“You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” This iconic ad campaign debuted in the 60’s, but 60 years hence the same can be said about Healeys.
Lindsay Maine and I attended the 10th Annual La Habra Christian Church Car Show and had the pleasure of meeting Claudia and Tim Salce, and Claudia’s 1961 Bugeye. The car belonged to Tim’s father, who bought it in 1972 from the original owner, and drove it daily from his home in Norwalk to work in LA and then to school at Cal Poly Pomona. Yes, every day.
According to Tim, one rainy day, his dad was engaging the clutch on a hill in LA when his foot slipped off the clutch pedal, violently engaging the clutch and damaging the differential.
Tim recalls the car sitting in the garage through his high school years, and a number of years ago, with the help of Jeff Taw at British European Auto in San Pedro, Tim got the car running, but it was his dream to completely restore it. The dream Ninally became a reality with just enough time for his dad to ride in “his” car one last time before he passed from lung cancer.
Today, it’s Claudia’s car, and the freshly restored Bugeye features a 1275 cc engine, 5-speed transmission, and a beautiful shade of Aston Martin paint that accentuates its hips as the sun sparkles off the metal Nlake. British European did all the work, and to a very high standard.
Lindsay and I were happy to see Claudia and Tim win the trophy for Best Sports Car, and we hope to see them in the AHASC very soon. With apologies to Honda, indeed, you meet the nicest people in a Healey.
Not to be outdone, Lindsay won the trophy for Best Foreign Car among some strong competition, including a very nice Pantera and a very rare 1959 MG Magnette saloon. I maintain it was Lindsay’s new aluminum rocker cover that made the difference, but I may be biased.
The show featured 115 cars in all, with a good mix of makes, models and types, and the organizers were gracious hosts, providing free breakfast (the cinnamon rolls were very tasty) and free In n Out for lunch. Proceeds from the show beneNit the Boys & Girls Clubs of La Habra and the LHCC Youth Group, so your entry supports the community. If you’re looking for a nice, local show I encourage you to consider LHCC’s 11th Anniversary Car Show.