold their breath the whole time because it can cause them to lose their balance and sway. The final touch is the lighting. No shadows can be permitted because they create a three dimensional look that is not desired. We were shown a chair that was added to a scene and extensive back lighting of the chair had to be installed to get rid of that third dimension.

The Pageant would not be possible without hundreds of volunteers! There are two cast members for each character in the pictures. They appear in seven shows, then have seven days off. There are only about 25 to30 paid employees; the rest are volunteers. This year approximately 1200 people submitted applications to volunteer and about 500 were selected. Some entire families volunteer. The

Pageant runs for approximately two months during July and August but tours are only offered for a limited time in March and April.

After our tour, some members took advantage of the beautiful day and enjoyed lunch at the nearby Lumberyard restaurant. “Like a good neighbor, this Laguna Beach restaurant cares for its hungry regulars and its historical site.” It is a local landmark that anchors the historical shopping center opposite City Hall in one of the most historic buildings in Laguna Beach. We had our choice of great American food such as rotisserie chicken, steaks, ribs and seafood, as well as down- home favorites such as meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and spaghetti and meatballs. There is a beautiful patio overlooking city hall and a huge fireplace inside.

This was a fabulous day and one that we certainly couldn’t have achieved on our own; a once in a life time experience. Some of the attendees went straight to the box office to get their tickets for this summer’s performances. Many, many thanks to our hosts Howard and Betty Green.

5JUNE 2015

Members of the Month Gary and Melissa Oakland are the Members of the Month for the March Concours d’Elegance event. They have been members of RROC So Cal for one year and they divide their time between their homes in Hidden Hills, California and Billings, Montana. Gary became a fan of Rolls-Royce motor cars when he was a teenager. It has been a long term fascination, leading him to acquire a 1975 Rolls-Royce Corniche FHC, Mulliner Park Ward, a 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II and a Bentley T-1. These beautiful PMCS are his daily drivers when they are at home in Hidden Hills.

Gary and Melissa really enjoy being members of the club and appreciate the opportunity to meet the interesting owners of these great automobiles and see the cars. They also very much enjoy the news journals.

The Cover Story

Gary and Melissa Oakland are the proud owners of the beautiful 1967 Bentley T-1 (SBX1735) that is featured on the cover of this issue. It was first delivered to the original owner in Zurich, Switzerland and they are the fourth owners. There were only 1,400 of this model manufactured over a period of twelve years. This gorgeous PMC won the People’s Choice award at the 2015 Southern California Region Concours d’Elegance on March 28th at Santa Anita. The People’s Choice award is determined by vote of Concours attendees and is really the car that the group likes the best of all of the cars on the field.

They have another winner with their 1979 Silver Wrath II (LRK38975) that had been a Beverly Hills car that was lovingly cared for by the original owner. They are only the second owners of this car. It won 1st Place Concours in the Silver Shadow II, Silver Wraith II and Bentley T-2 class at the 2015 Concours d’Elegance on March 28th.

Gary and Melissa also own a 1975 Rolls-Royce Corniche Fixed Head Coupe, H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward that is currently undergoing a thorough restoration. It is one of approximately 1,000 ever made and we hope to see it at an upcoming Concours.

Thanks to Gary and Melissa for sharing their beautiful PMCs with us! Lorenzo Ortega

HighlandMichael Carney

Los Angeles

RROC-SOCAL.COM6 JUNE 2015

2015 Concours d’Elegance Photos

Bentley Mark VI R-Type, & Silver Dawn

Winner’s Circle

Winner’s Circle

Silver Wraith

Best Of Show Pre-War1936 Embiricos Bentley

Rolls-Royce & Bentley 21st Century

Silver Spur II & III & Bentley Turbo R

Rolls-Royce & Bentley 21st Century

7JUNE 2015

More Concours d’Elegance

Letter from a Member

Silver Cloud IISilver Cloud I

Silver Cloud III

Silver Shadow II And Silver Wraith II

Pre-War Large Horsepower

Silver Shadow I and T-I

RROC-SOCAL.COM8 JUNE 2015

This is not black.

This is Rolls-Royce Mason’s Black, Code LB 31819

WHEN YOU LOVE CLASSICS, YOU SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

Our world is colored by classics. They’re what we love and all we insure. Join us at hagerty.com or call 800-922-4050. We may sell insurance, but we live classics.

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE

This is not black.

This is Rolls-Royce Mason’s Black, Code LB 31819

WHEN YOU LOVE CLASSICS, YOU SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

Our world is colored by classics. They’re what we love and all we insure. Join us at hagerty.com or call 800-922-4050. We may sell insurance, but we live classics.

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE

This is not black.

This is Rolls-Royce Mason’s Black, Code LB 31819

WHEN YOU LOVE CLASSICS, YOU SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

Our world is colored by classics. They’re what we love and all we insure. Join us at hagerty.com or call 800-922-4050. We may sell insurance, but we live classics.

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE

Silver Shadow Brake Pressure Warning Light Operation

by Ronny Shaver

The brake systems on the Silver Shadow/Bentley T cars have pressure warning lamps that should warn the driver if either of the two systems have proper pressure for safe braking. These lamps illuminate when system pressure is below approximately 900psi and should extinguish at about 1200psi. The working pressure of the systems are usually between 1800psi and 2200psi (approximately). When driving, the two systems are continually working to maintain this pressure range as brakes are applied.

