This is a rewrite of a letter that appeared in The Healey Enthusiast, September, 1993.
I had to write and tell you a bit about Conclave '93 in Louisville. My son Dan, daughter Karen and I attended and participated in some of the events.
We left Red Wing on Saturday the 26th of June as a convoy of two; our Sprite and the BJ9. The first day was pretty uneventful. We stopped every 100-150 miles for gas as the Sprite had a non working fuel gauge and we had no experience to tell us just how far we could go on 7 gallons of fuel. Distance and speed were also a little hard to measure as we had a MkIV speedometer on a 4.3 differential. In the end the combination was only about 10-12% off and easy to live with. We camped that night in Palisades-Kepler State Park near Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
The next morning, low on fuel and making a much needed stop, we encountered the first of many curious citizens. The station owner apologized for not having high octane, leaded fuel and asked several questions about the car. I told him I could use 87 octane, unleaded (thanks to Edelmann's) and answered whatever else I could. We drove through Davenport and south through Illinois over some of the roughest freeway I have ever seen. The Sprite was hopping around like a bantam rooster, my boxes of apple and orange juice were jumping all over the place. We camped at Wolf Creek State Park in southern Illinois after buying underwear in Decatur. Some of us do not pack very well.
The third day took us through the forests of southern Indiana. I had to be careful not to run away from the big "BJ9" Ford Club Wagon on numerous turns and twists in the road. When I told Dan that I thought this was a beautiful area he didn't seem to feel the same way, driving the Ford. Our caravan made Louisville during the evening rush hour. By then the engine in the Sprite was a little better broken in and I felt I could almost run with the freeway traffic. That experience convinced me of the need for a 3.7 rear end and maybe a 5 speed transmission for my Sprite. We camped at the Louisville South KOA in Shepherdsville, Kentucky.
On Tuesday morning, June 29th we picked up our registration packet at the Executive West Hotel. We were just in time for the funkhana and the solo which were being held across the street at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. It was easy to find the tech area for the solo and after a minor adjustment to the front wheel bearings the Sprite was cleared for the event. Between the tech inspection and the actual solo, Karen, age 11, and I ran the funkhana. She steered and I clutched and braked. We had a great time running for the roses. Later that afternoon Dan and I each ran the solo. We didn't break anything and had some average times. As the day progressed the level of preparation for these events by the conclave committee became evident. We met a lot of very helpful people everywhere we went. These folks were truly caring, sharing enthusiasts.
While the solo and funkhana were taking place Karen noticed the rides and thrills of Kentucky Kingdom. On Wednesday, she and I played, splashed, rode, walked, got sunburned and very tired at this amusement park. While we were having all this fun Dan was bending the ears of some of the folks with BN2s. He talked to Rich Chrysler, Joe Fruend, Bob Thomas, Bill Lillibridge and anyone else who would listen to him. By the end of the day his notebook was filled and a few rolls of film had been cycled through the camera.
Thursday was the day of the RC races and the car show. Time had been set aside for washing and prepping the Healeys before the show so we woke early and headed into town. On the way we stopped for breakfast at the Shepherdsville McDonalds. While we were eating I remarked to Dan that I would like to be at the Expo Center at about 9:00 am to clean up the car and get it ready for the show. When he told me it was already 10:00 am my falling jaw just about broke my ankles. We blasted out of there and went straight to the show, not even thinking about what the car looked like. We were the last car in! I hope no one was offended by the bird poop on the fender and the Kentucky mud on the tires. During the car show the RC cars were run indoors on a polished cement surface. Dan and Karen had more horsepower than traction but had a good time anyway.
At 4 pm everyone made a LeMans run for the exits. My family and I were more than a little homesick so we decided to head for home. The AC was irresistible so we put the Sprite on the tow bar and headed north. Red Wing looked like heaven on Friday afternoon.
As near as I can tell it was about 670 miles to Louisville and another 100 or so running around. The Sprite averaged 36 corrected miles to the gallon and burned a half quart of oil for the trip.
Keep on Healeying!
Keep 'em running
The GlassStacker's Assistant
