So this has been a bit of a slow summer for TR8 driving, mainly because of tech issues not long after I got it out of storage (had a flat when I got it out – got that tire patched; then had an overheating problem that with some ancillary help and a couple repairs, i was actually able to fix myself) – and then we’ve gone out of town a bit recently too.

So…finally had an ‘event’ to use it in – a Poker Run with the local Tyee Triumph club. We met in Issaquah next to a pub and Top Pot Doughnuts, probably about 15 cars total? Couple photos of us waiting below, my TR8 is in the very back of the first one before the truck, a bit hard to see:

so we took off, I followed the couple in the white TR6 as I had no ‘navigator’ with me – great, country drive through back roads towards Black Diamond (with bakery stop), then a Cidery:

at this stop, I had a chance to admire some of the other cars in greater detail, including the beautiful black Spitfire in our group, and Tom Eller’s TR250:

but then, back on the road we went. We also stopped in Maple Valley in a retail parking lot as a ‘rest’ stop. As a Poker Run, each stop gave us a poker card to write down, then at the end, when we were back in Issaquah at the pub, we compared ‘hands’ and weirdly enough (with only a pair of Kings) – i won! So I got my choice of the 3 prizes, I picked the Triumph Parking sign:

What a fun event! Hopefully they will have something else similar before i have to put the Wedge back in storage likely in Mid-Oct, depending on the weather…..

candybowl

Man, Neil Finn is young in this:

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So, it’s that time of year again, when much of the car-loving tri-county area descends upon our neighborhood for the annual end of June Greenwood Car Show.

Bit of a different vibe this year, while still pretty crowded, I think the overcast, “i’m not sure if i’m going to rain” weather scared some away, and it was definitely more like early chilly spring than summer, to be sure.

Still, several cool highlights (view these in the Gallery linked on the left side)

– two black early 50s Porsche’s, likely Kerewin’s fave cars;

– great showings from the local vintage Mini, Datsun, VW, MG and other misc vintage British clans;

– not as many muscle cars as past recent years (to me, good – I’d seen enough Chevy Nova’s and Mach 1’s back in high school to last me several lifetimes) but if you liked even older Chevy Impala’s (making me always think of Adam-12) – this was your show. I’d have to guess that specific car model was definitely the most numerous, or at minimum in the top 5;

– two Panteras this year, nice!

– only a couple Kei cars, an Autozam and a Figaro (there were several last year)

– and one other big highlight for me – a Volvo Valp! Haven’t seen one in person for years, but there it was. Not restoration quality but it sounds like he’s been having a lot of work done on it – will be cool to see if it shows up next year too.

candybowl