The warning lamps have had various locations and configurations through the years with very early cars having non-labeled red warning lamps in the center of the dash to well labeled warning lamp arrays in the center of the dash or next to the ignition switch. On the early cars without labeled lamps, the left is #1 system and right is #2 system. To test the bulbs: (early cars) press the small black test button on the dash above the steering wheel with the ignition on or with the car running, (later cars) turn the ignition switch to the crank position with the car in gear. If the car is running, do not try this while in park or neutral because the starter will engage and possibly cause damage, not to mention make a horrible noise. The warning lamps should all illuminate. If not, then a bulb is most likely burnt out. In my years of working on these cars I have many times seen bulbs removed and or pressure switches disconnected to correct that “annoying” red warning lamp!

To check the systems, switch the ignition on without starting the car, then pump the brakes continuously until both lamps are illuminated, then an additional 20 or more pumps to fully depressurize both systems. If either lamp does not illuminate after 90 or so pumps, then the switch is bad or disconnected and must be repaired. After fully depressurizing both systems with warning lamps on, start the car and run the engine at about 2000 rpm while watching the warning lamps. The lamps should extinguish within a few seconds with fully charged accumulators and properly operating systems. If the lamps take more than a couple of minutes to extinguish, then the systems may have low accumulator pressure charges, faulty accumulator valves, low pump outputs (due to dirty reservoir screens or pumps), worn brake pushrod camshaft lobes, bypassing height control valves (#2 system only) or even sticky brake pressure switches. These are the most common causes but by no means the only faults.

I recently had two clients with opposite complaints about their warning lamps. One stated that the #1 system light came on after sitting only one night and the other customer stated his warning lamps wouldn’t come on after sitting one night. After combing all of my Rolls-Royce service manuals and literature I could not find one reference to how long is normal or acceptable for a light to come on after a car sits. If anyone reading this has come across any Rolls-Royce factory literature addressing this topic, I would greatly appreciate seeing it.

With the first client, I isolated the accumulator from the car by disconnecting the high pressure flex line coming directly from the accumulator and installed a pressure gauge. Next I ran the car until the pressure stabilized at about 2200psi and turned the car off. The pressure did not change for two days so the problem was not in the accumulator. The only other place for pressure loss in the #1 system is at the distribution valve in the rat-trap under the car. Believe it or not I had to replace the valve 3 times to get one that would hold for at least a few days. It’s funny that the #2 system held fine for many days and it has not only a distribution valve but also two height control valves that can lose pressure. My client contacted me later stating the car sat for eight days without the warning lamp coming on at start-up, very tight system!

With the second client I knew that the pressure switches and accumulators were fine because we just went through them, so it was just a matter of re-educating him. Apparently some discussions in a Rolls-Royce forum had stated the warning lights should come on after sitting overnight. Although some tired systems will do this, a good system should actually hold for at least a couple of days. I instructed the owner to perform the self-test described above just to make sure and it passed with flying colors

If a warning light comes on after a couple of hours or even immediately after shutting a car down, then some work is most likely necessary, soon! If at any time while driving the car a brake pressure light comes on, then park the car as soon as possible until it can be repaired. Years ago I had a client who kept putting off having the brake pressure systems repaired on his car until one day the fuel pump quit while cruising down the freeway. He nearly wrecked the car and was very shaken up because as soon as the car stopped running his brakes failed. This all happened in a very dangerous section of freeway with no shoulder. Try stopping a three ton car going 75mph with no brakes! Fortunately for my client, there was a slight upward slope in that section of the roadway which eventually slowed him to a stop. Do not think you can rely on the parking brake, because it is only a parking brake, not an emergency brake.

Thank you for the questions and keep them coming. Please send your questions to Ronny at ronnyshaver@ronnysgarage.com.

Happy Motoring!Ronny

9JUNE 2015

2015 “SHOW & SHINE” CAR SHOW

AT THE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY IN FONTANA

Be a part of the SVRA “2015 Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival” held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California! This event will feature hundreds of vintage and historic racecars as they thunder around the challenging 21 turn, 2.8 mile sports car track. The Classic Car Show at the Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, June 20th is open to all Classic, Vintage, Exotic and Collectible Cars of interest. Not only will you compete for awards, each $50.00*** Car Show registration includes:

• 2 Weekend Passes (2-day) to the Vintage Races • The “Last Lap” tour of the Auto Club Speedway

in your show car (subject to track conditions) • Saturday Evening Concert (TBA) • Saturday Evening Fireworks • Optional Driver Dinner (additional charge)

Register before June 10th and receive:

• Complimentary Special Event Race Poster ***Note: $ 50.00 registration fee prior to noon on Wednesday, June 17th $ 60.00 registration fee after noon on Wednesday, June 17th

Display Car Guidelines: The Classic Car Show will take place at the Auto Club Speedway shine or rain on Saturday, June 20, 2015, 8:30 am until 5:00 pm. Show Cars may not display for-sale signs, advertisements, displays or illustrations without the prior written consent/authorization of the Registrar. Register at www.svra.com/car-shows For info contact: linda@svra.com or 847-421-2891

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2015 Orlando Annual Meet Photos Courtesy of Sherry Stern, Silver Cloud Society member

11JUNE 2015

12 JUNE 2015

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Ronny Shaver