News Update: Since this post went up Thursday, VTrans engineers have succeeded is opening up a travel lane on Vt. Rte.9 between Brattleboro and Bennington. Also, on Saturday the Rutland Herald reported that barring any weather reversals, VTrans expects to have U.S. Rte 4 open from Rutland at least as far as Killington by Saturday, Sept. 17. These are in many places “Blue Stone” highways, and Governor Peter Shumlin has pointed out that conditions can approximate your grandparents’ roads. Not recommended for Concours entrants.
The East-West roads are still severed. Sections of U.S. Rte 4 and Vermont Rte. 9 have simply ceased to exist, and this week’s rain has undone some of the stop gap repairs in other places. The Brattleboro Reformer tells us that new temporary signage in Halifax informs the routes out of town: Blue plastic plates mark the Brattleboro road, White plates lead to Whitingham, and Green plates direct traffic to Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Tide Going Out Again
However, the Southbound I91 bridge in Greenfield is open again, so we have relatively unfettered access to Connecticut and New York, even if we can’t get to Bennington or Albany.
Left front fender with new paint from East Coast Collision & Restoration. Click to Enlarge
Butch & John have been scrambling to get this red Austin Healey roadworthy in time for it’s scheduled departure Saturday for Connecticut. It arrived on a trailer, but the owner wants to drive it back, so they’ve been busy installing reliability. So far they’ve put the seats & carpets back in, repacked and adjusted the wheel bearings, and secured the somewhat shakey exhaust system, among a host of other tasks. This is also a Jule-framed car, probably an early one, because the first order of business at East Coast Collision & Restoration, was to section the front crossmember in order to clear the front engine downpipes. Tomorrow’s beginning task is the replacement of the steering column wiring conduit a.k.a. Stator Tube.
Two & Four Seater Austin Healeys at E.C.C & R last week. The car in the foreground is back in our shop for final assembly. Click to Enlarge
One of the very great advantages that we’ve gained from working with Jason Marechaux and his crew in Mount Holly is the enormous peace of mind that comes from knowing that their standards of workmanship are fully the equal of ours. This picture was taken late at night under the fluorescents in their panel shop, but the paint and panel fit will withstand any amount of close scrutiny, and we will be working very hard to uphold our end of the bargain.
TRIVIA CONTEST: The first three people who can identify all four cars in the picture will win a free oil fitler, if we stock it.
Lastly a Reminder: The British Invasion of Stowe is still on for next weekend, September 16 thru 18, and the road is open. Interstates 91 & 89 will get you there from the New York metro area without a problem, and Rte 100 from Waterbury, Vt. is back in business. This is the largest all british show in the U.S. and very likely the friendliest, too. Last year my MGC was car # 648. You can track me down on the show field by calling the cell number in our ad in the program. Hope to see you there.
