An Abbreviated Rolling British Car Day

An Abbreviated Rolling British Car Day By Sharon Tanihara
The Friday before Rolling British Car Day, I was touching up the aluminum-colored paint on my wire wheel spokes, when I noticed a small screw had threaded itself into the groove be-tween the tread on my right rear wheel. I knew better than to pull it out, but would have to wait until Monday to get the car to a shop that could handle knock-offs, wire wheels and tubes should the tire go flat when the screw was removed. Once again, there I was on a Friday, weekend ahead to contemplate my latest Healey dilemma, the only problem being Rolling British Car Day was coming up two days later, on Sunday.

Sunday morning came, and as always, Healey sense overruled common sense, as I told myself it looked like it was a short screw, it was only threaded halfway in, and the head had been worn down, so it didnít look like it was going to go in any deeper. With that reasoning, plus the fact that I carry a cell phone for emergencies and am good for a 100-mile AAA tow, I was on my way to Dana Point to catch a glimpse of the northern-most segment of Rolling British Car Day. The ride down the coast to Dana Point was, simply put, gorgeous. I pulled into the parking lot of the Wind and Sea restau-rant around noon, where there was not a space to be found, so I decided to drive around while waiting for the little British cars to arrive. Around 12:30, the first group of cars came rolling in ñ several Healeys, a lot of MGs and Triumphs and a few Jags ñ all years and models of each. It was a thrill seeing so many LBCs on the road and so many happy faces behind the windscreens and steering wheels. Back at the restaurant, an occasional British classic found a space among the modern day line up of vehicles. I wouldn't park my car, daily driver though it may be, in some of the cramped spots those brave owners staked out for their pristine classics! A final pass through the parking lot failed to turn up an acceptable space, so after a quick trip to a bluff overlooking the marina for some pictures, I decided not to push my luck with the tire, and headed for home.

On Rolling British Car Day 2001, the big adventure for a caravan of LBCs was a day-long outing over the highways and back roads of San Diego and Orange counties. For my Healey and me, it was a quick trip to Dana Point and back, fingers crossed all the way.